It’s been a minute since I did one of these! Let’s get into it…

Clickup
It’s productivity software. Understand, “productivity software” in general is to me what kryptonite is to Superman. However, Akilah did some reasearch on various platforms and made the case that such software could help us get back on the creative track. And she’s right. We settled on Clickup, which is online-based and has a mobile version (which isn’t particularly useful, if I’m honest). It’s nice to have a schedule and something to remind me about deadlines.

Fearless (Taylor’s Version) (Spotify link)
Taylor Swift
I’m an unabashed Swiftie, and both of her albums last year, folklore and evermore, were among my favorite albums of the year. Fearless is her re-make of her 2008 album. I don’t know if you’re familiar with the he-said/she-said controversy that led to her project of re-recording her first six albums, but I’d argue it doesn’t matter. This is the first of the albums to be released and I argue it justifies the project no matter the impetus. The recordings are extremely close to the originals, but her voice is better and the instrumentation is – I think – cleaner as well. The original album is significant in that this, her second album, really previewed the immense talent she had for songcraft and would portend the mega-star she’s become. For that reason, I’m glad she chose this album to re-record first and I’d highly recommend it as a place to start if you’re only familiar with her most recent recordings or her controversies.

Glen And Friends Cooking
YouTube
Glen and Friends have gotten me through the pandemic. I first stumbled onto their “1 Gallon Of Beer – Your First HomeBrew Recipe” but that led to so many other inspirations. He’s been posting these charming videos from his studio kitchen in Toronto for more than a decade. The videos are bite sized and run from recreating recipes from ancient cookbooks to making soda pop, curing meat, and trying to create a KFC replica. I guarantee you’ll find something that will make your mouth water, and Glen presents everything in a way that feels very easily approachable and delightful. 

Cautionary Tales – Demonising Dungeons & Dragons
Podcast
Economist and journalist Tim Harford is into the second season of the podcast Cautionary Tales where he stitches together real life incidents to illustrate particular human tendencies. It’s a well-paced and enlightening podcast. Honestly, there’s a number of great episodes I could have chosen such as “Martin Luther King Jr; the Jewelry Genius; and the Art of Public Speaking” or “Fire At The Beverly Hills Supper Club” which I think about almost daily. The episode that dropped today, “Demonising Dungeons & Dragons,” is a great entry. 

Ubiquitous puppy picture
Alli
She graduated beginning puppy training. If I’m honest, it’s because she excelled at some things (focus) even if her excited temperament got the better of her at other skills (loose-leash walking). But, in the spirit of “What do you call the medical student who finished at the bottom of his class? Doctor,” here’s the happy graduate: