Olio: a miscellaneous collection of things
Here are a few online items I’ve found intriguing lately.
The Power of the Long Walk from 99u – Walking is definitely one of my go-to activities for creative thought. I walk twice a day with Doggle Woggle and while helpful, they’re not really long enough for creative musing. It doesn’t help that I have to be ever watchful lest the dog see a squirrel or freak out about someone on a bike. When I get stuck in the middle of a writing project, I set out for a walk. Normally, by the time I’m back, I have a way around the problem.
After sharing an article on the microbiome on Facebook, my sister-in-law sent me this wonderful talk by Dr. Robynne Chutkan that delves further into the subject. The talk is called “Live Dirty, Eat Clean” and in it Chutkan mentions my favorite advice on eating from Michael Pollan: Eat food, mostly vegetables, not too much. The talk is almost 20 minutes long, but well worth watching if you’ve got the time.
A question that has been haunting me for a while now, but especially so since I started the Ask Little Falls blog, is how to improve communities. What does it take to get a community out of an economic and social slump and make it vibrant again? I’m not alone in trying to figure this out. No less than Google is attempting to tackle this conundrum. The company is working on this through a concept called Sidewalk Labs. I hope to hear more about how this works.
Trying to find something to read? Whichbook is an online app that allows you to choose book characteristics (happy vs. sad, no sex vs. lots of sex, expected vs. unpredictable & etc.) and returns suggestions based on your choices. Give Whichbook a go here.