Most importantly, I hope this email finds everyone healthy and safe.
"Take me to the magic of the moment..." The Wind of Change is in the air. It may feel messy and out of control, but it is upon us. The ingredients for combustion are evident everywhere one looks: high unemployment, businesses struggling, deep political polarization, sheltering at home, students with free time, graduates without job opportunities, and more. Then, last week's killing of George Floyd, following the prosecutorial mismanagement and killing of Ahmad Aubrey, has led us to this tipping point. We are rightly questioning how events like this could happen in seemingly civil society, resulting in mass outrage.
These are not comfortable or easy times. Someone quipped that the two astronauts who landed at the International Space Station were lucky to get out of here! But really, I suspect this feels like the Summer of '68 only amplified by social media's power to organize and effectuate change.
This week's Loupe is offering an escape from our current (not pretty) reality, which is what many people need right now. Don't get me wrong, I am not advocating for pulling the covers over your head fo those of you at home or putting your head in the sand for those of you at the beach, but rather offering a way to use your downtime when your not out there actively changing the world for the better.
Wind of Change
Podcast
If you are having difficulty finding things to watch (binge?) on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Broadway.com, or any other streaming service, you may want to turn back to Podcasts. Admittedly it has been a while for me, but happy to be back! The perfect time for me is on the treadmill, where I find it increasingly difficult to watch television. Today I am jogging (ok walking!) behind a woman from Naples (so meta!) on my LifeFitness with neither PPE nor a chance of contracting Coronavirus. Wind of Change is a podcast by investigative journalist Patrick Radden Keefe that follows his dogged pursuit of a third-hand story that the song Wind of Change by the Scorpions was written by the CIA as a covert PsyOps operation to bring down the Soviet Union. I won't provide any spoilers, but you will find it riveting and a perfect escape to a different time of significant change, the early 90's.
Chernobyl
Entertainment
I imagine you have seen Chernobyl already, but if you haven't you too will be riveted by the acting, cinematography, and storytelling. Usually, I'm not too fond of a dramatization of recent events (though it was 30 years ago), but the former Soviet Union has severely restricted access to information, which is the point of the series in the first place. I am not alone in loving this piece as it won 10 Emmy's and a couple of Golden Globes. The Series makes a strong case that this seminal event contributed to bringing down the Soviet Union and its subversion of its people. It seems that unmitigated disasters can indeed have a silver lining which should give us some modicum of hope..
Oculus
Entertainment, Technology
I have written about it before, but I finally acquired an Oculus of my very own. This device is escapism defined, enabling one to dream with their eyes open. Furthermore, it enables users to escape from the safety of their own home (very apropos given today's climate). I have discovered worlds I didn't know existed and experiences I didn't know could exist. Think about meditating in the Galapagos, working out in Machu Pichu, or boxing against Apollo Creed's son. How about visiting colleges using Googles ingenious Wander app which is a 3d version of their popular maps program. Or, how about visiting your long since cancelled camp; this brought my daughter to tears. The software is only getting better, and I can't wait to explore what virutal worlds and communities are created in the future.
AirFly
Technology
The theme of today's post is change and escapism. It is no coincidence that I found a device that allows one to escape into their own world through the magic of Bluetooth! AirFly is a wireless headphone adapter that lets you use your favorite wireless headphones or earbuds in places that only have a headphone jack - like airplanes and treadmills. Plug this tiny transmitter into a headphone jack and listen away with your own wireless headphones. AirFly Pro allows two people to listen (goodbye to the splicer) to the same soundtrack, podcast, or music with their favorite noise-canceling headphones or AirPods, so find a friend (or maybe family member, given these times) with your same taste!
I am hopeful and optimistic that change is on the horizon. I know that our collective outrage can inspire activism and that our children and children's children will see brighter days ahead. Creators and Inventors keep up the good work, and consider Wind of Change, Chernobyl, Oculus Quest, and AirFly Found!