Remember, I am a computer programmer.

• Speechify. With this I audibly consume PDFs, papers, articles, and Kindle books.
• GitHub Copilot in VS Code. Fancy autocomplete as I code.
• ChatGPT. I am in a constant conversation with the 4o model, and lately, with o1-mini for architectural questions.
• Apple Voice Memos transcription. Say I have a 9am meeting. At 8:30am on my commute I will verbalize my thoughts in preparation. Then, when I arrive at the office, I ask ChatGPT to polish and organize the transcribed thoughts in bullet points or slides.
• SelfControl app for Mac. Does an irreversible block on distracting web sites for a set amount of time. Helpful for getting in the zone.
• Warp terminal. Supports copy and paste and normal text cursor behavior in the command line.
• MacWhisper. I use this to quickly transcribe YouTube videos. Instead of watching a laborious recording, I can quickly peruse a transcript and find interesting parts. Better than YouTube’s native transcription.
• Signal Messenger. Far better than iMessage, Telegram, WhatsApp, etc.
• Bear Notes. My second brain, with near-instant full-text results. I have years of notes. Infinitely better than the now-notorious Evernote.
• Google Photos. Among my favorite software of all time. Frequently showing me historical and recent pictures of family and friends.
• Emporia Vue. Newly acquired. This home energy monitor helps me track energy usage while I work to reduce our electricity bill. In reality, this will probably just motivate me to pay more attention to our Nest programming for AC & furnace.
• Rode Wireless Mic Go II (lapel). MRM/UCRC has a set for recording lectures, debates, and street interviews. They are wonderful.
• Oreck bagged vacuum. Proven and reliable, unlike nearly every other modern fancy vacuum which chokes on small socks.
• Weighted vest + reading glasses. This is a simple way to burn calories while reading and walking.
• Mr. Pen No Bleed Gel Highlighters. Still a favorite for active reading.
• District Tri Crew t-shirts. 8 bucks. I can wear them multiple times before washing in some seasons.
• Keurig coffee machine. Insert pod. Push button. Wake up.
• Stainless steel chainmail scrubber. 9 bucks. Great for my cast iron breakfast pan.