Personal notes covering tech, sports, and life in Baltimorehttps://baltimoretom.com/en-ushttps://baltimoretom.com/blog/a-saturday-morning-with-santiago/https://baltimoretom.com/blog/a-saturday-morning-with-santiago/Reflections on rereading *The Old Man and the Sea* in one sitting and what it reveals in midlifeWed, 26 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://baltimoretom.com/blog/anna-karenina-part-five/https://baltimoretom.com/blog/anna-karenina-part-five/Marriage adjustments, travel, and the weight of unfinished decisions in Part Five of Anna Karenina.Fri, 08 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://baltimoretom.com/blog/anna-karenina-part-four/https://baltimoretom.com/blog/anna-karenina-part-four/A deep dive into Part Four of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, exploring Anna’s emotional unraveling, Vronsky’s growing isolation, and Levin’s ongoing moral and existential search. This reflection examines the consequences of love, societal judgment, and personal choices in one of literature’s greatest classics.Mon, 23 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://baltimoretom.com/blog/anna-karenina-part-one/https://baltimoretom.com/blog/anna-karenina-part-one/Personal reflections and literary analysis of Part One of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, focusing on the themes of charm, betrayal, endurance, and honesty through the experiences of Stiva, Dolly, and Levin. Written from a modern perspective and enriched by group discussion, this post explores how Tolstoy’s characters navigate emotional compromise and societal expectations.Thu, 13 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://baltimoretom.com/blog/anna-karenina-part-six/https://baltimoretom.com/blog/anna-karenina-part-six/Tolstoy’s contrasts in Part Six made me think about steadiness, restlessness, and the fragile ways we try to find balance.Mon, 22 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://baltimoretom.com/blog/anna-karenina-part-three/https://baltimoretom.com/blog/anna-karenina-part-three/Reflections on Levin’s search for purpose, Kitty’s quiet growth, and the emotional undercurrents of Vronsky and Anna’s affair in Part Three of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina.Wed, 21 May 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://baltimoretom.com/blog/claude-cowork-agentic-ai/https://baltimoretom.com/blog/claude-cowork-agentic-ai/Claude Cowork is part of a new wave of agentic AI tools that can perform tasks on your computer. Here is what it is, why it matters, and how to start.Sat, 07 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://baltimoretom.com/blog/finishing-anna-karenina/https://baltimoretom.com/blog/finishing-anna-karenina/Reflections on completing Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina and my connection to Levin, the novel’s tragic core, and the force of its characters.Wed, 24 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://baltimoretom.com/blog/folded-egg-breakfast-wrap/https://baltimoretom.com/blog/folded-egg-breakfast-wrap/A clean, satisfying breakfast with protein, fiber, and flavor, made in under ten minutes. One egg now, one for tomorrow.Fri, 20 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://baltimoretom.com/blog/group-chats-are-the-new-front-porch/https://baltimoretom.com/blog/group-chats-are-the-new-front-porch/From the family thread to the chaos chat, how group texts have quietly replaced the front porch.Mon, 14 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://baltimoretom.com/blog/how-to-build-a-daily-reading-habit/https://baltimoretom.com/blog/how-to-build-a-daily-reading-habit/Practical strategies and examples for creating a consistent reading routine that lasts.Sat, 13 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://baltimoretom.com/blog/how-to-notice-what-s-actually-happening/https://baltimoretom.com/blog/how-to-notice-what-s-actually-happening/Most people react to noise. The skill is learning to spot what’s real. Here’s how to build that habit and think more clearly.Thu, 17 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://baltimoretom.com/blog/long-goodbye-stay-at-home-dad/https://baltimoretom.com/blog/long-goodbye-stay-at-home-dad/As our youngest graduates high school, we look back on the two decades we spent raising three boys and reflect on what it meant to show up, together, every day.Fri, 09 May 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://baltimoretom.com/blog/prime-of-life-at-fifty/https://baltimoretom.com/blog/prime-of-life-at-fifty/Tolstoy viewed fifty as the prime of life. A reflection on midlife vitality, aging with strength, and why turning fifty can