EGO Recommends Issue 2
And we’re back with another edition of EGO Recommends! I’m trying to keep this a mix of stuff I’m reading, watching, listening to, using, consuming; silly and serious; superfluous and practical. I think we’ll aim for a cadence of once every two months and if you guys absolutely don’t care, I’ll move these back to the normal newsletters.
What am I missing? Let me know!
EGO Recommends
Writer/Creator: Cy Canterel
I found Cy, a media theorist/technologist, through this video essay on AI and “bullshit” jobs. Then after watching the video below, she got the follow. There is something very clear-eyed about her takes on AI, authoritarianism, and other issues, while still not giving into doomer-ism. They leave me feeling oddly hopeful. I’m really excited to dive into her writing on Substack as well.
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
Article: “The Regime Doesn’t Fear Your Rage. It Fears Your Absence.”
I feel the opposite way about the writing of William A. Finnegan (not his real name) who writes the Substack The Long Memo. It fills me with dread, but also seems more straightforward and less pie-in-the-sky than that of many of political commentators at the moment. According to him, he’s a former Republican who used to work high-up at the Pentagon, so go ahead and take everything with a grain of salt. But I found the argument in this piece to be really compelling, especially with all the discourse surrounding No Kings and ICE protests, as well as talk of economic blackouts, company boycotts, and general strikes.
This article from The Gaurdian is another good analysis on protest and economic noncooperation, if you’re interested.
Article: “You’re being lied to about protein”
Okay, this is rich coming from someone who recommended a protein powder in the last issue of EGO Recommends. I’m still whirring the powdery stuff into my morning smoothies because I’m not always eating a lot of protein at lunch or dinner. I do want to build muscle, but I’m not evangelical about it. I’ve heard trainers and influencers on Instagram saying folks should get 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day, which would be 215 grams a day! That’s like four chicken breasts! You can read the article above but basically, almost no one needs that much. Really looking forward to when we move from this craze onto the next: fiber.
Article: “Substack Is Your Boss, and He’s Dissatisfied With Your Performance”
Like all tech platforms, the Golden Age of Substack pre-enshittification was nice while it lasted.
Tips: Put all your outfits in a outfits photos folder.
I can turn getting dressed into an hour-long affair if I’m given the time, and even if I don’t have the time! I’ve rushed out the door too many times with an outfit that’s maybe tried-and-true, but overplayed. So lately, I’ve been documenting the good ones. If I’m packing for a trip, I clump combos of shirts and pants together and take a picture. If I feel particularly good about a look I’ve turned, I’ll take a selfie in the mirror. I save these photos to a folder in my phone for the days when I really have no time or really can’t be bothered to dress myself well. And by the way, you can use old photos of you, or even photos of other people, just stop short of taking pictures of people on the street.
Tips: If your head feels cluttered, declutter your space.
Strewn-about stuff is proven to stress our brains out. Those receipts on your desk are reminding you about doing expenses. The tools from assembling your IKEA furniture are sitting on the kitchen table, reminding you you have to break down the box it came in. Give your lizard brain one less threat to perceive and just put stuff away—I go so far as to hide it! Even making my bed (which I usually don’t do) gets me one step closer to being focused and present. And if you need a new perspective, change your view! I just moved around my entire room by myself and am paying dearly for it with an achey neck and back. But it is nonetheless helping me get out of a creative rut!
Social Media: A Substack Note ripped from Twitter. Interesting.
Easygayoven will stay an AI-hater newsletter.
Podcast: Majority Report
I just don’t think I have it in me to listen to more Pod Save America (I might hold out on Pod Save the World. I know!) I don’t think the hosts are up for the current moment — they’re too enmeshed with the old guard of the Democratic Party (who, apparently, also don’t like them.) For a politics pod, Majority Report is much more aligned with progressive, leftist values, and they don’t seem afraid of pissing the right people off.
TikTok: The Grinch Who Stole Christmas edits set to Ethel Cain
Why did this make me cry when it came down my FYP?? And there are more.
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
Product: Outshine Fruit Bars
I have never been a popsicle girl and yet here I am. These bars 1) don’t taste artificial at all 2) taste creamy, not icy 3) are, like, 60 calories if you care about that sort of thing. They have become my afternoon and bedtime snack and you can pry them out of my icy, dead hands. I like the mango, pomegranate and raspberry flavors.
Product: Gorilla Grip Rug Pads
Most of these are trash! Now, my bedside 2x3 rug stays put!