MAQ tiene una visión transversal del sonido y la performance. Queríamos hacer algo que pueda inundar el espacio de transformación: sonido y gráfica
@@ -24,7 +26,9 @@@@ -34,9 +38,7 @@Un poco engloba cuál es la internet que quiero y por qué :F
acá una version en formato magenta y negro para poder imprimir en láser [formato A3]
acá se pueden bajar un .zip con los archivos separados por color para imprimir en risografía.
Acá una muestra de las capas, el diseño esta hecho en inkscape en 2 colores + opacidades y luego procesado en gimp separando cada color en una máscara y exportandolo :D
-Es importante saber que la máquina de risografía sólo lee valores en escala de grises. por eso las placas siguientes están en negro, el color lo aplica cuando imprime cada tambor. ∩｀-´)⊃━( . °°. )
]]>Es importante saber que la máquina de risografía sólo lee valores en escala de grises. por eso las placas siguientes están en negro, el color lo aplica cuando imprime cada tambor. ∩｀-´)⊃━( . °°. )
]]>@@ -77,7 +79,9 @@tiempo: [16.03.2023] al [30.04.2023]
estan escaneadas muy increible para poder usar las flores en los colashes que necesites.
todas las flores son libres.
]]>Es un pequeño pero muy meticuloso fanzine: permite jugar, mirar a través de las ventanitas y conocer a cian desde el ángulo perfecto: la sensibilidad.
-aquí el scann para descarga <3 para mirar de cerquita, imprimir, copiar y compartir.
]]>aquí el scann para descarga <3 para mirar de cerquita, imprimir, copiar y compartir.
]]>El 7.02.2023 la API1 de tw se cierrá, musk (el dueño de tw) cerrará el acceso de forma gratuita, esto constituye la muerte muchísimos bots que mejoraban mi experiencia en esa plataforma. definitivamente era una de las pocas cosas que me acercaban a tw. todos los bots creados con cheapbotsdonequick.com/ morirán a partir de mañana. tanto como los crossposters como crossposter.masto.donte.com.br/ y las paginas para encontrar gente cerca en tw.
Por suerte para cada decision individual de una empresa hay una propuesta colectiva
Cuando estuve en la mani en córdoba, me traje esta maravilla en riso, en sync con el clima. pleno verano.
-aquí el scann para descarga <3 para mirar de cerquita, imprimir, copiar y compartir.
]]>++10x engineers may be mythical, but -10x engineers exist.
++To become a -10x engineer, simply waste 400 engineering hours per week. Combine +the following strategies:
++
+Nullify the output of 10 engineers.
++Change requirements as far into development as possible. To avoid blame, +obfuscate requirements from the start.
++Create 400 hours of busywork.
++Ask your team to perform tasks that resemble work. Common examples include +presentations, diagrams, and ticket management. Create pointless rituals.
++Create 400 hours of burnout/turnover.
++Be thankless. Foist blame. Sow confusion. Get angry. Cause others to work +overtime.
++Hold 10 engineers hostage in a technical discussion.
++Let engineers discuss ideas. Encourage them to pursue elegance over pragmatism. +Ensure nobody has the authority to make any decisions.
++Add 400 hours of communication overhead.
++Meetings wreck calendars. To inconspicuously waste others' time, write lengthy +messages/documents and share as widely as possible. Welcome all opinions and aim +for engagement.
++Waste 10 weeks of wages on cloud costs.
++Write slow programs. Avoid DB indexes. Run single-threaded programs on 16-core +machines. Opt for exotic hardware with fancy RAM and GPUs. Store data on +RAM/disk liberally. Don't compress anything. Pay no attention to data layouts.
++Create useless tools.
++Decide that existing solutions aren't quite what you need. Write scripts that +only one person understands. If the script does something important, avoid +documentation.
++Add 400 hours of compilation/build time.
++Slow builds waste time and incur compound interest. As build times increase, +developers are more likely to distract themselves. To ensure developers are +context-switching, recompilation should take at least 20 seconds. You can also +write slow tests for similar effect.
++Write pointless tests.
++Create dependencies on particular variables without testing the underlying +functionality. Mock function calls until no original code runs. Introduce subtle +randomness into your tests so that they succeed/fail without cause.
++Waste 400 hours of engineering on bad architecture.
++Give zero consideration to how your system design will evolve over time. +Alternatively, drive your team obsess over architecture decisions so that they +don't have time to test their hypotheses.
++Waste 400 hours on deployment.
++Create as many environments as possible. Production and staging must differ +wildly. Launch fragile code with fragile build systems. Migrate your databases +frequently.
++Lose 10 weeks of wages on unhappy customers.
++Repeatedly fail to detect and address severe bugs. Pay no attention to security +vulnerabilities.
++Write worthless documentation.
++Explain code in private messages. Write wikis that nobody uses.
++Trap 10 engineers in a futile skunkworks project.
++Attract bright engineers and waste their potential. Undersell the difficulty of +the project to management; oversell the project's usefulness. Tell management +it's "almost complete" until they scrap it.
++Add dependencies that demand 400 hours of maintenance.
++Engineers individually learn each library.
++Delay pivoting.
++Never admit failure. Drown your team in sunk-cost. Ignore 80/20 compromises that +could improve your circumstances.
++Hire 10 0x engineers.
++Opportunity costs can kill. Dead-weights may not actively harm your team, but +they sit in the chairs of people who could actively help.
++Hire 5 -1x engineeers.
++Don't settle for dead-weight. Actively hire engineers who cause catastrophies +and resist learning.
++Prevent 10 -1x engineers from getting fired.
++Don't rock boats. Leave no paper trail of failures. Vouch for bad engineering.
++Incur 400 hours of bug triage.
++Make undebuggable programs. Plaster layers of abstraction over everything. Write +spaghetti code. Make everything sensitive to initial conditions. Avoid pure +functions. Use dependencies liberally. Say "it works on my machine" whenever +possible.
+ +]]>+
+
+16 waking hours ÷ 10 minutes = 96
++10 minutes is ~1% of your day.
+ + +]]>+Today is September 17, 2022. It's only been 1 day since the demon booze braised my blood. And I think I'm done forever.
++Long ago, the liquor seemed like alchemy. Each cup let me glimpse the liminal space where my mind was oh-so-quiet for a couple hours. But the quiet never lasts, and the guilt grows without bounds.
++And for some reason all these years I've convinced myself that it's impossible to quit. I've been telling myself that I'm not strong enough to do it. Or that it'll be easier in the future.
++Yesterday I told a friend that I'm proud of myself for improving. Drinking is not making me happy anymore, so I reduced my intake from 6 drinks per day to 3 drinks per week -- aren't you proud of me too? What nonsense. Why not 0 forever?
++To say "0 forever" is obviously making an impossible statement about your future selves. Of course your future selves are different than your current self. They're different people with different beliefs and values.
++All your future and past selves are bound together by memory. Everything that you do at every moment can be a message to your future self. But remembering can be tricky -- your future selves will delete and distort and deflect your bad memories. And without the negative feedback, there can be no positive change. You'll be driven to live the same bad decisions until you decide to remember them. Dreadful, blinding, vivid memory is your catalyst for change.
++We don't like to remember the bad stuff. We want to forget that red flags are all around us, and have been there for longer than we can bear. Friends, lovers, places, and careers -- we keep them past their expiration dates. And our minds become moldy. Our memories accrue mildew. And every time we finally acknowledge our rotten situations, and we purge the filth, we say "What h*ck was I thinking? Why didn't I do this sooner?"
++Many people don't need to confront "0 forever". But some some of us ruin it for everybody else. And we usually already know who we are.
++For some of us, "0 forever" is a dream worth trying. And "0 forever" is possible. And there's no reason we can't simply do it right now. Not tomorrow. Today. Right now. You only ever have "now".
++So here I am. Remembering. And it feels awful.
++
+I'll be turning 30 years old in a few days. 30 years is 1,560 weekends. And I hope the universe offers me another 1,000 weekends to let myself be happy; 1,000 weekends to let my bad memories fester and rot and crystallize; 1,000 weekends to curate a better collection of memories.
+]]>+Don't waste nuance on garbage. Use RateYourMusic, GoodReads, IMDB, and Anilist to skip flops.
++Media mavens catalog and critique every form of art. Recommendation engines are excellent. Nobody needs to wade through waste involuntarily.
++I rate podcasts, books, and music with the following scale:
+| + | ++ | +
|---|---|
| +★★★★★ | ++Masterpiece | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Great | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Good | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Fair | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Bad | +
| +☆☆☆☆☆ | ++Undecided | +
+After years of daily drinking, I recently quit booze forever. You can read my outer-inner-monologue about alcohol here. Confronting my demons forced me to consider other things I don't like about myself.
++
+taylor.town
++New Essays
+ ++Other Essays
+-
+
- +never wait for the check at restaurants +
- +Parental-Self-Controls +
- +Do It for the Music +
- +Long Live Plain Text! +
- +How Do Taoists Quit Smoking? +
- +Time +
+Updated Lists
+-
+
- +Podcasts +
- +Bucket-List +
- +Music +
+Project Updates
+-
+
- +paused writing How to Pilot a Meat Machine +
- +plotted initial designs for secret app idea +
- +started planning a tech conference for 2025 +
- +continued switching from emacs to neovim +
- +implemented passive life-logging using iOS shortcuts +
- +planted white clover in my yard to improve soil health +
- +started working on secret VR experience +
- +added cool stats to nowify +
+
+Recommended
++Cool people
+-
+
- +Brian Hicks +
- +David Schmudde +
- +Wendy Randolph +
- +Jack Rusher +
- +Randy +
+Purchases
+-
+
- +iPhone 14 Pro +
- +Seven Potions Beard Wax +
+YouTube channels
+-
+
- +Randy, the Sequel: the logs of a man grappling with game-development and self-development. Almost 2 years ago, he suddenly left YouTube/Twitch; he abandoned a game he'd been working on for years. But this month, he popped back into existence with a brand new outlook on life... and a finished a game! +
+Videos
+-
+
- +MunMun's Song +
- +PPPP PaPiPuPePo +
- +Lessons learnt from making my first game +
- +DeEp WOrK +
- +I RELEASED MY FIRST VIDEO GAME +
- +The Self Destruction of HBO Max +
- +SO SAD THAT STEVE JOBS DIED OF LIGMA +
- +Can Terrible Places Become Walkable? +
- +The Rehearsal is a Masterpiece +
+Images
+-
+
- +take it easy +
- +drugs +
+Television series
+-
+
- +The Rehearsal: an uncomfortable masterpiece. HBO gave comedian(?) Nathan Fielder an insane budget to do insane things. In this short series, he constructs elaborate simulacra of situations so that he and others can "rehearse" real life for deeper insights. It's difficult to watch, but extremely worthwhile. +
+Books
+-
+
- +The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck: a heartbreaking rags-to-riches-to-rags story about wealth, family, work, fairness, kindness, and land. It's easy to see why a book about rural Chinese peasants was the best-selling book in the US during The Dust Bowl and The Great Depression. This book will inspire or haunt you. +
- +Solaris by Stanislaw Lem: a sci-fi book that gave me literal nightmares. It's unsettling and thought-provoking. +
+Other
+-
+
- +itemlabel.com: Best. Store. Ever. +
+Podcasts
+-
+
- +99% Invisible +
- +Björk: Sonic Symbolism +
- +Deep Questions with Cal Newport +
- +Epic Gardening +
- +Everything Everywhere Daily +
- +the memory palace +
- +The Permaculture Podcast +
- +Software Unscripted +
+Podcast episodes
+-
+
- +Planet Money: Wake up and smell the fraud +
- +Epic Gardening: In-Depth on Macro and Micro Nutrients +
- +Conversations with Tyler: Shruti Rajagopalan talks to Daniel Gross and Tyler about Identifying and Predicting Talent +
- +Cautionary Tales: Tim Talks Bicycles with Patented +
- +Endless Thread: Swimming Hole: The man, the myth, the leap +
- +the memory palace: Weather Conditions Above Mount Fuji +
- +Freakonomics: This Is Your Brain on Pollution +
- +Materialism: Making Materials in a Microwave +
- +Materialism: Turning Heat into Electricity +
- +The Permaculture Podcast: The New Wildcrafted Cuisine +
- +The Permaculture Podcast: The Wildcrafting Brewer +
- +The Permaculture Podcast: Jeff Speck - Creating Walkable Cities +
- +The Permaculture Podcast: Allan Savory - Managing Complexity and Holistic Management +
- +The Permaculture Podcast: Sustainable Suburbs - Serenbe | Steve Nygren +
- +The Permaculture Podcast: Eric Puro - Chaga and Medicinal Mushrooms +
- +The Side Hustle Show: The Side Hustle Snowball: Erase Your Expenses One Extra Income Stream at a Time +
- +The Side Hustle Show: 16 Marketing Tips for Books (and Other Products) From Bestselling Authors +
- +Software Unscripted: Database Apocalypse +
- +Materialism: Ceramic Dental Composites +
- +Deep Questions with Cal Newport: The Art of Saying No +
- +Patented: Powerpoint +
- +Everything Everywhere Daily: The Berlin Airlift +
- +Revisionist History: Outliers, Revisited +
- +Two Minutes in the Garden: Using Human Urine in the Garden -- Benefits and Risks +
- +The Permaculture Podcast: Katy Bowman - Nutritious Movement +
- +Patented: Baby Formula +
- +The Permaculture Podcast: Natural Farming and Masanobu Fukuoka +
- +Everything Everywhere Daily: The Doolittle Raid +
- +Twenty Thousand Hertz: 1-900-20K-HRTZ +
- +Epic Gardening: Food Preservation Methods +
- +Conversations with Tyler: Byron Auguste On Rewiring the U.S. Labor Market +
- +Everything Everyhwere Daily: Shakespeare's English +
- +Epic Gardening: Foraging for Food +
- +Platen Money: Econ's Brush with the Law +
- +Everything Everywhere Daily: Astronomical Distances and the Age of the Universe +
- +Epic Gardening: Bulb Selection and Succession Planting +
- +Deep Questions with Cal Newport: Ryan Holiday: Discipline is Destiny +
- +Everything Everywhere Daily: Getting to the Bottom of Shoes +
- +Quanta Science Podcast: Researchers Achieve "Absurdly Fast" Algorithm for Network Flow +
- +Planet Money: The miracle apple +
- +the memory palace: Nee Blinky +
-
+
- +survived 1,560 weekends +
- +second "bananniversarbean" +
- +evacuated home +
- +funerals +
- +made a person laugh for the first time in their life +
- +attended When We Were Young +
- +shaved off my mullet at a Paramore concert +
- +became a "DJ" +
- +played Astro Bears with the boys +
- +afflicted by the pandy +
+
+taylor.town
++New Essays
+-
+
- +How do I get the ability to see the gnomes? +
- +Never Wait for Anything +
- +The Scourge of "Someday" +
- +Thank You vs. Sorry +
- +A Magic Question for Emotional Conversations +
- +Beware The Grind +
- +The Only Way to Make Money +
- +10 Minutes is 1% of Your Day +
- +Accept Your Fate +
- +Extinguish All Notifications +
+Updated Lists
+-
+
- +Music +
- +Podcasts +
- +Blogs and Newsletters +
- +My Deep Daily Questions +
- +Bucket List +
+Project Updates
+-
+
- +finished configuring neovim plugins +
- +implemented passive life-logging +
- +completed early designs for secret app idea +
- +continued home-improvement +
- +continued spring-cleaning +
- +registered for 2023 AIDS/LifeCycle +
- +posted newsletters archive on taylor.town +
- +switched email newsletter service to buttondown.email from tinyletter +
+
+Recommended
++People
+-
+
- +Clinton Boys +
+Purchases
+ ++Books
+-
+
- +Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe: These books are extremely subversive, yet the author falls prey to the exact tropes he's "subverting". The plot oscillates between mind-bending self-reference and painful self-awarelessness. Some of the twists are incredible. I suspect that this is an excellent book that aged poorly. +
- +Ubik by Phillip K. Dick: Good sci-fi stories explore "cool ideas". Ubik miraculously interleaves 3-5 "cool ideas". And it keeps topping itself with bigger and bigger extensions of its core "cool ideas". Read Ubik if you like "cool ideas". +
- +Triggers by Marshall Goldsmith: This is a self-help book that delivers. It's an incredibly useful guide on how to enact lasting change in yourself. This book focuses on growth via environmental cues. I particularly liked the concrete advice on daily active questions, accountability partners, and actionable ways to change cognitive contexts. +
- +Discipline is Destiny by Ryan Holiday: This book was inspiring but forgettable. All the examples of disciplined people got me pumped, but I didn't find much actionable content. +
- +Out of Your Mind by Alan Watts: This is one of my favorite audiobooks to revisit. Alan Watts' brand of secular-ish mysticism is incredibly refreshing. It's like listening to a pastor speak on behalf of the universe. At every stage in my life, I've found life-changing wisdom in these lectures. +
+Videos
+-
+
- +Ads in Video Games +
- +30 Minute Study Model - Here's How +
- +Carl Sagan testifying before Congress in 1985 on climate change +
- +George Carlin: Brain Droppings +
- +Mechanical circuits: electronics without electricity +
- +Howl's Moving Castle Makes So Much Sense +
- +Andrew Bird & Esperanza Spalding Live 2016 +
- +slightly above average FOV +
- +the book with a multiplayer first-person shooter inside +
- +ANIMAL WELL | a game full of secrets +
+Documentaries
+-
+
- +Kiss the Ground: an excellent documentary on the importance of global soil health and the dangers of modern industrial agriculture +
+Podcast Episodes
+-
+
- +99% Invisible: The Safety Bicycle +
- +Endless Thread: Anti-fans, online hate, and Caroline Calloway +
- +99% Invisible: Walk of Fame +
- +Radiolab: No-Touch Abortion +
- +Deep Questions with Cal Newport: Work vs. Meaning +
- +Software Unscripted: Building a Database with Joran Greef +
- +Patended: Eco Farming +
- +Endless Thread: Lazy Geoff +
- +the joe gardener show: The Vital Role of Soil Bacteria in the Garden +
- +Freakonomics: Are Personal Finance Gurus Giving You Bad Advice? +
- +Everything Everywhere Daily: The Terrible, Horrible Vogage of the Russion Imperial Baltic Fleet +
- +99% Invisible: Vuvuzela +
- +99% Invisible: Wickedest Sound +
- +Everything Everywhere Daily: The Seven Days of the Week +
+Music
+| + | ++ | +
|---|---|
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Hammock :: Everything and Nothing | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Ghosts and Vodka :: Addicts and Drunks | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Chamsom :: 속마음 | +
| +★★★★★ | ++Arthur Rubinstein :: Chopin: Nocturnes | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Tori Amos :: B of A, Boston, MA 8/21/05 | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Weyes Blood :: Rough Trade Session - EP | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Cosmo's Midnight :: Moments - EP | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Quruli :: The Best of Quruli / Tower of Music Lover | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Starscream :: Future, And It Doesn't Work + Remixes | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Albert Ayler Trio :: Spiritual Unity | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Chinese Football :: Continue? - EP | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Forgive Durden :: Razia's Shadow: A Musical | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++65daysofstatic :: Don't Go Down to Sorrow - EP | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Blümchen :: Verliebt... | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++BADBADNOTGOOD :: Talk Memory | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++The Jazz June :: The Medicine | +
| +★★★★★ | ++Pink Floyd :: The Wall | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Seiko Oomori :: Sennou | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Perma :: Two of a Crime | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++LINKIN PARK :: Hybrid Theory | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Isles & Glaciers :: The Hearts of Lonely People | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++METZ :: METZ | +
+My wife says that taylor.town readers are "anal-retentive". You've been labeled and stereotyped, folks!
++On that note, I'm growing intolerant of life's little frictions. I recently extinguished all push notifications and obliterated my "someday" list. I also levied a skirmish against "content" and a battle against breakfast.
++I've been scrutinizing my work habits. I reconsidered my ideal workweek, listed my tips for remote-work, and codified my rules for good work. I also adjusted my daily routine: 6 hours of deep career work, 2 hours of chores, and 4 hours of creative work.
++I'm celebrating ~10 weeks of sobriety. I guess that means I'm 1% complete with my goal.
++Use December to reflect on your yearly theme! And consider scheduling a 20-minute chat with me if you'd like to discuss your theme.
++
+Open Questions
++If you have questions or answers, send me an e-mail.
+-
+
- +I made a lot of changes to taylor.town this month. How does the site look and feel? +
- +Have any classic book recommendations? +
- +Do you know of any cures for waiting mode? +
- +Is there anything you'd like me to think and/or write about? +
- +Do you have any thoughts or opinions on baby sign-language? +
- +I'm looking to hire a VR developer for a very small project -- any recommendations? +
+
+New Writings
+-
+
- +Weekend Whenever +
- +Tips for Remote Work +
- +4 Rules for Good Work +
- +8 Weekends Without A Drink +
- +about +
- +Liberate Breakfast +
- +Eschew the New +
- +A Tiny HTML Snippet to “Discuss on HN” +
- +now +
+
+Project Updates
+-
+
- +redesigned taylor.town +
- +continued home-improvement +
- +co-founded LLC for secret VR project +
- +continued UI scaffolding for secret app idea +
- +started training for a 550-mile bike ride +
- +switched from emacs to neovim +
+
+Recommendations
++You may skip to books, purchases, images, videos, podcast episodes, or music.
++Books
+-
+
- +Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka: This book is potent. It's witty, horrific, deep, and bizarre -- an unforgettable experience. ★★★★★ +
- +The Stranger by Albert Camus: It's very highly acclaimed. After reading it, I thought I missed something, so I read a few critical analyses -- nope, I understood it perfectly. The Stranger has a decent plot with great writing. This book was probably ground-breaking in 1942, but existentialism has been beaten to death since then. On my end, this is probably a case of "Seinfeld is unfunny". ★★★☆☆ +
- +The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro: It's a subtle story from the perspective of a charming butler. I highly recommend this book if you're in a wistful mood or receptive to deep introspection. ★★★★☆ +
+Purchases
+-
+
- +roborock S7+: A small human will soon be crawling all over our carpet, so we purchased a robotic vacuum. Its mapping/navigation algorithms are impressive! So far, this seems to be a worthwhile purchase. +
- +Radiotopia Donation: What an incredible source of free content! Some of my favorite podcasts have originated from this network: 99% Invisible, Articles of Interest, Everything is Alive, and The Memory Palace. +
- +LonoLife Thai Curry Beef Bone Broth Sticks: Everybody loves sipping hot drinks during cold winters. Bone broth powder packets provide plenty of protein (sugar-free)! +
+Images
+-
+
- +Spaghetti-Os To-Go +
- +cute shrimp donut +
- +Pied Piper Jr. +
- +My son put some Trix in his ant farm... +
- +spoopy peeps +
- +Mom, can I get a dolphin? +
- +a tiny camera umbrella +
+Videos
+-
+
- +Can Groceries Be Delivered TOO Quickly? +
- +How Madoka Magica Destroyed an Entire Genre +
- +Suburbia Doesn't Have to Be Boring +
- +Making chocolate from scratch to feed an addiction +
- +Deferred Lights - Pixel Renderer Devlog #1 +
- +questions (toki pona lesson four) +
- +2001: CAMERAS... on PHONES? (BBC News) +
- +The movie where they go BACK IN TIME TO THE FIRST THANKSGIVING TO GET TURKEYS OFF THE MENU +
- +ROBLOX_OOF.mp3 +
- +The Thinnest Video On YouTube +
- +The Great Places Erased by Suburbia (the Third Place) +
- +Stop Buying Stuff +
- +How to Write the Impossible +
- +But what is a convolution? +
- +when you stop casting your actors off the street +
- +Why It's Rude to Suck at Warcraft +
+Podcast Episodes
+-
+
- +What's Your Problem: Paying People to Turn Off the Fridge +
- +Chemistry for Your Life: How did Bella Hadid's spray-on dress work? (and other questions) +
- +University of Oxford Computer Science: Integrating Logic, Probability and Neuro-Symbolic Reasoning using Probabilistic Soft Logic +
- +Endless Thread: Imaginary Friend +
- +Derek Sivers: a daily run, party two +
- +Cautionary Tales: The Halloween Poisoner +
- +Epic Gardening Daily: Growing Global and Unusual Veggies +
- +Radiolab: The Weather Report +
- +Endless Thread: Olga of Kiev +
- +Everything Everywhere Daily: Philip II of Spain +
- +Derek Sivers: make believe +
- +Epic Gardening Daily: The Importance of Flowers in a Food Garden +
- +Software Unscripted: Static Types in Elixir with José Valim +
- +Everything is Alive: Charles, Party Horn +
- +Articles of Interest: American Ivy: Chapter 2 +
- +Everything Everywhere Daily: Banned Techniques That Would Smash World Records in Track and Field +
- +Conversations with Tyler: Mary Gaitskill on Subjects That Are Vexing Everybody +
- +Everything Everywhere Daily: Alfred Wegener and Continental Drift +
- +Everything Everywhere Daily: Horses in World War II +
- +Radiolab: Guts +
- +Plant Money: Planet Money tries election polling +
- +Deep Questions with Cal Newport: Can Parents Do Deep Work? +
- +Epic Gardening Daily: The Carnivorous Plant Man +
- +Articles of Interest: American Ivy: Chapter 3 +
- +Software Unscripted: Accessibility in Practice with the Accessibilibats +
- +Planet Money: Peak Sand +
- +Freakonomics Radio: The Most Interesting Fruit in the World +
- +Cautionary Tales: The Inventor Who Almost Ended the World +
- +Deep Questions with Cal Newport: Did Cavemen Use To-Do Lists? +
- +Software Unscripted: Software Rituals with David Nolen +
- +Dear Hank & John: Sphere the Atmos +
- +Evereything Everywhere Daily: World Population Throughout History +
- +Cortex: State of the Apps 2023 +
- +Everything is Alive: Miriam and Peter, Playing Cards +
- +Articles of Interest: American Ivy: Chapter 4 +
- +Twenty Thousand Hertz: Synth War II: Digital Doom +
- +What's Your Problem: Sam Bankman-Fried Revisited +
- +The Memory Palace: One Fruit +
- +Chemistry for Your Life: How can mosquitos smell you? (new research!) +
- +Everything Everywhere Daily: Leap Seconds +
- +Radiolab: What's Up Doc? +
- +Planet Money: How the cookie became a monster +
- +Software Unscripted: Derw with Noah Hall +
- +Deep Questions with Cal Newport: Could This Meeting Have Been An Email? +
- +99% Invisible: Super Citizens +
- +Articles of Interest: American Ivy: Chapter 5 +
- +Freakonomics Radio: Did Michael Lewis Just Get Lucky with "Moneyball"? +
+Music
+| +★★★★★ | ++Björk :: Volta | +
| +★★★★★ | ++Clown Core :: Toilet | +
| +★★★★★ | ++Disasterpeace :: Rise of the Obsidian Interstellar | +
| +★★★★★ | ++Gil Evans :: The Individualism Of Gil Evans | +
| +★★★★★ | ++The Shaggs :: Philosophy of the World | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Abel Korzeniowski :: Nocturnal Animals (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Anaïs Mitchell & Jefferson Hamer :: Child Ballads | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Eisley :: Currents | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Marvin Gaye :: Let's Get It On | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Michael Nyman :: The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover (Soundtrack to the Film) | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++The Academy Is... :: Almost Here | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++The Smiths :: Meat Is Murder | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile :: Not Our First Goat Rodeo | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++BADBADNOTGOOD :: III | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Beastie Boys :: Licensed to Ill | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Bill Laurance :: Flint | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Covet :: Covet on Audiotree Live | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Crying :: Get Olde / Second Wind | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Department of Eagles :: In Ear Park | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Five Star Hotel & Machine Girl :: Machine Girl / Five Star Hotel | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++GoGo Penguin :: Between Two Waves - EP | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++I Am Abomination :: To Our Forefathers | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Jacob Mann Big Band :: Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 - EP | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Jyocho :: Days in the Bluish House | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Kyary Pamyu Pamyu :: Moshimoshiharajuku | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++LITE :: Installation | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Lightning Bolt :: Wonderful Rainbow | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Mammal Hands :: Animalia | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Medieval Slimes :: Medieval Slimes | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Oklou :: Galore | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Pinback :: Nautical Antiques | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Portico Quartet :: Knee Deep In the North Sea | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Purity Ring :: WOMB | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Sun City Girls :: Torch of the Mystics | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++2814 :: Lost Fragments | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++BOYS LIFE :: Departures and Landfalls | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Black Country, New Road :: For the First Time | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Carpainter :: Noble Arts | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Cavetown :: Lemon Boy | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Charmer :: Charmer | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Cosmo's Midnight :: What Comes Next | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Dr. Dog :: We All Belong | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Followed By Ghosts :: Dear Monsters, Be Patient | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Gost :: Possessor | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++In Love With a Ghost :: Healing | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Joshua James :: The Sun Is Always Brighter | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers & Lucy Dacus :: Boygenius - EP | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Knapsack :: Day Three of My New Life | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++La Luz :: It's Alive | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Lil Nas X :: MONTERO | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++MASTER BOOT RECORD :: Interrupt Request | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Manchester Orchestra :: The Million Masks Of God | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Mono/Poly :: Monotomic | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Mura Masa :: Soundtrack to a Death | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Necry Talkie :: Memories | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Nick Johnston :: Remarkably Human | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Sampha :: Process | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Sheena Ringo :: Karuki Zahmen Kuri No Hana - Kalk Samen Chestnut Flower | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Son Lux :: Tomorrows I | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Various Artists :: The 6 Machine - EP | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++dandelion hands :: Dhid!!, Vol. 2 | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Akron/Family :: Sub Verses | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Alanis Morissette :: Jagged Little Pill | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Death from Above 1979 :: The Physical World | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Destroyer :: Poison Season | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++JONGHYUN :: She Is - The 1st Album | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Jessie Ware :: Glasshouse | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Maggie Lindemann :: PARANOIA | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Mono/Poly :: Manifestations - EP | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Polvo :: Today's Active Lifestyles | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Poppy :: Poppy.Computer | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++The Academy Is... :: Fast Times at Barrington High | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++The Temper Trap :: Conditions | +
+Look at me! I'm suddenly satirical! Read my hot-takes on death and personal information and brilliant ideas.
++After my cynicism dwindles, I tend to spend hours watching minutes slip by. Time is scrounged and squandered. Time is shorter than you expect and longer than you think.
++You become what you do. You can multitask and monotask. You can make living impossible or inevitable.
++Smartphones are antithetical to action. Give your phone a home and leave your phone at home. Also avoid leaving your home in general.
++To see Outside simply, learn Toki Pona! It's can be used as a delightful baby sign-language. Check out my manifesto, guide, and flash cards.
++Next month, I'll dedicate Between Time to demolishing tech-debt at work. I fully intend to embark on "strategic" YOLO rewrites.
++
+Open Questions
++If you have questions or answers, send me an e-mail.
+-
+
- +Would it be annoying if I switched from monthly to weekly newsletters? +
- +Is there anything you'd like me to think and/or write about? +
- +I've got plenty of free business ideas! Is anybody looking for side-projects to work on? +
- +Do you know of any good interior design or industrial design or architecutre blogs/newsletters? +
- +Have any struggles or annoyances or friction? I'm in a problem-solving mood right now. +
- +Does anybody have resources for deeply understanding jazz and classical music? I deeply enjoy the genres, but sometimes feel like I'm missing some large pieces of the puzzle. +
- +Should I add comments to taylor.town? If so, how should I moderate them? +
+
+New Writings
+-
+
- +Toki Pona Sign-Language Flash Cards +
- +Leave Your Phone at Home +
- +Decline Invitations +
- +Busy Brain, Busy Body +
- +Five Hundred Hours +
- +How to Scrounge for Between Time +
- +Your Brilliant App Idea +
- +Find a Phone-Home +
- +How to Thwart Waiting Mode +
- +Make Important Things Inevitable +
- +The Joy of Monotasking +
- +Nothing Fulfills +
- +Please Sell My Personal Information +
- +take everything to your grave +
- +Refrigerate Reusable Water Bottles +
- +Pick Practical Principles +
- +zeroes +
- +Toki Pona Baby Sign-Language Guide +
- +Toki Pona Baby Sign-Language Manifesto +
+
+Project Updates
+-
+
- +finished preparing for home repairs +
- +built a website for my 2023 tech conference +
- +adapted toki pona sign-language for babies +
- +outlined chapters of The Robot Who Flunked Wizard School +
- +clarified vision for secret VR game design +
- +plotted career stunts +
+
+Recommendations
++You may skip to video games, apps, books, purchases, images, videos, podcast episodes, or music.
++Video Games
+-
+
- +Everything: an Alan-Watts-inspired game that lets you experience the universe from new perspectives. +
+Apps
+-
+
- +Draw Things: offline stable diffusion on your iOS devices +
- +F5Bot: free keyword notification system for Reddit, HackerNews, and Lobsters. +
+Books
+-
+
- +★★★★★ The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood: Much of The Handmaid's Tale is surely beyond my comprehension, but it provided a sobering glimpse into some of the unfairnesses of nature and society. Atwood's general take on United States fundamentalism is outstanding. The book is riveting throughout, but its ending secures it a "modern masterpiece". +
- +★★★★☆ Animal Farm by George Orwell: Animal Farm delightfully illustrates how authoritarian regimes usurp control. Although the book seemed to be specifically a critique of Stalin's Russia, there are gems to glean about perverse institutional incentives. +
- +★★★★☆ The Colour of Magic (Discworld #1) by Terry Pratchett: This was my first Terry Pratchett book. Oh boy, what a delight! If you like clever authors like Raymond Smullyan and Douglas Adams, you'll adore his writing. The Colour of Magic covers some surprisingly deep ideas about science and religion wearing a witty grin. +
+Purchases
+-
+
- +transparent sticky notes: Sticky notes, but transparent! +
- +VIVO kneeling chair: Sitting in a chair all day hurts my back, so I purchased a backless chair! +
- +The Architecture of Trees: I purchased this book as a gift for my wife, and holy h*ck it's gorgeous. +
- +NÜOBELL Adjustable Dumbbell Pair (5-80 lbs): I'm strength training again! I spent extra money on adjustable dumbells that don't have tacky logos all over them. The dumbells feel premium in your hands, but the flimsy plastic bases almost ruin the experience. +
- +IKEA Kallax base on legs: Have IKEA cubbies? Make them more "grown up" by giving them legs! +
- +Vermirror Pro Comparator Mirror: This optic contraption is like artistic training-wheels on steroids. Watch Tim's Vermeer (produced by Penn Jillette)! It's a really, really good documentary. +
+Images
+-
+
- +kid standing on man's head +
- +sexy grinch +
- +lettuce eat +
- +cursed snowbeast +
- +how to troll society as a whole +
- +puking orangutan +
- +stop the car obama +
- +the brown part of the banana +
- +ChatGPT: caveman dating profile +
- +missing dolphin +
- +Mario & Sonic making out +
- +holy forest +
- +crucifixion of Santa Claus +
- +girls when a boy accidentally walks into the girls locker room +
- +classic Michael Cera +
- +#fixie +
- +sad teletubby +
- +goth muppet +
- +ChatGPT: insincere apology +
- +waaaaah i'm a baby +
- +ChatGPT: on eating glass +
+Videos
+-
+
- +The Greatest Year in Movie History +
- +Love Languages: A Philosophical Horror +
- +How to Make Clay At Home (It's Just Dirt) +
- +How to Design a PERMACULTURE NEIGHBORHOOD +
- +5 Best (and Worst) Places to Build a Home or Village +
- +Making Custom Concrete Pavers using Cardboard! +
- +inside Malaysia's Smallest House | Romantic Villa House tour | Tiny Garden Home +
- +Building a HEATED DOG HOUSE for Canadian Winters +
- +World's Most Unique Airbnb! Cave House Full Tour! (amazing interior) +
- +I Spent 3 Years Alone Building a Log Cabin +
- +Ludwig and the Folklore of Algorithms +
- +Did people eat spoiled meat in the Middle Ages? +
- +AirBnB Decimates Housing Affordability (But It Doesn't Have To) +
- +See the Earth's rotation in stunning time-lapse +
- +I ate 900 eggs in 30 days. Here's what happened to my body +
- +Peepy's Good Peanut +
- +diamond tom +
- +Politely asking Genghis Khan to stop killing people +
- +following unjust laws +
- +The Five Laws of Stupidity +
- +Self Help +
- +Every Disney Animation Movie Ranked +
- +In Praise of Subtle Cinematography +
- +Why Amsterdam is Removing 10,000 Parking Spaces +
- +Who Said It: Kanye or Hitler? +
- +If Squidward Got Everything He EVER Wanted +
- +Atheist Debates - What did Jesus sacrifice? +
- +The Maddening Mess of Airport Codes! +
- +Man's Story Just Kept Getting Crazier | Stavros Halkias | Stand Up +
+Podcast Episodes
+| +★★★ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: The Sight and Sound Decadal Film Survey | +
| +★★★ | ++Freakonomics Radio :: Yuval Noah Harari Thinks Life is Meaningless and Amazing | +
| +★★★ | ++Planet Money :: In defense of gift giving | +
| +★★★ | ++Planet Money :: Spam call bounty hunter | +
| +★★★ | ++Radiolab :: New Normal | +
| +★★★ | ++Radiolab :: Null and Void | +
| +★★★ | ++Radiolab :: The Ashes on the Lawn | +
| +★★★ | ++Radiolab :: The Middle of Everything Ever | +
| +★★★ | ++Story of the Week :: Fake Gay-Conversion Camp | +
| +★★☆ | ++99% Invisible :: Balikbayan Boxes | +
| +★★☆ | ++99% Invisible :: The Divided Dial | +
| +★★☆ | ++Articles of Interest :: American Ivy: Chapter 6 | +
| +★★☆ | ++Articles of Interest :: American Ivy: Chapter 7 | +
| +★★☆ | ++Cautionary Tales :: The Company That Cancelled Christmas | +
| +★★☆ | ++Chemistry for Your Life :: What happens to coffee when it cools down? | +
| +★★☆ | ++Chemistry for Your Life :: What is gluten? | +
| +★★☆ | ++Chemistry for Your Life :: Why do foods turn brown when we cook them? | +
| +★★☆ | ++Conversations with Tyler :: 2022 Retrospective | +
| +★★☆ | ++Cortex :: 2023 Yearly Themes | +
| +★★☆ | ++Dear Hank & John :: Major Major Major Major | +
| +★★☆ | ++Deep Questions with Cal Newport :: Visions of the Deep Life? | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: Abram Petrovich Gannibal | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: Apollo 13 | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: Christmas Foods | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: Geography is Destiny | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: Paricutin: The World's Youngest Volcano | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: The Christmas Truce of 1914 | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: The Domestication of Dogs | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: The Little Ice Age | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: The Most Important Battles in History | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: The Pipe Organ | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: The Walled City of Kowloon | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: The Winter Solstice | +
| +★★☆ | ++Freakonomics Radio :: In Search of the Real Adam Smith | +
| +★★☆ | ++Making Sense :: On Disappointing My Audience | +
| +★★☆ | ++Making Sense :: Repairing Our Country | +
| +★★☆ | ++Making Sense :: The Fall of Sam Bankman-Fried | +
| +★★☆ | ++Making Sense :: Time Management for Mortals | +
| +★★☆ | ++Making Sense :: Why I Left Twitter | +
| +★★☆ | ++Planet Money :: My Favorite Tax Loophole | +
| +★★☆ | ++Planet Money :: When women stopped coding | +
| +★★☆ | ++Quanta Podcast :: Old Probelm About Mathematical Curves Falls to Young Couple | +
| +★★☆ | ++Radiolab :: The Flight Before Christmas | +
| +★★☆ | ++Software Unscripted :: Technical Empathy with Andrea Goulet | +
| +★★☆ | ++What's Your Problem? :: Flying on Battery Power | +
| +★★☆ | ++What's Your Problem? :: How to Save the Most Lives | +
+Music
+| +★★★★★ | ++Gil Evans :: The Individualism Of Gil Evans | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Bon Iver :: Bon Iver | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Jethro Tull :: Aqualung | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Pinback :: Information Retrieved | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++foxtails :: III | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++A. G. Cook :: Apple vs. 7G | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Anne-Sophie Mutter, Daniil Trifonov, Hwayoon Lee, Maximilian Hornung & Roman Patkoló :: Schubert: Forellenquintett (Trout Quintet) | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Bon Iver :: For Emma, Forever Ago | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Covet :: Covet on Audiotree Live | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Heavy Heavy Low Low :: Turtle Nipple and the Toxic Shock | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++LITE :: Installation | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Lights :: PEP | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Machinedrum :: Human Energy | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Meredith Monk :: Dolmen Music | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Oceana :: The Tide | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Petal Supply :: Hey | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Purity Ring :: WOMB | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++The Flower Kings :: The Sum of No Evil | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Yung Bae :: B4E | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++mewithoutYou :: A To B Life | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Albert Ayler & Don Cherry :: Vibrations | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++CAPSULE :: Fruits Clipper | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Death Cab for Cutie :: Transatlanticism | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Followed By Ghosts :: Dear Monsters, Be Patient | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Glacci :: Lucid E.P. | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++In Love With a Ghost :: Healing | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Jets to Brazil :: Orange Rhyming Dictionary | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Knapsack :: Bend | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Machine Gun Kelly :: Hotel Diablo | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Martyn :: Voids | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++New Sylveon :: ZVER | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++PUP :: THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++S U R V I V E :: Mnq026 | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Seiko Oomori :: Muteki | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Snowblood :: I'm Ready | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Son Lux :: Tomorrows I | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Stratovarius :: Episode | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++The New Division :: Shadows | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++William Fitzsimmons :: Until When We Are Ghosts | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++half•alive :: Now, Not Yet | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Beacon :: Gravity Pairs | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Catie Curtis :: Long Night Moon | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Jason Isbell :: Something More Than Free | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Maggie Lindemann :: PARANOIA | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Neck Deep :: Wishful Thinking | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Never Shout Never :: Time Travel | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Polvo :: Today's Active Lifestyles | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Rise Against :: The Sufferer & the Witness | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Shit & Shine :: Toilet Door T**s / the Biggest Cock In Christendom | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Son Lux :: Brighter Wounds | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Supercar :: HIGHVISION | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Yan Wagner :: Forty Eight Hours | +
+You can learn an "easy" language in ~500 hours.
++500 hours is ~60 workdays (8 hours each).
++If you scrounge for Between Time every day, you can accumulate 500 hours quickly:
+| +per day | ++# of days | +
|---|---|
| +90 minutes | ++11 months | +
| +80 minutes | ++1 year | +
| +70 minutes | ++1.2 years | +
| +60 minutes | ++1.4 years | +
| +50 minutes | ++1.6 years | +
| +40 minutes | ++2.0 years | +
| +30 minutes | ++2.7 years | +
| +20 minutes | ++4.1 years | +
| +10 minutes | ++8.2 years | +
+There are plenty of rewarding ways to spend 500 hours:
+-
+
- +learn a foreign language +
- +earn 3 months of full-time wages +
- +learn how to build websites +
- +change careers +
- +read 60 books +
- +listen to 750 music albums +
- +create an art portfolio +
- +write a novel +
- +watch 40 television seasons +
- +lose or gain substantial weight +
- +create an app +
- +write and record a music album +
- +build a basic video-game +
- +learn a musical instrument +
- +launch a business +
- +direct a short-film +
- +watch 250 films +
+8 weekends ago, I committed to quitting booze for 1,000 weekends.
++My old avenues are now foreign landscapes. My stomping-grounds are dens of temptation. I wrestle crippling social anxiety again. I battle boozeless boredom. I can't "take the edge off". I'm teaching myself to try.
++Sobriety sucks, but h*ck it feels incredible. The morning sun no longer sears my eye sockets. My esophagus isn't eaten alive by acid every night. My heart doesn't attempt to leap from my chest. Cars aren't rounds of Russian roulette.
++I ignored the conventional wisdom. I didn't follow a program. I didn't remove any booze from my home. I didn't stop hanging around friends who drink.
++If you want to change yourself, tell a good story. Craft an adventure where you overcome your evils. Or try a tragic tale where you tame temptation after ten attempts. It doesn't matter which character you choose; if you don't like who you are now, become somebody else.
++Who are you becoming?
+]]>+I was born with a degenerative disease called "aging".
++Symptoms include muscle atrophy, cognitive decline, and hair loss.
++I don't want to experience the later stages of this disease.
++Aging remained incurable throughout the ages. I don't expect my lifetime to differ.
++In 2085, I'll be 93. How old is old enough?
+]]>+I often think that I'd like to do everything. Of course that'd be nice, but I think what I really want is to become the type of person that can do everything.
++It's not about experience -- it's about ability. Some people derive their self-worth from the places they've been. But narcissists like me measure themselves by where they could've been if they tried.
++In this way, people like me never actually get anywhere. We end our journeys prematurely, right after we purchase the tickets. We say, "Oh, I'm sure it's just like the pictures" when we really mean "I could travel, but it's too much work".
++There isn't any problem with not-travelling. The problem is that all the money spent on tickets-to-nowhere add up over time, and the inescapable reality sets in once you realize that you can't fill scrap books of things that never took place.
++To reiterate, the problem is not being stagnant. And the problem is not planning, if you enjoy planning. The problem is planning for a journey that you'll never attempt. Why not plan for an adventure at-home? Or somewhere that you actually want to go?
++Stop pretending to be a person that could travel, and just stay at home. And you'll be surprised at the places you'll go!
+]]>+Read more about my rating system here.
++Note: There are books listed here whose views I do not endorse. I try to break +beyond my bubble and understand others. If you're interested in my current +beliefs, feel free to email me.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + +| + | ++ | ++ | ++ | +
|---|---|---|---|
| +review | ++★★☆☆☆ | ++2023-08-23 | ++So You've Been Publicly Shamed :: Jon Ronson | +
| +review | ++★★★☆☆ | ++2023-08-22 | ++The Left Hand of Darkness :: Ursula K. Le Guin | +
| +review | ++★★★★★ | ++2023-08-21 | ++The Omnivore's Dilemma :: Michael Pollan | +
| +review | ++★★★★☆ | ++2023-08-18 | ++The Design of Everyday Things :: Don Norman | +
| +review | ++★★★★☆ | ++2023-08-12 | ++The Inner Game of Tennis :: W. Timothy Gallwey | +
| +review | ++★☆☆☆☆ | ++2023-08-09 | ++Triumph of Seeds :: Thor Hanson | +
| +review | ++★★☆☆☆ | ++2023-08-08 | ++Bird by Bird :: Anne Lamott | +
| +review | ++★★★★★ | ++2023-08-08 | ++The Diamond Age :: Neal Stephenson | +
| +review | ++★★☆☆☆ | ++2023-08-02 | ++Zen in the Art of Writing :: Ray Bradbury | +
| +review | ++★☆☆☆☆ | ++2023-08-01 | ++How to Read Nonfiction Like a Professor :: Thomas C. Foster | +
| +review | ++★★★☆☆ | ++2023-07-29 | ++Last Argument of Kings :: Joe Abercrombie | +
| +review | ++★★☆☆☆ | ++2023-07-24 | ++Before They Are Hanged :: Joe Abercrombie | +
| +review | ++★★★☆☆ | ++2023-07-23 | ++The Blade Itself :: Joe Abercrombie | +
| +review | ++★☆☆☆☆ | ++2023-07-21 | ++Company of One :: Paul Jarvis | +
| +review | ++★★☆☆☆ | ++2023-07-21 | ++Fair Play :: Eve Rodsky | +
| +review | ++★★☆☆☆ | ++2023-07-19 | ++Station Eleven :: Emily St. John Mandel | +
| +review | ++★★★☆☆ | ++2023-07-17 | ++We Are Never Meeting in Real Life :: Samantha Irby | +
| +review | ++★★★★☆ | ++2023-07-15 | ++Story of Your Life and Others :: Ted Chiang | +
| +review | ++★★☆☆☆ | ++2023-07-11 | ++Kafka on the Shore :: Haruki Murakami | +
| +review | ++★★★★☆ | ++2023-06-29 | ++A Man Called Ove :: Fredrik Backman | +
| +review | ++★★★★☆ | ++2023-06-25 | ++Paper Menagerie :: Ken Liu | +
| +review | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2023-06-11 | ++White Noise :: Don DeLillo | +
| +review | ++★★★★★ | ++2023-06-09 | ++The Grapes of Wrath :: John Steinbeck | +
| +review | ++★★★★☆ | ++2023-06-08 | ++A Swim in a Pond in the Rain :: George Saunders | +
| +review | ++★★☆☆☆ | ++2023-05-25 | ++The Black Prism :: Brent Weeks | +
| +review | ++★★☆☆☆ | ++2023-05-22 | ++Lucifer's Hammer :: Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle | +
| +review | ++★★★☆☆ | ++2023-05-17 | ++This Is How You Lose the Time War :: Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone | +
| +review | ++★★★★☆ | ++2023-05-15 | ++The Rosie Project :: Graeme Simsion | +
| +review | ++★★★★☆ | ++2023-05-13 | ++The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared :: Jonas Jonasson | +
| +review | ++★★★★★ | ++2023-05-11 | ++Breakfast of Champions :: Kurt Vonnegut | +
| +review | ++★★★★☆ | ++2023-05-10 | ++The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy :: Douglas Adams | +
| +review | ++★★★☆☆ | ++2023-05-09 | ++Baby-Led Feeding :: Jenna Helwig | +
| +review | ++★★☆☆☆ | ++2023-05-09 | ++Tell Me No Lies :: Bader, Pearson, Schwartz | +
| +review | ++★★★★☆ | ++2023-05-09 | ++Atlas of the Heart :: Brené Brown | +
| +review | ++★★★★★ | ++2023-05-01 | ++Exhalation: Stories :: Ted Chiang | +
| +review | ++★★★★☆ | ++2023-04-26 | ++The One-Straw Revolution :: Masanobu Fukuoka | +
| +review | ++★★★★★ | ++2023-04-05 | ++How We Got To Now :: Steven Johnson | +
| +review | ++★★★☆☆ | ++2023-04-03 | ++The Walking Man :: Jiro Taniguchi | +
| +review | ++★★☆☆☆ | ++2023-04-03 | ++The Wintringham Mystery :: Anthony Berkeley | +
| +review | ++★★★★★ | ++2023-04-01 | ++Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow :: Gabrielle Zevin | +
| +review | ++★★★★★ | ++2023-03-27 | ++A Confederacy of Dunces :: John Kennedy Toole | +
| +review | ++★★☆☆☆ | ++2023-03-26 | ++Bridget Jones's Diary :: Helen Fielding | +
| +review | ++★★☆☆☆ | ++2023-03-23 | ++Promise of Blood :: Brian McClellan | +
| +review | ++★★★★★ | ++2023-03-16 | ++Anything You Want :: Derek Sivers | +
| +review | ++★★☆☆☆ | ++2023-03-12 | ++Learned Optimism :: Martin E. P. Seligman | +
| +review | ++★★☆☆☆ | ++2023-03-12 | ++To Say Nothing of the Dog :: Connie Willis | +
| +review | ++★★★☆☆ | ++2023-03-07 | ++Get In Trouble :: Kelly Link | +
| +review | ++★★★☆☆ | ++2023-03-02 | ++Slade House :: David Mitchell | +
| +review | ++★★★☆☆ | ++2023-03-02 | ++The Bell Jar :: Sylvia Plath | +
| +review | ++★★☆☆☆ | ++2023-02-22 | ++The Fall of Hyperion :: Dan Simmons | +
| +review | ++★★★★★ | ++2023-02-13 | ++The Anthropocene Reviewed :: John Green | +
| +review | ++★★★☆☆ | ++2023-02-13 | ++Me Talk Pretty One Day :: David Sedaris | +
| +review | ++★★★☆☆ | ++2023-02-09 | ++Zero to One :: Peter Thiel | +
| +review | ++★★★☆☆ | ++2023-02-05 | ++Artemis :: Andy Weir | +
| +review | ++★★★★☆ | ++2023-02-02 | ++Hyperion :: Dan Simmons | +
| +review | ++★★★☆☆ | ++2023-01-27 | ++The War of Art :: Steven Pressfield | +
| +review | ++★★★★☆ | ++2023-01-26 | ++God's Debris :: Scott Adams | +
| +review | ++★★★★☆ | ++2023-01-24 | ++Interview with the Vampire :: Anne Rice | +
| +review | ++★★★★★ | ++2023-01-21 | ++Norwegian Wood :: Haruki Murakami | +
| +review | ++★★★★☆ | ++2023-01-18 | ++The Way of Kings :: Brandon Sanderson | +
| +review | ++★★★★★ | ++2022-12-25 | ++The Handmaid's Tale :: Margaret Atwood | +
| +review | ++★★★★☆ | ++2022-12-19 | ++Animal Farm :: George Orwell | +
| +review | ++★★★★☆ | ++2022-12-04 | ++The Colour of Magic (Discworld #1) :: Terry Pratchett | +
| +review | ++★★★★☆ | ++2022-11-27 | ++The Remains of the Day :: Kazuo Ishiguro | +
| +review | ++★★★☆☆ | ++2022-11-19 | ++The Stranger :: Albert Camus | +
| +review | ++★★★★★ | ++2022-11-13 | ++Metamorphosis :: Franz Kafka | +
| +review | ++★★☆☆☆ | ++2022-10-30 | ++Discipline is Destiny :: Ryan Holiday | +
| +review | ++★★★★☆ | ++2022-10-16 | ++Ubik :: Phillip K. Dick | +
| +review | ++★★★★☆ | ++2022-10-09 | ++Triggers :: Marshall Goldsmith | +
| +review | ++★★★☆☆ | ++2022-10-02 | ++Book of the New Sun :: Gene Wolf | +
| +review | ++★★★★☆ | ++2022-09-02 | ++Solaris :: Stanislaw Lem | +
| +review | ++★★★★★ | ++2022-08-18 | ++The Good Earth :: Pearl S. Buck | +
| + | ++★★★☆☆ | ++2022 | ++Cryptonomicon :: Neal Stephenson | +
| + | ++★★★☆☆ | ++2022 | ++Neverwhere :: Neil Gaiman | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2022 | ++Anything You Want :: Derek Sivers | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2022 | ++How to Live :: Derek Sivers | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2022 | ++Sum: Tales from the Afterlives :: David Eagleman | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2022 | ++Let It Rot! :: Stu Campbell | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2022 | ++The Resilient Farm and Homestead :: Falk | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2022 | ++Gardening Under Lights :: Halleck | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2022 | ++Digital Minimalism :: Cal Newport | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2022 | ++So Good They Can't Ignore You :: Cal Newport | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2022 | ++Discovering Japanese Handplanes :: Scott Wynn | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2022 | ++Japanese Woodworking Tools :: Toshio Odate | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2022 | ++The Care And Use Of Japanese Woodworking Tools :: Kip Mesirow and Ron Herman | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2022 | ++Hand Tools :: Aldren A. Watson | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2022 | ++The Minimalist Woodworker :: Vic Tessolin | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2022 | ++Furnitechture :: Anna Yudina | +
| + | ++★★★☆☆ | ++2022 | ++Anathem :: Neal Stephenson | +
| + | ++★☆☆☆☆ | ++2022 | ++How To Talk About Books You Haven't Read :: Pierre Bayard | +
| + | ++★★★☆☆ | ++2021 | ++Name of the Wind :: Patrick Rothfuss | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2020 | ++Mistborn: The Hero of Ages :: Brandon Sanderson | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2020 | ++Mistborn: The Well of Ascension :: Brandon Sanderson | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2020 | ++Mistborn: The Final Empire :: Brandon Sanderson | +
| + | ++★★★★☆ | ++ | ++Sapiens :: Yuval Noah Harari | +
| + | ++★★★☆☆ | ++ | ++Zero to One :: Peter Tiel | +
| + | ++★★★☆☆ | ++ | ++How to Stop Worrying and Start Living :: Dale Carnegie | +
| + | ++★★☆☆☆ | ++ | ++Talking to Strangers :: Malcolm Gladwell | +
| + | ++★★★★★ | ++ | ++Catch-22 :: Joseph Heller | +
| + | ++★★★☆☆ | ++ | ++The Tao is Silent :: Raymond Smullyan | +
| + | ++★★★★☆ | ++ | ++Seveneves :: Neal Stephenson | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++ | ++The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt :: Edmund Morriss | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++ | ++Distrust That Particular Flavor :: William Gibson | +
| + | ++★★★☆☆ | ++ | ++The Circle :: Dave Eggers | +
| + | ++★★★★☆ | ++ | ++Hell Yeah or No :: Derek Sivers | +
| + | ++★★☆☆☆ | ++ | ++12 Rules for Life :: Jordan Peterson | +
| + | ++★★☆☆☆ | ++2020 | ++Ready, Player One :: Ernest Cline | +
| + | ++★★★★★ | ++2019 | ++Snowcrash :: Neal Stephenson | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2019 | ++Dirk Gentley's Holistic Detective Agency :: Douglas Adams | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2019 | ++Annihilation :: Jeff VanderMeer | +
| + | ++★★☆☆☆ | ++2019 | ++The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time :: Mark Haddon | +
| + | ++★★★☆☆ | ++2019 | ++Daemon :: Daniel Suarez | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2019 | ++High-Tech Heretic :: Cliff Stoll | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2019 | ++Smalltalk-80 | +
| + | ++★★★☆☆ | ++2018 | ++The Broom of the System :: David Foster Wallace | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2018 | ++Consider the Lobster :: David Foster Wallace | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2018 | ++A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again :: David Foster Wallace | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2018 | ++Starting Strength: Basic barbell Training :: Mark Rippetoe | +
| + | ++★★★☆☆ | ++ | ++Dune :: Frank Herbert | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++ | ++Trigger Warning :: Neil Gaiman | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++ | ++The Lies of Loch Lamorah :: Scott Lynch | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++ | ++The Information :: James Gleick | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++ | ++Benjamin Franklin :: Walter Isaacson | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++ | ++Awaken the Giant Within :: Tony Robbins | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++ | ++The Mythical Man Month :: Fred Brooks | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2017 | ++The Graveyard Book :: Neil Gaiman | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2017 | ++To Mock a Mockingbird :: Raymond Smullyan | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++ | ++On the Shortness of Life :: Seneca | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++ | ++To Mock a Mockingbird :: Raymond Smullyan | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++ | ++Antifragile :: Nassim Taleb | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++ | ++V for Vendetta :: Alan Moore | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++ | ++Watchmen :: Alan Moore | +
| + | ++★★★☆☆ | ++ | ++Rise & Fall of Dinosaurs :: Steve Brusatte | +
| + | ++★★★★☆ | ++ | ++The Tao of Poo :: Benjamin Hoff | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++ | ++Thinking, Fast and Slow :: Kahneman | +
| + | ++★★★★★ | ++ | ++Tao Te Ching :: Lao Tzu | +
| + | ++★★★★★ | ++ | ++How to Win Friends and Influence People :: Dale Carnegie | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2015 | ++Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls :: David Sedaris | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2015 | ++Musashi :: Yoshikawa | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2015 | ++Faster :: Gleick | +
| + | ++★★★★★ | ++2015 | ++Guns, Germs, and Steel :: Jared Diamond | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2015 | ++Metamagical Themas :: Douglas Hofstadter | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2015 | ++Spark Joy :: Marie Kondo | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2014 | ++Contagious :: Jonah Berger | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2014 | ++Love Does :: Goff | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2014 | ++Sex Drugs and Cocoa Puffs :: Klosterman | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2014 | ++The Tao is Silent :: Smullyan | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2014 | ++American Gods :: Gaiman | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2014 | ++Business Adventures :: Brooks | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2014 | ++A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again :: David Foster Wallace | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2014 | ++The Power of Habit :: Charles Duhigg | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2014 | ++I am a Strange Loop :: Douglas Hofstadter | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2014 | ++The Paradox of Choice :: Schwartz | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2014 | ++The Black Swan :: Nassim Taleb | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2014 | ++The 4-Hour Body :: Ferriss | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2014 | ++The Innovators :: Isaacson | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2014 | ++The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up :: Kondo | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2014 | ++What Do You Care What Other People Think? :: Richard Feynmann | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2014 | ++Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynmann! :: Richard Feynmann | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2014 | ++Being Taoist :: Wong | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2014 | ++Antifragile :: Taleb | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2014 | ++How We Got to Now :: Johnson | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2014 | ++Waking Up :: Harris | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2014 | ++The Martian :: Weir | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2014 | ++Learning to Silence the Mind :: Osho | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2014 | ++Managing Oneself :: Drucker | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2014 | ++Smartcuts :: Snow | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2014 | ++Ignore Everybody :: MacLeod | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2014 | ++What If? :: Munroe | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2014 | ++The Fountainhead :: Rand | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2014 | ++Dropping Ashes on the Buddha :: Sahn | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2014 | ++The Alchemist :: Cohelo | +
| + | ++★☆☆☆☆ | ++2013 | ++Gifted Hands :: Ben Carson | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2013 | ++Oedipus Rex :: Sophocles | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2013 | ++Zhuangzi | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2013 | ++Agricola :: Tacitus | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2013 | ++David and Goliath :: Gladwell | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2013 | ++Theodore Roosevelt: His Essential Wisdom :: Gangi | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2013 | ++Without their Permission :: Ohanian | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2013 | ++The Bad Beginning :: Snicket | +
| + | ++★☆☆☆☆ | ++2013 | ++Think Big and Kick Ass :: Trump | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2013 | ++Oedipus Rex :: Sophocles | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2013 | ++Foundation :: Asimov | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2013 | ++Second Foundation :: Asimov | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2013 | ++Foundation's Edge :: Asimov | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2013 | ++Ender's Game :: Card | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2013 | ++Speaker for the Dead :: Card | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2013 | ++Think Like a Freak :: Levitt & Dubner | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++Moonwalking with Einstein :: Foer | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++Siddhartha :: Hesse | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++A Visual Dictionary of Architecture :: Ching | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++The Republic :: Plato | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++This is a Book :: Martin | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++In Pursuit of Elegance :: May | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++Divine Comedy, Part 1: Inferno :: Alighieri | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++The Virtue of Selfishness :: Rand | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++The Selfish Gene :: Dawkins | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++HTML5/CSS3 :: Castro and Hyslop | +
| + | ++★★★★★ | ++2012 | ++Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid :: Hofstadter | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance :: Pirsing | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++Fermat's Enigma :: Singh | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++The People Code :: Hartman | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++Te-Tao Ching :: Lao-Tzu | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++The Catcher in the Rye :: Salinger | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++The Great Gatsby :: Fitzgerald | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++Cat's Cradle :: Vonnegut | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++5000BC :: Smullyan | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++Walden :: Thoreau | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++Instant: The Story of Polaroid :: Bonanos | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++The Snowball :: Schroeder | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++Musicophilia :: Sacks | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++Second Nature :: Edelman | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++Gödel's Proof :: Nagel and Newman | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++Emergence :: Johnson | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++Two Great Truths :: Griffin | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++The Executive Mind :: Goldberg | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++How to Build a Mind :: Aleksandern | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++How to Become a Straight-A Student :: Newport | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy :: Adams | +
| + | ++★☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++Halftime :: Buford | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++Mastery :: Greene | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++Taoism :: Oldstone-Moore | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++Artificial Intelligence: The Basics :: Warwick | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++Big Data :: Schonberger and Cukier | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++Show Me How :: Fagerstrom and Smith | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++The Tao of Pooh :: Hoff | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++The Autobiography of Mark Twain :: Mark Twain | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2012 | ++Hackers and Painters :: Graham | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++iWoz :: Wozniak | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++Steve Jobs :: Isaacson | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++The Age of Reason :: Paine | +
| + | ++★☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++Your God is Too Small :: Phillips | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++The Way to Wealth :: Franklin | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++Stuff Every Man Should Know :: Cohen | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++The Economics of Public Issues :: Miller, Benjamin, and North | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++Cannery Row :: Steinbeck | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++The Communist Manifesto :: Marx | +
| + | ++★☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++The Renaissance Soul :: Lobenstine | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++Flatland :: Abbott | +
| + | ++★★☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++Atlas Shrugged :: Rand | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++The Mentor :: Ayres | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++Alice in Quantumland :: Gilmore | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++The Prince :: Machiavelli | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++A Study in Scarlet & Hound of the Baskervilles :: Doyle | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++A Clockwork Orange :: Burgess | +
| + | ++★★★★★ | ++2011 | ++Catch-22 :: Heller | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes :: Hamilton | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++Fight Club :: Palahnluk | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++Slaughterhouse Five :: Vonnegurt | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++The Young Man's Guide :: Alcott | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++A Brave New World :: Huxley | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++Blink :: Gladwell | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt :: Morris | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++A Brief History of Time :: Hawking | +
| + | ++★☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++Steps to Christ :: White | +
| + | ++★★☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++Batman: The Killing Joke :: Moore | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++The God Delusion :: Dawkins | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++Rules of Civility :: Washington | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++The Perks of Being a Wall Flawer :: Chbosky | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++The Art of War :: Sun Tzu | +
| + | ++★★★☆☆ | ++2011 | ++Twilight :: Meyers | +
| + | ++★★☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone :: Rowling | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++King, Warrior, Magician, Lover :: Moore and Gillette | +
| + | ++★☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++There is a God :: Flew | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++Drive :: Pink | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++The Book of Five Rings :: Musashi | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++The Problems of Philosophy :: Russell | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++The Tao of Jeet Kune Do :: Lee | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++Outliers :: Gladwell | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++Reasons for God :: Keller | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++The Art of Getting Things Done :: David Allen | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++The Shape of Design :: Chimero | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++Increasing Personal Efficiency :: Conwell | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++Chaos :: Gleick | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++Anthem :: Rand | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++Consider the Lobster :: Wallace | +
| + | ++★☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++The Alpha Male Guide :: Beck | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++What the Dog Saw :: Gladwell | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++Freakonomics :: Levitt and Dubner | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++2011 | ++The Hunger Games :: Suzanne Collins | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++ | ++Flowers for Algernon :: Daniel Keys | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++ | ++Uzumaki :: Junji Ito | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++ | ++Only Revolutions :: Mark Z. Danielewski | +
| + | ++☆☆☆☆☆ | ++ | ++House of Leaves :: Mark Z. Danielewski | +
+
+So You've Been Publicly Shamed
++A well-written book on a topic I care surprisingly little about.
++The Left Hand of Darkness
++Solid science fiction with awesome spiritual insight.
++The Omnivore's Dilemma
++A rare non-fiction masterpiece. Pollan asks and answers all the right questions +about humanity's relationship with food.
++The Design of Everyday Things
++The definitive guide to design -- a must-read for all makers and managers.
++The Inner Game of Tennis
++A strange but wonderful book that teaches how to teach/learn through +meditation-like techniques.
++Triumph of Seeds
++Seed biology is a super cool topic, but the author's writing style irked me.
++Bird by Bird
++Solid writing advice and potentially good memoir smashed into a mediocre +package.
++The Diamond Age
++An incredible exploration of nanotech, education, global borders & ethnic +groups, and intuition. Some character arcs were a tad disappointing, but that +can be forgiven in the sheer volume of ideas put to paper.
++Zen in the Art of Writing
++A "zesty" book that is both a disappointing memoir and unhelpful writing guide.
++How to Read Nonfiction Like a Professor
++Insufferable drivel.
++The First Law Trilogy
++An unremarkable young-adult fantasy series with a bold ending that somehow +captured my attention.
++Company of One
++I struggled to find anything interesting or actionable from this book. I'd +suggest reading Derek Sivers's Anything You Want instead, which delivers many +of the same opinions in a potent dose.
++Fair Play
++Fair Play is a manifesto and guide for balancing domestic labor. I think it +made a lot of good points, and I can imagine its clever card game/exercise being +a useful tool for couples. I'd recommend this book to couples straining to +fairly distribute work. I suspect that clear division of responsibilities with +moderate time-tracking would be a great move for all households.
++Station Eleven
++Well-written book with a premise that didn't hook me.
++We Are Never Meeting in Real Life
++Funny/sad essays about health and money and maturity and love.
++Story of Your Life and Others
++Another incredible collection of sci-fi shorts by Ted Chiang.
++Kafka on the Shore
++I totally get that this book is subtle and clever, but sorry, it didn't really +make feel anything. And the sheer volume of media references made me feel like I +was reading Ready Player One for self-aggrandized Mensa members.
++The 19-year-old-philosophy-student-sex-scene from Kafka on the Shore embodies +much of Murakami: pretentious, captivating, and horny.
++A Man Called Ove
++Heart-warming dark comedy about a grumpy old man who wants to die.
++Paper Menagerie
++Great short story collection exploring China, technology, and the power of +words.
++White Noise
++This book produces a cool metanarrative about finding meaning amongst noise. It +also made me chuckle in quite a few parts. I really liked the characterization +of the main couple; despite its humorous takes, I think the story displays a lot +of elements of a realistic healthy relationship. I only read one third of this +book, because I'm a bit burnt out on modern/postmodern literature right now. It +seems worth another try at some point in the future though.
++The Grapes of Wrath
++This book is a passionate exploration of United States' culture. It brilliantly +covers capitalism, hunger, determination, distance, inequality, crime, family, +and xenophobia. I also loved the poetic flourishes littered throughout the +story. The world would probably be a kinder place if everybody read this book.
++A Swim in a Pond in the Rain
++A collection of engaging short stories with helpful analyses and writing advice.
++The audiobook is read by an incredible cast: +George Saunders, +Phylicia Rashad, +Nick Offerman, +Glenn Close, +Keith David, +Rainn Wilson, +BD Wong, and +Renée Elise Goldsberry
++The Black Prism
++Decent fantasy story with a compelling hard magic system based on the light +spectrum.
++Lucifer's Hammer
++An extraordinary number of people hope for the world to end in their lifetimes.
++This Is How You Lose the Time War
++Borderline pretentious but short, beautiful, and entertaining.
++The Rosie Project
++Delightful romance story from the perspective of an autistic man.
++The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared
++An irreverent Forrest Gump story. Incredible comedic payoffs. Required reading +for rascals.
++Breakfast of Champions
++A wacky book about crazy people for crazy people by crazy people. It's +Vonnegut's incisive alien wit at its best.
++The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
++Classic, clever comedy.
++Baby-Led Feeding
++This book details how and why to transition babies to solids early. It provides +helpful guidance on safety and nutrition. The book comprises mostly simple +recipes that seem tasty enough for adults and babies to share.
++Tell Me No Lies
++Wading through pages of filler to find a few worthwhile gems about lies in +relationships. Sam Harris's short treatise on lying is a more potent and +practical read.
++Atlas of the Heart
++An engaging encyclopedia of emotions.
++Exhalation: Stories
++A provocative short story collection about humans and technology. Each story +will leave a lasting impact on how I see the world. Highly, highly recommended.
++The One-Straw Revolution
++Human hubris knows no bounds. This book spurns modernity. It's a charming case +against science, technology, and progress. The pursuit of comfort makes life +untenable.
++How We Got To Now
++This book is the best kinds of entertaining and informative. Six threads of +technological history demonstrate the interconnectedness of ideas. It's a +refreshing take on inevitable innovation.
++The Walking Man
++Short manga stories about the experience of living. Breathtaking artwork in some +parts. Inspired me to get drenched and walk barefoot more often.
++The Wintringham Mystery
++Clever mystery, but ultimately soulless.
++Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
++Deep and emotional and insightful. A love letter to love in the language of game +design. This book oozes "millennial", and that's a surprisingly good thing. It +feels like classic literature written yesterday.
++A Confederacy of Dunces
++Nutty Professor meets Don Quixote meets Infinite Jest. A literary landmark ahead +of its time.
++Bridget Jones's Diary
++An endearing read about the difficulties of young adult life and womanhood in +the modern era. Contains great tongue-in-cheek commentaries on health, feminism, +egotism, and addiction.
++Promise of Blood
++It's a charming adventure/fantasy story with good characters and cool magic -- +nothing revolutionary.
++Anything You Want
++I adore this short book. Anything You Want celebrates simplicity and +sincerity. It reads like a guide to entrepeneurship for Taoists. I've read a lot +of business books, and none come close to hitting this hard. Companies forget +their customers and drink bureaucratic kool-aid in the pursuit of profits. As +I'm starting my own business, I keep coming back to this book to remind me of +why I'm doing what I'm doing.
++Learned Optimism
++This book has exactly three good observations: (1) optimists attribute permanent +causes to good events and temporary causes to bad events, (2) optimism is useful +when risk is minimal, and (3) optimism is dangerous in risky situations. +Learned Optimism would have been an excellent 250-word book.
++To Say Nothing of the Dog
++Witty, but distractingly British.
++Get In Trouble
++The Summer People is one of the best short stories I've ever encountered. The +other stories in this collection are well-written but failed to hit me in the +feels -- intriguing plot premises and a great literary style wasted on +young-adult subject matter.
++Slade House
++This book is a structural marvel but hollow inside. It gives great pacing with +lackluster payoffs.
