What does "The Rule of Law" really mean? This video (2.5 mins) compares it to "The Rule of Man" and explains why violent revolutions were fought to prevent individuals from ruling everyone. Please share. #NoKings

A new Vibes Project series called Rethinking Nerdiness is coming soon. Here’s a preview of the intro. Subscribe for free at vibedna.com

This captures where I'm going with the Vibes Project: www.vibedna.com/p/lets-zoom-...

When I was doing research on the Roots of Cool series, I asked about the Yoruba term "itutu" in the r/Nigeria subreddit. I wanted to validate the connection between "ititu" and the idea of cool composure that is part of coolness today.
A kind user provided a nice summary and example:

Here’s the series finale: a summary of four qualities of “coolness”. If you’re curious, this is a good place to catch up: www.vibedna.com/p/part-5-the...

Geez, the Led Zepplin concert film The Song Remains the Same is so dumb. The performances are fine, but the fantasy sequences… yikes.
Also, Robert Plant used to have some bad teeth.

The most recent Roots of Cool post came out yesterday. It's about the birth of jazz and the musicians, styles, and movements that produced it and made it attractive to Americans of all races. At its heart is the cool quality of authentic expression. www.vibedna.com/p/roots-of-c... #VibesProject

The books I read in 2024 relating to the Vibes Project.

Tomorrow, I'm publishing Part 2 of my series on the Roots of Cool. It's about the origins of "hipness" and features Cab Calloway (below) and his Hepster's Dictionary, from 1938. Get it in your inbox: VibeDNA.com

Next week I’m starting a 5 post series (1 per week) on “The Roots of Cool” which traces the modern notion of coolness across centuries and continents leading up to WWII.
Get the series in your inbox for free: VibeDNA.com
I sent this to subscribers yesterday:

An antique music collector found one of the earliest recordings of country music. It was performed in 1891 by New Orleans comedian and musician Louis Vasnier.
Vasnier was a Black man, which contradicts what many people assume about the origins of country music. From the WaPo article: #VibesProject

It should surprise no one that our modern conception of coolness has origins in West African culture.
From the book Cool Rules by Dick Pountain and David Robins:
#VibesProject

The most bearded I’ve ever been.

Over the past year, I created a wall size art installation called The Solstice Wall. It was a passion project that consumed me for months. I documented every part of the process here: leelefever.com/category/sol...

Since 2017, I’ve lived on Orcas Island, off the coast of Washington State, with my wife, Sachi, and dog, Piper. Orcas is ~55 sq miles with ~5k residents. We built a home during the pandemic and I’ll be here forever. I’m often in the garden, on the water, and building things. This is Piper:

It’s not ALL clouds and rain in the #PNW in November

Today’s haul from the garden. A neighbor gave us Chesnok red garlic a few years back and that’s about all we grow. #gardening #garlic

We'll soon install a bit of original art on this wall. See the line the shadow casts? It moves up the wall as the sun sets. On last year’s solstice we marked the line in 15 minute increments. Soon we’ll use the lines for an art installation that’s sundial-like. #SolsticeWall