mean growth, not decline.Fri, 29 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://baltimoretom.com/blog/real-life-cheat-codes/https://baltimoretom.com/blog/real-life-cheat-codes/Ten practical hacks that make life easier, from the 5-minute rule to automating kindness. Small adjustments that reduce friction and build momentum.Tue, 07 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://baltimoretom.com/blog/textedit-open-blank-document/https://baltimoretom.com/blog/textedit-open-blank-document/How to make TextEdit launch with a new untitled document instead of the Open panel, and how to change it back.Sat, 21 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://baltimoretom.com/blog/the-case-for-reading-slowly/https://baltimoretom.com/blog/the-case-for-reading-slowly/Why reading fewer books more carefully is worth more than racing through a list. A reflection on pace, attention, and what stays with you.Mon, 16 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://baltimoretom.com/blog/the-great-gatsby-at-100/https://baltimoretom.com/blog/the-great-gatsby-at-100/Reflections on rereading *The Great Gatsby* during its centennial year and what it still reveals about ambition, loneliness, and the American DreamSun, 27 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://baltimoretom.com/blog/tools-i-actually-use-mx-master-3-and-mx-keys/https://baltimoretom.com/blog/tools-i-actually-use-mx-master-3-and-mx-keys/How I use the Logitech MX Master 3 mouse and MX Keys keyboard to speed up my workflow and reduce friction in daily work.Sat, 19 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://baltimoretom.com/blog/tools-i-actually-use-raycast/https://baltimoretom.com/blog/tools-i-actually-use-raycast/Raycast is more than a Spotlight replacement. Here's how I use it daily to speed up my Mac workflow and stay focused.Fri, 31 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://baltimoretom.com/blog/tools-i-actually-use-todoist/https://baltimoretom.com/blog/tools-i-actually-use-todoist/How I use Todoist to manage my work tasks efficiently, stay focused, and keep my productivity system lightweight.Fri, 21 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://baltimoretom.com/blog/trade-soft-power/https://baltimoretom.com/blog/trade-soft-power/The U.S. has used trade to quietly shape global influence. But shortsighted tariff wars and domestic political posturing are undermining that leverage.Mon, 07 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://baltimoretom.com/blog/watching-movies-at-home-future/https://baltimoretom.com/blog/watching-movies-at-home-future/The movie theater is no longer the default. Streaming reflects how people actually live, watch, and choose today.Wed, 17 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://baltimoretom.com/blog/wellness-without-the-noise/https://baltimoretom.com/blog/wellness-without-the-noise/After a second heart attack in my 50s, I realized I couldn’t wait to take care of my health. Here’s how I’m rebuilding my wellness from the ground up—one walk, one meal, and one mindful habit at a time. A realistic look at men’s health, aging, and sustainable routines without the noise of trends or quick fixes.Tue, 17 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://baltimoretom.com/blog/what-i-noticed-in-the-quiet/https://baltimoretom.com/blog/what-i-noticed-in-the-quiet/During three weeks alone at the beach house in Ocean City, I walked, read, ate simply, and paid attention to the shape of my days. This post reflects on that stretch of solitude without a car, without much noise, and without the rhythms of family life, and what surfaced in the stillness.Wed, 09 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://baltimoretom.com/blog/what-i-took-from-my-struggle-book-1-knausgaard/https://baltimoretom.com/blog/what-i-took-from-my-struggle-book-1-knausgaard/Ordinary moments, teenage embarrassment, and a father's death examined with unflinching detail in Knausgaard's autobiographical masterpiece.Sat, 20 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://baltimoretom.com/blog/what-i-took-from-part-two-of-anna-karenina/https://baltimoretom.com/blog/what-i-took-from-part-two-of-anna-karenina/Reflections on Anna's conflict, Vronsky's selfishness, Levin's authenticity, and Kitty's collapse in Part Two of Tolstoy's Anna Karenina.Mon, 07 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://baltimoretom.com/blog/why-men-should-read-fiction/https://baltimoretom.com/blog/why-men-should-read-fiction/Reading fiction sharpens your thinking, deepens your emotional intelligence, and builds imagination. Qualities every modern man needs.Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT