I am proud and lucky to call myself friends with a number of people who are doing excellent things. This is an incomplete list that I will continue to add to.
- Samo Burja recently launched a YouTube Channel to discuss institutions, civilization, and society. This is in addition to his Medium posts containing a wealth of insight.
- Aella and Hrothgar have built Askhole: A deck of high-quality questions that make parties more interesting, fun, and full of deeper connections. Some example questions:
- “Are you afraid of death? Why or why not?”
- “What do you most admire about the person to your right?”
- “Do you ever feel guilt or shame for romantically rejecting people who are interested in you?”
- Sarah Constantin is finding ways to expand the human lifespan via The Longevity Research Institute.
- Tristan Harris has been working for years on recovering humanity from the ever-growing reach of social media and smart devices, via the Center for Humane Technology. CHT recently started a new podcast, Your Undivided Attention.
Art
- Geoff Bradway makes great algorithmic 3D and plotter art. The plotter makes adorable robot sounds and is such a good boy.
- Sam Rosen funnels all of the best visual imagery out there into his curated art blog, Opulent Joy.
- Bradley Cox is one of the most talented photographers I know of, with real love for nature and beauty.
- Sharon Avraham is a creative and talented photographer as well. He’s also a deeply kind and loving human.
- Vera Gould is a big canvas acrylic artist with mesmerizing designs full of complex patterns and beautiful color.
- Christian is an oil painter with a vibrant and striking style. I was lucky enough to model for him when I visited Puerto Rico!
- I wish Gabriel Schama was a friend of mine, because his laser cut wood artwork is, by far, the best in its class.
Writing
I’m lucky to know lot of writers with excellent work.
- Catching Shrimp with Bare Hands is a memoir about a young boy growing up in the insane landscape of the Mekong Delta during the Vietnam War. That boy is my dad. Written by my mom.
- Utopia, LOL? is a fun sci-fi short story and finalist for the 2017 Nebula award. It’s written by my friend Jamie Wahls.
- Slate Star Codex is the go-to blog for weird fiction, pharmacological and psychiatric analyses of things, and interesting takes on the nature of internet discussion, written by psychiatrist Scott Alexander.
- 10 Months of Acid is one of the most interesting essays I’ve found on the internet. A journey into the nature of being by Aella.
- Sasha Chapin has a frank honesty that borders on absurd because it’s so damn real. All the Wrong Moves: A Memoir About Chess, Love, and Ruining Everything makes, of all things, the addiction to chess a meaningful drama.
- Crystal Society is Book 1 of a completed sci-fi trilogy by my friend Max Harms. This is the most realistic and interesting depiction of AI I’ve ever seen, as written by a true Transhumanist.
- A Song For Two Voices is the extended rational fanfiction of Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar series. Miranda writes an exceptional amount of poignant fantasy, and is working on the last book right now. This is a rich fantasy worlds to imbibe in order to motivate yourself to do incredibly difficult tasks.
