iA Writer has previously been established as my writing app of choice. There is something about both the visual design and snappy interface the team at iA created that is just right for me. When I learned they were making a presentation editor the same week I needed to create some slides, I had to give it a try.
Continue reading “You Should Try iA Presenter”Apple Vision Pro First Thoughts
I’ve had a strong interest in consumer technology for years at this point, though it mostly falls into a category of entertainment via YouTube videos and podcasts. I’m not critic, and tend not to spend much time writing about the latest and greatest in the spaces I follow. But Apple’s new Vision Pro headset is difficult to ignore.
Continue reading “Apple Vision Pro First Thoughts”MuseScore and the Democratization of Document Creation
I find music scores to be absolutely beautiful documents. In middle school I was engrossed by creating my own music and, more importantly, writing it down. There’s video evidence of me being jazzed about receiving a “Lyricist’s Notebook” for Christmas around that time. I also recall purchasing a journal of staff paper for ambitious ideas I had. Yet turning musical ideas into something that can be shared, let alone something that would look good, felt out of reach. When the itch to create music struck me again last week I remembered a new-to-me program, MuseScore, that changed everything.
Continue reading “MuseScore and the Democratization of Document Creation”A Thesaurus for More Than Words
I’ve slowly formed my thoughts on the language model tools that have stormed into the foreground of technology over the last few months. My initial utter skepticism, largely founded on people’s misunderstanding of how these tools are designed, has morphed into an appreciation of their specific utility as a thesaurus for any kind of text available on the internet.
Continue reading “A Thesaurus for More Than Words”Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast
This is a refrain in disc golf describing the approach to properly development throwing form. It’s typically attributed to Philo Brathwaite, a particularly smooth player out of northern California. It feels self-evident in the world of disc golf mechanics1Taken to the extreme, you get Eagle McMahon and Albert Tamm, two of the farthest throwers, neither of whom ever seem to “run up” for their throw like most high-level players. as you watch different players, but its applicability beyond this origin knows no bounds.
Continue reading “Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast”- 1Taken to the extreme, you get Eagle McMahon and Albert Tamm, two of the farthest throwers, neither of whom ever seem to “run up” for their throw like most high-level players.
From the Desk of Owl P. Jackson, Esq.
I went to the 2023 OTB Open this weekend, and had a blast. However, it’s late on a Sunday and I don’t have the time or energy to dive into that right now. Instead, I encourage you to go read the Top 10 Storylines series from “Owl P. Jackson, Esq.” at Ultiworld. They’re a quick, humorous, and insightful set of recaps for each stop on the Disc Golf Pro Tour. It’s probably the best way into the sport of professional disc golf.
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Bad Handwriting and Journaling
I was recently in San Diego and decided not to fly with a fountain pen.1My cohost Grant enlightened me when I had my first fountain pen leak that unless your pen is completely full (or completely empty), the change in air pressure will cause a mess. So when I sat down to journal I was back with my original roller-ball Retro 51 Tornado, and my handwriting was awful. It helped me realize how intentional I still am while using a fountain pen, and how that encourages better journaling sessions.
Going back to a traditional pen kicked my brain into a rapid jotting gear that spewed rough characters and jagged sentences all over the page. These entries were initially shorter and had reduced impact. Once I realized what was happening, I took additional care to write slowly and focus on my handwriting. This had a knock-on effect of making me think intentionally about my day and allowing the journaling sessions to improve.
That slow, methodical version of journaling happens naturally with a fountain pen partially because I’m still not totally used to using one, and because the ritual of opening up my journal and uncapping the fountain pen puts me in a mindset that encourages a distraction-free space that declutters my mind. Realizing that, I want to find other proxies for this effect when I’m traveling so I can make the most of that fifteen minutes in the evening. I’m not yet sure what that will be, but it’s good to have a clear sense of a problem I want to solve.
- 1My cohost Grant enlightened me when I had my first fountain pen leak that unless your pen is completely full (or completely empty), the change in air pressure will cause a mess.