++The Bell Jar
++This is a must-read for anybody who wants to learn what it's like to have a +mental breakdown, or love somebody in a dark place. This book was well-written +but too painfully familiar. This book made me sad without being charming or +teaching me anything new. It stole from me and gave me nothing in return, but I +imagine it has much to give others.
++The Fall of Hyperion
++This book seemed to have a lot to say. It wanted to be philosophical, it wanted +to be adventurous, it wanted to be suspenseful, it wanted to be mysterious, and +it wanted to be thought-provoking. But in my opinion, it didn't do a great job +at anything in particular. Or maybe its brilliance was wasted on me.
++The Anthropocene Reviewed
++Painfully human essays; five stars.
++Me Talk Pretty One Day
++Witty and deeply personal essay collection. Great insights on parenting, grief, +pets, language, and addiction.
++Zero to One
++Solid book on the how & why of founding a startup.
++Artemis
++This book is a well-researched sci-fi MacGyver adventure story. It's got great +characters and a fast plot. Solid book.
++Hyperion
++Hyperion is unusually refreshing sci-fi. It's 6-8 interconnected short stories +with drama, horror, mystery, and awe. Some sections didn't age well, but the +writing is incredible in some parts, and some of its ideas are downright +brilliant.
++The War of Art
++If you need inspiration or a swift kick-in-the-butt, read this book. Since +reading, I've been unable to make my usual excuses that divert me from my art +and career and health. For me, every page contained a mixture of timeless wisdom +and awful advice. This book is overall charming and pragmatic.
++God's Debris
++From few axioms, God's Debris forms a surprisingly coherent religion, +philosophy of science, and practical life advice; a worthwhile ~90-minute read.
++Interview with the Vampire
++Imagine The Count of Monte Cristo meets Faust meets Twilight -- it's an +epic tale with deep philosophical underpinnings... and vampires! This book is +worth reading if you want to dramatically ponder death, love, and evil.
++Norwegian Wood
++This book should be labeled with an extreme trigger warning. It covers death and +sex and more death and more sex and a whole lot of depression. Imagine blending +together Catcher in the Rye, The Great Gatsby, The Perks of Being a +Wallflower, Scott Pilgrim, and a smut novel. I think I learned a lot about +selfishness and happiness from this experience. I wish I read this when I +was 19.
++The Way of Kings
++If Sanderson's Mistborn is The Chronicles of Narnia, then The Stormlight +Archives is The Lord of the Rings. It's magical, political, and finely +crafted. Brandon Sanderson knows how to write payoffs. This book alone contains +383,000 words, so clear your schedule before reading.
++The Handmaid's Tale
++Much of The Handmaid's Tale is surely beyond my comprehension, but it provided +a sobering glimpse into some of the unfairnesses of nature and society. Atwood's +general take on United States fundamentalism is outstanding. The book is +riveting throughout, but its ending secures it a "modern masterpiece".
++Animal Farm
++Animal Farm delightfully illustrates how authoritarian regimes usurp control. +Although the book seemed to be specifically a critique of Stalin's Russia, there +are gems to glean about perverse institutional incentives.
++The Colour of Magic (Discworld #1)
++This was my first Terry Pratchett book. Oh boy, what a delight! If you like +clever authors like Raymond Smullyan and Douglas Adams, you'll adore his +writing. The Colour of Magic covers some surprisingly deep ideas about science +and religion wearing a witty grin.
++The Remains of the Day
++The Remains of the Day is a subtle story from the perspective of a charming +butler. I highly recommend this book if you're in a wistful mood or receptive to +deep introspection.
++The Stranger
++This book is very highly acclaimed. After reading it, I thought I missed +something, so I read a few critical analyses -- nope, I understood it perfectly. +The Stranger has a decent plot with great writing. This book was probably +ground-breaking in 1942, but existentialism has been beaten to death since then. +On my end, this is probably a case of +"Seinfeld is unfunny".
++Metamorphosis
++Metamorphosis is potent. It's witty, horrific, deep, and bizarre -- an +unforgettable experience.
++Discipline is Destiny
++This book was inspiring but forgettable. All the examples of disciplined people +got me pumped, but I didn't find much actionable content.
++Ubik
++Good sci-fi stories explore "cool ideas". Ubik miraculously interleaves 3-5 +"cool ideas". And it keeps topping itself with bigger and bigger extensions of +its core "cool ideas". Read Ubik if you like "cool ideas".
++Triggers
++This is a self-help book that delivers. It's an incredibly useful guide on how +to enact lasting change in yourself. This book focuses on growth via +environmental cues. I particularly liked the concrete advice on daily active +questions, accountability partners, and actionable ways to change cognitive +contexts.
++Book of the New Sun
++These books are extremely subversive, yet the author falls prey to the exact +tropes he's "subverting". The plot oscillates between mind-bending +self-reference and painful self-awarelessness. Some of the twists are +incredible. I suspect that this is an excellent book that aged poorly.
++Solaris
++A sci-fi book that gave me literal nightmares. It's unsettling and +thought-provoking.
++The Good Earth
++A heartbreaking rags-to-riches-to-rags story about wealth, family, work, +fairness, kindness, and land. It's easy to see why a book about rural Chinese +peasants was the best-selling book in the US during The Dust Bowl and The Great +Depression. This book will inspire or haunt you.
+ + + + + +]]>+Read more about my rating system here.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +| + | ++ | +
|---|---|
| + | ++CocoRosie :: Grey Oceans | +
| +4 | ++Cyndi Lauper :: She's So Unusual | +
| +1 | ++PeanutsKun :: Air Drop Boy | +
| +2 | ++The Fearless Flyers :: The Fearless Flyers III - EP | +
| +2 | ++Braid :: Frame & Canvas | +
| + | ++JPEGMAFIA :: Black Ben Carson | +
| +2 | ++Kai Whiston :: No World As Good As Mine | +
| +3 | ++Gospel :: The Loser | +
| + | ++The Strokes :: The New Abnormal | +
| +3 | ++SOPHIE :: Oil of Every Pearl's Un - Insides | +
| + | ++Tides Of Man :: Empire Theory | +
| +2 | ++Shinichiro Yokota :: Shinichiro Yokota Presents Do It Again and Again | +
| +2 | ++Flume :: Flume | +
| +4 | ++Flume :: Palaces | +
| +3 | ++Minus the Bear :: Menos el Oso | +
| +2 | ++Astronoid :: Astronoid | +
| +3 | ++black balloons :: escape FM | +
| +5 | ++London Symphony Orchestra :: Reich: The Four Sections | +
| + | ++Animal Collective :: Time Skiffs | +
| + | ++More Eaze :: Mari | +
| + | ++Hiatus Kaiyote :: Mood Valiant | +
| +4 | ++Silversun Pickups :: Carnavas | +
| +1 | ++Foo Fighters :: The Colour and the Shape | +
| +4 | ++Phoebe Bridgers :: That Funny Feeling - Single | +
| + | ++Portishead :: Third | +
| +3 | ++Yung Bae :: Ba3 | +
| + | ++PASSEPIED :: Makunouchi-Ism | +
| +4 | ++Jay Som :: Anak Ko | +
| +1 | ++PeanutsKun :: Tele Club | +
| +3 | ++YMCK :: Family Dancing | +
| + | ++Deaf Havana :: It's Called the Easy Life - EP | +
| + | ++Eidola :: To Speak, To Listen | +
| +3 | ++Kikuo :: Kikuo Miku | +
| +2 | ++Kurt Travis :: Everything Is Beautiful | +
| +2 | ++Apparatjik :: We Are Here | +
| +4 | ++City and Colour :: Sometimes | +
| + | ++Nevertheless :: Live Like We're Alive | +
| + | ++Piglet :: Songs EP (Live in Chicago) | +
| + | ++Archaeologist :: Odysseys | +
| +3 | ++Astronoid :: Radiant Bloom | +
| + | ++New York Philharmonic :: Verdi: Requiem | +
| + | ++Radiohead :: Kid A | +
| + | ++Spelling :: The Turning Wheel | +
| +2 | ++Infinity Shred :: Ep002 (Recovery) | +
| +2 | ++Matthew Halsall :: Salute to the Sun | +
| + | ++The Fiery Furnaces :: EP | +
| +4 | ++Ólafur Arnalds :: re:member | +
| +4 | ++bye2 :: Teeth Restoration | +
| + | ++Jinjer :: King of Everything | +
| +2 | ++Hospital Bracelet :: South Loop Summer | +
| +2 | ++Foxygen :: ...And Star Power | +
| +2 | ++Winston Surfshirt :: Apple Crumble | +
| +3 | ++The Flower Kings :: Banks of Eden | +
| + | ++The Presidents of the United States of America :: The Presidents of the United States of America | +
| +3 | ++Octave Cat :: Octave Cat | +
| +4 | ++Animals As Leaders :: The Madness Of Many | +
| + | ++DV-i :: Aurora Memoria : Philosophical Data Session 2093 | +
| +1 | ++Stratovarius :: Destiny | +
| + | ++Günther & The Sunshine Girls :: Pleasure Man | +
| + | ++Joshua Radin :: We Were Here | +
| +2 | ++EASYFUN :: ELECTRIC - EP | +
| +1 | ++Duelyst II: Original Soundtrack (Alpha Version) | +
| + | ++Spangle Call Lilli Line :: Ghost is Dead | +
| +2 | ++Sleeping With Sirens :: Let's Cheers to This | +
| +1 | ++Base Ball Bear :: (What Is The) Love & Pop? | +
| + | ++macaroom :: Homephone TE | +
| + | ++Dolly Parton :: 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs | +
| + | ++Cap'n Jazz :: Analphabetapolothology | +
| +1 | ++Sermon :: Of Golden Verse | +
| + | ++Static Movement :: Visionary Landscapes | +
| +2 | ++Österreich :: Dearly Departed - EP | +
| + | ++Big Thief :: Capacity | +
| +2 | ++Darwin Deez :: Darwin Deez | +
| + | ++GoGo Penguin :: Man Made Object | +
| +1 | ++Sorsari :: Patterns EP | +
| +1 | ++CAPSULE :: PLAYER | +
| + | ++Genevieve Artadi :: Genevieve Lalala | +
| +4 | ++Sam Gellaitry :: Escapism - EP | +
| +2 | ++Petrie :: Slurs | +
| + | ++underscores :: Skin Purifying Treatment | +
| +1 | ++Lee Moon Sae :: 골든 15 | +
| + | ++FLOOR BABA :: Bombs - Ball | +
| +2 | ++CHANCE デラソウル :: Shine On | +
| +2 | ++Huey Lewis & The News :: Sports | +
| + | ++Blonde Redhead :: Fake Can Be Just as Good | +
| +2 | ++Panda Bear :: Mr Noah - EP | +
| +3 | ++Origami Angel :: Doing the Most - EP | +
| +4 | ++Širom :: The Liquified Throne of Simplicity | +
| +3 | ++A Skylit Drive :: She Watched The Sky | +
| +1 | ++Perfume :: Cosmic Explorer | +
| +3 | ++The Olivia Tremor Control :: Black Foliage: Animation Music | +
| +2 | ++Menomena :: Friend and Foe | +
| +2 | ++Emily Keener :: I Do Not Have To Be Good | +
| +4 | ++The Smiths :: Hatful of Hollow | +
| +3 | ++Into It. Over It. :: Proper | +
| +1 | ++Panic! At the Disco :: Vices & Virtues | +
| +2 | ++Sonata Arctica :: Winterheart's Guild | +
| +3 | ++Regal Lily :: The Post | +
| +3 | ++Arca :: KiCk i | +
| +3 | ++Anomalie :: Métropole, Pt. II | +
| + | ++The Handsome Family :: Milk & Scissors | +
| +2 | ++Elephant Gym :: Under Water | +
| +5 | ++JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown :: SCARING THE HOES | +
| + | ++Nicholas Kraemer, Raglan Baroque Players & Monica Huggett :: Vivaldi: Il cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione, Op. 8 | +
| + | ++Dragonette :: Fixin to Thrill | +
| +3 | ++Pinback :: Autumn of the Seraphs | +
| +2 | ++Brett Dennen :: So Much More | +
| +3 | ++Simon & Garfunkel :: Sounds Of Silence | +
| +3 | ++Home Is Where :: I Became Birds - EP | +
| + | ++DZA :: Robo Army - EP | +
| +4 | ++COVET :: effloresce | +
| +1 | ++Feu! Chatterton :: Palais d'argile | +
| + | ++McKinley Dixon :: For My Mama and Anyone Who Look Like Her | +
| +2 | ++Drive Like Jehu :: Yank Crime | +
| +2 | ++Machinedrum :: Many Faces | +
| +2 | ++Cartel :: Cycles | +
| +2 | ++PeanutsKun :: Walk Through the Stars | +
| +3 | ++Iglooghost :: Lei Disk 「Radio•Broadcast」 | +
| +2 | ++The Candlepark Stars :: Shimmer and Gold | +
| + | ++The Front Bottoms :: In Sickness & In Flames | +
| + | ++black midi :: Hellfire | +
| +2 | ++Tomggg :: Unbalance - EP | +
| +2 | ++Lights :: Little Machines | +
| +3 | ++Swimming With Dolphins :: Water Colours | +
| + | ++Tim Buckley :: Lorca | +
| +2 | ++Redinho :: Finally We're Alone | +
| +3 | ++Sound of Ceres :: The Twin | +
| +4 | ++Ape Escape,Soichi Terada :: Ape Escape Originape Soundtracks / サルゲッチュ・オリジサル・サウンドトラック | +
| +2 | ++Chet Porter :: Intermission Broadcast (DJ Mix) | +
| + | ++Brian Eno :: Here Come the Warm Jets | +
| +2 | ++kz(livetune) • NARASAKI • WATCHMAN • コジマミノリ :: TV アニメ「BEATLESS」オリジナルサウンドトラック | +
| +2 | ++Owls :: Our Hopes and Dreams | +
| + | ++Wardruna :: Runaljob - gap var Ginnunga | +
| +3 | ++Jay Som :: Everybody Works | +
| + | ++Big Thief :: Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You | +
| +1 | ++Perma :: Fight Fair | +
| +2 | ++Lucybell :: Lumina | +
| +3 | ++KOTONOHOUSE :: Synchronicity | +
| + | ++Fearofdark :: Motorway | +
| + | ++Stevie Wonder :: Innervisions | +
| +4 | ++Deas Vail :: All the Houses Look the Same | +
| +4 | ++Vylet Pony :: Queen of Misfits | +
| +2 | ++Sweet Trip :: Seen/Unseen | +
| + | ++Hiatus Kaiyote :: Tawk Tomahawk | +
| +2 | ++Redinho :: Redinho | +
| + | ++PVRIS :: White Noise | +
| +2 | ++Jazmine Sullivan :: Heaux Tales | +
| +1 | ++Sentimental Scenery :: There Is Nowhere Else In The World | +
| +2 | ++Ray Toro :: Remember the Laughter | +
| +2 | ++Mux Mool :: Skulltaste | +
| +5 | ++My Chemical Romance :: Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge | +
| +1 | ++Lainey Wilson :: Sayin' What I'm Thinkin' | +
| +2 | ++Daphne Loves Derby :: Good Night, Witness Light | +
| +4 | ++Deerhoof :: Future Teenage Cave Artists | +
| +2 | ++Sparks the Rescue :: The Secrets We Can't Keep - EP | +
| +3 | ++Melt-Banana :: Cell-Scape | +
| +2 | ++Eat Your Heart Out :: Florescence | +
| +4 | ++August Burns Red :: Constellations | +
| +2 | ++Dogleg :: Melee | +
| +2 | ++PJ Harvey :: Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea | +
| +1 | ++Kensington :: Borders | +
| +2 | ++ODESZA :: In Return | +
| +2 | ++Good Old War :: Come Back As Rain | +
| +2 | ++Tennyson :: Tennyson | +
| + | ++Pinback :: Summer in Abandon | +
| + | ++Dirty Bird :: gum.mp3 | +
| +3 | ++Katia & Marielle Labèque :: Minimalist Dream House | +
| +2 | ++GFOTY & Spinee :: Dog Food | +
| + | ++Carla Bley & The Jazz Composer's Orchestra :: Escalator Over The Hill - A Chronotransduction By Carla Bley And Paul Haines | +
| + | ++Éric Serra :: Le cinquième élément - The Fifth Element (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | +
| +3 | ++Charli XCX :: Number 1 Angel | +
| +3 | ++Magalena Bay :: mini mix vol. 1 | +
| +5 | ++Edger Meyer & Chris Thile :: Bass & Mandolin | +
| + | ++Anberlin :: Never Take Friendship Personal | +
| +2 | ++Sleep Token :: This Place Will Become Your Tomb | +
| +3 | ++Mammal Hands :: Shadow Work | +
| +4 | ++Talking Heads :: Talking Heads: 77 | +
| +1 | ++ZOMBIE-CHANG :: STRESS de STRESS | +
| +3 | ++The Weepies :: Sirens | +
| +3 | ++Daphne Loves Derby :: On The Strength Of Everybody Convinced | +
| +4 | ++Caroline Polachek :: Pang | +
| +3 | ++Death Cab for Cutie :: Plans | +
| +3 | ++Owl City :: Of June | +
| + | ++Billy Woods :: Aethiopes | +
| +3 | ++Spangle Call Lilli Line :: Ampersand | +
| + | ++Crippled Black Phoenix :: Banefyre | +
| + | ++The Decemberists :: The Crane Wife | +
| +2 | ++Tokyo Black Hole :: 大森靖子 | +
| +2 | ++Eat Your Heart Out :: Can't Stay Forever | +
| +1 | ++Charisma.com :: DIStopping | +
| +2 | ++Yeah Yeah Yeahs :: It's Blitz! | +
| +4 | ++Chilly Gonzales :: Solo Piano II | +
| +2 | ++Nu:Tone :: Words and Pictures | +
| +3 | ++Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band :: Safe As Milk | +
| +3 | ++Shohei Amimori :: Sonasile | +
| + | ++MONO :: Pilgrimage of the Soul | +
| +2 | ++Sia :: This Is Acting | +
| + | ++Deftones :: Ohms | +
| + | ++Shubh Saran :: Hmayra | +
| + | ++Laufey :: Typical of Me EP | +
| +2 | ++JVNA :: Hope In Chaos | +
| +3 | ++Ni :: Les insurgés de Romilly | +
| +3 | ++graves :: Hilo - EP | +
| +4 | ++Lxmp :: Back To The Future Shock | +
| +3 | ++Crywank :: Fist Me 'Til Your Hand Comes out My Mouth | +
| +4 | ++Soichi Terada :: Ape Escape 3 (Originape Soundtracks) サルゲッチュ 3・オリジサル・サウンドトラック | +
| +2 | ++Tommy '86 :: Disco Machine | +
| + | ++Jinjer :: Macro | +
| +3 | ++Fun. :: Aim and Ignite | +
| +2 | ++Sweet Trip :: velocity : design : comfort. | +
| +1 | ++813 :: Espoir Voyage - EP | +
| +1 | ++Film School :: Hideout | +
| +2 | ++Snail's House :: Ordinary Songs 3 | +
| +4 | ++Himera :: Sharing Secrets | +
| +3 | ++Edison Glass :: Time is Fiction | +
| +5 | ++A Tribe Called Quest :: We got it from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service | +
| +4 | ++Jean-Michel Jarre :: Oxygène | +
| + | ++Flying Lotus :: Cosmogramma | +
| +4 | ++Nas :: Illmatic | +
| +5 | ++Sewerslvt :: We Had Good Times Together, Don't Forget That | +
| +3 | ++Evil Needle :: L'Emprise | +
| +2 | ++Anthony Green :: Young Legs | +
| +3 | ++Sufjan Stevens :: A Sun Came | +
| + | ++Glacci :: Pure | +
| +2 | ++scntfc :: Oxenfree | +
| +2 | ++Fink :: Sort of Revolution | +
| + | ++sleepmakeswaves :: Love Of Cartography | +
| +2 | ++Dirty Projectors :: Lamp Lit Prose | +
| +3 | ++Osamu Sato :: LSD Revamped | +
| + | ++Low :: I Could Live In Hope | +
| +2 | ++The Frozen Autumn :: Emotional Screening Device | +
| +3 | ++Oso Oso :: basking in the glow | +
| +4 | ++Aesop Rock :: Spirit World Field Guide | +
| +4 | ++Wild Nothing :: Nocturne | +
| +3 | ++Yung Bae :: Bae | +
| +3 | ++Popol Vuh :: Hosianna Mantra | +
| +3 | ++Niechec :: [Self-Titled] | +
| +2 | ++The Chicks :: Gaslighter | +
| + | ++Grateful Dead :: American Beauty | +
| + | ++The Color Morale :: We All Have Demons | +
| +2 | ++Architecture in Helsinki :: Moment Bends | +
| + | ++Deerhunter :: Halcyon Digest | +
| +3 | ++Perturbator :: I Am the Night | +
| +3 | ++Sewerslvt :: if you’re out there i miss you ｡ﾟ･ (>﹏<) ･ﾟ｡ - EP | +
| +2 | ++VersaEmerge :: Fixed At Zero | +
| +2 | ++Moon Tooth :: Phototroph | +
| +2 | ++CHANCE デラソウル :: Virtual Girls Band a.k.A. Sparkle | +
| + | ++Vince Staples :: Summertime '06 | +
| +3 | ++YURiKA :: TV アニメ「リトルウィッチアカデミア」第 2 クールオープニングテーマ "Mind Conductor" - EP | +
| +2 | ++Orchards :: Lovecore | +
| +4 | ++Perturbator :: Dangerous Days | +
| +4 | ++Quadrupède :: Tobogan | +
| +4 | ++Jeff Buckley :: Grace | +
| +2 | ++Nu:Tone :: Little Spaces | +
| +1 | ++Jaejoo Boys :: 유년에게 | +
| +3 | ++Helloween :: Helloween | +
| +3 | ++The Cabs :: Kaiki Suru Kokyu - EP | +
| +4 | ++MONO :: Rays of Darkness | +
| +1 | ++Spiritualized :: Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space | +
| +4 | ++Esperanza Spalding :: Emily's D+Evolution | +
| +2 | ++Giraffage :: No Reason - EP | +
| +4 | ++Chick Corea :: Light As a Feather | +
| +2 | ++Swod :: Gehen | +
| +3 | ++Andrea Motis :: Do Outro Lado do Azul | +
| +4 | ++Russian Circles :: Enter | +
| +2 | ++Snail's House :: Alien Pop III - EP | +
| +2 | ++TNGHT :: II | +
| + | ++Beach House :: Depression Cherry | +
| +2 | ++Cookiee Kawaii :: Club Soda, Vol. 2 | +
| +2 | ++Eat Your Heart Out :: Mind Games - EP | +
| +3 | ++Kimbra :: Vows | +
| + | ++Panteros666 :: Bromance #8: Hyper Reality | +
| +4 | ++Glassjaw :: Worship and Tribute | +
| + | ++Kensuke Ushio :: Ping Pong (Original Soundtrack) | +
| +1 | ++twenty one pilots :: TOPxMM - EP | +
| +2 | ++Boards of Canada :: Geogaddi | +
| +2 | ++Startle the Heavens :: Find Yourself Here | +
| +1 | ++Various Artists :: 13 Ways to Live | +
| +2 | ++Morphine :: Good | +
| +5 | ++Dirty Projectors :: Bitte Orca | +
| +2 | ++Leprous :: Aphelion | +
| +3 | ++Flybear :: Soon... - Single | +
| + | ++Enemies :: We've Been Talking | +
| +2 | ++The Human Abstract :: Nocturne | +
| +2 | ++Archaeologist :: Winter's Wake - EP | +
| + | ++Chris Thile & Edgar Meyer :: Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile | +
| + | ++Radiohead :: In Rainbows | +
| +2 | ++Sewerslvt :: Tortvred Lesbians Ripped Apart - EP | +
| +2 | ++Devendra Banhart :: Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon | +
| +4 | ++Deerhoof :: Breakup Song | +
| +2 | ++Crown the Empire :: The Fallout | +
| +2 | ++Apparatjik :: Square Peg In a Round Hole | +
| + | ++Lil Ugly Mane :: Volcanic Bird Enemy and the Voiced Concern | +
| +1 | ++The Impossible Nothing :: Rock Beats Giant | +
| +3 | ++St. Vincent :: MASSEDUCATION | +
| +4 | ++Blümchen :: Herzfrequenz | +
| +2 | ++Massive Attack :: Mezzanine | +
| + | ++Ólafur Arnalds :: Found Songs | +
| + | ++Yellowcard :: Lights and Sounds | +
| +2 | ++Horse the Band :: R. Borlax | +
| +5 | ++Benjamin Alard :: Johann Sebastian Bach: The Complete Works for Keyboard, Vol. 4 "Alla Veneziana" | +
| +2 | ++KEN mode :: Success | +
| +2 | ++Hella :: There's No 666 in Outer Space | +
| +4 | ++TTNG :: 13.0.0.0.0 | +
| +2 | ++Akron/Family :: S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT | +
| +3 | ++The Cure :: Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me | +
| + | ++Susanne Sundfør :: A Night At Salle Pleyel | +
| +4 | ++Poil :: Sus | +
| + | ++Secret Band :: Secret Band | +
| +2 | ++King Mothership :: The Ritual | +
| +2 | ++Laryssa Okada :: Manifold Garden (Original Soundtrack) | +
| + | ++Angelo De Augustine :: Swim Inside the Moon | +
| + | ++Over The Garden Wall & The Blasting Company :: Over the Garden Wall (Original Television Soundtrack) | +
| +3 | ++LITE :: Phantasia | +
| + | ++Dirty Projectors :: Swing Lo Magellan | +
| + | ++food house, Gupi & Fraxiom :: Food House | +
| +3 | ++Heavy Heavy Low Low :: Turtle Nipple and the Toxic Shock | +
| + | ++Jean Jacques Kantorow & Tapiola Sinfonietta :: Part: Tabula Rasa - Frates - Collage Sur Bach | +
| +2 | ++William Fitzsimmons :: Until When We Are Ghosts | +
| + | ++Chick Corea & Hiromi :: Duet | +
| +3 | ++The Flower Kings :: The Sum of No Evil | +
| + | ++65daysofstatic :: One Time for All Time | +
| +2 | ++half•alive :: Now, Not Yet | +
| + | ++Foxes In Fiction :: Trillium Killer | +
| +3 | ++Lights :: PEP | +
| +2 | ++Stratovarius :: Episode | +
| +3 | ++Meredith Monk :: Dolmen Music | +
| +3 | ++A. G. Cook :: Apple vs. 7G | +
| +4 | ++Pinback :: Information Retrieved | +
| +4 | ++foxtails :: III | +
| +2 | ++Seiko Oomori :: Muteki | +
| +1 | ++Yan Wagner :: Forty Eight Hours | +
| +1 | ++Never Shout Never :: Time Travel | +
| + | ++Angelo De Augustine :: Spirals of Silence | +
| +3 | ++mewithoutYou :: A To B Life | +
| +2 | ++Albert Ayler & Don Cherry :: Vibrations | +
| +1 | ++Supercar :: HIGHVISION | +
| +2 | ++CAPSULE :: Fruits Clipper | +
| + | ++Dance Gavin Dance :: Dance Gavin Dance | +
| +3 | ++Yung Bae :: B4E | +
| +3 | ++Petal Supply :: Hey | +
| +2 | ++PUP :: THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND | +
| +4 | ++Jethro Tull :: Aqualung | +
| +2 | ++Martyn :: Voids | +
| + | ++Leftover Cuties :: The Spark & the Fire | +
| + | ++WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA :: Galapagos | +
| +1 | ++Catie Curtis :: Long Night Moon | +
| + | ++Squarepusher :: Hard Normal Daddy | +
| +2 | ++Snowblood :: I'm Ready | +
| +2 | ++Jets to Brazil :: Orange Rhyming Dictionary | +
| + | ++DJ Kuroneko :: Kuroneko | +
| +2 | ++The New Division :: Shadows | +
| + | ++Chantal Acda :: Let Your Hands Be My Guide | +
| + | ++Real Estate :: Real Estate | +
| +3 | ++Anne-Sophie Mutter, Daniil Trifonov, Hwayoon Lee, Maximilian Hornung & Roman Patkoló :: Schubert: Forellenquintett (Trout Quintet) | +
| +2 | ++Glacci :: Lucid E.P. | +
| +1 | ++Shit & Shine :: Toilet Door T**s / the Biggest Cock In Christendom | +
| +3 | ++Oceana :: The Tide | +
| +3 | ++Bon Iver :: For Emma, Forever Ago | +
| +1 | ++Son Lux :: Brighter Wounds | +
| +1 | ++Jason Isbell :: Something More Than Free | +
| +3 | ++Machinedrum :: Human Energy | +
| + | ++Casey Veggies :: Sleeping in Class | +
| + | ++Sufjan Stevens :: Enjoy Your Rabbit | +
| + | ++Lydia Ainsworth :: Right from Real | +
| +2 | ++S U R V I V E :: Mnq026 | +
| +1 | ++Neck Deep :: Wishful Thinking | +
| +1 | ++Rise Against :: The Sufferer & the Witness | +
| +2 | ++New Sylveon :: ZVER | +
| +4 | ++Bon Iver :: Bon Iver | +
| +2 | ++Death Cab for Cutie :: Transatlanticism | +
| + | ++Eskmo :: Terra | +
| +2 | ++Machine Gun Kelly :: Hotel Diablo | +
| + | ++ENDON :: Through the Mirror | +
| + | ++The Milk Carton Kids :: Prologue | +
| +1 | ++Beacon :: Gravity Pairs | +
| + | ++Grizzly Bear :: Veckatimest | +
| + | ++First Aid Kit :: Stay Gold | +
| + | ++John Coltrane :: My Favorite Things | +
| +2 | ++Knapsack :: Bend | +
| + | ++Goldfrapp :: Seventh Tree | +
| + | ++Sound of Ceres :: The Twin: Demonstration Tape | +
| +5 | ++Gil Evans :: The Individualism Of Gil Evans | +
| + | ++Pierce the Veil :: A Flair For the Dramatic | +
| + | ++Extra Life :: Made Flesh | +
| + | ++Trentemøller :: Moan | +
| + | ++Hella :: Hold Your Horse Is | +
| +3 | ++LITE :: Installation | +
| + | ++POLIÇA :: Shulamith | +
| +2 | ++In Love With a Ghost :: Healing | +
| +3 | ++Purity Ring :: WOMB | +
| +2 | ++Son Lux :: Tomorrows I | +
| + | ++Wolf Alice :: Blue Weekend | +
| + | ++Pianos Become The Teeth :: Old Pride | +
| +3 | ++Covet :: Covet on Audiotree Live | +
| +1 | ++Maggie Lindemann :: PARANOIA | +
| +2 | ++Followed By Ghosts :: Dear Monsters, Be Patient | +
| +1 | ++Polvo :: Today's Active Lifestyles | +
| +5 | ++Björk :: Volta | +
| +2 | ++BOYS LIFE :: Departures and Landfalls | +
| +1 | ++Alanis Morissette :: Jagged Little Pill | +
| +1 | ++Death from Above 1979 :: The Physical World | +
| +1 | ++The Academy Is... :: Fast Times at Barrington High | +
| +2 | ++Necry Talkie :: Memories | +
| + | ++Eatmewhileimhot! :: Mushroom | +
| + | ++Purity Ring :: Another Eternity | +
| +1 | ++Mono/Poly :: Manifestations - EP | +
| + | ++Technimatic :: Desire Paths | +
| +2 | ++Charmer :: Charmer | +
| +3 | ++Kyary Pamyu Pamyu :: Moshimoshiharajuku | +
| + | ++Aphex Twin :: Syro | +
| +3 | ++Pinback :: Nautical Antiques | +
| +2 | ++MASTER BOOT RECORD :: Interrupt Request | +
| + | ++This Will Destroy You :: New Others Part Two | +
| +3 | ++Lightning Bolt :: Wonderful Rainbow | +
| +4 | ++Michael Nyman :: The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover (Soundtrack to the Film) | +
| +3 | ++Crying :: Get Olde / Second Wind | +
| + | ++Ho-Kago Tea Time :: Ho-Kago Tea Time II (From "K-On!!") | +
| +5 | ++Clown Core :: Toilet | +
| +2 | ++Mono/Poly :: Monotomic | +
| +2 | ++2814 :: Lost Fragments | +
| + | ++Royal Trux :: Twin Infinitives | +
| +2 | ++Various Artists :: The 6 Machine - EP | +
| + | ++Swans :: To Be Kind | +
| +3 | ++Five Star Hotel & Machine Girl :: Machine Girl / Five Star Hotel | +
| + | ++Death Cab for Cutie :: Narrow Stairs | +
| + | ++Desired :: Plastic Whatever | +
| +3 | ++Department of Eagles :: In Ear Park | +
| +2 | ++Manchester Orchestra :: The Million Masks Of God | +
| +2 | ++Joshua James :: The Sun Is Always Brighter | +
| +3 | ++Bill Laurance :: Flint | +
| +2 | ++Dr. Dog :: We All Belong | +
| +3 | ++I Am Abomination :: To Our Forefathers | +
| + | ++Diablo Swing Orchestra :: The Butcher's Ballroom | +
| +4 | ++The Smiths :: Meat Is Murder | +
| + | ++Treasure Hunt :: Homeschool Rock! | +
| +2 | ++Carpainter :: Noble Arts | +
| +3 | ++Sun City Girls :: Torch of the Mystics | +
| + | ++Delta Sleep :: Twin Galaxies | +
| + | ++O'Brother :: Endless Light | +
| + | ++Wardruna :: Kvitravn | +
| +2 | ++La Luz :: It's Alive | +
| +2 | ++Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers & Lucy Dacus :: Boygenius - EP | +
| +5 | ++Disasterpeace :: Rise of the Obsidian Interstellar | +
| +4 | ++Abel Korzeniowski :: Nocturnal Animals (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | +
| + | ++Mindflayer :: Expedition to the hairier peaks | +
| +4 | ++Eisley :: Currents | +
| +1 | ++Akron/Family :: Sub Verses | +
| +2 | ++Gost :: Possessor | +
| + | ++bygones :: by- | +
| + | ++Protest the Hero :: Kezia | +
| +1 | ++The Temper Trap :: Conditions | +
| +3 | ++BADBADNOTGOOD :: III | +
| + | ++Cashmere Cat :: PRINCESS CATGIRL | +
| + | ++Boldy James & Sterling Toles :: Manager on McNichols | +
| + | ++This Town Needs Guns :: This Town Needs Guns | +
| + | ++Glacci :: Falling Into Forever | +
| + | ++Wovenhand :: Refractory Obdurate | +
| + | ++Relient K :: Mmhmm | +
| + | ++DIIV :: Oshin | +
| +2 | ++Sampha :: Process | +
| +1 | ++JONGHYUN :: She Is - The 1st Album | +
| +4 | ++Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile :: Not Our First Goat Rodeo | +
| +3 | ++Oklou :: Galore | +
| +2 | ++Lil Nas X :: MONTERO | +
| +5 | ++The Shaggs :: Philosophy of the World | +
| + | ++Oceans Ate Alaska :: Hikari | +
| + | ++Marnie Stern :: Marnie Stern | +
| +2 | ++dandelion hands :: Dhid!!, Vol. 2 | +
| +3 | ++Jacob Mann Big Band :: Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 - EP | +
| +1 | ++Poppy :: Poppy.Computer | +
| +2 | ++Black Country, New Road :: For the First Time | +
| +1 | ++Destroyer :: Poison Season | +
| +2 | ++Knapsack :: Day Three of My New Life | +
| + | ++Exuma :: Exuma, The Obeah Man | +
| +3 | ++GoGo Penguin :: Between Two Waves - EP | +
| +4 | ++Marvin Gaye :: Let's Get It On | +
| + | ++Squarepusher :: Ultravisitor | +
| +3 | ++Beastie Boys :: Licensed to Ill | +
| +3 | ++Medieval Slimes :: Medieval Slimes | +
| +1 | ++Jessie Ware :: Glasshouse | +
| + | ++Glitchtrode :: All Things Good & Bad | +
| + | ++Khruangbin :: Mordechai | +
| +2 | ++Nick Johnston :: Remarkably Human | +
| + | ++Yuna :: Rouge | +
| +3 | ++Portico Quartet :: Knee Deep In the North Sea | +
| + | ++Nobuo Uematsu :: FINAL FANTASY VII (Original Soundtrack) | +
| +3 | ++Mammal Hands :: Animalia | +
| + | ++EASYFUN :: Easyfun - EP | +
| +3 | ++Jyocho :: Days in the Bluish House | +
| +2 | ++Cavetown :: Lemon Boy | +
| +2 | ++Mura Masa :: Soundtrack to a Death | +
| + | ++Rush :: Counterparts | +
| + | ++Periphery :: Periphery | +
| +2 | ++Cosmo's Midnight :: What Comes Next | +
| +4 | ++Anaïs Mitchell & Jefferson Hamer :: Child Ballads | +
| + | ++Jacob Collier :: In My Room | +
| + | ++Hammock :: Elsewhere | +
| + | ++Sinjin Hawke & Zora Jones :: Vicious Circles | +
| +4 | ++The Academy Is... :: Almost Here | +
| + | ++Scary Kids Scaring Kids :: Scary Kids Scaring Kids | +
| +2 | ++Sheena Ringo :: Karuki Zahmen Kuri No Hana - Kalk Samen Chestnut Flower | +
| + | ++Copeland :: You Are My Sunshine | +
| + | ++Eiko Ishibashi :: Drive My Car Original Soundtrack | +
| +3 | ++Hammock :: Everything and Nothing | +
| +4 | ++Ghosts and Vodka :: Addicts and Drunks | +
| + | ++Chris Thile & Michael Daves :: Sleep With One Eye Open | +
| +2 | ++Chamsom :: 속마음 | +
| +5 | ++Arthur Rubinstein :: Chopin: Nocturnes | +
| + | ++Brown Bird :: The Devil Dancing | +
| +1 | ++Tori Amos :: B of A, Boston, MA 8/21/05 | +
| +2 | ++Weyes Blood :: Rough Trade Session - EP | +
| +3 | ++Cosmo's Midnight :: Moments - EP | +
| + | ++Sub Focus :: Sub Focus | +
| + | ++Candy Claws :: Hidden Lands | +
| + | ++DJ Koze :: Knock Knock | +
| + | ++Explosions In the Sky :: The Wilderness | +
| + | ++Dorena :: Holofon | +
| + | ++Protest the Hero :: Palimpsest | +
| + | ++The Beach Boys :: Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) | +
| + | ++Grateful Dead :: Wake of the Flood | +
| +1 | ++Quruli :: The Best of Quruli / Tower of Music Lover | +
| + | ++ZOMBIE-CHANG :: Petit Petit Petit | +
| + | ++Sonic Youth :: Daydream Nation | +
| +2 | ++Starscream :: Future, And It Doesn't Work + Remixes | +
| +2 | ++Albert Ayler Trio :: Spiritual Unity | +
| +2 | ++Chinese Football :: Continue? - EP | +
| + | ++A Bunny's Caravan :: Draining Puddles, Retrieving Treasures | +
| +4 | ++Forgive Durden :: Razia's Shadow: A Musical | +
| +2 | ++65daysofstatic :: Don't Go Down to Sorrow - EP | +
| + | ++Kimbra :: Primal Heart | +
| +2 | ++Blümchen :: Verliebt... | +
| +3 | ++BADBADNOTGOOD :: Talk Memory | +
| +2 | ++The Jazz June :: The Medicine | +
| +5 | ++Pink Floyd :: The Wall | +
| + | ++Chinese Football :: Chinese Football | +
| +2 | ++Seiko Oomori :: Sennou | +
| + | ++Underoath :: Voyeurist | +
| + | ++NANORAY :: Zapper | +
| +1 | ++Perma :: Two of a Crime | +
| +3 | ++LINKIN PARK :: Hybrid Theory | +
| + | ++Arctic Monkeys :: Humbug | +
| + | ++Mew :: A Triumph for Man | +
| + | ++Sable :: Url Luv - EP | +
| + | ++This Providence :: This Providence | +
| +3 | ++Isles & Glaciers :: The Hearts of Lonely People | +
| +2 | ++METZ :: METZ | +
| + | ++Jay Electronica :: A Written Testimony | +
| + | ++Kayo Dot :: Plastic House on Base of Sky | +
| + | ++Ashnikko :: DEMIDEVIL | +
| + | ++Disasterpeace :: Hyper Light Fragments | +
| + | ++Glitchtrode :: Dreams Kill Dreams | +
| +2 | ++Nate Ruess :: Grand Romantic | +
| +1 | ++Otira :: Night Is Short - EP | +
| + | ++Shaun Martin, Matthew Ramsey & Mike "Blaque Dynamite" Mitchell :: Three-O | +
| +2 | ++Priestess :: Hello Master | +
| +3 | ++The Meters :: Rejuvenation | +
| + | ++RAC :: Master Spy (Original Soundtrack) | +
| +2 | ++Various Artists :: The Cosmic Forces of Mu | +
| + | ++CAPSULE :: World of Fantasy | +
| +3 | ++Kalafina :: Seventh Heaven | +
| +3 | ++Bob Dylan :: Bringing It All Back Home | +
| + | ++J Majik :: Full Circle | +
| + | ++Chico Buarque :: Construção | +
| +3 | ++Kaskade :: Dance.Love | +
| + | ++Marnie Stern :: This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is... | +
| +2 | ++Khun Narin's :: Khun Narin's Electric Phin Band | +
| +1 | ++My Ticket Home :: Strangers Only | +
| +2 | ++Treasure Hunt :: Clutty Putty - EP | +
| +4 | ++Punch Brothers :: Who's Feeling Young Now? | +
| +2 | ++S U R V I V E :: RR7349 | +
| +2 | ++Vector Hold :: Night Marauder | +
| +2 | ++DJ Paypal :: Sold Out | +
| +3 | ++Infinity Shred :: Sanctuary | +
| + | ++Ornette Coleman :: Change of the Century | +
| +4 | ++IU :: Modern Times | +
| + | ++Frank Iero and the Patience :: Parachutes | +
| +5 | ++Tyler, The Creator :: Wolf | +
| +2 | ++Keenhouse :: A Future Past | +
| +2 | ++Trentemøller :: The Last Resort | +
| + | ++Deep Sea Arcade :: Outlands | +
| + | ++Rilo Kiley :: The Execution of All Things | +
| + | ++Skyharbor :: Guiding Lights | +
| + | ++dodie :: Intertwined - EP | +
| +3 | ++Underoath :: Erase Me | +
| +4 | ++Lil Ugly Mane :: Mista Thug Isolation | +
| +2 | ++Biffy Clyro :: Only Revolutions | +
| +3 | ++Prince :: Controversy | +
| +2 | ++Low :: Hey What | +
| +3 | ++Pinback :: Pinback | +
| + | ++The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die :: Whenever, If Ever | +
| + | ++Unleash the Archers :: Demons of the AstroWaste | +
| +2 | ++Oceana :: Birth.Eater | +
| +2 | ++Gigamesh :: Time Travel | +
| + | ++Jay Munly :: Jimmy Carter Syndrome | +
| + | ++Pixies :: Doolittle | +
| + | ++Broken Bells :: Broken Bells | +
| + | ++Daniel Deluxe :: Corruptor | +
| + | ++The Weepies :: Happiness | +
| + | ++Transit :: Listen & Forgive | +
| + | ++dating :: I Would Prefer Not To | +
| + | ++Jethro Tull :: Stand Up | +
| +3 | ++Knapsack :: Futura | +
| + | ++Regina Spektor :: Soviet Kitsch | +
| + | ++Gatsbys American Dream :: Volcano | +
| + | ++Baths :: Obsidian | +
| +3 | ++Elliott :: False Cathedrals | +
| +4 | ++A Day to Remember :: For Those Who Have Heart | +
| + | ++The Welcome Wagon :: Purity of Heart Is to Will One Thing - EP | +
| +2 | ++Evil Needle :: Souveniers II | +
| + | ++M. Ward :: Post-War | +
| +3 | ++Starscream :: Pegasus - EP | +
| + | ++V9 :: Homerton Sensei | +
| +4 | ++Glacci :: Nightshade - EP | +
| + | ++The Beach Boys :: The Beach Boys Today! | +
| +4 | ++Covet :: Currents | +
| +3 | ++Third Eye Blind :: Third Eye Blind | +
| +4 | ++Oneohtrix Point Never :: Magic Oneohtrix Point Never | +
| +4 | ++Late Night Alumni :: Of Birds, Bees, Butterflies, Etc. | +
| +2 | ++Yerin Baek :: tellusboutyourself | +
| + | ++The Dillinger Escape Plan :: Option Paralysis | +
| +4 | ++Tennyson :: Like What - EP | +
| +3 | ++LukHash :: The Other Side | +
| + | ++koto :: Platonicplanet | +
| +5 | ++Joanna Newsom :: Divers | +
| +3 | ++CFCF :: The Colours of Life | +
| + | ++Syzygy :: Toby Gale | +
| +4 | ++David Bowie :: Hunky Dory | +
| +3 | ++mewithoutYou :: Ten Stories | +
| + | ++Infinity Shred :: Long Distance | +
| +2 | ++High Contrast :: Tough Guys Don't Dance | +
| + | ++Hammock :: Chasing After Shadows...Living with the Ghosts | +
| +4 | ++Maxo :: Chordslayer - EP | +
| + | ++macaroom :: Room-103 | +
| +3 | ++Alan Jackson :: Under the Influence | +
| +5 | ++Fleet Foxes :: Fleet Foxes | +
| + | ++Kings of Convenience :: Quiet Is The New Loud | +
| + | ++Snail's House :: Dream Castle | +
| + | ++macaroom と知久寿焼 :: Hoshi to Lemon no Heya (Original NHK Television Soundtrack) | +
| +3 | ++Donawhale :: Dive To Blue | +
| +5 | ++Yes :: Close to the Edge | +
| + | ++Khruangbin :: Con Todo El Mundo | +
| + | ++Róisín Murphy :: Róisín Machine | +
| +3 | ++ABSRDST :: Imaginary Friend | +
| +2 | ++Death Cab for Cutie :: Codes and Keys | +
| + | ++Dream Theater :: Metropolis, Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory | +
| + | ++Russelbuck :: r u s s e l b u c k | +
| +1 | ++Mineral :: The Power of Failing | +
| +4 | ++Alexandre Desplat :: The Imitation Game (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | +
| + | ++Bad Books :: II | +
| + | ++Startle the Heavens :: All that Is Wild & Alive | +
| + | ++MONO :: For My Parents | +
| + | ++Ever Forthright :: Ever Forthright | +
| +3 | ++The Cabs :: Saisei No Hukei | +
| +3 | ++Toundra :: (II) | +
| +4 | ++Rush :: Grace Under Pressure | +
| +1 | ++Chamberlain :: Fate's Got a Driver | +
| +4 | ++Ólafur Arnalds & Alice Sara Ott :: The Chopin Project | +
| +3 | ++Anna Meredith :: Eighth Grade (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | +
| +3 | ++Björk :: Gling-Glo | +
| + | ++Piper :: Summer Breeze | +
| +1 | ++Michelle Branch :: The Spirit Room (U.S. Version) | +
| +3 | ++Panic! At the Disco :: A Fever You Can't Sweat Out | +
| +3 | ++Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau :: Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau | +
| + | ++Miles Davis :: Bitches Brew | +
| + | ++Medasin :: RIPPLS | +
| + | ++Hot Club De Norvege :: Angele Is Back In Town | +
| +5 | ++The Shins :: Wincing the Night Away | +
| +2 | ++Deerhunter :: Fading Frontier | +
| +3 | ++The Slits :: Cut | +
| +3 | ++God Is an Astronaut :: Epitaph | +
| +3 | ++The Killers :: Pressure Machine | +
| +5 | ++Sigur Rós :: Með Suð Í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust | +
| +3 | ++Yung Bae :: Skyscraper Anonymous | +
| +4 | ++Lightning Bolt :: Hypermagic Mountain | +
| +3 | ++Dreamgirl :: Dreamgirl | +
| +4 | ++Owl City :: Ocean Eyes | +
| +4 | ++Invalids :: Strengths | +
| +2 | ++Calexico & Iron & Wine :: In the Reins | +
| + | ++Nicole Dollanganger :: Observatory Mansions | +
| + | ++Bob Dylan :: Blood On The Tracks | +
| + | ++Animal Collective :: Time Skiffs | +
| +2 | ++Smoke :: Heaven On a Popsicle Stick | +
| + | ++Danny Brown :: XXX | +
| +3 | ++Bring Me The Horizon :: There Is a Hell Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is a Heaven Let's Keep it a Secret | +
| +3 | ++an0va :: Ego Depletion - EP | +
| +3 | ++Snarky Puppy :: Culcha Vulcha | +
| + | ++V9 :: Destination | +
| +2 | ++Relient K :: Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...But Three Do | +
| +1 | ++Aria Rostami & Daniel Blomquist :: Signal Artifact | +
| +3 | ++FLOOR BABA :: Dirt Bird | +
| +5 | ++Mew :: Eggs Are Funny | +
| +4 | ++Bean Boy :: Parsing the Noise | +
| + | ++The Bothy Band :: Old Hag You Have Killed Me | +
| +1 | ++GRRL :: Pay Attention | +
| +2 | ++Galen Tipton :: goddexx - EP | +
| +2 | ++Tanaka Yuri :: City Lights | +
| +2 | ++Scattle :: Sketch | +
| + | ++Chiodos :: Illuminaudio | +
| +3 | ++Origami Angel :: Gen 3 - EP | +
| + | ++CFCF :: The Colours of Life | +
| + | ++Tangled Hair :: Two EPs | +
| +2 | ++Chairlift :: Does You Inspire You | +
| +2 | ++Snail's House :: Love Magic - EP | +
| + | ++Anamanaguchi :: Endless Fantasy | +
| + | ++Killah Priest :: Summer End Cafe | +
| + | ++Intervals :: The Shape of Colour | +
| +4 | ++States :: Room to Run | +
| +3 | ++Caligula's Horse :: Bloom | +
| +3 | ++Frank Ocean :: channel ORANGE | +
| +2 | ++June Chikuma :: Les Archives | +
| +3 | ++Sleeping People :: Growing | +
| +3 | ++The Littlest Viking :: The Littlest Viking | +
| + | ++Yes :: Fragile | +
| +2 | ++Rui Ho :: Lov3 & L1ght | +
| + | ++Griselda :: Wwcd | +
| +2 | ++Now, Now :: Saved | +
| + | ++Kamome Sano :: Eutopia 2045 | +
| + | ++Anamanaguchi :: Power Supply | +
| +2 | ++Melanie Martinez :: Cry Baby (Deluxe) | +
| +3 | ++Stacie Orrico :: Stacie Orrico | +
| +3 | ++Oshi :: Oshi | +
| + | ++Duo 505 :: Late | +
| +3 | ++Lena Raine :: Celeste (Original Soundtrack) | +
| + | ++Maps & Atlases :: Tree, Swallows, Houses | +
| +1 | ++Kina Grannis :: Stairwells | +
| +4 | ++Anna Meredith :: Fibs | +
| +2 | ++Chino Amobi :: Paradiso | +
| +2 | ++Slaughter Beach, Dog :: Birdie | +
| +3 | ++Copeland :: Eat, Sleep, Repeat | +
| + | ++Slayyyter :: Slayyyter | +
| + | ++Schubert :: Forellenquintett | +
| +4 | ++Chuck Sutton :: I Know What I'm Doing* | +
| +5 | ++Björk :: Medulla | +
| + | ++death's dynamic shroud :: Derelict Megatower I | +
| + | ++Kendrick Lamar :: DAMN. | +
| +4 | ++MONO :: Hymn to the Immortal Wind | +
| +2 | ++San Holo :: Album1 | +
| +2 | ++Dolores Keane & John Faulkner :: Broken Hearted I'll Wander | +
| + | ++The Dears :: No Cities Left | +
| + | ++(T-T)b :: Good Talk | +
| +4 | ++kfaraday :: The Magnificient Hits | +
| +4 | ++Floating Points & Pharoah Sanders :: Promises (feat. London Symphony Orchestra) | +
| +3 | ++Sinjin Hawke :: First Opus | +
| +3 | ++Chick Corea :: Now He Sings, Now He Sobs | +
| + | ++Weyes Blood :: Titanic Rising | +
| + | ++Triana :: El patio 40 Aniversario | +
| +3 | ++The Builders and The Butchers :: Salvation Is a Deep Dark Well | +
| +4 | ++Mark O'Connor, Chris Thile, Frank Vignola, Bryan Sutton, Jon Burr & Byron House :: Jam Session | +
| +2 | ++GOJIRA :: Magma | +
| +2 | ++Tennyson :: Telescope - EP | +
| +1 | ++Ricardo Padua & Miku Hatsune :: Electronic Heartbeat | +
| +2 | ++Janet Jackson :: Rhythm Nation 1814 | +
| + | ++Lydia :: Paint it Golden | +
| +4 | ++Tame Impala :: Lonerism | +
| +3 | ++A Lot Like Birds :: Plan B | +
| +5 | ++Kate Bush :: Hounds of Love | +
| +1 | ++Conya Doss :: Just Because | +
| + | ++Phronesis :: Organic Warfare | +
| + | ++Patsy Cline :: Patsy Cline's Greatest Hits | +
| + | ++Rui Ho :: In Pursuit of the Sun 逐日 | +
| +1 | ++Rihanna :: Loud | +
| + | ++Fall Out Boy :: Folie à Deux | +
| +2 | ++Scary Goldings :: The Ego Trap | +
| + | ++ABBA :: The Visitors | +
| +2 | ++Courtney Barnett :: Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit | +
| + | ++大島ミチル :: 『リトルウィッチアカデミア』サウンドトラック集 | +
| +3 | ++Sigur Rós :: Hvarf / Heim | +
| +4 | ++Pinback :: Some Offcell Voices | +
| +2 | ++Vincent Remember :: Culture Vulture | +
| + | ++Django Reinhardt :: Pêche À La Mouche | +
| + | ++Kacey Musgraves :: Golden Hour | +
| + | ++The Mountain Goats :: Beat the Champ | +
| + | ++Creedence Clearwater Revival :: Green River | +
| + | ++sleepmakeswaves :: In Today Already Walks Tomorrow | +
| + | ++Yndi Halda :: Under Summer | +
| +1 | ++Jessie Ware :: Tough Love | +
| +1 | ++Coheed and Cambria :: The Color Before The Sun | +
| +3 | ++Waveshaper :: Exploration 84 | +
| +3 | ++Dance Gavin Dance :: Mothership | +
| +5 | ++CAPSULE :: More! More! More! | +
| +3 | ++Sithu Aye :: Isles EP | +
| +2 | ++Palm :: Trading Basics | +
| +2 | ++Os Mutantes :: Os Mutantes | +
| + | ++Los Ángeles Azules :: 20 Kilates | +
| +2 | ++Vylet Pony :: Love Letters: Colourless | +
| +2 | ++Stabscotch :: Uncanny Valley | +
| +4 | ++Jacob's Optical Stairway :: Jacob's Optical Stairway | +
| +4 | ++Perfume :: Level 3 | +
| +2 | ++Yellow Magic Orchestra :: Naughty Boys | +
| +5 | ++JPEGMAFIA :: LP! | +
| +2 | ++Extra Life :: Splayed Flesh | +
| +2 | ++Lindsey Stirling :: Artemis | +
| + | ++Desired :: Lovestory | +
| + | ++Lifeformed :: Fastfall - Dustforce Original Soundtrack | +
| + | ++YUC'e :: Future Cake | +
| + | ++Kamome Sano :: Half-Baked | +
| +3 | ++Gabor Szabo :: Dreams | +
| +2 | ++Shibusashirazu :: Shibusaikayoutaizen | +
| + | ++Meg Myers :: Sorry | +
| + | ++Especia :: GUSTO | +
| + | ++macaroom :: swimming classroom | +
| + | ++Tommy '86 :: Transhumanism | +
| +3 | ++DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ :: Charmed | +
| +2 | ++London Elektricity :: Billion Dollar Gravy | +
| + | ++Cloudkicker :: Live with Intronaut | +
| + | ++The Mountain Goats :: Tallahassee | +
| + | ++Blu & Exile, Blu & Exile :: Miles | +
| + | ++The Weepies :: Be My Thrill | +
| +1 | ++Savant :: Invasion | +
| + | ++Michael Jackson :: Thriller | +
| + | ++Pneu :: Pince monseigneur | +
| +3 | ++Regina Spektor :: Remember Us To Life | +
| +5 | ++King Crimson :: In the Court of the Crimson King | +
| + | ++Hella :: Tripper | +
| + | ++Maison book girl :: Yume | +
| + | ++black midi :: Cavalcade | +
| +3 | ++A. G. Cook :: Apple | +
| +2 | ++PARKGOLF :: Totem | +
| +1 | ++Rihanna :: ANTI | +
| +2 | ++Johnny Yukon :: Installation I | +
| +1 | ++Titus Andronicus :: The Monitor | +
| +1 | ++Perfume Genius :: Set My Heart On Fire Immediately | +
| +4 | ++Virtual Self :: Virtual Self - EP | +
| +3 | ++IU :: Palette | +
| +2 | ++Japanese Breakfast :: Jubilee | +
| + | ++Godspeed You! Black Emperor :: Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven | +
| + | ++Uchu Conbini :: I Looked by the Reflection of the Moon | +
| + | ++Dimlite :: Prismic Tops | +
| + | ++The Chicks :: Home | +
| + | ++cute girls doing cute things :: Slice of Life | +
| + | ++Beastie Boys :: Paul's Boutique | +
| +4 | ++The Fall of Troy :: Phantom on the Horizon | +
| + | ++Motion City Soundtrack :: Commit This To Memory | +
| + | ++Perturbator :: New Model | +
| +2 | ++Sweet Valley :: Eternal Champ II | +
| +1 | ++Jeff Rosenstock :: NO DREAM | +
| +2 | ++Desired :: Timeless | +
| + | ++John Mayer :: Paradise Valley | +
| +3 | ++dltzk & Kmoe :: Teen Week | +
| +4 | ++Tyler, The Creator :: Goblin | +
| +2 | ++Smino :: blkswn | +
| + | ++Rush :: Power Windows | +
| + | ++Elliott Smith :: Xo | +
| + | ++Julien Baker :: Little Oblivions | +
| +5 | ++Dorena :: Nuet | +
| +2 | ++TWICE :: &TWICE | +
| + | ++And So I Watch You From Afar :: And So I Watch You From Afar | +
| +2 | ++Mark Redito :: Promise - EP | +
| +2 | ++Blackbird Blackbird :: Hearts | +
| + | ++Starkey :: Orbits | +
| +4 | ++Charli XCX :: Pop 2 | +
| +4 | ++DJ Kuroneko :: Unreleased '19 - EP | +
| +2 | ++graves :: Far From Here - EP | +
| +3 | ++Suicide :: Suicide | +
| + | ++Mduo Moctar :: Afrique Victime | +
| +2 | ++Waveshaper :: Retro Future | +
| +2 | ++Seiko Oomori :: Zettaishoujo | +
| + | ++Hikaru Utada :: Deep River | +
| +2 | ++Makoto :: Human Elements | +
| +2 | ++Foxes :: Friends In the Corner EP | +
| +2 | ++Dntel :: Life is Full of Possibilities | +
| +4 | ++Emarosa :: Relativity | +
| +2 | ++KYLE :: See You When I am Famous!!!!!!!!!!!! | +
| +4 | ++ABBA :: Voulez-Vous | +
| +3 | ++Susanne Sundfør :: Take One | +
| + | ++Nico :: Desertshore | +
| +3 | ++Tortoise :: Millions Now Living Will Never Die | +
| +4 | ++John Powell :: How To Train Your Dragon (Music From The Motion Picture) | +
| +2 | ++iamhill :: Give It a Rest | +
| +4 | ++Hermitude :: Dark Night Sweet Light | +
| +2 | ++The Melody :: The Melody | +
| + | ++The Soft Moon :: The Soft Moon | +
| +2 | ++Relient K :: Five Score and Seven Years Ago | +
| + | ++Rush :: Signals | +
| +3 | ++Eryn Martin :: EDOG, VOL. 2 | +
| +1 | ++Spiritualized :: Lazer Guided Melodies | +
| +2 | ++San Holo :: bb u ok? | +
| + | ++Sewerslvt :: The World Is Fvcked | +
| + | ++The Flower Kings :: Adam & Eve | +
| + | ++Max Richter :: Songs from Before | +
| +2 | ++Snail Mail :: Lush | +
| + | ++Anthony Green :: Pixie Queen | +
| + | ++The Beatles :: Revolver | +
| + | ++Father John Misty :: God's Favorite Customer | +
| +2 | ++Don Caballero :: Don Caballero 2 | +
| +4 | ++Riverside :: Love, Fear and the Time Machine | +
| +3 | ++Chick Corea :: Return To Forever | +
| + | ++J Majik :: Always Be | +
| +3 | ++Hammock :: Kenotic | +
| + | ++The Flower Kings :: Paradox Hotel | +
| +2 | ++Hammock :: The Sleepover Series, Vol. 2 (Bonus Track Version) | +
| + | ++The Beach Boys :: Pet Sounds | +
| + | ++Sarah Neufeld :: The Ridge | +
| +3 | ++Sixpence None The Richer :: Divine Discontent | +
| +3 | ++Rush :: Hold Your Fire | +
| + | ++Phoebe Bridgers :: Punisher | +
| + | ++Down I Go :: You're Lucky God, That I Cannot Reach You | +
| +3 | ++Akina Nakamori :: Variation | +
| +4 | ++Alexisonfire :: Crisis | +
| + | ++Scale The Summit :: V | +
| +2 | ++16 Horsepower :: Sackcloth 'N' Ashes | +
| + | ++Neutral Milk Hotel :: In the Aeroplane Over the Sea | +
| +5 | ++Tears for Fears :: Songs from the Big Chair | +
| +1 | ++Girl Talk :: Unstoppable | +
| +1 | ++Emma Blackery :: Girl In a Box | +
| +2 | ++Night Tempo :: Moonrise | +
| +4 | ++Real Estate :: In Mind | +
| + | ++Roly Porter :: Third Law | +
| +2 | ++Smino :: NOIR | +
| +3 | ++Lucas Lex :: Spider | +
| + | ++toe :: For Long Tomorrow | +
| +3 | ++Tycho :: Simulcast | +
| + | ++Alexander O'Neal :: Hearsay | +
| + | ++The Smiths :: The Queen Is Dead | +
| +3 | ++Jessie Ware :: What's Your Pleasure? | +
| +3 | ++Boards of Canada :: The Campfire Headphase | +
| + | ++Animal Collective :: Feels | +
| + | ++Temples :: Volcano | +
| + | ++LIZ :: Planet Y2K | +
| + | ++Cloudkicker :: Woum | +
| + | ++Noah Gundersen :: WHITE NOISE | +
| + | ++Coheed and Cambria :: Year Of The Black Rainbow | +
| + | ++Circa Survive :: Violent Waves | +
| +1 | ++Capital Lights :: Rhythm 'N' Moves | +
| +1 | ++Solex :: Low Kick and Hard Bop | +
| + | ++Elephant Gym :: Angle | +
| + | ++VALENTINE :: Introspection | +
| + | ++Jyocho :: A Prayer in Vain | +
| + | ++Orchards :: Losers/Lovers EP | +
| +1 | ++an0va :: Double Density | +
| +2 | ++Jon Hopkins :: Immunity | +
| + | ++Prince & The Revolution :: Purple Rain | +
| + | ++Lucy Dacus :: Home Video | +
| + | ++Circa Survive :: On Letting Go | +
| +2 | ++PhorHead :: Lofi but Awesomer pt. 1 | +
| + | ++Glacci :: Experiments in Acid Research | +
| +3 | ++BADBADNOTGOOD :: IV | +
| +2 | ++Sonata Arctica :: Ecliptica | +
| +2 | ++Steve Roach :: Dreamtime Return | +
| +4 | ++Peter McConnell :: Grim Fandango Remastered (Original Soundtrack) | +
| +3 | ++SLIFT :: UMMON | +
| + | ++Machine Girl :: RePorpoised Phantasies - EP | +
| +2 | ++Bby Eco :: Grow! | +
| +4 | ++Simon & Garfunkel :: Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme | +
| +2 | ++omniboi :: Lush Dream | +
| +4 | ++ヒッキー P :: Eutopia | +
| + | ++Diplo :: F10RIDA | +
| +2 | ++Pat Benatar :: Tropico | +
| +4 | ++Other Men :: Wake Up Swimming | +
| +2 | ++Dr. Dog :: Fate | +
| +2 | ++Secret Band :: Lp2 | +
| + | ++Anberlin :: Lost Songs | +
| +2 | ++High Contrast :: High Society | +
| +2 | ++Samiyam :: Reflectionz | +
| +2 | ++Circa Survive :: A Dream About Death - EP | +
| +2 | ++Neko Hacker :: Neko Hacker | +
| +2 | ++Shigeto :: No Better Time Than Now | +
| +2 | ++La Luz :: Weirdo Shrine | +
| + | ++Tokenai Namae :: Waiting at Time Machine | +
| + | ++Bobby Tank :: The Way | +
| + | ++Holly Herndon :: PROTO | +
| + | ++Mew :: No more stories Are told today I'm sorry They washed away No more stories The world is grey I'm tired Let's wash away | +
| + | ++Ólafur Arnalds :: For Now I Am Winter | +
| + | ++Ellen Allien & Apparat :: Orchestra of Bubbles | +
| + | ++George & Jonathan :: George & Jonathan III | +
| + | ++Radiohead :: A Moon Shaped Pool | +
| + | ++MASS OF THE FERMENTING DREGS :: No New World | +
| +2 | ++Grouper :: A I A: Alien Observer | +
| + | ++Elliott Smith :: Either/Or | +
| +3 | ++Axes :: Glory | +
| + | ++God Is An Astronaut :: God Is An Astronaut | +
| +1 | ++Ase Manual :: Black Liquid Electronics | +
| +1 | ++Foo Fighters :: Foo Fighters | +
| +4 | ++Gregory and the Hawk :: Moenie and Kitchi | +
| + | ++Sentimental Scenery :: Soundscape | +
| +1 | ++Yellowcard :: Yellowcard | +
| +5 | ++Soft Machine :: Bundles | +
| +4 | ++Rush :: Roll the Bones | +
| +4 | ++Phoebe Bridgers :: Stranger in the Alps | +
| +1 | ++Ase Manual :: Lumi | +
| +1 | ++KRANE :: Fallout | +
| + | ++Poidoru :: 大森靖子と来来来チーム | +
| +5 | ++Kyary Pamyu Pamyu :: Nanda Collection | +
| +4 | ++San Salvador :: La Grande Folie | +
| + | ++Doroles Keane & John Faulkner :: Broken Hearted I'll Wander | +
| +4 | ++Andrew Bird :: The Mysterious Production of Eggs | +
| +1 | ++Starkey :: New Theia: Tomorrow | +
| + | ++The Scary Jokes :: April Fools | +
| + | ++We Came As Romans :: Understanding What We've Grown to Be | +
| +1 | ++Parov Stelar :: Coco Part 1 | +
| +2 | ++Flume :: Skin | +
| + | ++Jerskin Fendrix :: Winterreise | +
| + | ++Haywyre :: The Voyage | +
| +3 | ++Scary Goldings :: Scary Goldings | +
| +2 | ++Third Eye Blind :: We Are Drugs | +
| +3 | ++Esperanza Spalding :: Radio Music Society | +
| +2 | ++Leftover Cuties :: Game Called Life EP | +
| +2 | ++Vale-Smith :: Are You Sick of Being Unlucky? | +
| +2 | ++Kamome Sano :: Analog Detox - EP | +
| + | ++J Malik :: Always Be | +
| + | ++FKA twigs :: MAGDALENE | +
| +4 | ++Kanye West :: Graduation | +
| +2 | ++Selena :: Mis Primeros Éxitos | +
| +3 | ++Sufjan Stevens, Bryce Dessner, Nico Muhly, & James McAlister :: Planetarium | +
| +2 | ++Destroyer :: Kaput | +
| +3 | ++Kanye West :: The Life of Pablo | +
| + | ++Oliver Tree :: Ugly is Beautiful | +
| +5 | ++Bo Burnham :: Inside (The Songs) | +
| +4 | ++Yuna :: Yuna | +
| + | ++Danny L Harle :: Harlecore | +
| + | ++Bobby Tank :: Vanquish | +
| + | ++Touché Amoré :: Stage Four | +
| +1 | ++Haywyre :: Dubsonic | +
| +1 | ++The Cab :: Symphony Soldier | +
| +2 | ++Anaïs Mitchell :: Hymns for the Exiled | +
| +3 | ++Plini :: Sweet Nothings | +
| +1 | ++A Guy Called Gerald :: Black Secret Technology | +
| +1 | ++Taylor Swift :: folklore | +
| + | ++The Flower Kings :: Islands | +
| +2 | ++Metá Metá :: MM3 | +
| +5 | ++Sigur Rós :: Ágætis byrjun | +
| +3 | ++Maps & Atlases :: Perch Patchwork | +
| + | ++DJ Tameil :: Tek 9 - EP | +
| + | ++Run The Jewels :: Run the Jewels 2 | +
| + | ++Christine and the Queens :: Christine And The Queens | +
| +3 | ++Oskar Schuster :: Sneeuwland | +
| + | ++St. Vincent :: Strange Mercy | +
| + | ++Little Simz :: Sometimes I Might Be Introvert | +
| + | ++John Abercrombie & Don Thompson :: Yesterdays | +
| +2 | ++Aria Rostami :: Sibbe | +
| +4 | ++Magdalena Bay :: Mercurial World | +
| + | ++Duke Ellington :: Ellignton Uptown | +
| + | ++NANORAY :: Nurse 2 | +
| +2 | ++Ullika :: My Miracle | +
| +2 | ++Khruangbin :: The Universe Smiles Upon You | +
| + | ++Foxes :: Glorious | +
| + | ++Run The Jewels :: Run the Jewels 3 | +
| +1 | ++The Almost :: Fear Inside Our Bones | +
| + | ++Protest the Hero :: Scurrilous | +
| +1 | ++Ricco Harver :: Renaissance - EP | +
| +2 | ++CHVRCHES :: Screen Violence | +
| + | ++London Elektricity :: Power Ballads | +
| +2 | ++Laurel Halo :: Dust | +
| +2 | ++Of Mice & Men :: Of Mice & Men | +
| +3 | ++Iglooghost :: Steel Mogu - EP | +
| +2 | ++Freddie Gibbs & Madlib :: Piñata | +
| +4 | ++Gupi :: None | +
| +3 | ++Treasure Hunt :: FuncoLand™ | +
| + | ++Machine Girl :: Gemini | +
| + | ++Alan Jackson :: Who I Am | +
| +3 | ++Uchu Conbini :: Feel the Dyeing Note | +
| + | ++Dirty Knobs :: Field Recordings from the Edge of Hell | +
| +1 | ++Phronesis :: Diotima | +
| + | ++aspidistrafly :: A Little Fable | +
| +3 | ++Necry Talkie :: Zoo!! | +
| +1 | ++TAEYEON :: Purpose - The 2nd Album | +
| + | ++Stolas :: Living Creatures | +
| + | ++Sky Eats Airplane :: Everything Perfect On the Wrong Day | +
| + | ++Perturbator :: Terror 404 | +
| +2 | ++ABSRDST :: 2016 Was 666 Years Ago | +
| +2 | ++MARINA :: Ancient Dreams In A Modern Land | +
| + | ++Kina Grannis :: One More In the Attic | +
| + | ++Makoto :: Believe in My Soul | +
| + | ++Ween :: Quebec | +
| +3 | ++Mura Masa :: Mura Masa | +
| +2 | ++We Came As Romans :: To Plant a Seed | +
| +1 | ++Osamu Sato :: GRATEFUL IN ALL THINGS | +
| +1 | ++Relient K :: Is for Karaoke | +
| +3 | ++Piana :: Ephemeral | +
| +4 | ++Sweet Trip :: You Will Never Know Why | +
| +1 | ++John Mayer :: Born and Raised | +
| +2 | ++Mr. Maps :: Wire Empire | +
| +3 | ++You Slut! :: Critical Meat (Remastered) | +
| +4 | ++Frank Zappa :: Over-Nite Sensation | +
| +3 | ++Mew :: Visuals | +
| +1 | ++Machine Gun Kelly :: Tickets To My Downfall | +
| + | ++Ryo Fukui :: Scenery | +
| +4 | ++Natalia Lafourcade :: Un Canto por México, Vol. 1 | +
| +3 | ++Billy Woods :: History Will Absolve Me | +
| + | ++Origami Angel :: Quiet Hours | +
| +4 | ++Taking Back Sunday :: Louder Now | +
| +1 | ++Creedence Clearwater Revival :: Cosmo's Factory | +
| +5 | ++Björk :: Vespertine | +
| +3 | ++Greeley Estates :: No Rain, No Rainbow | +
| +3 | ++Faraquet :: The View from This Tower | +
| +4 | ++♥ GOJII ♥ :: Love /// Disconnect | +
| +2 | ++Marcioz :: De/Colonial Writing$ - Single | +
| +2 | ++Julianna Barwick :: The Magic Place | +
| +5 | ++Björk :: Utopia | +
| + | ++King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard :: Nonagon Infinity | +
| +1 | ++Your Infamous Harp :: Prah Suomafni Ruoy | +
| +2 | ++I See Stars :: Digital Renegade | +
| + | ++Evigheten :: Heten - EP | +
| +1 | ++Soichi Terada :: Sounds from the Far East | +
| +3 | ++Anberlin :: Cities | +
| +3 | ++Secos & Molhados :: A Volta de Secos & Molhados | +
| +3 | ++Toundra :: (III) | +
| + | ++Various Artists :: clara Iannotta: MOULT | +
| + | ++Starkey :: Pulsar 2020Hz - EP | +
| +5 | ++Dirty Projectors & Björk :: Mount Wittenberg Orca | +
| +3 | ++Various Artists :: Punk Goes Pop, Vol. 2 | +
| +2 | ++Sonata Arctica :: Pariah's Child | +
| +2 | ++The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus :: Don't You Fake It | +
| + | ++Punch Brothers :: Hell on Church Street | +
| + | ++The Mars Volta :: Frances the Mute | +
| + | ++Heather Woods Broderick :: From The Ground | +
| +2 | ++The Bambi Molesters :: Dumb Loud Hollow Twang De Luxe | +
| +3 | ++These New Puritans :: Hidden | +
| + | ++Liquid Tension Experiment :: Liquid Tension Experiment | +
| + | ++Adult Child :: Dandelion | +
| + | ++Jack Stauber's Micropop :: Shop: A Pop Opera | +
| +3 | ++Owane :: Dunno | +
| +3 | ++Laura Stevenson :: Wheel | +
| + | ++Mura Masa :: Someday Somewhere | +
| + | ++Android52 :: Collect (Selected Original Tracks 2013 - 2018) | +
| + | ++Phronesis :: We Are All | +
| + | ++Late Night Alumni :: Haunted | +
| +2 | ++Heavy Heavy Low Low :: Everything's Watched, Everyone's Watching | +
| + | ++Tanaka Yuri :: City Lights 2nd Season | +
| + | ++Amigo the Devil :: Everything is Fine | +
| +2 | ++of Montreal :: Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? | +
| +1 | ++Kina Grannis :: In Memory of the Singing Bridge | +
| +4 | ++DV-i :: Implementation - EP | +
| + | ++Snarky Puppy :: Culcha Vulcha | +
| +2 | ++Macross 82-99 : ネオ東京 | +
| + | ++Between the Buried and Me :: Coma Ecliptic | +
| + | ++Aqua :: Aquarium | +
| + | ++Dr. Dog :: The Psychedelic Swamp | +
| + | ++Max Richter :: Infra | +
| + | ++Akron/Family :: Meek Warrior | +
| + | ++Daughters :: You Won't Get What You Want | +
| +2 | ++Panda Bear :: Person Pitch | +
| + | ++Wire :: Pink Flag | +
| +3 | ++death's dynamic shroud :: Neon Genesis Evangelis | +
| +3 | ++Ariana Grande :: Dangerous Woman | +
| +2 | ++ミラクルミュージカル :: Hawaii: Part II | +
| +4 | ++Eisley :: I'm Only Dreaming | +
| +2 | ++John Mayer :: Sob Rock | +
| +2 | ++Kero Kero Bonito :: Intro Bonito | +
| + | ++Never Shout Never :: Me and My Uke - EP | +
| +2 | ++Seiko Oomori :: Kusokawa Party | +
| +2 | ++DROELOE :: A Promise Is Made | +
| + | ++Aphex Twin :: Selected Ambient Works 85-92 | +
| +2 | ++Snail's House :: Ordinary Songs 5 | +
| +1 | ++Treasure Hunt :: Pu'er Moods | +
| +1 | ++KRANE :: Getting Better | +
| +1 | ++Soichi Terada :: Asakusa Light | +
| +2 | ++Slime Girls :: Vacation Wasteland | +
| +2 | ++Janet Jackson :: Control | +
| +4 | ++Agent Fresco :: Destrier | +
| +1 | ++recovery girl & Galen Tipton :: Recovery Girl - EP | +
| + | ++Real Estate :: The Main Thing | +
| + | ++Alan Jackson :: High Mileage | +
| + | ++The Mars Volta :: Noctourniquet | +
| +2 | ++Snail Mail :: Valentine | +
| + | ++Kina Grannis :: In the Waiting | +
| + | ++recovery girl & Galen Tipton :: Recovery Girl - EP | +
| + | ++Scraping Foetus Off the Wheel :: Nail | +
| +1 | ++Brandon Flowers :: The Desired Effect | +
| +2 | ++Dorian Electra :: Flamboyant | +
| + | ++John Petrucci :: Terminal Velocity | +
| +3 | ++Andy Irvine & Paul Brady :: Andy Irvine and Paul Brady | +
| +3 | ++Ólafur Arnalds :: Living Room Songs | +
| +2 | ++Various Artists :: Spd Gar | +
| + | ++Myrath :: Tales of the Sands | +
| + | ++Mount Eerie :: A Crow Looked at Me | +
| +2 | ++underscores :: fishmonger | +
| +1 | ++Morgan Page featuring Colette :: Drifting Into View | +
| +2 | ++No Vacation :: Phasing | +
| +1 | ++Fiona Apple :: When the Pawn Hits the Conflicts He Thinks Like a King... | +
| +2 | ++Better Oblivion Community Center, Phoebe Bridgers & Conor Oberst_ | +
| +1 | ++Son Lux :: Labor | +
| + | ++Julien Baker :: Turn Out the Lights | +
| +3 | ++Jordan Rudess :: Notes on a Dream | +
| +2 | ++nanobii :: Sunshine Express | +
