Nobody’s Free Until Everybody’s Free

Demonstrators holding Palestinian flag with sign that reads "When Injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty. #AbsocForPalestine"
“Freedom is never given voluntarily by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”
— Martin Luther King Jr.

I don’t know much about all the geopolitical nuances of what is happening currently in the Middle East. However, if my past years of work in research and learning through deconstruction and anti-racism have taught me anything, it was to advocate for the less fortunate, downtrodden, and oppressed. When listening to black voices, indigenous voices, and the voices of other people of color, when fellow christians call for repentance, when our Jewish siblings call for a stop to this genocide and join our Muslim siblings’ calls for an urgent ceasefire to this one-sided war with rules which the Israeli state government indicates they do not care to honor - I am compelled to take some form of action.

I heard the terrorist attack from October 7th being compared on a scale worse than September 11, 2001, and I remember that day. I remember the fear, confusion, sadness and resulting anger, rage, resentment, and advocation for the war afterward. Now being on the other side of that war and learning the motivations behind it, the havoc it caused, hatred it fed, families it displaced, people it disabled, and lives it took, I can say this type of senseless revenge in the form of erasure of an entire people is not the answer. Silence and neutrality during a time such as this only favors the oppressor. At this time, from what history I learned and voices I listened to so far, that oppressor is the Israeli state government. I beg the state government of Israel to stop this collective violent and intolerant act against the Palestinian people.

Call to Action

If you are a citizen of the United States, please call your House and Senate representatives now.

Below you will find links to tools to contact your representatives along with with scripts you may use as a guide if you do not know what to say. To use these tools, you will need to provide information such as your home address in order to determine who your representatives are. Please use the first link to the official United States government tool if you do not wish to provide that information for either of the non-profit organizations’ links provided below.

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2022 Texas Midterm Voting

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The 2022 elections are well underway, but it’s not too late to formulate a plan and get out to vote, Texans! You have until November 4th to skip the long lines and vote early, otherwise you’ll need to vote on Election Day with is November 8th, 2022. Below are some helpful links and other information so you’re prepared to hit the polls!

Where Can I Vote?

Check your early voting and polling locations as well as other voter registration by checking the Texas Secretary of State’s website here and use the “Am I Registered?” tool. Keep in mind you’ll already have needed active voter registration or mailed in your new voter registration on or before October 11, 2022 in order to vote for this round of elections (Texas’s rules, not mine). It will also be pertinent to make sure you have a valid form of ID (once again, a TX government rule) before trying to vote. Luckily The Texas Tribune has a list of all the valid forms of identification accepted in order to vote in Texas for the midterms

What’s on my Ballot?

Usually your county’s government website will have a sample ballot for you to view so you can prepare before you actually head to the polls. You can also use non-profit organization online ballot lookup tools such as Vote411’s online tool or the handy tool found on Texas Tribune’s 2022 Voter Guide. Since ballots will vary based on what county or voting district to which you reside, you’ll need to provide the address where you’re registered to vote to get the most accurate information.

How can I be an Informed Voter?

Now that you know where your closes polling place is and what is on your ballot, how will know how you want to vote? This is a great question to ask, and thank you for wanting to be an informed voter! There are a couple different approaches I’ll detail out below - one general and one more targeted.

Learn About the Different Party Platforms

If you have no idea what party you align with (or maybe you’re just undecided), you may want to take a look at each party’s specific platform to see what values they hold and what their priorities are in the political arena. From my own Texas ballot I found four different parties: Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, and Green. Find the link for each party’s platform below and see what you may share most with each.

Once you have a general idea of how you may align with each party, we can look closer at the candidates on the ballot through voting guides.

Learn About the Candidates

There are a few different organizations in Texas that help create extensive voter guides and gather candidate to help make you as informed of a voter as possible. Here are a few tools and resources that I use whenever voting season approaches:

  • League of Women Voters (LWV) of Texas - my go-to resource for my vote-planning. I feel this tool is most useful during primary season as that is where we can dig deep to find the candidate that best aligns with our values and views, but this can also be a helpful tool if you’re new to the voting process. Use the Vote411 tool under the “Find what is on your ballot!” section to generate an interactive sample ballot where you can compare candidates. LWV sends out questionnaires to each candidates to see how they’ll tackle political issues across Texas. You can compare candidate responses and select who best aligns with your views. At the end you can have your selections emailed to you so you can print out or save for later.

  • The Texas Tribune’s Voter Guide - A leading favorite of mine as a transparent Texas news source, the Texas Tribune has a handy tool that shows you the map of each district in which you reside after providing your voter registration address and a list of candidates running for each seat. Although they don’t have as much information on each candidate as LWV, their historical district and voter breakdowns are useful to see the constituent makeup for each voting district.

  • League of Women Voters & Vote411 Non-Partisan Voters Guide - that sums up this resource. The LWV and Vote411 team up to provide a non-partisan voters guide that lists all eligible candidates for each seat as well as their respective views and plans on what they will do in the position if elected.

VOTE!

By now you should have found your closest early voting location, researched what party you align with most, and determined what candidates for whom you plan to vote. Now just double check you have your valid form of ID and head to the polling place to make your voice heard!

Supporting Access to Healthcare After Roe

UPDATE: 2022-07-09

Due to the recent SCOTUS decision to defer the decision of abortion access back to individual states, this page is offered as a resource for those affected by the ruling. If you are looking to support organizations that help people get necessary healthcare in the form of abortion access, or are a person in need of this type of healthcare access in a safe and organized manner, please refer to this page for an ongoing and updated list of organizations and resources. Please share as needed.

NOTICE: BE CAUTIOUS OF PEOPLE OFFERING TO TAKE YOU "CAMPING" OR TO GO ON A "ROAD TRIP" - while their intentions may be good, they may not have the resources to fight any potential legal battles (like the Texas bounty program weaponizing civil lawsuits) or they may just feign kindness in order to gather evidence to use in a civil lawsuit. It is best to use or contribute to an organization with the know-how, personnel, and financial resources to help others get the necessary services they need in states hostile to this type of healthcare.

Before proceeding: If you are or know someone who is seeking necessary healthcare in one of the several states hostile to this type of healthcare service, I highly recommend using a web browser with an "Incognito" or "Private Browsing" mode in conjunction with a VPN service to block web-browser tracking cookies and mask your physical browsing location.

Abortion Access Awareness

Interactive Map of US Abortion Policies and Access after Roe from the Guttmacher Institute

Protests/Demonstrations/Activism/Organizing

Healthcare Access Organizations (National)

Healthcare Access Organizations (by State)

Arkansas

Idaho

Kentucky

Louisiana

Mississippi

Missouri

North Dakota

Oklahoma

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Wyoming

Help Improve This Page

Do you have additional resources that may fit on this page? Send any suggestions my way and I'll add it to this page. DM me @philkasper on TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Christians, Now is Not a Time to Celebrate

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Dear fellow Siblings in Christ,

Many of you may think that today with the decision by the United States Supreme Court to overturn the ruling on Roe v. Wade and send the decision of regulating abortion access back to the states is a victory worth celebrating. This cannot be further from what we as self-proclaimed Christians should be doing, and I'm saddened to see so many Christians view this as a victory for Christ and his message. Whenever the topic of abortion comes up, I'm always reminded of this quote from Pastor David Barnhart:

“The unborn" are a convenient group of people to advocate for. They never make demands of you; they are morally uncomplicated, unlike the incarcerated, addicted, or the chronically poor; they don’t resent your condescension or complain that you are not politically correct; unlike widows, they don’t ask you to question patriarchy; unlike orphans, they don’t need money, education, or childcare; unlike aliens, they don’t bring all that racial, cultural, and religious baggage that you dislike; they allow you to feel good about yourself without any work at creating or maintaining relationships; and when they are born, you can forget about them, because they cease to be unborn. You can love the unborn and advocate for them without substantially challenging your own wealth, power, or privilege, without re-imagining social structures, apologizing, or making reparations to anyone. They are, in short, the perfect people to love if you want to claim you love Jesus, but actually dislike people who breathe. Prisoners? Immigrants? The sick? The poor? Widows? Orphans? All the groups that are specifically mentioned in the Bible? They all get thrown under the bus for the unborn.

The Gospel proclaimed and put into practice by Jesus Christ, from whom comes our religion's namesake, was all about "agape" - onconditional love - for God and your neighbor as yourself. Christ demonstrated this love to the point of self-sacrifice and death on the cross so that we all are able to enjoy the gift of eternal life with him in heaven. Jesus calls us to also sacrifice ourselves such as he did - to take up our cross and follow him.

Cheering for the means to the end of abortion in this manner has nothing gospel-centered to it. It involves no self-sacrifice, and in actuality the cheering of this Supreme Court decision celebrates pushing the sacrifice onto the bodies of all women and girls in the United States for the sake of forced-birth dogma. If we are so "pro-life" as we claim, should we not advocate for legislation that supports families, regardless of their parental composition or social status, in the form of healthcare for the mother - prenatal to postpartum and beyond - and including the infancy and growing development of the child? Advocating and cheering for universal bans on abortion is cheering on a measure that lacks compassion for those who face such a horrible decision and, in all respects, is only a treatment of the symptom for the graver diseases of our society: increasing poverty, inadequate healthcare, and lack of wisdom.

We Christians put decades upon decades of effort into the outcome of today, and for what? To say to God "Look how we did good deeds in your name?" I fear the response would be to "Depart for I never knew you." If we as Christians would only put in as much effort to enact change to love our neighbor as ourselves - by establishing programs to uplift struggling families out of poverty as Jesus uplifted the stranger, enact universal healthcare to heal the less fortunate as Jesus healed the sick, and provide wisdom in the form of quality education so our fellow Siblings in Christ can make sound decisions themseslves as Jesus taught and presented wisdom to his followers - think of how many lives (born or unborn) will be saved such as to eliminate even the smallest tempting thought of having an abortion.

For my fellow Siblings in Christ cheering today I'm afraid we're cheering a hollow victory, for today we are doing more damage to our witness of Christ and his body through celebrating malicious enforcement of "God's love" onto others by exploiting governmental authority than actually practicing and demonstrating the unconditional love of our neighbor through self-sacrificial action as Jesus Christ commands us.

Please consider this, examine yourself, and do better.

Sincerely,

~Phil

Phil's Deconstruction Book Recommendations

Recommendations Last Updated: July 16, 2023

Whether you know someone who is exploring this topic or if you need to embark on your own personal deconstruction journey, please see my personal recommendations below.

If you have any book recommendations you believe may be a good fit for this page, please message me on any of the social media platforms found on my links page here.

Please note: like my education on this subject, this page is subject to change and will continue to improve. I will update this post along with the date the books were added as I complete them.

The following is a condensed list of links. For a deeper explanation of my recommendations, please continue further down the page.

Brief Book Listing

Detailed Recommendations

 
 

The Color of Compromise: The Truth About the American Church's Complicity in Racism by Jemar Tisby - This book provides a perspective on the history of the United States specifically to the Church’s complicit role in perpetuating systemic racism. A powerful indictment on the current state of Christianity in America and a must read for Christians.

 
 

Dear Church: A Love Letter from a Black Preacher to the Whitest Denomination in the US by Lenny Duncan - Although the author of this book specifically addresses the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America), their pleas and lamentations apply to churches all across the United States.

 
 

White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy and American Christianity by Robert P. Jones - An urgent call and challenge to all white Christians to recognize the church's role in the advancement of white supremacy in the United States. The author elagantly pulls from history, case studies, and community reports to encourage white Christians to confront these uncomfortable truths that have taken root with the help of the church.

 
 

The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth by Beth Allison Barr - A critical look at the culture of patriarchal control and abuse of the Bible that sought to erase women from positions of leadership in the Church.

 
 

UnClobber: Expanded Edition with Study Guide: Rethinking Our Misuse of the Bible on Homosexuality by Colby Martin - A preacher recounts his spiritual walk to becoming the leader of a fully affirming LGBTQ+ church while addressing each of the "clobber" passages (Genesis 19:1-29, Leviticus 18:22 & 20:13, Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9, and 1 Timothy 1:10) with a biblical, cultural, etymological, and historical breakdown of each. Designed with the reader in mind: read the even-numbered chapters for the Unclobbering of the clobber passages, read the odd-numbered chapters for Martin's spiritual walk on the subject, read both for the full story and context. A book I consider as required reading for Christians who are not already fully affirming of our LGBTQ+ siblings. An edition without the study guide may be found here.

 
 

Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation by Kristen Kobes Du Mez - An account of the white evangelicalism movement since the 1940s to the 2016 election, Du Mez helps illustrate how evangelicals substituted Jesus of the Gospels with an idol of patriarchal toxic masculinity, authoritarian rule, xenophobia, and homophobia. Why did so many Christians gather around to support a man who goes against just about every teaching of the very Jesus they claim to espouse? Du Mez provides a much-needed perspective.

 
 

Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived by Rob Bell challenges traditional Christian beliefs about heaven, hell, and salvation. Bell argues that a loving God would not condemn people to eternal punishment in hell, and suggests that everyone will eventually be saved. He also questions the notion of a literal interpretation of biblical descriptions of hell and suggests that they may be metaphorical.

 
 

How the Bible Actually Works: In Which I Explain How An Ancient, Ambiguous, and Diverse Book Leads Us to Wisdom Rather Than Answers―and Why That's Great News by Peter Enns - A book that tackles the topic of the Bible as a book of rules versus a book of wisdom. The author further argues how different generations had to "reimagine God" by updating the exile narrative of the people of Isreal to adapt their faith for the time of the author. For example, the distinction between 1 & 2 Kings and how 1 & 2 Chronicles may seem like a direct “retelling” of the same story when placed one right after the other in the Bible, but in context 1 & 2 Chronicles was written centuries after 1 & 2 Kings and was reframed accordingly for the modern generation of that time. The author goes on to argue a similar “reimagining” occurs from the Hebrew Bible to the Christian New Testament. I enjoyed reading this book and it provides great context to the timeframes in which different sections of the Bible were written, and the cultures surrounding each generation. If this blurb either peaked your curiousity or made your neck hairs bristle as potential heresey, it's a good indication you might need to read this book.

 
 

The New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha (NRSV) edited by Michael Coogan, Marc Brettler, Carol Newsom, and Pheme Perkins - The Bible used by biblical scholars, seminary programs, and my main biblical reference. Filled with invaluable resources littered throughout its entirety including: maps, introductory sections to each individual book and all main biblical sections (including the Apocrypha), footnotes, and appendices that include essays for textual criticism, biblical interpretation, cultural contexts and more. Out of the several different study Bibles and versions I reference, if you can only choose one to get a deeper understanding of the how Scriptures were written, this would be my definitive recommendation.

 
 

That All Shall Be Saved: Heaven, Hell, & Universal Salvation by David Bentley Hart - The case is laid out in Hart’s combined theological and philosophical arguments for Universalism in that all souls in humanity are redeemed and saved. A read that is not for the faint of heart, but as the authors outlines early on in his book: this is his exhaustive collection of arguments and counterarguments across all conversations resulting from his presentations, scholar papers, and keynotes over his years as an academic scholar designed to be the single source for any and all future discourse on the topic of Universalism, pre-destination, or whether there is a Hell of eternal conscious torment.

Phil's Anti-Racism Book Recommendations

Listing last updated Feb. 28, 2024

Whether you know someone who may need education in this field or if you want to embark on your own personal educational journey to become anti-racist, explore the recommendations below.

If you have any book recommendations you believe may be a good fit for this page, please message me on any of the social media platforms found on my links page here. I will update this post along with the date the books were added as I complete them.

The following section is a condensed list of links. For a deeper explanation of my recommendations, please continue further down the page.

Brief Book Listing

Detailed Recommendations

 
 

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Color Blindness by Michelle Alexander - as far as I am concerned, this book is required reading. The New Jim Crow is a crash course in the history of systemic racism in the United States and how our legal/justice system has evolved to disenfranchise and targe people of color - specifically black men - through racial profiling and punitive laws such as the "three strikes" rule.

 
 

The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein - more required reading to aide in the education of how racist systems were built in the United States. This time from a financial and wealth-building perspective, The Color of Law recounts the history of racial segregation in the United States specifically through laws of land ownership. Rothstein details how people of color were continuously denied opportunities to build generational wealth through tactics such as redlining, the GI Bill, and racist property covenants among realtors.

Memiors, Biographies, and more

 
 

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah - A powerful memior from Daily Show host Trevor Noah as he recounts his coming-of-age story set shortly after apartheid in South Africa. I highly recommend the audiobook version of this title for a few reasons. First, Trevor Noah narrates the book himself and being a professional comedian and entertainer he knows how to deliver lines he wrote himself. Second, there are number of different African languages and dialects in this book that help progress the narrative of Trevor Noah's journey from South Africa to the United States. The immersion of his story may be affected in written form unless you fluently speak them all, and since Trevor Noah actually is fluent in every language and dialect written in this book he brings the proper inflections and naunce needed to convey the context in the conversations that occur in the book.

 
 

Frederick Douglass: The Prophet of Freedom by David W. Blight - The cinematic history of Frederick Douglass is protrayed in the life of this legendary orator. Insights on his writings from his self-published newspaper, among letters and speeches show Douglass's neverending fight against slavery pre- and post-Civil War.

