Decibel #5
1, 2, …, 5! reference in case you’re unaware. It’s a YouTube edition!
A Hymn for Goldilocks.
I have a feeling I’ll remember this one for a while.
Stretching Time
I’ve been working on improving my range of motion and flexibility. It’s really impressive to me how many gains are achievable with so little time. With just thirty seconds twice a day (!!!), marked improvements are seen. Time efficiency this high is rare.
So it’s not a large commitment to improve flexibility in a few areas. Do some stretches while brushing your teeth, while waiting in line at the store, while in between tasks, while making coffee. The internet has tons of resources for different ideas on how to stretch different parts of your body; I’m just here to tell you it takes almost no time from your day if you wanted to be more flexible.
vlogbrothers
Two brothers had a compelling idea back in 2007: they wouldn’t text each other all year, but instead they would upload videos to YouTube every day, alternating between them.
It’s… a rough video. So are the first twenty or so. Like many first attempts at a project are, possibly (even likely) this one.
The idea is gold though.
They spend the year mostly just recording vlogs for each other, but as time goes on, their technique is honed and the videos improve. Two brothers, trying to stay in touch. Sharing their thoughts and views and opinions about the world around them, the things they’ve noticed, and the things they care about. A community starts to form around them and their project. I enjoy how varied the videos are — talking about world issues, local politics, the projects they’re working on, their family life, funny facts about giraffes, and things that keep them up at night.
What are they doing now? Still uploading video to each other (albeit a slower paced one video each per week).
I started a similar project many years ago with an ex-girlfriend called Afternoons with Alex. I would pretend to be a radio show host introducing the latest hot new song on the radio, then send her a link to a song that I had been listening to lately. I enjoyed the project so much that even after we stopped dating, I felt like I needed to continue, even if I wasn’t sending it to someone. It’s fun to share my thoughts. To be heard. And I think that’s part of why I’m working on Decibel — it’s enjoyable to share things I’ve thought about with others.
Part of what was so enjoyable about Afternoons with Alex, and what I think makes vlogbrothers videos compelling, is the responses that come after. Like conversation, sometimes an idea is mentioned and just flows right past, but other times, someone strikes something deeply interesting for all involved and the result is gold.
Please, leave me a comment and let me know what you think! Not just on this edition, but on the posts in general. Maybe you too have thoughts that want to be heard.
RSS should also work.