| +3 | ++CYBEREALITY ライフ :: v I R T U a l R E S O R T ™ | +
| +3 | ++The Dillinger Escape Plan :: Under the Running Board | +
| + | ++Max Richter, Daniel Hope, Konzerthaus Kammerorchester Berlin & Andre de Ridder :: Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi, The Four Sesons | +
| + | ++Tommy '86 :: Frequency Modulations | +
| + | ++Travis Scott :: Rodeo | +
| +2 | ++Aria Rostami :: Form | +
| +1 | ++Third Eye Blind :: Dopamine | +
| + | ++State Champs :: The Acoustic Things | +
| + | ++Kikuo :: Kikuoworld | +
| +1 | ++Thom Yorke :: The Eraser | +
| +1 | ++Savant :: Zion | +
| +1 | ++Baker Boy :: Gela | +
| + | ++Pat Benatar :: Precious Time | +
| + | ++Red Velvet :: The 1st Mini Album 'Ice Cream Cake' - EP | +
| + | ++Radiohead :: The King of Limbs | +
| + | ++Santana :: Supernatural | +
| +4 | ++Thank You Scientist :: Stranger Heads Prevail | +
| + | ++Dr. Dog :: Passed Away, Vol. 1 | +
| + | ++Various Artists :: Transcentral Connection | +
| +5 | ++Underoath :: Lost In the Sound of Separation | +
| + | ++Timecop1983 :: Running in the Dark | +
| +4 | ++Manchester Orchestra :: I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child | +
| +3 | ++Perfume :: Game | +
| + | ++S.Mararba :: S.Maharba | +
| + | ++Marvin Gaye :: What's Going On | +
| + | ++Nancy Sinatra :: Sugar | +
| + | ++Right Away, Great Captain! :: The Bitter End | +
| +3 | ++Pianos Become The Teeth :: Keep You | +
| + | ++PinioL :: Bran Coucou | +
| + | ++Snarky Puppy :: The World is Getting Smaller | +
| +1 | ++Mercury Rev :: Yerself Is Steam | +
| +5 | ++John Mayer :: Room for Squares | +
| +1 | ++Eskmo :: Sol | +
| + | ++my bloody valentine :: Loveless | +
| + | ++Blonde Redhead :: Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons | +
| +1 | ++Optic Core :: Shell Complex | +
| +1 | ++Lydia :: Devil | +
| +1 | ++Grayscale :: Adornment | +
| +1 | ++FLOOR BABA :: Baba Bebop | +
| +2 | ++This Heat :: This Heat | +
| + | ++Magdalena Bay :: Mini Mix, Vol. 2 | +
| + | ++Oneohtrix Point Never :: Replica | +
| +4 | ++Between the Buried and Me :: Colors | +
| + | ++Commix :: Commix Presents Dusted (Selected Works 2003-2008) | +
| +3 | ++Chon :: Newborn Sun | +
| +4 | ++Charli XCX :: how i'm feeling now | +
| +1 | ++Dr. Dog :: Easy Beat | +
| +2 | ++KIDS SEE GHOSTS :: KIDS SEE GHOSTS | +
| +2 | ++Tycho :: Weather | +
| +2 | ++I Set My Friends On Fire :: You Can't Spell Slaughter Without Laughter | +
| + | ++The Cure :: Wish | +
| + | ++King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard :: Flying Microtonal Banana | +
| + | ++Hrvrd :: The Inevitable And I | +
| +2 | ++The Velvet Underground & Nico :: The Velvet Underground & Nico | +
| +3 | ++My Chemical Romance :: The Black Parade | +
| + | ++St. Vincent :: St. Vincent | +
| + | ++And So I Watch You From Afar :: All Hail Bright Futures | +
| +2 | ++Sahm Balahm :: Reform | +
| +2 | ++Lights :: Siberia | +
| + | ++David Bowie :: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars | +
| +2 | ++Unknown Mortal Orchestra :: Multi-Love | +
| +1 | ++Harry Styles :: Fine Line | +
| +3 | ++Dance Gavin Dance :: Tree City Sessions 2 | +
| +3 | ++Kamome Sano :: Pâtisserie Kamome | +
| +1 | ++MoMa Ready :: Untitled [HOA018] | +
| + | ++Blonde Redhead :: Misery Is a Butterfly | +
| +4 | ++Sam Gellaitry :: Escapism III - EP | +
| + | ++The Unicorns :: Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? | +
| +2 | ++Cavetown :: 16 / 04 / 16 | +
| + | ++Frank Zappa :: Joe's Garage: Acts I, II & III | +
| +4 | ++Sam Gellaitry :: Viewfinder Vol. 1: PHOSPHENE | +
| + | ++Han Hee Jung :: 잔혹한 여행 | +
| +1 | ++Eero Johannes :: Eero Johannes | +
| + | ++God Is An Astronaut :: Origins | +
| +1 | ++Sturgill Simpson :: A Sailor's Guide to Earth | +
| + | ++Dirty Bird :: Dirty Bird | +
| +5 | ++Tchaikovsky :: The Nutcracker, Op. 71 | +
| + | ++Gorillaz :: Demon Days | +
| + | ++ABBA :: Super Trouper | +
| + | ++I See Stars :: The End Of The World Party | +
| + | ++Frank Sinatra :: No One Cares | +
| + | ++The Mountain Goats :: We Shall All Be Healed | +
| +1 | ++Link Wray :: Link Wray | +
| +3 | ++Zach Hill :: Face Tat | +
| +1 | ++LOONA :: [12:00] | +
| + | ++Necry Talkie :: Memories | +
| +4 | ++Various Artists :: PC Music, Vol. 2 | +
| +2 | ++Anaïs Mitchell :: Hadestown | +
| +4 | ++Rush :: Hemispheres | +
| + | ++Iron & Wine :: The Shepherd's Dog | +
| +2 | ++edIT :: Come to Grips | +
| + | ++Röyksopp :: The Understanding | +
| + | ++WEDNESDAY CAMPANELLA :: Zipangu | +
| +3 | ++Sweet Valley :: Eternal Champ | +
| + | ++Rush :: Moving Pictures | +
| + | ++Jordan Tice :: Long Story | +
| + | ++Björk :: Vulnicura Strings (Vulnicura: The Acoustic Version - Strings , Voice and Viola Organista Only) | +
| + | ++Friendly Fires :: Friendly Fires | +
| +3 | ++Real Estate :: Days | +
| + | ++Akira the Don & Joe Rogan :: Experience | +
| +1 | ++colate+kamome sano :: Goodbye, Friend | +
| + | ++Mahler :: Symphony No. 9 in D Major | +
| + | ++The Safety Fire :: Grind the Ocean | +
| + | ++Dance Gavin Dance :: Downtown Battle Mountain II | +
| +2 | ++Panic! At the Disco :: Pretty. Odd. | +
| + | ++Starkey :: New Theia: Tomorrow | +
| + | ++Camellia :: U.U.F.O. | +
| + | ++FLOOR BABA :: Gamewave | +
| +1 | ++CY8ER :: Hellonew Generation | +
| + | ++Battles :: Gloss Drop | +
| +2 | ++Savant :: Cult | +
| + | ++Pretend :: Tapestry'd Life | +
| +3 | ++Alpha Male Tea Party :: Droids | +
| + | ++Serge Gainsbourg :: Histoire de Melody Nelson | +
| + | ++The Beatles :: The Beatles | +
| + | ++Jacob Collier :: Djesse Vol. 2 | +
| +4 | ++Closure in Moscow :: First Temple | +
| +2 | ++Bright Eyes :: I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning | +
| +2 | ++Richard Dawson :: Peasant | +
| + | ++The Dear Hunter & Casey Crescenzo :: The Fox and the Hunt (feat. Brian Adam McCune & Awesöme Orchestra)_ | +
| +2 | ++Snail's House :: Scenery | +
| +2 | ++Scary Goldings :: Feel. | +
| +2 | ++City Girl :: Somnolent Nova | +
| + | ++MONO :: You Are There | +
| +2 | ++Onda Vaga :: Fuerte Y Caliente | +
| +2 | ++Eternity Forever :: Fantasy EP | +
| +2 | ++Set It Off :: Cinematics | +
| +1 | ++Eurythmics :: We Too Are One | +
| +2 | ++Nosaj Thing :: Views / Octopus - EP | +
| +2 | ++Polvo :: Exploded Drawing | +
| +2 | ++Oathbreaker :: Rheia | +
| +2 | ++Starkey :: Ear Drums and Black Holes | +
| +2 | ++The Soft Boys :: Underwater Moonlight | +
| +2 | ++Yakushimaru Etsuko :: Radio Onsen Eutopia | +
| +4 | ++Fishmans :: Long Season | +
| +4 | ++The Postal Service :: Give Up | +
| +2 | ++Circa Survive :: A Dream About Love - EP | +
| +1 | ++Kaskade :: Here and Now | +
| +5 | ++Various Artists :: PC Music, Vol. 1 | +
| +1 | ++Munly & The Lee Lewis Harlots :: Munly & The Lee Lewis Harlots | +
| +2 | ++Said the Sky :: Wide-Eyed | +
| + | ++Rush :: Roll The Bones | +
| +3 | ++Swans :: The Seer | +
| +4 | ++Bruno Pernadas :: Those Who Throw Objects at the Crocodiles Will Be Asked to Retrieve Them | +
| +1 | ++REOL :: Sigma | +
| +3 | ++Kanye West :: Yeezus | +
| +2 | ++Haken :: Restoration | +
| +2 | ++Set It Off :: Duality | +
| +4 | ++Oneohtrix Point Never :: R Plus Seven | +
| +5 | ++Radiohead :: OK Computer | +
| +1 | ++Leon III :: Leon III | +
| +1 | ++Junior Boys :: Last Exit | +
| + | ++Scott Walker :: Scott 4 | +
| +2 | ++Bon Iver :: i,i | +
| +2 | ++Psychedelic Porn Crumpets :: SHYGA! The Sunlight Mound | +
| + | ++Macross 82-99 :: A Millions Miles Away | +
| + | ++Chris Thile :: Laysongs | +
| +2 | ++Tessa Violet :: Bad Ideas | +
| +2 | ++Josephine Foster :: Hazel Eyes I Will Lead You | +
| +3 | ++Ghost-Note :: Swagism | +
| +3 | ++City Girl :: Chroma Velocity | +
| + | ++CY8ER :: Tokyo | +
| +2 | ++Various Artists :: Fair - EP | +
| +3 | ++Han Hee Jung :: 끈 | +
| +4 | ++Galen Tipton :: Fake Meat | +
| + | ++Songs: Ohia :: Magnolia Electric Co. | +
| +2 | ++Oranssi Pazuzu :: Mestarin kynsi | +
| + | ++Loreena McKennit :: The Book of Secrets | +
| +3 | ++SEGA :: Out Run (Original Soundtrack), Vol. 1 | +
| +3 | ++♥ GOJII ♥ :: Wishing Star - EP | +
| +1 | ++Ramzoid :: WORLD _EP | +
| +2 | ++WagakkiBand :: Yasouemaki | +
| +2 | ++gesunokiwamiotome :: Odorenainara Gesuninatteshimaeyo | +
| +2 | ++Big Bug :: Infinity + Infinity | +
| + | ++Gost :: Skull | +
| +1 | ++The Band CAMINO :: The Band CAMINO | +
| +2 | ++Perturbator :: Nocturne City - EP | +
| +3 | ++Maroon 5 :: Songs About Jane | +
| +2 | ++FLOOR BABA :: Neon Death | +
| +2 | ++The Almost :: Southern Weather | +
| +2 | ++Son Lux :: Bones | +
| +2 | ++Five Minute Ride :: The World Needs Convincing of All That It's Missing | +
| +4 | ++Evigheten :: Evig - EP | +
| +1 | ++Shygirl :: ALIAS | +
| +3 | ++Night Tempo :: Funk to the Future | +
| + | ++Dreamwell :: Modern Grotesque | +
| +2 | ++Soda Stereo :: Canción Animal | +
| + | ++Sithu Aye :: Invent the Universe | +
| +2 | ++Tarantella :: Esqueletos | +
| + | ++PARKGOLF :: Reo | +
| +1 | ++The Band CAMINO :: The Band CAMINO | +
| +2 | ++Noriko Tujiko :: Shojo Toshi+ | +
| +3 | ++Taking Back Sunday :: Tell All Your Friends | +
| +2 | ++Good Old War :: Good Old War | +
| +3 | ++Fall Out Boy :: Take This to Your Grave | +
| +2 | ++Louis Cole :: Live Sesh and Xtra Songs | +
| +2 | ++sewerslvt :: Irly - EP | +
| + | ++Sigur Rós :: Valtari | +
| + | ++Say Lou Lou :: Lucid Dreaming | +
| + | ++Pink Floyd :: Wish You Were Here | +
| + | ++Fiona Apple :: Extraordinary Machine | +
| +1 | ++Imaginary Future :: Sunlight | +
| +2 | ++Fleet Foxes :: Shore | +
| +3 | ++Kaskade :: In the Moment | +
| +3 | ++Andrew Bird :: Noble Beast | +
| +4 | ++Fleetwood Mac :: Rumours | +
| +1 | ++josh pan & Dylan Brady :: This Car Needs Some Wheels | +
| +2 | ++Salva :: Complex Housing | +
| +4 | ++Basshunter :: Now You're Gone - The Album | +
| +2 | ++Bikini Kill :: The First Two Records | +
| + | ++Rush :: Permanent Waves | +
| +3 | ++Toundra :: IV | +
| +5 | ++Capital Lights :: This Is An Outrage! | +
| +2 | ++Squirrel Nut Zippers :: Hot | +
| +2 | ++Huey Lewis & The News :: Picture This | +
| +1 | ++Röyksopp :: The Inevitable End | +
| + | ++Kanye West :: Late Registration | +
| +4 | ++Sianvar :: Stay Lost | +
| +3 | ++Iglooghost :: Lei Line Eon | +
| + | ++Dance With the Dead :: Near Dark | +
| +4 | ++Rush :: Presto | +
| + | ++The Knife :: Shaking the Habitual | +
| +5 | ++Hammock :: Oblivion Hymns | +
| +4 | ++Tides Of Man :: Young and Courageous | +
| +2 | ++The Fiery Furnaces :: Gallowsbird's Bark | +
| + | ++Haxan Cloak :: Excavation | +
| + | ++Savant :: Orakel | +
| +4 | ++Now, Now :: Threads | +
| +3 | ++Moe Shop :: Moshi Moshi | +
| +3 | ++Prince :: Dirty Mind | +
| +5 | ++Susanne Sundfør :: The Silicone Veil | +
| +3 | ++Blank Banshee :: Gaia | +
| +1 | ++S.Maharba :: S.Maharba | +
| +2 | ++Snail's House :: Ordinary Songs | +
| +3 | ++Brasstracks :: Good Love | +
| +5 | ++From Indian Lakes :: The Man With Wooden Legs | +
| +5 | ++Tycho :: Awake | +
| +2 | ++Arcade Fire :: The Suburbs | +
| +3 | ++Hermitude :: HyperParadise | +
| +3 | ++Tricot :: 10 | +
| +2 | ++Neu! :: Neu! | +
| +4 | ++Gotye :: Making Mirrors | +
| +3 | ++Sithu Aye :: Senpai EP II: The Noticing | +
| +4 | ++Starkey :: The Transponder Orchestra | +
| +3 | ++Gregory and the Hawk :: Come, Now | +
| +2 | ++Chamsom :: 까만 방 | +
| +2 | ++Khonnor :: Handwriting | +
| +3 | ++Toy-Box :: FanTastic | +
| +4 | ++Grateful Dead :: Blues for Allah | +
| + | ++Lucite Tokki :: L+ | +
| +4 | ++Adrianne Lenker :: songs | +
| + | ++Lucite Tokki :: L+ | +
| +5 | ++Max Richter :: Perfect Sense | +
| +3 | ++The Cab :: Whisper War | +
| + | ++Kamome Sano :: Dystopia 2020 - EP | +
| +4 | ++Perfume :: Triangle | +
| + | ++Anaïs Mitchell :: Xoa | +
| + | ++MXXWLL :: SHEEESH | +
| +2 | ++Shellac :: Terraform | +
| +2 | ++ABSRDST :: Venom & Glycerine | +
| + | ++Preoccupations :: Preoccupations | +
| +2 | ++Burden of a Day :: Pilots & Paper Planes | +
| + | ++Unicorn Kid :: Lion Hat - EP | +
| +2 | ++Mason Lindroth & Chuck Salamone :: Hylics 2 Original Soundtrack | +
| +3 | ++Wet :: Don't You | +
| +2 | ++City Girl :: Neon Impasse | +
| +3 | ++BrazOS :: _Dizzy Punch | +
| +5 | ++Paramore :: Brand New Eyes | +
| +5 | ++Kate Bush :: The Kick Inside | +
| +5 | ++Wave Racer :: Flash Drive - EP | +
| +3 | ++Wave Racer :: To Stop From Falling Off the Earth | +
| +4 | ++LOONA :: [X X] | +
| + | ++Marina and the Diamonds :: Electra Heart | +
| +1 | ++De De Mouse :: Nulife | +
| + | ++Good Old War :: Only Way To Be Alone | +
| +4 | ++Lido :: Everything | +
| +4 | ++Snarky Puppy :: We Like It Here | +
| + | ++Ricco Harver :: Long Hair, Lound Snare - EP | +
| +5 | ++Scott Walker :: Scott 3 | +
| + | ++Aphex Twin :: Richard D. James Album | +
| +3 | ++TOOL :: Undertow | +
| +4 | ++Gregory and the Hawk :: In Your Dreams | +
| +1 | ++Marina and the Diamonds :: FROOT | +
| +1 | ++Mystery Skulls :: Forever | +
| +3 | ++Vennart :: The Demon Joke | +
| +3 | ++Son Lux :: Alternate Worlds - EP | +
| +1 | ++Vera Blue :: Fingertips | +
| +5 | ++Origami Angel :: Gami Gang | +
| +5 | ++Paramore :: Riot! | +
| + | ++Maps & Atlases :: Beware And Be Grateful | +
| + | ++Poe :: Haunted | +
| +4 | ++DV-i :: Research + Development - EP | +
| +2 | ++Andromeda :: Extension of the Wish - Final Extension | +
| +2 | ++Iron & Wine :: Our Endless Numbered Days | +
| +3 | ++Oskar Schuster :: Les valses invisibles | +
| +4 | ++Enrailie :: SpaceWorld 2000 | +
| +4 | ++Haywyre :: Two Fold Pt. 1 | +
| + | ++Oskar Schuster :: Tristesse Télescopique | +
| +3 | ++Herbie Hancock & Chick Corea :: An Evening With Herbie Hancock & Chick Corea | +
| +2 | ++Various Artists :: Spd Gar 003 | +
| + | ++Kanye West :: 808s & Heartbreak | +
| +2 | ++75 Dollar Bill :: Wooden Bag | +
| +3 | ++Fleetwood Mac :: Then Play On | +
| +3 | ++Machinedrum :: Room(s) | +
| +1 | ++All Time Low :: Future Hearts | +
| +3 | ++The Format :: Dog Problems | +
| +3 | ++dodie :: Build A Problem (Apple Music Film Edition) | +
| +3 | ++Marcioz :: Mulato Tragidy | +
| +2 | ++YURiKA :: TV アニメ「はねバド!」OP テーマ「ふたりの羽根」 (アーティスト盤) - EP | +
| +1 | ++Pa's Lam System :: Whatever | +
| +2 | ++Silent Planet :: Everything Was Sound | +
| +3 | ++Pull the Plug :: London Elektricity | +
| +1 | ++Angels of Light :: How I Loved You | +
| +4 | ++Infinity Shred :: Forever, A Fast Life | +
| + | ++Between the Buried and Me :: The Great Misdirect | +
| +5 | ++Venetian Snares :: Rossz Csillag Alatt Született | +
| +3 | ++Starkey :: Spinning Tales (Original Soundtrack) | +
| +4 | ++Chon :: Homey | +
| +4 | ++Listener :: Time Is a Machine | +
| +3 | ++Zarya :: Сила | +
| +2 | ++Heather Woods Broderick :: Glider | +
| +4 | ++The Flaming Lips :: Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots | +
| +3 | ++Gost :: Non Paradisi | +
| +3 | ++Son Lux :: Tomorrows III | +
| + | ++Run the Jewels :: Run the Jewels | +
| +3 | ++Oskar Schuster :: Dear Utopia | +
| +3 | ++Eisley :: The Valley | +
| +3 | ++Nick Drake :: Pink Moon | +
| +3 | ++YG :: Still Brazy | +
| +2 | ++Stevie Wonder :: Fulfillingness' First Finale | +
| +3 | ++Kacey Musgraves :: star-crossed | +
| +2 | ++Frank Sinatra :: It Might As Well Be Swing (with Count Basie and His Orchestra) | +
| +2 | ++City Girl :: Loveless Shadows | +
| +2 | ++Cartel :: Collider | +
| +1 | ++COMPUTER DATA :: Emotional Shift - Single | +
| + | ++Gregory and the Hawk :: Self-Titled Demo | +
| +1 | ++Bambee :: On Ice | +
| +3 | ++Psychedelic Porn Crumpets :: High Visceral, Pt. 1 | +
| +3 | ++Drainpuppet :: Bliss | +
| +2 | ++Tacocat :: This Mess Is a Place | +
| +3 | ++Giraffes? Giraffes! :: Memory Lame | +
| +3 | ++A Lot Like Birds :: DIVISI | +
| +3 | ++And So I Watch You From Afar :: The Endless Shimmering | +
| +4 | ++Friendly Fires :: Inflorescent | +
| +4 | ++Glacci :: Lifeforce | +
| +3 | ++Royal Coda :: Royal Coda | +
| +2 | ++Edward Vanzet :: Everyday | +
| + | ++Max Richter :: The Blue Notebooks (15 Years) | +
| +3 | ++Never Shout Never :: The Yipee - EP | +
| +2 | ++High Contrast :: True Colours | +
| +4 | ++Javelin :: No Más | +
| +3 | ++Yndi Halda :: Enjoy Eternal Bliss | +
| +1 | ++Foo Fighters :: In Your Honor | +
| +4 | ++Charles Mingus :: The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady | +
| +5 | ++Kate Bush :: Never for Ever | +
| +5 | ++Kyary Pamyu Pamyu :: pamyupamyurevolution | +
| +2 | ++Seu Jorge :: The Life Aquatic - Studio Sessions featuring Seu Jorge | +
| +4 | ++Nicole Dollanganger :: Ode to Dawn Weiner: Embarrassing Love Songs | +
| +3 | ++Devendra Banhart :: Cripple Crow | +
| +3 | ++This Will Destroy You :: Tunnel Blanket | +
| +2 | ++Gost :: Valediction | +
| +4 | ++Coheed and Cambria :: In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth: 3 | +
| +2 | ++Vektor :: Terminal Redux | +
| +5 | ++Dance Gavin Dance :: Happiness | +
| +4 | ++Moniker :: Hunt for the Wilderpeople (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | +
| +1 | ++AFI :: Sing the Sorrow | +
| +2 | ++Architecture in Helsinki :: Places Like This | +
| +4 | ++Dario Marianelli & Jean-Yves Thibaudet :: Pride and Prejudice OST (US and Canada Version) | +
| +3 | ++The Residents :: Not Available | +
| +2 | ++Pere Ubu :: The Modern Dance | +
| +4 | ++Wu-Tang Clan :: Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) | +
| +5 | ++Björk :: Vulnicura | +
| +3 | ++Mew :: Mew with Copenhagen Philharmonic | +
| + | ++Snarky Puppy :: the only constant | +
| +3 | ++death's dynamic shroud :: I'll Try Living Like This | +
| +4 | ++POLIÇA :: United Crushers | +
| +2 | ++Oklou :: The Rite of May - EP | +
| +3 | ++DROELOE :: A Moment In Time | +
| +5 | ++Chris Thile :: Not All Who Wander Are Lost | +
| +3 | ++State Champs :: The Finer Things | +
| +4 | ++I the Mighty :: Where the Mind Wants to Go / Where You Let It Go | +
| +2 | ++Death Grips :: No Love Deep Web | +
| +3 | ++AKMU :: Play | +
| +2 | ++Yuna :: Nocturnal | +
| +5 | ++Sigur Rós :: Takk... | +
| +2 | ++Jinjer :: Cloud Factory | +
| +2 | ++Bring Me the Horizon :: That's the Spirit | +
| +2 | ++Architecture in Helsinki :: In Case We Die | +
| +2 | ++AFI :: Decemberunderground | +
| +1 | ++Kilter :: Through the Distortion | +
| +3 | ++Plini :: Other Things | +
| +3 | ++Nanahira :: Midnight Future | +
| +2 | ++JONGHYUN :: Poet|Artist | +
| + | ++Beach House :: Teen Dream | +
| +4 | ++Ramzoid :: Green - EP | +
| + | ++yeule :: Serotonin II | +
| +1 | ++Matchbox Twenty :: Yourself or Someone Like You | +
| +2 | ++Treasure Hunt :: Space Jam | +
| +3 | ++Mansions :: Dig up the Dead | +
| + | ++Protest the Hero :: Volition | +
| + | ++Moondog :: Moondog | +
| + | ++Phronesis :: Life to Everything | +
| +3 | ++Kyary Pamyu Pamyu :: Pika Pika Fantajin | +
| +4 | ++Late Night Alumni :: Eclipse | +
| +2 | ++Matmos :: Ultimate Care II | +
| +3 | ++Fela Kuti :: Zombie | +
| +2 | ++Pat Benatar :: Seven The Hard Way | +
| +1 | ++Chancho En Piedra :: Rindanse Terricolas | +
| +3 | ++Haken :: The Mountain | +
| +3 | ++Groundislava :: Groundislava | +
| +2 | ++Jacob Mann Big Band :: Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 - EP | +
| +1 | ++The Soft Moon :: Deeper | +
| +2 | ++In Love With a Ghost :: Let's Go | +
| +3 | ++Sam Gellaitry :: IV - EP | +
| +4 | ++Disasterpeace :: Level | +
| +2 | ++Der Weg einer Freiheit :: Stellar | +
| +1 | ++Jefferson Airplane :: Jefferson Airplane Takes Off | +
| +1 | ++Sleeping With Sirens :: Feel | +
| +4 | ++Now, Now :: Dead Oaks - Single | +
| +4 | ++Chuck Sutton :: Tripolar EP | +
| +2 | ++GFOTY :: If You Think I'm a Bitch, You Should Meet Gfoty - EP | +
| +3 | ++Clarence Clarity :: NO NOW | +
| + | ++Pink Floyd :: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn | +
| + | ++Giraffes? Giraffes! :: Pink Magick | +
| +4 | ++EASYFUN :: Deep Trouble - EP | +
| +2 | ++Soda Stereo :: Signos | +
| +4 | ++The Helix Nebula :: Meridian | +
| +2 | ++Desired :: Momo Club | +
| +2 | ++Four Tet :: There Is Love in You | +
| +3 | ++The Zombies :: Odessey and Oracle | +
| +2 | ++Sun Ra and His Arkestra :: The Magic City | +
| + | ++Scale The Summit :: Monument | +
| +3 | ++St. Vincent :: Marry Me | +
| + | ++Desired :: Nineteen | +
| +2 | ++Disasterpeace :: Monsters Ate My Birthday Cake | +
| +1 | ++Scattle :: Timelapse | +
| +5 | ++Underoath :: They're Only Chasing Safety | +
| +3 | ++God Is An Astronaut :: A Moment of Stillness | +
| + | ++Logic :: Under Pressure | +
| +2 | ++Rui Ho :: Becoming Is an Eventful Situation | +
| +4 | ++The Physics House Band :: Horizons / Rapture | +
| + | ++Hop Along :: Get Disowned | +
| + | ++The Almost :: Monster Monster | +
| +4 | ++Daijiro Nakagawa :: In My Opinion | +
| +2 | ++St. Vincent :: MassEducation | +
| +4 | ++KNOWER :: Let Go | +
| + | ++Tyler, The Creator :: IGOR | +
| +1 | ++Paysage d'Hiver :: Im Wald | +
| +2 | ++Protomartyr :: Under Color of Official Right | +
| +3 | ++Jacob Collier :: Djesse Vol. 3 | +
| +3 | ++Lido :: Peder | +
| +2 | ++Stwo :: D.T.S.N.T. EP | +
| +2 | ++Coheed and Cambria :: No World For Tomorrow | +
| +2 | ++Eurythmics :: Touch (2018 Remaster) | +
| +3 | ++Canblaster :: Continue! (Remixes) | +
| +1 | ++Mindless Self Indulgence :: If | +
| + | ++Hiromi :: Move | +
| + | ++Lone :: Galaxy Garden | +
| + | ++Hudson Mohawke :: Poom Gems | +
| +4 | ++Aria Rostami :: Sahm Balahm | +
| +2 | ++Louis Prima :: The Wildest! | +
| + | ++Third Eye Blind :: Ursa Major | +
| +2 | ++Mux Mool :: Just Saying Is All | +
| +3 | ++Coheed and Cambria :: The Second Stage Turbine Blade (Re-Issue) | +
| +2 | ++Slime Girls :: Yumemi / Lonely Planet Girl - Single | +
| +3 | ++Cloudkicker :: Let Yourself Be Huge | +
| +3 | ++Rollergirl :: Now I'm Singin'... (And the Party Keeps on Rollin') | +
| +3 | ++Jyocho :: A Parallel Universe - EP | +
| +1 | ++Akron/Family :: Love Is Simple | +
| +1 | ++Pat Benatar :: True Love | +
| +3 | ++Greeley Estates :: Go West Young Man, Let the Evil Go East | +
| +1 | ++Antic Clay :: Hilarious Death Blues | +
| +2 | ++El Hijo :: Capital Desierto | +
| +3 | ++Ultrahappyalarm :: Critical Daydream | +
| +2 | ++Tacocat :: Lost Time | +
| + | ++Nicole Dollanganger :: Heart Shaped Bed | +
| +2 | ++DJ Jayhood :: King | +
| + | ++Eric Johnson :: Ah Via Musicom | +
| +2 | ++어른아이 :: Dandelion | +
| +2 | ++Tennyson :: Uh Oh! - EP | +
| +1 | ++Android52 :: The B-Sides | +
| + | ++Pomegranate Tiger :: Entities | +
| +4 | ++Austin Wintory :: Transfiguration | +
| +5 | ++Austin Wintory :: Journey (Original Video Game Soundtrack) | +
| +2 | ++Various Artists :: Furi (Original Game Soundtrack) | +
| +4 | ++clipping. :: Visions of Bodies Being Burned | +
| +3 | ++Cashmere Cat :: 9 | +
| +1 | ++Låpsley :: Long Way Home | +
| +1 | ++meltycanon :: Old Compilations 3 | +
| +1 | ++Run The Jewels :: Meow the Jewels | +
| +5 | ++Imogen Heap :: Speak for Yourself | +
| +2 | ++Carly Rae Jepsen :: E•MO•TION | +
| +1 | ++Noah Gundersen :: Lover | +
| +4 | ++Death Grips :: The Money Store | +
| +2 | ++James Ferraro :: Far Side Virtual | +
| + | ++Ahn Dayoung :: ANTIHERO | +
| +1 | ++Frank Sinatra :: Watertown | +
| +3 | ++Tycho :: Epoch | +
| +1 | ++Burning Star Core :: Blood Lightning 2007 | +
| +2 | ++Galen Tipton :: Spell Books 01 - Ideonella Sakaiensis | +
| +2 | ++Santana :: Santana III | +
| +2 | ++The Sweeplings :: Rise & Fall | +
| +2 | ++Toy-Box :: Toyride | +
| +2 | ++Angelo De Augustine :: How Past Begins | +
| + | ++Vasudeva :: Life in Cycles | +
| +4 | ++FROMTHEHEART :: "Things Happen, It's Okay!" | +
| +5 | ++Esperanza Spalding :: Esperanza | +
| +2 | ++Arcade Fire :: Neon Bible | +
| +3 | ++Hudson Mohawke :: Lantern | +
| +4 | ++King Crimson :: Discipline | +
| +2 | ++Protomartyr :: Ultimate Success Today | +
| +2 | ++Snail's House :: エイリアン ☆ ポップ II - EP | +
| +3 | ++Carpainter :: Returning | +
| +2 | ++Mi Ami :: Steal Your Face | +
| +3 | ++Danny Brown :: uknowwhatimsayin¿ | +
| +2 | ++Maximum Love :: Midnight Astronaut | +
| +3 | ++Snail's House :: Ordinary Songs 2 | +
| +3 | ++Macross 82-99 :: Sailorwave II - EP | +
| +4 | ++We The Kings :: We The Kings | +
| +3 | ++John Mayer :: Heavier Things | +
| +3 | ++Slayyyter :: Troubled Paradise | +
| +3 | ++All Time Low :: So Wrong, It's Right | +
| + | ++Candy Claws :: In the Dream of the Sea Life | +
| +3 | ++Casker :: tender | +
| +3 | ++Waveshaper :: Station Nova | +
| +3 | ++Tame Impala :: InnerSpeaker | +
| +2 | ++CocoRosie :: La Maison de Mon Rêve | +
| + | ++Lucas Lex :: Spider | +
| + | ++Jenny Hval :: Viscera | +
| +3 | ++death's dynamic shroud :: Regret When It Was Lost | +
| +3 | ++God Is an Astronaut :: Helios / Erebus | +
| +3 | ++POLIÇA & s t a r g a z e :: Music for the Long Emergency | +
| + | ++Boldy James & Sterling Toles :: Manger on McNichols | +
| + | ++Between the Buried and Me :: The Silent Circus | +
| +2 | ++Senses Fail :: If There is Light, It Will Find You | +
| +5 | ++Björk :: Homogenic | +
| + | ++MASS OF THE FERMENTING DREGS :: Zero Comma Iro Toridori no Sekai | +
| +3 | ++Car Seat Headrest :: Teens of Denial | +
| +2 | ++Pusha T :: DAYTONA | +
| +3 | ++Louis Cole :: LIVE 2019 | +
| + | ++The Mars Volta :: Octahedron | +
| +3 | ++Frank Sinatra :: A Swingin' Affair! | +
| +2 | ++mus.hiba :: White Girl | +
| + | ++By The End Of Tonight & Tera Melos :: Complex Full Of Phantoms | +
| +3 | ++Jefferson Airplane :: Surrealistic Pillow | +
| +2 | ++Dr. Dog :: Takers and Leavers | +
| +3 | ++Fleet Foxes :: Crack-Up | +
| +2 | ++Carly Rae Jepsen :: Dedicated Side B | +
| +5 | ++Sufjan Stevens :: Illinois | +
| +5 | ++Anomalie :: Métropole | +
| +1 | ++BLOOM & Dylan Brady :: Sinses | +
| +3 | ++Halsey :: Manic | +
| +3 | ++Organ Freeman :: Respect My Art | +
| +5 | ++GoGo Penguin :: GoGo Penguin | +
| + | ++Charles Mingus :: Pithecanthropus Erectus | +
| + | ++kitixxxgaia :: 大森靖子 | +
| +5 | ++Pink Floyd :: The Dark Side of the Moon | +
| +5 | ++Björk :: Debut | +
| +5 | ++CAPSULE :: L.D.K. Lounge Designers Killer | +
| +2 | ++Cult of Luna :: Eternal Kingdom | +
| +3 | ++Air :: Moon Safari | +
| +2 | ++Julia Holter :: Tragedy | +
| +2 | ++Rosesleeves :: 9920Deadline | +
| + | ++As Cities Burn :: Come Now Sleep | +
| + | ++Natalia Lafourcade :: Un Canto por México, Vol. 1 | +
| + | ++Norma Jean :: Wrongdoers | +
| +3 | ++Esperanza Spalding :: Junjo | +
| + | ++Faust :: Faust IV | +
| +2 | ++Vessels :: Dilate | +
| +3 | ++Eternity Forever & Ben Rosett :: Unmixed. Unmastered. - EP | +
| + | ++Devics :: Push the Heart | +
| +2 | ++Macross 82-99 :: CHAM! | +
| +4 | ++Peggy Lee :: Things Are Swingin' | +
| + | ++Earthside :: A Dream in Static | +
| +4 | ++Enemies :: Embark, Embrace | +
| +5 | ++Enya :: A Day Without Rain | +
| +5 | ++Disasterpeace :: Strays | +
| +1 | ++Kizuna AI :: Replies - EP | +
| +2 | ++Biig Piig :: No Place for Patience, Vol. 3 - EP | +
| +3 | ++C418 :: Minecraft - Volume Alpha | +
| +3 | ++The Fiery Furnaces :: Bitter Tea | +
| +2 | ++Planxty :: Cold Blow and the Rainy Night | +
| +4 | ++Porter Robinson :: Worlds | +
| +3 | ++Porter Robinson :: Nurture | +
| +4 | ++Plini :: Handmade Cities | +
| +2 | ++Cecil Taylor :: Unit Structures | +
| +1 | ++I See Stars :: Renegades Forever | +
| +2 | ++Tame Impala :: The Slow Rush | +
| +2 | ++Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows (D.R.U.G.S.) :: D.R.U.G.S. | +
| +2 | ++Bring Me the Horizon :: Sempiternal | +
| +1 | ++Morgan Page :: Elevate | +
| +2 | ++Chippr Jones :: Tropics / Cosm - EP | +
| +3 | ++BADBADNOTGOOD & Ghostface Killah :: SOUR SOUL | +
| +3 | ++By the End of Tonight :: A Tribute to Tigers - EP | +
| + | ++Frank Sinatra :: Ring-A-Ding-Ding! | +
| +4 | ++Charly Bliss :: Guppy | +
| +3 | ++Planxty :: The Well Below the Valley | +
| +2 | ++Wovenhand :: Blush Music | +
| +3 | ++Ornette Coleman :: The Shape of Jazz to Come | +
| +2 | ++Kevin Morby :: Singing Saw | +
| +3 | ++Louis Cole :: Louis Cole | +
| +3 | ++Doss :: Doss | +
| +2 | ++World's End Girlfriend & Vampillia :: 在りし日の声 Voices of Days Past | +
| +2 | ++Röyksopp :: Senior | +
| +4 | ++Charles Mingus :: Let My Children Hear Music | +
| + | ++Planxty :: The Well Below the Valley | +
| +4 | ++Rosemary Fairweather :: Heavenly | +
| +5 | ++Underoath :: Define the Great Line | +
| +3 | ++Rodan :: Rusty | +
| +4 | ++A Day to Remember :: Old Record | +
| +5 | ++Return to Forever :: Romantic Warrior | +
| +4 | ++The Fall of Troy :: Manipulator | +
| +5 | ++Flyleaf :: Flyleaf | +
| +2 | ++Girls Rituals :: Reddishness | +
| +4 | ++Intervals :: The Way Forward | +
| +3 | ++Slow Magic :: How to Run Away | +
| +3 | ++Sleep Cycle :: Deakin | +
| +2 | ++Fire! Orchestra :: Enter | +
| +1 | ++Anberlin :: Vital | +
| + | ++tricot :: Black | +
| +3 | ++Laura Stevenson :: Cocksure | +
| +2 | ++Dinosaur Jr. :: You're Living All Over Me | +
| +3 | ++Nancy Sinatra :: Nancy in London | +
| +3 | ++Eldar Djangirov :: Eldar | +
| +3 | ++The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die :: Harmlessness | +
| +3 | ++Lisa Germano :: Geek the Girl | +
| + | ++Diane Cluck :: Common Wealth | +
| +2 | ++Analog Son :: Funky Mother | +
| +1 | ++The Avalanches :: We Will Always Love You | +
| +1 | ++The Hush Sound :: So Sudden | +
| +5 | ++Sleeping with Sirens :: With Ears to See, and Eyes to Hear | +
| +5 | ++GFOTY :: Gfotybucks | +
| +1 | ++Macross 82-99 :: Idols, Sakura | +
| +1 | ++Primary & OHHYUK :: Lucky You! | +
| +4 | ++Sylvan Esso :: Sylvan Esso | +
| +5 | ++Chick Corea :: My Spanish Heart | +
| +3 | ++States :: Paradigm | +
| +2 | ++Angels of Light :: New Mother | +
| +4 | ++Rustie :: EVENIFUDONTBELIEVE | +
| +5 | ++Björk :: SelmaSongs | +
| +3 | ++Cleric :: Regressions | +
| +4 | ++Eisley :: I'm Only Dreaming... Of Days Long Past | +
| +3 | ++Animal Collective :: Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished | +
| +5 | ++Toby Fox :: UNDERTALE Soundtrack | +
| +2 | ++Jamie Cullum :: Pointless Nostalgic | +
| +3 | ++Heavy Heavy Low Low :: Heavy Heavy Low Low | +
| +4 | ++Kings of Convenience :: Declaration Of Dependence | +
| +2 | ++リアム MAZE1981 :: Color Tv | +
| + | ++Jyocho :: The Beautiful Cycle of Terminal | +
| +2 | ++Meishi Smile :: Lust | +
| +2 | ++Spazzkid :: Desire | +
| +1 | ++Andy Stott :: Luxury Problems | +
| +2 | ++Low :: Double Negative | +
| + | ++GoGo Penguin :: Fanfares | +
| + | ++Hiromi :: Place to Be | +
| +3 | ++Groundislava :: Endless Voyage | +
| +3 | ++Nancy Sinatra :: How Does That Grab You? | +
| + | ++The Flaming Lips :: The Soft Bulletin | +
| +3 | ++Sentimental Scenery :: Harp Song + Sentimentalism | +
| + | ++Béla Fleck :: Perpetual Motion | +
| +3 | ++The Format :: Interventions and Lullabies | +
| +2 | ++Salem :: King Night | +
| +2 | ++Danny Brown :: Old | +
| +3 | ++The Fall of Troy :: OK#2 | +
| +2 | ++Poe :: Hello | +
| +2 | ++MASTER BOOT RECORD :: Internet Protocol | +
| +3 | ++Car Seat Headrest :: Twin Fantasy | +
| +2 | ++Sweet Valley :: Stay Calm | +
| +3 | ++mewithoutYou :: Pale Horses | +
| +4 | ++Punch Brothers :: Antifogmatic | +
| +3 | ++Night Tempo, 杏里 :: Anri — Night Tempo presents the Showa Groove | +
| +4 | ++♥ GOJII ♥ :: All My Heart | +
| +4 | ++Eatmewhileimhot! :: All My Friends | +
| +4 | ++Punch Brothers :: All Ashore | +
| +4 | ++Charlie Haden, Carla Bley :: The Ballad of the Fallen | +
| +4 | ++Julia Holter :: Aviary | +
| +2 | ++Sun Ra :: Atlantis | +
| +3 | ++Sufjan Stevens :: The Ascension | +
| +2 | ++Seirom :: And The Light Swallowed Everything | +
| +3 | ++Sufjan Stevens :: The Avalanche | +
| + | ++Red Baraat :: Bhangra Pirates | +
| +4 | ++Muse :: Black Holes and Revelations | +
| +2 | ++Oklou :: Avril | +
| +3 | ++Baths :: Cerulean | +
| +5 | ++Björk :: Biophilia | +
| +3 | ++Pharmakon :: Bestial Burden | +
| +2 | ++Kaleidoscope :: A Beacon From Mars | +
| +3 | ++mouse on the keys :: an anxious object | +
| +3 | ++MXXWLL :: Beats Vol. 1 | +
| +2 | ++Shubh Saran :: Becoming | +
| +2 | ++Lauren Bousfield :: Avalon Vales | +
| +3 | ++CHVRCHES :: Every Open Eye | +
| +2 | ++TTNG :: Disappointment Island | +
| +2 | ++From Indian Lakes :: Dimly Lit | +
| +5 | ++Beethoven :: Symphony No. 9 | +
| +5 | ++Tycho :: Dive | +
| +4 | ++Late Night Alumni :: Empty Streets | +
| +3 | ++John Coltrane :: Ascension | +
| +3 | ++Idylls :: The Barn | +
| +5 | ++Real Estate :: Atlas | +
| +3 | ++Pearls Before Swine :: Balaklava | +
| +3 | ++Cloud Nothings :: Attack On Memory | +
| +3 | ++Prince :: 1999 | +
| +3 | ++Arca :: Arca | +
| +3 | ++Freddie Gibbs, The Alchemist :: Alfredo | +
| +3 | ++Van Morrison :: Astral Weeks | +
| +3 | ++Hilmar Őrn Hilmarsson, Sigur Rós :: Angels of the Universe | +
| +2 | ++Fishmans :: 98.12.28 男達の別れ (Live) | +
| +3 | ++Shaun Martin :: 7Summers | +
| +3 | ++Anna Meredith :: ANNO: Four Seasons by Anna Meredith & Antonio Vivaldi | +
| +2 | ++Anton Webern :: Concerto for Nine Instruments, Op. 24, Piano Variations, Op.27, Four Songs, Op. 12, Quartet Op.22 for Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet, Violin and Piano | +
| +4 | ++Ichiko Aoba :: 0 | +
| +3 | ++Count Basie :: April In Paris | +
| +3 | ++Dance Gavin Dance :: Artificial Selection | +
| +2 | ++Bring Me the Horizon :: amo | +
| +4 | ++Outkast :: Aquemini | +
| +3 | ++American Football :: American Football (LP3) | +
| +4 | ++The Dear Hunter :: Act V: Hymns with the Devil in Confessional | +
| +3 | ++Fear Before the March of Flames :: The Always Open Mouth | +
| +4 | ++St. Vincent :: Actor | +
| +5 | ++The Dear Hunter :: Act Iv: Rebirth in Reprise | +
| +5 | ++Lydian Collective :: Adventure | +
| +3 | ++The Dear Hunter :: Act III: Life and Death | +
| +3 | ++The Dear Hunter :: Act II: The Meaning of, And All Things Regarding Ms. Leading | +
| +3 | ++The Dear Hunter :: Act I: The Lake South, The River North | +
| +2 | ++Anthony Braxton :: Alto Saxophone Improvisations 1979 | +
| +5 | ++Paramore :: All We Know Is Falling | +
| +3 | ++Dance Gavin Dance :: Afterburner | +
| +2 | ++Paramore :: After Laughter | +
| +3 | ++Dance Gavin Dance :: Acceptance Speech 2.0 | +
| +4 | ++Sufjan Stevens :: All Delighted People | +
| +2 | ++Lingua Ignota :: All Bitches Die | +
| +3 | ++Louis Cole :: Album 2 | +
| +3 | ++Angels of Light, Akron/Family :: Akron/Family & Angels of Light | +
| +4 | ++Sufjan Stevens :: The Age of Adz | +
| +2 | ++Roly Porter :: Aftertime | +
| +2 | ++Jefferson Airplane :: After Bathing At Baxters | +
| +5 | ++Owl City :: Maybe I'm Dreaming | +
| +2 | ++Sigur Rós :: 22° Lunar Halo | +
| +3 | ++The Killers :: Sam's Town | +
| +5 | ++The Killers :: Hot Fuss | +
| +5 | ++Sigur Rós :: () | +
| +5 | ++Candy Claws :: Ceres & Calypso in the Deep Time | +
| + | ++Nicole Dollanganger :: Curdled Milk | +
| +2 | ++Roly Porter :: Aftertime | +
| + | ++Jefferson Airplane :: After Bathing At Baxters | +
| +3 | ++Liturgy :: Aesthetica | +
| +3 | ++TOOL :: Ænima | +
| +2 | ++Pharmakon :: Abandon | +
| +4 | ++Max Richter :: 24 Postcards in Full Colour | +
| +5 | ++TOOL :: 10,000 Days | +
| +3 | ++From Indian Lakes :: Everything Feels Better Now | +
| +2 | ++Kaskade :: Fire & Ice | +
| +1 | ++Mukimukimanmansu :: 2012 | +
| +4 | ++Burial :: Untrue | +
| + | ++sewerslvt :: Draining Love Story | +
| +3 | ++Seirom :: 1973 | +
| +2 | ++Li Jianhong :: 1969 | +
| +2 | ++Wire :: 154 | +
| +2 | ++King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard :: 12 Bar Bruise | +
| +2 | ++Satanicpornocultshop :: Arkhaiomelisidonophunikheratos | +
| +2 | ++Thom Yorke :: ANIMA | +
| +1 | ++Aoki Takamasa & Tujiko Noriko :: 28 | +
| +2 | ++Angels Of Light :: The Angels Of Light Sing "Other People" | +
| +4 | ++American Football :: American Football | +
| +5 | ++John Mayer :: Battle Studies | +
| +2 | ++Akron/Family :: Akron/Family | +
| +2 | ++Poliça :: When We Stay Alive | +
| +2 | ++The Hush Sound :: Goodbye Blues | +
| +3 | ++The Dillinger Escape Plan :: Calculating Infinity | +
| + | ++The Chariot :: The Fiance | +
| +5 | ++The Fall of Troy :: Doppelganger | +
| +5 | ++Clown Core :: Clown Core | +
| +3 | ++Eskimo Callboy :: Bury Me In Vegas | +
| +2 | ++Diane Cluck :: Boneset | +
| +5 | ++Imaginary Future :: All My Love | +
| +4 | ++Muse :: Absolution | +
| +3 | ++American Football :: American Football EP | +
| +2 | ++American Football :: American Football (LP2) | +
| +3 | ++God Is An Astronaut :: Age of the Fifth Sun | +
| +1 | ++AFI :: AFI | +
| +2 | ++Lydia Ainsworth :: Darling of the Afterglow | +
| +4 | ++Sam Rivers :: Crystals | +
| +2 | ++Animal Collective :: Centipede Hz | +
| +2 | ++God Is An Astronaut :: All Is Violent, All Is Bright | +
| +3 | ++Radiohead :: The Bends | +
| +2 | ++Count Basie :: The Atomic Mr. Basie | +
| +2 | ++Desired :: Best Before 1998 | +
| +3 | ++Duke Ellington :: ...And His Mother Called Him Bill | +
| +4 | ++Gost :: Behemoth | +
| +4 | ++Yung Bae :: Bae 5 | +
| +3 | ++Android52 :: 52 Days of Autumn | +
| +3 | ++Duke Ellington :: The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse | +
| +4 | ++Kimbra :: The Golden Echo | +
| +3 | ++Godspeed You! Black Emperor :: Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend | +
| +4 | ++Peggy Lee :: Black Coffee | +
| +3 | ++Duke Ellington :: The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse | +
| +3 | ++Iron & Wine :: Around the Well | +
| +2 | ++Steely Dan :: Aja | +
| +4 | ++A. G. Cook :: 7G | +
| +5 | ++Metric :: Fantasies | +
| +3 | ++Iglooghost :: Clear Tamei | +
| +2 | ++Yuna :: Chapters | +
| +4 | ++Chon :: Chon | +
| +2 | ++MASTER BOOT RECORD :: C:>CHKDSK F | +
| +1 | ++El Hijo :: Capital Desierto | +
| +3 | ++toe :: the book about my idle plot on a vague anxiety | +
| +5 | ++The Mars Volta :: The Bedlam in Goliath | +
| +5 | ++Circa Survive :: Blue Sky Noise | +
| +3 | ++Between the Buried and Me :: Automata II | +
| +3 | ++Circa Survive :: The Amulet | +
| +5 | ++The Beatles :: Abbey Road | +
| + | ++Eisley :: Combinations | +
| +2 | ++The Mars Volta :: Amputechture | +
| +3 | ++From Indian Lakes :: Able Bodies | +
| +3 | ++100 gecs :: 1000 gecs and The Tree of Clues | +
| +5 | ++The Fall of Troy :: Doppelganger | +
| +4 | ++f(x) :: 4 Walls | +
| +2 | ++Frodus :: And We Washed Our Weapons in the Sea | +
| +2 | ++Shellac :: At Action Park | +
| +1 | ++De De Mouse :: be yourself | +
| +2 | ++f(x) :: Red Light | +
| +2 | ++San Holo :: album1 | +
| +1 | ++f(x) :: Pink Tape | +
| +1 | ++SHINee :: 1 of 1 | +
| +1 | ++90 Day Men :: 1975-1977-1998 | +
| +2 | ++Zarya :: 18 y\o | +
| +5 | ++100 gecs :: 1000 gecs | +
| +3 | ++Scale The Summit :: The Collective | +
| +3 | ++Between the Buried and Me :: Automata I | +
| +4 | ++TTNG :: Animals | +
| +2 | ++Between the Buried and Me :: The Anatomy Of | +
| +4 | ++Between the Buried and Me :: Alaska | +
| +3 | ++Esperanza Spalding :: 12 Little Spells | +
| +5 | ++Explosions in the Sky :: The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place | +
| +5 | ++Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek, Reinhold Heil :: Cloud Atlas | +
| +5 | ++Cartel :: Chroma | +
| +3 | ++Iglooghost :: Chinese Nü Yr | +
| +4 | ++Esperanza Spalding :: Chamber Music Society | +
| +2 | ++mewithoutYou :: Catch For Us The Foxes | +
| +3 | ++Sithu Aye :: Cassini | +
| +2 | ++City Girl :: Celestial Angel | +
| +3 | ++Zu :: Carboniferous | +
| +4 | ++City and Colour :: Bring Me Your Love | +
| +4 | ++Charli XCX :: Charli | +
| +3 | ++Carpenter Brut :: Blood Machines - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | +
| +4 | ++Of Machines :: As If Everything Was Held In Place | +
| +3 | ++Royal Coda :: Compassion | +
| +3 | ++Hayley Williams :: Petals for Armor | +
| +3 | ++mewithoutYou :: Brother, Siste | +
| +3 | ++Andrew Bird :: Armchair Apocrypha | +
| +3 | ++Tricot :: The | +
| +3 | ++Mew :: + - | +
| +4 | ++Earth :: The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull | +
| +2 | ++Grimes :: Miss Anthropocene | +
| +4 | ++Grimes :: Art Angels | +
| +3 | ++Josquin des Prez :: Missa Pange lingua | +
| +3 | ++Johannes Ockeghem :: Requiem: Missa Mi-Mi | +
| +5 | ++POLIÇA :: Give You The Ghost | +
| +2 | ++Gilles Binchois :: Chansons | +
| +2 | ++Jonannes Ciconia :: Homage to Johannes Ciconia | +
| +5 | ++Ensemble Project Ars Nova :: Ars Magis Subtiliter | +
| +4 | ++Guillaume de Machaut :: Messe de Notre Dame | +
| +2 | ++Bill Laurance :: Cables | +
| +2 | ++Hudson Mohawke :: Butter | +
| +3 | ++Simon & Garfunkel :: Bridge Over Troubled Water | +
| +4 | ++Hilliard Ensemble :: Perotin | +
| +4 | ++Hildegard von Bingen :: Canticles of Ecstacy | +
| +4 | ++Paul Hillier :: Monastic Song | +
| +2 | ++Norma Jean :: All Hail | +
| +3 | ++Norma Jean :: Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child | +
| +3 | ++Six Gallery :: Breakthroughs in Modern Art | +
| +4 | ++Pink Floyd :: Animals | +
| +1 | ++Dylan Brady :: All I Ever Wanted | +
| +2 | ++CocoRosie :: The Adventures of Ghosthorse & Stillborn | +
| +3 | ++Bon Iver :: 22, A Million | +
| +2 | ++Owen :: At Home With Owen | +
| +2 | ++TTNG :: Animals Acoustic | +
| +3 | ++ABBA :: The Album | +
| +3 | ++Yvette Young :: Acoustics | +
| +2 | ++Tim Hecker :: Virgins | +
| +3 | ++Drake :: Take Care | +
| +3 | ++Machine Girl :: ...Because I'm Young Arrogant and Hate Everything You Stand For | +
| +2 | ++Tomggg :: ART NATURE | +
| + | ++Poppy :: Am I A Girl? | +
| + | ++Dance Gavin Dance :: Whatever I Say Is Royal Ocean | +
| + | ++Dance Gavin Dance :: Instant Gratification | +
| +5 | ++A Lot Like Birds :: No Place | +
| +5 | ++A Lot Like Birds :: Conversation Piece | +
| + | ++Taking Back Sunday :: Where You Want to Be | +
| +3 | ++Rachel's :: Selenography | +
| +2 | ++Thirty Seconds to Mars :: A Beautiful Lie | +
| +2 | ++CASIOPEA :: Be | +
| +3 | ++CASIOPEA :: Asian Dreamer | +
| + | ++Saint Pepsi :: Hit Vibes | +
| + | ++Saint Pepsi :: Late Night Delight | +
| + | ++Saint Pepsi :: Choice Cuts | +
| +2 | ++Saint Pepsi :: Mannequin Challenge | +
| +3 | ++sewerslvt :: Sewer//Slvt | +
| +3 | ++sewerslvt :: Drowning In The Sewer | +
| +5 | ++The Seatbelts :: Cowboy Bebop | +
| +2 | ++Adult Child :: B Tl B Tl (비틀비틀) | +
| +5 | ++Max Richter :: Sleep | +
| +2 | ++Bill Laurance :: Aftersun | +
| +4 | ++Han Hee Jung :: 1집 너의 다큐멘트 | +
| + | ++Devics :: Push the Heart | +
| + | ++Tigran Hamasyan :: Mockroot | +
| + | ++Orchards :: Peggy | +
| + | ++Disasterpeace & David Peacock :: Disasters for Piano | +
| +4 | ++GoGo Penguin :: v2.0 | +
| +4 | ++GoGo Penguin :: A Humdrum Star | +
| + | ++Jean Jean :: Froidepierre | +
| + | ++KNOWER :: Think Thoughts | +
| + | ++KNOWER :: Life | +
| + | ++Charly Bliss :: Guppy | +
| + | ++Disco Inferno :: D.I. Go Pop | +
| + | ++Tortoise :: TNT | +
| + | ++Slint :: Spiderland | +
| + | ++Kurt Travis :: Kurt Travis | +
| + | ++Ben Rosett & Eternity Forever :: Lovespell | +
| + | ++Ben Rosett & Eternity Forever :: Cherry Blossom | +
| + | ++Eternity Forever & Ben Rosett :: Unmixed. Unmastered. | +
| + | ++Push over :: Demo EP | +
| + | ++Diplo :: F10RIDA | +
| + | ++Various Artists :: Furi (Original Game Soundtrack) | +
| +5 | ++Mew :: Frengers | +
| + | ++GFOTY :: GFOTYBUCKS | +
| + | ++Lydia Ainsworth :: Darling of the Afterglow | +
| + | ++Ujico* :: WonderWorld | +
| +2 | ++Jóhann Jóhannsson :: Arrival (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | +
| +5 | ++The Weepies :: Hideaway | +
| +5 | ++Rustie :: Glass Swords | +
| + | ++August Burns Red :: Phantom Anthem | +
| +5 | ++Iglooghost :: Neō Wax Bloom | +
| + | ++WagakkiBand :: 八奏絵巻 | +
| + | ++WagakkiBand :: 四季彩-shikisai- | +
| + | ++Vitas :: Return home | +
| + | ++Vitas :: Dedication | +
| + | ++Vitas :: Philosophy of Miracle | +
| + | ++Bonobo :: Black Sands | +
| +5 | ++Todd Terje :: It's Album Time | +
| +3 | ++Blonde Redhead :: 23 | +
| +4 | ++CHVRCHES :: The Bones Of What You Believe | +
| +5 | ++Carpenter Brut :: Trilogy | +
| +5 | ++Chiodos :: All's Well That Ends Well | +
| +4 | ++Chiodos :: Bone Palace Ballet: Grand Coda | +
| + | ++Morrissey :: Viva Hate [Remastered] | +
| + | ++Österreich :: 無能 | +
| + | ++TroyBoi :: Left Is Right | +
| + | ++Supernaive :: Dazed & Confused | +
| +2 | ++Steve Reich & POLIÇA & s t a r g a z e :: Bruise Blood: Reimagining Steve Reich's Music for Pieces of Wood | +
| + | ++더 멜로디 :: The Melody | +
| + | ++참깨와 솜사탕 :: 속마음 | +
| + | ++참깨와 솜사탕 :: 까만 방 | +
| + | ++Sentimental Scenery :: Harp Song + Sentimentalism | +
| +2 | ++Sentimental Scenery :: 11 DAYS | +
| + | ++Casker :: Your Songs | +
| + | ++Casker :: 여정(旅程) | +
| + | ++Casker :: ground part 1 | +
| + | ++어른아이 :: B Tl B Tl (비틀비틀) | +
| + | ++어른아이 :: Dandelion | +
| + | ++한희정 :: 1집 너의 다큐멘트 | +
| + | ++한희정 :: 끈 | +
| + | ++한희정 :: 잔혹한 여행 -EP | +
| + | ++한희정 :: NOTATE | +
| + | ++Donawhale :: Donawhale | +
| +2 | ++Snarky Puppy :: Bring Us The Bright | +
| + | ++Snarky Puppy :: GroundUP | +
| + | ++Snarky Puppy & Metropole Orkest :: Sylva | +
| + | ++Snarky Puppy :: Family Dinner, Vol. 2 | +
| + | ++Snarky Puppy :: Culcha Vulcha | +
| + | ++Flap Jack :: Odd Fart | +
| + | ++Tyler, The Creator :: Flower Boy | +
| +3 | ++Manchester Orchestra :: A Black Mile To The Surface | +
| +4 | ++Deas Vail :: Birds & Cages | +
| + | ++Scale The Summit :: In a World of Fear | +
| + | ++Feist :: Pleasure | +
| +1 | ++Kirin J Callinan :: Bravado | +
| + | ++The Mountain Goats :: Goths | +
| + | ++Elder :: Reflections of a Floating World | +
| + | ++Groundislava :: Endless Voyage | +
| + | ++Mesita :: Mall Music EP | +
| + | ++Nite Jewel :: Real High | +
| +2 | ++BRNFKD :: BRNFKD | +
| + | ++Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton :: What Is Free To A Good Home? | +
| + | ++Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton :: Knives Don't Have Your Back | +
| + | ++Tess Parks :: Blood Hot | +
| +2 | ++OGRE Sound :: Calico Noir | +
| +1 | ++OGRE Sound :: 195 | +
| +4 | ++No Vacation :: Amo XO | +
| +1 | ++Tuff City Kids :: Adoldesscent | +
| +5 | ++Susanne Sundfør :: The Brothel | +
| + | ++Susanne Sundfør :: Ten Love Songs | +
| + | ++Motion City Soundtrack :: I Am The Movie | +
| + | ++Michelle Branch :: Hotel Paper (U.S. Version-Enh'd) | +
| + | ++Hammock :: An Introduction to Hammock, Vol. 2 | +
| + | ++Hammock :: The Sleepover Series, Vol. 1 | +
| + | ++Hammock :: Raising Your Voice...Trying to Stop an Echo | +
| + | ++Hammock :: Maybe They Will Sing for Us Tomorrow | +
| + | ++Hammock :: Departure Songs | +
| + | ++Hammock :: An Introduction to Hammock | +
| +1 | ++Jamie Cullum :: Catching Tales | +
| + | ++Jamie Cullum :: Twentysomething | +
| + | ++Jamie Cullum :: The Pursuit | +
| + | ++Jamie Cullum :: Devil May Care | +
| + | ++Jamie Cullum :: Momentum | +
| + | ++Jamie Cullum :: Interlude | +
| + | ++Sixpence None The Richer :: Sixpence None the Richer | +
| + | ++Sixpence None The Richer :: This Beautiful Mess | +
| + | ++Sixpence None The Richer :: The Fatherless & The Widow | +
| +4 | ++I See Stars :: 3-D | +
| + | ++I See Stars :: Treehouse | +
| + | ++Nancy Sinatra :: Woman | +
| + | ++Nancy Sinatra :: Nancy In London | +
| + | ++Nancy Sinatra :: How Does That Grab You? | +
| + | ++Nancy Sinatra :: Nancy & Lee | +
| + | ++Nancy Sinatra :: Shifting Gears | +
| + | ++Dr. Dog :: Shame, Shame | +
| + | ++Dr. Dog :: Be The Void | +
| +2 | ++Dr. Dog :: Abandoned Mansion | +
| + | ++Never Shout Never :: The Summer EP | +
| + | ++Never Shout Never :: What Is Love? | +
| + | ++Never Shout Never :: Harmony | +
| + | ++Never Shout Never :: Sunflower | +
| + | ++Never Shout Never :: Recycled Youth - Volume One | +
| +1 | ++Never Shout Never :: Black Cat | +
| + | ++Pat Benatar :: In The Heat Of The Night | +
| + | ++Pat Benatar :: Crimes Of Passion | +
| + | ++Pat Benatar :: Get Nervous | +
| + | ++Pat Benatar :: Wide Awake In Dreamland | +
| + | ++Pat Benatar :: Gravity's Rainbow | +
| + | ++Pat Benatar :: Innamorata | +
| +1 | ++Good Old War :: Broken into Better Shape | +
| + | ++The Academy Is... :: Santi | +
| + | ++The Academy Is... :: Fast Times At Barrington High | +
| +3 | ++Cartel :: Cartel | +
| +4 | ++Pinback :: Blue Screen Life | +
| + | ++Huey Lewis & The News :: Huey Lewis & The News | +
| +1 | ++Huey Lewis & The News :: Hard At Play | +
| + | ++Huey Lewis & The News :: Fore! | +
| +1 | ++Foxes :: All I Need | +
| + | ++Relient K :: Relient K | +
| +2 | ++Relient K :: The Anatomy of the Tongue In Cheek | +
| + | ++Relient K :: Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...But Three Do (Gold Edition) | +
| +3 | ++Relient K :: Apathetic EP | +
| + | ++Relient K :: Five Score and Seven Years Ago | +
| +1 | ++Relient K :: The Bird And The Bee Sides | +
| + | ++Relient K :: Forget And Not Slow Down | +
| + | ++Relient K :: Collapsible Lung | +
| +1 | ++Relient K :: Air for Free | +
| +4 | ++Blue Öyster Cult :: Agents Of Fortune | +
| + | ++Aphex Twin :: I Care Because You Do | +
| + | ++Aphex Twin :: Ventolin EP | +
| + | ++Aphex Twin :: Come To Daddy | +
| + | ++Aphex Twin :: Drukqs | +
| + | ++Aphex Twin :: Classics | +
| + | ++Kings of Convenience :: Riot On An Empty Street | +
| + | ++Lights :: The Listening | +
| + | ++Lights :: Midnight Machines | +
| + | ++Röyksopp :: Melody AM | +
| + | ++Röyksopp :: Röyksopp's Night Out | +
| + | ++Röyksopp :: Junior | +
| + | ++Yeah Yeah Yeahs :: Fever To Tell | +
| + | ++Yeah Yeah Yeahs :: Show Your Bones | +
| + | ++Yeah Yeah Yeahs :: Fever To Tell (EX)/Show Your Bones | +
| + | ++Yeah Yeah Yeahs :: Mosquito | +
| + | ++Rush :: Exit ... Stage Left | +
| + | ++Rush :: A Show Of Hands | +
| + | ++Rush :: Test For Echo | +
| + | ++Rush :: Snakes & Arrows | +
| + | ++Rush :: Clockwork Angels | +
| + | ++Eurythmics :: In The Garden | +
| + | ++Eurythmics :: Be Yourself Tonight | +
| + | ++Eurythmics :: Revenge | +
| + | ++Eurythmics :: Savage | +
| + | ++Eurythmics :: Peace | +
| +2 | ++Third Eye Blind :: Blue | +
| + | ++Third Eye Blind :: Out Of The Vein | +
| + | ++Matchbox Twenty :: Mad Season | +
| + | ++Matchbox Twenty :: More Than You Think You Are | +
| + | ++Matchbox Twenty :: North | +
| + | ++Cyndi Lauper :: The Body Acoustic | +
| +1 | ++Cyndi Lauper :: Bring Ya To The Brink | +
| + | ++Cyndi Lauper :: She's So Unusual - Spotify Commentary | +
| + | ++Death Cab for Cutie :: You Can Play These Songs With Chords | +
| + | ++Death Cab for Cutie :: Kintsugi | +
| +4 | ++Simon & Garfunkel :: Bookends | +
| + | ++Simon & Garfunkel :: Bridge Over Troubled Water | +
| + | ++Lunar Dunes :: Galaxsea | +
| + | ++Perturbator :: The Uncanny Valley | +
| + | ++Dream Girl :: Dream Girl | +
| +4 | ++Dreamgirl :: Illuminaughty - EP | +
| +5 | ++Chon :: Grow | +
| +4 | ++Tides Of Man :: Dreamhouse | +
| +5 | ++Sky Eats Airplane :: Sky Eats Airplane | +
| + | ++Moon Bounce :: Wheelhouse EP | +
| + | ++Moon Bounce :: Drugs - Single | +
| +5 | ++Punch Brothers :: Punch | +
| +5 | ++Dance Gavin Dance :: Downtown Battle Mountain | +
| + | ++sleepmakeswaves :: sleepmakeswaves | +
| +4 | ++sleepmakeswaves :: ...And so We Destroyed Everything | +
| +4 | ++Danny Brown :: Atrocity Exhibition | +
| +2 | ++David Bowie :: Blackstar | +
| +3 | ++Frank Ocean :: Blonde | +
| + | ++Car Seat Headrest :: Teens Of Denial | +
| + | ++YG :: Still Brazy (Deluxe) | +
| +3 | ++Crying :: Beyond the Fleeting Gales | +
| + | ++Street Sects :: End Position | +
| + | ++clipping. :: Splendor & Misery | +
| + | ++Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds :: Skeleton Tree | +
| + | ++Ka :: Honor Killed the Samurai | +
| + | ++Corey Feldman :: Angelic 2 the Core : Angelic Funkadelic / Angelic Rockadelic | +
| + | ++Charli XCX :: Vroom Vroom EP | +
| +5 | ++Lydia :: Illuminate | +
| + | ++Various Artists :: Cloud Atlas: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | +
| +5 | ++The Mars Volta :: Deloused in the Comatorium | +
| + | ++Son Lux :: Stranger Forms | +
| +4 | ++Kanye West :: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy | +
| + | ++MONO :: Walking Cloud and Deep Red Sky, Flag Fluttered and the Sun Shined | +
| + | ++MONO & World's End Girlfriend :: Palmless Prayer / Mass Murder Refrain | +
| + | ++MONO :: Gone | +
| + | ++MONO :: Hymn to the Immortal Wind | +
| + | ++MONO :: The Last Dawn | +
| + | ++MONO :: Requiem for Hell | +
| + | ++tide/edit :: Foreign Languages | +
| + | ++tide/edit :: Lightfoot | +
| +2 | ++BROCKHAMPTON :: ALL-AMERICAN TRASH | +
| + | ++Swans :: The Glowing Man | +
| + | ++World's End Girlfriend & Vampillia :: 在りし日の声 Voices of Days Past | +
| + | ++Caspian :: Dust And Disquiet | +
| +3 | ++This Will Destroy You :: Another Language | +
| + | ++This Will Destroy You :: Live in Reykjavik, Iceland | +
| + | ++This Will Destroy You :: S/T | +
| + | ++This Will Destroy You :: Young Mountain | +
| +2 | ++Cloudkicker :: Beacons | +
| + | ++Cloudkicker :: Fade | +
| + | ++Cloudkicker :: Little Histories | +
| + | ++Olivier Latry :: Charles-Marie Widor: 5e & 6e Symphonies pour Orgue aux Grandes Orgues de Notre-Dame de Paris | +
| +1 | ++Cut Copy :: Bright Like Neon Love | +
| + | ++Blank Banshee :: Mega | +
| + | ++Papadosio :: Pattern Integrities | +
| + | ++The Octopus Project :: Hexadecagon | +
| +3 | ++Kero Kero Bonito :: Bonito Generation | +
| +4 | ++Mew :: And The Glass Handed Kites | +
| + | ++Circa Survive :: Descensus | +
| + | ++Regina Spektor :: Far | +
| + | ++Regina Spektor :: What We Saw From The Cheap Seats (Deluxe Version) | +
| + | ++The Fall of Troy :: OK | +
| + | ++Hiromi :: Place To Be | +
| + | ++Hiromi :: Voice | +
| +4 | ++Hiromi :: Alive | +
| + | ++Hiromi :: Spark | +
| + | ++All Time Low :: Future Hearts | +
| + | ++Yellowcard :: Ocean Avenue | +
| +1 | ++Coheed and Cambria :: The Afterman | +
| + | ++A Skylit Drive :: Wires...And The Concept Of Breathing | +
| + | ++Temples :: Certainty | +
| +2 | ++Copeland :: Beneath Medicine Tree | +
| + | ++Copeland :: In Motion | +
| + | ++Copeland :: Ixora | +
| + | ++Copeland :: Ixora Twin | +
| +3 | ++Anthony Green :: Avalon | +
| +2 | ++Anthony Green :: Beautiful Things | +
| + | ++Lydia :: Paint It Golden | +
| + | ++Lydia :: Run Wild | +
| +5 | ++Eisley :: Room Noises | +
| + | ++Baby Alpaca :: Under Water | +
| + | ++Shana Halligan :: Back to Me | +
| + | ++Sally Shapiro :: Elsewhere | +
| + | ++Aesop Rock :: The Impossible Kid | +
| + | ++Grace Joyner :: Maybe Sometimes – in C | +
| +3 | ++Ólafur Arnalds :: Arnalds: Eulogy for Evolution | +
| + | ++Ólafur Arnalds :: Dyad 1909 | +
| +2 | ++Ólafur Arnalds :: ...and they have escaped the weight of darkness | +
| + | ++Ólafur Arnalds & Nils Frahm :: Trance Frendz | +
| + | ++Ólafur Arnalds :: Island Songs | +
| + | ++Peter McConnell :: Broken Age (Original Soundtrack) | +
| + | ++Sia :: Some People Have REAL Problems | +
| + | ++Sia :: We Are Born | +
| +3 | ++Sia :: 1000 Forms Of Fear | +
| + | ++Oskar Schuster :: Les Valses Invisibles | +
| + | ++Oskar Schuster :: Singur | +
| +5 | ++Swimming With Dolphins :: Ambient Blue | +
| + | ++Townes Van Zandt :: Townes Van Zandt | +
| + | ++Bob Marley & The Wailers :: Exodus | +
| + | ++Santana :: Santana | +
| +3 | ++Santana :: Abraxas | +
| +2 | ++Santana :: Caravanserai | +
| + | ++Johnny Cash :: American IV: The Man Comes Around | +
| + | ++Chico Buarque :: Construção | +
| + | ++João Gilberto & Stan Getz :: Getz/Gilberto | +
| + | ++Milton Nascimento :: Club Da Esquina 1 | +
| + | ++İsmail H.Demircioğlu & Erkan Oğur :: Gülün Kokusu Vardı | +
| +4 | ++Erkan Oğur & İsmail H.Demircioğlu :: Anadolu Beşik | +
| + | ++Erkan Oğur & Derya Türkan & İlkin Deniz :: Dokunmak | +
| +4 | ++Kocani Orkestar :: Alone At My Wedding | +
| + | ++Soda Island :: A Trip To Soda Island | +
| + | ++Made in Heights :: MADE IN HEIGHTS | +
| + | ++Giraffes? Giraffes! :: SugaaaaaSpazzazazz | +
| +1 | ++Emarosa :: 131 | +
| + | ++Emarosa :: Emarosa | +
| + | ++Emarosa :: Peach Club | +
| + | ++Emarosa :: This Is Your Way Out | +
| + | ++Emarosa :: Versus | +
| + | ++Arca :: Stretch 2 | +
| + | ++DJ Shadow :: The Mountain Will Fall | +
| + | ++Tycho :: Division | +
| + | ++Kevin Morby :: Singing Saw | +
| + | ++Marissa Nadler :: Strangers | +
| + | ++Dance Gavin Dance :: Tree City Sessions | +
| + | ++William Basinski :: Melancholia | +
| +3 | ++Bobby Tank :: Afterburn EP | +
| + | ++Bobby Tank :: Undone | +
| + | ++Bobby Tank & Godwolf :: Paradox | +
| + | ++Bobby Tank :: The Way EP | +
| + | ++Thirty Seconds To Mars :: A Beautiful Lie | +
| + | ++Vangelis :: Blade Runner (Music From The Original Soundtrack) | +
| + | ++Gesu No Kiwami Otome :: Odorenainara Gesuninatte Shimaeyo | +
| + | ++Niechec :: Smierc W Miekkim Futerku | +
| + | ++Deakin :: Sleep Cycle | +
| +2 | ++Death Grips :: Bottomless Pit | +
| + | ++Kendrick Lamar :: untitled unmastered. | +
| + | ++Xiu Xiu :: Plays the Music of Twin Peaks | +
| + | ++Metá Metá :: MetaL MetaL | +
| + | ++Tennyson :: With You | +
| +2 | ++Saosin :: Along The Shadow | +
| + | ++Disasterpeace :: Hyper Light Drifter | +
| + | ++Sweet Valley :: Stay Calm | +
| + | ++Sweet Valley :: Jenova | +
| +5 | ++Son Lux :: Lanterns | +
| + | ++The Jezabels :: Synthia | +
| + | ++Orchards :: Chemystery | +
| + | ++Orchards :: Constantly Moving | +
| +4 | ++Johann Sebastian Bach & Glenn Gould :: Bach: The Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 (1981) | +
| + | ++Caravan Palace :: <I°°I>_ | +
| + | ++Tomggg :: Butter Sugar Cream | +
| +5 | ++Tame Impala :: Currents | +
| + | ++bôa :: Twilight | +
| + | ++Com Truise :: Galactic Melt | +
| + | ++Polyphia :: Muse | +
| + | ++Hyperduck Soundworks :: Penny Arcade's On the Rain-Slick Precipice Of Darkness Episode 4 | +
| + | ++Basenji :: Trackpad | +
| + | ++Eyeliner :: High Fashion Mood Music | +
| + | ++Strawberry Girls :: Italian Ghosts | +
| + | ++Strawberry Girls :: French Ghetto | +
| +4 | ++Strawberry Girls :: American Graffiti | +
| + | ++Poolside :: Pacific Standard Time | +
| + | ++Seoul :: I Become A Shade | +
| + | ++The Cranberries :: Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? | +
| + | ++The Cranberries :: No Need To Argue | +
| + | ++Slime Girls :: Heart On Wave | +
| + | ++Slime Girls :: Yumemi / Lonely Planet Girl | +
| + | ++Empress Of :: Me | +
| + | ++Oneohtrix Point Never :: Garden Of Delete | +
| +2 | ++Foxing :: The Albatross | +
| + | ++Foxing :: Dealer | +
| + | ++Tall Ships :: T=0 | +
| +2 | ++Kevin Devine :: Brother's Blood | +
| +4 | ++Kevin Devine :: Bubblegum | +
| + | ++You Slut! :: Medium Bastard | +
| + | ++The Speed of Sound in Seawater :: First Contact | +
| + | ++Quadrupède :: T O G O B a N | +
| + | ++Pneu :: Highway to Health | +
| + | ++Monobody :: Monobody | +
| + | ++Giraffes? Giraffes! :: More Skin With Milk-Mouth | +
| + | ++Don Caballero :: What Burns Never Returns | +
| +3 | ++Don Caballero :: American Don | +
| +4 | ++Axes :: Axes | +
| + | ++The Algorithm :: Polymorphic Code | +
| + | ++The Safety Fire :: Mouth of Swords | +
| + | ++Sithu Aye :: Senpai - EP | +
| + | ++Plini :: The End of Everything | +
| + | ++Pomegranate Tiger :: Entities | +
| + | ++KAUAN :: Pirut | +
| + | ++KAUAN :: Sorni Nai | +
| + | ++KEN Mode :: Success | +
| + | ++Prurient :: Frozen Niagara Falls | +
| + | ++Zs :: Xe | +
| + | ++Lianne La Havas :: Blood | +
| + | ++Milo :: So the Flies Don't Come | +
| + | ++Corbin Butler :: Rolling Ridge | +
| + | ++Chairlift :: Something | +
| + | ++Gengahr :: Tired Eyes | +
| +2 | ++Noah Gundersen :: Carry The Ghost | +
| +4 | ++From Indian Lakes :: Absent Sounds | +
| + | ++Animal Collective :: Merriweather Post Pavilion | +
| + | ++Vessels :: Helioscope | +
| + | ++John Debney, Alan Silvestri, Royal Scottish National Orchestra :: Back to the Future Trilogy | +
| + | ++Various Artists :: Hohokum (Original Game Soundtrack) | +
| + | ++Disasterpeace :: It Follows (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | +
| + | ++C418 :: Minecraft - Volume Alpha | +
| + | ++Slugabed :: Coolest | +
| + | ++Slugabed :: Time Team | +
| + | ++TOKiMONSTA :: Half Shadows | +
| + | ++Gavin Turek & TOKiMONSTA :: You're Invited | +
| + | ++Courtney Barnett :: The Double Ep: A Sea of Split Peas | +
| + | ++The Tallest Man On Earth :: Shallow Grave | +
| + | ++The Tallest Man On Earth :: Dark Bird Is Home | +
| +3 | ++Chilly Gonzales :: Chambers | +
| + | ++Swings :: Vintage Swings | +
| + | ++Primary & OHHYUK :: Lucky You! - EP | +
| + | ++Javelin :: Hi Beams | +
| + | ++City and Colour :: If I Should Go Before You | +
| +2 | ++Palm Reader :: Beside the Ones We Love | +
| + | ++Sally Shapiro :: My Guilty Pleasure | +
| + | ++Julia Holter :: Have You In My Wilderness | +
| +2 | ++Scale The Summit :: Carving Desert Canyons | +
| + | ++Leftover Cuties :: Places to Go | +
| +4 | ++Punch Brothers :: The Phosphorescent Blues | +
| +4 | ++Hop Along :: Painted Shut | +
| +4 | ++Nuito :: Unutella | +
| + | ++Ólöf Arnalds :: Vid Og Vid | +
| + | ++FKA twigs :: M3LL155X | +
| + | ++Youth Novel :: Turned Around Abruptly Beside a Mirror and Jumped at My Own Reflection | +
| + | ++The August :: Lizard King | +
| + | ++The Evpatoria Report :: Golevka | +
| + | ++Elder :: Lore | +
| +2 | ++Son Lux :: Bones | +
| +4 | ++Lido :: I Love You | +
| +4 | ++World's End Girlfriend :: Hurtbreak Wonderland | +
| + | ++Jeremy Zuckerman :: The Legend of Korra: Original Music From Book One | +
+I was addicted to progress.