 
 

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou - The first in her series of memiors, Maya Anelou recalls her childhood and the troubling history she endured.

 
 

The Color of Compromise: The Truth About the American Church's Complicity in Racism by Jemar Tisby - This book provides a perspective on the history of the United States specifically to the Church’s complicit role in perpetuating systemic racism. A powerful indictment on the current state of Christianity in America and a must read for Christians.

 
 

Dear Church: A Love Letter from a Black Preacher to the Whitest Denomination in the US by Lenny Duncan reflects on his experiences as a Black queer preacher in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA). He critiques the systemic racism and homophobia present in many Christian institutions, and argues that the church must confront and dismantle these oppressive structures in order to truly embody the message of Jesus. Duncan advocates for a more inclusive and justice-oriented church, and challenges Christians to actively work towards creating a world where everyone is valued and respected.

 
 

White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy and American Christianity by Robert P. Jones - An urgent call and challenge to all white Christians to recognize the church's role in the advancement of white supremacy in the United States. The author elagantly pulls from history, case studies, and community reports to encourage white Christians to confront these uncomfortable truths that have taken root with the help of the church.

 
 

The Autobiagraphy of Martin Luther King Jr. by Martin Luther King Jr. and edited by Clayborne Carson chronicles Dr. King's life and strife for social justice. Notable for me was how Dr. King's theology developed to be a social gospel as he deconstructed what he learned in seminary and how the messages he read in the Bible and the depiction of Jesus clashed against his lived experience of segregation and racism. His continued commitment to nonviolent protest and his bravery to speak frank, harsh truths regarding race relations make this book a must read for anyone willing to listen about why we continue to have societal tensions across racial lines in the United States today.

In addition to a hard copy of this book to read and keep on your shelf to study or share with others, I highly recommend the audiobook version. Not only is it read by Levar Burton, but it also includes several rare recordings of Dr. King's powerful speeches and eloquent sermons spaced throughout the book, one of which includes Dr. King reading his own open Letter from a Birmingham Jail to white religious leaders in Alabama and the South.

 
 

The Autobiography of Malcom X by Alex Haley and Attallah Shabazz Malcom X tells the story of Malcolm X's life, from his childhood in poverty and his involvement with criminal activity, to his conversion to the Nation of Islam and his activism as a civil rights leader. Malcolm X's journey is marked by his personal transformation and evolution of political beliefs, as he moves away from the separatist teachings of the Nation of Islam and embraces a more inclusive vision of Black liberation. The book also examines the systemic racism and violence faced by Black Americans during the 20th century, and critiques the failures of the American political and legal systems to address these issues.

 
 

Where do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? by Martin Luther King Jr. - Dr. King provides his assessment of the race relations in the United States during struggles of the Civil Rights movement of the previous 10 years of the book’s publication in 1967. This book and also his Letter from a Birmingham Jail speak volumes to the work that we still need to do to this day in order to start reconciling race relations.

 
 

I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown - writeup blurb coming soon

 
 
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Escaping TikTok's iOS Browser Sandbox (iOS Shortcut)

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Update 3 03/19/2023: Over the past few months, TikTok updated their app to include an option to open links in the default browser versus forcing users to stay in the in-app browser. To do this, visit a link in the TikTok app and tap the three dots (…). Choose “default browser” from the list of options and it will launch your phone’s default web browser. As a result, this shortcut now has little practical use. This will be the final update regarding this post.

Update 2 03/19/2022: Added action to restore original functionality. Shortcut link in article has been updated.


Update 1 03/19/2022: The most recent version of iOS (15.4 at the time of this writing) has broken the Shortcut and only extracts the first line of text of the screenshot passed into it. I’m working to update the Shortcut and restore functionality.

I finally got fed up with TikTok’s hostile UX and locking iOS users to using only TikTok’s in-app web browser when visiting creators’ independent websites on their TikTok profiles. I call it hostile behavior because of the difficulty TikTok makes to open a creator’s website in a separate app, be it Safari or 3rd-party app like Chrome, Firefox, or Brave. This is also shady behavior on TikTok by forcing users to stay within the confines of the in-app web browser. If a website does not have appropriate traffic encryption in place, TikTok may be able to capture and siphon any information passing through the in-app browser and tying that browsing history to the user. This means:

  • First and last names typed in for online petitions

  • Email addresses submitted for newsletters

  • Shipping addresses provided for purchases

  • Login information to access other online services

  • Other private information entered through text

TikTok ensures this web traffic goes through only their in-app browser so that it stays within their sandbox of iOS to stockpile this information and more. TikTok pushes a number of tricks on iOS to accomplish this.

An “Ominous” Message

When a user visits a profile weblink that is properly secured so the Clock App cannot eavesdrop on web traffic, TikTok gives a message of caution to the user through a confirmation screen before displaying the page, stating:

“You’re about to open an external website. Be cautious and keep your personal information safe.”

Ironically, TikTok only presents this “warning” when your personal information is safe from prying eyes, even TikTok’s.

Screenshot of TikTok’s confirmation screen before visiting secure websites.


Making the URL Text Inaccessible

Another method employed by TikTok is making the text of the URL nearly inaccessible to iOS users. When visiting a creator’s profile, we can easily enough copy the creator’s username from the Clock App by tapping on the username itself, but when trying to copy the text of the URL so we can paste it into Safari the task is not so simple. Even when visiting the creator’s profile page through the “Copy Link” feature on their profile page (tapping the three dots in the upper right-hand corner) and pasting this link into Safari, TikTok hides the creator’s website URL in when visiting the profile page in a mobile web view. See below, where @underthedesknews linktr.ee URL is visible on the TikTok app view (left) versus when viewing their same profile page through the mobile web app view in Safari (right):

The Workaround (ios shortcut)

After searching the web for a workaround and finding none, I eventually discovered and developed my own. By taking a screenshot of the TikTok creator’s profile page, I could use the Live Text OCR (object character recognition) feature integrated into iOS (versions 13 and up) to copy the URL and paste it into Safari. However, the process was very cumbersome switching between apps and copying/pasting over and over, and whenever something gets repetitive it’s best to make a Shortcut.

After more brainstorming and research I was able to build off the work of iOS Shortcuts wizard Matthew Cassinelli by taking his “Extract text from photo” Shortcut and modifying it. The Shortcut takes any photo containing text (in this case, a screenshot of the TikTok creator’s profile with their URL), and scrapes out any text in the photo. From the lines of text the Shortcut scraped, we select the one that contains the website link. That line of text containing the URL to the “Get URLs from” operator, which keeps only the text making up the URL. The Shortcut finally opens the URL in Safari.

Shortcut demo

Play the video from my tweet below to see a demo of the Shortcut in action.

Caveats

The Shortcut can be run through the Share Sheet or separately from within the Shortcuts app. I prefer to run it immediately after I take a screenshot through the Share Sheet. However, keep in mind that each time a screenshot is taken the screenshot will end up in the Camera Roll, so don’t forget to clear them out from time to time if you don’t want screenshots clogging it up.

Remember: this Shortcut can only work with the text it is able to detect and “see” in the photo. That means if a URL is too long that it goes off the screen and the link trails off with ellipses (…), then the URL may not render properly and the user may see receive a 404 error when trying to visit the website.

I’ll update the link to the Shortcut above as I find better ways to improve the process of opening links from the TikTok app into Safari. If you’re as irked by TikTok’s web browser sandboxing as I am and you have any suggestions or alternatives to my method, let me know on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, or in the comments below

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PSA Texans: Register to Vote!

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Whether it’s a district, county, state, or nationwide primary or general election, they always seem to creep up on me. As a result, I also end up anxious as to whether my voter registration is current. 18 states and Washington DC have same-day voter registration on election days, while 42 states (and Washington DC) have online voter registration available - a progressive move bringing power to citizens to help them exercise their constitutional right to choose their representation in our government.

Texas unfortunately is neither of those.

The only way to register to vote within Texas requires you to send a physical registration application in a stamped envelope to your local county’s Registrar’s office. Even if you’ve registered before, your voter registration can still expire after a period of time, and the resources the Texas government provides doesn’t make it straightforward to tell whether your voter registration is current.

For example, when using Texas’s “Am I Registered?” online search tool and type in my TDL (Texas Driver’s License) and Date of Birth, I’m presented with information such as the date I originally registered (back in 2020), the date my registration is “Valid from" (whatever that means), and whether my registration is “ACTIVE” - to which the tool states my registration is of “ACTIVE” status. The tool does not provide a section stating when my voter registration may expire, which I remember reading on my last physical voter registration certificate as December 31, 2021. So now I’m left with conflicting information and I am unsure as to whether I will be turned away at the polling booth should I do nothing.

To make me question myself even more, the “Am I Registered?” tool even has a disclaimer at the bottom:

Note: 'Am I Registered?' provides a web-based search of data extracted from Texas’s statewide voter registration database. It is NOT the official record of your registration, which is retained by the voter registration office in the county of your residence.

As such I’m ultimately left with needing to send in yet another registration application. Better safe than sorry.

WHAT TO DO

I recommend (re)registering if you have any doubts on the current status of your voter registration. To do so, visit the VoteTexas.gov website. From there you’ll have three choices about registration:

  1. Fill out the SOS Online Voter Registration Application and then print, sign, and mail the application to your county’s Registrar.

  2. Request a printed application to have mailed to you. NOTE: this method is not advised if you’re looking to register within a week or two of the 30-day deadline.

  3. Contact your Texas county’s Registrar’s office to complete the voter registration process.

The easiest option for me is the first one, and after answering a few questions I’m given a form to fill out with my necessary information to register. See example of the form web page below:

Screenshot of the Texas SOS Online Voter Registration Application form

For my case, I chose “Replacement” under Application Type because I no longer have my voter registration certificate since it was shown to have expired at the end of last year. However, if this is your first time registering you will select “New” and if you’re changing your voter registration information due to a change in home address or a name change, you would select the “Change” option and fill out the form accordingly.

After filling out all required fields and clicking “Submit” you’ll be presented with a formatted Texas Voting Registration application but you are NOT done yet. You will still need to print out this application, place the application in a stamped envelope, and address that envelope to your county’s Registrars office shown on the application. As long as it's in the mail before the 30-day deadline you should receive your new or updated voter registration certificate in the mail before the time election day or early voting begins.

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Make a Linktree Or Beacons Page with Squarespace

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Are you looking for a way to funnel users to your newest content, latest product, or new project? Do you need simple but adaptive landing page to drive web traffic from your presence on social media sites like TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Facebook? Don't want to deal with the hassle of updating your links on each social media page every time you have a new resource to share or campaign to promote? Having a single, one-stop web page where visitors can land to find everything they may need know about you can be handy to use across social media websites.

Businesses, influencers, entrepreneurs, activists, hobbyists and other individuals may use a service like Linktree or Beacons where they can dump a list of links onto one page and then just share their Linktree or Beacons profile. Even though there's a free tier for each of these services, you will need to subscribe to one of their paid tiers to have additional features such as more robust customization, additional pages, or access to in-depth analytics on how your links are performing and where your visitors are going.

If you already pay for hosting of your own website - like I do through Squarespace - why pay more money for something when you can quickly set up through the WYSIWYG editor for no additional monthly fee? By the end of this article, you'll have an adaptive web page with the same functionality of a Linktree page that will not only come in at no additional cost, but you'll also have access to all the analytics for the traffic you drive as well!

Follow the steps below to build your own Linktree clone. Please note: I am using Squarespace 7.0 or higher with the Bedford family of templates for these steps.

Making the Page

1) Log in to your Squarespace dashboard and click the "Pages" section.

We’ll only be working in the Pages section.

2) On the left side, scroll down to the "Not Linked" section and click the plus sign to add a new unlinked web page

3) Under the Layout section, click "About" and then select the "Vertical" option. This will start out with a simple centered layout that gives an image block, a text block, social media block, and some spacers for visual placement. You can start with just a blank template page and build you own if you wish, but I found that using the Vertical About layout template was quickest for me to get a Linktree clone up and running.

Click the plus sign “+” then the “About” layout option for quick setup.

Choose the “Vertical” option - it will show up best for mobile users after setup.

4) Name the new page on the left side panel to something unique/descriptive so you'll know what the page is for (I used "philslinks" for this example).

Give your new page a name.

5) Hover you mouse over the page on the left side and click the settings cog. On the Page Settings screen that pops up, give your new webpage a short, memorable but unique URL slug or just leave it as the default of whatever you named your page in Step 4. Click "Close" for the Page Settings menu

We’ll need to adjust a setting for the page.

Change the URL slug if you wish and click “Close”

6) Now's the time to build out your web page! Hover your mouse over the right pane and click the "Edit" button to enter into the Page Editor.

Click “Edit” to get started building your own Linktree

7) Here you can start customizing your page to your liking. I have the basic areas outlined in the template below. I recommend leaving the default spacers and uploading a custom image (your profile picture, your business logo, etc.) for the Image Block.

Layout described in Step 7.

8) After uploading your custom image, I suggest going into the settings for the Image Block and turning off the caption in the Content tab and changing the shape from Original to Shape (default is a circle) in the Design tab. You can also play around with animations if you wish in the Design tab as well, but leaving everything else as the default is fine.

9) Scrolling down you will see a default text block sandwiched between two Spacer Blocks centered on the page. I suggest deleting these, moving the Social Media block to be just below your custom image, and adding a Text Block and however many Button Blocks you wish to use for links.

Delete these three blocks: the top Spacer Block, the Text Block, and the bottom Spacer Block.

Move the Social Block to be below your Image Block, add a Text Block and Button Blocks

10) The buttons can be edited to display custom text and a custom link that, when clicked, will take the visitor to the specified URL.

Customize your Button Blocks

11) When done editing your buttons and getting your website the way you want, click "Save" to exit out the Page Editor and you're done!

That’s it!

Great job! You've just set up your own personal Linktree. All that's needed to do now is copy your new page's URL and paste it into your social media profiles. Whenever you want to add a new link in the future, you will only need to add a new button in the Page Editor from the Squarespace dashboard on a computer or through the Squarespace app of your iOS or Android device.

There's much more you can do to customize your page to make it look flashier, but that involves advanced topics like modifying the CSS of your website among other things that are beyond the scope of this tutorial. That I'll leave as an exercise for the reader. For now, farewell and happy linking!

I Will Not Be Silent

One year ago today I sat at work beside myself as I witnessed insurrectionists storm the Capitol building on livestreams across the many social media platforms. It’s a day I won’t forget where I was or how I felt, right alongside my memory of September 11, 2001. 

Let’s not kid ourselves as to who enticed and directed this mob. They were loud, proud, and unashamed to show their pride being so lost in their collective delusion. They even chanted his name while beating the same blue police officers they claim to back: “Trump! Trump! Trump!”

Yes, the GOP (the party of Gerrymandering, Oppression, and Projection) share a great deal of blame. It sickens me that none of these elected officials have faced any jail time for their involvement in inciting and planning this insurrection, but there is plenty of other blame to go around. The American Christian church is one such entity for losing its collective soul to gain the world in the form of political power by backing such a morally bankrupt, self-absorbed, openly non-repentant person in the form of Donald Trump. But I cannot cast blame on the church without also casting blame on myself.

I should have spoken out more when I first saw the insidious signs of Christian nationalism creep into my previous church. The ever-increasing patriotic services where we pledged allegiance to a piece of cloth as part of our liturgy. But I remained silent.

I should have spoken out when, days after the 2020 election results calling victory for then President-elect Joe Biden, I received a mass email from a congregant calling for prayer against a force which was “most recently blatant voter fraud being allowed that is destroying the very principles and basis of our democratic form of government.” But I remained silent.

I should have spoken out when I sat in Bible class and another congregant declared one Sunday after Election Day “we all know who the president is.” To which the leader of the Bible class replied “or so we think.” But I remained silent.

I should have spoken out more to my Christian family members who falsely claimed that “Antifa” were actually the thousands of people storming the Capitol, dressed to the nines in Trump memorabilia to overturn the election in order to put back into power the very person “Antifa” was standing against! After writing them off, I remained silent.

I remained silent while my previous church refused to talk about the real issues of nationalism, hatred, division, hypocrisy and system racism that plagues the United States and the American church. They refused to speak out against the atrocious acts one year ago today, and it sickens me to say that it’s most likely because a number of their congregation helped build up, develop, and support the events that unfolded on January 6th, 2021. The silence of pastors behind the pulpit about these issues is deafening as I continue to read and study the words of Jesus.

Well I’m going to do my best to not be quiet anymore. I will not remain silent.

Mistaking Compassion For Fear

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Recently my wife and I needed to travel for a family funeral. While we are both vaccinated we still take care to wear masks when out in public or in larger gatherings, if anything, out of respect for others and the habit of doing so for the past year. Shortly after the funeral service, a family member pulled me aside and said to me:

“You know you don’t have to wear that mask. You don’t have to be afraid.”

At the time I didn’t know how to respond to that statement. Not due to its profoundness, but its absurdity. I do not wear a mask out of fear, but as a means to love and care for my neighbor.

I wear a mask because we cannot tell at a glance who has received the vaccine, much like how we cannot tell at a glance who may be infected with the virus and contagious.

