I discovered a new note taking app.

Ian Carroll does a great job of explaining it in this video: https://x.com/Cancelcloco/status/1832145003952619838

https://obsidian.md/

“Meta studies are the same as astrology” - Scott Adams

Never believe a meta study.

The people who create the meta study pick and choose the studies that they include.

They are not going to include the studies that disprove their hypothesis.

One tool that I recommend for getting more done in less time is called Focus Blocks.

You can sign up for it here: https://2000books.com/focusblocks/

It’s a continous call that you can join at the top of every hour.

There are usually 20-30 people on the call and they’re all productivity nerds like you and me.

When you join, you declare what your intention is for the hour, then everyone goes and works as hard as they can for 50 minutes.

It’s a great productivity tool that also makes you feel less lonely.

This post is going to sound like a sales pitch for Astro, but I’m convinced it’s the greatest thing in the web development world at the moment.

I’m working on an Astro site right now, and let me tell you, it’s mind-blowing.

Here’s the great part about it - you can keep your WordPress backend if you want. Astro plays nice with everyone.

Astro sites are blazing fast. They use server-first rendering. It’s complicated stuff but it’s what makes them fast.

It sends lightweight HTML to browsers. No bloat, no unnecessary JavaScript. Just pure speed.

Astro is all about content-driven websites. Your products, your story, front and center.

Want to use your favorite CMS? Go for it. Astro doesn’t discriminate. It works with everything.

Customization? Astro’s got it in spades. UI components, CSS libraries - you name it, Astro supports it.

Now, let me introduce you to Astro Islands. They’re revolutionary. They optimize your site like nothing else.

Astro Islands are a unique feature of the Astro framework.

They allow you to add interactive JavaScript components to your static HTML pages.

These islands of interactivity are isolated, meaning they only load and execute when needed.

Core Web Vitals? Astro crushes the competition.

Zero JavaScript by default.

View Transitions.

Content Collections.

Actions, Middleware, the whole package.

It’s all there, ready to make your site amazing.

Don’t settle for slow, outdated websites. Be a trendsetter. Choose Astro.

It’s going to transform your online presence. Your competitors won’t know what hit them.

There is a silly youtube channel that I came across yesterday called “Prince Vegeta Motivation”.

It instantly recognized how persuasive this channel could be.

It’s a channel that uses an AI voice generator to create motivational videos of Prince Vegeta from Dragon Ball Z.

Here’s an example of one of the videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoTBGZskbbk

This channel has the potential to be a greater influence on gen z and millennial men than Andrew Tate.

Robert Cialdini’s (author of “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion”) work on persuasion explains why this AI-voiced Vegeta will work.

Cialdini identified six key principles of influence, three applying strongly here.

Authority: Vegeta’s status as an unrelenting badass lends weight to his words.

Liking: Vegeta is one of the most popular characters in Dragon Ball Z.

Social proof: As the channel and views grow, the weight of the messages will increase.

One piece not mentioned in Cialdini’s work is the power of nostalgia, which this channel also uses.

The fusion of Dragon Ball Z, AI, and useful information creates a uniquely compelling content format.

It demonstrates how Cialdini’s principles adapt to modern digital content strategies.

The channel’s success could lead a whole generation to a better life.

Have you ever caught yourself scrolling through social media, completely unaware of how much time has passed?

You’re not alone.

As a programmer with 15 years of experience and a studying hypnotist, I’ve found a startling connection between technology and hypnosis that might just change how you view your favorite apps.

Imagine picking up your phone for a “quick check” of Instagram or TikTok.

Before you know it, an hour has vanished.

How does this happen?

You’ve just experienced a trance state more powerful than most professional hypnotists can induce.

While you’re mindlessly swiping and tapping, something is happening beneath the surface.

Your beliefs are being subtly reshaped by the content you consume.

It’s a process so smooth, you won’t even notice it happening.

You might think, “But I’m in control! I’m teaching the algorithm what I like.”

And you’re mostly right.

You’ll still get served content outside of what you like though.

These videos will entertain you, others will educate you.

You think that the app is useful, so you’ll keep using it.

This is where the real danger lies.

As your beliefs slowly shift over time, you’ll attribute these changes to your own volition.

