This episode we have some big news, which we will talk about first thing. Then we follow up with a discussion of how our Wombat Test Subject (aka Ursula Vernon) did with re-integrating to-do lists into her life. As a part of that, we’ll talk about the value of task grooming and pruning, which is something we should all do every so often. Finally, we have an interview with Lydean Kenzall, who also has a giveaway for us this week!
Links for this Episode:
- Lydean on Twitter
- A Heroic Moment podcast
- Lydean’s Creatives Low-Energy Planner
- LydeanWorks on Etsy
- Transcranial Direct-Current Stimulation
- A Soft Murmur App
- Cooking is Terrible by Mischa Fletcher
- Sleep as Android
- TiddlyWiki
Okay, I try to reserve on comment on the things people do to get through the day but transcranial direct current does have side effects, sometimes pretty significant ones. You can give yourself brain damage messing around with it. The trouble is it’s based on this pervasive myth in popular culture that different “parts” of the brain do different things, which if you ask a neurologist really isn’t the case. The brain isn’t so much a machine as it is an ecosystem; every part of it interacts with every other part and those interactions can vary from person to person. Of course, medication can also have profound and permanent side effects. You’re not choosing between one type of treatment that is convenient and widely available but has lots of negative side effects and another kind that is expensive and hard to get but side effect free. You’re choosing between two options that both have side effects, one just has way less documentation about its long term effects. The tech bros who use electrical current to make themselves temporarily better shots while target shooting are doing the same thing as people who recreationally use Adderall to make themselves better at boring repetitive tasks, trading extremely temporary short term benefit for quite severe long term consequence when their lives don’t hinge on them doing so.
(This is Lydean, in case you didn’t know)
These are good points!
Unfortunately for me, getting Adderall isn’t convenient or easy, cuz I’m poor and keeping changing doctors since I get a job, lose a job, repeat. Meds are amazing, but Adderall sometimes makes me feel like I’m having an anxiety attack (… usually because I *also* ate a bunch of sugar).
If you use it improperly, TCDS even has short term effects – too high of salinity in the water or too high of a current and you’ll burn yourself. And I expect sitting with it on for too long is a very bad idea too. (I stick to 10 – 15 minutes. I’ve heard that up to 30 minutes is fine, but damn that’s a long time to sit there).
Thank you again for pointing out the issues with TCDS.
Great episode and congrats on the new job (Scrum is still the devil though 😉 ).
Obligatory, I can have planner? post. In purple would be stunning.
I would be interested in the Rainbow Low Energy Planner.
Congrats on the new job!
Where did you and/or Lydean mention TiddlyWiki? I’ve looked at it a bit before, but never really got into it (though it looks like there has been a major revision since the last time I looked at it…) I just listened to the episode again, and did not hear it mentioned…
I would love a Rainbow Low Energy Planner!
I definitely need to check out Cooking is Terrible. I actually love cooking as a hobby when I have the time and energy for it, but when I’m not in the mood and I’m already hungry and tired I tend to stare at the fridge in bewilderment trying to figure out how to make food happen.