Build an audience/Mochi squishies/Nemo’s Dreamscapes
Building an audience
Most overnight successes take at least 5 years. As Dave Perell notes in his newsletter Monday Musings, “[Marques Brownlee] is one of the most popular technology-focused YouTubers in the world. As I write this, he has 13.6 million subscribers and his videos have been watched 2.4 billion times. But when he recorded his 100th video, he only had 74 subscribers.” In other words he made and posted his first hundred videos with the tiniest possible audience. To make something great, keep showing up! As Perell noted in another of his issues: “If you create something weekly for 2 years, you WILL earn an audience.” That is, make 100 creations BEFORE you have a big audience. Every “overnight” success I’ve ever seen was preceded by years of relentless, and sometimes unappreciated, hard work. — KK
Cute, stress-relieving squishies
My 10-year-old niece Sofia introduced me to Mochi Squishy Toys — these super soft, jelly-like animals that you can squeeze and stretch. They help soothe her when she's anxious. I am not a fidgeter, but now I keep a cute black cat on desk for my hour-long zooms with my therapist. And I'm not embarrassed to say that I've slipped it into my pocket a few times on my way out. I can see how these would work as emotional support toys. — CD
Very easy listening
Nemo’s Dreamscapes are 3+ hour-long musical programs that feature music from the 1930s and 1940s mixed with the sound of rain, cars, birds, etc. Nemo mixes the music so it sounds like it’s playing in another room. The effect is very soothing. YouTube commenters say Nemo’s music programs help them fall asleep, cry with joy, make their headaches go away, and invoke feelings of sweet sadness and nostalgia. Give them a listen and see how they affect you. — MF
This word does not exist
Refresh this webpage for an endless stream of words that don't exist and were invented by a machine learning algorithm, like: truckoman (noun.) a woman hired to carry a truck all night, or cheroo (noun.) a false or exaggerated wish. (Note to self: from now on I exaggerate all my wishes.) — CD
Sharp carving knife
The Victorinox Swiss Classic Carving Knife is the sharpest knife I’ve ever had. The grip is comfortable. It holds its edge for a long time. It makes cutting up a whole chicken nearly effortless. I like this knife so much I started using it to chop sweet potatoes and jicama. — MF
Tips for an obituary
If you are lucky you won’t need to write an obituary very often, but when you do, here are a few things to remember. Bookmark this article: How to write an obituary. — KK
— Kevin Kelly, Mark Frauenfelder, Claudia Dawson
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