Backup Your TikTok Videos (Before You Can't)

Black background with white text of the TikTok logo.

We don't truly know whether TikTok will still work after January 19th, 2025, so now is as good as any time to download and backup the TikTok videos on your profile. Besides, it is just good practice to keep personal backups on your own storage devices and not rely solely on cloud services. We never know how long these cloud platforms will stick around.

The process described below is based off of Khan XO's Youtube Tutorial which helped me backup all of my account's videos with no watermark in about 20 minutes. This article will contain a few different details and suggestions when downloading videos.

Requirements:

  • A computer (Windows/Mac/Linux)
  • A Web Browser (Chrome/Firefox)
  • HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Sold State Drive) space to store videos
  • An internet connection

READ THIS BEFORE PROCEEDING

Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only intended to help users back up their data. This article does not promote or endorse illegal activity, copyright infringement, or the violation of any laws. The methods and tools discussed are provided as general knowledge and are not guaranteed to be safe, secure, or free from malicious content. The author makes no claims regarding the legality, ethical use, or outcomes of applying the information described._

By choosing to implement any methods or execute any third-party code referenced in this article, you (the reader) assume full responsibility for any risks, including but not limited to harm to your device, data loss, legal consequences, or other liabilities. The author disclaims all liability for damages, losses, or penalties resulting from the use or misuse of the information provided.

Proceed at your own risk.

Caveats and Tips (Please Read)

Make Sure You Have Enough Hard Drive Space

The amount of space needed to download and save your videos will depend on the number of videos you are downloading and the length of each video. This can vary anywhere between a few gigabytes (GB) for about 300 videos to 20GB+ for 1500 videos or more. Using a general estimate, if you are planning to download below 500 videos, then 5GB or so should be enough.

Start Small and Scale Up

If this is your first time going through this process, it is highly recommended that you create a small Collection of videos on your account (such as 5 or 10) before moving on to larger lists of videos.

Be mindful of Bandwidth Limitations

This tool is capable of downloading several hundreds of gigabytes of data over a short amount of time if not used responsibly and can easily push you past Internet Service Provider (ISP) bandwidth caps. Be mindful and double check how many videos you intend to backup from the process described.

Use This Method To Back Up Your Own Content

The tools described here are intended for readers to download videos they have posted to TikTok for backup purposes only.

What Videos You Cannot Backup

The method described below will not work for videos that:

  • had their sound removed because of copyright claims.
  • were banned/removed due to Tiktok Community Guideline violations.
  • are set to private. This includes drafts. All videos need to be publicly available for this method to work.

Please see the Frequently Asked Questions section near the bottom of this article for additional information on what can/cannot work using this method.

How to Download & Backup your TikToks

I recommend you view and follow Khan XO's Youtube Tutorial for setting the folders for your and configuring folders for your Windows system. Below is a TLDR step-by-step:

  1. Install yt-dlp.

  2. Install ffmpeg and configure your system PATH variable if needed.

  3. Go to Dinoosauro's github and copy the javascript code linked on the page. ADDITIONAL DISCLAIMER: I cannot vouch for the javascript code mentioned here. I did a general review of the code and also employed the assistance of a coding AI bot to check whether erroneous information is being harvested (personally identifiable information, user login credentials, etc.) or whether malicious code is executed (such as code injections, user account hijacking, or "man-in-the-middle" attacks). The script only appears to strip down the current TikTok page in the browser, automatically scroll to the bottom of the page to the final video, and save the URLs for each TikTok video the script finds on the page for the user to save as a text file after the script is executed. That being said, I am not a lawyer or a professional developer. Be cautious when executing third party scripts on your local device. ALWAYS examine the source code carefully yourself to ensure no malicious code is executed.

  4. Open an incognito window and go to your TikTok profile.

  5. Use CTRL+Shift+I (Windows) to open the Developer console on your browser (CMD+Option+I on Mac) and paste in the javascript you copied from Step 3 and press Enter. NOTE: The browser may warn you against pasting in third party code. If needed, type "allow pasting" in your browser's Developer console, press Enter, and then paste the code from Step 3 and press Enter.

  6. After the script runs, you will be prompted to save a .txt file on your computer. This file contains the TikTok URLs of all the public videos on your page. Save the text file to the directory where you want to save your videos.