I wear a mask as a way to help protect those who are ineligible to receive the vaccine and to put them more at ease if they are to come into contact with me.

I wear a mask because even though the vaccine has made me resistant to the virus, there is still a possibility I may become infected. As such I wish to reduce the spread of that infection as much as possible so that others may not become infected as well.

I wear a mask because even though some people are over and done with the pandemic, this does not mean the pandemic is over.

I wear a mask because I want to protect others around me as much as I wish they would want to protect me when I am around them. Wearing a mask is the simplest form of caring for another person during this dark time of which the world is beginning to crawl out. 

That’s not fear you see. That’s compassion.

To say that I wear a mask out of fear of an invisible virus makes as much sense to say that I attended this funeral out of fear of death. I did not travel hundreds of miles to attend the funeral of a family member because I’m afraid to die.

I did so out of compassion for the people in mourning.

I did so as a means to comfort the family and friends that are in pain from their loss.

I did so for the brothers and sisters who lost a sibling.

I did so for the sons and daughters who lost a parent.

I did so for the the men and women who lost a friend.

I did so because I want to support those in their time of need, just as I hope others will support me if and when my time of need occurs.

Do not mistake compassion for fear.

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Podcast Gear

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In-Person Interviews/Recordings

TASCAM DR-40 4-Track Portable Digital Recorder - My budget all-in-one device for in-person recording if time/space doesn’t allow for my iPhone-/iPad-based setup (explained below). To check audio levels I use whichever headphones I may have on my person at the time. I want to upgrade to the Zoom H6 Six-Track Portable Recorder with double the number of inputs and individual dials to control volume on each input, but it is over twice the price of the DR-40. Pro tip: regardless of the digital recorder model you go with, always put new, charged batteries into your digital recorder before every recording session. It will save headache and embarrassment in the future.

Eneloop 2100-Cycle Rechargeable Batteries - My preferred brand of rechargeable batteries to go into my DR-40 and other battery-operated equipment. High recharge count and can hold up to 70% of their charge for 10 years, these are a solid choice. Depending on how much you tend to use and cycle them, be sure to keep plenty of spares available.

Shure SM58-LC Cardioid Dynamic Vocal Microphone (no cable) - the tried-and-true standard stage mic used by professionals and amateurs alike. Inexpensive and heavy duty, these microphones can be thrown around, perhaps even driven over and continue to work. They make the perfect microphone for recording on location or in a personal space. While other podcasters may hold their microphones, I like to keep mine on a stand with a pop-filter to keep my hands free for referencing notes or other tasks while recording (see Virtual/Home Recording section), but depending on the environment it may be best for you and your guests to hold them.

XLR 3-Pin Microphone Cable (6ft) - For connecting the Shure SM58 to the TASCAM DR-40. Invest in your cables, because they can and will be the common factor in any potential audio issues, and always have spares on hand.

Foam Mic Cover Handheld Windscreen - The next best thing to having a full pop-filter for your microphone. Windscreens will help reduce the pops, clicks, and other mouth-noise that come from recording vocal audio in addition to other factors like environmental wind.

Virtual/Home Recording

Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Audio Interface - this is my go-to audio interface for in-house audio recording work. Whether I’m connecting it to my laptop or to my iPad/iPhone via an Apple Lightning-to-USB3 Camera Adapter, I use this interface for remote podcasts through Discord, Zoom, and Skype or for solo work such as audiobook narration or recording intros.

Adjustable Microphone Stand with Weighted Base - I use this with my Shure SM58 on my desk so I can go hands-free if needed for referencing notes or mixing during a recording session.

Dynamic Microphone Pop Filter and Shock Mount - A shock mount and pop filter are essential for any microphone fixed to a stand. The shock mount guards against unintentional vibrations through movement on the desk (resting of hands, setting down a drink, sliding the stand…) and the pop filter protects against mouth noise that can be offensive or distracting to the ears.

Shure MV88 Portable iOS Lightning Digital Stereo Condenser Microphone for iPhone/iPad - unmatched audio quality for the size and portability. Great for grabbing quick on-the-go recordings either solo or impromptu interviews. The device fits in your hand and comes with a handy carrying case. Can toss into a bag for travel in case you need to quickly attach to your iPhone for a field audio recording. This has saved me on more than one occasion to grab a last-minute intro alteration or retake.

For Both:

Audio-Technica ATH-40x Professional Studio Monitor Headphones - I use these to monitor audio levels during recording and for post production editing of podcasts. They fit well over the ear for minor noise isolation and are comfortable for long sessions.

Ferrite Recording Studio (iOS/iPadOS) - The app I’ve been using for years to help polish and publish my podcasts. It is designed to improve audio quality of podcasts and increase the efficiency at which you edit them. While there is a free version, $29.99 for the pro features is worth it in terms of the automation and time savings that would otherwise be spent in additional post-production hours.

REAPER (PC/Mac/Linux)- The best bang-for-your-buck general purpose digital audio workspace available on all the main computing platforms. The capacity rivals that of pro-level tools such as Adobe Audition or Pro Tools but for a fraction of the price - $60 for an individual license. Many of the features are designed for mastering of music audio tracks, and there is a learning curve. However the interface customization, built-in plugins, and ability to automate time-consuming post-production tasks make this more than worth price tag.

Auditing My Social Circles

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“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.“ - Jim Rohn

This is a quote that’s been sitting and weighing on my mind a lot lately. In the past year I haven’t been spending much time physically around people, but, like many others, I’ve taken more to my social circles across the vastness of the Internet. I’ve forged new relationships with great people as a result, but other older relationships have taken a strain due to a lack of perspective, understanding, communication, and patience. Take the normal stresses of everyday life from within the home, to the work place, and out in public in general and combine that with the compounded stress of a global pandemic and the needless politicization on top of that and I can see why it may lead to a downward trajectory of my mental health and outlook on the future.

The Final Straw

What was the final straw for me were not only the reprehensible actions I witnessed on January 6th 2021 via live television and through various Internet livestreams (many from the perpetrators of the insurrection), but people in my social circles celebrating or encouraging the insurrection. A family member even attempted to gaslight my criticism of their praise for these insurrectionists, calling me a socialist and perpetuating the false narrative that “antifa” were actually the ones storming the Capitol in an attempt to make our President look bad. I immediately took action to reduce my contact with this person on social media.

That’s when I came to realize that I need to start surrounding myself with more positive and motivating people. People that not only have spiritual faith, but practical faith in things such as science, medicine, and critical thinking. By doing this it means I must distance myself from the negative, pessimistic, divisive, discouraging or conspiratorially-minded people in my life. As a result, I’ve decided to audit my social circles and cut those people out who I feel influence my psyche in a negative way.

An Open Appeal

If you are reading this and find we are no longer connected through one of the myriad of social networks that I interact with, I want you to know that this does not mean I do not want anything to do with you. I find your content not in the frame of mind into which I want to push myself. As a result I am limiting my interaction with your content, but I do not want to limit my availability to you. Do not think this means that I want nothing to do with you. If you are ever in a time of need - be it in need of prayer, words of encouragement, financial help, advice, a place to stay or any other variety of reasons - please feel free to reach out to me by any means necessary. I promise to listen, respond and assist however I can. Over time we may be able to reconnect through these social circles again, but until then distance is needed for a time of reflection on both of our parts.

I pray and wish you peace and happiness in the future.

Sincerely,

~Phil

Phirewater Cider

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When the autumn and winter months fall upon us and I need something to warm me up on chilly evenings, I turn to making a hot adult beverage that’s perfect for the Thanksgiving/Christmas time: Phirewater Cider.

What is Phirewater Cider?

Phirewater Cider is a drink I developed back the college days to capture the tastes (such as apples and cinnamon) and smells (like butterscotch) of the seasons. I kept the recipe secret for a number of years to develop of friendly rivalry of the different brotherhood lines within my fraternity. My Brothers always looked forward to the coming of autumn as that meant the return of Phil’s Phirewater Cider to warm them by the campfire.

Now that those whimsical college years are behind me I no longer saw much reason to withhold the recipe from the masses. What point is there to know the recipe if myself and a less than a handful of fraternity Brothers could replicate it? Why should the enjoyment of this delicious be enjoyed, if at all, by few?

The Recipe

I chronicled the history of Phirewater Cider and its recipe in a poem I published on Facebook years ago, but for simplicity I wanted to outline the recipe on my blog for posterity and easier reference in the future. Continue reading for the full breakdown and an additional bonus recipe!