After all, you’re the one choosing what to watch, right?

Right?

Scott Adams describes the simplest definition of persuasion as:

Attention + Repitition

Do you want to live longer? Eat more protein.

Doctor Peter Attia recommends eating 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight.

For me, that’s about 200 grams of protein per day.

This was hard for me to do at first, but eventually I figured it out.

To achieve this, I do the following:

1. I have a glass of milk and I use a frother to mix in protein powder, creatine, and Athletic Greens.
2. I scoop out 2 plain greek yogurt cups into a bowl and I mix in a scoop of protein powder into that.
3. Every Sunday my wife and I meal prep containers that have 1 cup of ground chicken, 1 cup of rice, and some green peppers and onions.

This ends up being around 2100 calories and 193 grams of protein.

Revivification is a process that hypnotists use for practice.

It is a technique that helps a subject vividly recall and re-experience past events.

Only use this technique for pleasant experiences, it would be very bad to do this with unpleasant ones.

I love checklists for almost everything I do, so I created one with the help of claude.ai

You don’t have to do every single thing on this checklist to get a solid revivification experience.

1. Memory Selection and Exploration

Before beginning the hypnosis process, gather information about the memory:

• Identify the specific memory to revisit
• Determine the approximate date or age of the memory
• Get a brief overview of the memory’s context
• Identify other people present in the memory
• Understand the subject’s emotional state at the time
• Gather details about the physical environment
• Note any important objects in the memory
• Identify associated sounds or music
• Note any distinct smells or tastes
• Get information about what the subject was wearing
• For outdoor memories, note weather conditions
• Identify specific moments to focus on
• Note any remembered physical sensations
• Identify unclear aspects of the memory
• Determine any parts to avoid exploring deeply
• Understand the memory’s significance to the subject

2. Preparation

Set the stage for a successful session:

• Set up a quiet, comfortable room
• Adjust lighting and temperature
• Prepare recording equipment or notepad
• Review subject’s background and medical history
• Explain the revivification process to the subject
• Obtain written informed consent
• Conduct a pre-session interview
• Review gathered memory information
• Prepare a list of sensory cues
• Select appropriate induction techniques
• Plan a gradual approach to memory exploration

3. Induction

Guide the subject into a trance state:

• Conduct progressive muscle relaxation
• Use a countdown technique for deepening
• Employ visualization techniques
• Perform a depth test

4. Revivification Process

Guide the subject through the memory:

• Begin with a time travel suggestion
• Introduce specific memory details gradually
• Prompt for visual descriptions
• Ask about sounds and voices
• Guide attention to smells and tastes
• Explore physical sensations
• Inquire about emotional state
• Allow time for full immersion

5. Guiding the Experience

Maintain and deepen the revivification:

• Use present tense language
• Use only pacing statements
• Don’t go too quickly and let your subject feel it
• Allow pauses for deeper experience
• Record or note key details
• Monitor and respond to body language

6. Concluding the Revivification

Safely end the session:

• Gradually reintroduce present awareness
• Use a count-up technique for alertness
• Guide the subject to open their eyes
• Conduct a re-orientation exercise
• Allow processing time

7. Post-Revivification

Ensure the subject’s well-being and gather insights:

• Offer water and ensure comfort
• Conduct a debriefing session
• Discuss vivid aspects of the experience
• Explore insights and emotions
• Schedule follow-up if needed
• Complete detailed session notes

8. Safety and Ethics

Prioritize the subject’s safety and your professional integrity:

• Keep a “grounding object” nearby
• Have emergency contact information ready
• Secure all session documentation
• Schedule a next-day check-in call

I’ve been experimenting with Clickup for a while now and I’m pretty happy with it.

One of my agency clients turned me onto it.

I use it to keep track of every task that I need to do in a day, from business to personal.

I really like it because of the recurring tasks, it makes it easy to keep track of all of the routine tasks that I need to get done each day.

An example of this is that I like to look at an exit report for each of my clients at the end of the month.

That’s where I identify the pages that most people leave their site on, those are usually pages that need to be updated.

I don’t have to remember to do it, the task will just appear on my dashboard that day.

Overall I’d recommend it.