That title is actually a private joke between my wife and I. Our back deck is about 10×12, so just enough room to swing a cat (no animals were harmed in the making of this comment). It’s just enough space for a grill, two chairs, and a table with umbrella shade. We make it sound…
Social media Luddite
Generally, I avoid social media. However, I find that it’s a good way to keep track of trends and topics. I rarely engage one-on-one, preferring to avoid some of the artificial drama, and just skim most of the time (i.e, “lurk”). I find that too much of it can have a diminishing effect on my…
Walking is exercise for the body and the brain
Walking without purpose is my fun way of getting exercise. I find that it can clear my head of negative emotions, and can even give me new perspectives. Even the same old route around my neighborhood will sometimes reveal something I never noticed before because my brain is in a different state that day.
It’s weird to see people’s faces
So, I had to go into Walmart last week. The first time I’ve been in there since early 2020. I have been super-abundantly cautious for 3 years, and have avoided Covid entirely so far. But my wife was just hospitalized for a non-covid health issue, and I needed something from the pharmacy last-minute. So, masked…
Easiest prompt ever
“Garbageman” i.e., sanitation worker. In my town, they would hang on to the back of the truck, hop off to empty the cans, then hop back on to the next stop. The truck had a big compactor to smoosh it all down. Five-year-old me thought it was the coolest job.
Systems not goals
You do not rise the the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems. James Clear The goal doesn’t matter if you don’t have the support structure to achieve it. A system needs to exist that helps you to achieve your goals. If your goal is to get on the roof,…
AI took my job!
I don’t think we’re quite aware of the effect AI tools will have from this point. It goes far beyond spitting out some bland, generic blog posts, or ripping off existing art to remix new art. I think it’s significant that the billionaires want to slow it down (most likely so they can either take…
Thanks for the trauma, Mr. S
Mr. S did not like me. I didn’t fit in, I didn’t like to draw attention to myself, and I wasn’t in peak athletic physical condition. He taught me two things: 1. Someone you like and look up to can despise you for things beyond your control, and 2. “The bank is not your friend.”…
Managing creativity
This post is the intersection of two existential crises I have recently experienced. The first crisis was discovering Zettelkasten, a note-taking method using index cards where ideas are tagged or linked to create what some call a “second brain.” The second crisis was discovering the concept of the “multipotentialite,” a term coined by Emilie Wapnick…
Reading break book nooks
I work a 9-5 from my home office. It’s a fairly stressful customer-facing job. Sometimes I think it would be nice if I had 4 books (different topics, fiction and non-fiction) in 4 different reading nooks in my house (my apartment isn’t big enough for this). During the day — every hour or two —…