  7. Open your computer's Command console (Windows) or Terminal (Mac/Linux) and navigate to the directory where you want to save your videos.

  8. Type (or copy/paste) the following command into your cmd console:

    yt-dlp --write-description -a FILE -o '%(uploader)s_%(upload_date)s_%(id)s.%(ext)s'

Replace FILE with the full name of the text file you saved in Step 6.

The command in Step 8 will download two files: 1) a ".description" file, which is just a text file that contains the description you used in your TikTok video and 2) the TikTok video. This is very handy, for example, if you wrote out a full recipe or a tutorial in the video description and want to save that information.

If you don't care about saving the text descriptions of your TikTok videos, just remove the --write-description from the command above. The command would then read:

yt-dlp -a FILE -o '%(uploader)s_%(upload_date)s_%(id)s.%(ext)s'

You successfully made a backup of your TikTok videos!

Bonus Command (Time Delay)

Alternatively, you can use the following command that will add a small delay in between each TikTok video download for your profile. This is useful if you are on a metered bandwidth connection and need to spread out the download time. The command below will add a delay anywhere between 5 and 12 seconds:

yt-dlp --min-sleep-interval 5 --max-sleep-interval 12 --write-description -a FILE -o '%(uploader)s_%(upload_date)s_%(id)s.%(ext)s'

If you want a broader or longer delay, just replace "5" and "12" the number of seconds you want to range of the delay to be.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Will this process work to backup my drafts?

No. Any drafts need to be posted publicly to your TikTok profile to work.

Will this process backup my Collections?

Yes, but only if any of the Collections you want to back up are set to public.

Will this process backup my Favorites?

Yes, but only if your Favorites are set to public. WARNING: It is not recommended to use this tool to download all of your Favorited (bookmarked) TikToks at the same time. If you use TikTok for as long as I have, you may have made many thousands of Favorites. Consider categorizing Favorites into smaller Collections and backup the Collection individually instead.

Will this process backup my Liked TikToks?

Yes, but only if your Liked TikToks are set to public. WARNING: It is not recommended to use this tool to download all of your liked videos at the same time. If you use TikTok for as long as I have, you may have liked tens of thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of TikToks. Consider categorizing your liked videos into smaller Collections and backup the Collection individually instead.

Will this process backup my Reposts?

Yes, but only if your Reposts are set to public. WARNING: It is not recommended to use this tool to download all of your TikTok Reposts at the same time. If you used TikTok for as long as I have, you may have reposted tens of thousands of TikToks. Consider categorizing your TikTok Reposts into smaller Collections and backup the Collection individually instead.

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Extend the TikTok Deadline! Call Your Senators!

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A screenshot of a Google search query with dark grey background with white text. The search query reads "is tiktok" with autocomplete suggestions listed below reading "is tiktok getting banned", "is tiktok actually getting banned"

Senator Markey of Massachusetts recently announced on the Senate floor plans to introduce the "Extend the TikTok Deadline Act" which would delay the deadline for the upcoming TikTok ban by 270 days. This legislation would delay the economic harm the ban would inflict on millions of Americans while allowing additional time for our elected officials to have substantive debate on what to do about the ban. Now is the time to act and call our senators to encourage their support of Markey's Extend the TikTok Deadline Act.

Jessica Craven, an adamant political activist and organizer, produced a script (among others) you can read when calling your senators to voice your support of the Extend the TikTok Deadline Act. Below are step-by-step instructions how to do it along with Jessica's script:

What You Can Do

1. Call Your Senators!

Find the phone number for your senators through the Senate's website and call them, or call the US Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121. Add these phone numbers as contacts in your smartphone so you can call in the future, too.

Every state has two US Senators. Call both of them! If you have trouble getting through to their office in Washington, D.C., go to each senator's senate.gov page and call one of their branch offices local to your state. Those state branch offices are usually easier to get through to a real person.

2. Use The Script

Read the script below when calling each senator. This is taken directly from Jessica Craven's call script document, which has useful scripts on other issues you can call your representatives about as well. Remember: you must use your real name and the zipcode where you live when calling. Since this is an actual call to our real US Senators, we need to demonstrate we are one of their constituents and part of their voting base.