The ingredients:

  • Goldschlager

  • Captain Morgan Spiced Rum

  • Laird’s Applejack Brandy

  • Dekuyper Buttershots

  • Apple Cider

Phirewater mixture:

  • 2 parts Goldschlager

  • 2 parts Captain Morgan Spiced Rum

  • 1 part Laird’s Applejack Brandy

  • 1 part Butterscotch Schnapps

Preparation:

Heat the apple cider in a pot on the stove over low heat. Be careful not to heat the cider over 172°F (78°C) if you want a boozy drink! Prepare the Phirewater by mixing proportions noted above. I recommend making a small batch of Phirewater and then using 2oz to 3oz per 8oz of warmed cider.

Additional Notes: Measuring

The measurement of parts are denoted for ease of scaling. The basic rule is to use 2x the amount of Goldschlager and Spiced Rum as is used for the Brandy and Butterscotch Schnapps. I normally make this drink for two (my wife and myself), and I find that doing 1 shot each of Goldschlager and Spice Rum with 1/2 shot each of Brandy and Butterscotch Schnapps to give us 1.5 shots of Phirewater in each of our drinks. We normally make almost 2 liters of Phirewater at once to enjoy all throughout the autumn and winter months.

Additional Notes: Substitutions

Although I listed the four original spirits I used to develop Phirewater, substitutions can be made. For example, Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum may be used instead of Captain Morgan’s, and any butterscotch schnapps may be substituted for Dekuyper’s Buttershots.

I have not tried substituting Goldschlager for another cinnamon-based liquor such as Fireball or Dekuyper’s Hot Damn schnapps. I find the gold flakes of Goldschlager add a pleasing aesthetic to the Phirewater mixture, although this is lost when mixing with the cloudy apple cider.

Laird’s Applejack Brandy is the only ingredient on this list I consider should not have a substitute, with Goldschlager coming in a close second. The availability of Laird’s and Goldschlager on liquor store shelves is the main reason these are on the “must have” list. The smoothness and sweetness a brandy provides combined with the fact that Lairds’ Applejack is made with apples to compliment the cider further cements this liquor on the list.

Keeping these caveats in mind, please feel free to build upon and experiment with this recipe, making substitutions and sharing your findings!

Bonus Recipe: A Drink of Ice & Phirewater

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Happen to find out about this recipe during the spring or summer months and worried you’ll have to wait until it gets colder to enjoy Phirewater? Worry no more! Substitute hot Apple Cider for cold hard cider (such as Angry Orchard’s Crisp Apple Cider). Pour 2oz Phirewater and hard cider over ice, garnish with maraschino cherries, and enjoy a cool drink during those hot days.

An Ode to Phirewater 

'Twas days before Christmas, and who could believe,
That such a merry mixture the masses would receive;
A beverage so delicious, some call it divine,
So secret the recipe, 'twas passed by only Brethren-line;

Many took drink and many gave postulation,
As to what ingredients lie in the sweet, gold libation;
Aspirants would guess one, some would guess more,
But none could surmise all ingredients four;

Time went on, the liqueur a rare treat,
That few would enjoy and even fewer could complete;
Then one day the author came to realize,
keeping the recipe hidden would lead to its demise;

"What advantage have I, keeping Phirewater on the shelf?"
He thought aloud as he questioned himself;
"Why should the recipe belong only to me?
It must go open-source! Fly now, be free!"

At this command the coveted words took flight,
Fingers danced across the keyboard and off into the night;
To forums and social networks for all the world to see,
And plastered on the Internet to live eternally;

Which fantastic liquors are used in the brew,
And how are they mixed, are they parts one or parts two?
Here the answer lies, an end to the game,
The recipe complete, revealing each spirit by name;

Goldschlager, of course, for its strong cinnamon taste,
Captain Morgan Spiced Rum helps to fill the drink's base;
Dekuyper Buttershots for a butterscotch bouquet,
Laird's Applejack Brandy, the final element of this array;

Add the former parts two, the latter parts one,
Mix warmed apple cider to enjoy autumn and winter fun;
If the summer months are closer to your favor,
Stir with hard cider for a cool drink to savor;

The secret is out, with nothing left to share,
But one final request still lingers in the air;
If you build upon this recipe, finding a new drink to spike,
Continue to give away, please always ShareAlike;

Now with metaphorical stockings stuffed, faces filled with glee,
Remember: enjoy in moderation, please drink responsibly;
My burden finally lifted, my heart bursting with delight,
Merry Christmas to all and to all a buzzed night!

Egg Boxing

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This is something I’m eggstatic about. I enjoy cooking, particularly breakfast foods, but now that I've discovered Egg Boxing, it's taken the mundane chore of breaking eggs and hatched it into a full-fledged sport. 

"Egg Boxing? Like, where you see how fast you can box-up eggs?" No, Fake Person. Egg Boxing is the sport of pitting two eggs against each other - Huevo a Huevo - in a game of which holds up best under pressure. You take two eggs, one in each hand, and then hit them against each other. One will crack, and one will stay in tact. The one that survives is the reigning champion (the top of the pecking order, so to speak) and goes on to defend its title against the next egg in line, while the one that's beaten is eaten. Will the champion continue its undefeated streak, or will the newcomer ascend to sit upon the calcium throne?

My current champion, Eggy White, is holding fast with a 6-0 record.

I first heard about this Egg Boxing from Tim Ferriss when he alluded to it on one of his podcast episodes, but didn't explain it. Eventually I came across another episode where Tim sits down with Peter Attia, a person Tim shares this Egg Boxing obsession with, who explained the sport in detail.

Peter also gives a great explanation (and a helpful video) on his own blog about Egg Boxing. If you want to level up your eggsperience, take a crack at Egg Boxing the next time you need a few eggs for that cake recipe, breakfast, or even brinner, Turkeldawg.

For my own amusement, and possibly the amusement of others, I’ll be live-streaming my cage-free matches on Instagram (or post to TikTok) in the mean time.

It's Time To Do.

I'm hesitant to start this. Whether it's because I'll face myself in my lack of discipline and drive to keep it going or because of my anxieties of what others may think, for better or for worse, in my efforts of trying something new. The best I can do is to just ignore those feelings and push forward, because I won't know the alternative otherwise.

 

We all start somewhere.

I won't be able to improve if I never start doing.

 

It's time to do.

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Why Everyone Should Have a Website

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I’ve had this idea kicking around in my head for a while, and the more I think about it, the more it makes sense: every person should have a website. Not just every company, organization, company, entrepreneur, politician, athlete, or superstar: Every. Person.

Why should you, and everyone else for that matter, have a website? Read on to find out.

Stake Your Claim

It doesn’t matter whether you’re wanting to sell a product or service, building your own personal brand, or just want a place to write a short bio about yourself. In the ever-growing realm of the Internet, it’s best to stake your claim to a piece of real estate on it. The way to do that is to have your own website. From your own website, you can then branch out and link to every other instance of your online presence (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, etc.) where others can find you.

Take Control & Independence

With a personal website, a person can control their story and how they want to tell it. This removes the opportunity for someone else to tell that person’s story instead, which will eventually happen. Before I get too far into this: do not think that only having a Facebook page will work. It may be easy to get one and maintain, but that is not a website. A person fully control a Facebook page and who may be able to see it if the page is updated. Facebook’s algorithms take care of that - and charges if a person wants to “boost” their post in order to reach more people. This is basically just living in an apartment rent-free on Facebook’s lot, but Facebook has the control over who goes into the complex and who can go up to any person’s particular floor or room. If someone wants prime real estate, that’s out on the Internet with a personal website. With a personal website, both can be had - a Facebook page to help build community and a website where the person can put anything else. The key concept here is having independence so a person is not tied down to one platform.

I want to hit more on the control aspect: someone with their own website can control how public or private they want to be. I play on the more public side with my website, linking just about any social network account I have at the bottom of my page, and taking blog posts and pictures about as personal as I want. However, people can also have a more private view with their websites by putting as little personal information or thoughts as they wish. Please do not confuse my insistence on people owning their own website with people also needing to constantly market their website or freely share their personal lives - I’m not advocating for that. I’m advocating that just like people need to have a place to physically live in the real world, they also need a place to live on the Internet.

Building is Easy & Cheap to Start

It has not been easier to make your own website. Unless you have absolutely no access to the Internet (in which case, how are you reading this post?) there are few reasons to not have a website. There are plenty of services and tools available online that let you build and maintain your own website with no little or no experience. Hosting services are available for free - like Wordpress, Wix, or About.me - or very little cost depending on the types of features or capabilities you want. No website design or previous coding experience is required to build your site, either. Some services, like Squarespace or Wix, provide simple and easy to use templates that you can choose from to get your website up and running quickly. These services also use a drag-and-drop “what you see is what you get” (WYSIWYG) interface, where you can further customize your site. The tools will only get better from here.

What Are You Waiting For?

Are you still contemplating on starting a website? Why? Judgement from others? Insecurities in your technical ability to design and build a website or afraid you may not be creative (or interesting) enough to fill that site with content? Who cares! Just go do and stake your claim. You can work out the rest with time.

Still have questions or need some motivation? Feel free to post them in the comments down below or send me a DM or reply on any of the social media sites linked at the bottom of this page and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

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Questions To Consider When Starting A Podcast

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Photo by Alan Levine

Photo by Alan Levine

If you’re thinking about starting a podcast there are a few things you may want to consider before jumping right in: How much time and money are you willing to invest? Will your podcast only have one host (usually yourself), co-hosts, or a round table/group discussion format? Are you editing the podcast yourself? What service will be hosting your podcast’s audio files? Do not let these questions discourage you. These are questions I had to ask myself when helping my pastor start the MURP podcast, and the answers to these questions will affect the approach in making your own podcast. Here I’ll help break down what you may want to consider in preparing to go on your own podcasting journey.

How Much Money (And Time) Are You Willing to Invest?

Anyone can start a podcast and at any price point, from free to thousands of dollars. One of the first questions you should consider before starting is: how much do you want to budget for starting and maintaining your podcast? Some things to consider that will cost money are equipment costs (like a microphone to record your voice, a computer, etc.), the cost of hosting a website and the audio files for your podcast, and the cost of audio editing software.

You can start a podcast at very little cost upfront. In fact, if you want to go for the least amount of money possible, you can start a podcast for free using a service like Anchor. With only your smartphone you can record, edit, and publish your podcast all through Anchor at no cost. However, the trade off will be sacrificing quality for saving money. Your podcast may not sound that great using just your smartphone’s microphone and the limited editing capabilities of Anchor’s built-in editor. You may also be giving up creative equity to Anchor since Anchor provides its services to users for free, meaning Anchor itself needs to generate revenue some other way in order to pay for all that free hosting. This may include putting ads before or within your podcast that you may not want. I will revisit tight/small budget podcast options in another blog post, but for now I’m going to assume you have some amount of money to use towards your podcast endeavor.

Solo Podcast

If your podcast will involve only you talking into a microphone, a simple cardioid microphone like Audio-Technica’s ATR2100 USB Mic or one of the more popular Blue Yeti USB Microphones may be the best fit for your format. When I started out my podcasting journey I used the Blue Snowball which was around $50-$60 at the time before graduating to the current setup that I have today.

Two Or More

Recording multiple people in the same room for a podcast will require more hardware, and not only just more microphones. Keep in mind that you will need a the appropriate hardware for each person you want to record, such as a microphone, microphone stand, pop-filter, and cabling (like XLR cables). Recording two or more people on a computer will require something called an audio interface that can translate the analog audio signals from your microphones into digital audio signals for the computer to process. There are many options to choose with an audio interface, and the price goes up with the number of XLR (microphone) connections you want to use for the number of speakers you plan to have. I decided on the Scarlett 2i2 by Focusrite when I started to record the Skeleton Barcode podcast years ago. It supports up to two XLR inputs with the ability to control the gain (basically volume) of each microphone. I still use the Scarlett 2i2 to this day, although I do have my eye on a more robust interface that supports more microphone inputs - the Tascam US-4x4. For microphones I decided on two Audio-Technica AT2020s to provide a richer sound. I also got an adjustable microphone stand and a pop filter for each.

This entire initial setup (audio interface, microphones, stands, pop filters, cables) costs about $450 after taxes, and that was only for a two-person podcast! Don’t let this be sticker price shock for you. Keep in mind: this equipment is an investment. Even though the initial cost may seem steep, you can see years of use out of this equipment with appropriate care.

Speaker & Audience Format

My most recent challenge in recording audio is for Messiah’s Upper Room Podcast, which I’ve been working on for about a year at the time of this posting. I needed to find a way to capture audio of a main speaker a classroom of about 100 attendees. After some research I chose the Tascam DR-40 Digital Recorder since it has two condenser microphones on the top for picking up comments and questions from the large class. It also has two XLR connections at the bottom so I can connect directly to the pastor’s wireless microphone that he uses with the PA system. It’s battery operated, so it is a portable all-in-one recording device, and uses an SD card so we can easily transfer the recordings to a computer for editing. This choice was due to budgetary restrictions, but if I am able to upgrade in the future I will want to go with the Zoom H6 Six-Track Portable Recorder for more robust recording capabilities where I can record up to 6 different people in high quality and adjust/mix their individual levels on the device itself.

In this environment, you may want to consider using multiple room mics strategically placed throughout the room to pick up comments, or have dedicated wireless microphones and runners that can hand the microphone to a person in the audience that wants to ask the question, but these scenarios can quickly rack up equipment costs, especially for wireless systems. I stepped back and examined what may be the best fit for our church’s current scenario and the goals of what we want to accomplish. I also weighed what audio source is the most important, which would definitely be the pastor’s, so ensuring he has a direct line into the recorder was an absolute requirement.

Editing Software

If you’re planning to record and edit the podcast all yourself, you will want to consider the not only the investment of money, but also the investment in time to learn the audio editing software (if you have no prior experience recording/editing podcasts) and the time to actually edit and produce the podcast. Audacity is a popular free, open-source software solution with a large community of help and support on how to start using it for various audio editing needs. There is also no shortage of online tutorial videos you can use to help teach the basics of editing audio and improving the overall sound of your recordings to make them sound better before publishing your podcast episode online. I recommend you begin editing with Audacity, especially if making a podcast is just a hobby at this time.

My audio editor of choice is Reaper which has a free trial and, if you like the software enough, a non-commercial license is at the inexpensive, one-time price of $60. Reaper is more than an audio editor, and is a full-featured Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) that provides advanced functionality like automated actions, audio manipulation features like effects chains, and plugin support for third-party audio tools at a fraction of the price as other professional-grade DAWs like Pro Tools, Logic Pro X, or the monthly cost of Adobe Audition. Any of these tools will come with their own learning curve, but if you maintain the mindset that this purchase is an investment in your podcasting future the early difficulties of learning new software will outweigh the future benefits and sound of your podcasts for years to come.

Cost of Hosting

You will also want to consider the costs for hosting your podcast and website including the registration fees for a custom domain name (like philkasper.net) which for a .com or .net domain can range between $10-$16/yr. You will also want to consider what service to use that will host your website and where you can guide people towards. One inexpensive option, and also the most popular, is Wordpress. The MURP Podcast uses Wordpress to host the website content for $8/mo. However, this does not include the cost of hosting the audio files for MURP episodes, so I needed to use a separate service, in this case SimpleCast to host my audio files. There are other podcast hosting services such as libsyn that will host only podcast files. Some hosting services offer hosting for both a website and podcasts like Squarespace, blubrry, and SimpleCast.

Choosing which hosting combination will be up to you, but I suggest you expect to pay at least $20 per month to host both a website and podcast files on the Internet when starting out.

Choosing a Website/Podcast Host

You can start a podcast without a website, but I do not recommend it. I suggest that people to register their own custom domain and choose a hosting platform to have their own website in order to stake a claim on a piece of land known as the Internet, regardless of whether they plan to start a podcast. If anything, they will be able to have their own central hub that they control to present themselves to others. Having just a Facebook page or Medium account where you blog regularly can potentially corner a person as they rely on that one single service to stay around, unchanged, in perpetuity. The platform itself can change the rules on how content is displayed or monetized at any time. People who may not want to be bothered with the hassle or expense of owning and maintaining their website, I recommend they create an about.me page at the very least.

When starting a podcast, you will need a website and a place online where you can host your podcast’s audio files and a central area on the Internet where you may point people towards in order to learn more about your podcast. As mentioned earlier, some services provide hosting of your website while other services provide hosting and distribution for your podcast’s audio files. Still some others provide both. What will work best for you will depend on cost and preference. Below I outline a few different solution combinations.

All-In-One: Podcast & Website Hosting

Using an all-in-one solution can bring ease and simplicity into the podcasting equation, especially if you’re doing everything for a podcast yourself. Here are a few different solutions you may want to consider that provide both hosting of your website and your podcast files:

  • Squarespace - This is my go-to website host of choice because of its easy to use, WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) interface that can be used for beginners because you can simple start with a design template and drag-and-drop website elements to tweak the design how you like. Professionals web designers don’t have to feel limited as you can include custom coding into a Squarespace site as well. Squarespace also has a healthy amount of helpful documentation to help show you how to use Squarespace features, how to set up a podcast on your website, and message boards in case additional support is needed. The website you’re reading this on is a Squarespace site, and I’m planning to launch my next personal podcast on this platform. Even though I don’t use it for podcasting (yet), I do recommend Squarespace to at least host your website because it’s just so easy to use. If you’re interested in looking into Squarespace, they provide a two-week free trial, afterward tiered hosting plans start at $144/yr or $16/mo. All hosting plans include unlimited data storage and bandwidth, however, which is an enticing option for someone looking for a single-host solution.
  • Blubrry - originally made popular because of its powerful plugin for Wordpress sites, Blubrry now provides hosting of podcasts and will also host your own Wordpress-based site as an added option. Unfortunately I can’t speak much to how the service performs as I have not personally used them, but I do know that using just a basic podcast hosting plan & a managed Wordpress site with a custom domain name will start about $32/month.
  • Simplecast - I only learned about this website recently through an article I read during the 2018 holiday season on TechCrunch and I’m still testing out. I only use it for hosting the Messiah’s Upper Room Podcast’s audio files, but Simplecast offers an option to include a simple blog-style website so you can also have a front-facing site to direct subscribers to when you post new episodes. The drawback here is that administration of the website appears limited in simple editing of a post’s content and is only limited to one web page meaning you may not be able to add supplemental pages that may contain more information on yourself or your podcast or make a page for users to interact with (such as creating a contact form or users the option to sign up for a newsletter). I moved to hosting MURP’s files to Simplecast from Amazon’s AWS s3 service because I needed better analytics around who is subscribing and listening to the podcast on a weekly basis. I’m still learning their interface and analytics, but for now it appears to provide the information I’m looking for. If you’re looking for a basic website option that’s already included with podcast hosting for a total of about $12/month this may be a solid option to consider if you’re on a budget.

Website Hosts

Keeping your website host different from you’re the service hosting your podcast files can be useful. For example, you can easily switch website hosts while keeping the backbone of your podcast distribution network intact, or change your podcast host while keeping your website the same. Here are a few different website hosts you may want to consider:

  • Squarespace - Wait. Didn’t I just talk about Squarespace in the previous section? Yes, but Squarespace just makes it so easy to build a nice looking website from the get that I feel compelled to give them another mention here just for hosting a simple website. Squarespace is more a robust website host that offers standard podcast support rather than a robust podcast host that offers a standard website.
  • Wordpress - This is probably the most popular website hosting and building platform on the Internet. You can actually start building a website at no cost with their Free tier and get familiar with Wordpress’s website building tools, but if you want access to more advanced features or more control over your website, hosting plans start at $60/yearThe free tier will give you 3GB of online storage space to host your website files such as graphics, documents, other content, etc. A breakdown of the differences between each pricing tier can be found Wordpress’s site here. It is possible to use Wordpress’s $60/year for the purposes of a podcast website. I use Wordpress to do just that for Messiah’s Upper Room Podcast, but I use Simplecast to host and distribute my podcast files, which brings the total hosting cost to $184/year for hosting the website and podcast after accounting for the $12 monthly cost for Simplecast.
  • Wix - Wix is another name I’ve heard when talking with others wanting to build a website or start a podcast. I haven’t used the service myself, but from my research online they look like a direct competitor to Squarespace. Wix provides a WYSIWYG editor but allows supports custom coding for websites on their platform, so you’re not limited to only using Wix pre-defined templates. You can find different pricing plans on here on the Wix website. They have a free tier where you can try out the tools and host a website, but if you want a custom domain name and other features/benefits, you’ll need to buy into one of the premium plans.

Podcast Hosting

Now that you know about the different website hosting services you can use to host and build your podcast’s website, it’s time to look into a podcast host. You can’t have a podcast without somewhere for your podcast files to live. You need a way for people who find your podcast to easily subscribe and download the episodes you regularly release. When doing your own research on podcast hosting services, you may want to consider the hosting service’s method of uploading podcasts.

Some service plans allow for only a certain amount of data to be uploaded per month, like 250MB per month, which is plenty for someone to release a one-hour podcast each week. Some plans allow “overage data” which is a set monthly allowance in case you accidentally surpass your monthly because one of your episodes ran longer than expected and will bump you over your data limit. Usually this overage data can be 50-100MB each month and you won’t incur a fee for going over. However, any more than the overage limit and you’ll need to pay for extra capacity if you plan to continue producing more podcast content. Still some service plans consider the total audio length for episodes uploaded each month, such as 5 hours of audio per month, meaning each month you could upload five one-hour podcasts, 10 30-minute podcasts, etc. As long as you don’t go over the allotted time limit you may not incur additional fees. Below I highlight just a few services that offer hosting for podcast files:

  • Libsyn - This is a service I used to distribute The Skeleton Barcode and still consider it a valid option when thinking about launching a new podcast. They’re one of the older, more established podcast hosting platforms which can give assurance to users that this isn’t a no-name hosting company. Their tiered service plans are based on how much audio data you upload per month. So, if your average podcast length is around 30-minutes encoded at 128kbps, that will come out to a file size around of almost 29MB. If you do one episode a week that turns out to be about 116MB per month, which Libsyn’s $15 Classic plan will more than cover - this can also give you some extra headroom for you to go for longer or more podcast episodes if needed.

    Libsyn also provides different levels of statistics. Statistics are handy to gain insight on your audience because you can see what episodes are more popular in terms of number of downloads an episode receives over time, what the most popular platforms are that your podcast is listened to on, and geographically where podcast downloads are coming from. When I used them for The Skeleton Barcode, I found that basic statistics were enough for me.

  • Blubrry - Blubrry is a podcast host first and a website host second. Couple that with the fact Blubrry provides pricing that includes pricing hosting of only podcast files separate from hosting of a website, and you have an established podcast hosting platform that’s just as popular in the podcasting world as Wordpress is in the website building world.

  • Simplecast - Dead. Simple. Podcast. Hosting. I’ve been using this service for a few weeks now and I enjoy the simple approach that’s true to their namesake. There’s only one plan that’s $12/month, their website interface is intuitive to use, and there are plenty of helpful articles on their support page if you get stuck somewhere and need a little help. They also have live chat in case you still need extra assistance. Statistics are included and their podcast metric-gathering is IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) 2.0 compliant, meaning if you ever want to help monetize your podcast through advertisements, your podcast statistics can provide useful and appropriate data to potential companies that want to advertise on your platform.

    I mentioned Simplecast previously in the all-in-one section, but, like with Blubrry, consider Simplecast as a podcast host with limited website hosting capabilities. What I didn’t mention earlier was that Simplecast’s hosting plan allows for unlimited storage for podcast episodes. The only limitation I see that’s put on podcast episodes is that the audio quality is limited to 128kbps, meaning if you upload an audio file over that rate, Simplecast will transcode it to be at the limited rate. This rate is more than enough for a spoken-word podcasts.

Life After Podcast

Unfortunately all good things must come to an end, including podcasts. Something to consider if your podcast is ever to retire, will you continue hosting the audio files for people to still download and listen to even after you’ve stopped producing new episodes? Even though you may not continue to make new content for your retired podcast, those files will still need a place to live, whether it’s on one of the hosts above or if you move it to file server of your own. Either way there will be continue hosting costs well after your podcast ends that you may want to consider. If you don’t want to continue to pay for hosting, access to these files may go away, so you may want to make sure you have a backup before completely ending your podcast’s existence.

Final Notes

I’ve only touched on a few things to consider and the many different ways you can start a podcast. If you have any questions I’ll be happy to help where I can. Leave a comment down below or send me a message on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.

There are so many ways to get started on a podcast, but don’t let that keep you from starting. If all you have at the time to start a podcast is just the microphone on your smartphone, then start there and move your way up. Don’t let these suggestions I outline give you paralysis by analysis.

Just go do.

A Podcast To Give You The Creeps

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Halloween is quickly approaching, and for those that enjoy good ghost stories or creepy tales both old and new are in for a treat rather than trick. If you’re looking for a vast chilling mixture of horrifying true stories and bizarre historic folklore to go with the autumn weather, check out the Lore Podcast by Aaron Mahnke.

A bi-weekly podcast established in March of 2015, each episode of Lore features a small collection of short stories from master storyteller, writer, and producer Aaron Mahnke. Each episode is centered around an eerie theme that Aaron artfully crafts. I’m only about 30 episodes in at the time of this post, and one of my favorite episodes so far is one of the first episodes of the entire series Dinner at the Afterglow about the history and haunting stories surrounding a limestone monument on an island near Vancouver Island in Canada.

This is a great evergreen podcast, meaning you can enjoy listening to these episodes anytime of any year and not just around Halloween time. If listening to podcasts isn’t your thing, but you still want to experience the frightful tales of Aaron Mahnke, you can watch the stories unfold on his Amazon Prime series of the same name, now in its second season. You can also enjoy these dreadful tales the old fashioned way, through written word with the World of Lore books.

Have you already listened Lore? What’s your favorite episode? Got a podcast recommendation? Let me know in the comments down below!