LIS.DOCTOR

What Am I Up To Now?

Here's what I'm currently enjoying as of January 2026:

I have been reading about, and am utterly fascinated by, this story of the Death Valley Germans, (and this guy's entire blog - a really cool read).
I absolutely cannot stop listening to the drumming of Haken's Ray Hearne, who I hold to be an absolute creative genius when composing drum parts, particularly in odd time signatures. I think his masterpiece is Nightingale.
Not that I ever had more than ~5 drinks in a week, but in 2026 one of my New Year's Resolutions was no alcohol, full stop. So, I've been not drinking. It has been pretty easy thus far, and I hope that continues, especially at times when social pressure mounts.

Previous areas of focus:

I know I'm late to the party, but I am really enjoying watching the Outdoor Boys YouTube Channel.
Upgraded my desktop's WiFi card to accept WiFi 6 - speeds have instantly tripled - not sure why I waited so long to upgrade.
Starting to think much more strongly about New Year's resolutions. I think 2026 will be a completely "clean" year - no alcohol whatsoever, several scheduled 72-hour fasts (including one to kick off the year), and significantly limted screen time (perhaps the hardest of all...).
Designing a system to capture audio from my patient encounters that then gets fed to my virtual scribe for documentation. There are so many options, many of which will depend on the space once the buildout is complete.
Compiling a list of my favorite health-related gadgets over the past year for a special upcoming holiday shopping guide.
Enjoying Kevin Kelly's personal blog and associated tech/gadget blog, Recomendo.
Starting a new weightlifting program from Pen and Paper Strength App, called Summer Stacked. Due to the recent plantar fasciitis, I needed to get back into a progressive overload routine, and I think this program accomplishes this fairly well.
I recently went to the Yale Peabody Museum with my kids, and was completely blown away. Not only is it completely free, but the exhibits were stunning. I felt the museum experience was on-par with a Smithsonian.
Playing in a USTA Flex league. Tennis is such a fun sport.
Healing a gnarly case of plantar fasciitis with stretching, orthotics, shockwave therapy, and Hoka footwear.
Experimenting with my first wearable activity tracker, the Whoop MG. So far, so good. I think one of the greatest powers of devices like this are that they take full advantage of the Hawthorne Effect.
I recently had the opportunity to be on the radio. Check out this link to the Healthy Rounds podcast hosted by Dr. Anthony Alessi.
Measuring my VO2 Max with our new Korr CardioCoach machine. My initial VO2 max was measured at 45.0 mL/(kg*min), which puts me about the 85th percentile. My goal is to get into the >95th percentile, which is >53.0 mL/(kg*min).
Running up (and down) the south end of the Hublein tower trail with my dog. Spoiler alert: going up is much harder!
Building the new practice at Active Health
Trying every single flavor of Spindrift seltzer (which is inarguably the best seltzer out there). Fuji Apple and Island Punch are my top 2.
Experimenting with new AI models for: (a) clinical documentation in an outpatient setting, (b) interpreting scientific studies, and (c) improving diagnostic accuracy. I have yet to see an impressive AI that helps with (c) in a real-world, non-controlled setting. But I feel like we're really close.
Continuing to build and grow the Vitalis curriculum, and adding new features based on feedback from members.
Sleeping (as possible) with the recent addition of a third daughter.
Taking the dog for prolonged off-leash hikes, early in the morning. My version of Shinrin-yoku.
Building the Vitalis curriculum. Vitalis (www.vitalishealthspan.com) is an in-depth online curriculum that teaches you how to improve your healthspan (which is basically how long you stay functional), your longevity (which is how long you live), and your well-being (your current state of health). I've partnered with some really smart people to make it happen. We're due to launch in early Summer 2024, so make sure you add yourself to the waitlist!
Continuiing to build some significant updates to my practice behind the scenes
Doing my best to avoid burnout (i.e. find time for myself), which is always difficult around the holidays with the amount of patients wanting your attention immediately for sickness
Training a new puppy, an Australian Shepherd and Poodle Mix.
Exploring local flora with the Picture This app, which allows you to scan any plant and it will tell you what it is. Very useful for avoiding poison ivy (and I wish I knew about this sooner).
Designing a more modern primary care practice, which will incorporate other medical professionals and focus more heavily on meaningful preventive care for my patients.
Coding this damn website. Fun but also very frustrating - a good challenge. chatGPT has actually been a huge help with coding.
If you have any experience with OpenBSD and how to eliminate the ".html" from the URL, please e-mail me.
Update 2026! This has been fixed, thanks to Ryan Phelan of zoley.io.
I contributed a bit to Derek Sivers' instructions regarding FreeFileSync, which I found out of desperation as a poor Windows user.
I found this 2020 technical analysis of masks, and am diving into the details of the statistics.
Writing and publishing a book with the help of a good friend.
Diving into Web3 by registering, building, and connecting a Primary ENS name: lismd.eth
Playing virtual golf with the Garmin R10 launch monitor and E6 software
Watching the Wesleyan Cardinals Football Team have yet another winning season
Perfecting the recipe for buffalo cauliflower in the air fryer (I hold that this is superior to any buffalo chicken wing)
Trying to gain more muscle mass to help with functionality later in life
Planning updates and new articles to the websiteRecently transitioned web host, and trying to unlock the full potential of WordPress while keeping the website and layout INTENTIONALLY SIMPLE.
Trying out new non-alcoholic beers (including this tasty local brand)
Reading about quantum computing
Trying desperately to get the "Encanto" soundtrack out of my head
Learning how to shift my personal goals to be a better parent. This essay was an enlightening read
Trying out the Madefor program to improve my well-being
Learning about, and building my own cryptocurrency. Also, learning about applications of blockchain other than crypto investing (e.g. mail sorting, logistics, voting, healthcare). For those curious about the space, I would recommend starting with this podcast and then reading this book.
Learning the Processing coding language to create generative art, by watching the Bob Ross of coding. I've also been playing around with my Raspberry Pi.
Reading about low-carbohydrate diets
Using a Theragun to help alleviate muscle soreness
Training for the Hartford Marathon, mostly by running the trails of the West Hartford Reservoir.
Reading about the Timeline of the Far Future and what the fate of our universe may become, including this related TED Talk about why time exists at all. Do I understand most of it? No. But do I understand some of it? Also no. Still, it's interesting to think about.
Reading the fascinating blog of Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin or the blog 1729 by Balaji Srinivasan.