YESTERDAY was my two week's notice.
That is, yesterday I was to hit send on my (sometimes) fortnightly newsletter. Friends tell me to set an alarm in my calendar. (That would require me to remember something else to do!) My wife tells me to pull my head out of....the sand.
Anyway, here's the latest installment.
AUDIO BOOKS
There's no reason you should know/care about this particularly, since you're likely a consumer and not a producer of audio books...but here's the skinny: it costs thousands to have one recorded, edited, mastered and released. If you have it professionally done it can take a good long while, too. Then there's issues of royalty shares and such.
DIY recording is also fraught with complications, the biggest being tools, talent, and time.
What I'd like to know from my readership (and if you've been with me a while, I have asked this in another context):
Would you be more inclined to invest in my work in audio book format?
Do you prefer work read by the author or a professional narrator?
You can just reply or otherwise email me with your feedback.
BRAVE TOMORROWS...
You know, that's my tagline up there...and I keep turning it over in my head. We're going to have to be brave to weather the tomorrows that are coming. I am no technophobe, but never has man had so much tech rolling full steam at the same time. I remember when the wheel came out...and when agriculture was evolving...and I can tell you people were terrified when radio and electricity were new....but these days, it's just nuts! I'm (reluctantly) discarding tech that was oh-so-awesome just a few years ago because now much sleeker devices (often apps on my phone) are much better, faster, stronger. In my opinion, the best way to navigate all this is:
...TOGETHER
What's that mnemonic that spins off TEAM: Together Everyone Achieves More?
It is my most firm conviction that if people remain at the center of any tech enterprise, we'll be just fine. Right? So long as efficiency and money don't get in the way, right?
I trust we'll always have guardians of the Old Guard, hopefully a digital Ralph Nader (who hated on the Corvair so much--I'll never forgive that) to help us keep our heads on straight. We need people throwing water on our tomorrows with regularity. We need skeptics, naysayers, conundrums...what would the world be like without them? We need to embrace such cautious voices even as we leap to embrace the next shiny object.
A shiny Object: Hey, did you try Suno yet, that crazy AI tool that makes music? Every two weeks the equivalent of the entire catalog of Spotify is created on Suno's platform.
Be excited...and mindful. --Skynet
HOLIDAY READ
Yes, yes, I am aware I promised this, and yes, it's nearing completion. As you might imagine, my main preoccupation with zombies doesn't easily lend itself to a holiday piece, but I'm having fun toying with ideas. Want a peek inside my creepy mind? Here's 25 Holiday Story Ideas for the Zombie Apocalypse Novel.pdf
Please don't give up on me, and remember: practically every day is a holiday of some sort.
WHAT'S NEW?
This week I received the hardcopy of the anthology I recently contributed to. I should have taken a picture of me opening the box, like all the cool kids do. ICYMI, the anthology "weaves together essays, stories, and poetry exploring work through three movements: blessing, toil, and restoration. From examining why we were made to work, through the frustration we all face, to finding purpose beyond productivity—these voices help you see Monday mornings differently."
I contributed to it because I am very dedicated to that mission. I've always had a healthy respect for work, all manner of toil, from digging in the garden to vibe coding. I feel work is infused with the Spirit, and I am not alone in this conviction. The authors in the anthology are great people with great values and beliefs. (Some are young enough to be my kids!)
It might be just what you need to read over the holidays. If you're burned out from the grind of work, I encourage you to check it out for yourself:
BTW: it's only 5x8 scale, so it would be a terrific stocking stuffer, friends.
ON PURPOSE
For seven days I fell down the rabbit hole of employing an AI specially-tailored for life coaching. It's called Purpose, "an AI designed to go deep, to understand your values and needs within minutes, to be there at all times of the day (or night), to push you to be better, to challenge your assumptions, to point out your blind spots, and to compassionately nudge you back into alignment with what you really care about."
It's a creation of Mark Manson, the author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, and, as he is a no b.s. kind of guy, I expected no less from his AI product. In the week of the free trial, Purpose and I rapped about many things:
- Parenting
- Neighbors and Friends
- Knowing When to Move On
- Developing a Book Club
...and I'd say it's tuned better than any AI that I've piddled around with. It's not all sappy, and it's not repetitive. Purpose only gives users a screen full of comment bubbles at a time, then leaves off (like most do) with a CTA, usually a question to keep the brainstorm storming.
Does it replace friends and therapists? No way. Does it offer wise counsel? I'd say no to that, too...however, it does as advertised, and really helps point out blind spots. I solved my own problems with Purpose helping me unveil solutions through great questioning.
UNTIL NEXT TIME *approximately a fortnight*
Curl up with something to read. Find someone to share it with. Find it in your heart and schedule to write a review of it. If it's really great, buy copies for all of your friends.
I am currently in two (2) reading swaps, and I have found two (2) others who are eager to be Beta readers for my work. I am so fortunate to have so many to share readings with. Research shows that reading is fundamental. --Pizza Hut RIF program, circa 1987
I'm always eager to have you read my other stuff:
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