Hi my name is ______ and I’m a constituent from [zip]. I’m calling to ask the Senator to support the newly introduced “Extend the TikTok Deadline Act” from Senator Markey. This bill will delay the banning of TikTok for 270 days, giving Congress time to seek ways to address TikTok’s problems without banning it altogether. This ban will harm millions of Americans who either make their living or get vital information on TikTok. It’s an assault on free speech and got passed without ample debate. Delay it, please! Thanks.

3. Bonus Points!

Other things you can do to push your senators to vote for the Extend the TikTok Deadline Act:

Email your senator and/or send them a letter. You can email your senator through the contact form on their individual senate.gov page through the Contact link (under Message Topic/Issue select "Technology" or "Other").

I adapted Jessica's call script so you can copy/paste the script below into the Message field of your senator's contact form. You can also print it out, add your signature, and mail the letter to your senator!

Remember: replace [Name] with your actual name at the end!

Hello Senator,

I’m writing to ask for your support of the newly introduced “Extend the TikTok Deadline Act” from Senator Markey. This bill will delay the banning of TikTok for 270 days, giving Congress time to seek ways to address TikTok’s problems without banning it altogether. This ban will harm millions of Americans, including your many of your own constituents, who either make their living or get vital information on TikTok. It’s an assault on free speech and got passed without ample debate. Delay it, please!

Thank you and warm regards,

[Name]

Find the contact information for your US House of representative on the house.gov "find your representative" page and put their contact information into your smartphone. This will help when needing to contact your representative about issues in the future (and when the House needs to pass the bill on their end). You can also use third party services like 5 Calls or download the 5 Calls app for iOS or Android to quickly call your representatives in the House and Senate with call scripts about other important issues.

Call Now to Extend the TikTok Ban Deadline

Let's get to work and tell the US Senate to extend the TikTok deadline!

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The Evil of Dehumanization

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This statement from Ben resonates with me. I saw a disturbing clip yesterday from Tucker Carlson's recent live audience special with Rosanne Barr. Rosanne Barr goes on an unhinged rant talking about how Hollywood elites “eat people” and spreading other lies and disinformation. Here’s a short transcript of the clip I saw:

Barr: And you know they do that. You know they eat babies. That is not bullshit. It’s true.

Carlson: So it’s not just the dogs and the cats? It’s not just the pets?

Barr: It’s not just the dogs and the cats. They’re full on vampires. And everybody still thinks I’m crazy, but I’m not crazy. They’re full on vampires. They love the taste of human flesh and they drink human blood. They do, Tucker.

Notice how Rosanne uses the ominously vague “they” in her unhinged statements. Also notice how Carlson plays into this vague use of “they” to also include the racist and xenophobic accusation of with his question “it’s not just the pets?” Which is a reference to Trump’s absurd statements during the debate with Kamala Harris, where Trump said that “they’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats.” The “they” in Trump’s racist and xenophobic statement refers to immigrants. Rosanne, in her mental instability, goes along with Tucker’s previous statement and becomes more unhinged by claiming all of this new “they” (read: Hollywood elites and immigrants) are “full on vampires.”

This is dehumanization.

This is blood libel.

This is xenophobia.

This is racism.

This is hatred.

This is evil.

And the radical Republican crowd in the video cheered for it. I wouldn’t want to subject anyone to the almost 2-hour live special of nonsense, hatred, and lies. If you want to subject yourself to it you can find the entire show with Tucker and Rosanne on Facebook. You will be able to find enough clips of the specific exchange I mention online just by using the snippets of the transcript I provided above to see for yourself.

This act of dehumanization is setting the stage for evil acts committed by the misguided radical right wing against anyone deemed as the “they” Rosanne and Tucker are talking about. 

We saw this with PizzaGate in 2016 when an alleged radical Republican drove 350 miles and shot up Comet Ping Pong pizzeria as a result of a wild conspiracy theory that the establishment was being used by the Clintons as an outlet for child sex trafficking.

This “they” that Tucker, Rosanne, and the crowd are thinking about is ultimately anyone who doesn’t fit the image of the radical Republican’s idea of a “true patriot” - namely anyone that isn’t a white, straight, cisgender, Christian nationalist conservative.

Once you are able to dehumanize one person, you can then dehumanize a group of people. When you dehumanize anyone, you are able to justify any immoral and unspeakable act you want against that person - torture, rape, murder, genocide, etc. - because you no longer see that person as a human being with inalienable rights and worthy of life.

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.