August begins my favorite quarter of the year, when summer starts to transition into fall. The nights remain long, and the heat still reminds me how wonderful air conditioning can be. School hasn’t yet started. There are still dragonflies and bumblebees dancing among the grass. This is when we hit peak cricketsong at night, and the once tiny rabbit in our yard has become a big, beautiful, and extremely fluffy adult.
Harvests are beginning in the fields, and there’s a sense of rest and recharge before the days turn dark and cold. We can relax for just a bit more, and that makes it more sweet than ever. I love August, and hope you’re enjoying it, too.
My Picks
Practical, goofy, thought-provoking. Perhaps you’ll find something that grabs you in this month’s picks…
Iconic guitar maker Fender acquired music technology maker PreSonus a few years ago, and this year it resulted in something incredible: Fender Studio. It’s 100% free music recording software that works across all major platforms — Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, and even Chromebooks. It’s focused on recording rather than composition, so no MIDI sequencing, but it’s super easy to learn and has powerful features. Definitely worth checking out.
Astrobiologist and theoretical physicist Sara Imari Walker brings us a controversial take on AI in this Noema article. She posits that AI is not artificial life at all, it’s actually part of life when you zoom out to consider the bigger picture. I love different takes like this to expand my thinking.
I always appreciate stupid fun, and this $5 retro Windows-XP inspired game delivers. The goal is to create larger and larger numbers using a goofy ball named Nubby that bounces on pegs randomly arranged on the board. The more you hit, the higher your score, and the higher the peg points become. It’s another roguelike, so there are crazy powerups and synergies that transform gameplay in unique and interesting ways. Windows (and Steam Deck) only for now, with plans to add Mac and mobile versions later.
I’m developing a new web development class for older students next year, and this site is going to be a part of it. It has everything you need to know about becoming a professional web developer, from start to finish, and presents it in a logical, no nonsense way. I particularly like that there’s a community aspect to it, though I know it’s hard for a lot of learners to engage with others online.
Robin Sloan’s Blog and Newsletter
I’ve featured one of Robin’s articles here before. It got me interested in his other work, and now I’m hooked. Anytime I can find someone who can write well about both science, technology, and art, I’m excited. He’s incredibly intelligent too, and the author of Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore, a definite fan favorite.
Recently Published
July featured posts written during my recent trip to Cambodia:
It takes a lot of money, time, and effort to travel. Here’s why I think it’s worth the hassle.
So many experiences in Cambodia shifted my perspectives, and all of it was because of the connections I made with others. There’s a lot of power in small acts that make the world a better place.
I wish more people knew about the treasures of Cambodia. There are countless places and experiences, and such beauty! It’s not walled off in tourist-approved enclaves or kept away from all but the most privileged, either. It’s part of the fabric of the country itself.
How can human societies contain both tremendous good and devastating evil? In this post I try to reconcile something that I think about often in terms of my own country these days, looking through the lens of a place that was devastated by the Khmer Rouge, but whose citizens are among the most generous and kind people I’ve ever met.
The Traffic Jam that Almost Made Me Cry
In my last post, I think about everything I’ve experienced in this country, and how much it has impacted me. Truly, this has been an experience of a lifetime, and I feel that I have changed as a result.
In the Groove
I’ve been spending my time exploring Ethiopian pentatonic scales lately, and I know how geeky that must sound, but it’s providing tons of interesting results and experiments. I got hooked on them long before I even knew what they were called, when I discovered the work of Mulatu Astatke. He quickly became one of my all-time favorite composers, and it’s thrilling to work within a bit of his sonic universe. All of this work also helps to develop my ability to perform live improvisation, which gets me closer to my goals and supports song development.
I’m still navigating just how much I should put into this hobby, but for now these kinds of things are keeping me going, excited to see what I can discover. One of the byproducts is I can sense some improvement in my skills, as well. Who knows where that might lead?
Until Next Time
I hope this newsletter reaches you in a place where you can enjoy the last bits of summer, savoring the days and finding places for your own seasonal explorations and interests. We need this, and I think (and hope) that we’ll be ready for what’s to come, but I’m perfectly OK with not getting there quite yet.
See you next month!