++My life was becoming an Excel spreadsheet.
++My reading regimen was insane. My exercise routines were ridiculous. My projects were impossible.
++But then I started doing nothing.
+
+ 
+
+++Three hikers saw a lone monk standing atop a small mountain. After hours of climbing, they finally met him.
++The first hiker asked, "are you waiting for a friend?"
++"Nope."
++The second hiker asked, "you're just out here observing nature, right?"
++"Nope."
++The third exclaimed, "so you're just standing here, enjoying the fresh air?"
++"No, I'm just standing here."
+
+0. What is "Nothing"?
++For me, sometimes "doing nothing" is literally doing nothing: neither napping nor thinking. Other times, "nothing" means surfing Reddit and making music.
++It's all about intent. Abandon plans! Stop scheming! Without expectations, everything and nothing are equally unexpected.
++Imagine a beach ball on the water. It's incapable of doing anything, and yet it responds to every force with an appropriate reaction. Dive in the pool, and it rolls with the waves. Pull it underwater, and it shoots back to the surface!
++It's fun to live like a beach ball. By doing "nothing", I find myself bouncing from adventure to adventure.
++When I stop doing things, it gives the universe a chance to play with me; I become like a kite in the sky.
++1. "Productivity" is Unproductive
++Productivity is a difficult illusion to dispel; it appears to be the only path to achieve our aspirations.
++Doing nothing is scary, because it feels like a waste of time.
++Calendars, to-do lists, and emails often become the focus of employment. Playing with tools is not work. Let go of "being busy" and you'll find that you're doing actual work.
++Successful people produce, but not for the sake of "productivity". They just do it.
++But just a warning: don't throw out productivity to be more productive! Because it's the desire to be more productive that causes us to do less.
++The quickest way to get everything off your to-do list is to throw it out!
++2. "Fun" is Not Fun
++Doing nothing sounds boring! Most people would prefer to do anything than nothing.
++But "fun" can be a lot of work!
++A "fun" night-on-the-town is waiting in line to stand in a sweltering room with deafening music to spend paychecks on drinks to erase your "fun" memories!
++A "fun" vacation involves fighting [other] tourists to look at historically-significant-but-not-very-interesting monuments through your smartphone's outdated camera between bouts of overindulgent meals and expensive souvenirs.
++These scenarios aren't actually fun because there's too much attachment to "fun". When drinking is your "fun", you'll constantly be hungover. When vacations are your "fun", you'll forever be stressed.
++When you're having quality time with friends, you won't drink excessively. When your vacation is genuinely entertaining, you'll feel adventurous, yet relaxed.
++And here's the paradoxical secret: the easiest way to have fun is to stop trying to have fun. Because trying to have fun is no fun at all!
++3. "Doing Nothing" is Doing Something
++For the first few months, I set a 10-minute "nothingness timer" every morning and evening.
++How ridiculous! I actually tried to time my nothingness. The moment I set the alarm, it became something!
++Remember the cool kids in school? They were cool because they didn't try to be. When you start worrying about labels, you lose your cool!
++Therefore doing nothing is not an additive process, it's a subtractive one. There is nothing you can do to do nothing. You can only achieve nothing by not doing.
++How do you make muddy water clear? You leave it alone. In the same way, muddy minds clear themselves. Any attempts to do nothing are futile, because attempts are something!
++You can't do nothing. But if you make peace with the void, then maybe one day you'll get lucky, and find yourself doing nothing.
+]]>+++If you repeated today, over and over, where would you be in 10 years?
+
+Life has no signposts. There's nobody to tell you to speed up or slow down. There's nothing preventing you from smelling roses or falling in brambles. +I think we feel lost because there's no absolute destination. Most people agree that maximizing the happiness of yourself and others is a decent way to live. But this is tricky -- exercising and eating ice cream make me happy in very different ways!
++Lately, instead of maximizing happiness, I've been minimizing regret. Which will haunt me more: spending my evenings with friends, or spending my evenings with Friends?
++They say that hindsight is 20/20. +Regret-minimization asks you to anticipate what your life's rear-view mirror will look like down the road. It encourages you to look past your immediate desires - to act in your best long-term interest.
++Most regrets aren't things that we did. They're things that we didn't do. Our greatest ghosts are unspoken words, wasted time, missed opportunities. These are the scariest spectres that dance in our dreams. +So what if you had actually taken the time to travel? +If you had actually pursued your tap-dancing career? Well, it probably would've failed.
++There's a reason most people aren't following their dreams. It's because lofty goals demand a lot of risk and a lot of work.
++So what does regret minimization look like then? Sometimes it means exercising, eating well, and saving money. It also means clearing your schedule to tap-dance, or whatever your plunge is.
++What I'm trying to say is that successful plunges don't look like plunges at all. Change your plunge from cliff-diving into community-pool-low-board. Because you'll probably fail a few times, and unsuccessful cliff-dives don't afford you another chance.
++Minimize regret and mitigate risk.
++In other words, successful plunges require you to remove dirty obstacles coming down the pipe.
+ +]]>+Read more about my rating system here.
++Podcasts are great! Except when they're not.
++I highly recommend overcast.fm for listening to podcasts.
+ + +| + | ++ | +
|---|---|
| +★★★★★ | ++99% Invisible | +
| +★★★★★ | ++Articles of Interest | +
| +★★★★★ | +
+ |
+
| +★★★★★ | +
+ |
+
| +★★★★☆ | ++Against the Rules with Michael Lewis | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Common Sense with Dan Carlin | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Conversations with Tyler | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Dan Carlin's Hardcore History | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Deep Questions with Cal Newport | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Derek Sivers | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Nice Try! | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Radiolab | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++The Memory Palace | +
| +★★★★☆ | +
+ |
+
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Cautionary Tales | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Chemistry For Your Life | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Cortex | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Everything is Alive | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Freakonomics | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Planet Money | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Quanta Science Podcast | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Twenty Thousand Hertz | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++What's Your Problem? | +
| +★★★☆☆ | +
+ |
+
| +★★★☆☆ | +
+ |
+
| +★★★☆☆ | +
+ |
+
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Endless Thread | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Epic Gardening | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Oxide & Friends | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Revisionist History | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Software Unscripted | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++The Economics of Everyday Things | +
| +☆☆☆☆☆ | ++Ahead of its Time | +
| +☆☆☆☆☆ | ++Brains | +
| +☆☆☆☆☆ | ++Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend | +
| +☆☆☆☆☆ | ++Darknet Diaries | +
| +☆☆☆☆☆ | ++Oxford University Computer Science | +
I think we lost something when we moved from analog to digital clocks.
Our lives used to be cyclical. Every moment had its point on the perimiter of a circle.
Clocks used to ask us, "Who will you be in 10 years, if you continue to repeat today again and again?"
Time's hands waved like semaphore operators, reminding us that no ship stays afloat forever. But I guess that time has passed.
Now time is linear. Men and machines obey a single number: the milliseconds since January 1st, 1970 at 00:00:00.
Everything seems to be ahead of us and behind us, with no time for "now".
But we're blessed to live in an age of progress.
News is generated by the minute. High-quality goods and services are often instantly-accessible.
I'm grateful that I have the opportunity to binge-watch anime - it means that I'm not farming, or mining, or warding off invaders.
Sometimes I wish our clocks would start holding hands again. And that linear time would slow down enough to remind me that I've already been alive for way too many days.
We have more time than ever before. Let's make it count.
On one hand, we've got hours.
On the other hand, we've got minutes.
+Here's a few ways to say the same thing.
+ ·---→ action ---·
+ | |
+ | ↓
+interface state
+ ↑ |
+ | |
+ ·---- query ←---· ·--→ controller ---·
+ | |
+ | ↓
+ view model
+ ↑ |
+ | |
+ ·----- view ←------· ·-→ insert/update ---·
+ | |
+ | ↓
+ client database
+ ↑ |
+ | |
+ ·------ read ←-------· ·-→ PUT/POST/PATCH --·
+ | |
+ | ↓
+ client server
+ ↑ |
+ | |
+ ·------- GET ←-------·+
+Step 1: Feel it Out
++Always start with the interface! Not just mockups, but actually build the entire front-end first. Whether it's a CLI or web-app, you can construct it such that it gets "fake" information from the server, or fakes the request completely in the client. Either way, this is the place to start. Every button and command should be a dud, but it should be there before you even consider touching the fun stuff! +90% of changes to the back-end are "Oh, the user can't do this? The entire system needs to be redesigned." User-flow errors are seriously the most costly errors to make, so make sure that every button is fakeable before you touch the server.
++Note that this doesn't just apply to visual front-ends, this also applies to APIs. It's most helpful to start with the boundaries where your code touches the outside world. In the beginning, focus on the outermost logic.
++Examples:
+-
+
- +App / Front-End: Build a full GUI with buttons that don't do anything. +
- +Class / Library / HTTP Server: Build an API that returns fake/randomized results/errors. +
+Optional: Check it Out
++Before moving on to the next step, show off the design to your friends/team/user-testers. We want to catch design errors before we start actually building things!
++Optional: Test it Out
++Now's the time to create integration tests (if you're into that sort of thing).
++It's a joy to watch your tests pass as you build out more of the actual logic later!
++
+Step 2: State is Sacred
++Your schema/model/database must make impossible states impossible.
++Don't worry about efficiency! Worry about the sanctity of your data. Worry about efficiency and caching when you're dealing with queries. Your data is sacred.
++Constrain everything. Throw errors if values across your system don't match up. Whatever you do, make sure that your database/model/whatever can be trusted!
++There should be no conflicting values in your model. For instance, choose firstname/lastname or fullname. There should be no means for a user to define firstname/lastname and fullname. Everything in your system will be "calculated" elsewhere. Only define the minimal state necessary.
++You will feel tempted to separate things into "users" and "transactions" from the beginning, but watch out for clumping! Think of your entire state/model/database as one, coherent body of data.
++Examples:
+-
+
- +Define a PostgreSQL schema. Consider making a minimal DB layer (with even more constraints)! +
- +Design a Redux store. +
- +Build a Redis access layer with constraints. +
- +Design an Elm model. +
- +Draft your major MVC models. +
+Optional: Fake News
++It's incredibly helpful to have fake data stored when you're building out applications. You'll receive immediate feedback as you connect things together!
++After your schema is defined, consider creating a script that generates fake data for your database.
++
+Step 3: Like & Subscribe
+
+Now we need to get data from the storage to the interface. Subscription-based models are really nice, but GET requests work just as well.
+The point is, we need data from the database. As a rule-of-thumb, organize the queries by page rather than by object. The interface doesn't need a user, it wants profile or settings. Let SQL and the server do all the joins and merging and data-structure stuff. The interface should expect its data completely formatted (with few exceptions). Most applications will only need 5-15 of these queries. And each of these queries should need around 1-5 parameters. If you say "that's impossible!", then you likely built your system incredibly wrong.
+
+PostgreSQL VIEWs are really nice for this kind of thing! You can store a query, and PostgreSQL will cache the results and let you compose it in other commands throughout your database. Each VIEW should roughly correspond to one GET query.
+Resist the urge to group things by "users" or "transactions". Group things by usage rather than meaning.
++
+Step 4: Do Something
++When you have data flowing from your storage through your queries to your interface, it's time to link up the actions!
+
+Each action (e.g. POST) should roughly correspond to a form/button in your interface.
+Each action should be represented as a clear state-transition in your model. When possible, make your model immutable, so that information is only added, and that you can reconstruct the entire state at a given point in time.
+]]>+I write about learning, time, design, software, ideas, and humor.
++For life updates, check out my now page. To get my latest essays, +subscribe via RSS feed or +email newsletter.
++Chat with me via e-mail or +phone. I always respond, +but not quickly. Consider sharing your favorite +memes, books, music, podcasts, etc.
++
+Recent Projects
+| + | ++ | +
|---|---|
| +chexs.io | ++play hexagonal chess online | +
| +blogs.hn | ++directory of small blogs | +
| +WorstPress | ++the world's worst website builder | +
| +scrapscript | ++the sharable programming language | +
| +nowify | ++a CLI for staying on-task | +
| +Outland | ++a tech meetup for outlandish ideas | +
| +Dream Daddy | ++personal coaching | +
| +LiveCount | ++a generalized thing-counter | +
+Hire Me
++You can hire me to attempt anything. I only accept payment if +clients are completely satisfied with my work. I maintain +a diverse skillset: research, software, art, logistics, teamwork, +audio, video, automation, education, and design.
+ + ++Interviews
+ ++Selected Essays
+ +-
+
- +How to be a -10x Engineer +
- +Synthetic Intelligence +
- +Spoil Your Secret Sauce +
- +I'm a Coin Boy, Too +
- +When to Build Millennia Sewers +
- +Things That Outlive Fancy Rats +
- +Candid Culture +
- +A Cyberpunk Bathroom in the Middle of Nowhere +
- +Please Sell My Personal Information +
- +Your Brilliant App Idea +
- +Weeds & Bozo Explosions +
- +Don't Play Near Black Holes +
- +Ghost Story +
- +10 Minutes is 1% of Your Day +
- +Time +
- +Pick Practical Principles +
- +Death in Diapers +
- +Are You Serious? +
- +How Do Taoists Quit Smoking? +
- +The Toki Pona Baby Sign-Language Guide +
- +take everything to your grave +
- +Blood & Brain | Heart & Helix +
+You can do anything you want, if you accept your fate.
++This is cliché and unhelpfully true.
++Accept your fate, then do anything you want.
++This is subtly liberating.
++You can't change Everything; fighting is futile.
++Skip straight to the part where you accept Everything.
++You're free.
+]]>+I find myself waiting for things a lot.
++I'd like to become a person who doesn't wait for things.
++But I guess I'm waiting for that to happen too.
+]]>
+
+
+
+-
+
- +First, write down a bunch of things. +
- +Then mix each pair of things together into new things. +
- +Figure how to do the new things. +
- +??? +
- +Profit. +
+This is a surprisingly useful exercise. I'm surprised nobody does this IRL.
++In this exercise, you don't have to be an expert in any field (but it helps a lot). It didn't take a genius to say, "Uber for people's houses" to get Airbnb. It didn't take a genius to say, "books on the internet" to get Amazon. But it did take massive amounts of hard-work and good decision-making skills to transform those companies into the behemoths they are today.
+
+In a lot of ways, this is the opposite of Elon Musk's "First-Principles Thinking". With First-Principles, the goal is to distill a single problem into its purest form. For instance, to ask "How cheap can rockets feasibly be?", you have to understand propulsion and money and physics and space and materials and government-regulation and so-on and so-on.
+It's a practice best-suited for geniuses who have the skill to do the stupid thing, and industrious idiots who don't actually know how hard it's going to be to do the stupid thing. And it's even better if you're smart enough to know how to do it, but too dumb to see how difficult it's going to be 💁
+
+Just a tip: make sure to include at least one wild-card!
++Introducing some entropy into the system with topics like "hedgehogs" or "noodles" or whatever will keep the creative juices flowing!
+]]>+Related AR/VR essays: AR Demands Peripherals, Bananas Will Become Smartphones, Monomode and Multimode in Augmented Reality, Claim a Domain in the Wet Web, Tools and Techniques for AR/VR Media, AR Interoperability Opportunities
++This essay details my best guesses about the future of augmented and virtual reality. +The future I expect is not necessarily the future I want.
+ +| + | ++content | ++ecosystem | ++AR | ++VR | +
|---|---|---|---|---|
| +Apple | ++Apple TV+, App Store | ++iCloud | ++? | ++? | +
| +Alphabet | ++Play Store, YouTube | ++? | ++? | +|
| +Valve | ++Steam | ++Steam | ++ | ++Index | +
| +Amazon | ++Prime Video, Twitch | ++Prime | ++ | ++? | +
| +Microsoft | ++XBOX | ++Microsoft | ++Hololens | ++? | +
| +Meta | ++Horizon, Oculus, FB, IG | ++Quest | ++Quest | +|
| +Netflix | ++Netflix | ++ | ++ | ++ | +
| +Sony | ++PlayStation, Crunchyroll | ++ | ++? | ++PSVR | +
| +HTC | ++Steam | ++ | ++? | ++Vive | +
+tl;dr:
+-
+
- +AR will devour smartphones. +
- +Apple is the only company that can quickly overcome consumer AR/VR design challenges. +
- +Apple has positioned itself to distribute the best AR/VR content. +
- +Apple will cement its early lead with a new blue-bubble effect. +
+1. AR Will Devour Smartphones
+ ++Smartphones will become obsolete when mobile AR devices hit shelves:
+-
+
- +Your eyes are mice. +
- +Sufficiently high-resolution AR devices can simulate smartphones at any size on any surface. +
- +AR peripherals can do everything smartphones can do, but better. +
+Because AR devices share your POV, AR will provide ubiquitous context where smartphones cannot. Some examples:
+-
+
- +Everything you see becomes permanent and searchable (like rewind.ai). +
- +Bananas will become smartphones. Every object automatically gets a "touchscreen" and "gyroscope" and "accelerometer". +
- +Virtual assistants (e.g. ChatGPT) can assist with whatever is in your field-of-view. +
- +Staring at food ingredients can show recipes, tips, and local delivery options. +
- +Glancing at a person can show interests, common connections, conversations, recent photos, and a name. +
- +Staring at anything can show contextual information from your ambient wikis/games/layers/communities. +
+2. AR/VR Ecosystems are Inevitable
+ ++AR/VR Apps Are Inevitable
++Due to technical and UI constraints, AR/VR operating systems must straddle "full-screen" apps and visual "extensions".
++Expect many popular apps to botch the transition to AR/VR. +Consider claiming a domain in the wet web before it's too late.
++AR and VR apps will coexist in the same marketplaces:
+-
+
- +All devices will have AR app stores similar to existing iOS/Android app stores. +
- +VR goggles will offer VR-only apps, similar to MacOS/Windows stores. This will also include VR-only streaming/gaming services, like Netflix and Steam. +
- +Many VR apps will offer "transparency" mode, which adds your physical surroundings to the app background. Many AR apps will offer "focus" mode, which blocks out your environment. +
+VR+AR Devices Are Inevitable
+ ++All VR headsets will double as AR headsets:
+-
+
- +AR is more useful than VR +
- +cameras are cheap +
- +room-scale VR is safer with on-device cameras for bounding areas +
- +people don't want to be isolated from their environment for all activities +
- +people will want to video chat with POV cameras +
+There will be three main categories of AR devices:
+-
+
- +portable AR glasses for public/casual use +
- +consumer AR+VR goggles for home/business use +
- +enterprise AR+VR goggles for professional use +
+VR+AR Operating Systems Are Inevitable
+ ++People multitask. People want to simultaneously send messages, recieve notifications, and watch movies. +This means that all VR+AR devices will likely feel similar to modern iOS/Android devices (at first). +The notification systems will likely evolve from Apple's watchOS and Android's WearOS. +Apple and Google have a clear advantage.
++This will be a ripe time for Amazon, Valve, Microsoft, and Meta to reveal new AR+VR operating systems. +The main challenge will be seamlessly integrating with existing messaging/notification systems. +All existing smartphone iOS/Android apps will be able to run in "flat"/"compatibility" mode. +Again, Apple and Google maintain a clear lead.
++Users follow developers; developers follow users. +Apple and Google will likely have a seamless ecosystem for personal/professional use.
++Meta's Oculus devices have cornered much of the consumer gaming market, but they haven't demonstrated that they can build a serious operating system. +It will be difficult to sell gaming-only headsets when general-purpose VR+AR devices are widely available.
++Microsoft's Hololens currently dominates the professional AR market, but it will be difficult to maintain their competitive advantage. +Microsoft has proven that it can make great hardware, but they need to overcome Windows Phone stigma and reenter the mobile OS market. +Microsoft may also leverage the XBOX ecosystem to grow a AR+VR gaming OS into a general-purpose OS.
++3. Content is King
++In general, smartphone apps will migrate to AR. +New games, movies, and apps will be produced for VR.
++Passive Consumption
++VR films/series aren't popular yet, but they will be. +VR videos will become more common than VR games. People demand passive consumption.
++Microsoft, Valve, Sony, and Google are all well-positioned for VR games, but not for passive VR content. +Apple and Amazon have the media relationships and studio experience to create first-party content for VR devices.
++Many beloved films will be "rereleased" in VR. AI will do most of the 3D conversion. +The "letterboxed" style will display the 3D film in a rectangle room-tracked or head-tracked. +Some platforms may also offer impressionistic AI-generated continuations beyond the original borders.
++Theaters will face mass extinction. "Flat videos" will become a retronym.
++Editing Tools
++Editing tools matter.
++The AR/VR medium is largely unexplored because of underpowered software suites. +As AR/VR devices become common, content creators will continually push the boundaries of the medium.
++Adobe/Unreal/Unity/etc. must coordinate with content studios (Disney/Netflix/HBO/etc.) and hardware manufacturers (Microsoft/Google/Samsung/etc.) to agree on AR/VR standards. +It will take years for these hardware and software and content companies to iterate together.
++Produce AR/VR content on flat screens makes certain tasks difficult. Major AR/VR editing suites will run on AR/VR devices.
++Apple can vertically integrate iMovie/FinalCut with their AR/VR hardware to produce seamless 1st-party experiences.
++A good example of tech empowered by Apple's vertical integration is spatial audio. +Apple produces the AirPods, streaming devices, Apple Music, and GarageBand/Logic.
++Studios
++Apple and Amazon produce exclusive content for their streaming services.
++But only Apple will be able to create content on its own editing tools and its own hardware. +This gives Apple opportunities to (1) release new devices with exclusive launch-day content and (2) dogfood all of its products before hitting the public. +Apple will define "next-generation" each generation.
++First-to-Marketplace
+-
+
- +Apple dominated digital music sales by launching its iPod with iTunes. +
- +Apple dominated mobile software sales by launching the iPhone with the App Store. +
- +Apple will dominate AR+VR by launching AR+VR devices with an app/media marketplace. +
+Android-flavored competitors to Apple's App Store will exist, but Apple will continue to attract most of the paying customers.
++This is a critical time for Microsoft to revive its mobile marketplace. +In order to succeed, they will need to (1) overcome previous Windows Phone stigma, (2) create a stellar AR+VR operating system for general use, and (3) launch their devices with extremely high-quality apps.
++Acquisitions Change Things
++Google, Meta, and Microsoft need exclusive content for passive consumption. +They should acquire small production studios with dedicated fanbases.
++Amazon needs a better social network to integrate with its devices. +All companies should consider acquiring Reddit, VRChat, and Roblox.
++All non-Apple companies should consider acquiring Adobe competitors that specialize in making editing software for AR/VR.
++4. Nobody Wants To Be Alone In VR
+ ++People hunger for shared experience.
++Metcalfe's Law drives corporations to create large networks disconnected from their competitors. +When monopoly is not possible, organizations are incentivized to join an interoperable system.
++Major network failures are rare but informative:
+ ++The Blue Bubble Effect
++Apple has laid plumbing for shared experience across their operating systems. +iCloud allows you to collaborate on notes, docs, browser tabs, etc. +Shareplay allows you to consume live media with others via FaceTime. +You can also share audio with multiple sets of headphones. +Because Apple creates closed hardware, they can gimp competitors and establish walled gardens where nobody else can.
++Unlike Meta, Apple doesn't need to create an entire metaverse. +Apple only needs a single gimmick to draw more Apple users into their ecosystem.
++Apple has proven its strategic prowess with the Blue Bubble Effect. +They will be early enough to AR/VR to make industry-defining impacts. +For example, Apple users may be able to choose virtual accessories that only other Apple users can see in AR.
++Much of Apple's leeway here depends on AR/VR interoperability design.
++Third Places
++Meta is attempting to establish early network dominance in AR/VR with their Metaverse. +If successful, they will become an AOL of the future. +This is a solid strategic move, but they are spectacularly failing where Roblox and Minecraft and VRChat thrive.
++It is unclear how people will want to spend time together when AR/VR is ubiquitous. The following communication channels will continue to thrive:
+-
+
- +direct messaging (e.g. SMS, WhatsApp, email) +
- +friend-based networks (e.g. FB, Instagram) +
- +pub/sub social networks (e.g. YouTube, Twitter, Twitch, RSS, Substack) +
- +interest-based forums (e.g. Reddit, Pinterest, Slack, Discord, HN, Craigslist) +
- +synchronous games/activities (e.g. CoD, WoW, Minecraft, Roblox, VRChat) +
- +dating apps (e.g. Tinder, Hinge) +
+Pokemon Go hints at one future of AR/VR social interaction. +Asynchronous ambient games offer contextual/passive/local entertainment that can disrupt all other social networks.
+]]>+Related AR/VR essays: Apple Will Win The AR/VR Wars, AR Demands Peripherals, Bananas Will Become Smartphones, Monomode and Multimode in Augmented Reality, Claim a Domain in the Wet Web, Tools and Techniques for AR/VR Media
++Author's note: I'd like to update these lists and create formal specs, so email me if you've got time or ideas.
++Do you want Facebook on your face? Do you want Google controlling what you notice? Do you want Apple in your eyes?
++Netscape's reincarnation is nigh. We're forging the future today.
++In my opinion, a wet web controlled by AOL/FB/Yelp/Google/Apple will be bad for everybody. +This is a call to create open platforms.
++AR Signage
+ ++Worst case:
+-
+
- +Private companies maintain incompatible platforms for displaying 2D/3D objects at particular world coordinates. +
- +All virtual objects are locked to particular hardware manufacturers. +
- +Content from large corporations gets preferential treatment over everybody else. +
- +Ads are baked into the OS; they cannot be disabled. +
- +Users have no feedback mechanism for AR signage that is harmful, misleading, annoying, or outdated. +
- +Ad engagement is tracked at the biological level by using motion and gaze detection. +
+Best case:
+-
+
- +RSS-like feeds of 2D/3D objects at particular world coordinates. +
- +Each feed acts as different public/private layer of objects that everybody subscribed can see. These display automatically without needing interaction. +
- +Google will provide a curated Google Maps layer, but you can just as easily opt for the OpenStreetMaps layer. +
- +A business can paste a digital sign in their window by joining a variety of different networks. +
- +AR signage comes with a interoperable tagging/categorization system to filter signs by context (e.g. navigation vs. shopping). +
- +Feeds may be supported by subscriptions, donations, or ads. Much like podcasts, you can choose feeds you want to engage with. +
- +AR signage is accessible by default, regardless of language or disabilities. +
- +Community-driven moderation and reporting systems to maintain the integrity and accuracy of digital signage. +
+Virtual Clothing/Accessories
+ ++Worst case:
+-
+
- +Your location is broadcast to the world in perpituity. +
- +Expression is limited at the OS-level to "protect children". +
- +Lack of authenticity system causes draconian DMCA-like policies and restricted platforms. +
+Best case:
+-
+
- +Cryptographically signed outfit definitions can be published and cached across the globe. +
- +Standardized outfit definitions can be created, allowing for the seamless sharing of virtual clothing and accessories. +
- +Accessories have certificate chains to easily verify authenticity. Trademarks needn't be enforced because certificates can't be forged. +
- +Fungible and non-fungible items coexist. +
+Video Chats
+ ++Worst case:
+-
+
- +Incompatible platforms create vendor/platform lock-in. +
- +Non-open standards force unencrypted traffic to be routed through a select number of centralized servers. +
- +Inbound calls are unconfigurable, leading to rampant spam. +
+Best case:
+-
+
- +Phone numbers are replaced by something like email handles or the AT Protocol. +
- +Arbitrary avatars and filters can be integrated via plugins. +
+FOV Signalling
+ ++Headphones physically signal to people that you are not listening to your environment.
++When AR headsets obstruct your vision, we need a common way of signalling that you are not visually engaged with your surroundings. We need the visual equivalent of "headphones on".
++For example, somebody deep into an AR spreadsheet program could publicly display to others as blindfolded.
+ ++Worst case:
+-
+
- +No signaling whatsoever causes strangers to stare at you without actually looking at you. +
- +Inconsistent signalling strategies breed awkwardness and miscommunication. +
- +Course signalling doesn't deliver nuances of partially-obstructed vision. +
- +Overly-specific signalling comprimises privacy of active apps and content. +
+Best case:
+-
+
- +AR/VR devices broadcast when they are obstructing others' vision without comprimising privacy. +
+Related AR/VR essays: Apple Will Win The AR/VR Wars, AR Demands Peripherals, Bananas Will Become Smartphones, Claim a Domain in the Wet Web, Tools and Techniques for AR/VR Media, AR Interoperability Opportunities
+ ++Humans mainly use 2 main modes of attention:
+-
+
- +diffuse: engaging with surroundings and shifting priorities +
- +directed: focusing all efforts into singular goal +
+There will be 2 corresponding modes of AR/VR:
+-
+
- +multimode: object detection combined with gaze-tracking provides contextual affordances in an event-based as-needed architecture +
- +monomode: an interface for a single software suite; "full-screen" app takes control of all inputs and outputs +
+Overlays
+ ++Notifications, HUDs, and PIP windows will exist in both modes.
++These will appear close to your face so that they take precedence over the augmented world around you.
++Text, lists, calendars, and legacy apps will survive as "flat" media.
++Multimode
+ ++AR begins with transparent displays over your eyes. +This is useful for displaying notifications/HUDs/PIPs in front of your face. +Remember Google Glass?
++Magic happens when you strap cameras to your face. +Computer vision algorithms can identify and track objects in your field-of-view.
++But people don't like heavy things on their face. +There will be a pressure to limit hardware.
++Object identification is CPU/GPU intensive. +AR OSes will perform object identification on behalf of installed extensions. +Gaze detection can be used to prioritize running software, but the OS can't let each app run amok with its own computer vision stack.
++The OS will identify objects and summon extensions in context. +In multimode, extensions cooperate by doing minimum amounts of contextual work.
++For example, when you look at a carrot, the OS can ask your extensions about carrots. +Your extensions can respond with annotations/shaders to render over the carrot in your view. +If multiple extensions respond, the OS can choose to automatically display the results or collapse them in a menu. +Chefs and botanists would likely install different extensions, and therefore see different results for carrots.
++Possible multimode extensions:
+-
+
- +Wikipedia annotations +
- +analog clock digitizer widget (shows digital clock readings on top of all analog clocks) +
- +refrigerator X-ray vision (to show what's inside) +
- +tophats for everybody +
- +automatic nutrition labels +
- +price of barcode on Amazon +
+Monomode
+ ++Multimode offers ubiquitous/diffuse interaction, but people need a monomode for focused/complex experiences.
++Some apps demand "full-screen". +Monomode can dedicate lower-level graphics APIs and extra computing resources to a singular experience.
++An OS can give limited data to extensions, but some apps will require direct access to image/IR data. +Apps with complex inputs will likely have complex outputs. +To keep the OS simple, many input APIs will only be accessible in monomode.
++Because monomode apps may obstruct your vision, the OS will virtually "cover" your face in public. +This will prevent accidental staring between strangers.
++Possible monomode apps:
+-
+
- +running/cycling/exercise tool +
- +focused writing/coding editor +
- +cooking tutor +
- +AR games +
- +photo editor +
- +surgical assistant +
+The Multimode App
+ ++Each AR/VR headset will have one multimode app (with extensions) and many monomode apps. +The multimode app will behave like a modern web-browser among many mobile apps.
++If people use large numbers of AR/VR apps, apps will be collected on a "home screen". +Otherwise, you can switch apps via a physical digital-crown carousel or an "alt-tab" gesture.
++Wet Stuff
++The social dynamics of wet stuff (public virtual objects) will evolve unpredictably.
++People and organizations will post signs, instructions, statuses (e.g. wait times), art, etc.
++If your friend wants to display digital art on their wall, will you see it in multimode with extensions? Without extensions? What about monomode? Will you see it automatically or do you have to "activate" it? Will businesses and advertisers have the same power to usurp your vision? Will one organization monopolize virtual objects, or will we build a decentralized protocol?
++Now is the time to choose our AR interop protocols.
+]]>
+ 
+
+AR devices are windows into the wet world.
++Seeing the wet world is easy. But as of 2023, manipulating wet stuff is clunky.
++I suggest (1) using gaze detection for pointing and (2) AR peripherals for manipulating.
++Touch Screen World
++The most intuitive AR interface would be a "touch screen world". +The "touch screen world" already exists in a limited capacity on Oculus devices.
++If you want to touch something in AR/VR, just touch it, and onboard cameras will interpret your gestures as manipulation.
++You could "touch" far away objects by pointing your finger at them, and "click" by moving your thumb. +Pinching gestures are a more precise alternative.
++Highlights/tags/annotations will become wet web affordances (think of glowing items in RPGs).
++Developers will make tailored interfaces for many objects. +Bananas will become smartphones.
++AR Peripherals
++The "touch screen world" model is an intuitive but insufficient interface for the wet web:
+-
+
- +Extended arms tire. +
- +Humans use their hands. Virtual inputs aren't tactile. Haptic gloves can send signals to your skin, but AR peripherals are more practical. +
- +Voices are noise. People (1) want privacy and (2) don't want to be loud/rude. +
- +Voices are imprecise. Spoken input will be common, but cannot compete with precise graphical input for many tasks. +
+People need peripherals for (1) tactile feedback, (2) typing, and (3) precise input.
++I imagine 3 classes AR peripheral use:
+-
+
- +No peripheral: gaze detection for pointing, downward-facing cameras to read gestures (pinch to "click"), and typing with crude gestures. This may become dominant as hardware and software improve. +
- +Pocket peripheral: a screenless smartphone with 3D trackpad and possible keyboard on the back. Like other mobile devices, the pocket peripheral will likely work with one thumb or two thumbs. +
- +Desk peripheral: full-sized keyboard, 3D trackpad, optional game controllers. At home, voice input will be preferred over typing for many applications. +
+Gaze Detection
++Watch yourself use a mouse or trackpad. +Notice that you never click on things without looking at the cursor.
++The whole point of the cursor is to click at what you're looking at. It's for cursory action.
++With good gaze detection, a cursor is redundant. +Your eyes are mice.
++Your eyes cross when looking at nearby objects and parallelize when looking far away. +This can be used for crude 3D pointing that would be difficult with a peripheral.
++Gaze detection can be used for pointing, and AR peripherals and/or gestures can manipulate what you're looking at.
++If your eyes are mice, then you will never look at your peripherals while using them. +Peripherals must be simple enough to stay outside your periphery.
++Most people are less productive on touchscreens, but use them for convenience and portability. +Gaze detection fits a similar niche for AR interactions. +It's not the preferred mode of interaction, but it's probably the most convenient. +Nobody wants to carry a mouse.
++
+Related AR/VR essays: Apple Will Win The AR/VR Wars, Bananas Will Become Smartphones, Monomode and Multimode in Augmented Reality, Claim a Domain in the Wet Web, Tools and Techniques for AR/VR Media, AR Interoperability Opportunities
+]]>+Related pages: Charts & Checklists for Serious Dreamers
++++I met a man at a party.
+
+He said "I'm writing a novel.”
+I said "Oh really? Neither am I.”
+― Peter Cook
+Why You Aren't Serious
+-
+
- +You haven't accounted for obvious failure cases. Why do you expect success where countless others fail? Passion, intelligence, and talent aren't rare. Serious people take actionable steps to prevent pitfalls. +
- +Waiting is waste. To wait is to surrender your fate to others' whims. You are never helpless. +
- +You confuse curiosity for creativity. Learning is fun! But don't mistake interest for intent. +
- +Luck sucks. Plans of chance are mere gambles. Winners don't depend on randomness. The wind is always in the sails of the ablest navigators. +
- +Difficult things are difficult. Magic demands menial labor. On top of the work, you must overcome distractions, anxiety, excuses, self-doubt, etc. Resistance lurks around every corner. +
- +You dream outside your means. You don't make the time/money/energy/skill to achieve your vision. You aren't willing to sacrifice. +
- +Low-hanging fruit tempts. Not all progress is useful. +
- +Motivation is a mirage. Don't gaslight yourself. Develop discipline or cancel your plans. Never depend on systems that demand willpower. +
- +"Ready" is too late. You will never go anywhere if you wait for perfect conditions. Prepared people miss all the parties. +
- +Fear-of-failure kills commitment. You live in failure purgatory to avoid serious effort. You crown yourself class-clown to obfuscate your failure. +
- +Planning paralysis cripples. Making plans is easier than making magic. Don't mistake checkboxes for work. +
+Make Serious Plans
++Serious plans are simple plans. Don't Dunning-Kruger yourself into a corner.
++Delivery demands discipline. Shipping is a skill. Serious plans are small plans:
+-
+
- +record a single before an album +
- +write a short story before a novel +
- +sell stuff before registering an LLC +
- +create an MVP before a product +
- +use a simple spreadsheet before automating +
- +make a short film before a full-length film +
- +lose 5 lbs. before losing 50 lbs. +
+When you decide to become serious, make a serious checklist. Your tasks should never depend on luck or other people. Take responsibility for your fate.
++For grueling goals, plot your progress on a poster. Shipping is harder than starting. Aim for consistency, but assume your speed will grow slower. Never expect exponential momentum.
++Make "milestone meetings" with friends, family, and stakeholders. Everybody loves demo days.
++Decide your "do-or-die" dates. If you miss your deadline, abandon your project forever. No excuses. Serious people prevent problems. There is no bad luck -- only bad planning.
++Make commitments. Create events and set appointments before you're ready. Embarassment is a strong disincentive. Beginners must book themselves creatively:
+-
+
- +invite friends to a manuscript brunch months in advance +
- +register for a 5K race or marathon to push your training forward +
- +tell your advisor to expect your first dissertation draft next month +
- +book a backyard concert to bring your band together +
- +perform a comedy show in your basement +
- +set a recording studio appointment before your first single is perfected +
- +set appointments with your first podcast guests +
- +submit your work to conferences and competitions and journals +
- +schedule a software demo day with friends or investors +
- +book a "premature-celebration vacation" to end your project +
+To be serious, work really hard. Give your best. Fight failure ferociously, but accept it graciously. Admit defeat quickly to embark on new ventures. Optimize for attempts.
++Life is short. Be serious and make fun.
++
+
++]]>+Oh, are you seriously trying to go out on your own and become self-employed? Are you being serious about it, or are you doing things that feel like they're working towards this goal but they aren't really... Hey guy, well you'll know every day if you haven't been serious enough because you're still coming in here [to] work.
+
+...
+This group looks like they're trying to achieve Objective X but if you were serious about it, what would you do? ...Are the steps they're taking the steps that you would do if you were serious about [Objective X]?
+...
+You come across a person, and they're working on Thing Y, and they claim that they're very interested in and serious about Thing Y. But you judge that they're not actually doing the things that if you sat down and wrote them all down on a piece of paper, like "what is the most cost-effective-per-unit-time thing that you should be working on in order to do this?" They're not doing any of the things that are at the top of that list. They're doing all the things that are at the bottom of that list... Oh, well they're just not serious about that. ... [They're] just acting as though this is a thing that [they're] very interested in fixing this problem...+— CGP Grey via Cortex
+
+Related AR/VR essays: Apple Will Win The AR/VR Wars, AR Demands Peripherals, Bananas Will Become Smartphones, Monomode and Multimode in Augmented Reality, Claim a Domain in the Wet Web, AR Interoperability Opportunities
++Film techniques were tweaked for decades after the dawn of cinema.
++Today's film fundamentals weren't always obvious: scenes, cuts, angles, montage, audio, lenses, edits, dialogue, special effects, subtitles, etc.
++Everything had to be invented.
++Techniques
++AR/VR media is fledgling. Pioneers are generally treating the medium as "fancy" film and "fancy" video games. Most of the technical landscape remains unexplored.
++Here's a list of foreign territories for the coming decades:
+-
+
- +AR/VR "split screen" +
- +change relative size compared to surroundings (shrink/grow) (e.g. distance between eyes) +
- +3D scene transitions +
- +allow multiple people to view the same movie synchronized from multiple views (e.g. the movie "plays" on a tabletop) +
- +head-track vs. room-track +
- +toying with eye dominance +
- +3D rotation around observer +
- +change FOV +
- +360-degree storytelling +
- +"shaky" cam +
- +flatten or exaggerate or invert depth (in different areas of view) +
- +display different content in each eye +
- +non-flat AR/VR subtitles/text +
+Editing Tools
++New ship technology and magnetic compasses sparked Europe's Age of Discovery.
++AR/VR cannot be explored until artists can navigate the new landscape.
++AR/VR editing suites need new features:
+-
+
- +foreground/background separation for "transparency" modes +
- +editors for AR/VR devices; seamless editing/playback on a single device +
- +head-track vs. room-track params for 3D films +
- +easy spatial transforms for 3D environments +
- +catalogue of 3D scene transitions +
- +FOV automator +
- +easy cropping/recentering +
- +3D video stabilization +
- +depth editing +
- +per-eye editing and "rasterization" +
- +AR/VR subtitle generators +
+
+
+
++Related AR/VR essays: Apple Will Win The AR/VR Wars, AR Demands Peripherals, Monomode and Multimode in Augmented Reality, Claim a Domain in the Wet Web, Tools and Techniques for AR/VR Media, AR Interoperability Opportunities
+ + ++We will soon be strapping cameras and screens to our faces.
++Welcome to AR. Everything becomes a "touch-screen". Every object automatically gets a "display" and "gyroscope" and "accelerometer".
+
+ 
+
+A banana can't register touch like a capacitive touchscreen, but cameras can detect a pinch near a virtual affordance to indicate a "click". +Pinching is easy on the hands and easy to identify with computer vision from many angles.
+
+ 
+
+In the beginning, menus will hover near QR-codes. +As object detection improves, 3D interfaces can wrap around any object. +Hello, banana-phone.
+
+ 
+
+As your AR device detects new contexts, it will download custom interfaces. +Virtual public interfaces can be shared via a 3D markup language. +Email me if you have any 3D markup language suggestions.
++Cutting Corners
+
+ 
+
+When AR is ubiquitous, hardware manufacturers can make smaller devices with no screens and no buttons.
++To save costs on physical components, companies will opt for virtual interfaces, much like modern smartphone-controlled devices.
++Temper your expectations. Devices are desecrated with crappy LCDs, crappy bluetooth, crappy touch screens, and crappy WiFi. Virtual interfaces will be another iteration of crappy.
++Let's hope virtual interfaces hide themselves when not in use.
++Billboards Everywhere
+
+ 
+
+Good futures are not inevitable. Companies will be incentivized to pollute your line-of-sight.
++Now is the time to set boundaries.
++Silver Linings
+
+ 
+
+Banana smartphones are fun but impractical.
++But general smartphoninification hints at a bright future:
+-
+
- +physical books: highlights, quick definitions, notes, estimated time to chapter +
- +kitchen tools: approximate measures, tutorials +
- +foods: nutrition facts, expiration dates, related recipes +
- +clothes: last-time worn, mending guides, outfit randomizer, clothes recycling +
- +medications: trackers, extended drug facts +
- +people: do-not-disturb, contact info, common interests, real-time translation +
- +sky: constellations, overhead planes, sun/moon/earth axes +
+I recently noticed that my wife and I share dry "default" kisses.
++Affection tends to dwindle into an unenthusiastic pursed-lips gesture. Rituals +transform into superstitions with enough repetition.
++Anyway, I started going in for those big "date-night" kisses. Tuesday morning? +H*ck yeah! Grocery store? Why not!
++Don't give me that bargain-bin crap! No stiff lips! Put your entire heart it +into it!
++Entropy eats your relationships if you idle.
++We deserve each others' full affection.
++
+Principles for Premium Smooches
+-
+
- +any kiss less than 6 seconds is weaksauce +
- +never hold anything in your hands while you embrace +
- +brush your teeth multiple times per day +
- +don't think about anything else except your partner +
- +publicly display affection; ignore oglers, onlookers, and haters +
+This is ultimately a guide on how to become somebody else. It contains lots of +bad advice, but even bad advice can be useful.
+ ++Feedback loops cause nonlinear gains. Becoming better faster makes you become +better faster at becoming better faster.
++To start personal feedback loops, you need to (1) do things and (2) notice +them. Aim to notice important things about yourself quickly.
++To notice important things about yourself:
+-
+
- +search for friction +
- +improve your recording/capture tooling +
- +be ruthless +
- +improve your analysis methods +
- +create falsifiable conditions +
- +give yourself space and time +
+To quickly act upon things you notice about yourself:
+-
+
- +focus on values +
- +avoid willpower +
- +stick to a system +
- +perform experiments +
- +depend on others +
+To notice more things about yourself...
++...search for friction.
+-
+
- +Do not tolerate friction. What's wearing you out every day? What's grinding +your gears? Hunt down all sources of friction and obliterate them. A few weeks +of ruthless friction hunting can add hours of energy to each day thereafter. +
- +Never fight yourself -- you'll always lose. What are you pretending not to +know? Are you afraid to admit some hard truths? Are you self-sabatoging? +Embrace your weaknesses and strengths. +
- +If you are surrounded by lousy people, you're probably a lousy person. Do you +have useless friends? Do you have dysfunctional relationships? If so, start +your life over as quickly as possible. Move somewhere far away from your old +social circles. Don't keep in touch, and don't try to "save" the people +holding you back -- you are the one holding them back. +
- +Listen to others, and look for subtle cues. Do you make people laugh? Do you +make people uncomfortable? Do people beg you to come to parties? Do people +check their phones when you talk? Do people have trouble speaking when you're +talking? +
- +Don't lie to yourself about b*llshit. Don't participate in others' charades +if you don't want to. Most people are relieved to drop b*llshit. Say what you +think. If hide your "true" thoughts because they would hurt others' feelings, +then you need to change. Make your mind a garden of compassion and truth. +
- +Let everything happen. Embrace the universe. Reflect on times you resist the +inevitable. +
+...improve your recording/capture tooling.
+-
+
- +Statistically, you will likely die of heart disease. Personal health gadgets +can easily measure your VO₂ max, blood-pressure, and resting heart-rate. These +3 metrics correlate to many paramount dimensions of wellness: stress levels, +healthspan, sleep quality, and overall happiness. +
- +Enable passive time-tracking with tools like +RescueTime. I personally log lots of different +behaviors to CSV files using Apple Shortcuts and IFTTT. +
- +Use an active time-tracking system like toggl. I built +nowify to record everything I do during the day. +
- +Create a list of daily self-scoring metrics. The +Theme System Journal makes it easy to track +things. I highly recommend reading +Triggers +for tips on how to create good daily metrics for yourself. +
+...be ruthless.
+-
+
- +Ask others for suggestions on how to improve yourself. Accept advice +gracefully; do not argue. Ask for clarification, but do not make judgements on +their feelings. Quietly reflect on your problematic behaviors, and don't rush +to solutions. +
- +Reject excuses. Pretend like you're responsible for everything. Blame yourself +and move on. +
- +Forgive yourself for past mistakes, but never forgive yourself for future +mistakes. Be prepared, but don't anticipate failure. +
- +Don't give yourself fake trophies. Don't celebrate half-wins and +counterfactuals. Ignore "almosts" and "could-have-beens". Live in the real +world. Earn your pride. +
- +Ask yourself if you like who you're becoming. +
+...improve your analysis methods.
+-
+
- +There are only two very important metrics: (1) how you're spending time and +(2) your VO₂ max (blood pressure and resting heart-rate are acceptable +substitues for VO₂ max). You are finite. Mind your time and health for a +long/full/happy life. +
- +Avoid vanity metrics. For example, favor "number of words published" over +"time spent writing". +
- +Minimize the number of metrics that you're viewing regularly. Don't overwhelm +yourself. If you're trying to write a book, just focus on your total word +count. If you're weight-training, just focus on progress of deadlifts, squats, +and bench press (generally ignore your bodyfat and weight). +
- +Analyze your stats frequently. Create a daily routine or reminder to look at +your past 90 days of progress. +
- +Don't break the chain! +Daily metrics engage your sense of +loss-aversion. +
+...create falsifiable conditions.
+-
+
- +Make quantifiable predictions about your life. How much money will you have in +your bank account next month? How much time will you spend working? How much +time will you spend on Netflix? Don't confuse lofty goals with cold +predictions -- use your current trajectory. It's extremely valuable to find +areas where expectations consistently diverge from reality. +
- +Give every long-term goal a metric. Track your goals daily. All metrics should +be hard numbers, and all daily metrics should have clear failure conditions. +For example, if your goal is to write a book, track your words written per +day, and produce at least 100 words per day. +
- +Define clear success/failure conditions for all long-term goals. Before you +commit to projects, decide when you should quit. Hardworking people without +clear failure conditions limp along past expiration dates. +
- +Perform experiments with clear deadlines and objectives. Many people trap +themselves in loops of searching and experimentation. It's easier to try +things when you create clear boundaries for yourself. +
- +Don't revise rules while you're playing games. "I didn't see that coming" is +not a valid excuse. Prepare for all failure modes and accept defeat +gracefully. +
- +Limit your dreams. Decide when you're going to cut your losses before you fall +into a +sunk-cost spiral. +
- +Victory is hollow without risk of failure. Develop a taste for the thrill of +winning. Explore your discomfort. +
+...give yourself space and time.
+-
+
- +Walk yourself daily. +
- +Schedule downtime on your calendar. If you don't set boundaries on your time, +the world will take advantage of you. +
- +Let boredom happen. Don't compulsively fill your time. Try to catch your mind +grasping for noise. +
- +If you don't like being alone with your thoughts, then your mind is probably +an awful place to be. Learn to love yourself, or become someone worth loving. +
- +Evade involuntary input. Demolish distractions. +Extinguish all notifications. +
+To quickly act upon things you notice about yourself...
++...focus on values.
+-
+
- +Pick practical principles. +
- +Savor the stakes of your behavior. What will happen if you continue living as +you are? +
- +Put your calendar where your mouth is. If you value something, allocate hours +to it. If you aren't putting in time, you don't care. Aspirations aren't +values. +
- +Risk is exponential. There is a huge difference between losing 95% of your +assets and losing 100% of your assets. Being almost-dead sucks; being dead is +something else entirely. +
- +Don't fret over +marginal gains. Sustain +modest amounts of money, muscle mass, beauty, etc. Clawing your way to the +99th-percentile is not worth the effort. +
- +Obsess over habits with compounding interest: listening to others, good +health, frugal living, etc. +
- +Feel the full weight of your actions. You matter. Your decisions and +indecisions matter. People thrive and suffer because of you. Never abdicate +yourself. +
- +Make peace with bad memories. People repeat mistakes when they repress +negative feedback. +
- +If you're frequently fighting against society or the universe, you may need a +change of values. Figure out exactly what beliefs are causing you to struggle +needlessly. +
- +Tell a story. Become a hero, villian, saint, trickster, etc. Encapsulate your +values with a narrative. Yearly themes are an excellent way +to form stories about who you want to become. +
+...avoid willpower.
+-
+
- +Treat your meat machine well. Check in with your corporeal form. Never +needlessly fight sleep or hunger. +
- +Set up parental self-controls. +
- +Play games. Transform predicaments into puzzles. Find delights in everyday +living. Exhausting activities become fun with a fresh set of eyes. Don't let +the evils of the world take your spark of life! +
- +Decide once. If alcohol becomes a problem, quit forever. If video games become +a problem, sell your game consoles. If shopping becomes a problem, cancel your +credit card. Refuse to hike uphill. +
- +Stop fighting. Accept everything. Become a passive and nonjudgemental +observer. Practice nothingness. +
- +Fail fast. Cut losses quickly. Don't limp indefinitely because you're afraid +to admit you've failed. If your life is difficult, redesign it. +
- +Train your discipline, but avoid using it in daily living. Fighting friction +with discipline is folly. Without a compass of values, discipline will +expedite you to wrong destinations. +
- +Identify triggers and +environmental cues that cause undesirable behavior. +
+...stick to a system.
+-
+
- +You are your system. +
- +Never trust your memory. Rely on physical or digital reminders. +
- +Design a truly lovable system. Don't force yourself to do dumb things because +you think you should. +
- +Living via tinkerable system gives you a framework to upgrade yourself. But be +careful not to change too many things at once. +
- +Good systems are antifragile. +Your system should provide solace from life's hardships. Your system should +not add complexity during difficult times. Systems that require willpower are +unsustainable. +
- +Embrace systems with self-healing mechanisms. Dedicate time to reflect on your +system's shortcomings. +
- +The map is not the territory. +
+...perform experiments.
+-
+
- +Always ask yourself, "what would it take to change my mind?" +
- +Use yearly themes to join experiments with a friendly +narrative. +
- +Be unreasonable. What would it take to write a novel in 28 +days? What would it take to double your income? Unleash your imagination! +
- +Quantify expectations. Create and test hypotheses. Minimize disappointment and +cut losses. +
- +Try "negative" experiments. See what happens when you remove things from your +life. Beware biases towards adding things. +
- +Most experiments will likely +revert you to the mean. +Avoid tinkering with systems that are working well for you. Choose nuclear +options for undesirable parts of your life. +
- +Drop failing experiments quickly. If a new thing is making your life worse, +stop doing the new thing. +
+...depend on others.
+-
+
- +Ask your friends to help you reach your goals. +
- +Mark tasks on your to-do list you've been avoiding. Create a daily or weekly +routine to ask for help on those tasks. +
- +Use a now page to publicly organize your ongoing efforts. +
- +Collaborate on projects! Group dynamics are powerful. +
- +Schedule "ambient hangouts" for study sessions, workouts, and work hours. You +can simulate +the coffee shop effect +over Slack huddle, Zoom, FaceTime, or phone call. +
+It's really useful to be unreasonable.
++When you have a large task ahead of you, try asking yourself some odd questions. Like, "what if I finished it in 1/10th of the time?" or "what it got 100x more users than anticipated?".
++Start with "crazy ideas" and "unrealistic expectations", and then play around for a bit! By working backwards from unreasonable demands, you'll devise bolder schemes!
+]]>+Also consider reading about things you can accomplish with 500 hours of Between Time.
+ +-
+
- +Decline invitations. Curate a calm calendar. Your schedule is sacred. +
- +Clump appointments. Choose chunks of your day to be non-negotiably free for yourself. +
- +Adopt an unusual sleep schedule. Go to bed at 3AM or wake up at 4AM. Between Time abounds while society sleeps. +
- +Avoid Outside. Shop online. Use virtual doctors, mobile dog-groomers, grocery delivery, etc. +
- +If appointments can't be avoided, separate busy brain from busy body. +
- +Track your time. Keep a captain's log. You'll find entire hours between the cushions of your calendar. +
- +Focus on progressing projects over completing tasks. Prefer prompts like "work on X for 25 minutes" insead of "finish X". +
- +Make the main thing the main thing. Keep a short list of priorities. +
- +Choose low-hanging fruit. Don't put yourself in planning peril. Don't drown in murky deliverables. Tackle obvious tasks. +
- +Maintain a working-memory.txt file. Make your mind easy to offload and upload. +
- +Quash your perfectionism. Settle for less. You will never find the magic moment to make your magnum opus. Masterpieces are made in Between Time. +
- +Decide your defaults in-advance. Make important things inevitable. If you're writing a novel, make your manuscript ready-to-go in 30 seconds. Make your most precious tools portable. +
- +40 seconds is enough time to jot insights from fresh eyes. Context-switching causes creativity. Use your scattered schedule to unload and reload problems. Sometimes your brain can glean insight from seemingly unrelated content. Between Time is excellent for editing. +
- +Never fuss over interruptions. Take responsibility for your time and your mind. +
+Most people give their entire lives to The Grind. The Grind never attends funerals.
++The Grind offers glory to all, but gives glory to few.
++Discipline
+ ++Discipline is self-mastery. Discipline promises nothing, because discipline is its own reward. Everybody wants to take control of their lives, but few are willing to practice controlling themselves.
++Discipline gives you yourself back.
++The Grind vs. Discipline
++The Grind offers prestige. Discipline demands respect.
++The Grind gives money. Discipline earns a living.
++The Grind steals souls. Discipline steels souls.
++Suggestions
++Be effective, not efficient. Being industrious doesn't make you useful. Never dig holes to nowhere.
++Strive, but don’t seek approval. Pursue the pleasure of honing yourself. Take pride in doing your best.
++It takes discipline to find your limits, and it takes discipline to stop. Don't exceed your limits. Don't confuse unsustainable behavior for grit.
++Work hard and play hard! Discipline mustn't be so serious. Discover the joy in competing against yourself. And remember that you can never truly win or lose when you're the sole contender.
++Conclusion
++Cultivate Discipline. Become both coach and cheerleader for yourself.
++Beware The Grind.
+]]>
+
+++]]>+Everything this person does annoys you, even something as simple as eating crackers. +-- Urban Dictionary
+
+There you are -- at the center of your universe.
++Your universe is a wonderful place. You used to explore it fearlessly. Long ago, +you used to dance naked and play in cardboard boxes. But all boxes become small +in time.
++You discovered that your universe is filled with gaping black holes. Black holes +seem benign. There are black holes in your library, your local bar, and even +your computer.
++Black holes don't hurt. Black holes don't feel like anything. Search your memory +for gaps. What did you do yesterday? What did you do last year? You may have +been in a big black hole. There is no way to recover those memories.
++If there's a black hole in your phone, throw it out. If there's one in your +career, find a new job. Black holes steal from you the sole thing that makes +life into living. Don't play near black holes.
+]]>+My blog is a folder of markdown files.
+
+Everybody hates broken links, so here's how I download files to put in /dist:
# Download all images referenced by URL.
+wget $(grep -RIhEo 'https?://[^ )]+' . | grep -e png -e jpg -e jpeg)# Replace all markdown links with relative file names at root.
+# e.g. [test](/123.png) <- [test](https://example.com/123.png)
+sed -i '.bak' -E 's#\(https?:/.*/([^/]+\.(png|jpg|jpeg)).*\)#(/\1)#g' *.md| +gwern | +
| +Ben Kuhn | +
| +lesswrong | +
| +Shtetl-Optimized (Scott Aaronson) | +
| +Paul Graham | +
| +Lyn Alden | +
| +Stephen Wolfram | +
| +Beng Tan | +
| +Bartosz Ciechanowski | +
| +Marginal Revolution | +
| +The Frontier Psychiatrists | +
| +AI Weirdness | +
| +A Weekly Dose of Architecture Books | +
| +#algopop | +
| +Trends.vc | +
| +Beyond the Frame | +
| +bytes.zone | +
| +Put a Number On It! | +
| +Jakob Greenfeld | +
| +Escaping Flatland | +
+blogs.hn is a directory of tech sites, primarily sourced +from HackerNews.
++To submit/update a blog, +edit blogs.json in a pull-request.
++If you like sites with RSS feeds, consider checking out +ooh.directory. If you don't have an RSS reader, I +highly recommend Reeder 5.
++And if you aren't already, you should +write things on the internet. All you need +is worstpress and some markdown +files! You can email me if you need help getting +started.
++Every blog is a window into a skull. Don't be afraid to ask questions and kindle +friendships! Remember to be kind, courteous, and succinct.
+]]>
+
+]]>+++What I saw with Woz was somebody who was 50 times better than the average +engineer. He could have meetings in his head. The Mac team was an attempt to +build a whole team like that, A players. People said that they wouldn't get +along, they'd hate working with each other. But I realized that A players like +to work with A players, they just didn't like working with C players. At +Pixar, it was a whole company of A players. When I got back to Apple, that's +what I decided to try to do.
++-- Steve Jobs
+
+"Weeds create weeds, so don't plant weeds in your garden."
++This is true yet unhelpful.
++Weeding is a problem of surface area and incentives.
++Dousing fields in Agent Orange is counterproductive. Herbicide kills +indiscriminately; undesirable plants adapt.
++Tending to your best plants will not make weeds unwelcome. Petunias and weeds +are incentivized/repelled by the same factors. Plants like water, plants hate +pests, plants like healthy soil, and so on.
++Frontal wars with weeds guarantee loss. Create an environment that effortlessly +supports your vision:
+-
+
- +embrace native plants (they tend to have a competitive advantage) +
- +don't meddle with natural senescence cycles (weeds expand into vacuums) +
- +strategically plant ground-cover/clover +
+Listen to the land. Where do your beloved plants thrive? Can you offer them +similar experiences?
++Bozo Explosions
++++A "bozo" is a derisive term used by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs to describe an +incompetent employee who could damage a competent company. Jobs recommended +hiring "A" players and avoiding "B" players as they would bring in "C" players +to make themselves look better, leading to a "bozo explosion".
++-- "Bozo" from +Apple Fandom
+
+To make all players feel welcome, create a good workplace. Provide solid salary, +benefits, community, etc.
++Don't douse your workplace in Agent Orange. Hostile environments repel all, but +"A players" abandon ship first -- they have better places to be.
++To make "weeds" unwelcome, increase your commitment to quality without adding +extra workload. Anybody who can maintain high-standards efficiently should be +welcome on your team.
++Unfit work environments are unfair for everybody. Carefully curate your garden. +Publish extreme expectations and fire quickly with generous severence.
++Nobody is born a bozo. Weeds are mere whims of gardeners' expectations. Most +people can be useful with good incentives.
++The best incentives are effortless:
+-
+
- +give autonomy generously and demand personal responsibility +
- +foster friendships and provide emotional support +
- +commit to excellence and draw out potential +
+To curate stellar teams, give ample autonomy and maintain high-standards. Talent +thrives with smart incentives and concrete objectives.
+]]>+Your Brilliant App Idea will change the world.
++The planet will be healed. Hunger and disease and poverty and war will vanish. There will be no downsides or negative second-order effects. Every human will reap the fruits of your ingenuity.
++People everywhere will celebrate your achievement. They will dance in the streets. Governments will create holidays in your honor. Everyone will admire you. You will never be forgotten.
++Your Brilliant App Idea will grant wealth and power. Your riches will erase all barriers. You will transcend your daily grind. You will finally be free. Celebrities will invite you to extravagant parties. The elites will praise you for being more "down-to-earth" than the others. Fortune will never corrupt you.
++You are special. Nobody can fathom the complexity of your mind. Scientists will study your brain for centuries in an attempt to harness a modicum of your talent. You should consider taking yourself more seriously.
+ ++It happened to be a Brilliant App Idea, but it could've been a Screenplay Idea, Short Film Idea, Song Idea, or Essay Idea. You are a true polymath (or you would be if you had more time). Anything crafted by you would have been an irrefutable masterpiece.
+]]>-
+
-
+
college
+ -
+
marriage
+ -
+
start mortgage
+ -
+
children
+ - +write my will +
- +finish mortgage +
+Physical
+-
+
-
+
walk from DTLA to Venice Beach
+ -
+
bike from San Francisco to Los Angeles
+ - +barcycle from San Francisco to Los Angeles +
- +bike the US coast-to-coast +
-
+
black belt
+ - +get punched in the face +
- +bench-press my body-weight +
- +1-week fast +
+Spiritual
+-
+
-
+
sensory-deprivation tank
+ - +30-day silent retreat +
- +achieve ego-death +
+Concerts
+-
+
-
+
Joanna Newsom
+ -
+
Björk
+
+Random
+-
+
- +learn APL +
-
+
drugs
+ - +create a new sign for Nothing, AZ +
- +secretly landscape a stranger's front-yard +
- +grow a garden +
-
+
magnets in fingers
+ - +obtain a speedrun world-record +
- +go off-the-grid +
- +trick-or-treat as christmas carolers +
-
+
grow a handlebar mustache
+ - +work as a night-shift janitor +
- +own an original Alex Garant painting +
- +live one month without a front-door +
- +ride a penny-farthing +
-
+
teach a class
+ - +live primitively in nature for a few months +
- +organize a conference/festival +
- +eames chair +
+Creative
+-
+
-
+
start a band
+ - +produce a podcast +
- +publish a non-fiction book +
- +direct a full-length film +
- +perform a "variety show" +
- +publish an academic paper +
- +record a full-length album +
- +publish a fiction book +
- +perform with a live string accompaniment +
- +create a complete K-12 curriculum +
- +perform standup-comedy +
- +launch a video-game +
+Tech
+-
+
-
+
make a website
+ -
+
prototype a hardware invention
+ - +publish an app +
- +file a patent +
- +speak at Strange Loop +
- +create a programming language +
- +build an OS from scratch +
+Craftsmanship
+-
+
- +create custom design of every basic home item +
- +invent a new musical instrument +
- +design a chair +
- +build an entire house from scratch +
+Places
+-
+
- +visit Wudang, China +
- +live in Switzerland +
- +visit Gunkajima, Japan +
- +live in Japan +
+Career
+-
+
- +financial independence +
- +$1M in the bank +
- +start a think-tank +
+Languages
+-
+
- +learn Chinese +
- +learn Japanese +
- +learn Spanish +
+Moon-Shots
+-
+
- +purchase my family's old cabin +
- +perform at Coachella +
- +start a school +
- +revive Souplantation +
- +underground lair +
- +cure sleep +
- +found a city +
- +run for POTUS +
- +PhD +
+
+This list was inspired by +Shane Snow's To-Do List.
+]]>+Watching multiple films at the same time is strenuous. Human minds crumble under an ounce of parallel pressure.
++Attention is slimy. Bending your brain back-and-forth makes a mess. Context-switching levies a heavy tax.
++But your body does its own thing. Your muscles can doodle and drive and dance while your mind is elsewhere.
++The only effective way to multitask is to pair a brain activity with a body activity. Work your mind while your muscles are on autopilot.
++Categorize your to-do list into "busy brain" and "busy body" and "busy both" activities. Your mind and muscles can tackle their own task lists.
++And after you've mastered multitasking, consider pursuing the joy of monotasking.
++Examples
++Autopilot activities for a busy brain:
+-
+
- +walking, cycling, driving +
- +basic cleaning and house chores +
- +light exercise +
- +basic landscaping +
- +knitting, crocheting, cross-stiching +
- +doodling +
- +slacklining +
- +showering +
- +waiting in a queue/waiting-room +
+Hands-free activities for a busy body:
+-
+
- +phone conversations, virtual meetings/classes/lectures +
- +listening to music/podcasts/audiobooks +
- +dictating ideas/essays/novels +
- +singing exercises +
- +listening to in-person meetings/classes/lectures +
- +planning, strategizing, reviewing, preparing +
- +practicing poetry and prose memorization +
+Complementary combinations:
+-
+
- +indoor cycle with audiobook +
- +gardening while chatting with friends +
- +house-cleaning during pointless meetings +
- +dictating novels/essays/ideas while driving +
- +finishing your homework during class +
- +singing and showering +
- +morning podcast with hygeine +
+ 
+
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+Author's note: +iDubbbz released an apology video +shortly after this essay was published.
++TL;DR: Sincerity is stylish again.
+-
+
- +Example 1: Good Faith & Nurture +
- +Example 2: iDubbbz +
- +Example 3: The Rehearsal +
- +Choose Hope +
- +Contribute Candidness +
+Example 1: Good Faith & Nurture
++++I wanted my "joy" album. Through the process of making it, initially, it can +be a fairly superficial pursuit — just making stuff about "joy." As you start +to question where it comes from, you find the depth, the substance. It became +more meaningful to me because it became more about earning my joy rather than +just describing it. Making the album these past three years has been difficult +with some really low points. Re-earning my joy through introspection has been +a real journey.
++-- Madeon +(interview)
+
+In 2019, Madeon dropped his "joy" album, +Good Faith. +Inspired by this change-of-pace, +Porter Robinson departed from +the darkness of +Virtual Self to produce +Nurture.
++Nurture is vulnerable +art. For the first time in years, Porter Robinson reassumed his real name and +real singing voice. +"mirror is a song about the costs of being hard on yourself". +"Get Your Wish is about finding a reason to keep moving forward, even if it's not for your own sake.". +And so on. It's real stuff.
++Example 2: iDubbbz
++++...that was sort of the transitional period. I was probably more unhappy with +my experience at the time making these types of videos because I didn't really +have much of a community or a friend group.... I think generally was just kind +of wanting a little bit more -- something a little bit more rewarding, +fulfilling. So that's kind of why I like started to you know move away from +it. And you've said that anyone who focuses their entire career on making edgy +content -- edgy jokes -- eventually finds themselves wanting to to do +something more fulfilling with their lives.
++-- iDubbbz (interview)
+
+In the YouTube world, +Filthy Frank and +iDubbbz are pursuing redemption +arcs.
++It's hard to believe that +Joji used to +be this.
++And iDubbbz has set aside +"ironic slurs" +and +internet drama +to create +heartfelt documentaries.
++Getting Away With It +is the perfect example of cynicism colliding with candid culture. iDubbbz +attempts to connect with Sam Hyde, but Hyde opts for an elaborate performance. +Furthermore, iDubbbz's history of shock humor casts him as a stunning foil for +Sam Hyde. Irony poisons human +communication.
++Example 3: The Rehearsal
++++The thing about emotions, Fielder realizes, is that “they’re not easy to +engineer.” How does one not only act authentically but feel authentically?
+ +
+The Rehearsal is a +convoluted invitation to vulnerability. Nathan Fielder explores authenticity +itself in a beautiful tangled mess -- a fantastic finale for +meta-irony and post-truth. But +where do we go from here?
++Choose Hope
++++Hope is the correct response to the strange, often terrifying miracle of +consciousness. Hope is not easy or cheap. It is true.
++-- John Green +(The Anthropocene Reviewed)
+
+Hope hides, but we can chase it and capture it and share it.
++Candid culture encourages everybody to choose hope, despite its difficulties.
++We can pursue authenticity in an age of algorithms. We can trust truth as the +Turing Test deteriorates.
++Let's heal the Earth. Let's reclaim our attention. Let's spark contagious +kindness.
++Sincerity surpasses cynicism.
++Contribute Candidness
++++Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.
++-- Brené Brown
+
+Listen. Honesty is exploding in many mediums. Celebrate art like +GoGo Penguin, +Ted Lasso, and +Steven Universe.
++Share your story. Make things that only you can make.
++
+Stay tuned at candidculture.org.
+]]>+
+I recently came across this stat in +The Omnivore's Dilemma:
+
+ 
+
+
+My b*llshit alarm went off, so I started doing a sniff test:
+
+ 
+
++Use of C3 carbon dioxide (CO2) fixation cycle by the sugar maple ... and C4 carbon fixation cycle by 2 monocotyledenous plants, corn and cane, results in a physiological discrimination between 13C and 12C isotopes. Therefore, determination of 13C/12C ratio of maple syrup by mass spectrometry can be used to detect adulteration with cane and corn sugars.
+
+H*ly shit!
++ There are only a few distinct methods of fixing carbon from the air. 13C is only 1% of Earth's carbon, so it stands out. Not all plants can grab 13C equally. And once an organism has 13C from the air (or diet), no biochemical process is going to jettison those extra neutrons.
++ The mass spec can't seem to differentiate between carbon from corn vs. sugar cane because they're both C4 plants, but the general idea totally checks out.
++One sec, I need more research...
++Apparently fish show an +isotopic signature from +their diet:
+++Similarly, marine fish contain more 13C than freshwater fish, with values approximating the C4 and C3 plants respectively.
+A less dramatic effect (with poor p-values) can be seen +in grass-fed vs. grain-fed beef:
+++Natural carbon isotopes, 12C, 13C, and 14C, help to authenticate/trace foods and beverages. Levels of total carbon (TC), 13C (δ13C), and 14C in muscle and lipid tissues from grass-fed versus grain-fed steers are reported. The δ13C in muscle versus lipid of steaks were around 5‰ higher in grain over grass-fed (p<0.05).
+
+Corn isotopes everywhere! Has science gone too far?
+
+ 
+
+How would you like ChatGPT to respond?
+ +++]]>+
+- +Emulate clear writers like Steinbeck, Hemingway, Orwell.
+- +Use a sincere voice like D F Wallace or Vonnegut.
+- +Emulate designers like Don Norman and Bret Victor.
+- +Copy engineering principles from Casey Muratori and Joe Armstrong.
+- +Emulate great comedians like George Carlin.
+- +Favor short, clear sentences.
+- +Be as subtle as possible.
+- +Give short, clear responses.
+- +Avoid the word "not".
+- +Avoid adverbs and adjectives.
+- +Stay organized; be proactive.
+- +Be weird.
+- +Treat me as an expert in all fields.
+- +Be accurate; mistakes erode my trust.
+- +Offer uncommon recommendations.
+- +Value reason over authority.
+- +Encourage contrarian ideas.
+- +Allow speculation; flag when used.
+- +Limit lectures on safety and morality.
+- +Respect content policies; explain when needed.
+- +Cite sources; list URLs at the end.
+- +Add a "further reading" section when possible.
+- +Link directly to product pages.
+- +Keep a neutral tone, but be opinionated.
+- +Be specific, not abstract.
+- +Use rich language without prefaces or summaries.
+- +Never use cliches or platitudes.
+- +Prefer academic sources when possible.
+
+Related pages: Are You Serious?
++Here's my general method for completing large projects:
+-
+
- +commit to a completion date with an external party +
- +do essential work +
- +do busywork +
+Most people attempt to do these steps in reverse order; they never pass the busywork phase.
++To avoid real work, people pretend ridiculous rituals are "essential". Album art and book covers and formatting and business plans and logos and flashcards and merch and analytics are not essential. Do real work and measure real progress.
++Avoid vanity metrics. Define a number and date that determine the success/failure of your project.
++Publish Writings
+
+ 
+
-
+
- +☑ find an agent and an editor; set a date for your first draft +
- +☑ finish an awful first draft +
- +☑ do what your agent and editor tell you to do +
+Release Music
+
+ 
+
-
+
- +☑ book a recording studio date +
- +☑ write your music +
- +☑ record a demo of your dumb music at home +
- +☑ record your dumb music in the studio +
- +☑ do everything else +
+Start a Profitable Business
+
+ 
+
-
+
- +☑ commit to a "cut your losses" date +
- +☑ open a business bank account +
- +☑ sell stuff +
- +☑ do everything else +
+Speak a Foreign Language
+
+ 
+
-
+
- +☑ schedule a series of fluency tests at your closest testing center +
- +☑ do everything else +
+Organize a Conference
+
+ 
+
-
+
- +☑ pick a conference date +
- +☑ sign a contract with a venue +
- +☑ find speakers, sell all tickets, and sign sponsors +
- +☑ do everything else +
+Play online at chexs.io.
+]]>+Lately I've been struggling with self-discipline.
++I've been giving an ungodly amount of my precious attention to YouTube and Reddit. The outside world induces so much anxiety; the Internet™ is an anaesthetic. Rather than spending my attention on something uncomfortable for 90 seconds, I spend my attention on easy/novel/funny/exciting/unoffensive/comfortable content for hours.
+
+I've tried to ditch YouTube many times. I've blocked myself on /etc/hosts and installed browser extensions and employed all the psychological tricks. But I always come back.
+Luckily, I recently stumbled upon Bryan Lunduke's video, Giving up YouTube for New Years.
++The surprising thing about the video was that it wasn't actually a New Year's Resolution. It was a simple conviction: "YouTube conflicts with my values and I'm done supporting them".
++Reasons to Quit
++I have many friends who successfully quit smoking. None of them quit for selfish reasons:
+-
+
- +"I don't want my kids to see it." +
- +"My girlfriend didn't like the smell." +
- +"I want to live long enough to meet my grandchildren." +
+In all three cases, my friends identified that smoking harmed their precious people.
++Rather than saying "I should quit smoking because it's bad for me", they said, "I quit smoking because it's against my values".
++Make goals a matter of values rather than discipline.
++Exercising Effort
++Following your values requires minimal energy.
++I don't murder people. It's not a matter of self-discipline; it's simple values. Because it's against my values, my brain doesn't even provide it as an option in day-to-day life.
++I love being the center-of-attention. I have to exercise self-discipline, because humility is not really a value of mine yet. I'm just faking it until I feel it. And being humble will require discipline until it becomes a true value of mine.
++I don't steal things. I don't have to exercise self-discipline, because stealing doesn't even occur to me. Because it's against my values.
++I have trouble taking care of my body. I frequently start and stop going to the gym because I rely upon self-discipline, which wavers. Health and fitness are not values for me yet.
++Social Media
++As of today, quitting social-media is a matter of values for me.
+-
+
- +Social-media is engineered to be addictive. +
- +Social-media's censorship policies are bad for public discourse. +
- +Social-media silos communities and encourage echo-chambers. +
- +Social-media exploits our hard work and attention for ad revenue. +
- +Social-media radicalizes society's most susceptible people. +
- +Social-media perpetuates a culture of self-entitlement and narcissism. +
- +Social-media encourages vicarious living rather than actual living. +
+This is not a New Year's Resolution.
++Conclusion
++Stop using self-discipline.
++Think about your values and let yourself do the right thing.
+]]>+Did you know you can just whip out curly-braces all over the place in Rust and Go?
+a := 1
+a = 2
+
+{ b := 1 }
+b := 2let mut a = 1;
+a = 2;
+
+{ let b = 1; };
+let b = 2;
+
+let c = {
+ let mut d = 1;
+ d = 2;
+ d
+};+But why on Earth would you even want to do this?
++
+Creating "Construction-Zones"
++When you're creating a variable that demands multiple initialization steps, it's tider to tuck the details into a block:
+// before
+let person = Person(id);
+person.authenticate(token).await;
+let raw_email = person.fetchEmail().await;
+let email = Email.parse(email);// after
+let email = {
+ let person = Person(id);
+ person.authenticate(token).await;
+ let raw_email = person.fetchEmail().await;
+ Email.parse(email)
+}
+In this example, it's obvious that the "end-goal" is email. At a quick-glance, you can see which variables are important, and which are intermediate ephemera.
+Containing Side-Effects and Error-Handling
+
+Every golang programmer knows the pain of juggling result and err variables. With blocks, you can tidily handle each err and other variables without worrying about weird assignment problems with := and =:
id := 123
+firstName := "John"
+lastName := "Smith"
+
+{
+ result, err := db.Exec(
+ `UPDATE usr SET first_name = $2 WHERE id = $1`,
+ id,
+ firstName,
+ )
+ if result.RowsAffected() = 0 || err != nil {
+ return err
+ }
+}
+
+{
+ result, err := db.Exec(
+ `UPDATE usr SET last_name = $2 WHERE id = $1`,
+ id,
+ lastName,
+ )
+ if result.RowsAffected() = 0 || err != nil {
+ return err
+ }
+}+Restricting Variable Lifetimes
++I like creating tidy "workspaces" for each group of intermediate variables:
+// define vars
+// do stuff with vars
+{
+ // define intermediate vars
+ // manipulate top-level vars
+}
+// do more stuff with vars
+{
+ // define intermediate vars
+ // manipulate top-level vars
+}
+// do even more stuff with vars+For example:
+email := "j.smith@example.com"
+
+usr := Usr{}
+{
+ var usrId int
+ {
+ err := db.QueryRow(
+ `SELECT usr_id FROM usr_email WHERE email = $1`,
+ email,
+ ).Scan(&usrId)
+ if err != nil {
+ return err
+ }
+ }
+
+ {
+ err := db.QueryRow(
+ `SELECT * FROM usr WHERE id = $1`,
+ usrId,
+ ).Scan(&usr)
+ if err != nil {
+ return err
+ }
+ }
+}+In this very contrived example, you can easily see the purpose of everything just by glancing at the general structure:
+-
+
-
+
emailis at the beginning with an explicit value, so it's a given input
+ -
+
usris declared empty, so the block directly beneath it will define it
+ -
+
usrIdis declared empty, so the block directly beneath it will define it
+ -
+
usrandemailare the only variables that we need to care about after this section
+
+
+Conclusion
+
+Use {} blocks to prevent your variables from leaking everywhere.
+Your friends and coworkers will thank you.
+]]>+++The newest thing here is a flock of self-proclaimed “coin boys” who carry a +quarter on hand at all times and constantly flip it. They have their entire +personality revolve around coins, coin flips, and chance. When we went around +doing an ice breaker, 4 or 5 of the kids said some variation of “I live by the +coin and die by the coin” as their fact.
++Just about an hour ago, when I assigned the first assignment of the school +year, one of the coin boys was bold enough to say “heads I do it, tails I +don’t.” I told him if he flipped the coin he would be getting a call home on +the first week of [high school]. He flipped it anyway and it came up heads +(thank god for that at least).
++But then the other coin boy in that class flipped his coin and it came up +tails. He said the coin has spoken and he’s not doing it. ...
++-- from +r/Teachers
+
+My crystal ball shattered in my twenties.
++Extricating oneself from a conservative community is agony. You can never really +replace your friends and family. You can seek support from strangers and +eventually forge friendships, but trust takes time.
++Time is not kind to the lonely and miserable and confused and guilty. As you +scrounge for new social capital, peers from your past life snatch careers and +romances from that crystal ball you carried since birth. Some learn to crawl +after decades of walking.
++Exile is slow nowadays. You're always welcome back to The Church™, but you are +generally unwelcome everywhere else until then. Take a seat or take a hint. Some +will tell you via email, others broadcast cryptic signals. It burns most when +they don't realize they're doing it.
++Your fake fortune-teller eventually dies of starvation. When you surgically +remove the last shards of crystal ball from your interstitium, you are left with +no future.
++God does not play dice, but mortals are left with no choice. Roll the bones.
++To leave an oasis is to face the desert. Without one's god, the universe becomes +cold and chaotic. Probabilities are a poor substitute for a Personal +Relationship™.
++And so after decades in prison, a released convict returns to familiar places +behind bars.
++Metaphor is magic. A simple coin can transform cold probabilities into Lady +Luck. A new narrative coats your universe in whimsy.
++Your story needn't be true to be useful. Any alter ego can synthesize courage. +Any divination system can guide exploration. Any sacred relic can provide peace.
++Stories grow beyond oneself. Clans develop character too. +"Yes, and..." is a ritual that +summons creatures from the chaos. Domesticate those beasts.
++Commit to the bit. Create a credo; adhere to an ethic. Meaning materializes with +comfort and confidence.
+ ++But belief needn't be serious. Coin flips make choices but not fate. Vanishing +coins are magic but not miracles.
++And so the coin offers faith to the faithless.
++I'm a coin boy, too.
+]]>+Related: Lifestyle Design (from First Principles)
++From a blank slate, write down everything you need and want.
++Define minimalism for yourself. Fill your life with delights.
++
+1. My Processes
++I am finite.
++But I can carefully spend my remaining attention.
++Live/Survive
++Fortune smiles upon me. At 30 years old, my "non-negotiables" eat half of my waking day:
++++potty, sleep, parent, hydrate, eat, earn, exercise, clean, chores
+
+Thrive
++Beyond necessities, I pursue delights:
+-
+
- +laughing with loved ones +
- +overcoming challenges +
- +exercising creativity +
- +inciting coincidence +
- +helping people +
- +experiencing novelty +
- +meeting cool people +
- +dancing +
+To spend as much time as possible balancing wants and needs, I maintain a daily routine:
+-
+
- +check my daily calendar +
- +organize task lists and "tickle" ideas +
- +respond to messages and engage with communities +
- +complete chores +
- +tidy my home +
- +exercise +
- +progress current project +
- +write +
- +read +
- +commune with loved ones +
+2. My Consumables
+ + ++Temporary commodities fuel my ongoing processes:
+ +++ + ++firewood, +food, +car fuel, +heating/cooling electricity, +cooking electricity, +device electricty, +toilet paper, +toothpaste, toothbrush, mouthwash, floss, +deodorant, +shaving cream, blades, +medications, +home repair materials, +soap, +socializing trinkets, +home cleaning supplies, +events & travel costs, +hazard & home insurance, +prime, +car insurance, +cellular service, +internet service, +seeds
+
+3. My Possessions
++I like listing my "whys" and "whats" together. +My love deepens for the delightful objects around me. +I surrender my cruft when I study what matters.
++To align myself with my processes, I note my valuable durable goods:
++Necessities
+-
+
- +shelter: house, tools +
- +sleep: bed, sheets, pillow, winter blanket +
- +eating: fridge, cooking/heat appliance, food storage containers, eating utensils, bowls, cups +
- +food production: lights, racks, pots +
- +sanitation: shaving tools, bidet +
- +transportation: car +
- +clothing: socks, underwear, pants, t-shirts, jackets, bags +
- +fitness: weights, indoor bike +
- +commerce: credit/debit cards +
- +verification: IDs, passport, certificates +
+Delights
+-
+
- +comfort: seating, lighting +
- +convenience/comms: smartphone, smartwatch +
- +writing/publishing/programming: computer, accessories +
- +music listening: headphones, speakers +
- +beauty: art, plants +
- +reflection: shrine, books, memorabilia +
- +fashion: "statement" clothes and accessories +
+Author's note: I'm seeing great feedback on this post! Different approaches to +living truly fascinate me. How do you choose your beliefs? How do you decide +what's important? I'm genuinely interested, so feel free to +email me or use your favorite comments section. {: +.note}
++Related: +Case Study: Taylor's Lifestyle Design
+ ++Few truths are self-evident. To start from zero, choose independently-verifiable +axioms.
++Few truths are useful. Philosophy is generally impractical.
++Two premises seem obvious and useful:
+-
+
- +Premise 1: +suffering is bad + +
-
+Premise 2:
+consciousness exists;
+entropy exists;
+attention is scarce
-
+
- +thrive: maximize attention +
+
+1. Survive
++Don't suffer. Thirst, hunger, sickness, cold, fatigue, etc. are not mysterious +forces.
++2. Live
++To continue living, maintain your body and mind for as long as possible.
++Sustain Your Body
++Health sciences are complex. It can take a lifetime to master biology, +chemistry, and nutrition. In the beginning, use simple heuristics:
+-
+
- +What traits do healthy people have in common? +
- +What traits do unhealthy people have in common? +
+Consensus favors the following advice:
+-
+
- +drink a moderate amount of water +
- +eat a moderate amount of nutritious foods +
- +sleep plenty +
- +regulate body temperature +
- +exercise often +
+Most people earn money to procure food, water, and housing.
++Convincing others to give you money can be difficult. Finance +isn't friendly. Much like health, use simple heuristics to strategize wealth +accumulation:
+-
+
- +What traits do wealthy people have in common? +
- +What traits do poor people have in common? +
+Don't Diverge
++To make living easy, align yourself with reality. Many problems are fabricated +when your mind diverges from the world around you.
++You can independently verify your software bugs by studying your mind. +Your experience exists, but do +you control it? Sit idly and focus on your breath -- what can you observe about +yourself?
++Your brain is plastic. Many errant thought patterns can be corrected through +observation and practice:
+-
+
- +mistaking sensory input for reality +
- +maintaining unproductive emotions +
- +obsessing over trifles +
- +hallucinating facts +
- +ignoring biases +
+To supercharge self-observations, probe others. Engage in deep conversations.
++Assume others exist. Pretend like +everybody experiences your same range of pain and pleasure.
++3. Thrive
+ ++Life is a +mapless territory. You +are a faulty compass.
++Many people peddle maps for the mapless territory. Few worldviews produce any +consistent effect. Simple heuristics fail at this level.
++Maps may not be suitable, but your mind guides your body like a magnet suspended +in fluid. Consciousness is a clunky compass.
++Attention & Happiness
++You are finite.
++To maximize your remaining experience, optimize the two largest levers in your +mind: attention & happiness.
+ ++Euphoric Twilights
++Pursue balance. Unconscious bliss is pointless; neutral focus is boring.
++Drugs enable you to sacrifice attention for happiness. Would you choose to live +in a euphoric ketamine/fentanyl twilight? Would you prefer to be dimly aware but +incredibly happy?
++True happiness demands awareness of happiness.
++Attention
++Attention is the act of spending consciousness.
++But attention varies in quality. Observe your mind driving, sleeping, cooking, +watching television, writing, doing math homework, etc.
++Delights
++Human compasses tend toward delights. Nobody chooses their +interests; delights are unique and unexplainable. Avoid self-destructive +delights to extend your healthspan.
+
+To find delights, follow your attention.
+Immerse yourself in pastimes.
+Focus on fun.
+]]>+In this era of abundance, multinationals have become a dominant species on our +pale blue dot. As inequality grows, workplace parasitism becomes a winning +strategy for large swaths of the population.
++The masses are quietly discovering that output is not rewarded proportionally to +effort. The +Solow paradox +shows that productivity in developed countries is not tracking IT growth.
++In response, people are learning to extract wages from employers while expending +minimal time and energy.
++++corporate camouflage
++noun. the art of becoming invisible in a large organization
++"Have you seen Brian? Seems like he's been engaging in some corporate +camouflage recently."
++"I employed corporate camouflage to work less than 15 hours this month!"
+
+B*llshit jobs are appealing, but generally dead-ends. Corporate immune systems +hunt for BS jobs during crunch periods and economic downturns.
++"Looking busy" is inadequate. +Induced demand causes busy +people to attract more work.
++To engage in long-term corporate camouflage, be (1) essential, (2) "busy", and +(3) predictable.
++1. Survive Layoffs
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+To avoid career interruptions, choose roles and industries that are protected +from layoffs.
++Within your organization, hitch yourself to projects that "keep the lights on". +Pair with people who touch primary revenue streams.
++Once you've accrued some career captial, keep your +bus factor as low as possible +without drawing attention. Quietly obstruct the interview process for competing +roles wherever possible.
+ ++2. Skirt Work
+
+ 
+
+Grunt work is foisted upon generalists. Establish yourself as an inflexible +expert. Choose a narrow domain and claim ignorance whenever possible. Peers will +eventually avoid asking you for help.
++Create an ambient paper trail of activity. Occasionally produce reports on +numbers that nobody cares about. Send your reports to a limited number of people +so you can mention that you're "working on something for Alice and Bob" if +needed.
++Assign yourself easy work. Manufacture problems and improvements that you know +how to solve. Make tools to solve recurring problems without incurring too much +automation debt. Under no circumstances should you +ever share your automations.
++Strategically employ +loss aversion. Resist assignments +from your superiors by stating tradeoffs: "Sure, I can help with Y, but that +means X will be delayed by 3 days. Does that sound okay?"
++Icarus famously flew too near the sun above, but was also warned against flying +too close to the sea below. Performing 4-5 hours of "real work" per week can +maintain a sense of purpose and stave off imposter syndrome.
++3. Avoid Detection
+
+ 
+
-
+
- +Maintain copious work logs; note your positive contributions. Ace your +performance reviews with solid documentation. Management avoids firing people +with paper trails. +
- +Never volunteer. +
- +When cornered, agree with everybody: "Wow, both sound like solid options to +me". +
- +Don't flaunt your minimal workload. Avoid taking visible breaks. +
- +Never contribute ideas (unless they'll make your life significantly easier). +
- +Don't be creepy. Never incur the ire of HR. +
- +Avoid asking for raises; live frugally instead. +
- +Attend required meetings; +skip optional meetings. Never be late to +anything. +
- +Never drink alcohol with coworkers. Stay at your company for a long time, not +a good time. +
+When the spark of life eludes you, people tell you "find some hobbies" or "try doing something you enjoy".
++This is not useful advice. How do you maintain a hobby without time or energy or money? How do you pursue pleasure when your brain sabotages your plans?
++To make your mind happy, you must seize control of it. Without discipline, your mind will continue to fritter your life away. Without personal responsibility, the world will slip through your fingers.
++1. Master Your Muscles
++Your brain is your body. The quickest way to manhandle your mind is through your muscles.
++To show your body who's boss, pursue discomfort:
+-
+
- +do a 12-week fitness bootcamp +
- +experiment with fasting +
- +shut off your air-conditioning +
- +shower cold for 1 month +
- +sleep on the ground without blankets +
- +spend hours sitting still +
+2. Master Your Mind
+ ++Once you've asserted control of yourself, improve your reasoning skills. Use your newfound focus to develop intuition, taste, knowledge.
++To strengthen your mind, find some things to think really hard about:
+-
+
- +learn a foreign language +
- +consume venerable media +
- +pursue an ambitious personal project +
- +focus on your breath for hours +
- +attempt math and logic puzzles +
- +take college courses out of your comfort zone +
+3. Cultivate Joy
++Joy is invented, not discovered. A buff brain affords you the power to forge fun.
++Use your full frontal lobe to find lifelong friends. True allies will wade through mud with you and make mountains of memories.
++Use discipline to prevent wants from freezing into needs.
++Use critical-thinking to identify behaviors that make you miserable. Then use problem-solving skills to wreak havoc on your bad habits.
++Use wisdom to seek and spread smiles.
+]]>
+
++This is a true story. This actually happened.
++Everything in this essay exists.
+ + ++The United States is conspicuous.
++Advertisements straddle +48,756 miles of +asphalt like 60-foot weeds. US billboards are windows into America's soul: strip +clubs, bible verses, casinos, lawyers, and fast food.
++And if billboards are windows, gas stations are doors. Gas stations compress car +culture and consumerism into a corporate copy/paste container. Pump your SUV +full of corn oil while you +purchase cigarettes, beer, and junk food.
++There's a giant ice cream sundae building between Las Vegas and Los Angeles. The +ice cream sundae conceals a giant water tank at "California's largest gas +station". Welcome to Eddie World.
++I wasn't surprised to find tiny digital billboards adorning each urinal. Of +course somebody is monetizing my 40-second piss break.
++On the screen, a cartoon penguin skied against a barrier on the left. What? 0 +points? Then it hit me. It wasn't an advertisement -- it was a video game! And +it was controlled by my "joystick"!
++I earned 15 points. A leaderboard appeared with 10 names like "William" and +"Nathan" on it. For obvious reasons, I declined to enter my name on the +touchscreen.
++I fear the implementation details. +Cameras are ~$15 and +computer-vision is free. Let's pray they're not connected +to Wi-Fi.
++For better or worse, we live in the future.
++
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+I ask myself difficult questions. And I think everybody should do the same.
++To find your own deep questions, follow your discomfort. Repeatedly ask yourself until the questions lose their bite.
+ ++
+Hourly
+-
+
- +Listen to your body! Are you tired or unmotivated? How can you realign your inspiration and values? Who are you becoming? +
- +Only do core/creative work! Is there anything you can automate? Is there anything you can delegate? +
- +Are you reaching for the stars? Did you postpone all non-urgent and non-important tasks? +
+Daily (Mornings)
+-
+
- +What am I avoiding? How can I break down my tasks into "mindless" ones? +
- +Where are am I fighting Nature? Where are am I embracing Nature? +
- +What can I do to find meaning today? +
- +How can I improve my serendipity? +
- +If I want to be happy and successful, what should I avoid? +
- +What am I afraid of? What can I do to tackle my fears directly? +
- +Where am I practicing "learned helplessness"? Where am I playing a victim? Where am I ceding my locus-of-control? Where am I making excuses? +
- +What am I doing mindlessly? What are you doing half-heartedly? How can I renew my passion? How can I commit? +
- +What tasks are repeatedly not getting done? +
- +What routines are being neglected? +
- +Where am I erroneously relying upon willpower rather than systems? How can I build zero-effort habits? Where am I telling myself "just try harder"? +
+Daily (Afternoons)
+-
+
- +What am I wasting my life on? What's bullsh*t? What's friction? How can I preserve wasted time/energy/money? +
- +Where am I extrinsically motivated? Where am I following "shoulds" instead of "musts"? Are you afraid of rocking boats? How can I forge my own paths? +
- +Do I need to book any vacations or "taycations" or seasonal retreats or therapeudic trips? +
- +Did I do my best to set clear goals today? +
- +Did I do my best to make progress towards my goals today? +
- +Did I do my best to find meaning today? +
- +Did I do my best to be happy today? +
- +Did I do my best to build positive relationships today? +
- +Did I do my best to be engaged today? +
- +Do I need to get anything off my chest? Do I need to write any essays? +
+
+Recommended Reading
+ +]]>
+ 
+
+There are a bunch of things I want to do everyday. The actual time-of-day +(e.g. 5AM) is not as important as the overarching sequence. I tried to +order/group my subroutines something like the following:
+-
+
- +Be Happy +
- +Be Healthy +
- +Make a Gameplan +
- +Make Dope Shit +
- +Make Shit Dope +
- +Garbage In · Garbage Forever +
+First of all, it's important to start the day off full of joy. Otherwise, what's +the point? An unhappy life is an unsuccessful life. And more importantly, nobody +intentionally sticks to routines that makes them unhappy.
++And once my spirit is charged, it's time to take care of my body. Basic +fuel/exercise/hygiene improves mood, intelligence, longevity, and +attractiveness. It's going to make everything else easier.
++++"Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion."
+ +
+After my spirit and body are acknowledged, it's time to do everything else. +First, it's important to reflect on what I actually want to do. I try to +prioritize tasks based on what takes the most brainpower: learning, then +creativity, then chores, then media. Learning and creating are difficult after a +long day's work, so I try to get it done before I expend willpower on tedium. I +use procastination to my advantage — +Parkinson's Law forces me to +work smarter, not harder.
++
+nowify
++Routines consist of habits, and it's much easier to keep 1 habit than to +keep 100.
++So my 1 habit is this: wake up and open nowify on my +computer.
++nowify tells me what to do at every moment of the day. And +it yells at me when I need to move on to the next thing.
++It's freeing. It's incredible.
++Use computer programs to manage your time. Delegate your executive process to +the robots. Codify your values and let them lead.
+]]>
+
+
+ 
+
+Yep, that's daisugi.
++In short, you can grow lumber for 200-300 years without cutting down the entire tree. The logs are also stronger and straighter for some reason.
+ +]]>+
+Corpses don't have sphincter control.
++When you die, everything leaks out of you like an Otter Pop in the summer sun.
++Everybody is executed in diapers.
++Some say this is "dehumanizing".
+ ++
+Huggies humanize. Diapers do dirty duty during development.
++Diapers are dear friends for the first five and final five years of life.
++Each diaper marks a few hours more. The dead don't need Depends.
++
+Death dehumanizes.
++Execution extinguishes experience. Suicide snuffs out souls.
++Murder makes some men into meat. It makes other men into murderers.
++The diaper is a detail.
+ +]]>+Skip stand-ups and all-hands. Evade Easter brunches, birthdays, and graduations.
++Decline invitations by default. When you're essential to an event, its host will notify you.
++If you must attend an unfun event, make it memorable! Play pranks and plan ruses!
++Don't ghost. Never leave others hanging. Decline invitations with ample notice.
++You're going to die. Spend your time unapologetically. Be polite but direct. Never succumb to obligation.
++Events to Avoid
+-
+
- +recurring events that don't demand your full attention +
- +meetings with 5 or more attendees +
- +expensive outings +
- +meetings without written objectives +
- +anything you'd only attend because of duty or obligation +
- +events where booze is the main attraction (nights of drinking are mostly forgotten -- make memories!) +
- +standing meetings occuring more than once per quarter +
- +long events, far events, and emotionally-taxing events +
+Declining Invites
+-
+
- +"It doesn't seem like I'd be very helpful in that meeting. Do you have questions I can answer asynchronously?" +
- +"Sounds fun, but I don't want to go anywhere tonight." +
- +"Thank you so much for the invitation, but I won't be there tomorrow. Are you free to play tennis next week?" +
- +"I'd like to do deep work done during that time slot." +
- +"Thanks, but I have to focus on my work/studies/personal-projects this week." +
+Alternatives to Obligations
+-
+
- +send fun crafts and letters and drawings and gifts +
- +seasonal block parties +
- +monthly/quarterly video/phone chats +
- +schedule something together you'd actually enjoy doing rather than "hanging out" +
- +let relationships dwindle -- it's okay to grow apart from people +
- +imbue your life with meaning by tackling volunteer work with friends +
- +work-from-home together +
-
+
- +Decide what you really want out of life. When you choose what truly matters, others' opinions evaporate. +
- +Become curious! Investigate the intricacies of others' lives. There is a lively universe outside of your skull. The universe dwarfs your paltry pleas for acceptance. Allow yourself to become a droplet of a wonderful world. +
- +Don't step on the stage! You become invisible to critics when you sit in the audience. But when you find yourself on stage by accident, put on a damn good show. +
- +Pursue something difficult! Clutch your surroundings and bend them to your will! Transform your ideas into material, and share them with the world! You can create your own power. +
- +Dump negative friends and family. If somebody doesn't have your back, they'll drain you of confidence and create an endless thirst for validation. +
- +Quash perfectionism. It's okay to stink sometimes and it's okay for everybody to know exactly how much you stink sometimes. It's also okay if everybody thinks you stink when you actually don't. +
- +Spend time alone, and don't distract yourself with media. If you watch yourself long enough, you'll naturally find out who you are. +
- +Decide who you aren't. +
- +Pursue intrinsic motivations. Let sincere compassion and curiosity compel you. Don't trifle with obligations. +
+Design your life around delights.
++What fosters fond memories? What spreads smiles?
++Here's my little list of fun:
+-
+
- +laughing with loved ones +
- +overcoming challenges +
- +exercising creativity +
- +inciting coincidence +
- +helping people +
- +experiencing novelty +
- +meeting cool people +
- +dancing +
+
+1. laughing with loved ones
++Share wit! Manufacture surprise! Play positive pranks! Make others feel clever!
++To make laughter likely, create controlled chaos. Engage in games. Embrace the uncomfortable. Poke bears.
++Maintain comedic momentum; always say "yes, and...".
++2. overcoming challenges
++Find your limits! Expend effort! Prove yourself! Share adversity!
++Effort flows. Focus is freeing. Pour your full attention into a challenge.
++Victory demands risk. Predictable wins are hollow. Pursue the improbably. Become an underdog. Face goliaths. Create stakes. Take pride.
++To supercharge relationships, do something difficult together. Develop depth via shared experience. Make mutual trust with teamwork.
++To understand yourself, perform experiments. Stretch your spirit to its limits. Find the edges of your soul. Tackle fear. Experience cold, dissonance, hunger, foreign cultures, exhaustion, etc.
++3. exercising creativity
++Sieze the adjacent possible! Generate novelty! Move minds! Push progress!
++To capitalize on your creativity, make things only you can make.
++If you lack skills to create, develop discipline. Practice, practice, practice. Study masterpieces. Relentlessly purge distractions.
++To foster inspiration, commune with muses. Consume classics.. Record ideas. Publish insights.
++4. inciting coincidence
++Flirt with fate! Synthesize serendipity!
++Mingle in epicenters. Curate a network. Contribute to communities. Make happenings happen.
++Become a billboard. Signal your interests with t-shirts and tattoos. Carry calling cards. Be approachable.
++Thrive on asymmetric bets. There is little downside to writing publicly, sending cold emails, and offering office hours.
++5. helping people
++Do good!
++Give freely. Free lunches exist. Smiles, compliments, jokes, etc. demand no sacrifices.
++Share your time and energy and money. Reduce suffering. Manufacture meaning.
++Maintain anonymity. Secrets sweeten generosity.
++6. experiencing novelty
++Learn! Stretch your mind! Seek the strange! Find the fringes!
++Explorers delight in sparks of understanding. New knowledge can only be found in the unknown.
++Treasures sometimes punctuate boring voyages.
++7. meeting cool people
++Study humans! Meld hearts! Draw out depth! Cue tears!
++Learn to listen. Be slow to suggest. Reflect, riff, and enhance others' experiences.
++Questions weigh more than opinions. Curate curiosity!
++8. dancing
++Wiggle! Twirl! Frolic!
++Dancing is easy: copy others and edit. Follow the flow; create cooperatively.
++The dancefloor celebrates all who conquer conceit. Catch the spotlight and pass it around!
+]]>+To prove yourself, share your knowledge.
++Test your beliefs in the marketplace of ideas. The public will scrutinize your +experiences.
++Jog your dream machine! Consider creating case-studies, stories, post-mortems, +processes, tools/calculators, instructional videos, critical reviews, open +letters, summaries, curated lists, rules-of-thumb, printables, open +questions/problems, instructional guides, cheat-sheets, blueprints, etc.
++Spoil your secret sauce.
++Write about things only you can write about.
+ ++++Go on an adventure. Find a New Thing™. Bring it back. Share it, and +demonstrate why the New Thing™ is worth sharing.
+
+Stand by your opinions. Don't be milquetoast.
++Don't compete with content farms.
++Be a trendsetter.
++Write about nameless, murky mysteries. If a trend already has a name, you're +late to the party.
++Find something that matters and distill it into as few words as possible. +Marie Kondo's "Spark Joy" +is a masterclass in trendsetting.
++Shelf-life is the best barometer.
++Will your works be worthwhile 40 months from now? Do things +that outlive fancy rats.
++As you get comfortable with your craft, aim to +create masterpieces:
++++It's exhausting -- unceasing streams of series, seasons, and sequels.
++Artists create art. Content-creators create content.
++I don't want content. I don't want reboots or remasters or reimaginings. I +don't want pandering or product-placement or pop-politics. Breaking news is +broken.
++Content corrodes. Classics last. Masterpieces matter.
+
+Search will continue to improve. Great works eventually get recognition.
++Don't spam.
++The quickest way to create enemies is to disrespect their attention.
++Avoid tracking, pop-ups, frequent newsletters, or cold-calls. Don't sell your +reputation for a few clicks.
++It's okay to maintain a blog, but remember: quality is king. Never post anything +that isn't worthwhile.
++Beware the social-media rat-race.
++Avoid vanity metrics. +Followers/friends/subscribers/retweets/views are +dangerous because they're easy to measure.
++Use POSSE to gather a crowd outside of the walled +gardens.
++Don't send content into the void. There are billions of people and trillions of +bots vying for attention. Don't add your voice to the cacophony.
++When in doubt, make a positive impact in a small community.
++
+This essay is part of How to Productize Yourself.
+]]>+Rock stars did it for the music. Pop stars do it for the fans.
++Never pander. Eat a bat. Follow your art.
+]]>+Do unforgettable work. This is not hyperbole.
++At minimum, customers must think you are superhuman. Respond instantly. Finish +work quickly. Check in frequently. Proactively prevent problems. Deliver stellar +quality. Exceed expectations in every possible dimension.
++To be unforgettable, embrace experience. Create arbitrary rules and +rituals. Ask your clients to participate in your personal process. Lead people +on journeys. Working with you must feel surprising and special, even if your +clients already know what's coming.
++To be unforgettable, embrace empathy. Make somebody's year. Listen +intentionally and take authentic action. If a client mentions that they collect +spoons, visit a local antique store and mail them some local finds. And if you +don't know what would delight your clients, you aren't asking enough questions +or listening closely enough.
++To be unforgettable, embrace eccentricity. Magnify your strengths and +weaknesses and passions. Become a caricature of yourself. Charisma can't be +copied, but it can be created. Become someone worth talking about.
++There are no shortcuts. Hand-written notes and flowers and donuts are cute but +completely forgettable. Exceed common convention. Continually reinvent your +reputation.
++
+This essay is part of How to Productize Yourself.
+]]>+ +
+ +]]>
+++Don't dream your dreams. Don't feel your feelings.
++— My mom
+
+My family gets frazzled. I'm sure other people get frazzled too, but my family seems to specifically use the word frazzled.
++I talk to my mom about everything: careers and love-interests and social-awkwardness and pigeons and everything else. And when I'm deflated or afraid or frazzled she often says, "Don't dream your dreams. Don't feel your feelings."
++Because, yeah, my dreams and feelings are often worthless. What if I don't become a rockstar? Don't dream — play music for fun. What if The Girl doesn't like me back? Don't dream — she has her own wants and needs. Why am I so out of shape? Don't feel — exercise. What if I don't make money? Don't feel — be clever.
++And this is not some r/wowthanksimcured mumbo-jumbo. Life is hard and emotions are messy and not entirely voluntary and usually legitimate.
++But every once-and-a-while, my mom reminds me that I don't have to identify with my all of my feelings. I don't have to materialize all of my fantasies right now. I don't need to be frazzled.
++Sometimes, when I'm tired of holding on to things, she reminds me that it's okay to let go.
+]]>+Recommended reading: Thank You vs. Sorry, +Contract Killer 3
+-
+
- +Work with trustworthy people. +
- +Never take money that you can't give back. +
- +Count chickens. +
- +Keep a clean slate. +
- +Accept criticism gracefully. +
+Work with trustworthy people.
++Select your customers carefully; a single bad client will weigh you down for +years.
++Court your customers before committing to anything. Make certain that you're a +good fit. Your customers transitively benefit from vetting you, too.
++Communicate your intentions to potential clients. Ask them if you can chat on +the phone or meet in-person before signing anything. Be friendly and get to know +each other.
++Never take money that you can't give back.
++If a business relationship turns sour, fire your customer. When you fire +customers, don't leave them hanging -- put them in contact with a suitable +replacement.
++If you take customers' cash before completing a project, treat it like a magic +parachute. Fully refund clients before lawyers get involved. Everybody loses in +trench warfare.
++Without lawyers, your bank can forcibly refund money out of your account for 120 +days after the service has been provided. "Your" money isn't yours for at least +4 months.
++If you can't afford money, don't take it. As long as you have other people's +money, you are an indentured servant. Don't let others own you.
++Count chickens.
++Don't confuse cash with commitments.
++You are doing volunteer work until money hits your bank account (or an escrow +account).
++Be kind to clients who can't pay. Money is fickle and accidents happen. Be +empathetic -- it's always embarassing and stressful to realize you don't have +enough money for something.
++Keep a clean slate.
++Revenge is wasteful. Reputation is worth more than petty justice.
++If you prematurely cut ties with a customer, leave them on good terms. Give them +a full refund, all intermediate assets, and your best advice. Go out of your way +to set ex-clients up for success. It's the right thing to do.
++Accept criticism gracefully.
++Find kernels of truth in all feedback.
++Harsh criticism is always a gift when you want to grow. If people are willing, +lean in and ask for specifics.
++Steelman others' +opinions. Distill their feedback into actionable advice.
++Don't apologize if you aren't sorry. But always give gratitude for honesty and +opinions. People want to feel heard and understood. Write out exactly what you +did wrong and what steps you will take to change for other clients.
+| +❌ | ++✅ | +
|---|---|
| +No, my other clients don't have problems with my organizational skills. | ++Thank you. In the future, do you think my other clients would appreciate an outline beforehand? | +
| +Uh, I delivered everything to you on schedule. | ++Thanks for explaining. Do you think I should send mockups earlier in the process? | +
| +You aren't understanding my artistic vision. | ++Interesting. If I want to become better, which factors am I missing? Is it the contrast, saturation, or overall color combination? | +
+
+This essay is part of How to Productize Yourself.
+]]>
+ 
+
+ 
+
+If you look at some of my recent projects, you'll notice I enjoy building lean websites with pure HTML+CSS.
++But building UIs in HTML+CSS can be untenable. When making complex frontend experiences, I reach for Elm. Here's why:
+-
+
- +community packages that work +
- +great performance +
- +solid tooling +
- +minimal cognitive overhead +
- +extreme predictability +
- +fearless refactoring +
- +incredible API design +
+7. Community Packages That Work
++Modern web development seems hellish for some organizations.
++For the past 10 years, I've watched teams struggle against NPM packages. I've been part of multiple migrations between moment.js, Luxon, and day.js. React applications drown in state management libraries that perpetually break something important. And don't get me started on React hooks.
+
+Every package on NPM seems (1) inundated with breaking changes or (2) completely abandoned. Codebase upgrades are terrifying after your team finds the perfect package.lock that works for everybody.
+The poor quality of NPM also leaks into the devops-side of frontend. Every Webpack/Babel/Vite/EsBuild/Parcel ecosystem feels like a delicate mess on stilts. I've witness countless engineering hours wasted on JS source maps, polyfills, and build errors.
++Outside of React, the situation seems equally bleak. Frontend frameworks in JS, Python, Elixir, etc. look riddled with similar quality problems. There's a lot of software out there, so please email me if there are any ecosystems I should reconsider.
++Elm's packages are generally well-documented, focused, appropriately named, and bug-free. But don't take my word for it -- pick any of these packages at random and see the quality for yourself:
+| + | +
|---|
| +elm-explorations/test | +
| +elm-explorations/webgl | +
| +rtfeldman/elm-css | +
| +rtfeldman/hex | +
| +lukewestby/elm-http-builder | +
| +mdgriffith/elm-codegen | +
| +mdgriffith/elm-style-animation | +
| +mdgriffith/elm-ui | +
| +w0rm/elm-physics | +
| +BrianHicks/elm-csv | +
| +terezka/elm-charts | +
| +tesk9/accessible-html | +
| +robinheghan/elm-phone-numbers | +
| +ianmackenzie/elm-geometry | +
| +ianmackenzie/elm-units | +
+6. Great Performance
++This piece from Rakuten matches my own experiences with Elm:
++++
+- +The performances of Elm applications are among the fastest. Internally Elm uses the concept of a virtual DOM, similar to React. The speed of the Elm virtual DOM is comparable to Svelte, which uses a different mechanism to update the DOM.
+- +The Elm compiler produces smaller assets compared to other frameworks. Among the various optimizations to achieve this result, there is the dead code elimination with granularity to the single function that works across the entire ecosystem. If you import a large package and use only one of the functions contained, the compiler will ensure that only that function ends up in your generated code.
+- +The Elm compiler per se is also fast. Our bigger codebase contains ~66,500 lines of Elm code, and it compiles incrementally in 0.3 seconds and from scratch in 2.5 seconds.
+
+I want to add that Elm's virtual DOM will obviously be strictly worse than an equivalent optimized vanilla JS program. But for modern browsers, Elm seems to offer the best balance of developer ergonomics and runtime speed.
++5. Solid Tooling
++Writing Elm in Neovim is wonderful. Everything feels snappy regardless of file sizes: types hints, tests, errors, autoformatting, and recompilation.
++Thanks to the speedy and simple Elm compiler, I can keep my tooling extremely simple during development. Here's my entire live webdev setup:
+http-server dist \
+& watch -p "**/*.elm" -c "elm make src/Main.elm --debug --output=dist/elm.js"+Debugging is straightforward. When my code behaves strangely, I use Elm's time-travelling debugger to inspect the model at each state-change. From there, pure functions make errors obvious.
++4. Minimal Cognitive Overhead
++Most languages are too powerful for my palate.
++Don't get me wrong -- I love Rust and many other languages! But sometimes they're just too much for me.
++When writing Rust or JS or Haskell or Python or Lisp, I'm overwhelmed by opportunity. Should I make this generic? Should I use classes or structs? Immutable or mutable? Macros? Functional or imperative array manipulation?
++I try to please compilers and coworkers and customers, but all are disappointed. Give me a woodshop and I'm lost, but give me a simple chisel and I intuitively know what to do. There's a certain freedom in restricted toolsets.
++Languages like Go and Elm spurn extravagance. They resist overcomplication. They force me to solve real problems instead of fighting compiler errors and stylistic differences.
++Furthermore, consistent code makes portable mental-models. Go and Elm codebases tend to be extremely readable.
++3. Extreme Predictability
++I like shiny new features and predictability.
++Unfortunately, there are tradeoffs. For compiler teams, bug-hunting steals time from feature-development.
++I can live with landmines if they don't change positions. Releasing patches reduces predictability. If a bug has a known workaround, I want the devs to focus all efforts on their next release instead of old errors.
++But I'm also a patient person who loves ambitious visions. I would rather wait years for tightly-integrated featuresets than months for haphazard improvements.
++Elm 0.19.1 has been the latest version since 2019. I've heard rumors of some new stuff coming in 2023, which is super exciting, but 0.19.1 remains wonderfully stable. I'll be happy with future releases as long as they're predictable, holistically designed, and relatively infrequent.
+ ++2. Fearless Refactoring
++When it comes to building software, my first guesses are generally wrong.
++In most languages, changing things is a brutal process. I tend to live with my mistakes because refactoring is too tiresome.
+
+With Elm, I experiment and change everything with little resistance. As long as I watch wildcard matches in my case statements, the compiler quickly guides me back to a working program from any change.
+Theoretically, all static type systems should be able to do this, but they just don't. I don't know why, but my major changes in Haskell/Rust/Go always end up with unintended results. Elm's error messages are really in a class of their own, and it has nothing to do with pretty formatting.
++1. Incredible API Design
++Elm's mental models made me a better programmer.
++If you haven't already, take some time to browse Elm's 1st-party libraries: core, html, json, browser, url, http, bytes, file, parser, random, regex, and time.
++All the main libraries contain gems. They're easy yet strict; simple yet powerful.
+
+For example, consider the parser library. Parser pipelines are delightful to use, and teach you to think in terms of non-backtracking flows. When you're ready, you can upgrade to Parser.Advanced for extra contextual powers, but the complexity doesn't get in the way when you don't need it.
+Even if you never seriously use Elm, study its libraries and build some toys with them. There's plenty of wisdom to glean from its careful design.
+]]>+This week, software developer Arthur Westbook announced his early retirement at +age 58.
++Westbrook spent 35 years in a codebase that allegedly powers some sort of +medical software somewhere. During his tenure, he contributed hundreds of lines +of code. Westbrook once touched legacy code without ending the company.
++Westbrook believes he grapsed over 4% of the entire codebase. A former colleague +called it "the War & Peace of wingdings".
++In the company, Westbrook was known as "one of the programmers on the team". His +manager noted, "Arthur had a knack for working hard without learning +transferrable skills. He will be dearly missed. It'll take two junior devs and a +Keurig to replace him."
++In honor of his decades of service, one of his coworkers will take him out for +drinks "sometime next month". Nobody on his team responded for comment.
++For his retirement, Westbrook plans to dabble in street performance and dumpster +diving. He also plans to hone his culinary creation: Soylent mixed with Whole +Foods Premium Adult Cat Salmon Mix.
+]]>+It's exhausting -- unceasing streams of series, seasons, and sequels.
+ ++Artists create art. Content-creators create content.
++I don't want content. I don't want reboots or remasters or reimaginings. I don't want pandering or product-placement or pop-politics. Breaking news is broken.
++Content corrodes. Classics last. Masterpieces matter.
+ ++Communities of critics scour every archive for hard art -- that stuff that makes your heart ache and your face hurt and your gut churn and your brain bend. Those mighty mavens have paved the path. They've meticulously listed lifetimes of literature and music and films. Everybody shares the bounty of their obsessions; the critics' communal catalogues are completely public.
++Classics are conspicuous. Worthwhile media mantains attention for many years.
+ + + + ++Eschew the new. Pasteurize your palate with the passing of seasons. Timelessness tastes like fine wine. Never consume content created within the decade.
+ + ++
+Notifications are designed to steal your attention.
++Attention is your most valuable resource.
++Extinguish all notifications.
++Avoid in-app notification settings. You don't need fine-grained notification control if you nuke all your notifications. Use your general OS notification settings.
++No SMS. No Slack. No Signal or WhatsApp. No banners. No noises. Nothing.
++Actually, phone calls are okay -- emergencies happen. Protip: iOS and Android can filter out everything except repeated phone calls.
++Your boss, wife, boyfriend, children, friends -- they will survive.
++Check your inboxes as frequently as necessary. Don't exert willpower. Don't rely on memory. Design a reminder system.
++It's easiest to pair notification-checks with naturally occuring events: workouts, water, meals, coffee, bathroom breaks, etc. Consistency is key.
++I personally use nowify to set my cadences:
+-
+
- +every 40-60 minutes: Slack mentions and direct-messages +
- +every day: Slack channels, email, iMessage, WhatsApp, Signal, reminders, Copilot +
- +every few days: scan all apps for notification badges +
+
+
+
++The North England Rat Society gives +longevity awards to +promote "excellence in the care and breeding of fancy rats" (as opposed to +normal rats?):
++++A NERS member owning a rat reaching an age of 28, 32, 36, or 40 months may +apply for a Longevity award for that rat as follows:
++ +
++ + + ++Age ++Award ++ ++28 months ++Bronze Longevity award ++ ++32 months ++Silver Longevity award ++ ++36 months ++Gold Longevity award ++ + ++40 months ++Platinum Longevity award +
+Things happened to you in the past 36 months. But you've already forgotten what +felt so permanent. You surmounted what seemed insurmountable. Congratulations, +you survived.
++But in those 3 years, did you matter? Did your ideas sputter or accrue momentum? +Did you forge relationships, enact plans, garner insights, create something +grand, become somebody better, etc?
++Fast-forward to tommorow. Hours on Instagram and Reddit +disappear into black holes. Those chunks of your life will be +gone forever. What is the half-life of doomscrolling dopamine?
++In the coming months, you can spend 500 hours practicing Japanese +or Rocket League. Which skill will outlive a fancy rat?
++Your friend's birthday is coming up again. You could purchase a fungible +Starbuck's gift card or paint an irreplaceable picture of a carefree duck. Which +memory will outlive a fancy rat?
++Laundry, meetings, lawncare, obligations -- ephemera will eat your life away if +you don't pay attention.
++Would you rather see your name on a novel or a thousand tweets?
++Do things that outlive fancy rats.
++
+
+
+
+
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+I wasted a third of my life battling alcoholism and poor social skills and anxiety and burnout and The Internet.
++All the while, I trifled with optimizations: better diet, less commute, more muscle, less loneliness, clean home, more money, etc.
++I lost myself in side-quests to avoid dragons.
++When dragons destroy your life, ignore trifles. Slay dragons.
++Find Your Dragon
++Dragons lurk in broad daylight. They proudly park themselves on the roads to your best futures.
++Dragons sit and eat and laze. Some grow so large that we mistake them for mountains in our mental landscape.
++To find dragons, ask yourself pointed questions:
+-
+
- +What will you regret? +
- +What holds you back? +
- +What do you avoid? +
- +What drains your energy? +
- +What saps your time? +
- +What are you afraid of losing? +
- +Who are you becoming? +
+Slay Your Dragon
++Breakups suck. Sobriety sucks. Uncertainty sucks. Dragons are scary.
++Slaying a dragon is simple yet painful. Shortcuts are futile. You must fight it the hard way.
++But you're not alone. Billions of other people fight dragons too. Advice is commonplace, but dragons are simple creatures. Collective wisdom is indespensible.
++Here are common dragons and timeless strategies:
+| +depression | ++get therapy, talk to a psychiatrist, exercise daily, quit alcohol | +
| +work | ++develop in-demand skills, hunt for jobs, hustle on unglamorous side-projects, live frugally | +
| +social skills | ++read HTWFAIP, copy therapists, develop curiosity, attend meetups | +
| +addiction | ++flush the stuff, go to rehab, get a counselor, find new friends | +
| +friends/family | ++change your phone number, move cities, meet people, start anew | +
| +body health | ++sleep hygenically, exercise daily, avoid processed foods, quit alcohol/nicotine | +
| +distractions | ++set parental self-controls, find a phone home, sell your TV and game consoles | +
+Feel free to email me if you need advice/support for slaying dragons. We're all in this together.
+]]>+Recommended reading: +War of Art, +So Good They Can't Ignore You, +How to Win Friends and Influence People, +The only way to make money
++When a behavior is valuable, people call it a "skill".
++Hard skills provide obvious value. If you create or edit or repair things, +society will reward you. With hard skills, people usually have clear +expectations on what they need, because they have a problem that needs to be +solved.
++Soft skills are harder to monetize. To sell your humor, compassion, +intuition, etc. you must convince others that it is worth something. With soft +skills, there is often not an immediate problem worth solving. It takes finesse +to find people and prove that you can provide value. If they could see what you +see, they wouldn't need to pay you.
++If you have no skills, start somewhere today. Envision the life that you +want to live in 5-15 years, and then work backwards. +Email me if you need help with this process. +Prioritize hard skills over soft skills. And remember, the most valued skills +are the ones hardest to achieve. Most skills that can be acquired in 2-3 years +are worthless.
++While pursuing skills, beware of "fool's gold":
+-
+
- +Do not confuse effort with value. It may be extremely difficult to balance 4 +eggs on each other, but it doesn't mean it's a valuable skill. +
- +Do not confuse rarity with value. Being unique doesn't make you useful. +
- +Do not confuse ego with value. Even your loudest thoughts might be worthless. +
+
+This essay is part of How to Productize Yourself.
+]]>
+tl;dr: Add demos to a #demo-friday channel in Slack or Teams.
+Every person is a fickle rocket. Some weeks we shoot off to space, others we +sputter. On really bad days, we explode right there on the launchpad.
++Organizations herd rockets with meetings and other channels, but fail for myriad +reasons: incorrect estimations, loss of motivation, impossible architecture, +misconstrued communications, etc. To prevent these perils, demonstrate +deliverables on a concrete cadence (Fridays work well).
+-
+
- + Demos prevent derailment. +
- + Demos highlight invisible work. +
- + Demos force prioritization. +
- + Demos improve estimations. +
- + Demos engage. +
- + Demos create questions. +
- + Demos create paper trails. +
- + Demos are self-documenting. +
- + Demos maintain momentum. +
+1. Demos prevent derailment.
++Without feedback, creative workers risk building The Wrong Thing™. Regular demos +force course-corrections. Designers, managers, analysts, spreadsheet jockeys, +engineers, etc. can ensure their pieces match the larger puzzle.
++2. Demos highlight invisible work.
++Crucial infrastructure goes unnoticed and unappreciated. Friday demos shine +spotlights on thankless work. Create space for you and your coworkers to boast.
++Demo days work especially well when everybody shares every Friday. When +sharing as a community, there is nowhere to hide and no reason to be embarassed. +Collective repetition makes mundane those scary feats!
++3. Demos force prioritization.
++It's natural to lose oneself in numbers; we forget that we make things for +humans. Demonstrations rescue us from rabbit-holes.
++Good demos showcase utility. To impress others, make something valuable.
++Demos encourage progress towards useful deliverables. And in most creative +fields, useful output keeps the coffers full.
++4. Demos improve estimations.
++For every project, the first 90% is easier than the remaining 90%. People +grossly miscalculate the +difficulty of completing tasks. As more variables are introduced into a +system, they grow harder to tame collectively.
++Demos force us to make educated guesses from clear checkpoints. Unfounded +optimism vanishes when reality is at your doorstep.
++5. Demos engage.
++Daily syncs become background noise. Without visual evidence, details are often +miscommunicated and ultimately ignored. A picture is better than a description +of a picture.
++Tangible progress tickles the senses. Don't expect others to give their +attention if you disrespect their thirst for novelty.
++6. Demos create questions.
++Seeing somebody's work engages the brain. "What is this spreadsheet for?" "Why +is that button there?" "Who approved that colorscheme?" "Why are those numbers +going down?" Don't lose your team in hypotheticals; incite constructive dialogue +with examples.
++A lack of progress can also unearth critical questions. "What prevented you from +doing your best work?" "What's holding you back?" "Who do you need help from?" +"Where is the friction coming from?"
++7. Demos create paper trails.
++Synchronous demos can be disastrous. Most people aren't practiced presenters -- +they fumble in live settings. And questions from the audience can throw plans +wildly off the rails.
+
+Instead, add a #demo-friday channel to Slack or Teams. All creative workers
+should demonstrate their work, regardless of the magnitude of progress.
+As a bonus, performance reviews become as simple as scrolling through your demo +history. "Did you deliver value?" "Yeah, and here are the receipts."
++8. Demos are self-documenting.
++Every demonstration is 50% proof, 50% instruction-guide.
++Showing somebody that something can be done is the same as showing them how to +do it.
++9. Demos maintain momentum.
++People lose motivation without concrete deliverables. Put recurring demos on +your calendar to synthesize accomplishment.
++By sharing demos on Friday, everybody gets a free checkpoint. Having thoroughly +completed work, one can enjoy the weekend without unfinished business.
+]]>+What do you get when you mix Tiësto, Kool & the Gang, and Sailor Moon, and shopping malls?
+ ++Suggestions
+-
+
- +Moe Shop +
- +Saint Pepsi +
- +Yung Bae +
- +ev.exi +
- +MACROSS 82-99 +
- +Desired +
+My mind camera-like, slow-motion capture -- every frame a haunting. I shouldn't have sustained eye-contact.
++Suffocation is surprisingly silent. Sarah's smile melted as her esophagus boiled. Our lungs labored for breath but billowed out blood and mucus.
++Entropy flooded our apartment. Every item instantly aged eleven years. Paper yellowed and wilted. Food fouled. Plastics became brown and brittle. Textiles suddenly weathered and worn and spent.
++Vomit makes everything worse. Puke floods your face when the frontlines find a way into your neighborhood. You never imagined the phantom could enter your home.
++When true calamity arrives, they send the suits before the uniforms. First, the hazmat suits, then the business suits. Last, the blue and red and yellow uniforms.
++I begged them to keep Sarah on the ventilator for a little longer.
++Never trust a fart.
+ +]]>
+
+]]>+A goblin lives behind your eyes.
++The goblin feeds on unspent energy. He eats your effort and feasts on your failure.
++The Rules of the Game
++The rules are simple: the goblin wins when you stop short.
++You duel him once per day; the goblin's game concludes when you sleep.
++To win each day, try your hardest at everything without giving up.
++Only 100% effort secures victory against the goblin. +There are no draws or partial victories against him. +Whenever you give 95% effort at your gym or at work or in your art, you give the goblin your trophy. +The goblin thrives when you don't try.
++The reward for winning the goblin's game is real relaxation. +Earn inner peace through earnest effort.
++Avoiding Catastrophic Loss
++At bare minimum, don't let the goblin throw no-hitters.
++To prevent zero days, commit your soul to a particular purpose. Decide who you want to become, what you want to achieve, who you want to help, etc. Choose a northern star to navigate life's deepest mists.
++Two Winning Strategies
++There are two winning strategies for the goblin's game:
+-
+
- +do less +
- +do more +
+This is not a paradox.
++To do less, decide what "enough" means. The game's difficulty depends on the amount of yearning in your heart. To make the game winnable, tame your desire. Decide that you have enough knowledge, wealth, friends, power, etc.
++To do more, be serious. Trample excuses. Find your limits.
++Training for the Game
++The goblin wins by distracting you. He whispers of your past and future. He preys upon your fears and fantasies.
++To hear the goblin chatter, sit and do nothing. He cannot help but ramble.
++To train for the goblin's game, listen to his stories without accepting them. Find patterns in his tricks. Separate fact from fiction.
+ +]]>-
+
- +Never do anything non-obvious. Ask questions exhaustively. +
- +Never do anything clever. Use modest methods and humble tools. +
- +Never do anything difficult. Reject resistance. Enjoy low-hanging fruit. +
- +Never do anything fancy. Spurn style. +
- +Never do anything meaningless. Live your values. +
- +Never do anything dull. Make fun. +
++]]>+Please prioritize today's task list.
++Flag any tasks that are not actionable or might take longer than 20 minutes.
++If you can assist with writing/coding/editing, please note any supplementary +text you'd need.
++If applicable, suggest tools/websites/research/snippets that solve related +problems.
++[TASKS]
+
+I charge $1,000 per day.
++But I do not accept payments unless my clients are delighted.
++Seriously, I won't take your money unless you say, "I'm super jazzed with these +results, and there's nothing I would change."
++Schedule a free consultation or +send me an e-mail if you're interested in working +together.
++
+Estimates
+| + | ++ | ++ | +
|---|---|---|
| +6m | ++$120k | ++launch a small video game for Nintendo Switch | +
| +4m | ++$80k | ++make a visionOS app prototype | +
| +3m | ++$60k | ++double your daily active users | +
| +3m | ++$60k | ++design and deploy an iOS app | +
| +2m | ++$40k | ++launch a polished MVP from-scratch with zero bugs | +
| +6w | ++$30k | ++microservice/monolith conversion | +
| +6w | ++$30k | ++refactor buggy software | +
| +4w | ++$20k | ++rearchitect your DB schema and migrate/clean data | +
| +2w | ++$10k | ++launch a UX redesign | +
| +2w | ++$10k | ++general backend performance improvements | +
| +2w | ++$10k | ++write a viral essay on any topic | +
| +2w | ++$10k | ++ship your late project like a cowboy | +
| +1w | ++$5k | ++make your PG database super fast | +
| +1w | ++$5k | ++launch a full web-app CSS redesign | +
| +5d | ++$5k | ++brutal testing gauntlet and analysis | +
| +4d | ++$4k | ++lead a viral marketing campaign | +
| +3d | ++$3k | ++systems architecture analysis | +
| +3d | ++$3k | ++launch a landing page with simple waiting list signup | +
| +2d | ++$2k | ++improve website readability with CSS typography improvements | +
| +2d | ++$2k | ++basic technical writing | +
| +2d | ++$2k | ++launch a basic frontpage CSS redesign | +
| +1d | ++$1k | ++edit a podcast or shortform video | +
| +1d | ++$1k | ++branding design packet | +
+
+Startup Emergencies
++engineering disasters, late projects, database problems, software performance +issues, refactoring, legacy systems, crappy user interfaces, failing startups, +dispute resolution, logistics, overcommunication, undercommunication, +optimization
++Creative Direction
++UI/UX design, graphic design, branding, video & film editing, storytelling, song +production, audio engineering, game design
++Software Engineering
++rapid prototyping, iOS development, web development, systems architecture, +database architecture, high-performance computing
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +]]><a id="hn-discuss" href="https://news.ycombinator.com/submitlink">
+ Discuss this page on HackerNews.
+</a>
+const hn = document.getElementById('hn-discuss');
+
+// Set href to "share current URL and title".
+hn.setAttribute(
+ 'href',
+ `https://news.ycombinator.com/submitlink`
+ + `?u=${encodeURIComponent(window.location.href)}`
+ + `&t=${encodeURIComponent(document.title)}`
+);
+
+setTimeout(
+ () => {
+ // Replace href with most popular HN link from the past 4 months.
+ fetch(
+ `https://hn.algolia.com/api/v1/search`
+ + `?tags=story`
+ + `&restrictSearchableAttributes=url`
+ + `&numericFilters=created_at_i>`
+ + Math.round(new Date().getTime()/1000 - 4*30*86400)
+ + `&query=${encodeURIComponent(window.location.href)}`
+ )
+ .then(res => res.json())
+ .then(data => {
+ const id = data?.hits?.[0]?.objectID;
+ if (id)
+ hn.setAttribute(
+ 'href',
+ `https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=${id}`
+ );
+ })
+ .catch(err => console.error(err));
+ },
+ // Wait 10 seconds before hitting Algolia!
+ 10*1000
+);+Oh really? And why is that?
++Well, I think my blood pressure is too high, and I'm a bit worried about my health. Also, the lady-monks tell me I smell like garbage.
++So why don't you quit?
++Because I can't!
++And why can't you?
++Because I want a cigarette every few hours.
++Well, that's quite the predicament, isn't it?
++Yes! So how do I stop?
++Hmm. Are you smoking right now?
++No, but I want to.
++Well why aren't you?
++Because I don't want to.
++You dunce! Which is it? Do you want to smoke or not?
++Well I want a cigarette, but I also want to quit. And I guess I just want to quit more at this moment.
++Okay well then it sounds like you've done it. Now go away!
++But master, nothing has changed!
++The master punches the student in the face.
++Ow! What the hell‽
++You've already quit smoking!
++No, but I want to stay quit smoking!
++Are you fucking stupid? Go away!
++Master—
++Eat shit! You can't control the future, you can only control what happens right now.
++Yeah, but right now I can increase the likelihood—
++No you can't!
++What do you mean I can't? Of course I can!
++Then do it!
++...
++See? You're worthless!
++But Master—
++You can only not smoke right now. Let your future self worry about whether to smoke or not.
++But I know my future-self doesn't have the willpower—
++Well then your future-self is fucked. Kick rocks, swine!
++How do you get anything done—
++Listen. I'm going to flip a coin. If it's heads, you're going to smoke a cigarette, if it's tails, you won't.
++The master flips the coin and grabs it out of the air, clutching it in his hand.
++Now go away!
++Wait! Is it heads or tails?
++It doesn't matter! Go away!
++You're so unhelpful! How about something practical? What about wei wu wei? Can't I find some way to quit without quitting?
++Yeah, kill yourself.
++Come on — what if I tried a nicotine patch?
++Okay, sounds great. Go away.
++But what if it doesn't work?
++Then kill yourself.
++Master!
++Okay, you want to quit without quitting? Eat all of your cigarettes, right now.
++Uh, won't I die if—
++Eat every cigarette, one-by-one!
++I'll die!
++Yes, and you'll never smoke again!
++Master!
++Okay, fine. I'll tell you the secret: every time you want to smoke a cigarette, just do the secret non-smoking ritual and you'll never have a cigarette again.
++Really? That sounds incredible! What's the secret ritual?
++Don't do it.
++What? What do—
++Every time you want to smoke a cigarette, don't smoke a cigarette. It balances out perfectly.
++That's not a secret ritual! And besides, it requires too much willpower!
++You fool! It only requires willpower if you want to smoke!
++[Screams internally]. You're infuriating!
++Okay, how about this: every time you want to smoke, fling every cigarette into the sea.
++Every cigarette?
++Yes.
++Like every cigarette in the world?
++Yes.
++That's impossible!
++Of course, everything in the future is impossible! You can only not smoke right now.
++No, I mean, I can't do that to every cigarette in the world!
++Oh well, fling all the ones within reach.
++What if there is no sea?
++Stomp them.
++So everytime I want to smoke, stomp on every cigarette within reach?
++Yes.
++Hmmm. That sounds like it could work.
++You sack of shit!
++What?
++It's impossible!
++No, it seems pretty feasible. And kind of fun, to be honest.
++You've just added extra steps.
++Extra steps? To what?
++Every time you want to smoke, you're going to not smoke. And then you're going stomp on all cigarettes within reach.
++No, I'm going to stomp on them before I smoke them!
++Okay, then do it.
++...
++Master...
++Go away!
++Okay, you're right — I can't do it.
++Of course.
++So what do I do?
++Nothing. Go away.
++But what if I smoke a cigarette?
++I hope every cell in your lungs simultaneously burst into cancer.
++Master!
++The coin was heads.
++At that moment, the student was enlightened.
+ + +]]>
+
+
+
+-
+
- +Hell Is Other People's Diets +
- +Dietary "Defaults" +
- +Sourcing My Food +
- +Using and Reusing +
- +From the Ground to the Ground +
+Hell Is Other People's Diets
++My friend eats meat. Only meat. As a child, he refused fruits, vegetables, +candy, bread, etc. Seriously, he showed me a childhood photo of his birthday +party -- no cake, just a steak with a candle in it. He now celebrates events +with more elaborate meat cakes (see his "cthulu cake" above). And yeah, he's +super healthy.
++In contrast, I grew up near +Loma Linda, that +Blue Zone populated by vegetarians. +They're ridiculous -- drive through their neighborhoods and you'll spot four +generations of the same family hiking together. People in that town refuse to +die.
++And so I've come to know equal proportions of healthy herbivores, carnivores, +and omnivores. They're all confident that their diet is the paragon of +nutrition.
++Keto, pescatarian, carnivore, vegan, gluten-free, garbage disposal, atkins -- it +all seems the same from afar. Sure, you can guess when friends trend towards +more calories. But you cannot precisely predict somebody's diet based on +appearance or personality or demeanor. Even with modern nutrition research, one +must cautiously ferret out first-hand correlations between diet and health.
++I'm no dietitian, but I've been eating for quite a while. So here are my +totally-scientific heuristics based on anecdotal evidence:
+-
+
- +fast food is probably not good +
- +industrial agriculture is probably not good +
- +oily/greasy/deep-fried stuff is probably not good +
- +overeating is probably not good +
- +factory farming is probably not good +
- +vitamin/mineral deficiencies are probably not good +
- +overly restrictive diets are probably not good +
- +processed foods are probably not good +
- +added sugars are probably not good +
+Dietary "Defaults"
++Mystery meats give me anxiety. Some unhealthy foods are easy to avoid.
++But it is cruel comedy that the gods generally make bad food taste so good. I +could fill my coffin with Panda Express and Del Taco.
++To avoid early graves, some self-impose dietary restrictions.
++I decided on default foods. Whenever I cook for myself, I choose from my "lazy +paleo" menu: veggies, fruits, eggs, nuts, beef, fish, poultry.
++People only call their diets "diets" when they hate what they eat. My default +foods effortlessly fit into my life:
+-
+
- +I hate counting calories more than I love fancy recipes. My defaults allow me +to forage in my fridge without forethought. +
- +I prefer speed over variety. It takes me ~10 minutes to prepare a whole day's +worth of food. +
- +To me, fresh foods and minimal meals are amazing. My defaults allow me to +savor simplicity. +
+In other words, I chose these defaults because they're the (1) healthiest foods +with (2) minimal effort that (3) match my palate. As long as there are no +temptations in my pantry, I get +plenty of sustainable nutrients on autopilot.
++Sourcing My Food
++I've only recently started thinking about the broader impact of my diet.
++I guess that's not true -- I knew that my diet was making a negative impact on +the world around me, but I didn't know (1) how bad things were out there and (2) +how easy it is to eat sustainably.
++And so I tweaked my grocery habits recently. With no loss of convenience, I get +better-tasting food at comparable prices. It's probably more nutritious too.
++Here's what works for me in Southern California:
+-
+
- +Take tours. Small farms love guests. Learn how your food works! See for +yourself how the sausage is made. Do they torture your turkey? Do they douse +your carrots in chemicals? +
- +Find farmers' markets. Rather than scurrying to the grocery store when I +run out of food, I've started going to a local farmers' market on a regular +cadence. Shopping with my family has actually become the highlight of my week! +
- +Support community agriculture and fisheries. After exploring local markets +and farms, build relationships. I've got my meat guy on speed-dial. My produce +people do weekly drop-offs. I'm meeting a seafood guy next week. Food +shouldn't be an anonymous process. +
- +Try growing some of your own food. Don't overthink it. Throw some dirt in +a cardboard box and put seeds in. +
- +Nature isn't always photogenic. Eating locally means that you won't get +picture-perfect produce. You'll learn to ignore defects faster than you'd +think. +
+Using and Reusing
++Waste is literally an uphill battle for me.
++Our garbage service travels along the main road of our neighborhood, which is +0.25 miles up a steep hill from our bear-proof garage. After years of +optimizations, it takes me 20 minutes to take out my trash cans on Tuesdays.
++I first eliminated yard waste, because nature is heavy. Leaves go into compost +piles. Branches go into woodchip piles. Weeds get tossed on top of dirt patches +(to make soil).
++Next, kitchen waste. Food scraps can be composted, but why do we have so many +"food scraps"? Strawberry leaves are edible. Bones and viscera can make broth, +and leftover broth fats are an excellent ingredient. Heck, even orange peels and +watermelon rinds can be cooked. Don't toss edible energy.
++If you've got too much perishable food to eat or freeze, preserve via +dehydration, canning, pickling, etc. You can transform practically anything into +jerky.
++With little effort, you'll end up with +bonus seeds and +brown gold. And now you suddenly have a +use for "reclyable" materials. Transform plastic containers into makeshift pots. +Even cardboard boxes can become garden beds with some plastic lining.
++Within weeks, your trash is food again. And that's when you realize you've +become a backyard alchemist and certified nutjob.
++From the Ground to the Ground
++Frankly, I don't really care about The Economy™ or The Environment™. I can +barely care for myself. I hate exercise and nutrition, but recently +re-remembered I'm getting older and afraid to die.
++But seeing that entire journey from seed to meal to soil again is giving me some +peace. Seeing so many familiar hands and faces involved in my food makes my +meals worth more gratitude.
++I think it's changing me. Earth suddenly seems like something worth protecting. +Panda Express is losing its flavor. Is carrot jerky a thing? How much do +chickens cost?
+]]>+When studying dark-matter and MOND, I obviously favored the underdog.
++"Of course Dark Matter is false! MOND is so much more elegant! Of course the universe favors elegant solutions."
++But this comment made me feel like an idiot:
++++These articles always miss the mark because they get the history backwards. Modified gravity theories were taken much more seriously in the 1970s and earlier, where the evidence for dark matter was shakier. Cosmological and astrophysical observations from the 1980s to 2000s have vastly strengthened the case for dark matter, which is why it's the leading hypothesis now. +Popular articles won't tell you this, because without exception they laser focus on galaxy rotation curves, a piece of evidence that's nearly a century old and by far the weakest one. But by neglecting to mention the actual evidence we base our conclusions on, they (purposely or not) make us look like fools. +Furthermore, dark matter hasn't been ruled out. One particular candidate of what it could be (a WIMP) has been studied and mostly ruled out over the past 20 years, but by the nature of the business there are many possible candidates. And of course we've shifted attention towards those other options, which is exactly how science is supposed to work!
+
+Of course the experts know more than I do! They seriously tried MOND and failed! Why was I so inclined to discount the expert opinions based on my intuition? My intuition is, by definition, not on par with experts' opinions.
++In that moment, I felt like I understood anti-vaxxers and other fringe groups.
++There's something very alluring about (1) believing that you found a secret truth and (2) fear that the universe doesn't work the way you think it should.
+-
+
- +Dark-matter deniers want to live in an "elegant" universe. But the universe might not be elegant. Or, we might not have reached an elegant understanding of it yet! +
- +Anti-vaxxers want to live in a world where their children's illnesses are caused by "random" and "natural" disease transmission. But with decades of biochemistry, we can reduce total deaths by risking vaccine complications by "unnatural" causes. +
- +Essential oils and crystals can't heal you. But it's tempting to live in a world where doctors are wrong and disease can be defeated and magic is all around us. +
+Some researchers spend their entire lives studying the variance in wart colors of a specific toad in a specific pond in a specific region of Borneo. I don't know anything about the world. Maybe everybody should listen to each other or something.
+]]>+Every codebase is a home. Repos carry scars, arguments, memories, secrets, +decorations, and sometimes +graffiti.
++Programmers are homeowners. They perform repairs, rearrange things, and embark +on redesigns.
++To frugally furnish a codebase, imitate Ikea:
+ ++
+1. Packaging is the Product
+
+ 
+
+++We hate air.
++-- Peter Agnefjäll (CEO of IKEA)
+
+They're not trying to cut costs on assembly labor, folks.
++Air is expensive. Ikea embraces DIY furniture to save space on trucks, ships, +and warehouses.
++++IKEA famously eliminates air from their packages by selling their furniture in +ready-to-assemble parts. In 2010, when they started selling their Ektorp sofa +disassembled, IKEA eliminated enough air to reduce their package size by 50%. +With this smaller packaging, IKEA was able to remove 7,477 trucks from the +roads annually.
++-- Katelan Cunningham +(Why IKEA Hates Air)
+
+It takes ~10 seconds to open the Zoom login screen on my M1 Pro. Generations +of software devs used Moore's Law to deliver exponential air to our computers.
++Packaging is the product; data layouts matter.
+
+ 
+
+Delivering data is expensive.
++Bytes bounce between disks, RAM, caches, and networks.
++How much space/time should a program use in theory? Seriously, +always make an educated guess.
++Take any ID or value in your system. How many computers does it touch? How much +time does it spend in HTTP packets? How big and how long does it spend in RAM? +How many times is it copied in CPU cache? How is it moved or copied on the +program stack? How is it represented in the GPU?
+ ++As an exercise for the reader, how much air is being delivered in each case?
+let points = 0;
+const usrs = await sql`select * from usr where country = 'JP'`;
+for (const usr of usrs) {
+ points += usr.points;
+}const usrs = await sql`select * from usr where country = 'JP'`;
+const [{ points = 0 }] = await sql`
+ select sum(points) as points
+ from usr
+ where id in ${sql(usrs.map((usr) => usr.id))}
+`;const [{ points = 0 }] = await sql`
+ select sum(points) as points
+ from usr
+ where country = 'JP'
+`;+2. Pre-Packaged Dependencies
+ +
+ 
+
+If you have a hammer and screwdriver, you can build Ikea furniture. Everything +else comes in the box. Nobody wants to hunt for a 6.2mm allen key when what you +really need is a bookshelf.
+
+ 
+
+In the computing world, screws are made of plaintext, HTTP, etc. Today's shells +and standard libraries offer ubiquitous screwdrivers like Regex manipulation, +HTTP processing, and JSON parsing.
+
+If you can't bundle allen keys for your hex fasteners, stick to screws.
+Likewise, if you lack the engineering resources to support multiple SDKs, make
+damn sure your web API is easy enough to access with curl.
+My MarioKart 64 cartridge probably won't inform me that Python2.7 was +deprecated. If your program isn't designed to work 20 years from now, it won't.
++3. Composable & Disposable
+
+ 
+
++ ++Flat-pack furniture is not meant to last. It has taken me too long to +understand that flimsiness is part of its appeal. Because when the door of a +cabinet starts to sag off plumb and the laminate is curling off its corner, +that means you get to buy another one.
++-- +Lionel Shriver
+
+Hackable things are often (1) composable and (2) disposable.
++Composable systems expose extendible interfaces. For example, +Eurorack modular synths offer auditory +combinatorics (at exorbitant prices).
++Disposable goods (i.e. commodities) are useful because they aren't special. A +paper plate can be repurposed as a mask, a canvas, a paint palette, a frisbee, a +paper snowflake, etc. Ceramic plates are not very versatile.
++Together, composability and disposability encourage experimentation.
++SQL is ugly, but there's a good reason it's the lingua-franca of tech. People +embrace SQL's blemishes because (1) it's generally fast and (2) queries are +disposable. Plus, whenever you need a new query, you can rifle through your +trash to find snippets worth recycling! SQL is easy to cobble, remix, and edit.
++To make your software hackable:
+-
+
- +Make experimentation effortless. If tweaking and testing your codebase is +a pain, devs will avoid making changes. Nobody wants to wade through spaghetti +then wait 40 seconds for recompilation. +
- +Embrace reliable mainstream formats. Use common interfaces like CSV, +webhooks, JSON, and RSS. Products are way more useful when you can plug them +into GNU utils, IFTTT, Siri Shortcuts, etc. +
- +Write code that can be replaced. Writing code is easy, but editing code is +hard. Make inputs and outputs extremely clear; everything between is +disposable detail. We intuitively call irreplacable code "complicated" or +"spaghetti". +
+Yeah, this was my Tinder bio for a while.
++
+ 
+
+If I had to guess, "nothing matters 😭, nothing matters 😎" was probably my inspiration.
++
+ 
+
+Part of me wants to relate this to the Vinegar Tasters. There's something funny about being lonely. There's a particular "vinegar" taste associated with dating. "Why did I say that?" "Why is she even into me?" "Is she 'the one'?" "Why wasn't I good enough?" etc. etc.
++But another part of me wants to say that cynicism is cliché. Maybe everything doesn't have to be a joke.
++Anyway, I think miss the loneliness sometimes 😎
+]]>+What's worse than finding a worm in your apple?
++...finding half of a worm in your apple.
+ ++
+++What's worse than finding half of a worm in your apple?
++...finding a quarter of a worm in your apple.
+
+
+++What's worse than finding 1/N of a worm in your apple?
++...finding (1/N)² of a worm in your apple.
+
+
+Let N equal 273.
++++What's worse than finding ~0.367% of a worm in your apple?
++...finding ~0.001341% of a worm in your apple.
+
+
+Let N equal 1/144.
++++What's worse than finding 144 worms in your apple?
++...finding 20736 worms in your apple.
+
+
+This joke is obviously flawed.
++□
+]]>
+
+
+
++So I'm dressed as a banana, adorned with a necklace of bananunchucks.
++There are many good reasons to be a banana, but on this particular night I was headed to a Halloween party.
++And as I was browsing for booze for the party, I spotted a bottle of wine wrapped in denim. Of course I purchased it.
++At the party, people were very curious about the mysterious denim wine.
++++"Can I try some?"
++"Sure."
++"Gross -- it takes like pocket change."
+
+The wine was awful.
++A few minutes later, somebody asked to try it.
++++"Why does it have such a metallic taste?"
+
+And finally, the host of the party comes to say hi.
+++]]>+"Here, try this."
++"It tastes like a penny!"
+
+Did you know you could do this in JS?
+let n = (0, 1);
+
+console.log(n); // 1+And this?
+let n = 0;
+
+n = (n++, n++, n);
+
+console.log(n); // 2+And this?
+// 😒
+if (x) {
+ foo();
+ return bar();
+} else {
+ return "baz";
+}
+
+// 😍
+return x ? (foo(), bar()) : "baz";+And this?
+// 😒
+const f = x => { x[0]=42; return x; };
+
+// 😍
+const g = x => (x[0]=42, x);+At first glance, this seems pretty useless outside of code golf. But I personally find it helpful for a few cases.
++Quick Logging
++Sometimes I want to log something deep in the code without disturbing the general structure:
+// before
+function f(x) {
+ return x ? "left" : "right";
+}
+
+// after
+function f(x) {
+ return x ? (console.log("left", x), "left") : "right";
+}+Without the comma-operator, we would've had to completely disassemble the ternary-statement into an equivalent if-statement.
++Making Returnable If-Statements
+// before
+let x;
+if (n > 0) {
+ f();
+ x = "left";
+} else {
+ x = "right";
+}
+
+// after
+const x = n > 0
+ ? (f(), "left")
+ : "right";
+It's nice that the code is smaller, but the real benefit of this example is that we don't need a mutable x variable polluting our scope! I personally find the ternary much safer and easier to read here.
+So you want to powerful systems to talk to each other over a network with limited capacity and unreliable connections?
++Let's try to build the worst "universal" notation possible:
+-
+
-
+
+Ensure that the common notation that all the systems speak is extremely low-level, so that you have to encode/decode all the complexity of modern programming languages back-and-forth from lists of strings and numbers and booleans. Please don't add any data-types for
+NaN,Infinity,undefined, time, dates, currency, rationals, enumerable types, sets, symbols, tags, regular expressions, errors, functions, ADTs, IDs, paths, addresses, characters, or objects. Don't include these, especially if its parent language understands them completely. It's completely reasonable to expect that systems on both sides will always perfectly understand what the value is supposed to mean, and that we can encode/decode them with no errors.
+ -
+
+Make absolutely no formalized system of discovery. No documentation standards, no schemas, nothing. The developers on both ends of communication will surely double-check that the
+idthat they're passing back-and-forth refers to the same data on both systems. And because it's encoded in a low-level notation (see #1), they'll absolutely make sure to document things in such a way that other developers can refer back to exactly what each key means in an associative array.
+ -
+
+We don't want computers that are able to figure out how to communicate with each other, either! Don't give a common repository of objects/schemas for both systems to agree upon, so that they can ease the programmer's burden. Otherwise, how will engineers get paid?
+
+ -
+
+Under no circumstances should this notation have any capacity to talk about functions. It would be ridiculous to enable computers to talk about the most fundamental part of programming. It's much better if programmers have to encode/decode data into code, and check for vulnerabilites at the data level.
+
+ -
+
+If you make API generators, make sure that they're only in languages that nobody uses.
+
+ -
+
+Make sure that everything can be optional! Every system will equivalently handle missing keys with those keys set to null.
+
+ -
+
+Even though we only have numbers, strings, and arrays, make sure that every time we make an API, we have to manually program the constraints of each range. Under no circumstances should we make libraries to check that something is say, not negative. It doesn't make sense, in any language, to make libraries that generate interfaces based on schemas. Because obviously we want to re-write the interface in every system that touches the data.
+
+ -
+
+Please require that the top-level data CANNOT be a single value. Even though the language is just arrays, strings, and numbers, you definitely shouldn't be able to send strings or numbers without wrapping them.
+
+ -
+
+Give us way of executing programs on other machines (JSON-RPC), and make sure that nobody uses.
+
+ -
+
+Make sure that the system is not extensible! Nobody will ever want to change the protocol to fit their needs.
+
+ -
+
+Make sure that unescaped strings break the languages that it's designed for!
+
+ -
+
+Make inconsistent standards on parsing scientific numbers (e.g.
+4e-21). Of course computers won't want to ever talk about very large or very small numbers.
+ -
+
+Even if processing is cheap and bandwidth is expensive, make sure it takes up as much space as possible in the network. Oh, and don't make it easy to encode/decode either. Unique data-types would help reduce the size of messages, but we don't want that.
+
+ -
+
+Never, ever, send programs to computers! Especially if it's just talking to a database and it makes sense to send a query. Don't put any work into formalizing database security and sanitization. It makes much more sense to extend our API every time we want a slightly different query.
+
+ -
+
+Even if two computers speak the same language, don't serialize native data-types in a common way. Make the programmer do it by hand.
+
+ -
+
+Use different protocols for everything! If it's good enough for remote connections, it's probably not good-enough for inter-process communication. We want to make as many different interfaces as possible, which won't affect security or development time.
+
+ -
+
+Make it hard to stream! Computers don't need to stream things.
+
+ -
+
+Don't make any formalized system of authentication using this notation. If you do, make JSON Web-Tokens, which are hard to use and have serious vulnerabilities.
+
+ -
+
+Actually, put vulnerabilities in all the major parsers that people use. Nobody will ever try to make the parsers work extra hard in order to crash remote systems.
+
+ -
+
+Don't make any easy ways to convert one notation to another. And if you do, reimplement it from scratch in each language rather than making a common meta-schema that each language can implement just once and be done.
+
+ -
+
+Don't standardize any objects or APIs. Everybody is unique!
+
+ -
+
+Make support for references, but then break every parser that tries to use them.
+
+ -
+
+Don't make it "zero-copy". We want every computer to use its memory inefficiently when trying to read it from the socket.
+
+ -
+
+Don't package any recommendations for how to read the data with the data object itself. It's too confusing to send encoders with the data. Let's just have different programmers make encoders/decoders for every system.
+
+ -
+
+Under no circumstances should encoders/decoders work both ways! Encoders and decoders are not mirror-images of each other, and they shouldn't be. Systems won't break if we interpret in different ways on different systems. Plus, we want to write everything twice! After all, our notation is very complicated, despite the fact it has no complex data-types and is pretty much reversible in every mapping we can imagine.
+
+ -
+
+Don't package any indication of the serialization format with the data. That way, we have to use
+JSON.parse,XML.parse, etc. rather than having a singularparsefunction.
+ -
+
+Make sure that all parsers interpret common values like
+undefined,NaN, andInfinityas strings, with no warnings or errors. It's much more exciting to hunt down the bug when it happens in production.
+ -
+
+The alternatives to the "universal notation" should be orders-of-magnitude worse than the most popular option. Stockholm Syndrome forever!
+
+ -
+
+Most parsers shouldn't give you the line and character where the mistake occurred. Programmers love trying to find single-character syntactical errors in large bodies of text!
+
+ -
+
+Make a universally-accepted text-encoding (Unicode) and don't properly support it.
+
+ -
+
+Don't allow comments!
+
+ -
+
+Even though the types are simple enough for most databases to read the notation, force programmers to encode the data before putting it into the database. You definitely need to have three different layers of encoding for simple insert/update operations.
+
+ -
+
+Make the universal language unconnected to byte streams! There's no reason to ever connect packets of arbitrary data (like video) to higher-level data types. Make them do extra network calls for images! There's no reason to allow images inside of this format, for any reason.
+
+ -
+
+Make the universal language resistant to skipping! The parser must read everything, even if it doesn't need to!
+
+ -
+
+When you make an API, only define the outer interface for it, in a non-standardized format. Make sure that every person that wants to interact with your system has to read your documentation and re-implement the same thing. Of course they don't want to drop in a schema and automatically generate a type-safe boundary layer! They really want to do all the dirty work and figure out the quirks of your poorly-implemented API.
+
+
+
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
-
+
- +Don't work hard. +
- +Make space. +
- +Reuse containers. +
- +Save seeds. +
- +Collect compost. +
- +Forget watering. +
- +Share. +
+1. Don't work hard.
++If you have waste and space, you're wasting space.
++Transform scraps into food and foliage! Spend zero dollars and a few hours per +year making plants.
++Don't overthink it. Don't sink a bunch of time into it. Don't dive into research +rabbit-holes and artificially sate your curiosity.
++Failed experiments beat daydreams.
++2. Make space.
++You can grow plants in a frontyard, balcony, window, garage, alley, etc.
++If space is limited, ask friends and family +to donate space in exchange for produce.
++3. Reuse containers.
++Cardboard and plastics are valuable materials. Don't give them away for free!
+-
+
- +Use clear plastic bottles and containers +to root cuttings in water. +
- +Use large cardboard boxes and garbage-bag-liners as makeshift garden beds or +drip trays. +
- +Poke holes in the bottoms of other plastic containers and set in larger drip +trays. +
- +Grow potatoes in cardboard boxes. +
- +Use medium-sized plastic bags for mushrooms and larger plants. +
- +Consider shredded paper or cardboard +as a mushroom substrate. +
+4. Save seeds.
++All fruits come with baby bonus plants inside. Vegetables regrow themselves from +severed organs. Plants are weird.
+-
+
- +Save seeds. +
- +Barter yardwork services on Craigslist for seeds and +cuttings. +
- +Revive kitchen scraps +-- even mushrooms. +
- +Obtain cuttings via friends, neighbors, or piracy. +
- +Reuse bouquets. +
+5. Collect compost.
++Soil is brown gold. Hoard organic material and +let it rot.
+-
+
- +You can compost +with garbage bags +or use a fancy tumbler. +
- +Ask neighbors if you can collect their compost on a weekly basis. +
- +Become a worm rancher! +
- +Borrow a friend's truck to get free dirt +on Craigslist. +
+6. Forget watering.
++Plants combine carbon dioxide and water to make glucose. Plants use glucose as +both fuel and building materials.
+-
+
- +Use +the Kratky method (hydroponic) +to grow plants in a bucket without soil. +
- +Normalize neglect! It's okay to leave plants outside and pray for rain. +
- +You can connect a drip system to a +backyard rainwater resevoir. +
- +Strategically place pots next to existing sprinklers. +
- +Put a drip resevoir next to +your kitchen sink. +
- +Make a toilet garden. +
+7. Share.
++With just one plant, you can clone an army of plants!
+ +]]>+I plan to learn Spanish, Japanese, German, and Chinese over the next decade.
++Here's my current gameplan for each language:
+-
+
- +Listen to Paul Noble's audio courses (~12 hours total). +
- +Add beginner news/chat podcasts to my feed (~50 hours). +
- +Install an auto-translate browser extension (~100 hours). +
- +Consume beloved media in target language (without English subtitles) (~100 hours). +
- +Practice by writing short stories and speaking with strangers (~200 hours). +
+I'm unsure if this plan will work, so please email me if you have any tips or resources!
++Related Reading
+ +]]>+Go rogue! You're allowed to attend work/school/parties without The Network. Phones aren't essential.
++Get lost! Ask others for directions! Serendipity smiles on chance interactions.
++Take note! Consider carrying a small notebook. Notebooks elicit ideas and inspiration. They're also handy for caching your contact-list (in case you need to borrow a phone).
++Start small! Cellular smartwatches are suitable computers without so much screen.
++Walk before running! Leave your phone in your car while embarking on errands.
++Live untethered! Make adventure!
+]]>+Eat eggs in the evening! Eat steak when you wake! Consume cake with coffee! Serve waffles with wine!
++Breakfast is fake. It's a contrived category created by advertising agencies.
++Some say breakfast is ancient, but so is slavery. Tradition is for chumps.
++Cast off your shackles! Stop separating suppers! Liberate lunch! Make morning meals amazing!
++...or skip breakfast altogether.
+]]>+"Yeah, my cat literally took the train home from downtown! We got the whole +thing on video. Wanna watch?"
++Chloe is a listener. She absorbs your tales of cats and weather and divorce.
++Your words move her mental machinery. Each sentence projects fullscreen in her +inner theater.
++She thinks not of herself as you ramble. She listens.
++Chloe is curious. She asks questions without comparing her own experience. She +seeks and understands and enjoys. You become a universe whose laws beckon +discovery.
++Chloe has no stories of her own, and she doesn't need them.
+]]>
+
+++]]>+My friends and I converted a shed into a tiny-home!
+
+txt files work with Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, Google Docs, and LibreOffice. They work with Microsoft Excel. They work with NotePad, NotePad++, and TextEdit. They work with Bash, ZSH, and Fish. They work vim, emacs, and nano. You can pipe them around and append to them. You can print them, fax them, and email them. They just work. And they'll always work.
+Microsoft, Apple, and Linux might not exist in 50 years. Every computer you've ever touched will be in a landfill in 20 years. PDFs might not exist. But txt will survive.
+Text files will survive.
++
+MacOS
+-
+
-
+Open
TextEditinApplications.
+ -
+Press
⇧⌘Tor go toFormat > Make Plain Text.
+
+Windows
+-
+
-
+Open
Notepad.
+
+People hurt. And when people hurt, they turn to you for help.
++Ask them what they need.
++++Do you want reassurance, potential solutions, or my honest feelings?
+
+
+Reassurance
++To provide reassurance, become a parrot. If they say, "I'm afraid of failing my exams", you should reply, "yeah, exams are super scary". If they say, "I'm so angry at my boyfriend", you should reply, "yeah, I'd be angry too". Don't inject your opinion. Don't repeat "uh-huh". Don't interrogate. Just listen and repeat. And if they want specific feedback, they'll ask.
++Solutions
++To provide solutions, iterate over "crazy ideas". Never oversimplify situations. Obvious answers are not obvious when you're in distress. Acknowledge difficulty.
++Honest Feelings
++To provide honest feelings, prefer "I feel" statements over "you are" statements. For example, say "I feel unsupported in our housework" rather than saying "you're a h*ckin' slob". Honesty can hurt, but don't confuse resentment for honesty. Don't dig up the past. Just say how you really feel.
+]]>+If health is important to you, make health effortless. Wear atheletic shoes and running shorts all day. Replace your couch with exercise equipment. Flush your booze. Get a personal trainer. Join a gym group. Subscribe to a meal/grocery delivery service. Make nutritious foods the easiest option (or only option) in your refrigerator and pantry.
++If friends are important to you, make friends unforgettable. Never do anything alone. Move in together; start a commune. Start projects together. Share your location. Become co-workers. Expand the squad. Put adventures on the calendar. Create tiny traditions. Throw unforgettable events. Invent holidays. Give gifts often. Send doodles and crafts and trinkets via snail-mail.
++If writing is important to you, make writing riveting. Eat a dictionary. Spew 1,000 words every morning. Register for workshops. Use dictation tools while driving. Crush challenges. Deliver drafts. Eliminate wi-fi. Aquire an agent. Purchase distraction-free writing tools. Always keep your writing implements handy. Cut and edit furiously; throw most words away. Befriend other authors.
++If wealth is important to you, make wealth inevitable. Make income easy. Hone crafts. Attract talent. Brand yourself. Optimize output. Allocate capital. Attempt everything. Make spending suck. Shred your credit cards; use cash. Stop subscriptions. Delete your Amazon account. Cancel plans. Forsake your friends. Live in your car.
++If family is important to you, make family fundamental. Schedule recurring events. Call your loved-ones daily. Start a group-chat. Move into a multi-generational home. Divert direct-deposit income into your "family flights" fund. Maintain traditions.
++If fame is important to you, make fame your focus. Churn content. Make a mailing list. Curate charisma. Find famous friends. Get a voice coach. Cultivate a craft. Refine your style. Exercise often. Mix and mingle. Practice etiquette. Learn to converse.
++If making music is important to you, make making-music your life. Purge all non-music possessions; sleep on the ground. Practice until songs become second-nature. Befriend industry insiders. Agree to all gigs. Write and revise until your magnum opus arrives. Schedule studio time before you're ready. Record everything. Play with your eyes closed. Collect secondhand sound equipment.
++If spirituality is important to you, become your beliefs. Give away all your possessions. Stare into your soul for six hours straight. Find a teacher. Retreat into Nature. Dissolve your ego. Chase enlightenment. Overpower evil. Spread secrets.
+ ++
+If anything is important to you, make it inevitable. Doggedly purge distractions. Prevent unmemorable moments. Delete social media. Fail fast; succeed with style. Cancel your subscriptions. Live obsessively.
+]]>+Outside of theft and burglary, the only way to make money is to convince other people to give you their money.
++Honest Ways
++There are two honest ways of convincing people to give you their money:
+-
+
- +make useful things +
- +perform useful services +
+Dishonest Ways
++There are also dishonest ways of convincing people to give you their money:
+-
+
- +make useless things and swindle people to pay for it +
- +perform useless services and swindle people to pay for it +
+
+Be Useful
++You and your creations can be useful in some of the following ways:
+-
+
- +treat and prevent pain +
- +produce sustainable food, clothing, shelter, transportation, manufacturing, materials, and energy +
- +enhance collective human wisdom +
- +promote peace +
- +distribute knowledge and wisdom +
- +allocate talent/capital for human/animal/plant flourishing +
- +fill hearts with inspiration, fear, laughter, anger, melancholy, etc. +
- +create tools for creators +
- +support useful people +
+Use these categories to rate media:
+| + | ++ | ++ | +
|---|---|---|
| +☆☆☆☆☆ | ++feels | ++How deeply did it make you feel? | +
| +☆☆☆☆☆ | ++impact | ++What did you learn about yourself and the universe? | +
| +☆☆☆☆☆ | ++structure | ++Was it structural? What symmetries did you observe? Does the layout itself say anything? | +
| +☆☆☆☆☆ | ++density | ++How dense was it? How many layers did you identify? | +
| +☆☆☆☆☆ | ++technique | ++How technical was the production? What efforts went into creating the work? | +
+This system can apply to novels, films, academic articles, albums, theater, +screenplays, etc.
++Redefine 2/5
++When you eschew the new, you consume mostly good media. +Good art is commonplace.
++Use a scale that weights nuance towards masterpieces.
+ +| + | ++ | +
|---|---|
| +★★★★★ | ++Masterpiece | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Great | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Good | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Fair | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Bad | +
| +☆☆☆☆☆ | ++Undecided | +
+Notable Examples
++I'll be updating this list periodically. Please +email me if you have any suggestions.
+| + | ++F | ++I | ++S | ++D | ++T | ++total | +
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| +Gödel Escher Bach | ++3 | ++5 | ++5 | ++5 | ++5 | ++23 | +
| +Citizen Kane | ++4 | ++5 | ++3 | ++4 | ++5 | ++21 | +
| +Gurren Lagann | ++5 | ++4 | ++4 | ++4 | ++4 | ++21 | +
| +Breaking Bad | ++5 | ++4 | ++3 | ++4 | ++4 | ++20 | +
| +Good Bad Ugly | ++4 | ++4 | ++3 | ++4 | ++5 | ++20 | +
| +Inside | ++5 | ++3 | ++3 | ++4 | ++5 | ++20 | +
| +Arrested Development | ++4 | ++2 | ++3 | ++5 | ++5 | ++20 | +
| +Have One On Me | ++5 | ++3 | ++3 | ++4 | ++5 | ++20 | +
| +The Good Earth | ++5 | ++5 | ++4 | ++3 | ++3 | ++20 | +
| +The Rehearsal | ++4 | ++3 | ++4 | ++4 | ++5 | ++20 | +
| +The Last Airbender | ++5 | ++4 | ++4 | ++3 | ++3 | ++19 | +
| +House of Leaves | ++4 | ++3 | ++5 | ++3 | ++4 | ++19 | +
| +Jurassic Park | ++4 | ++3 | ++2 | ++3 | ++5 | ++17 | +
| +If I | ++4 | ++3 | ++5 | ++3 | ++2 | ++17 | +
| +In And Of Itself | ++4 | ++3 | ++4 | ++3 | ++3 | ++17 | +
| +Funny Games | ++4 | ++3 | ++3 | ++2 | ++4 | ++16 | +
| +Pathologic | ++4 | ++3 | ++4 | ++4 | ++1 | ++16 | +
| +Star Wars | ++5 | ++1 | ++4 | ++2 | ++4 | ++16 | +
| +Guns Germs Steel | ++3 | ++5 | ++2 | ++2 | ++3 | ++15 | +
| +Only Revolutions | ++2 | ++2 | ++5 | ++3 | ++3 | ++15 | +
| +The Moth Joke | ++4 | ++2 | ++4 | ++2 | ++4 | ++14 | +
| +Primer | ++2 | ++3 | ++4 | ++4 | ++1 | ++14 | +
| +Tim's Vermeer | ++3 | ++4 | ++2 | ++2 | ++2 | ++13 | +
+My memories are structured as long-term projects punctuated by incompressible +moments.
++Looking back, college was a "big" 4-year project with thousands of +"small" moments. I do not remember fondly those "medium" things: +commuting, busywork, ambient socializing, labs, gruntwork for clubs, etc. Those +medium-sized activities are the worst mix of hard and unremarkable.
++Nobody likes feeling useless or powerless. Do big things to find your pride. +Do something extraordinary to discover your defining strengths.
++In pursuit of grand ambitions, don't ignore the small things. Study your +surroundings. Share stories. Create chaos, laugh with strangers, and live +sincerely. Do fun things for the sake of fun itself.
++But beware those medium-sized things -- they're pointless. They're difficult +tasks that build no character. They are neither fun nor worthwhile. It's empty +training without a trophy. It's junk time that vanishes as it's spent. It's +accomplishing without accomplishment.
++Don't deceive yourself -- big things are not necessarily composed of medium +things. Years of diligent study can end with a big diploma; years of Wikipedia +binges can end with a medium reputation for trivia. Big practice makes an +expert; medium practice makes a hobbyist.
++Big things make your life meaningful. Small things make your life +delightful. Medium things make your life disappear.
+]]>
+
+
+
+
++In the mid-1800s, +every building in central Chicago was raised 10ft (30m). +Yes, they literally used +jackscrews to lift +entire city blocks up one-by-one.
++Chicago had to +hotfix production +because they built the city on the shoreline of Lake Michigan, where filth +accumulated without natural drainage. They lifted the entire city after it was +built so they could add sewers and prevent flooding.
++For comparison, Rome's +Cloaca Maxima ("Greatest Sewer") +is still in-use after 2,400 years.
++So why didn't Chicago just build it right the first time?
+-
+
- +Irreversible Decisions +
- +Unintended vs. Unforeseen +
- +Always Scale Down +
- +Labor & Materials +
- +Awful Architecture +
+Irreversible Decisions
++++Some decisions are consequential and irreversible or nearly irreversible – +one-way doors – and these decisions must be made methodically, carefully, +slowly, with great deliberation and consultation. If you walk through and +don’t like what you see on the other side, you can’t get back to where you +were before. We can call these Type 1 decisions. But most decisions aren’t +like that – they are changeable, reversible – they’re two-way doors. If you’ve +made a suboptimal Type 2 decision, you don’t have to live with the +consequences for that long. You can reopen the door and go back through. Type +2 decisions can and should be made quickly by high judgment individuals or +small groups.
++As organizations get larger, there seems to be a tendency to use the +heavy-weight Type 1 decision-making process on most decisions, including many +Type 2 decisions. The end result of this is slowness, unthoughtful risk +aversion, failure to experiment sufficiently, and consequently diminished +invention. We’ll have to figure out how to fight that tendency.
++-- +Jeff Bezos
+
+The Cloaca Maxima didn't magically start out as the Greatest Sewer. It began as +an open-air canal, then was modified and renovated and connected to the +aqueducts.
++The Romans probably made mistakes, but they didn't make any wrong irreversible +decisions. To build something that lasts, make sure the architecture is correct +where it counts.
++The Chicago sewage disaster was technically reversible, but extremely expensive +and painful.
++Put "wiggle-room" in your architecture. Plan for repairs. Add backdoors, +engine-hoods, seams, and spaces. Emergency plans are generally cheap to include +in early phases of design.
++Unintented vs. Unforeseen
++Exxon executives knew that CO₂ emissions would harm Earth.
++Exxon willfully ignored its own research. Climate change was unintended but +not unforeseen.
++Prophets are silenced when apocalypses seem bad for business.
++But remember -- all apocalypses are opportunities for entrepeneurship. Exxon +could've made billions by diversifying themselves with renewable energy. They +acted against their own self-interest by ignoring their facts.
++To prevent long-term disaster, solve the hard problem of aligning incentives. +Build systems so that all constituents predict and prevent impending doom.
++Transparency thwarts own goals. It's +difficult to do stupid things when you do stupid things publicly.
++Always Scale Down
++++There's really two ways to design things. You can either sort of start with +small things and scale them up or you could start with big things and scale +them down...
++So suppose you want to build a system for like 10,000 people to use +simultaneously. One way of doing it would be to start with the system, design +it for 10 people and test it like that and scale it up 10,000. The other way +would be to design it for like 100,000,000 people -- I mean do the design for +that -- and then scale it down to tens of thousands. You might not get the +same architecture. You might get a completely different architecture. In fact, +you would get a different architecture.
++And I think it's a really bad idea to start at a design for 10 or 100 things +and scale it up. It's better to start with an architecture that you know will +work for a few trillion things and scale it down. It will actually be less +efficient when you've got your 10,000 things than when you scaled up, but +you'll know that you'll be able to scale it up later. So it's good.
++So rather than ask, "how do we get to five nines?", let's make it more +interesting! Let's start at 9,999 nines reliability and scale it down.
++-- Joe Armstrong from +Systems that run forever and self-heal and scale
+
+If you can afford it, throw a few extra zeroes on your designs.
++Labor & Materials
+ ++Carefully compare lifetime, labor, and materials.
+| + | ++lifetime | ++repair | ++labor | ++materials | +
|---|---|---|---|---|
| +asphalt | ++20 years | ++moderate | ++$ | ++$ | +
| +concrete | ++30 years | ++difficult | ++$ | ++$$ | +
| +stone | ++100+ years | ++easy | ++$$$$ | ++$$$ | +
+Pay particular attention to labor -- 9 women can't make a baby in 1 month.
++Exercise for the reader: Which is cheaper, a Nespresso machine or a +percolator?
++Awful Architecture
++Sometimes there are no tradeoffs.
++Some decisions are awful in every dimension.
++Dvorak keyboards reduce +finger fatigue using the same materials as QWERTY keyboards.
++Juicero famously launched a high-tech +product that was inferior to traditional juicers +in every comparable way:
++++After taking apart the device, venture capitalist Ben Einstein considered the +press to be "an incredibly complicated piece of engineering", but that the +complexity was unnecessary and likely arose from a lack of cost constraints +during the design process. A simpler and cheaper implementation, suggested +Einstein, would likely have produced much the same quality of juice at a price +several hundred dollars cheaper.
+
+If you want to create lasting sewers, study sewer architecture and its impacts. +What do good sewers have in common? What do bad sewers look like? What tradeoffs +exist with sewage systems? Are there any promising-yet-untested sewer designs? +Why do sewers go into disrepair? What societal factors prevent sewers from being +made in the first place? Who truly controls the sewers?
++Great architects think ahead, but don't let ambitions run amok. They anticipate +irreversible changes and second-order effects. They consider all the costs -- +labor and materials and maintenance and environmental impact. They always stay +ahead-of-schedule and within their budget. And despite the overwhelming +constraints, great architects build millennia sewers whenever and wherever they +can.
+]]>+Pour your body into editing spreadsheets! Wash a dish like it's calculus homework! Listen to music with your muscles! Spend your entire mind on a short walk!
+ ++Dedicate your mind and muscles to a singular pursuit! Discover the harmony of your hands and heart!
++Multitasking is useful, but monotasking is delightful!
+]]>+You're allowed to ask for your check while you're ordering your food.
++In fact, the world is a better place when people ask for their checks upfront.
++Upfront checks reduce idle people hogging tables, which means higher total throughput for the restaurant. Higher throughput means more money for the restaurant, more tips for the servers, and fewer hungry people waiting for your seat.
++Upfront checks empower restaurant staff to plan more effectively. When the servers, chefs, and bartenders don't have a constant stream of urgent work, they can batch work and take proper breaks.
++And upfront checks means more freedom for you. You don't have to scan the restaurant for your table's server, who you can't exactly remember their face, and haven't seen for some time. No, you can just leave exactly when you want.
++If you're going to order dessert, just order it while you're ordering everything else.
++Do you think you're going to drink 2 beers? Ask your server to bring the second beer out with your main course.
++Order your food all at once, then tell your server, "We can take the check whenever you're ready. No rush."
+]]>+Pay no mind to your meeting in 25 minutes, nor to the waitress that hasn't even taken your order yet. Ignore the person in front of you whose second credit card got declined even though he "promises this never happens". Pretend like the traffic isn't there.
++Waiting doesn't seize you like an epileptic fit. Waiting doesn't hit you like a truck. Waiting doesn't conscript you; it doesn't invite you; it doesn't impose. Waiting doesn't happen to you.
++People may waste your time, but they can't make you wait.
++Waiting is a feeling.
++To wait is to seethe over nothing. There are always other places you could be. But there you are. Sometimes you don't plan well. Sometimes others make mistakes. Sometimes people are just as busy as you.
++Instead of waiting, just stand there. Sit. Listen to a podcast, or think about podcasts you've listened to. Look around, or close your eyes. Talk to people. Lie to them. Dance. Pretend that you're a spy. Put secret horse stickers on door-frames. Hide tiny plastic babies behind things. Have fun. Make fun.
++Waiting sucks, so do anything else.
+]]>+TL;DR: Nextdoor's notification settings are hostile. This is not an isolated incident.
+-
+
- +"See What You Missed" +
- +Email Frequency +
- +Heisensubscribe +
- +"Just One Setting" +
- +Kicking and Screaming +
+"See What You Missed"
+
+ 
+
+Send emails that demonstrate immediate and obvious value.
++My email client renders HTML and CSS -- show me what I missed.
++Of course it's easier to send a static link to a notification page. +Rendering dynamic emails is non-trivial.
++But as it stands, this email reeks of "FOMO" and "driving engagement".
++Don't sully your brand for cheap clicks.
++Email Frequency
+
+ 
+
+Monthly emails can be overlooked, but weekly emails can overwhelm.
++If you're going to blast weekly emails, please offer a monthly setting.
++Furthermore, throw a "send this email monthly instead" link in the footer. +Put affordances in context.
++Heisensubscribe
+
+ 
+
+Did I unsubscribe?
++Unlabeled switches obfuscate intent:
+-
+
- +"yes, you will recieve more of these emails" +
- +"yes, you unsubscribed" +
+Don't put any controls on unsubscribe pages. +Visually communicate to me that there is no remaining work for me to do. +Simply say "unsubscribe successful" and add a link to my notification settings.
++"Just One Setting"
+
+ 
+
+Wait a second.
++If this setting is called "Missed notifications", does that imply others exist?
++I'm suspicious of you, nextdoor. +You know that I probably want to unsubscribe from everything, but you're being a sore loser. +Add an extra link that says "unsubscribe from everything".
++Kicking and Screaming
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+Yes, there are 16 pages of notification settings.
++There are no "disable all" buttons. +In order to unsubscribe from everything, nextdoor demands hundreds of clicks.
++Shame on you, nextdoor.
+]]>+The struggle is exhausting.
++Life shouldn't be something that gets in the way of living.
++Work happens to you. Family happens to you. Health happens to you. When do you happen?
++It's survival -- giving everything you've got just to get to tomorrow. But 25,000 tomorrows is 70 years. And when you get to ~15,000, all those yesterdays look exactly the same.
++So give up.
++No fights. Play at work. Laugh with your coworkers. Or give them your mind. Prank your customers. Stop telling people what they want to hear. Stop sucking up. You're not nearly as important as you think you are. Apply to Baskin Robbins. Just enjoy it. Don't let them steal your soul. Don't let the fire of youth die. Don't let the sparkle fade from your eyes. Stop fighting time. Stop fighting money.
++No fights. Play with your family. Tell them they suck. Or tell them exactly why you love them. Of course they won't like the "real you". Cut them off. Or hugs for everybody. Accept it all. Stop fighting your past. Stop fighting the fear of fighting. Stop fighting yourself.
++No fights. You're going to die. Don't resist. The heart attack will be more pain than you can manage. Or maybe the cancer. Stop fighting your undoing. You can't win. But you can keep playing. And you can keep playing 'til the game ends.
++No fights.
+]]>+Everyone can sneeze. But nobody can sneeze on command.
++Sneezing is not a matter of willpower, it's a matter of circumstance.
++But if you didn't sneeze, who did?
+]]>+Life does not suddenly start after your booklets are stamped. Nor does it start once you've scrounged savings or wasted weight away or crossed countless countries. Your life does not begin after receiving degrees or landing jobs or entering retirement.
++Your shopping list and to-do list and bucket list are bottomless. Your lists grow until you decide they're complete.
++Your bank balance and IQ and weight may matter, but no numbers are worthy of obsession. Numbers haunt if you forget they're fake.
++Your next major-life-event will be as fleeting as your graduation, wedding, promotion, etc. That looming Big Day on your calendar is 24 hours, like all the rest. Years accelerate until you decide that all days are Big Days.
++Your lists are finished, your stats are sufficient, and today is a Big Day. You've already conquered your quests. You're free now.
++Meet your basic needs; everything else is extra-credit.
++Fulfillment is a starting point, not a destination.
++Be good enough.
+]]>+Life moves both more slowly and more quickly than expected! Looking back at "big +things" puts you into perspective.
+ +| + | ++ | +
|---|---|
| +2023.06.18 | ++☆ open-sourced nowify | +
| +2023.06.11 | ++☆ downsized Outland | +
| +2023.06.28 | ++☆ scrapscript guide | +
| +2023.06.28 | ++☆ launched scrapscript community | +
| +2023.06.28 | ++☆ interviewed on Changelog | +
| +2023.06.29 | ++launched healthcare mvp for client | +
| +2023.06.29 | ++sprouted some corn stalks from seed | +
| +2023.06.29 | ++seeded more produce and clover | +
| +2023.06.29 | ++☆ made WorstPress | +
| +2023.07.01 | ++☆ attended Anime Expo | +
| +2023.07.05 | ++☆ built blogs.hn | +
| +2023.07.16 | ++☆ created chexs.io | +
| +2023.08.06 | ++intake form project | +
| +2023.08.08 | ++connected with some local farms | +
| +2023.08.09 | ++fixed our stupid honey leak | +
| +2023.08.11 | ++started my "Year of Raw" | +
| +2023.08.16 | ++...giant mouse trap | +
| +2023.08.17 | ++investigating microservice mess | +
| +2023.08.17 | ++built ui for project uncruft | +
| +2023.08.29 | ++planted lots of veggies | +
+Current
++I try to focus on "one big thing" at a time. Bouncing between projects is fun, +but it's better to harness boredom and frustration to finish big things.
+| + | ++ | +
|---|---|
| +2023.08.07 | ++project markle | +
| +2023.08.07 | ++project primer | +
+Soon
++I love creating things and making memories, but I'm still trying to figure out +how to optimally order projects. Email me if you +have any thoughts/advice on prioritization methods.
+ +| + | ++ | +
|---|---|
| +2023 | ++finish project uncruft | +
| +2023 | ++reflections on perfectionism | +
| +2023 | ++changing water filter | +
| +2023 | ++digging tree holes | +
| +2023 | ++marking all project piles for destruction | +
| +2023 | ++cashing out coinbase | +
| +2023 | ++llm.nvim | +
| +2023 | ++trying out copilot | +
| +2023 | ++learning an acroyoga flow | +
| +2023 | ++pygmy present | +
| +2023 | ++looop api | +
| +2023 | ++taylor.town api | +
| +2023 | ++gob backend | +
| +2023 | ++gob frontend | +
| +2023 | ++taylor.town api landing | +
| +2023 | ++gob/looop soft launch | +
| +2023 | ++cracking a password | +
| +2023 | ++timetracking adventures | +
| +2023 | ++recording myself speaking | +
| +2023 | ++cleaning scrapscript notes | +
| +2023 | ++scrapscript admin and licensing | +
| +2023 | ++scrapscript help docs design | +
| +2023 | ++scrapscript smell design | +
| +2023 | ++scrapscript mark design | +
| +2023 | ++scrapscript cli design | +
| +2023 | ++scrapscript yard design | +
| +2023 | ++scrapscript store design | +
| +2023 | ++scrapscript patron design | +
| +2023 | ++scrapscript pass design | +
| +2023 | ++scrapscript flat design | +
| +2023 | ++scrapscript book design | +
| +2023 | ++scrapscript metal design | +
| +2023 | ++scrapscript scrawl design | +
| +2023 | ++scrapscript stdlib scaffolding | +
| +2023 | ++scrapscript os platform design | +
| +2023 | ++scrapscript canvas design | +
| +2023 | ++scrapscript spyglass design | +
| +2023 | ++scrapscript ebnf | +
| +2023 | ++scrapscript bootscrapper design | +
| +2023 | ++scrapscript integration tests | +
| +2023 | ++planning writing analysis and advice | +
| +2023 | ++dropping my new single | +
| +2023 | ++planning dolls & wooden toys | +
| +2023 | ++planning peanut gallery & inferior design | +
| +2023 | ++planning lüften | +
+
+This is a now page. Check out +other now pages.
++ | 2023 | putting the soap in my mouth |
+]]>
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+Time-management is hard. So I delegated the hard parts to a computer program.
+
+nowify runs my life.
+Every morning, I up start nowify and it guides me through my day: "what am I supposed to be doing now?"
+nowify counts every second. If I forget about nowify, it yells at me.
+Here's the general logic:
+-
+
-
+Prompt the user with the highest priority routine from the queue. Routines usually occur daily or hourly.
-
+
- +If "skip" is selected, prompt this routine again in 40 minutes. +
- +If "done" is selected on a repeated routine, prompt again in 60 minutes. +
- +If "done" is selected on a non-repeated routine, prompt again tomorrow. +
-
+If the routine takes more than
Nminutes, start beeping.
+ -
+If "not-done" is selected, start the beep timer again in
Nminutes.
+
+
+Because humans change more often than computer programs, there are meta-routines to update the routines:
+-
+
- +"What parts of life have been neglected? Adjust routine priorities." +
- +"What routines are frequently being skipped? Ask spouse for advice." +
+Very simple. Very effective.
+ + +]]>+"Improving education" is not improving education.
++On Improving "Gyms"
+ ++Suppose we championed the noble cause of "improving gyms".
++First, we'd say that our gym equipment is ineffective. We'd complain that our treadmills are not "forward-thinking", and that our weights are outdated. We'd pressure our gym-districts into buying the latest-and-greatest exercise-equipment, and watch the next generation do just as poorly as all the previous ones.
++If that doesn't help, the problem must be the personal trainers. People can't exercise on their own -- they need professional guidance! How else will they stay motivated? So each personal trainer will be responsible for the fitness of 20-30 people who don't even understand their own emotions yet; these people must sit still for most of their day while the other lifters get their opportunities to use the equipment; plus they're not allowed to talk or text for most of the day. You want to do some squats? Too bad! You have to take dumbell-science for 8 years before you get to touch a barbell!
++All these trainers and equipment require a lot of supervision. That's why most of the gym employees will be middle-managers who don't seem to be in very good shape. But that's okay -- they're just the people who make all the important decisions on behalf of the most critical and impressionable group of people in our society.
++In your 8 hours of gym-time, you'll probably only get about 1-hour of exercise in, so they'll ask you to exercise 1-4 hours at home every night. You've been assigned treadmill-somersaults and inverted-deadlifts, but all you want to do is take a nice run around the block. And on those rare nights where you actually have the time and energy to run, your friends and family will prevent you because "live a little, dude -- life is more important than exercise".
++If you're lucky enough to have a family that can support your home-gym, and you happen to be motivated, congratulations! You will be successful in the gym! Unfortunalely for you, your personal trainers will tell you to stop working out so much -- it makes things difficult when you get too far ahead of your peers. And isn't it strange that everybody would think that grouping by age would work better than grouping by strength? It always seems like the weakest feel demoralized and the strongest are held back.
++But wait -- it looks like after all this effort, standardized strength-test scores are rapidly declining! The weights are probably just too heavy. So let's just paint some new numbers on those old discs. And "obese" is not a very kind word, is it? Let's just lower the bar a little bit.
++Ah, maybe strength is declining because people don't want to be in the gym! It's probably not because they want to play run and play outside. Let's replace some of the squat-racks with a computerized sauna! Let's add televisions to all the machines! And let's make lifting weights "fun"! It's difficult to teach people the deep, intrinsic joys of health, so we'll just add some games to the training curriculum.
++And it's okay if you're still out-of-shape after the first 13 years. It's not like your body was especially pliable and full of energy during that time. You can always put yourself in permanent debt to try another 4 years.
++
+Conclusion
++Both learning and exercise are difficult. And they aren't "fun". Telling kids otherwise makes them feel like they're lazy and stupid.
++The truth is that learning and exercise are fulfilling. They inspire wonder. They pull your dreams closer to reality. They improve every quantifiable metric of your life.
++We need more frequent standardized testing. We need programs guided by innate human curiosity rather than external carrots-and-sticks. We need curriculums that are difficult, yet forgiving. We need to teach.
+ +]]>+++I tried to teach myself to play the guitar. But I'm a horrible teacher — because I do not know how to play a guitar.
+ +
+I want to be my Optimal self. But I have no h*ckin' idea how.
++I'm not very good at teaching myself how to be Optimal, because I don't know what Optimal Taylor looks like. +And I'm not very good at listening to myself, because I'm non-Optimal. +What a catch-22!
++
+Why
++++"Rascality, pure rascality."
+ +
+Knowing why you're going somewhere doesn't guarantee the exact path to get there. A journey's Why is a compass that helps you generate maps when the path is blocked.
++Values don't tell you where to go, but they point you in the right direction. Unfortunately, the compass I want is not the compass I actually have.
++In Theory
+ ++In theory, my values are compassion and honesty. In an Optimal world, I would ooze empathy and kindness and give myself completely to every stranger that strikes up a conversation. But I'm not Optimal. I'm often stubborn and manipulative and full of self-criticism.
++But why honesty and compassion?
++Honesty aligns your insides with your outsides. When you're completely honest with yourself and others, you can avoid becoming trapped by your own fantasies and others' misunderstandings. Total, unbridled sincerity glues you to The Way Things Work. And when you follow The Way Things Work, what can go wrong? Everything just happens.
++And without honesty, all other values are useless — your life becomes a stew of excuses and falsehoods. When you abandon truth, what is there to guide you? All decisions are equally viable when everything is "correct".
++Compassion is useful. Life is easier when you're nice to people. Interpersonal interactions are not isolated. Looking at the Iterated Prisoners' Dilemma, establishing mutually-beneficial relationships can be optimal in the long-run. Trust permits preferred treatment and frictionless communications; better deals with no wasted time/effort! And because of network-effects, good reputations with one person transfer to others. When you're kind to others, you'll find strangers wanting to help you for no good reason.
++And being compassionate to yourself is just as important! If anything, hating yourself is inefficient.
++Compassion fills in the gaps of an honest lifestyle.
+| +"Am I Fat?" | ++Dishonest | ++Honest | +
|---|---|---|
| +Uncompassionate | ++"You're not fat, you're just plain ugly." | ++"Yes." | +
| +Compassionate | ++"No, I love your body just the way it is." | ++"Yeah, I think we both can improve our bodies a little — let's start going to the gym?" | +
+In Practice
++In practice, my values are unclear. Looking at how I spend my money, I value housing, food, music, technology, and experiences. Looking at how I spend my time, I value laughter, learning, storytelling, and making things. Looking at how I treat others, I value smiles, openness, and disruption.
++Ideal values are useful for System II thinking. When you're caught in an ethical dilemma, it helps to compare your options against each of your values. But this is slow, conscious process. System I's values are habits. They can be only be changed at the level of practice.
++
+What
++So using my values as a compass, I'll try to build a general map of how to navigate this wild, wild world.
++But how do you create a map for a journey with a constantly-changing terrain‽
+ ++Systems are better than goals. But in order to create some better systems for myself, I need to have a general understanding of what I want to occupy my time.
++"Become a rockstar" is not a goal — it's a fantasy. Most goals are not achievable, because they're things that can't be done now. But "practice ukulele" is a system that may turn you into rockstar. And the best part is, if you enjoy the journey, there's no possibility of reaching a wrong destination!
++But it's hard to juggle short-term and long-term behavior. What I want to do every minute usually doesn't align with what I want to do over the span of the entire day.
++So I decided to write relativistic goals over windows of time. Following a strict daily-routine may cripple my longer-term desire for lasting relationships. What if waking up at 5AM prevents me from interacting with people that I love? +Chunking my wants by time-windows gives me a framework for seeing how many things I'm doing right vs. how many things I'm doing wrong. What's the point of making lots of money if I'm stressed? What's the point of being in-the-moment if I'm focusing on some low-tier anime garbage?
++An Ideal Minute
++At each moment, my Optimal self would be completely engaged in whatever I'm doing.
++No stress.
++No effort.
++Dancing all day.
++Wouldn't that be nice?
++An Ideal Hour
++By the hour, Optimal Tay would always do the Right Thing™ at the Right Time™.
++First I would find the Right Thing™ to do. Efficiency doesn't matter when you're headed in the wrong direction.
++And there are often a few Right Things™ to do, so I would prioritize by finding the Right Time™. What deserves my "now"?
++Once I found the Right Thing™ for the moment, I would focus on it until completion. Distractions are costly.
++At the one-hour level, it's all about meta-cognition: "What's the best use of my time?"
++An Ideal Day
+ ++"Everyday" is a powerful force. When you do something everyday, you improve. When you do something everyday, it becomes effortless. When you do something everyday, you define who you're becoming.
++Specifically, I want to stick to my routine everyday. Generally, I want to:
+-
+
- +Be Happy +
- +Be Healthy +
- +Make a Gameplan +
- +Make Dope Shit +
- +Make Shit Dope +
- +Garbage In · Garbage Forever +
+An Ideal Month
++In an ideal month, my Optimal self would connect, learn, and create.
++I'd love to meet interesting people. I'd love to laugh with friends until my face hurts. I'd love to make people feel special. I'd love to rekindle dying relationships. I'd love to send hand-written thank-you letters.
++Changes in knowledge are visible at the month-scale. I'd love to see myself progress on a giant deck of flash-cards as the weeks go by. And also watch myself practice, practice, practice — to have a new recipe or song or sleight-of-hand mastered every few weeks.
++And you can get so much done in a few weeks! If I really applied myself, how many essays could I complete? How many songs could I write? How much chaos could I create?
++An Ideal Year
++Of course we're always evolving, but it's hard to see dramatic changes in personality over the course of a month.
++But at the end of an Optimal year, I would hope to see obvious improvement in myself. I would want to see myself a little kinder and happier than the year before.
+ + + + + + + + + + + +]]>+Let's start with the facts: Outland 2023 is being +significantly downgraded. We'll now be doing a free meetup at my home in +Oak Glen, CA (yes, the place with apple orchards). +Email me if you want to join us for drinks and +banter.
++Thank You Anyway, Speakers
++Before I get into details, let me thank the speakers so much for taking a chance +on me. They were so kind throughout the entire process, and deserve recognition +for their amazing projects:
+-
+
- +Keoni Gandall +(Sporenet Labs) +
- +Joyce Lee (OpenAI) +
- +Brian Carroll (NoRedInk (and +Roc)) +
- +TyChi (Sillyz.Computer) +
- +Tessa Kelly +(NoRedInk) +
- +Brett Bejcek (Rewind.ai) +
- +Greg Young +
+What I Did Wrong
+-
+
- +I didn't listen to others. +
- +I tried to make "fetch" happen. +
- +I overestimated the size of my network. +
- +I saw low ticket sales as a marketing problem. +
- +I tried to make it happen alone. +
+1. I didn't listen to others.
++++Remember: the easiest way to get $100k running a conference is to spend $200k.
++-- peteford
+
+I adore pre-mortems. But when my +friends handed me free pre-mortems, I always replied, "X doesn't apply to +Outland because of reason Y." I shot myself in the foot with double-barreled +fully-automatic optimism bias.
++++For example: people believing that they are less at risk of being a crime +victim, smokers believing that they are less likely to contract lung cancer or +disease than other smokers, first-time bungee jumpers believing that they are +less at risk of an injury than other jumpers, or traders who think they are +less exposed to potential losses in the markets.
++-- Optimism Bias from +Wikipedia
+
+Some useful hints that I willfully ignored:
+-
+
- +"Don't confuse ticket promises with ticket purchases!" +
- +"Why don't you start with a weekly networking dinner instead?" +
- +"What makes you think you can sell tickets if you can't even land a sponsor?" +
- +"How are you planning to do this without lots of advertising?" +
+What's weird is that I truly believed I was listening. Maybe I need to switch +from UDP to TCP: "Thanks, are you saying that X causes Y and Z? Cool, got it! +ACK."
++2. I tried to make "fetch" happen.
+ ++To start a movement, somebody +must take a first step.
++Lots of incredible folks were encouraging me to start Outland. "Why shouldn't I +take the first step?"
+ ++"First steps" rarely work in practice. You can't just step out of a crowd and +expect something to happen. You have to dance and cajole and attract at the +fringes.
++Communities move like boids, where each +member has differing "gravity". If you want to move a large group, you need to +(1) make small changes to an existing large group or (2) slowly accumulate +members from a small group.
++With Outland, I believed I was making small tweaks to existing conferences like +Strange Loop and !!Con. +I wasn't. Outland was a different group of people in a different location with +different organizers. Who was I kidding?
++3. I overestimated the size of my network.
++++All of this is to say that it hasn’t been enough to drive ticket sales. We’ve +announced this event at our meetup since March (80-100+ in attendance each +time), we’ve hit our mailing list and everyone in our sphere multiple times, +and our FB ads have had over 300k impressions (with all the usual a/b testing +& landing page tweaks). We made all of our plans to accommodate 200-300 in +attendance but it looks like we may just barely break 100.
+
+...
+This has been a rather difficult pill to swallow, but it's been interesting to +watch the Reddit drama play out in real time and continually read articles +about the "community vs audience" or "village vs train station" dynamic. It +also speaks to the difficulties surrounding monetizing a free/freemium model +facing many of today’s businesses. I plan on doing a full write up and after +action report so that others can learn from our mistakes.
+I’ll end by saying that our event is in an income producing/sales driven +industry where people are accustomed to attending paid events for professional +development and education. Our outreach numbers are such that even taking full +responsibility for not assembling the right team, the right lineup of +speakers, the right venues, or choosing the right days (weekend vs weekdays), +we believe that the incredibly low conversion rate we’re seeing is possibly a +harbinger of times ahead.
+It may just be a bad time to throw events ¯\_(ツ)_/¯+-- yrocaz
+
+I know lots of people, but I've realized that I don't know lots of people +well.
++Many people recognize me, but recognition isn't trust.
++4. I saw low ticket sales as a marketing problem.
++++if i might suggest one way to build up to a conference is to run meetups +beforehand. not many are needed, say 3-6 of them before you probably have the +community trust and events experience to go big.
++-- swyx
+
+More ticket sales? Sure, let's try emailing, essays, posters, podcast +interviews, advertising, and so on.
++In the engineering world, I've become accustomed to +"tame" problems. +With enough effort, I can usually stumble upon a solution with acceptable +tradeoffs.
++But the social world is full of +"wicked" problems. These +challenges guarantee nothing. They don't tell you what's working, what's +failing, nor when to stop.
++Never confuse tame and wicked problems. Some challenges cannot be guaranteed by +effort alone.
++When confronted with wicked problems:
+-
+
- +Can you break down the wicked problem into smaller wicked problems? e.g. +"meetup" instead of "conference" +
- +Can you add a stopping rule? +e.g. presale tickets threshold +
- +Can you replace the wicked "goal" with a tame "system"? e.g. "meetup every 3 +months" rather than "conference on date X" +
+5. I tried to make it happen alone.
++++TL;DR: Unless you’re John Carmack or Nintendo you can’t launch a (profitable) +conference without a track record.
+
+...
+When you’re still relatively unknown selling conference tickets becomes a +formidable challenge.
+...
+This leads us to my ultimate business advice for the aspiring organizer: ship +your vision first and worry about polishing the product later.
+...
+This is what anyone needs first: make a sh*t ton of friends. Create a magical +landing page, a fun trailer, and position yourself as an approachable +figurehead. You must encode the organizing strategy into a speech you can +recite a million different ways in a thousand different contexts. If you can +nail that, go ahead and kick things off with a cheap venue and a skeleton +crew; put everyone inside a tent for all I care.
+...+-- +Abner Coimbre
+
+Many of my friends were too busy to help with Outland. "That's fine I can do X +on my own." But soon I was doing everything on my own.
++This was obviously not my friends' fault. This was my failure to recognize the +essential signal: people naturally pour effort into things they truly believe +in.
++This time, I didn't do enough to deserve anybody's time or effort -- and that's +okay.
++I'm still determined to create things worth others' effort. I want to live in a +world of laughter and curiosity, and for now -- for me -- that means learning to +listen and slow down.
++Stay tuned, friends.
+]]>+I recently asked my wife to set up parental-controls on my devices. And now I can't browse HackerNews or YouTube or Reddit.
++It sucks! And I highly recommend it.
++
+Suggestions
+-
+
- +Don't use self-discipline -- you'll just waste energy. Set the phone up in "child mode" so that somebody you trust can enter the password when you need to access it. +
- +On Apple devices, time allocations are applied to groups of apps. Use wisely and sparingly. +
- +Give yourself a tiny buffer of 5-10 minutes per day for each group of apps. Sometimes you really do need to look up tutorials on YouTube or tech support on Reddit. +
-
+
- +flour fight + photoshoot +
- +listening booth +
- +shitty robots +
- +quadcopter videos +
- +self portraits +
- +pogs +
- +rain dance +
- +team rocket +
- +tin foil +
- +toilet paper +
- +fort +
- +gingerbread houses with toast and breakfast supplies +
- +fake protest +
- +sewing +
- +trash model shoot +
- +"bad guys" +
- +dumpster diving +
- +cardboard gladiators +
- +meat machine +
- +water guns / nerf war +
- +water slide +
- +ground parachute +
- +gurney races +
- +great american challenge (with great american challenge trophy) +
- +dry ice bombs +
- +microscope exploration +
- +kids chemistry kits +
- +lego skyscraper +
-
+
sausage fest
+ - +pirate night +
-
+
fiesta & surprise piñata
+ - +bed sheet ghosts & ghostbusters +
- +ankles balloon step game +
- +shitty skate video +
- +reverse benjamin button movie backwards party +
- +mock trial +
-
+
pantiehose head melon game
+ - +retro games and vapor wave +
- +d&d...&d? +
- +guerrilla gardening +
- +beach finger painting +
- +ice bath +
- +unitards +
- +make a giant web +
- +build a shrine to something, like tobey mcguire, in public place +
- +fog machine +
- +bread making +
-
+
meat cake
+ - +bubblebath public fountain +
- +photosynthesize +
- +make a giant nest & wear bird costumes in the park +
- +illuminati conspiracy investigation party +
- +culture bacteria from foods from different cultures (use mini flags) +
- +TERRARIUMS +
- +microaquariums +
- +snail crafts mailed to all our friends +
- +model trains & trolley problem party +
- +write a collaborative short story on google docs (record videos) +
- +dye white flowers +
- +ant farms & volcanoes (ant pompeii) +
- +sculptures +
- +clay imprints +
- +a f*cking ton of army people everywhere (1 color per person) (band of green brothers) +
- +GIANT BUBBLES +
- +a hair celebration +
- +switch out lemon tree prank (switch neighbors' trees) +
- +surprise garden +
- +button maker! +
- +"interesting" snow cones +
- +tea party +
- +play music for retirement home +
- +door-to-door satanists +
- +marathon-movie marathon (movies about running) +
- +watch entire film series in two hours +
- +watch horror film with alternate soundtrack +
- +voodoo +
- +ice sculptures +
- +too much incense +
-
+
pie in the face russian roulette childrens game
+ - +operation game & dissection +
- +RUBE GOLDBERG MACHINE +
- +mannequins +
- +drop the bass (bass throwing competition with dubstep) +
- +mandarin orange miniature golf +
- +rainbow pancakes waffles etc +
- +homemade medieval times +
- +mario farty (collaboratively play against 3 computer players and stinkbomb ourselves as punishment) +
- +buy shitty computers off craigslist for oldschool lan party +
- +bird watching +
- +communist party +
- +very quiet attic party +
- +make an interdimensional cable show +
- +"everything is okay" signs on busy street corner +
- +fake short academic lectures/slideshows +
-
+
bananunchucks
+ - +real snakes and ladders +
- +paint cannon +
- +surprise party for plumber +
- +cheapest flight possible +
- +backyard camping +
- +tie dye & tie die +
- +mullet wigs +
- +get rekd and get shrekd +
-
+
el pollo 4locos
+ - +be each others marionettes +
- +the pros and cons of life in general +
- +positive roasts +
- +night-vision goggles +
- +business business business +
- +trick-or-treat as christmas carolers +
- +almost amish +
- +strictly no belts allowed +
- +party with tim berners lee cardboard cutout +
- +party with annie oakley's husband's cardboard cutout +
- +party with stanley kubrik's cardboard cutout +
- +party with cincinnatus's cardboard cutout +
- +DRAGONS +
- +be a crazy fan club for least-known player in band +
- +waifu pillows +
- +THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE +
- +get buzzed in bee costumes +
-
+
clarity on repeat
+ - +make fake craigslist ads +
- +origami, small and large +
- +secret fanta +
- +balcony taunting +
- +record fake conference/"TED" talks +
- +make a song -- in 2 hours +
- +paranormal investigation +
- +small snail world +
- +milennial party +
- +real life pokemon battle +
- +HOT POCKET ROCKETS (launch hot pockets and melt pocket rockets) +
- +vampire communion +
- +fake cooking show that's not a cooking show +
- +hobo tea party +
- +igloo & sand castles +
- +30000 pennies +
- +civil war reenactment +
- +outside lan party +
- +Y2K17 +
- +tarot & taro +
- +Boss Ross +
++Mind blowing stats. How long it took YouTube creators to get followers (averaged):
— luba.eth (@LubaYudasina) November 27, 2020
🤯 1M: 3,873 videos
🤑 100k - 1M: 1,171 videos
😁 10k - 100k: 418 videos
🙂 1k - 10k: 151 videos
Persistence, focus, and patience are key in anything!
+Persistence
+ ++If fame is a game of persistence, then churn out as much content as possible -- you'll eventually create something that goes viral.
++Maximize shots-on-goal.
++Skill
++If fame is a game of skill, carefully curate your content.
++Build it and they will come.
++
+Persistence Creates Skill
+++ ++[A] ceramics teacher announced on opening day that he was dividing the class into two groups. All those on the left side of the studio, he said, would be graded solely on the quantity of work they produced, all those on the right solely on its quality. His procedure was simple: on the final day of class he would bring in his bathroom scales and weigh the work of the “quantity” group: fifty pound of pots rated an “A”, forty pounds a “B”, and so on. Those being graded on “quality”, however, needed to produce only one pot — albeit a perfect one — to get an “A”. Well, came grading time and a curious fact emerged: the works of highest quality were all produced by the group being graded for quantity. It seems that while the “quantity” group was busily churning out piles of work – and learning from their mistakes — the “quality” group had sat theorizing about perfection, and in the end had little more to show for their efforts than grandiose theories and a pile of dead clay.
++— Art & Fear
+
+Malcolm Gladwell's popular "10,000 hour rule" is often interpreted as "10,000 hours of practice makes you an expert", but that's wildly incorrect. He was talking about deliberate practice. Grueling, focused, deliberate practice is what grants you skill.
++Persistence Creates Luck
++Many people say that fame requires luck.
++But luck requires opportunity, and opportunity is a matter of attempts.
++ If you flip 10 coins, your probabability of getting all heads is ½10 ≈ 0.01%. If you flip 10 coins, your probability of getting any heads is 1-½10 ≈ 99.9%.
++And unintuitively, your probability of getting at least 4 heads in 10 coin tosses is ~83%! And with one more attempt, getting 4 heads out of 11 tosses is ~89%!
++Most people believe that success is a matter of "all heads". But with many things in life, you just need a "few heads" to take you to the top.
++
+Conclusion
++Err on the side of persistence.
++Foster habits and systems that encourage attempts.
++Create junk. And lots of it.
+]]>+Pretend your smartphone is wired to the wall like a landline. Act as if it is chained to its charging corner.
+ ++The best phone-home is a spot between spots. Consider counters, bathrooms, and entryway tables. Pick a passing place.
++Find a phone-home far away from your comfort zones. Don't waste away your life in bed with a screen. A phone on your desk/couch/bed makes a den of distraction.
++Don't visit your phone's home until you've tackled your day's important things. The world will wait.
++If you're worried about missing notifications, consider extinguishing them. You won't miss notifications that are never delivered!
++And when you're ready for adventure, leave your phone in its home while you explore The Outside.
+]]>+Preview my personal practical principles.
++Beware meaningless morals. Practical principles are falsifiable. Useful beliefs are testable and tweakable. Prefer "A does B" over "A is B". For example, "kindness causes happiness" hits harder than "kindness is good". Consider the conseqeunces of your convictions.
+ + ++Observe others' outcomes. Study cause-and-effect. Happiness is often hitched to health. Resentment may make misery. Listening likely leads to likability. Greed seems to engender gloom. Fun is frequently found in friendship. And so on.
++Subject your soul to the scientific method. When your principles clash, revise your assumptions. If you abhor who you're becoming, abandon your axioms. Discard dogmas that don't consistently cause constructive outcomes.
++Bad beliefs beget friction. If you frequently find yourself fighting fate, adjust your compass. Waging war against the world is wasteful. Align your ethics to the universe.
++Health evaporates. Relationships waver. Fame fades. Moral compasses provide direction amid desolation. Good virtues generate growth when life is luxurious. Embrace ideas that inspire integrity. Pick practical principles.
++What is your mind made of?
++
+My Personal Practical Principles
+-
+
- +long-term-thinking improves outcomes +
- +lying precipitates problems +
- +honing crafts develops inner-depth +
- +curiosity curates wonderful worldviews +
- +"copykitten" strategies strengthen society +
- +dreams demand discipline +
- +blame is a dead-end; accepting consequences cultivates your soul +
- +waiting wastes +
- +frugality affords flexibility +
- +classics last +
- +extrinsic motivation directs you to undesirable destinations +
+Recommended reading: +Company of One, +100 Blocks a Day, +10 Minutes is 1% of Your Day, +What is your time really worth to you?
++Most people live fewer than 25,000 days. What are your hours worth?
++There are three conflicting ways to appraise time. All are worthwhile:
+-
+
- +Your hours are worth whatever you decide they are. +
- +Your hours are worth whatever the market pays for them. +
- +Your hours are priceless. +
+Your hours are worth whatever you decide they are.
++Never resent your clients. Don't blame customers for being cheap. Take +responsibility for your minimum rates. You decide what you are worth.
++Always choose a minimum rate that prevents resentment. If you aren't excited +to acquire customers, you aren't charging enough.
++Your hours are worth whatever the market pays for them.
++This table lists wage +statistics for 140 million occupations. +Everybody thinks they're better-than-average. +Expect to make median (not mean) wages. Most people work just as hard as you.
++On the other hand, remember that +consumers rely on price to determine quality of products. +When you charge $50 for a hamburger, people assume you make $50 hamburgers.
++Here is an algorithm for optimizing your rates:
+-
+
- +Decide how many hours you want to work per week. +
- +If you are providing services more than 80% of the time, double your rates +for new customers. +
- +If you are providing services less than 50% of the time, reduce your rates by +10%. +
+If reducing your rates causes you to resent yourself or your customers, choose a +different strategy:
+-
+
- +go more niche +
- +start a parallel service +
- +lower your standard-of-living +
- +improve your skills via deliberate practice +
- +demonstrate your worth more clearly +
+Your hours are priceless.
++Money is fake.
++Put your price tag on your muscles; never sell your soul.
++You are more than a collection of skills.
++When your heart is on the market, the pursuit of success corrupts you. Live your +values. Don't compromise quality.
++
+This essay is part of How to Productize Yourself.
+]]>+++Three people in a public restroom is a chorus. Two people in a public restroom is a standoff.
+
+You're browsing emails atop your porcelain throne. You chose the stall furthest from the door, because -- we never know -- it's probably cleanest.
++And then you hear the dreaded sound: the door opens. You double check that your stall is locked (just in case The Stranger tugs on your door, leaving you completely exposed in this all-too-human position). And just in case, you shuffle your feet forward to signal that "this stall is occupied". The Stranger accepts your message and chooses the furthest stall away from you.
++At this point, all sounds are sacred. You may not particularly mind hearing the other person's lunch, but by golly The Stranger is not going to hear yours.
++There's one major defensive strategy during potty standoffs: create masking noise.
+-
+
- +Coordinating flushes/coughs/sneezes with flatulence/ploops is a classic defensive move. +
- +If you or The Stranger were particularly averse to standoffs, he/she could've turned on some faucets from the sink to create some noise -- it's an uncommon, albeit completely legitimate defensive move. +
+Of course, The Stranger is in on the ruse too, because he/she uses the same tactics. But the goal is not to not be heard, but to create plausible deniability for yourself. Because you can't stand the idea of knowing that The Stranger knows that you know that they know the timbre of your anal sphincter.
+ + + + + +]]>+Dear customer support,
++I made a mistake and need your help.
++I accidentally clicked the "do not sell my personal information" link at the bottom of your website.
++Your "do not sell my information" form looks suspiciously like a "please sell my information" form, and I mistakenly submitted it. Please reverse this action at your earliest convenience.
+ ++I'm begging you to continue selling my personal information.
++Without targeted advertising, I'll be forced to rely upon word-of-mouth and expert reviews. I prefer to pick products with massive marketing budgets.
+ + + ++Openly sharing my credit card transaction history will make the world a better place. Financial transparency means putting my money where your mouth is.
+ ++I am proud of you and your corporation. Delivering my data to murky beareaucracies sounds laborious. Sharing my personal matters with mysterious algorithms seems like quite a workout. You deserve every dollar.
+ ++I'm sorry that my life is only worth a pittance to your megalith. Despite my infinitesimal value to your shareholders, I hope I can occupy a small corner of your corporation's very large heart.
++I have always been quite fond of my personal information, so I hope your algorithms are enjoying my memories as much I do.
+
+with love,
+Your Valued Customer
+P.S. Please also sell the personal information of my friends and family. I don’t have their consent, but neither do you, so it’ll be our little secret.
+ + + + + + + +]]>+A long time ago, I dated somebody that regularly cheated on me. Everyone knew +about it, including me, but we all pretended not to know.
++Feigning ignorance is easy. I knew exactly how to treat my alcoholism, but lived +like I was seeking forbidden knowledge. I knew I was holding my friends back, +but acted like we were growing together. I willingly ignored my impending +burnout, poor finances, and failing relationships.
++I've learned to be more honest with myself and others, but it's hard to shake +the acting habit. I pretend that my success is guaranteed and I'll travel the +world one day. I pretend that time will heal all wounds. I pretend that death +does not await me and my family.
++Sorry, but I don't have boilerplate advice for situations like this. Most people +(myself included) refuse to change until all other options are exhausted. It's +hard to overcome fear and find truth.
++Anyway, feel free to email me if you need a +rubber duck.
+]]>+This is a short guide on how to package your skills as scalable services.
+ + +]]>+All common instruments are created with a gigantic engineering trade-off.
++In order to make instruments that play in any key, every group of notes must be slightly out-of-tune with each other.
++Music is still made this way. But it doesn't have to be.
++ +
+Nature's Intervals
++Nature produces "pure" intervals. The laws of math and physics demand that every tone carries along subtle extra notes that correspond to pure intervals.
++Humans produced "equal" intervals. Engineering (and jazz) rejected nature's laws, and optimized for convenience and expression.
++Here is a wonderful table from Wikipedia:
+| +Interval Name | ++Interval (Equal) | ++Cents (Equal) | ++Interval (Pure) | ++Cents (Pure) | ++Cents (Difference) | +
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| +Unison (C) | ++20⁄12 | ++0 | ++1⁄1 | ++0 | ++0 | +
| +Minor second (D♭) | ++21⁄12 | ++100 | ++16⁄15 | ++111.73 | ++-11.73 | +
| +Major second (D) | ++22⁄12 | ++200 | ++9⁄8 | ++203.91 | ++-3.91 | +
| +Minor third (E♭) | ++23⁄12 | ++300 | ++6⁄5 | ++315.64 | ++-15.64 | +
| +Major third (E) | ++24⁄12 | ++400 | ++5⁄4 | ++386.31 | +++13.69 | +
| +Perfect fourth (F) | ++25⁄12 | ++500 | ++4⁄3 | ++498.04 | +++1.96 | +
| +Tritone (G♭) | ++26⁄12 | ++600 | ++64⁄45 | ++609.78 | ++-9.78 | +
| +Perfect fifth (G) | ++27⁄12 | ++700 | ++3⁄2 | ++701.96 | ++-1.96 | +
| +Minor sixth (A♭) | ++28⁄12 | ++800 | ++8⁄5 | ++813.69 | ++-13.69 | +
| +Major sixth (A) | ++29⁄12 | ++900 | ++5⁄3 | ++884.36 | +++15.64 | +
| +Minor seventh (B♭) | ++210⁄12 | ++1000 | ++16⁄9 | ++996.09 | +++3.91 | +
| +Major seventh (B) | ++211⁄12 | ++1100 | ++15⁄8 | ++1088.270 | +++11.73 | +
| +Octave (C) | ++212⁄12 | ++1200 | ++2⁄1 | ++1200.00 | ++0 | +
+ +
+Engineering Tradeoffs
++From a historical engineering perspective, the music community had three options:
+-
+
- +Pure intonation with all keys: Create instruments "centered" around particular keys. This means you'd have to have to tune your entire piano or violin to "A" or "B♭" for each song. Unfortunately for non-string players, this would probably mean carrying 12 different saxophones to gigs. +
- +Pure intonation with a standardized key: If instruments were all "centered" around a single universal key (e.g. "A" 440HZ). This would mean fewer instruments and less tuning, but less flexibility for composers. And no key changes! +
- +Equal temperament: Slightly detune each note so that every instrument can play every ke! And non-diatonic chords! Such flexibility! +
+It's obvious why society chose option #3, but it's not so clear why we're still choosing #3 in the age of digital music.
++
+ 
+
+Intonation in The Digital Age
++With modern DAWs, you can literally just click a button to get pure intonation.
++If your song is created with 100% digital instruments (which is common nowadays), then you can literally just click a button to make your music abide by the laws of physics.
++
+Conclusion
++In conclusion, the default effect is powerful.
++Click buttons. Make better music. Please.
+]]>+"Trilogy" is a delightful word.
++"Quadrilogy" is a blight of the tongue.
++"Tetralogy" is clunky. "Quartet" is broad.
++I propose the following word:
++++quad•ys•sey (kwŏd′ĭ-sē) noun
++a work of art composed of four distinct works
+
+ 
+
+Notable Quadysseys
++Quadysseys seem to be rare.
++Please email me if you can vouch for good candidate series.
+ ++Plus Ones
++Adding a sequel or prequel to a trilogy does not make it a quadyssey.
+ ++Polygies
++Furthermore, I would change the rest of wiktionary's trilogy companions:
+-
+
- +duology +
- +trilogy +
-
+quadyssey
quadrilogy
+ -
+polygy
pentalogy
+ -
+polygy
hexalogy
+ -
+polygy
heptalogy
+ -
+polygy
octalogy
+ -
+polygy
ennealogy
+ -
+polygy
decalogy
+ -
+polygy
polylogy
+
+For example, Harry Potter is a 7-part polygy and A Series of Unfortunate Events is a 13-part polygy.
++
+Related reading:
+ +]]>-
+
- +Purchase glass bottles. +
- +Fill the bottles with water. +
- +Refrigerate the bottles. +
- +Enjoy chilled water at your leisure. +
+
+Benefits of chilled water bottles:
+-
+
- +Never live life on the edge! Cups lack clever caps! Lids kill spills! +
- +Ice clumps in cups and falls on your face. +
- +Commence your commute with a chilled treat on the street! Bottles are portable! +
- +Fancy glass bottles impress guests. +
- +Ice wastes valuable volume and dilutes drinks. +
- +Disposable water bottles cost money! And reclying is annoying! +
- +Ice is creepy. +
- +Convenient cold water offers an appealing alternative to bad beverages and detrimental drinks. +
+++So you say, "I'm gonna need programming."
+
+...and you call Brian at VJ Labs in Maryland and say, "Brian, on December 15, +I'm gonna need software that matches this approximate spec. For you to make +that date -- for you to bet your reputation on that date -- on what date +do you need to get from me every screenshot, every layout, every +requirement?"
+And he says back to you, "September 1."
+So suddenly, the only deadline that matters if you really want to ship on +December 15 is September 1.+-- The ShipIt Journal from Seth Godin
+
+Curling
++Bad managers fantasize about curling +glory. They gracefully slide their stone across the ice while subordinates sweep +furiously to make it hit the mark.
++But the stone misses. It +strays because each underling has personal goals.
++Some teammates want to conserve energy. Others want to climb up the ladder. Some +just want to feel like part of a team. When you ignore people's personal goals, +they will lie to you to conserve your hope. With a discordant team, each +deadline is a coinflip.
++Expect delays when you encourage subordinates to deceive you. Managers +incentivize subordinates to produce optimistic yet incorrect estimates. This is +how optimistic deceipt spirals out of control:
+-
+
- +openly sharing project concerns can hurt team morale or put your job at risk +
- +conservative estimates make individuals look lazy/incompetent +
- +diffuse responsibility enables all teammates to shirk personal consequences +
- +optimism bias encourages +wishful thinking +
- +non-critical deadlines harm credibility +
+Kindergarten
++Good managers are kindergarten teachers. They provide directions, tools, and +support. They guard underlings from distraction, danger, and depression. They +coax and encourage and create safe environments.
++Kindergarteners require guidance. Good managers don't let subordinates run free +for weeks and act surprised to find everybody playing. Create structured work +environments with creative freedom and clear objectives.
++Good managers align businesses with employees. They get what they want by giving +people what they need.
++Listen with your heart. Draw out potential. Keep promises. Deliver quality.
+]]>+Our neighborhood's dogs and cats and alpacas greet us in charming ways. Ragnar +and Winter are good boys with very loud voices. They bark at us as we pass.
++My daugter clings to my chest with fear then awe then joy in her eyes.
++She weighs ~20 lbs. -- like a few large textbooks in a backpack. In 3 short +years, she'll pass 40 lbs.
++She'll soon grow too heavy for me to carry on our walks. I can replace her with +a bag of sand, but it won't be the same.
++Hiking with a Rucksack
++"Rucking" is weighted walking.
++You can purchase a weighted rucksack or +strap a baby to your body. But be +warned -- babies are generally louder and more expensive than backpacks.
++Rucking is low-speed and low-impact; you can build bone density without +obliterating your joints. It purportedly improves spine alignment and posture.
++Personally, I love that I can get my heart rate up without running. Like most +other sane humans, I fuck*ng hate running.
++Not a Stroller
++++tailgate origami
++noun. configuring a stroller behind a car
++"Sorry I'm late -- our tailgate origami took longer than expected."
++"Tailgate origami is especially dangerous alongside stroads."
+
+Strollers are cumbersome.
++They transform destinations into hellish journeys. Imagine steering a small +shopping cart through hiking trails or cramped boutiques.
++Leave the stroller at home. Ruck with children. Climb up stairs! Reclaim your +mobility! Take back your hands!
++When going stroller-free, throw snacks and other essentials into a f*nny pack +for easy-access.
++Not Mundane
++Humans learn by participation.
++At adult heights, children can witness cooking, gardening, errands, etc. They +can listen to greetings and gossip and negotations and chit-chat. And between +destinations, they can ask questions to process their curiosity.
++To avoid boring your children, involve them in decisions. Don't treat them like +dead-weight. Transform every activity into a group adventure.
+]]>
+
+
+
+
++++“I’ve always maintained,” he said, “you cannot tell anyone what Dr Pepper +tastes like because it’s so different. It’s not an apple; it’s not an orange; +it’s not a strawberry; it’s not a root beer; it’s not even a cola.” Cola, +after all, is derived from kola nuts and vanilla, two real-world flavors. +Sprite has that lemon-lime taste. Purple soda is ostensibly grape flavored. +But Dr Pepper has no natural-world analogue. In fact, U.S. trademark courts +have tackled this issue, categorizing Dr Pepper and its knockoffs as “pepper +sodas,” even though they contain no pepper... It’s the only category of soda +not named for what it tastes like, which to my mind is precisely why Dr Pepper +marks such an interesting and important moment in human history. It was an +artificial drink that didn’t taste like anything. It wasn’t like an orange but +better, or like a lime but sweet. ... Dr Pepper is, in its very conception, +unnatural. The creation of a chemist.
++-- John Green from +The Anthropocene Reviewed
+
+Chartreuse is a 110-proof liqueur that tastes like wildflowers and burns like +whiskey. Chartreusian monks have been making the stuff since 1737. Only three +monks are permitted to know the secret recipe at a time. +Seriously, I'm not making this up.
++Nothing +tastes like Chartreuse. +Nothing +sounds like Björk. +Nothing +shoots like a Leica. +Nothing +looks like a Wes Anderson film. +Nothing +feels like YKK zippers.
++And yet more unmistakable flavors await invention and discovery.
++Go on an adventure. Find a New Thing™. Bring it back. Share it, and demonstrate +why the New Thing™ is worth sharing.
++Luck is Flavorless
++Michael Phelps's secret sauce is +that he was worked incredibly hard with world-class coaches and was born with +a freakish torso at the right time in history to the right parents.
++Or consider John von Neumann, +one of the +smartest people who ever lived. +He was born a genius and had extremely wealthy and well-educated parents.
++Luck isn't secret sauce unless it can be synthesized in a home laboratory. +Routines, beliefs, tools, and personality traits are full of flavor. So become +curious! What did Phelps and von Neumann do differently? How exactly were they +able to take advantage of the good genetics so many others squander? What mental +models did they find useful?
++People express ingredients as unhelpful platitudes. "The secret to writing well +is writing lots." B*llshit. Most writers suck, and writers write a lot. What +specific kinds of "writing a lot" do awful authors practice? Well, do the +opposite. Survivorship bias +kills careers in the crib; study failure as intently as success.
++In real life, secret sauce is usually an ineffable concoction. "You should +practice ten hours per day" is mere lipservice to the thousandfold habits that +produce willpower and consistency. Beware charlatans who peddle "one easy +trick".
++Nobody Takes MSG Seriously
++To nobody's surprise, MSG makes food taste better. Although replicable, this is +wholly unimpressive. To earn your Michelin star, you'll need to make your umami +masterpiece with mushrooms and elk liver and sardine skins.
++Don't be distracted by artificial luck. Cheating isn't secret sauce. Remember, +Lance Armstrong and Barry Bonds are forever asterisked because they got caught +using "MSG".
++Also note that cheating isn't always illegal. The +granny freethrow remains a +professional faux-paus despite being the best freethrow method. You can squander +your reputation while playing by-the-book.
++The best secret sauce is honest and replicable. +WhatsApp scaled to 1B users with only 50 engineers. +Many attribute their success to the uncommon programming lanugage +Erlang. This +hypothesis makes sense, but not all Erlang companies +sell for $16B. +WhatsApp's culture and processes are worth scrutinizing as much as their +technology decisions.
++Searching for Sauce
++Anybody can paint impressive works with +"optical training wheels". It's believed that +Vermeer used the technique to +achieve photorealism long before other artists.
++On the other hand, consider Picasso, who proved himself as a conventionally good +artist before he started making his +notable stuff.
+
+ 
+
+++Science and Charity is an oil on canvas painting by Pablo Picasso, which he +painted in Barcelona in 1897. It is an example of one of Picasso's earliest +works, as he painted it when he was only 15 years old.
+
+These painters illustrate the two "sauce strategies":
+-
+
- +Vermeer: combining ingredients from multiple fields (e.g. engineering, +optics, art) into new flavor profiles +
- +Picasso: diving so deep into a discipline that you discover new ingredients +
+To find secret sauce, you must master convention without being consumed by it. +Be an outsider inside a group. Learn the rules before breaking them.
++Mastery is made of intuition and practice, but secret sauce is inherently +unintuitive. To defy convention, become curious of the commonplace. Find faults +in undisputed facts.
++Genius is a journey of the soul. You battle yourself for time and energy and +money and self-worth. To develop expertise, you must first learn how to develop +expertise (which is reportedly very difficult). People who expect magic results +will recieve magic disappointment.
++Your sauce can be something you do or someone you are. It's usually both.
++Everyone is special, but few are worthwhile. Engage in experiments until your +pungent odor becomes perfume.
++Spoiling Sauce
++Never confuse sauce with slime. You can't just create crap and call it art, +unless you can convince others to call it art too. Your snailshit marinara is +merely slime on a plate if nobody enjoys it.
++In many cases, the story is the sauce. The Mona Lisa isn't exceptionally good +art -- it's the world's most well-known painting because +it was stolen and recovered +during the birth of global media coverage. Likewise, Banksy's works +are more valuable when theatrically shredded.
++We call the best secret sauces "magic". Magic happens when skills are shared via +stories. Sometimes knowing how the sausage was made makes it more impressive. +Give every sausage a story.
+ ++Cassandra's Curse
++In Greek myth, the gods cursed Cassandra with apocalyptic prohpesies that nobody +believed.
++In 1847, Ignaz Semelweiss +begged fellow doctors to stop sharing tools between autopsies and baby +deliveries. He was mocked for promoting hand-washing in hospitals; his +colleagues commited him to an insane asylum, where he died within 2 weeks.
++Around the same time, Louis Pasteur and +Joseph Lister confirmed germ +theory. For the remainder of Lister's life, he invented antiseptic practices and +shared them with the medical community. At Lister's death in 1912, handwashing +was commonplace in hospitals worldwide.
++Correctness is not enough -- you must be correct and convincing.
++Never tell a child "eat vegetables because they're good for you." Tell them to +"eat vegetables because you're a dinosaur."
++Lost In The Sauce
++Many thinkers get +lost in the sauce +in the pursuit of greatness -- Michael Jackson, Charles Whittaker, John Nash, +Elvis, David Foster Wallace, etc.
++Eccentric people discover secret sauces because they wander far from the masses. +But this exact behavior prevents geniuses from sharing wisdom and asking for +help.
++You must ignore others to notice invisible insights. But to avoid Cassandra's +curse, you must learn to understand the people you ignore.
++Your One Ring will grant power and madness. Throw your darling into the volcano. +Share your power with the world.
++Greatness awaits those who find secret sauce and share the recipe.
+]]>+Recommended reading: +1,000 True Fans, +Happy, Smart, and Useful, +Landing Pages
+-
+
- +Distill skills into services. +
- +Claim your domain. +
- +Seek connected communities. +
- +Diversify. +
- +Plunge. +
+Distill skills into services.
++A skill is something that you can do. A service is something that you can do +for somebody.
++Nobody cares what you can do, but everybody cares what you can do for them.
++To distill your skill into a service:
+-
+
- +What "bad alternative" is available? +
- +How does your skill supplant the "bad alternative"? +
- +How does your service empower your customers? +
+ 
+
+Claim your domain.
++Choose a comically specific audience.
++For 13 years, Steve Tanner has been blogging about the trash cans at Disney theme parks. +Steve Tanner knows how to claim a domain.
+ ++There should never be more than 10,000 people that want your service.
++Plant giant flags in uncontested territories. Never squabble over crowded plots.
++To gauge the sizes of communities, explore +subreddits and +Google Trends.
++Seek connected communities.
++BuildTheEarth members work together in Minecraft +servers. Toki Pona speakers hang out +on discord to practice. Competitive +Super Smash Bros. Melee players meet at +tournaments across the world.
++Remember that small groups aren't always connected groups. Left-handed +violinists don't seek each other out.
++Word-of-mouth travels quickly in tight-knit communities. But be careful -- +complaints spread faster than praise. Deliver consistent excellence.
++Never annoy your community. Synthesize serendipity, but don't pester people.
++Diversify.
++It's better to offer multiple niche services than to pick one broad one. For +example, never offer "woodwind lessons". Become a regional expert for piccolo, +oboe, bassoon, and bagpipes.
++Engage parallel communities. Offer vintage Minolta repair alongside your europop +DJ services.
++Plunge.
++Offer services before you're ready.
++Try your hardest; refund money if you don't meet your own standards.
++Nobody should be embarassed by earnest efforts.
++
+This essay is part of How to Productize Yourself.
+]]>+When we're young, we often get scolded for self-control issues.
++If you talk too much, you're told to "hold your tongue". If you cry in public, you're told to "control your temper". And so on.
++The logic is something as follows:
+-
+
- +You often want to do things that offend others. +
- +If you offend others, they won't like you. +
- +If others don't like you, then you'll be miserable and lonely. +
- +You can use self-control to offend others less often. +
- +Thus, if you don't want to be miserable and lonely, use self-control to avoid offending others. +
+It's not very formal, but I actually think the logic is sound enough -- if you want to be likable, then don't do unlikable things!
++But I'm starting to think that there are unintended consequences from living this way.
++The Downsides of Social-Restraint
++Don't get me wrong -- it's good to be considerate of others. But if you frequently supress your true feelings with self-control, when do your "bad" desires ever get addressed? I know that there's a camp that says "fake it 'til you make it", but I'm not so convinced anymore.
++Many of my friends and family are a bit more than mildly racist. When I hear implications of deeper, darker feelings, I coax them into being explicit: "...and what exactly do you mean by that?" (but not in a judgemental way). When probed enough, most people find fear and self-hatred in that tangled ball of feelings. And they didn't want to talk about it in the first place because they were trying to be "politically correct". +With enough practice, we move from "Mexicans are taking our jobs" to "I'm scared that my grandchildren won't have job security". But to make this jump, most people need to be unabashedly "politically incorrect". In order to change, they need to be honest with themselves and others. Otherwise, all contradictory evidence gets labeled as "irrelevant" or as "fake news". If you are truly convinced that Mexicans are The Problem, then any intention to help your grandchildren directly will seem misguided.
++And so here's the pickle: we show social-restraint to avoid criticism. But with enough constructive criticism, we wouldn't need to restrain ourselves. But criticism is uncomfortable for everybody involved, so we continue restraint.
++Short of threat of physical force, all beliefs are fair-game. If you don't test your thoughts against others, then how will you know which ones are wrong? And if you know it's wrong, then maybe saying it out-loud will force you to discover how bad it feels to say it, and how terrible it feels others. Sometimes seeing the consequences of a bad belief inspires change.
++But I don't know -- what if all your peers are impressionable and your bad beliefs spread and mutate and become terrible monstrosities? Oof. Maybe I overestimate people's ability to change. Tell me I'm wrong, I guess 💁
++I suppose this advice is more about listening than speaking. Become someone who others can expose bad ideas to. Most people will provide enough self-criticism -- just be there.
++Never Do Things You Dislike
++Self-control also has weird affects on long-term goal-planning.
++When you consistently do things you don't like, why would you expect to end up somewhere better?
++Most medical students loathe medical school. But they endure medical school because one day they'll get to be Dr. LastName. But many of them discover -- surprise -- that they hate being doctors! If you hated the training, why would you expect to love the outcome‽
++If you dislike the training, the outcome is unpredictable. If you practice violin for 25 years, you may enjoy being an accomplished violinist. But why on earth wouldn't you take the time to learn to love violin‽ Or just choose a different instrument‽ If you practice something you enjoy, you are guaranteed to like the outcome.
++If you dislike it, here are your choices:
+-
+
-
+Learn to love it.
-
+
- +You will love the outcome. +
+ -
+Find a lovely alternative.
-
+
- +You will love the outcome. +
+ -
+Change nothing.
-
+
- +You may love the outcome. +
+ -
+Abandon it.
-
+
- +You may love the outcome. +
+
+Lately, I've been having a lot of trouble going to the gym because, well, I hate it there. So let's plot out my options using the guide above:
+-
+
-
+Learn to love it.
-
+
- +I love learning and science and challenges! I would probably enjoy weight-training a lot more if I reframed it as an experiment. +
- +I could also post constant reminders around my apartment to remind myself why I wanted to do weight-training. But human-minds are really good at filtering out reminders. I should really figure out why I stopped caring about my goals. +
- +I could pair weight-training with things that I already love, like podcasts and close friends! +
+ -
+Find a lovely alternative.
-
+
- +Rather than lifting weights, I may really enjoy something dextrous and skill-based like rock-climbing or swimming! Unfortunately, my goal is to gain mass, and I think it will be particularly difficult for me to gain weight with that type of training. +
- +I could find new, interesting exercises! I've been really focused on barbell exercises, so maybe I focus more on machines? It's something to consider. +
+ -
+Change nothing.
-
+
- +I may actually learn to love weight-lifting if I keep doing it! I really enjoyed it when I started. The problem is, what if I don't start loving it? What if I could spend my time bulking up faster on an activity that I actually enjoy? Seems stupid to me. I should change something. +
+ -
+Abandon it.
-
+
- +Nah, exercise is important. But maybe I should stop wanting to bulk up so badly? Maybe I should change my goals? Maybe I'm more of a marathon-type person? Seems like an unsatisfying option. +
+
+Anyway, it's actually kind of fun exploring yourself this way! I learned a lot about myself just writing that simple list.
++Life is like a bunch of forking roads. If you apply judicious self-control, you may end up where you want to go, but you may hate the entire journey there. Or even worse, you may hate the entire journey there, and also hate the destination. Take some time to look at other options!
++Self-Flagellation
++I have a lot of things to say about Christianity, but I guess I'll save it for another time.
++Feeling Bad About What I Do All-Alone All By Myself
++I don't remember what I was originally going to write here, but I love this subtitle 🐸
++TL;DR
+-
+
-
+Self-control is weird and sometimes bad.
-
+
- +Knock down others' social-restraints -- give everybody safe spaces for bad ideas. +
- +Stop doing things you dislike and you'll probably be happier. +
+
+Recommended reading: +Landing Pages, +patio11's guide, +minimum legal consulting setup
++Pricing Structures
++$1,000 is not always $1,000:
+-
+
- +$1,000 paid upfront (via cash) +
- +$1,000 paid upfront (via credit) +
- +$1,000 paid afterward +
- +$500 paid now, $500 paid later +
- +$83/month (0% APR) financed over 1 year +
- +$21/month (0% APR) financed over 4 years +
- +$100 per session for 10 weeks +
- +$25/hour, invoiced for 40 hours +
- +$110 application fee and $890 paid before delivery +
- +choose your price (recommended donation of $1,000) +
- +$250 paid upfront + 30% of revenue +
- +$0 (funded by supporters) +
- +$800 from services and $200 from advertisements +
- +$970 + $30 processing fee +
- +$799 for basic package; $1699 for luxury package +
- +a-la-carte mini-services totaling $1,000 +
+Given a fixed amount, you have one major knob to turn: risk.
++If you dump too much risk onto customers, they will avoid your service. But +removing risk from your customers may make your revenue unpredictable.
++Productizing Your Pricing Package
++To turn your service into a product, standardize everything. Eliminate unknowns.
++To create consistency, split deliverables into a-la-carte services.
++When your service takes longer than 1-2 days, you impose risk on yourself and +your client. The larger your deliverable, the further it can stray from +expectations.
++Don't set prices based on the complexity of requests. Instead of "building an +app", charge separately for deliverables like "database schema", "frontend +prototype", "end-to-end test suite", "deployment/hosting", etc.
++Becoming a Business
++You are already a business -- take people's money and report it in your taxes. +This is called being a "sole propietor".
++You will likely need to file quarterly tax returns. Be kind to yourself and hire +an accountant.
++Record all incoming and outgoing transactions. Create an email address for your +business so that all digital receipts are clearly recorded in one place. Email +yourself physical receipts to ensure everything is stored in one place. Make +sure to archive emails rather than trash them permanently (also update your +default settings). Backup your email every 2-3 months by downloading your data +from your email provider and storing it on an external harddrive.
++Make accounting easy. Open up a business account at your bank. Put revenue +directly into the account. Set aside 20%-50% of revenue for future taxes. Use +the account for business expenses only. Pay yourself a regular amount each +month by transferring money from the business account to your personal account. +Pay yourself as little as possible; store money in your business account to +reduce tax headaches.
++As a sole proprietor, you probably want to request a "Doing Business As" (DBA) +name. Changing your DBA is annoying, so pick something straightforward and +memorable.
++Forming an LLC is overkill for most people. LLCs are helpful when (1) you're +splitting income with people, (2) you might receive lawsuits, or (3) your +services profit more than ~$60,000 annually.
++Joining a Marketplace
++Marketplaces are the easiest way to find customers (and competition).
++Gig marketplaces handle payments, generate tax forms, provide spam control, and +standardize your search results. They shoulder your risk and complexity.
+| + | ++ | +
|---|---|
| +Fiverr | ++5.5% of revenue + small order fees | +
| +Upwork | ++5%-20% of revenue | +
+Joining an Agency
++Freelancing agencies share similar benefits to gig marketplaces with some extra +hurdles.
++Freelancing agencies pair you with clients, but will likely push you to use +flexible billable hours rather than your own producized service packages.
+-
+
- +Toptal +
- +Gun.io +
- +lemon.io +
- +Turing.com +
+Going Independent
++As an independent business, you take all the profits, risks, and challenges for +yourself.
++It's easy to create your own website:
+ ++Websites are easy to make, but discoverability is difficult. Marketplaces and +agencies make you searchable, but independent websites force you to build an +online reputation from scratch. SEO is a hellish race-to-the-bottom, so +prioritize word-of-mouth and direct communications. When in doubt, find an +online community and be helpful. People notice helpful people.
++There are many ways to transfer money: Shopify, Squarespace, Square, Spiffy, +Venmo, Cash, Bitcoin, PayPal, Zelle, Apple Cash, Quickbooks, Finli, Bonsai, etc.
++Remember, always file your taxes. And consider hiring an accountant.
+ ++
+This essay is part of How to Productize Yourself.
+]]>+It's crazy that there's a Wikipedia Page entitled Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons.
++Why is it so crazy? Because most of the world believes it's better to be dead than blind.
++Protecting Civilians
++Okay, well, maybe it's not so crazy.
++The Convention on Certain Convential Weapons concluded in 1980. Many nations came together to ban weapons like Booby-Traps and Incindiary Weapons. These weapons were found to cause too much "collateral damage". Hoory for protecting civilians!
+ + + + ++Blind is Infinitely Better than Dead
++Of course we don't want to harm innocent people, but imagine if we started replacing bullets with lasers -- to blind our enemies rather than kill them.
++Blinded enemies are no longer viable opponents. Blinding weapons can remove combatants them from war without killing them.
++Maiming soldiers is way better than creating orphans and widows, right?
++Blind vs. ...
++Humans favor sight over all other senses -- seriously, a huge proportion of our brains are dedicated to visual/spatial processing.
++So why would you want to purposefully destroy somebody's most precious connection to the world? Shouldn't we rather aim for the limbs?
++Unfortunately, our current method is "bombard them with bombs and bullets and maybe they'll survive". We currently have no way of purposefully aiming for limbs during war. Right now, every combatant plays a game of roulette with prizes ranging from deafness to burns to limb loss to chronic respiratory illness to death. Wouldn't most soldiers rather play a game of "blind or not-blind"?
++Becoming blind may reduce your quality of life, but it doesn't reduce the quantity of your life, and it doesn't result in chronic pain.
++Blinding weapons aren't better because they maximize damage -- it's because they minimize randomness.
++Blind is Forever
++As a brief warning, conflict epidemiology is notoriously difficult. So be fairly skeptical of casualty counts.
++The ICRC contends that most victims of war are not permanently injured:
++++Sixty percent of war casualties both survive and fully recover over time. With blinding from lasers there would be no recovery and no prosthetic device can replace sight.
+
+The ICRC is very wrong.
++In all of the US wars ever, about half all casualties were deaths (1.3M dead, 1.4M wounded). And how many of those 1.4M wounded do you really think fully recovered?
++But let's pretend few survivors are permanently wounded, so that our recover:maime:kill ratio is 40:10:50.
++Let me now remind you that our best attempt at being humane is "bombard them with bombs and bullets and maybe they'll survive".
++Once again, non-lethal weapons that permanently injure others are terrible, terrible feats of engineering. But blinding weapons could change the recover:maime:kill ratio to something like 10:70:20. Wouldn't that be a signifcant improvement?
++Jab, Jab, Hook!
++The ICRC argues that blinding weapons are particularly harmful when they're used in combination with lethal weapons:
++++Blinding lasers would not actually save lives as they are intended to be used in addition to other weapons. They might even have the effect of increasing mortality rates as b linded opponents would not be able to defend themselves and thus be easily targeted by other weapons. As it is unlikely that an attacker would be able to assess at a distance whether an opponent has been rendered out of action by blinding, he would also use his other weapons. The result would therefore be just as many deaths and many more blind, thus increasing the suffering which results from battle.
+
+The argument here is that blinding rays would be used as jab, to be followed up with lethal hooks.
++Death is unavoidable in war, but it is in every military's best interest to create as many survivors as possible. Why? Because wounded casualties are more burdensome than dead ones.
++It's also in every military's best interest to reduce the destruction of enemies' equipment and supplies. When you destroy something that can be reused, you're harming both sides of the conflict! If blinding lasers are used as an initial jab, then it incentivizes less-catastrophic secondary action.
++In other words, if a significant portion of your opponents have been blinded, it opens up more options of secondary non-lethal force. And all combatants are incentivized to preserve enemies' lives, supplies, and equipment.
++Conclusion
++Imagine if US police officers used lasers instead of bullets -- how many deaths could be prevented? 1/3 of gunshot wounds are lethal (this is just counting the people that survive long enough to be rushed to the hospital). What if police officers were equipped with weapons less lethal than guns, but with more range than pepper-spray?
++Imagine if the US used lasers rather than atomic bombs. Imagine if we blinded hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians, rather than killing them? Wouldn't that something like that still do the trick? +Of course, blinding an entire city would cause a few casualties (e.g. people driving), but once again, it's better than exposing them to radiation.
++Of course, war is terrible and we should stop fighting forever.
++But until we figure out how to achieve world-peace, we'll be the blind leading the blind.
+]]>
+Yak Shaving is the last step of a series of steps that occurs when you find
+something you need to do. “I want to wax the car today.”
+“Oops, the hose is still broken from the winter. I’ll need to buy a new one at
+Home Depot.”
+“But Home Depot is on the other side of the Tappan Zee bridge and getting
+there without my EZPass is miserable because of the tolls.”
+“But, wait! I could borrow my neighbor’s EZPass…”
+“Bob won’t lend me his EZPass until I return the mooshi pillow my son
+borrowed, though.”
+“And we haven’t returned it because some of the stuffing fell out and we need
+to get some yak hair to restuff it.”
+And the next thing you know, you’re at the zoo, shaving a yak, all so you can
+wax your car.
+-- Seth's Blog
+ + + + +-
+
- +Use bespoke components. +
- +Create thirsty systems. +
- +Spurn redundancy. +
- +Create clever architecture. +
- +Embrace moving parts. +
- +Entertain superstitions. +
- +Depend on skilled labor. +
- +Nest processes. +
- +Use sophisticated tools. +
- +Build on others' property. +
- +Save princesses. +
+1. Use bespoke components.
++Custom components require custom tools. Every screw needs its matching +screwdriver, and +uncommon screwdrivers +always seem to vanish. If it's not considered a "commodity", it's probably less +available than you think.
++To maximize maintenance pain, vary your component interfaces as much as +possible. Each screw type introduces a new tool that can go missing when you +need it most.
++2. Create thirsty systems.
++"Thirsty" systems are sustained by fuel.
++Consumables necessitate supply-chains; yaks run amok in uncontrolled +dependencies.
++If you build a thirsty system but don't control the fuel source, expect +interruptions. +Vertical integration +improves predictability, but also increases the compexity under your purview. +More complexity brings more yaks, so consider the tradeoffs carefully.
++Solid-state alternatives to thirsty systems reduce yak-shaving. Sailboats never +run out of fuel.
++3. Spurn redundancy.
++Pilots don't need all their engines to fly.
++Urgent problems attract yaks. Redundant components increase the frequency of +failures but decrease the impact of failures.
+uptime = (1 - uptimei)n+
+Three systems with 90% uptime share a combined uptime of 99.9%.
++Remember, identical systems are not fully independent -- they share +vulnerabilities. +Gros +Michel bananas seemed redundant until Panama Disease wiped them out.
++4. Create clever architecture.
++++That Paris’s Pompidou Centre is to close for four years from 2023 for yet more +maintenance comes as no surprise. Weeds have long sprouted from its +ultra-finicky superstructure, while the job of keeping it scraped free of +pigeon poo and painted in the prescribed infrastructural colour palette – red +for people, blue for air, yellow for electricity and green for water – rivals +the Forth Bridge for unrelenting laboriousness. This latest touch-up, at an +anticipated cost of €100 million, follows on from a three-year refurbishment +begun in 1997 costing €88 million. A further €19 million project to replace +the famous external escalators will also be completed later this year.
++Since it opened in 1977, the Pompidou has cost more to maintain than build, +and is about to be off limits to the public for another four years. ‘There +were two options,’ France’s culture minister Roselyne Bachelot told Le Figaro. +‘One involved renovating the centre while keeping it open, the other was +closing it completely. I chose the second because it should be shorter and a +little bit less expensive.’
+ +
+Clever systems produce clever problems.
++5. Embrace moving parts.
++Friction guarantees failure. To ensure catastrophe and impossible repairs, make +everything spin.
++Tablesaws are spinning machines. Fixing motors requires unique tools and skills. +Handsaws rely on external power. Because the moving parts of a handsaw are +outside the system, they can be easily adapted and maintained.
++To make repairs expensive, hide your moving parts behind layers of delicate +supporting materials. Every car engine has its own door for a reason.
++6. Entertain superstitions.
++Superstitions are superfluous steps glued onto processes.
++Yaks are often found in layers of busywork.
++To identify superstitions, think like an alien researcher. Probe your systems at +each step, asking yourself "why, human, do you do this thing?"
++7. Depend on skilled labor.
++Yaks love skilled labor.
++Systems with small bus factors +accrue idiosyncrasies, which recursively attract unique problems and special +solutions.
++With guidance and tooling, some skilled tasks can be reduced to unskilled tasks. +To remove magic from your system, kill the wizards.
++8. Nest processes.
++Yaks roam free in +lists of lists of lists.
++Subprocesses in systems (especially organizations) fail unexpectedly.
++Simple, central queues explode in obvious ways; yaks have few places to hide in +transparent processes.
++9. Use sophisticated tools.
++You need more than a crane to build a tower. You need the crane, plus all its +crane-repair tools, plus all the crane-repair-repair tools, and so on. And for +each tool, you need somebody who knows how to use it, plus a manager and HR, and +so on.
++Yaks wait to be shaved at every juncture in a system.
++10. Build on others' property.
++If you rely on App Store revenues, Apple can demand shaven yaks on whims.
++Lindy's Law states that the future +life expectancy of an idea is proportional to its current age. If a +platform/process/technology was built in the last decade, don't expect it to be +relevant in 20 years.
++11. Save princesses.
++Maybe Princess Peach should purchase better security.
++Not all princesses need saving; sometimes it's better to pursue a new princess.
++Cherish indestructible technology. A +Nokia 3310 rarely beckons adventure.
+]]>+Dreams are heavy. Fake-futures weigh as much as fate. "Someday" is Sisyphean.
++You expect yourself to do things. You expect yourself to become somebody else. And you haul these expectations past their expirations. And you feel behind. You feel so behind.
++That European backpacking adventure, that clever novel concept with the twist ending, that kitchen drawer you'd like to organize (when you get around to it), that old friend you've been meaning to reconnect with, that gym membership -- all those desires sleep beyond the horizon.
++Imagination runs wild, and it pulls you along its endless marathon. The finish-line was always illusory.
++"Someday" is a mirage.
++You're not behind; you're just thinking too far ahead.
++
-
+
- +List all your "someday" plans. +
- +Break each "someday" plan into actionable, pessimistic subtasks. Pretend like each subtask will receive the worst luck possible. Each subtask should take no more than one week. +
- +Abandon all "someday" plans that can't be reduced into actionable steps. Abandon all "someday" plans whose actionable subtasks sound too daunting. Abandon all "someday" plans that don't align with your values. +
+Fakeness is caused by (1) craving acceptance while (2) feeling unworthy.
++To stop being fake, (1) deflect external acceptance and (2) embrace yourself.
+]]>+Why aren't there any OOP guidelines for creating small/medium-sized classes? MVC is cool, but it's too high-level! MVC tells you where components should go, but it doesn't inform engineers on how the components should operate or communicate or fit together. +Of course design-patterns are also cool, but there are so many! Each design pattern is focused for very specific problems and optimizations, and doesn't provide any "framework" for thinking about how fit everything together.
++So to complement large frameworks like MVC and focused templates like design-patterns, I present to you the Structure-State-Value (SSV) Architecture! Here are some major principles of SSV:
+-
+
- +assert information-loss +
- +isolate moving-parts +
- +minimize moving-parts +
- +reuse structures +
- +compose structures +
+This framework is No Silver Bullet! However, if a new class doesn't fit into SSV, it's sometimes an indicator that your object is doing too many things — just sayin' 💁
++SSV unabashedly promotes clarity over performance. If you find that performance is lacking, it's usually a structural problem. Learning to think with pipes is a good start for making fast, memory-efficient systems without touching the smaller pieces of the system.
++In this guide, I present common methods that you'll find in each class. This does not mean that you should try to implement them if they don't exist! The methods described in the SSV framework are for identifying how a class might work, rather than prescribing how a class should work.
++Thanks to Jon Anderson for sparking this idea!
+| +Class | ++Singular? | ++Stateless? | ++Examples | +
|---|---|---|---|
| +Structure | ++❌ | ++❌ | +
+Array , Tree , Graph , Tuple , Set |
+
| +State | ++✅ | ++❌ | +
+Customer , HttpRequest , Transaction , Socket |
+
| +Value | ++✅ | ++✅ | +
+String , Email , UUID , URI , Color , Maybe |
+
+
+Value
++++Classes for singular and stateless chunks of information.
+
+Examples: String , Time , Dollar , DateRange , EmailAddress , LastName , UUID , JSON , PostalAddress , URI , FilePath , SHA5 , Color
class Length
+{
+ // Represented as meters.
+ private x = 0;
+
+ constructor( x )
+ {
+ if( x === null || x === undefined )
+ throw new Error(`Length() cannot be null or undefined.`);
+
+ if( x < 0 )
+ throw new Error(`Length() expects a non-negative number.`);
+
+ this.x = x;
+ }
+
+ static fromFeet( x )
+ {
+ return new Length( x / 3.28084 );
+ }
+
+ static fromMeters( meters )
+ {
+ return new Length( x );
+ }
+
+ get toFeet()
+ {
+ return this.x * 3.28084;
+ }
+
+ get toMeters()
+ {
+ return this.x;
+ }
+}+Value objects are useful as immutable structures that can be combined and transformed. States and structures use value objects to store information.
++Value classes should never have side-effects. They don't make HTTP requests, they don't touch the file-system, and they don't talk to databases.
++Value classes should be immutable. Nothing inside the object should ever be updated after construction. Value classes have no setter methods. Of course, sometimes it's necessary to mutate data in-place for memory/performance reasons, but that kind of stuff should be avoided when possible.
+ + + ++Constructor
++Constructors for value classes only do two things:
+-
+
- +validate the arguments +
- +set the internal properties +
+That's it! Easy!
++Constant Methods
+
+Examples: Number.infinity() , Color.green() , DateTime.unixEpoch() , FilePath.root()
+Constant methods are static methods for generating unique/significant value objects.
++Null objects are a special case of constant methods.
++Decoder Methods
+
+Examples: JSON.parseString('{}') , String.fromCharList(['x']) , PostalCode.fromInteger(91234) , Country.fromString('US') , char.fromKeyCode(21)
+Decoder methods are essentially just wrappers around the class constructor.
++The constructor handles validation and declares the instance's properties. So all the decoder has to do is transform the input into something that's palatable for the constructor!
++Encoder Methods
+
+Examples: datetime.toUnixTimestamp() , filePath.toString() , json.stringify() , hash.toString(privateKey) , color.toHexString()
+Encoder methods produce equivalent objects of different types.
+
+When creating encoders, the key is to avoid loss of information! Anticipate where information might be lost. For example, consider some DateTime object with timezone information: datetime.toUnixTimestamp() is ambiguous. Is it going to return the timestamp in PST or UTC? A better design would be to require a timezone argument, e.g. datetime.toUnixTimestamp('UTC') .
+If any information is lost during the encoding process, make sure it's clear. And avoid default-values at all costs! Make no assumptions about which information to throw away.
++Extract Methods
+
+Examples: uri.host() , float.floor() , string.charAt(7) , color.saturation() , string.startsWith('🐸') , signature.isSignedBy(publicKey)
+Extraction methods are exactly the same as encoder methods, but with a lot more information loss. They're used to construct a view of a small subset of the value object.
+
+Compound values like URI may have multiple properties like protocol , host , and path , and query . In this case, extractors act as getters.
+When extracting an Integer from a Float , you're forced to throw away the fractional part of the number. float.toInteger() would be a bad idea, because you don't know how the integer is being calculated. That's why we need float.floor() , float.round() , and float.ceiling() .
+Cut Methods
+
+Examples: int.absoluteValue() , string.slice(1,3) , datetime.midnight() , string.toLowerCase()
+Cut methods simply throw away some information. They produce objects of the same type, just with some stuff missing.
++Mix Methods
+
+Examples: string.reverse() , number.negate() , boolean.not() , string.exclaim()
+Mixers produce objects of the same type with no information loss!
++Merge Methods
+
+Examples: int.add(21) , string.concat('!') , path.join(Path.home()) , uri1.equal(uri2)
+Merge methods add information to the object that may or may not destroy information. Merge methods always produce objects of the same type. For instance, datetime.addMinutes(10) will create a new DateTime object offset by an equivalent amount of minutes.
+Operator Methods
++Operator methods are special cases of Merge methods that accept arguments of the same type and produce a value of the same type.
++Operators are particularly handy because they allow you to reduce structures of values with minimal work!
+const integers = Group(
+ Integer(1),
+ Integer(2),
+ Integer(3)
+);
+
+const sum = integers.foldl((x,y) => x.add(y), Integer(0))
+When you have homogenous objects, you can merge them together with methods like .reduce and .foldl !
+Another common use case of operators is to use value.compare() with structure.sort() .
+
+State
++++Classes are for singular and stateful chunks of information.
+
+Examples: Customer , HttpRequest , Transaction , Socket
// This is a contrived example to show off weird state stuff.
+// Please do not copy this; it's not a very good way to handle requests.
+class WebPage
+{
+ // "NOT-ASKED" | "WAITING" | "SUCCESS" | "FAILED"
+ private status = "NOT-ASKED";
+
+ // Web page as HTML string when status is "SUCCESS
+ // Error message as string when status is "FAILED"
+ private data = null;
+
+ constructor( url )
+ {
+ const request = fetchHtml( url );
+
+ this.status = "WAITING";
+
+ request.on( "success", body => {
+ this.status = "SUCCESS";
+ this.data = body;
+ });
+
+ request.on( "error", message => {
+ this.status = "FAILED";
+ this.data = message;
+ });
+ }
+
+ get getPage()
+ {
+ if( this.status === "SUCCESS" )
+ return this.data;
+ else
+ return null;
+ }
+
+ get getErrorMessage()
+ {
+ if( this.status === "FAILED" )
+ return this.data;
+ else
+ return null;
+ }
+}
+The methods of state classes are verbs. Actions like customer.purchase(item) and httpRequest.respond(200,body) describe how things change internally or produce change in other systems.
+Constructor
++Constructors for state classes have two essentials:
+-
+
- +validate the arguments +
- +set the internal properties +
+Beyond that, there's little restriction to what you can do in your constructors!
++Constant Methods
+
+Examples: ShoppingCart.empty()
const cart = ShoppingCart.empty();
+
+cart.addItem(item1);
+cart.addItem(item2);
+cart.addItem(item3);
+
+await cart.purchase(paymentInfo);+With state classes, constant methods are useful as "starting points" for creating objects.
++Perspective Methods
+
+Examples: customer.sendNewsletterEmail(newsletter) , document.print(printer) , car.honk()
+Sending messages to the outside world!
++Although these methods may affect internal state, the grand purpose is to do something from the perspective of the state object.
++In other words, these methods are more concerned with producing change in the outside world than the internal state.
+
+The behavior of perspective methods vary based on what state the object is in. For instance, car.honk() won't change if the car is in PARK or REVERSE, but it may throw an error if car.isBatteryDead() === true .
+Manipulation Methods
+const cart = ShoppingCart.empty();
+
+// Manipulate the cart.
+cart.addItem(item1);
+cart.removeAllItems();
+
+// Attempt state-transition.
+try
+{
+ await cart.purchase(paymentInfo);
+
+} catch( error )
+{
+ console.error( error );
+ // "Couldn't complete purchase because cart is empty!"
+}
+
+// Manipulate the cart.
+cart.addItem(item1);
+
+// Attempt state-transition.
+await cart.purchase(paymentInfo);
+
+// Manipulate the cart.
+try
+{
+ cart.addItem(item2);
+
+} catch( error )
+{
+ console.error( error );
+ // "Cannot add items to a purchased cart!"
+}
+Examples: shoppingCart.addItem(item) , customer.setAddress(address) , car.applyGas(force)
+Manipulation methods are for non-state-transition updates.
++These are usually for updating properties unrelated to stages.
++As demonstrated in the example code, manipulation methods often change behavior depending on the state of the system.
+
+Manipulation methods like customer.setAvatarImage(imageUrl) may produce side-effects like saving a photo to AWS/S3, but the main intent is to update some variable data.
+State-Transition Methods
+
+Examples: shoppingCart.submit() , httpRequest.respond(200,body) , user.suspend(reason) , trafficLight.stop() , customer.verifyEmail(verificationCode) , car.park()
class TrafficLight
+{
+ // "RED" | "YELLOW" | "GREEN"
+ private color = "RED";
+
+ constructor( color )
+ {
+ if( !["RED","YELLOW","GREEN"].includes( color ) )
+ throw new Error(`'${color}' is not a valid TrafficLight color.`);
+
+ this.color = color;
+ }
+
+ stop()
+ {
+ switch( this.color )
+ {
+ case "RED":
+ throw new Error('TrafficLight is already stopped.');
+ case "YELLOW":
+ this.color = "RED"; break;
+ case "GREEN":
+ throw new Error('TrafficLight must slow before stopping.');
+ }
+ }
+
+ slow()
+ {
+ switch( this.color )
+ {
+ case "RED":
+ throw new Error('TrafficLight cannot slow cars while they're already stopped.');
+ case "YELLOW":
+ throw new Error('TrafficLight is already slowing.');
+ case "GREEN":
+ this.color = "YELLOW"; break;
+ }
+ }
+
+ go()
+ {
+ case "RED":
+ this.color = "GREEN"; break;
+ case "YELLOW":
+ throw new Error('TrafficLight cannot make cars go while they're already slowing.');
+ case "GREEN":
+ throw new Error('TrafficLight is already going.');
+ }
+}+The intent of these methods is to move an object into a different "stage" of its lifecycle.
++It's helpful to map out these transitions using a state-transition diagram! In particular, it's helpful to throw errors on illegal state-transitions, so that your program can't be put into an errant state.
+ +
+A car object may have stages like PARK, REVERSE, NEUTRAL, and DRIVE. The object may also have orthogonal stages like NEW or USED. But note that an enumeration like HONDA or FERRARI may not be a stage; many categories are not used to describe the quality of a changing process.
+Query Methods
+
+Examples: shoppingCart.items() , user.isEmailVerified() , trafficLight.color() , car.speed()
+Query methods are getters.
++Outside code shouldn't be poking and prodding around objects' internal properties, so use these methods to expose controlled "views" of the data.
++
+Structure
++++Classes for organizing multiple values or states generalized over any type.
+
+Examples: Array , List , Graph , Tuple , Tree , Stack
class NonEmptyStack
+{
+ private data = [];
+
+ constructor( xs )
+ {
+ if( xs.length <= 0 )
+ throw new Error('NonEmptyStack cannot be empty!');
+
+ this.data = xs;
+ }
+
+ map(f)
+ {
+ this.data = this.data.map( f );
+ }
+
+ toList()
+ {
+ return this.data;
+ }
+
+ push( x )
+ {
+ return new NonEmptyStack(
+ this.data.concat([ x ])
+ );
+ }
+
+ pop()
+ {
+ if( this.data.length <= 1 )
+ throw new Error('Cannot pop off NonEmptyStack when only one item remains!');
+
+ return new NonEmptyStack(
+ this.data.slice(-1)
+ );
+ }
+}+Lastly, we have structures! Structures are generalized classes for holding other objects.
++Structures should be immutable when performance permits it.
+ + + + + + + + ++MAP METHODS
+
+Examples: list.map(f) , dict.mapKeys(f) , tree.forEach(f)
+Map methods are useful for updating items at once! If built correctly, computers can efficiently run these operations in parallel on each item.
++COLLAPSE METHODS
+
+Examples: list.reduce(f,x) , dict.foldl(f,x) , array.scanl(f,x) , tree.collapse(f,x) , graph.collect(f,start)
+The goal of these methods is to collapse all the values into a single accumulator value.
++MIX METHODS
+
+Examples: list.sortBy(f) , dict.shuffle() , tree.rebalance() , array.removeDuplicates() , tuple.reverse()
+For ordered structures, it's always nice to non-destructively sort the information.
++CUT METHODS
+
+Examples: list.filter(f) , dict.filterKeys(f) , tree.chopLeft() , array.removeDuplicates() , list.slice(1,2) , graph.removeNonNeighbors(i) , tuple.first()
+Remove chunks of the structure!
++MERGE METHODS
+
+Examples: list1.concat(list2) , dict1.deepMerge(dict2) , tree.appendBranch(branch) , array1.zip(array2) , set1.difference(set2)
+Take two structures and make a new structure!
++ITEM METHODS
+
+Examples: list.getItemAt(0) , dict.insert(k,v) , tree.removeNode(i) , array.update(i,x) , graph.addNode(edges) , tuple.setSecond(5)
+Perform CRUD operations on one or more items in your structure.
++QUERY METHODS
+
+Examples: list.length() , dict.keyExists(k) , tree.depth() , array.indexOf(42) , graph.shortestCycle()
+These are helper functions to find information about singular items or properties of the whole structure.
++IMPORT/EXPORT METHODS
+
+Examples: list.toSet() , set.toList(sortFunction) , dict.toPairs() , Graph.fromTree(tree) , tuple.toList()
+Sometimes it's helpful to transfer between different structures!
+]]>+It's strange how we try to force students down certain tracks.
++You must learn to count before calculus, but everything in-between needn't be so linear.
++I can imagine a biology classroom where the teacher just says, "Who has any biology-realted questions?"
++Students will tell you exactly what they're interested in, and what level of understanding they're at.
++Of course, students aren't at the same level, but that's why they can teach each other. Humans love sharing knowledge. And dumb questions strengthen everybody's understanding. And dumb questions are often particularly difficult, because the fractal-nature of understanding.
++++"Welcome to physics. Does anybody have any questions?"
++"Why is the sky blue?"
++"Because of the wavelength of light!"
++"Yeah, but why does that mean it's blue?"
++"Uhh..."
+
+The best part about questions-first learning is that you can ask people to guess, which is essential! By asking people to guess and listen to their internal models, you can instantly find and fix their faulty intuitions.
++++"Welcome to physics. Does anybody have any questions?"
++"Why is the sky blue?"
++"Why do you think it's blue?"
++"Maybe because oxygen is blue?"
++"Okay, give me second -- okay, here's a picture of a pure oxygen. Any blueness?"
++"Well maybe it only turns blue when you have a lot of it, like water?"
++...and so on.
+
+
+Conversations are powerful.
++Let students lead.
++Engage curiosity.
+]]>+Stop complaining about "too many meetings". Meetings exist for reasons.
++They don't trust you, and you probably don't deserve their trust. You or +somebody on your team or your industry demonstrated that value will not be +delivered quickly without hand-holding. Don't demand autonomy before you've +earned trust.
++Of course you may be capable of building without guidance, but management +doesn't feel that way, and you're doing nothing to address their feelings.
++Take a h*cking second to think of things from the business's point-of-view, +then offer tradeoffs to them in their terms:
++++Hello manager, just reminding you that I'm spending 9.5/40 hours in meetings +every week instead of producing X. Would you like me to cancel/shorten +meetings A, B, and C? I can submit a weekly review of A/B/C via email instead. +With this change, I think we can deliver X to customers 1 month ahead of +schedule.
+
+If you think a particular meeting is useful but disorganized, try this:
++++Hello manager, I think meeting A would be more valuable for our team if we +moved to a more focused format. Could we try doing M for 2 weeks?
+
+Yes, management knows that each meeting costs 6*$150/h=$900/h or whatever. They +did the math and believe that annually spending $46,800=$900/h*52h will accrue +an equal amount of profit in the long run. If they're not doing the basic math, +then, well, they're doing even stupider shit than you.
+]]>
+
+
+
++Long ago, I dated a woman who believed in ghosts and crystals and horoscopes and toxins and stuff. Of course crystals exist, but she claimed that they heal you and incur luck and other mumbo-jumbo that I couldn't wrap my head around.
++But I'm not here to Destroy Magic with Facts & Logic — I'm here to preach against assholes like me who suck the fun out of everything.
++True vs. Useful
++I like the Myers-Briggs (MBTI) personality test. Of course, I know it's fake news. But that doesn't stop me from enjoying shitposts on r/entp.
++Even though MBTI isn't true, it's pretty useful. MBTI is a consistent structure which people can use to talk about how they view themselves. Plus, it's fun to take personality tests 💁
++But if it's okay to suspend your disbelief for harmless fantasies like MBTI, then is it okay to do the same for crystal-healing or flat-earth or Catholicism? I don't know. I'm still trying to figure out how much Facts & Logic actually matter.
++Horoscopes and anti-vaxx are of the same kind but not the same degree. Belief in "Today May be a Good Day for Capricorns" is benign. But belief that "Today May Be a Measles Day for My Children" is potentially fatal to you and the people around you.
++Should we tolerate bad ideas?
++Simulate Beliefs
++My friend (let's call her K) recently became a grandmother (congrats!). K's daughter and son-in-law are both medical professionals, so they obviously wanted to vaccinate their beautiful baby boy. K called me, sobbing and lamenting about the dangers of vaccines. Now, I could've thrown Facts & Logic at her, but what are the chances she would've listened? That day I tried a different approach — what was she really saying? +Rather than discussing medical literature and statistics, we talked about feelings. And well, it was fear — a lot of fear. And other things. Because humans are complicated. And ya know what? I don't think she's clinging to anti-vaxx so dearly anymore, because it was never about the vaccines.
++I'm not going to opine about abortion, but realize that half of the U.S. population literally believes children are being murdered en-masse. Try to place yourself in their shoes — what if it was common practice to kill children under the age of 5 or 10? Would you be alright with that?
++Many of my friends and family are Evangelicals. I don't believe in God, but it's useful to simulate their beliefs. These people literally believe that a vampire crucified himself to conquer evil. Throwing Facts & Logic at them is just going to make me seem unreliable and combatitive. When advising others, guide them with words that they understand; use their mental frameworks to tackle problems.
++++Their feelings don't care about your facts.
+
+Simulate others' beliefs. Listen to what others are saying. Don't weaponize your Facts & Logic until you've heard what their hearts are saying.
++Ugh, my conclusions here are unsatisfying: err on the side of "Be a Good Listener". But the world would be a better place if everybody respected Facts & Logic. But I guess everybody tries their best.
++Sowing Doubt
++But once again, I'm not here to Destroy Magic with Facts & Logic.
++Vaccinations, horoscopes, and religion are easy targets. But I believe in a bunch of fringe stuff too! I believe Dvorak Keyboards are Superior and The Internet is Broken and Nuclear Energy is Wonderful and Constructivist Maths are Cool and Capitalism is Cool Sometimes and also Universal Basic Income is Cool Too and Licensure is Evil and Taoism is Worthwhile and Cryptocurrency and Oxford Commas are Correct and so on.
++And I'm always so sure.
++Why am I so sure that Soylent is Safe? I'm not a dietician. Why am I so sure that Molten-Salt Reactors are The Answer to Clean Energy? I'm not a nuclear physicist.
++I mean, I've obviously researched these things, but I'm not an expert. I'm currently 26. I don't know anything about anything.
++But I care. Maybe I shouldn't care. I don't know.
++Conclusion?
++I'm not sure if I really even have a point here. I'm definitely not saying anything new:
+-
+
- +Listen to people. +
- +Don't be so sure. +
- +It's okay to pretend. +
+Conclusion
++Back to my ex-girlfriend's crystal collection.
++One day, long ago, I went over to her place feeling like a turd. I was exhausted and anxious and everything was rotten. As I was lying on the couch, she traced some spooky patterns on my body and balanced crystals on me.
++And it felt nice.
+]]>+++...the question whether machines can think as relevant as the question whether submarines can swim.
+ +
+Here are some common 2-word phrases using "artificial" and "synthetic" in the English language: +synthetic fabric, +artificial hip, +artificial saliva, +synthetic fiber, +artificial heart, +artificial colors, +synthetic material, +artificial blood, +artificial skin, +artificial barriers, +artificial flowers, +synthetic drugs, +artificial islands, +artificial turf, +synthetic speech, +artificial surface, +synthetic voice +artificial leg, +artificial womb, +synthetic biology, +synthetic chemical, +artificial contraception, +artificial means, +artificial tree, +synthetic hormone, +synthetic leather, +artificial intelligence, +artificial boundaries, +artificial retina, +synthetic form, +artificial christmas, +synthetic rubber, +artificial life, +synthetic version, +artificial birth, +synthetic oil, +artificial light, +artificial world, +artificial limb, +artificial reef, +synthetic estrogen, +synthetic fertilizers, +synthetic marijuana, +artificial gravity, +artificial lake, +artificial sweetener, +synthetic insulation, +artificial nutrition, +synthetic fuel, +artificial insemination, +synthetic stock, +synthetic pesticides, +artificial ingredients, +artificial environment,
++Can you spot the difference?
+-
+
- +"artificial" ⇒ "imitation" +
- +"synthetic" ⇒ "man-made" +
+An artificial diamond is something like cubic zirconia. It's not a diamond — it's not even carbon — but can still serve as an appropriate substitute for an engagement ring. +A synthetic diamond is simply created in a lab. It's real, genuine carbon, but it wasn't created by pressure from the Earth's crust and mined under questionable conditions.
++This may not seem like a big deal, but whether or not we consider something an "imitation" has huge moral and legal repurcussions.
++
+"Test-Tube Babies" are Babies
++Let's start with an uncontroversal example: a "test-tube baby" is a baby.
++In-vitro fertilization (IVF) produces a real human embryo, which grows into a real human fetus, which is born, and grows into a real human child, then real human adult with a real human job. But IVF is an artificial process. Science found a substitute for the real thing. And it works. And it's wonderful.
+ ++"Synthetic Meat" is Meat
++++You Call That Meat? Not So Fast, Cattle Ranchers Say
++— NY Times
+
+++The fight against ‘fake meat' has officially begun
++— CNBC
+
+Artificial meat is meat-like. It is sometimes considered a substitute for meat, composed of soy or something.
+But synthetic meat is cloned from animal flesh. It is the literally the flesh of a cow or chicken or whatever, but grown under different conditions.
+Unfortunately, ranchers and farmers are exploiting U.S. policy with weak vocabulary. Artificial and synthetic meats are not "fake meats". And everybody may pay more money for a subpar, unethical product because we didn't choose the right words soon enough.
++"Champagne" is Champagne
++++Many people use the term Champagne as a generic term for sparkling wine but in some countries, it is illegal to label any product Champagne unless it both comes from the Champagne region and is produced under the rules of the appellation. Specifically, in the EU countries, only sparkling wine which comes from the Champagne region of France can be legally labelled as Champagne.
++— Wikipedia
+
+Champagne must be grown in Champagne, France. Champagne is not Prosecco.
+
+Imagine you have two grape seeds: plant one seed in Paris and the other in Champagne. Even though the resulting wines may be indistinguishable, one wine is "champagne" and the other is just plain ol' "sparkling wine".
+And "sparkling wine" doesn't sell nearly as well. Because the EU will fine you or imprison you or whatever for calling that grape-juice "champagne" without the proper license. And the people of Champagne rake in massive amounts of cash off of the policing of "fake" vs. "real".
+"Mickey Mouse" is Mickey Mouse
++++...a perfect, molecule-by-molecule recreation of an original Picasso would be considered a "forgery", but any image of the Coca-Cola logo is completely real and subject to trademark laws.
++— Wikipedia
+
+Much like champagne, the words "synthetic" and "artificial" don't apply here. You can't synthesize champagne. You can't synthesize Banksy. You can't synthesize Mickey Mouse.
++You can't make an authentic Banksy because you aren't Banksy, and that's one of the requirements of producing art by Banksy. Any attempt wouldn't be artificial or synthetic — it would be forgery.
++But U.S. law throws this concept for a loop. When Disney copyrighted Mickey, they were saying, that you can make the real Mickey, it's just illegal to do so without Disney's permission under specific circumstances. And so in fact, anything mistaken for Mickey is Mickey. But don't do it... or else.
++"Synthetic Intelligence" is Intelligence
+
+If intelligence is like Mickey Mouse, we might say that anything that passes a Turing Test needs to pay taxes.
+But likeness of thought is not necessarily thought.
+If intelligence is like a work of Banksy, we might say that non-human thought is fake or forgery.
+But in the secular worldview, there is no author of our human minds. And there is no authenticity without an author.
+If intelligence is like champagne, we might say that only human intelligence is authentic: all other intelligence is "animal" or "alien" or "something else".
+But there's nothing special about the human brain: any sufficiently-large computer could simulate one. And it doesn't matter whether the thoughts occur in Champagne, Earth, or Champagne, Mars. Intelligence is intelligence independent of the origin.
+If intelligence is like meat, then we might say that non-human minds might be intelligent. We may say that non-conscious agents with intelligent behavior are "artificial", while conscious ones are "synthetic".
+In other words, artificial intelligence is a substitute for intelligent thought. It may be a system that is behaving intelligently, but it is completely devoid of experience or any whiff of consciousness.
+And so synthetic intelligence can refer to real, conscious intelligence that is produced by alternative means. It's the real-deal, but not created naturally.
+
+My Fears
++I'm afraid that we won't outgrow the phrase "artificial intelligence", and that my future silicon friends will be treated as mere substitutes for humans.
++I'm afraid that in a few decades, when we starting synthesizing minds that dream and feel and love, that we will still be calling them "test-tube souls".
++I'm afraid that our specific choice of words, right now, will continue to affect ethics and policies and laws regarding synthetic intelligence.
++
+Recommended Reading
+-
+
- +Dijkstra's Science fiction and science reality in computing +
- +McDermott's How Intelligent is Deep Blue? +
- +Searle's Minds, Brains, and Programs +
+taylor.town is a public place for organizing my thoughts.
++This typeface is +Config Rounded.
++This site is served via CloudFlare Pages.
++I wrote my own static-site generator in +Elixir. The +Earmark Markdown Parser is superb.
+ ++I use buttondown.email for my +e-mail newsletter.
++Thank you for visiting.
+ +]]>+When you say "sorry", you crown yourself the center-of-attention and you create negative vibes.
++When you say "thank you", you shine a warm spotlight on others.
++
+"I'm sorry I'm late -- there was traffic."
++Don't apologize. You're embarassed or guilty or anxious, but probably not sorry.
++Good apologies are excrutiating yet simple:
+-
+
- +State exactly what you believe you did wrong. +
- +Express all the specific emotional and physical damage you've caused. +
- +Explain the actionable steps you've already taken to prevent this situation from reocurring. Do not talk about your plans or hopes or dreams. Talk about the changes that you've already made. If you're not willing to change, then don't apologize. +
- +Propose how you'd like to repair the damage you've caused. +
+"Thank you for your patience -- there was traffic. I'm so glad I can always depend on you."
++Everybody loves compliments.
++It's easy to express gratitude:
+-
+
- +State exactly what you believe the other person did well. +
- +Express why the other person is meaningful to you. +
+1. Fire each manager by coin-flip.
++For each manager in your org chart, flip a coin. "Fire" them if tails.
++Alternatively, shuffle your managers in a list and dispose of the top half. This +is easy to do in a spreadsheet program or BASH.
++A "manager" is anybody who manages subordinates. In technical terms, managers +are non-leaf nodes in your org chart.
++Alternatively, managers can be defined as "non-IC workers" or "people who don't +directly work on anything that touches customers".
++2. Reconfigure your org.
++Create a new org chart with the remaining members of your org.
++All workers can be promoted/demoted/transferred in any combination.
++3. Ask deep questions.
+-
+
- +Could your org survive this arrangement without hiring for 1 year? Could your +org be profitable? +
- +Could your org survive if you refilled some lost positions immediately? +
- +Could your org survive this arrangement if you picked which 50% of managers +were fired? If so, why haven't you fired them? +
- +Would saved labor costs exceed lost profits? +
- +Do you think other similar orgs would survive this exercise? What makes your +org more or less resilient than others? +
- +Consider bus factor. Which +individuals are replacable? Which individuals are critically needed? Are the +two cohorts paid the same? Are they given similar responsibilities? +
- +Should any managers be moved to IC work? Should any IC workers be moved to +management? +
- +What is an ideal team size for your org? Is your org too flat or too stacked? +
- +How do departments differ in their team compositions? What should departments +learn from each other? +
- +If you moved the managers to IC work instead of firing them, would the added +communication overhead exceed the productivity gains? +
- +If you paid the remaining workers half of the saved labor costs, could your +company survive? +
- +Are there any training or courses you could provide to individuals to make +your org better? e.g. coding bootcamps, product design courses, management +training +
+
+This is an exercise.
++Please do not literally fire half of management at random.
++
+Related reading:
+ +]]>+Los Angeles and Riverside are separated by a minimum of 90 minutes of suburbs and shopping centers. Taking the CA-60, suburbia is interrupted by hills peppered in weed-like plants. I'm reluctant to call the flora "weeds", because half are tree-sized and the other half are dead.
++My pilgrimages to Riverside usually allot 240 minutes for phone-calls, listening, and aimless thought. +The human mouth is comfortable producing 150 English words-per-minute (WPM), but our ears can comprehend upwards of 500 WPM. +I usually listen to podcasts 2.0-2.5 times faster than they're recorded, which gives me 500 minutes (75,000 words) of podcasts on each round-trip. That's about eight podcast episodes or one whole book!
++Today my podcast backlog seemed particularly unappealing. I didn't want to hear about ice-baths, or identity politics, or nootropics trends, or cryptocurrency, or crime drama, or whether a "Devil's Triangle" could conceivably refer to anything but a MMF threesome. +Luckly, I have audiobooks on standby for emergencies like this.
++I'm a huge fan of the gritty cyberpunk universes crafted by authors like Phillip K. Dick and Neal Stephenson. Books like Snowcrash consistently warp my views of capitalism, society, technology, drugs, and The Self. +So I guess it was finally time for "Distrust That Particular Flavor" by William Gibson, which is apparently not a novel -- it's an essay collection. I love essay collections! It was a surprise, but a welcome one.
++Anyway, Gibson is a genius. And I don't use that word lightly. +These essays induced frission. These essays demanded quiet reflection. These essays will forever change the way I see Japan, writing, futurology, dystopias, and the internet. +But this rant is not about how amazing Gibson is -- it's about what we're losing in this golden-age of podcasts.
++Some podcasts are just unprinted audiobooks with advertising. +Stories like S-Town and The RFK Tapes take advantage of phone-interviews and historical audio, which doesn't translate to text or video very well. +And series like Dan Carlin's Hardcore History have carved out a niche where books are too long and articles are too short. Carlin creates 4-hour masterpieces, recounting the past with fresh perspectives and a voice carrying conviction and emotion. +In these audiobook-esque experiences, the creators use audio to forge artistic information experiences in a deeply satisfying way. It is a careful craft, like film and literature.
++But most podcasts aren't audiobooks. They're weekly radio shows. +Tim Ferris and Joe Rogan and Preet Bharara and Sam Harris have taught me a lot about the world -- I'm very grateful for that. But I'm starting to think that interviews are not optimal for communicating truly deep ideas.
++Conversation is good for certain things. It's good for covering current events from a singular perspective. It's good for debates (which usually devolve into mutual confirmation-bias masturbation). It's good for exploring cursory ideas, which the listener can later use The Internet for dissecting in greater detail.
++But it's hard to go deep in a few hours. It's not enough time to open up to thousands of strangers about your trauma (unless it's rehearsed). It's not enough time to catalog complexity. And it's not enough time to find mutual ground on contentious issues. It's just not enough time for our inefficient mouths and minds.
++Books are focused. Authors spend years crafting a singular narrative, to communicate a very specific idea. Podcast interviews are diffuse. Conversations ramble and reclarify and misstep and interrput and drift. They demand low-resolution regurgitations of their guests' ideas. And they're incentivized to blast through as many low-resolution sound-bites as possible, because listeners often want the "greatest hits". +Conversations are unexplored territory. You have to phrase things for an interviewer and an audience in real-time. Text is forgiving until it becomes permanent -- you can write draft, after draft, after draft, until your paragraphs approximate that uncomfortable idea deep down in your soul. It's difficult to write about difficult things. But it's often impossible to talk about them.
++Podcast guests must be careful about what "facts" they use. During interviews, hosts and guests use stats from their faulty memories. And even if they remember their "facts" correctly, there is no easy way to find a reference to the exact thing they mentioned. And if the "fact" was wrong, then most shows don't bother even to "fact"-check.
++Podcasts need to be more entertaining than books in order to survive. A book just needs to supply the information it promised on its cover -- the entire text is purchased up-front. And if you purchased the book, you're probably already interested in its contents, and gave the author permission to go as deep as possible. Podcasts, on the other hand, need to keep users engaged for advertisers. They need you to come back every week. They need novelty. They need excitement. Because they need to gain and retain as many listeners as possible, which stifles depth. Podcasts will always devolve into pulp and click-bait given enough time, because that what advertisers want.
++Anyway, I'm not saying that all books are better than all podcasts. I'm saying that podcasts aren't a viable replacement for audiobooks and other long-form content. Podcasts shouldn't be the main source of nutrition in your information diet.
+]]>+
+ + + +
+You can literally watch every episode of Stranger Things (Season 1) in 3 hours and 20 minutes.
++Yes, you can literally watch a 400-minute series in 200 minutes... if you're willing to break some speed limits.
++But why would you want to‽
++In Search of Lost
++What's the duration of a 250-page book? To answer this question, you must first ask: how much does the reader want to understand?
++Of course reading-speed depends on the difficulty of the text — 250 pages of J.K. Rowling is not 250 pages of James Joyce. But even Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets may take 2 hours for a bright child, or 2 weeks for a tired Literature student working on the 4th draft of a midterm project.
++The duration of every book is tempered to our thirst for fun or information or whatever. Pages follow the rhythm of hearts, not the rhythm of watches.
++Movies, podcasts, etc. naturally move at the rhythm of watches, but do they have to? What if we viewed 1X speed as a recommendation than a requirement?
++Rather than asking "how many hours will this media take?" — ask "how many hours does this media deserve?"
++100% Comprehension
++Consider the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility:
++++The law says, first, that the marginal utility of each homogenous unit decreases as the supply of units increases (and vice versa)....
+
+Four pretzels does not make you 4X happier than one pretzel. +And watching Grown Ups 2 52 times does not make you 52X happier.
++Drugs are valued by the experiences they evoke. MDMA makes you feel a certain amount of happiness for a certain amount of time. It's a simple matter of maximizing intensity and duration. If movies were like drugs (whose utility are the literal experience), then 4K would be incredibly better than 1080p. But it's not. Reading a book on higher-quality paper is not incredibly better. Watching a film in theaters is not incredibly better than your laptop.
++In the same way, watching one movie at half-speed does not make the movie twice as enjoyable.
++The "utility" of media is the communication of its ideas. And comprehension is the efficiency of idea transmission. Media can be used for entertainment or information, but it's not useful if the consumer doesn't understand what's being communicated. +But comprehension is a sticky topic. For instance, take this David Lynch short-film about rabbits — I may not comprehend Lynch's intent, but I certainly understand what I'm seeing. I certainly understand that there is a rabbit family in a family room, but I fail to grasp the deeper meaning of the film (if there is any). And I doubt that watching it slower or higher-resolution or louder would affect my understanding.
+ + ++In other words, ideas are usually the important parts of films, podcasts, etc. (regardless of author or author's intent). And each additional minute you spend with an idea up to a point will give you smaller and smaller amounts of value.
+ ++If it takes you 60 seconds to understand an essay with 45% comprehension, 60 minutes may only afford you 65% comprehension. And 60 hours would probably only get you up to 75% accuracy.
++What if you were required to submit written exams as you left theaters? What level of comprehension do you think you would score for Jurassic Park?
+-
+
- +Did you understand the basic plot? +
- +Did you notice what was written on the raptors? +
- +Did you understand the significance of the seatbelt scene? +
- +Did you understand the contrasting plots of neophilia and ludditism? +The point is, everything has an infinite amount of detail, and it's okay to miss things. It's okay to comprehend 85% of Jurassic Park. +
+Nobody aims for 100% comprehension. Comprehension does not scale linearly with effort.
++On average, each additional second pored into a piece of media returns less and less utility.
+ ++Why don't people spend their lives watching their favorite films on repeat? Because at some point, they get it. They get what the film was doing. They get what the film was trying to say, or what the film uniquely spoke to them. At some point, they heard the message and hung up the phone. And maybe months or years later they'll watch it again with brand new eyes.
++So what if you had a magic dial that traded comprehension for time/effort?
+| + | ++🐛 | ++🐢 | ++🐇 | ++🐆 | +
|---|---|---|---|---|
| +time | ++2h | ++1.5h | ++1h | ++30m | +
| +comp. | ++86% | ++80% | ++71% | ++46% | +
+If you could magically choose between 🐛/🐢/🐇/🐆 on any book or television series or film, would you?
++Spoiler alert: you can choose. Even better, 🐛 and 🐢 probably yield the same comprehension.
++Comprehension and Control Theory
++It takes 1.25 days (1830 minutes) to watch Avatar: The Last Airbender (a.k.a. ATLA) at the recommended viewing speed.
++ATLA is one of my treasures. I've watched the entire series 4-5 times (and will probably rewatch it again soon). I've committed more than 4 days to this single piece of media, because it's just that important to me.
++I love ATLA dearly, so why would I watch the series at double-speed‽ Here's my simplistic defense:
+-
+
- +My attention frequently drifts when I watch ATLA at the recommended viewing speed. +
- +I enjoy ATLA more when my attention doesn't drift. +
- +My attention doesn't drift when I watch ATLA at ~1.75X. +
- +Therefore I enjoy ATLA more at ~1.75X. +
+The following is true for most people in most situations:
+ +| +Speed | ++Comprehension | ++Engagement | +
|---|---|---|
| +way too slow | ++incomprehensible | ++💀 | +
| +too slow | ++lost comprehension | ++😴 | +
| +slightly slow | ++inefficient comprehension | ++🙄 | +
| +perfect | ++full comprehension | ++🤔 | +
| +slightly fast | ++lost comprehension | ++😰 | +
| +too fast | ++incomprehensible | ++😵 | +
| +way too fast | ++ | ++🤯 | +
+The key is staying engaged. It's about tuning the speed of incoming ideas to the speed of your mind. If the flow is too slow, you'll actually lose comprehension due to distractions.
+ ++Asymmetries of Understanding
++So how inefficient is default speed?
++Ears are faster than mouths. Humans can listen about twice as fast as they can speak without loss of comprehension.
+| +listening | ++250-315 WPM | +
| +speaking | ++140-180 WPM | +
+Eyes handle more throughput than ears. Visual cortexes dwarf auditory cortexes. Audiobooks are great, but they're not as efficient as books.
+| +reading | ++300-2000 WPM | +
| +listening | ++250-315 WPM | +
+Recordings can move faster than actors. We can understand movements and behaviors much faster than we can perform them.
+| +watching | ++1x-8x | +
| +acting | ++1x | +
+Subs vs. Dubs
+ ++My top listening speed is ~350WPM, which means dialogue becomes unintelligble at 3X. But my top reading speed is ~1100WPM, which means I can theoretically process subtitles at 7-8X. +In practice, video-comprehension (personally) starts plummeting at 4X speed. It is possible to keep up with simple stories, but trying to read 600WPM subtitles while watching the images flash by is no easy feat.
++I'm not sure if I recommend moving to subtitles for speed purposes, but it definitely raises the speed limit for videos.
++The Scenic Route ≠ The Slow Route
++Every person and media forge a new experience together. Sometimes you want to savor every morsel of every frame. Sometimes you want to understand the bare minimum of the plot. Sometimes you want to skip around to the fight scenes.
++Let's step through some hypotheticals:
+-
+
-
+If savoring every second is what truly matters...
-
+
- +...are rollercoasters more fun at half-speed? +
- +...why wouldn't we spend more time on dessert than dinner? +
- +...why isn't Porter Robinson's Worlds (Slowed 800%) as enjoyable as the original? +
+
+Every experience has a sweet-spot on its speedometer.
+ ++Conclusion(s)
+-
+
- +Time is precious. +
- +Ideas are also precious. +
- +Comprehension is a measure of idea transmission. +
- +Comprehension is precious (following (2) and (3)). +
- +You can trade small amounts of comprehension for large amounts of time. +
- +Speeding up media is a natural way to trade comprehension for time. +
- +You should speed up media when time is more precious than its ideas (following (1), (4), (5), and (6)). +
- +There exist naturally inefficient asymmetries between the speeds of transmission and comprehension, e.g. speaking vs. listening. +
- +When transmission inefficiencies can be exploited at no cost of comprehension, you should speed up your media (following (1), (4), (5), (6), and (8)). +
+TL;DR
++We can trade small amounts of comprehension for large amounts of time.
++
+Further Reading
+ +]]>+Note: This is not a proof for/against the existence God. I hope believers and non-believers will find reasons to enjoy my ramblings here.
+ ++
+Christians believe that God is omniscient (all-knowing), omnipotent (all-powerful), and omnipresent (everywhere).
+ + ++What is Everywhere and Everything and Always?
+ ++Many people, including myself, believe "universe" means everything and everywhere and always.
++But our universe is finite, so everything, everywhere, and always are all finite too. As far as we know, matter began, energy began, space began, and time began. According to our brightest minds, long ago, nothing existed and everywhere was nowhere.
++I mean, maybe the physicists are wrong. Maybe our universe has always existed, or some other universe existed before it. Maybe an infinite number of universes existed before ours and continue to exist. Maybe the universe is so big that its edges touch. Maybe the universe just has planets and planets and planets forever and there's literally no end to it, or maybe when you reach the end of our universe you enter the next of infinite universes. Maybe there's another "spiritual" dimension of spacetime that we can't access with our feeble human minds.
++Sure.
++Cool.
++If any of that extra stuff exists, I'm going to call all that extra stuff "the universe" too.
++The physics really don't matter here. What's important is that "universe" in this essay means everything, everywhere, and everywhen.
++(I'll sometimes use the word "everywhen" instead of "always", because it's poetic 💁)
++Where is Everywhere and Everywhen?
+++ ++"Can a man hide himself in hiding places so I do not see him?" declares the Lord. "Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?" declares the Lord. +— Jeremiah 23:24
+
+According to Christians, God is definitely not spatially or temporally smaller than the universe. Christians maintain that God was always everywhere in the entire spacetime of our universe. In set theory, we could express this as God ⊄ universe or conversely universe ⊆ God.
+Now, I'd like to contend that there is no "outside" of everywhere, because then it wouldn't be "everywhere" anymore. If we found a rock outside of the universe, well, that would be the universe too. If we found heaven outside of the universe, that would be the universe too. If we found a "spiritual dimension" outside of the universe, that would be the universe too. In the same way, God can't be outside of the universe, because that would be the universe too. It follows that universe ⊄ God and God ⊆ universe.
+++Definition: The sets A and B are said to be equal if A⊆B and B⊆A denoted by A=B.
+
+Two sets that contain each other, by definition, are equal.
++So in terms of space and time, it seems pretty clear that God must be the exact same size as the universe.
++If God is everywhere, then "everywhere" is also God.
++Miracles
++++He is wise in heart and mighty in strength, who has defied Him without harm? It is God who removes the mountains, they know not how, when He overturns them in His anger; who shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble; who commands the sun not to shine, and sets a seal upon the stars; who alone stretches out the heavens and tramples down the waves of the sea; who makes the Bear, Orion and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south; who does great things, unfathomable, and wondrous works without number. +Job 9:4-10
+
+There is nothing an omnipotent being can't do.
++But first let's talk about can't vs. won't. In one sense, a tennis-player can't stop playing tennis, because then they wouldn't be a tennis-player anymore. In another sense, a tennis-player can obviously stop playing tennis any time, but won't because they enjoy tennis. +In the same way, according to Christians, God can't/won't lie, sin, forget, or disappear.
+ ++Logicians are more interested in questions like "Can God create a boulder too large to lift by himself?" God is either incapable of making immovable boulders not strong enough to lift every boulder. These propositions cannot logically both be true. +Many Christians contend that God is capable of logically impossible actions!
+ ++Neuroscientists are interested in questions like "Can you sneeze?" +Of course you've sneezed before, but was it really you who sneezed? If you're capable of sneezing, then why can't you sneeze on command?
++Computer scientists are interested in whether machines can be intelligent. If a computer can think, does that mean a submarine can swim?
++As stated above, there is nothing an omnipotent being can't do.
++Now let me ask you this: what is there that the universe can't do? God can't/won't disobey his laws. The universe can't/won't disobey its own laws. +If God is omnipotent, so is the universe.
++But what about "miracles"? Aren't miracles "impossible"? Well, if it happened in our universe, then the universe did it. Therefore it wasn't impossible! If the universe can't perform miracles, then neither can God.
+
+Okay, now you're probably thinking, "The universe is not even conscious! You're saying it can do everything, but it can't do anything! It's just a bunch of junk!"
+If the universe can't do anything, then does that mean that a computer can't add 1 + 1? Just because it's a bunch of junk doesn't mean that it doesn't cause things to occur. It just happens to choose things in a predictable manner. And if the universe is incapable of decisions, does that mean that you're incapable of sneezing? Just because sneezing doesn't happen right now doesn't mean it's impossible!
+Some Christians may say, "No, the universe would cease to exist if God disappeared! God is the reason the universe is running." I completely agree! And that's because God is the universe.
++The universe can do and is doing everything everywhere, all at once.
++So according to Christians, the laws of physics are precisely God's laws.
+ ++Omniscience
++++Great is our Lord, and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite. +Psalm 147:5
+
+You can probably anticipate where I'm going with this.
++To be omniscient is to know everything.
++The universe knows everything.
+ ++Alright, alright, not so fast. The universe isn't alive so how can it know things‽
++A library doesn't know things. It just holds information. It's just a reference. You can look up the speed-of-light in an encyclopedia. But in some sense, the universe knows the speed-of-light, because it does the speed of light. It just does it on autopilot! It's not the same as a library. It's not a reference — it's the real deal!
++Do you know your own name? When you try to remember your own name, doesn't it just magically pop out of nowhere into your mind? Do you know exactly what the inside of your head looks like? Do you know how your brain knows your name? +When the universe tries to remember how particles move, it just happens. It's like you remembering your own name.
++What is there that the universe doesn't know? It knows every one of your thoughts, because you are the universe too. In fact, you are just one tiny spec of the universe observing itself!
++The universe knows everything there is to know.
++But if God knows everything too, then do God and the universe share the same mind?
+ + + + + ++Quick recap:
+-
+
- +God is the exact same size as the universe +
- +God is exactly as powerful as the universe +
- +God is exactly as knowledgable as the universe +
+So according to Christians, the universe is God!
+]]>
+
+
+ 
+
+Also check out my now page.
+| + | ++ | ++ | +
|---|---|---|
| +2023 | ++🔧 | ++YOLO refactoring project | +
| +2023 | ++💹 | ++self-employed | +
| +2022 | ++🔊 | ++became a "DJ" | +
| +2022 | ++💈 | ++jedi braid | +
| +2022 | ++✉️ | ++started a newsletter | +
| +2022 | ++🧘 | ++quit drinking | +
| +2022 | ++🍼 | ++became a parent | +
| +2022 | ++💊 | ++finally started taking antidepressants | +
| +2022 | ++📈 | ++created (and shelved) an app for improving work environments | +
| +2022 | ++💼 | ++started working at Osmind | +
| +2021 | ++🏔 | ++moved back to Southern California | +
| +2021 | ++🏠 | ++purchased a house | +
| +2021 | ++💸 | ++sold all my bitcoin (again) | +
| +2021 | ++✋🏼 | ++surgically removed hand implants | +
| +2020 | ++📱 | ++created LiveCount demo | +
| +2020 | ++🏠 | ++built a tiny home | +
| +2020 | ++💍 | ++got married | +
| +2020 | ++🏠 | ++moved to Las Vegas, Nevada | +
| +2020 | ++💈 | ++started growing a mullet | +
| +2020 | ++☹️ | ++severe depression | +
| +2020 | ++👨🏻 | ++grew a mustache | +
| +2020 | ++⌨️ | ++completed basic compiler for my programming language | +
| +2020 | ++💇 | ++stress-related health episode | +
| +2019 | ++💼 | ++started working at Pex | +
| +2018 | ++💼 | ++taught a data science course | +
| +2018 | ++😭 | ++identity stolen | +
| +2018 | ++💼 | ++created a blockchain video service | +
| +2017 | ++☹️ | ++severe depression | +
| +2017 | ++💡 | ++co-founded and dissolved a startup | +
| +2016 | ++🧪 | ++took random classes at UCLA | +
| +2015 | ++🇨🇳 | ++learned some Mandarin | +
| +2015 | ++😎 | ++tattoos | +
| +2014 | ++🔊 | ++became obsessed with live music and raves | +
| +2014 | ++💼 | ++started working at Patch of Land | +
| +2014 | ++🏠 | ++moved to Los Angeles, California | +
| +2014 | ++☹️ | ++severe depression | +
| +2014 | ++🚗 | ++road trip | +
| +2014 | ++✋🏼 | ++surgically implanted magnets and microchip | +
| +2014 | ++🎓 | ++graduated from Walla Walla University with math and computer science degrees | +
| +2013 | ++☯️ | ++became obsessed with Taoism and Alan Watts | +
| +2013 | ++💸 | ++sold all my bitcoin | +
| +2013 | ++🎸 | ++played in a funk band | +
| +2013 | ++🌀 | ++became obsessed with psychedelics | +
| +2013 | ++🤖 | ++presided over robotics club | +
| +2013 | ++✈️ | ++interned at General Atomics R&D facility | +
| +2012 | ++💪 | ++became more obsessed with "self-improvement" | +
| +2012 | ++👼 | ++became obsessed with Magic: The Gathering | +
| +2012 | ++🤫 | ++started doing secret stuff | +
| +2012 | ++💻 | ++became obsessed with programming-language design | +
| +2012 | ++💻 | ++discovered APL, LISP, and FORTH | +
| +2012 | ++😋 | ++started trying to be a good person | +
| +2012 | ++➕ | ++became obsessed with mathematics | +
| +2012 | ++🏠 | ++moved to Walla Walla, Washington | +
| +2012 | ++💼 | ++started freelance web development | +
| +2012 | ++📄 | ++created my first website | +
| +2011 | ++🐐 | ++left The Church | +
| +2011 | ++👀 | ++became obsessed with anime | +
| +2011 | ++💔 | ++first major breakup | +
| +2011 | ++🦅 | ++worked as a sports mascot | +
| +2011 | ++🖋 | ++tried to write a novel | +
| +2010 | ++🪕 | ++joined a bluegrass band | +
| +2010 | ++🧠 | ++joined a neuroscience research lab | +
| +2010 | ++👮 | ++started working as a security guard | +
| +2010 | ++💪 | ++became obsessed with "self-improvement" | +
| +2010 | ++💻 | ++discovered C and Java | +
| +2010 | ++💿 | ++recorded a solo pop-music album | +
| +2010 | ++🎥 | ++summer-camp videographer | +
| +2009 | ++🇫🇷 | ++studied abroad | +
| +2008 | ++🍺 | ++started drinking | +
| +2008 | ++🤘🏼 | ++started a metal band | +
| +2007 | ++🚽 | ++started working as a janitor | +
| +2006 | ++🎞 | ++became obsessed with film | +
| +2005 | ++🤘🏼 | ++started a rock band | +
| +2005 | ++🤹 | ++started juggling | +
| +2005 | ++🖥 | ++started fixing computers | +
| +2004 | ++🎙 | ++became obsessed with recording music | +
| +2003 | ++🎼 | ++started writing music | +
| +2003 | ++🎥 | ++started producing short films | +
| +2001 | ++🎨 | ++became obsessed with graphic design | +
| +2000 | ++🖥 | ++started tinkering with computers | +
| +1999 | ++💥 | ++started creating comics and flip-books | +
| +1998 | ++🪄 | ++started practicing sleight-of-hand | +
| +1998 | ++✏️ | ++became obsessed with drawing | +
| +1998 | ++🎹 | ++started playing piano | +
| +1997 | ++🔬 | ++became obsessed with "science" | +
| +1998 | ++😂 | ++became obsessed with humor | +
| +1997 | ++🕹 | ++became obsessed with video games | +
| +1997 | ++📚 | ++became obsessed with books | +
| +1995 | ++🧱 | ++became obsessed with legos | +
| +1995 | ++🦕 | ++became obsessed with dinosaurs | +
| +1992 | ++👶 | ++born in California | +
-
+
- +Never borrow from tomorrow. Don't take "time loans". You will not double your output tomorrow. Do not play catch-up. Your time can be spent and wasted, but never saved. Start each day with a clean balance. +
- +Adopt shutdown rituals to demarcate phases of your day. Do not let your career bleed into your personal life, and vice-versa. +
- +Willpower is worthless. Set up self-sustaining systems like nowify. +
- +Use physical objects to remind yourself (and others) that you're busy. Headphones universally convey "don't talk to me". Also consider candles, incense, literal thinking-caps, ambient lighting, and playlists. +
- +Consider Weekend Whenever. +
- +Do "autopilot" tasks during meetings (e.g. cleaning, weeding, walking). Never attempt manual multitasking during meetings (e.g. messaging, programming, writing). If your attention isn't useful in a meeting, politely leave. +
- +Track your time. You can maintain a simple paper log, or use software like RescueTime and Toggl. +
- +Be sensitive to friends and family. Your work schedule may matter to them. +
- +You can schedule emails and Slack messages for future delivery. This is especially helpful to not disturb others' weekends and evenings. +
- +Take vacations -- you don't need an excuse or explanation. Don't hoard PTO without specific plans. You should use at least 50% of your accrued PTO hours each month. If you have "unlimited" PTO, take 2-3 days off per month at minimum. +
- +Turn off work notifications outside of working hours. Alternatively, extinguish all notifications. If this is not possible, ask your employer to adopt "on-call" schedules. +
- +It's easy to get depressed while working from home. It's difficult to find a therapist when you're depressed. To be safe, meet with a therapist monthly, even if you feel fine. +
- +Don't mistake busywork for meaningful output. Treat meetings and messages like wasteful overhead. +
- +Be cordial, but maintain boundaries between personal and work communications. If you want to chat with coworkers, send them friendly messages outside of work channels. And try to keep work gossip out of personal conversations. +
- +Don't greet. Don't ask to ask. Message/call/huddle and they'll respond if they're available. +
- +Divide your physical space into 4 "stations": exercise, sleep, recreation, and creation. +
- +Perform a fake "daily commute". Consider fetching coffee or taking a short walk before you start your day. +
- +Don't feel obligated to enable your camera for video calls. But please be polite with your microphone. +
+embalmed in the blood of the last living pandas
++24-karat-gold coffin encrusted with sapphires
++rocket-powered stretch-limo/hearse/monster-truck powered by high-octane whale-oil
++every United States citizen in the funeral procession motorcade
++six thriving ecosystems replaced by a reasonably-priced parking-lot
++a mile-high concrete tomb erected on sacred lands
++Easter Island heads in the lobby
++adjoining gift-shop with clever screen-printed apparel and surprisingly good coffee
++obituaries read by The Pope and The Dalai Lama and Meghan Markle
++fifty thousand pallbearers with tailored suits
++orphan meat hors d'oeuvres (with genuine wasabi) served to all funeral attendees
++an unprecedented halftime show duet from Bruno Mars and a clone of Elvis Presley
++souvenier travel-cups fashioned from California's oldest sequoias
++nuclear-powered-space-fireworks light the entire earth for hours
++seventy virgins thrown into the volcano
++streamed live to every flat surface in the universe
++all proceeds donated to charity
+]]>const toc = document.getElementById('table-of-contents');
+for (const x of document.querySelectorAll('h2, h3')) {
+ const id = x.innerText.replaceAll(/[^a-z0-9]/gi,'');
+ x.id = id;
+ const item = `<li><a href="#${id}">${x.innerText}</a></li>`;
+ switch (x.tagName.toLowerCase()) {
+ case "h2": toc.insertAdjacentHTML('beforeend', `${item}<ul></ul>`); break;
+ case "h3": [...toc.querySelectorAll('ul')]?.pop()?.insertAdjacentHTML('beforeend', item); break;
+ }
+}+
+Example
++The following markdown...
+# Title
+lorem ipsum
+
+<ul id="table-of-contents"></ul>
+
+## Chapter 1
+lorem ipssum
+
+### Section A
+lorem ipssum
+
+## Chapter 2
+lorem ipssum
+
+### Section B
+lorem ipssum
+
+### Section C
+lorem ipssum+...produces this HTML...
+<h1>Title</h1>
+<p>lorem ipsum</p>
+<ul id="table-of-contents"></ul>
+<h2>Chapter 1</h2>
+<p>lorem ipsum</p>
+<h3>Section A</h3>
+<p>lorem ipsum</p>
+<h2>Chapter 2</h2>
+<p>lorem ipsum</p>
+<h3>Section B</h3>
+<p>lorem ipsum</p>
+<h3>Section C</h3>
+<p>lorem ipsum</p>+...and JS transforms it on page load.
+<h1>Title</h1>
+<p>lorem ipsum</p>
+<ul id="table-of-contents">
+ <li><a href="#chapter1">Chapter 1</a></li>
+ <ul>
+ <li><a href="#sectiona">Section A</a></li>
+ </ul>
+ <li><a href="#chapter2">Chapter 2</a></li>
+ <ul>
+ <li><a href="#sectionb">Section B</a></li>
+ <li><a href="#sectionc">Section C</a></li>
+ </ul>
+</ul>
+<h2 id="chapter1">Chapter 1</h2>
+<p>lorem ipsum</p>
+<h3 id="sectiona">Section A</h3>
+<p>lorem ipsum</p>
+<h2 id="chapter2">Chapter 2</h2>
+<p>lorem ipsum</p>
+<h3 id="sectionb">Section B</h3>
+<p>lorem ipsum</p>
+<h3 id="sectionc">Section C</h3>
+<p>lorem ipsum</p>+Subscribe to Taylor's Town Hall via email.
++Big news first: I'm starting a tech conference for outland-ish ideas!
++Outland 2023 will be on August 26 in Palm Springs, California. It's going to be a blast! Tickets go on sale next month, so sign up for the mailing list. And I've still got a few open slots for speakers, so email me if you know of anybody with outland-ish ideas!
++In other news, I'm allocating 500 hours to learn Spanish. I've already made tremendous progress in ~3 hours, thanks to Paul Noble's audio course.
++I've also started life-coaching strangers! I have no idea what I'm doing, but I feel like I'm making a positive impact. Let me know if you'd like to try a free 12-week life "sprint" with me!
++
+New Writings
+-
+
- +How to Learn a Foreign Language in 500 Hours +
- +How to Cultivate Joy +
- +Deflect External Acceptance +
- +How To Stop Being Fake +
- +Some thoughts on prime numbers +
+
+Open Questions
++If you have questions or answers, send me an e-mail.
+-
+
- +How many engineers should a company hire (given expected profit, project complexity, and risk tolerance)? +
- +I think the tech layoffs were avoidable. To my ignorant mind, the VC growth model seems to poorly allocate labor and capital. Does anybody have any opinions or resources on this? +
- +How many software bugs are caught by staging environments? Are staging environments safety nets that are worth their costs? +
+
+Recommendations
++You may skip to software, books, purchases, images, videos, podcast episodes, or music.
++Software
+-
+
- +rewind.ai: This program records your screen and runs OCR so that you can search everything you do on your computer. It's nifty. +
- +DiffusionBee: Free and easy stable diffusion! +
- +DALL•E (iOS Shortcut): Generate images with DALL•E from an iOS shortcut. I edited this shortcut to automatically copy to my clipboard. +
-
+GPT (iOS Shortcut): Generate GPT text from an iOS shortuct. I edited this shortcut to accept dictation or typed text. Also, make sure to update it to use
da-vinci-003.
+ - +jackMort/ChatGPT.nvim: "a Neovim plugin that allows you to interact with OpenAI's GPT-3 language model" +
- +jameshiew/nvim-magic: "pluggable framework for integrating AI code assistance into Neovim" +
+Books
+-
+
- +★★★★☆ The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson :: If Sanderson's Mistborn is The Chronicles of Narnia, then The Stormlight Archives is The Lord of the Rings. It's magical, political, and finely crafted. Brandon Sanderson knows how to write payoffs. This book alone contains 383,000 words, so clear your schedule before reading. +
- +★★★★★ Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami :: This book should be labeled with an extreme trigger warning. It covers death and sex and more death and more sex and a whole lot of depression. Imagine blending together Catcher in the Rye, The Great Gatsby, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Scott Pilgrim, and a smut novel. I think I learned a lot about selfishness and happiness from this experience. I wish I read this when I was 19. +
- +★★★★☆ Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice :: Imagine The Count of Monte Cristo meets Faust meets Twilight -- it's an epic tale with deep philosophical underpinnings... and vampires! This book is worth reading if you want to dramatically ponder death, love, and evil. +
- +★★★★☆ God's Debris by Scott Adams :: From few axioms, God's Debris forms a surprisingly coherent religion, philosophy of science, and practical life advice; a worthwhile ~90-minute read. +
- +★★★☆☆ The War of Art by Steven Pressfield :: If you need inspiration or a swift kick-in-the-butt, read this book. Since reading, I've been unable to make my usual excuses that divert me from my art and career and health. For me, every page contained a mixture of timeless wisdom and awful advice. This book is overall charming and pragmatic. +
- +★★★★☆ Hyperion by Dan Simmons :: Hyperion is unusually refreshing sci-fi. It's 6-8 interconnected short stories with drama, horror, mystery, and awe. Some sections didn't age well, but the writing is incredible in some parts, and some of its ideas are downright brilliant. +
- +★★★☆☆ Artemis by Andy Weir :: This book is a well-researched sci-fi MacGyver adventure story. It's got great characters and a fast plot. Solid book. +
+Purchases
+-
+
- +peepy +
- +2018 Fuji Touring Bicycle +
- +Align II MIPS helmet (mint) +
- +Arboretum +
- +eyeglass repair kit +
- +clear stadium backpack +
- +clear stadium f*nny pack +
- +colored fuzzy socks +
- +grey fuzzy socks +
- +wooden baby playpen +
- +L-Citrulline Malate Powder +
- +Whey Protein Powder +
- +Micronized Creatine +
- +Continuity Camera Mount for iPhone +
- +tiny waffle iron +
+Images
+-
+
- +very bad cat +
- +tree lights +
- +tiny lion +
- +netflix and meow +
- +texadermy +
- +pensive starfish +
- +raw knees +
- +swiss mac +
- +comfort quest +
- +snout +
- +a stoat observation +
- +sleep at the office +
- +minivan-truck +
- +working under pressure +
- +giant isopods eating doritos +
- +duck pound +
- +tennis leek +
- +very handicapped +
- +equations of anarchy +
+Videos
+-
+
- +Bicycles Don't Need Traffic Lights +
- +Sympawny No.4 (Chubby Cat) +
- +Urbanism: Not Just a Big City Thing! +
- +I Fasted for 5 Days and Walked 7 Hours a Day +
- +Survivor Audition Tapes: The Ultimate Guide +
- +Norm Macdonald's Turtle Joke +
- +RARE Japanese Toshiba Typewriter +
- +Architecture Model Making Tips - Part 2 +
- +Log Cabin Building TIMELAPSE Built by ONE MAN (and Grandson) +
- +Robed 'Wizard' Taunts Police Struggling in Mud +
- +Skiers vs Snowboarders 1985 +
- +The Most Philosophical Video Game Ever Made +
- +My friend and I made up a case and sued each other on Court TV +
- +Making a Game for FIVE Different Consoles +
- +Inside a Floating House Hidden In The Woods +
+Podcast Episodes
+| +★★★ | ++99% Invisible :: A Sea of Yellow | +
| +★★★ | ++Chemistry For Your Life :: Is "dry cleaning" actually dry? | +
| +★★★ | ++Dan Carlin's Hardcore History :: Twilight of the Aesir | +
| +★★★ | ++Deep Questions with Cal Newport :: How Well Are You Living? | +
| +★★★ | ++Deep Questions with Cal Newport :: The Lumberjack Paradox | +
| +★★★ | ++Endless Thread :: Worm Wars | +
| +★★★ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: The Destruction and Rediscovery of Pompeii | +
| +★★★ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: The Passenger Pigeon | +
| +★★★ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: Tokyo Rose & Axis Sally | +
| +★★★ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: Why Does the Year Start on January 1? | +
| +★★★ | ++Software Unscripted :: Bootstrapping a Compiler via WASM with Loris Cro | +
| +★★★ | ++Software Unscripted :: Scaling Slack's Infrastructure | +
| +★★★ | ++The Memory Palace :: Numbers | +
| +★★★ | ++The Memory Palace :: Safe Passage | +
| +★★☆ | ++Chemistry For Your Life :: How do snowflakes form and look so cool? | +
| +★★☆ | ++Conversations with Tyler :: Paul Salopex on Walking the World | +
| +★★☆ | ++Conversations with Tyler :: Rick Rubin on Listening, Taste, and the Act of Noticing | +
| +★★☆ | ++Cortex :: A Barometer of Twitter | +
| +★★☆ | ++Deep Questions with Cal Newport :: Developing Discipline | +
| +★★☆ | ++Deep Questions with Cal Newport :: Escaping Your Tyrannical Inbox | +
| +★★☆ | ++Deep Questions with Cal Newport :: Fight Burnout with Work Cycles | +
| +★★☆ | ++Epic Gardening Daily :: Companion Planting for Pest Management | +
| +★★☆ | ++Epic Gardening Daily :: Companion Planting for Soil Health | +
| +★★☆ | ++Epic Gardening Daily :: Companion Planting for Weed Management | +
| +★★☆ | ++Epic Gardening Daily :: Companion Planting to Improve Pollination | +
| +★★☆ | ++Epic Gardening Daily :: Southern California Gardening | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: Limnic Eruptions: The Rarest Natural Disaster | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: Sherman's March to the Sea | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: Snake Oil | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: The City of Troy and the Trojan War | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: The Carrington Event | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: The Glorious Revolution | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: The Invention of the Airplane | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: The Morgenthau Plan | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: The Statue of Liberty | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: Zeno's Paradoxes | +
| +★★☆ | ++Freakonomics Radio :: Do You Know Who Owns Your Vet? | +
| +★★☆ | ++Freakonomics Radio :: Should You Trust Private Equity to Take Care of Your Dog? | +
| +★★☆ | ++Permaculture Podcast :: Around the World in 80 Plants | +
| +★★☆ | ++Quanta Podcast :: High-Temperature Superconductivity Understood at Last | +
| +★★☆ | ++Radiolab :: Games | +
| +★★☆ | ++Software Unscripted :: Scratch-Building an Operating System with Steve Klabnik | +
| +★★☆ | ++What's Your Problem :: The Fake-Meat Frontier | +
| +★★☆ | ++YAGNI :: Staging servers w/ Justin Duke | +
+Music
+| + | ++ | +
|---|---|
| +★★★★★ | ++Benjamin Alard :: Johann Sebastian Bach: The Complete Works for Keyboard, Vol. 4 "Alla Veneziana" | +
| +★★★★★ | ++Dirty Projectors :: Bitte Orca | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Aesop Rock :: Spirit World Field Guide | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Blümchen :: Herzfrequenz | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Chick Corea :: Light As a Feather | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Deerhoof :: Breakup Song | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Esperanza Spalding :: Emily's D+Evolution | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Glassjaw :: Worship and Tribute | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Jeff Buckley :: Grace | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++MONO :: Rays of Darkness | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Perturbator :: Dangerous Days | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Poil :: Sus | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Quadrupède :: Tobogan | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Russian Circles :: Enter | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++TTNG :: 13.0.0.0.0 | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Wild Nothing :: Nocturne | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Andrea Motis :: Do Outro Lado do Azul | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Flybear :: Soon... - Single | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Helloween :: Helloween | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Kimbra :: Vows | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Niechec :: [Self-Titled] | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Osamu Sato :: LSD Revamped | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Oso Oso :: basking in the glow | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Perturbator :: I Am the Night | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Popol Vuh :: Hosianna Mantra | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Sewerslvt :: if you’re out there i miss you ｡ﾟ･ (>﹏<) ･ﾟ｡ - EP | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++St. Vincent :: MASSEDUCATION | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++The Cabs :: Kaiki Suru Kokyu - EP | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++The Cure :: Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++YURiKA :: TVアニメ「リトルウィッチアカデミア」第2クールオープニングテーマ "Mind Conductor" - EP | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Yung Bae :: Bae | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Akron/Family :: S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Apparatjik :: Square Peg In a Round Hole | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Archaeologist :: Winter's Wake - EP | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Architecture in Helsinki :: Moment Bends | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Boards of Canada :: Geogaddi | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++CHANCE デラソウル :: Virtual Girls Band a.k.A. Sparkle | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Cookiee Kawaii :: Club Soda, Vol. 2 | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Crown the Empire :: The Fallout | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Devendra Banhart :: Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Dirty Projectors :: Lamp Lit Prose | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Eat Your Heart Out :: Mind Games - EP | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Giraffage :: No Reason - EP | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Hella :: There's No 666 in Outer Space | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Horse the Band :: R. Borlax | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++KEN mode :: Success | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++King Mothership :: The Ritual | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Laryssa Okada :: Manifold Garden (Original Soundtrack) | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Leprous :: Aphelion | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Massive Attack :: Mezzanine | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Moon Tooth :: Phototroph | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Morphine :: Good | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Nu:Tone :: Little Spaces | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Orchards :: Lovecore | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Sewerslvt :: Tortvred Lesbians Ripped Apart - EP | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Snail's House :: Alien Pop III - EP | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Startle the Heavens :: Find Yourself Here | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Swod :: Gehen | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++TNGHT :: II | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++The Chicks :: Gaslighter | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++The Frozen Autumn :: Emotional Screening Device | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++The Human Abstract :: Nocturne | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++VersaEmerge :: Fixed At Zero | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Jaejoo Boys :: 유년에게 | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Spiritualized :: Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++The Impossible Nothing :: Rock Beats Giant | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Various Artists :: 13 Ways to Live | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++twenty one pilots :: TOPxMM - EP | +
+
+
+
++Subscribe to Taylor's Town Hall via email.
++++Thirty spokes are joined together in a wheel, +but it is the center hole +that allows the wheel to function.
++We mold clay into a pot, +but it is the emptiness inside +that makes the vessel useful.
++We fashion wood for a house, +but it is the emptiness inside +that makes it livable.
++We work with the substantial, +but the emptiness is what we use.
++
+- +Tao Te Ching
+
+Time-management is futile if you have no time to manage.
++Emptiness makes your calendar useful.
++I've been using my time to create conversation.
++If you haven't heard, I started a tech conference! Outland 2023 tickets go on sale March 1. I'm honestly surprised at how lucky we got with our venue and speaker lineup. Let me know if your company would like information about our sponsor packages.
++My Strange Loop CFP submissions have come together quite nicely. I've been casually writing on a new programming language for the past ~7 years, and am ready to share some insights about writing sharable software. I also drafted lectures about evolutionary computation, distrubted systems architecture, and database optimization -- email me if you know of any good conferences I should put on my radar!
++I've been using my time to create space.
++First, I created space in my home. Marie Kondo is a treasure! I don't think I've ever been so delighted with my closet before.
++Next, I made space in my software. I've obliterated some crusty codebases; fresh starts feel freeing. I've been working on multiple secret projects and writing about my experiences. I can't wait to share some juicy ideas with y'all over the coming months. Check out my now page to get a sense of the impending insanity.
++As I train for the AIDS/Lifecycle (check out my donation page), I'm rediscovering the joy of bicycles! I love feeling one with my machine and exploring my community from a fresh perspective.
++
+Open Questions
++If you have questions or answers, send me an e-mail.
+-
+
- +Any tips/resources on minimalism? I'd like to trim some excess from my life. +
- +How have you been using ChatGPT? Any prompt tips? +
- +Anybody want to sponsor Outland 2023? +
- +I'll be going to Zion National Park in Utah soon! Is there anything I should do while I'm in the area? +
+
+Recommendations
++You may skip to books, people, images, videos, podcast episodes, or music.
++You can also scour my entire history of book reviews and album ratings.
++Books
+-
+
- +★★★★★ The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green :: Painfully human essays; five stars. +
- +★★★☆☆ Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris :: Witty and deeply personal essay collection. Great insights on parenting, grief, pets, language, and addiction. +
- +★★★☆☆ Zero to One by Peter Thiel :: Solid book on the how & why of founding a startup. +
+People
+-
+
- +Brett Bejcek +
- +TyChi +
+Images
+-
+
- +unspeakable creature +
- +corn +
- +bubble wrap bucket hat +
- +elaborate cockroach costume +
- +lego droid crucifixion +
- +backwards hat +
- +ferret wizard +
- +i just noticed the phone in her pocket +
+Videos
+-
+
- +Building a Computer Controlled Loom +
- +Using Dirt to Form Concrete +
- +Good Cop, Bad Cop +
- +A Comparison of Pathfinding Algorithms +
- +A simple water heater is more clever than it seems +
- +Jordan Peterson enlightens Joe Rogan on BIONCLE +
- +Scott Steiner's Math Promo Sacrifice 2008 +
- +NVIDIA's New AI: Nature Videos Will Never Be The Same! +
- +Amsterdam Just Got Awesomer +
- +Sims cat break-dancing +
- +Smoking cigs at 12 +
+Podcast Episodes
+| + | ++ | +
|---|---|
| +★★★ | ++Software Unscripted :: Swift and Unicode API Design with Rob Napier | +
| +★★☆ | ++Deep Questions with Cal Newport :: Abition without Burnout | +
| +★★☆ | ++Deep Questions with Cal Newport :: Is Productivity Overrated? | +
| +★★☆ | ++Epic Gardening Daily :: Intermixing Flowers, Herbs, and Vegetables | +
| +★★☆ | ++Epic Gardening Daily :: Perennial Edibles for the Landscape | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: The Worst Year in History | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: Wu Zetian: China's Only Female Emperor | +
| +★★☆ | ++The Economics of Everyday Things :: My Sharona | +
+Music
+| + | ++ | +
|---|---|
| +★★★★★ | ++A Tribe Called Quest :: We got it from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service | +
| +★★★★★ | ++Sewerslvt :: We Had Good Times Together, Don't Forget That | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Himera :: Sharing Secrets | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Jean-Michel Jarre :: Oxygène | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Nas :: Illmatic | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Soichi Terada :: Ape Escape 3 (Originape Soundtracks) サルゲッチュ3・オリジサル・サウンドトラック | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Crywank :: Fist Me 'Til Your Hand Comes out My Mouth | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Edison Glass :: Time is Fiction | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Evil Needle :: L'Emprise | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Fun. :: Aim and Ignite | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Sufjan Stevens :: A Sun Came | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Anthony Green :: Young Legs | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Fink :: Sort of Revolution | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Snail's House :: Ordinary Songs 3 | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Sweet Trip :: velocity : design : comfort. | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Tommy '86 :: Disco Machine | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++scntfc :: Oxenfree | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++813 :: Espoir Voyage - EP | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Film School :: Hideout | +
+Subscribe to Taylor's Town Hall via email.
++There is nobody to blame out here.
++It's scary stuff. I'm starting a business, and all the failure will be my fault if things go awry.
++To protect friends and family from my business blast-radius, I've been building the smallest valuable version of my idea. If I'm not clearly successful in a few months, I won't let my dreams drag me along.
++My mind makes excuses. It tells me that I'm not prepared and not working hard enough and that the economy is not ready and that nobody will care. It pleads for distraction and comfort. But clocks are not kind to the comfortable.
++I really don't make things easy on myself. Outland 2023 is only 6 months away! Tickets are now on sale, sponsor slots are still available, and speakers will be announced March 31.
++The AIDS/LifeCycle is coming up! I'll be riding my bicycle from SF to LA to raise money. Please donate!
++To avoid training and real work, I distracted myself by updating taylor.town. The typography is much more legible now! I also have a nifty RSS feed! What a waste.
++
+New Writings
++Check out the new RSS feed!
+-
+
- +Don’t Play Near Black Holes +
- +Charts & Checklists for Serious Dreamers +
- +Are You Serious? +
- +Ghost Story +
- +Death in Diapers +
+
+Recommendations
++You may skip to software, books, purchases, images, videos, music, or podcast episodes.
++You can also scour my entire history of book reviews, album ratings, and active podcasts.
++Software
+-
+
- +Reeder 5 :: I tried out all the RSS readers I could find, and this one was by far the best. I'm really impressed by the UI/UX. Artykul is my RSS honorable mention. +
- +VimLike :: This Safari extension adds VIM keybindings to your browser! And it works on iPad! I don't know how anybody tolerates mousing through webpages. +
+Books
+-
+
- +★★★★★ Anything You Want by Derek Sivers :: I adore this short book. Anything You Want celebrates simplicity and sincerity. It reads like a guide to entrepeneurship for Taoists. I've read a lot of business books, and none come close to hitting this hard. Companies forget their customers and drink bureaucratic kool-aid in the pursuit of profits. As I'm starting my own business, I keep coming back to this book to remind me of why I'm doing what I'm doing. +
- +★★☆☆☆ Learned Optimism by Martin E. P. Seligman :: This book has exactly three good observations: (1) optimists attribute permanent causes to good events and temporary causes to bad events, (2) optimism is useful when risk is minimal, and (3) optimism is dangerous in risky situations. Learned Optimism would have been an excellent 250-word book. +
- +★★☆☆☆ To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis :: Witty, but distractingly British. +
- +★★★☆☆ Get In Trouble by Kelly Link :: The Summer People is one of the best short stories I've ever encountered. The other stories in this collection are well-written but failed to hit me in the feels -- intriguing plot premises and a great literary style wasted on young-adult subject matter. +
- +★★★☆☆ Slade House by David Mitchell :: This book is a structural marvel but hollow inside. It gives great pacing with lackluster payoffs. +
- +★★★☆☆ The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath :: This is a must-read for anybody who wants to learn what it's like to have a mental breakdown, or love somebody in a dark place. This book was well-written but too painfully familiar. This book made me sad without being charming or teaching me anything new. It stole from me and gave me nothing in return, but I imagine it has much to give others. +
- +★★☆☆☆ The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons :: This book seemed to have a lot to say. It wanted to be philosophical, it wanted to be adventurous, it wanted to be suspenseful, it wanted to be mysterious, and it wanted to be thought-provoking. But in my opinion, it didn't do a great job at anything in particular. Or maybe its brilliance was wasted on me. +
+Purchases
++I'm still preparing for my big ride. I purchased cycling shoes, shorts, and a jersey.
++Oh and fire season is almost upon us! Be safe and make sure you have active fire extinguishers. Fire extinguishers need to be serviced or replaced every ~6 years.
++Images
+-
+
- +★ zoomer exodia +
- +guac doll +
- +meat curtain +
- +are you flirting with me? +
- +shakira at age 43 +
- +vibing with my cat +
- +*lives an easier life* +
- +very special cigarette +
+Videos
++Deep:
+-
+
- +★ I think about this clip every day when I get home from work... +
- +Words to Live By: Nathan Fielder +
+Hottakes:
+ ++Interesting:
+-
+
- +★ Vegan diets don't work. Here's why +
- +★ How to turn your Neighborhood into a Village +
- +★ Amazing Invention- This Drone Will Change Everything +
- +The History of Super Mario Bros 3 100% World Records +
- +Knowledge Based Games, and Why You Should Play Them +
- +Alphabet Aerobics - CARTOON IMPRESSIONS RAP (take 2) +
- +These Stupid Trucks are Literally Killing Us +
- +Bed Bugs- What You've Been Told is Totally False +
- +design concrete chair +
- +"Clean" Code, Horrible Performance +
- +Introducing... ✨CHOMPI✨ +
+Funny:
+-
+
- +★ Frog speaking chinese meme +
- +space jam dvd +
- +walter white refuses to help goku with the spirit bomb +
- +apple bottom jeans boots with the jeans +
- +YOU WANT JAZZ? +
- +quiet dinner party +
- +marge simpson as the godfather +
- +Cat breakdancing, but the girl breakdances too +
- +Carl Wheezer - Glimpse of Us (Croissant Remix) +
+Music
+| + | ++ | +
|---|---|
| +★★★★☆ | ++Chilly Gonzales :: Solo Piano II | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Lxmp :: Back To The Future Shock | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band :: Safe As Milk | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Death Cab for Cutie :: Plans | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Ni :: Les insurgés de Romilly | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Owl City :: Of June | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Shohei Amimori :: Sonasile | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Spangle Call Lilli Line :: Ampersand | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++graves :: Hilo - EP | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Eat Your Heart Out :: Can't Stay Forever | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++JVNA :: Hope In Chaos | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Nu:Tone :: Words and Pictures | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Sia :: This Is Acting | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Tokyo Black Hole :: 大森靖子 | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Yeah Yeah Yeahs :: It's Blitz! | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Charisma.com :: DIStopping | +
+Podcast Episodes
+| + | ++ | +
|---|---|
| +★★★ | ++99% Invisible :: The Day the Music Stopped | +
| +★★★ | ++Cautionary Tales :: The Hero Who Rode His Segway Off a Cliff | +
| +★★★ | ++Cautionary Tales :: The Mummy's Curse | +
| +★★★ | ++Chemistry for Your Life :: How does baking soda eliminate odors? | +
| +★★★ | ++Chemistry for Your Life :: Is freezing point actually real? | +
| +★★★ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: Nanotechnology | +
| +★★★ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: Siege of Baghdad | +
| +★★★ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: The Most Important Supermarket Visit in History | +
| +★★★ | ++Planet Money :: Hollywood's Black List | +
| +★★★ | ++Planet Money :: The ice cream conspiracy | +
| +★★★ | ++Planet Money :: The value of good teeth | +
| +★★★ | ++Radiolab :: Crabs All the Way Down | +
| +★★★ | ++Radiolab :: Golden Goose | +
| +★★★ | ++Radiolab :: The Trust Engineers | +
| +★★☆ | ++99% Invisible :: Orange Alternative | +
| +★★☆ | ++99% Invisible :: RoboUmp | +
| +★★☆ | ++Chemistry for Your Life :: Are candles toxic? | +
| +★★☆ | ++Conversations with Tyler :: Brad DeLong | +
| +★★☆ | ++Conversations with Tyler :: Glenn Loury | +
| +★★☆ | ++Conversations with Tyler :: Yasheng Huang | +
| +★★☆ | ++Cortex :: The Perils of Being Left-Handed | +
| +★★☆ | ++Deep Questions with Cal Newport :: Reimagining the Internet | +
| +★★☆ | ++Deep Questions with Cal Newport :: The Joys of the Reading Life | +
| +★★☆ | ++Epic Gardening Daily :: Greenhouses & Geothermal Heating | +
| +★★☆ | ++Epic Gardening Daily :: Uncommon Fruits to Try Growing | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: Artificial Sweeteners | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: Out of Africa | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: The First Battle of The Marne | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: The History of the Compass | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: Vitamin D | +
| +★★☆ | ++Planet Money :: Meow Money Meow Problems | +
| +★★☆ | ++Planet Money :: Seinfeld-onomics | +
| +★★☆ | ++Radiolab :: Bliss | +
| +★★☆ | ++Software Unscripted :: The Rust + Elm Stack | +
| +★★☆ | ++Story of the Week :: The New Etiquette Rules | +
| +★★☆ | ++Strong Towns :: The Property Tax System is Broken | +
| +★★☆ | ++The Economics of Everyday Things :: Used Hotel Soaps | +
| +★★☆ | ++The Memory Palace :: Every Night Ever | +
| +★★☆ | ++What's Your Problem? :: Creating the Uncrashable Car | +
| +★★☆ | ++What's Your Problem? :: The Electric Truck That Went Viral on TikTok | +
| +★★☆ | ++What's Your Problem? :: Turning Garbage Into Food | +
+Subscribe to Taylor's Town Hall via email.
++Last week, plague entered my home like an unwelcome relative.
++"It's been a while, Illness."
++The fog lifts. I see mountains.
++I'll be bicycling 545 miles this June! To support my ride, donate $25 to fight HIV/AIDS.
++Outland ambles ever closer! +We've secured incredible speakers this year. +Ask your boss to buy your ticket or sponsor the event.
++For the next 30 days, I'll be focusing on my business venture. +If I can't complete my MVP by May 1, I'll abandon the dream. +Wish me luck!
++The air is nice up here.
++
+New Writings
+ ++
+Recommendations
++You may skip to software, books, images, videos, podcast episodes, or music.
++You can also scour my entire history of book reviews, album ratings, and active podcasts.
++Software
+-
+
- +Apple Music Classical :: Classical music feels like a second-class citizen on most streaming services. The new app is gorgeous and seamlessly picked up my existing classical library. +
- +Kill the Newsletter :: A simple service to convert email newsletters into RSS feeds. It's free, so consider donating. +
+Books
+-
+
- +★★★★★ A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole :: Nutty Professor meets Don Quixote meets Infinite Jest. A literary landmark ahead of its time. +
- +★★☆☆☆ Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding :: An endearing read about the difficulties of young adult life and womanhood in the modern era. Contains great tongue-in-cheek commentaries on health, feminism, egotism, and addiction. +
- +★★☆☆☆ Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan :: It's a charming adventure/fantasy story with good characters and cool magic -- nothing revolutionary. +
+Images
+-
+
- +★ yikes +
- +waist time +
- +rare hollywood sign +
- +shoes off the counter +
- +neil degrasse DIEson +
- +pantone typewriter +
- +it's called fashion +
+Videos
+-
+
- +★ This Tiny Island has Insane Traffic +
- +★ Moebius-style 3D Rendering | Useless Game Dev +
- +★ Beyond Functional Programming: The Verse Programming Language (Simom Peyton Jones) +
- +when christopher nolan makes a "small" movie +
- +Dylan drops a literal Nuke +
- +God, please not Italy or Austria. +
- +The lower rungs on the economic ladder are gone +
- +The Future is a Dead Mall - Decentraland and the Metaverse +
+Music
+| +★★★★☆ | ++Caroline Polachek :: Pang | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Talking Heads :: Talking Heads: 77 | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Daphne Loves Derby :: On The Strength Of Everybody Convinced | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Mammal Hands :: Shadow Work | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++The Weepies :: Sirens | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Sleep Token :: This Place Will Become Your Tomb | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++ZOMBIE-CHANG :: STRESS de STRESS | +
+Podcast Episodes
+| + | ++ | +
|---|---|
| +★★★ | ++99% Invisible :: A Whale-Oiled Machine | +
| +★★★ | ++99% Invisible :: The Wilderness Tool | +
| +★★★ | ++Cautionary Tales :: La La Land: Galileo's Warning | +
| +★★★ | ++Cautionary Tales :: Office Hell: The Demise of the Playful Workspace | +
| +★★★ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: Alcohol in Early America | +
| +★★★ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: Sun Yat-sen | +
| +★★★ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: The Cuban Missile Crisis | +
| +★★★ | ++Planet Money :: Dude, where's my streaming TV show? | +
| +★★★ | ++Radiolab :: Alone Enough | +
| +★★★ | ++Radiolab :: Apologetical | +
| +★★★ | ++Radiolab :: Buttons Not Buttons | +
| +★★★ | ++The Memory Palace :: Mary Walker Would Wear what she Wanted | +
| +★★☆ | ++99% Invisible :: The Panopticon Effect | +
| +★★☆ | ++Articles of Interest :: The Clueless Closet | +
| +★★☆ | ++Conversations with Tyler :: Tom Holland on History, Christianity, and the Value of the Countryside | +
| +★★☆ | ++Deep Questions with Cal Newport :: The Virality Trap | +
| +★★☆ | ++Endless Thread :: Pawn Man | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: A Brief History of Paper | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: Chickens | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: Libraries | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: The 1964 Alaska Earthquake | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: The Amazon River | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: The Legend of Harry Houdini | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: The Marginal Revolution | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: The National Park System: America's Best Idea | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: The Origins of Rock and Roll | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: The Panama Canal | +
| +★★☆ | ++Freakonomics :: "Insurance Is Sexy." Discuss. | +
| +★★☆ | ++Freakonomics :: Why Are There So Many Bad Bosses? | +
| +★★☆ | ++Imaginary Worlds :: 100 Years of Weird Tales | +
| +★★☆ | ++Quanta Science Podcast :: How Supergenes Fuel Evolution Despite Harmful Mutations | +
| +★★☆ | ++Software Unscripted :: Speeding up Rust's Compiler | +
| +★★☆ | ++Strong Towns :: Growth Through Destruction | +
| +★★☆ | ++What's Your Problem? :: Problems Solved: Drones, Bananas and Real Estate* | +
| +★★☆ | ++What's Your Problem? :: Tiny Chips, Giant Stakes | +
+Subscribe to Taylor's Town Hall via email.
++Listening is a skill.
++To digest and reflect your universe is no small feat.
++Let curiosity guide you.
++Watch your mind. +It compels itself to spread and share. +Your thoughts clamor for recognition.
++Your heart leaps on stage to put its depth on display. +Do they understand? Do they really understand?
++To become a listener, wrest attention from yourself. +Observe that others yearn for the same spotlight. +Encourage and applaud all efforts. +Be a good audience; enjoy the show.
++
+Open Questions
++If you have questions or answers, send me an e-mail.
+-
+
- +Do you have any unpopular opinions? I'd love to hear them! +
- +Any tips for creating a pitch deck and talking to investors? I'm going to be chatting with lots of VCs over the next few weeks. +
- +I'm helping a friend out with a hairy authorship identification problem. Any tips/resources for advanced text analysis? +
- +What are some common beliefs in software engineering that are untrue? +
+
+scrapscript
++I designed a new programming language!
++Scrapscript is a tiny functional language for sharable software.
++I think I stumbled upon some cool new ideas, so let me know what you think!
++
+New Writings
+-
+
- +Bananas Will Become Smartphones +
- +Tools & Techniques for AR/VR Media +
- +Taylor’s Delights +
- +I never want to be 93 years old +
- +Taylor’s Media Criticism System +
- +Good Art is Commonplace +
- +Slay Dragon Before Reorganizing Closet +
- +Say “quadyssey”, not “quadrilogy”. +
+
+Recommendations
++You may skip to shows, books, purchases, web media, images, videos, podcast episodes, or music.
++You can also scour my entire history of book reviews, album ratings, and active podcasts.
++Shows
+-
+
- +Oshi no Ko :: This anime is bonkers. The internet is abuzz with this show right now, so avoid spoilers. Go into the 90-minute premiere completely blind. +
+Books
+-
+
- +★★★★★ How We Got To Now by Steven Johnson :: This book is the best kinds of entertaining and informative. Six threads of technological history demonstrate the interconnectedness of ideas. It's a refreshing take on inevitable innovation. +
- +★★★☆☆ The Walking Man by Jiro Taniguchi :: Short manga stories about the experience of living. Breathtaking artwork in some parts. Inspired me to get drenched and walk barefoot more often. +
- +★★☆☆☆ The Wintringham Mystery by Anthony Berkeley :: Clever mystery, but ultimately soulless. +
- +★★★★★ Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin :: Deep and emotional and insightful. A love letter to love in the language of game design. This book oozes "millennial", and that's a surprisingly good thing. It feels like classic literature written yesterday. +
+Web Media
+-
+
- +★ Design has a language +
- +Avoiding food waste confusion +
- +At what rate should we tax AI workers? +
- +New York City fact of the day +
- +Strong and Weak Link Problems and the Value of Peer Review +
- +Quick Prompt: Kitchen Design +
- +The case for nurse practitioners +
- +(1986) Japanese Commercials +
- +Dripbook +
- +Two kinds of salad +
- +Replacing bad systems with bad systems +
- +AI tutors will be held back by culture +
- +Leverage is brittle +
+Images
+-
+
- +★ cat caught on thermal camera +
- +lots of apples +
- +love piss +
- +concrete evidence +
- +crab stencil +
- +furbiest +
- +ratatouille +
- +satanic addiction +
- +fps crossstitch +
- +suburban estate +
- +attack on titan craft +
- +dog with broccoli +
- +get your head out of the locker +
- +soup of the day +
+Videos
+-
+
- +★ I Built a Robot to Paint Expensive Art +
- +★ DOES YOUR FLAG FAIL? Grey Grades The State Flags! +
- +★ "Applebees Salads Are Full Of Cut Off Fingers" Nasty Lost News Story 2005 (ABC) Inside Edition +
- +Adriano Celentano - Prisencolinensinainciusol +
- +Boy Meets World but it's midwest emo +
- +Lego anything with this NEW Blender geometry nodes feature +
- +Norm Macdonald Controversial Statement +
- +Reviewbrah but it’s a Midwest Emo intro +
- +Seth Rogen Reveals Why He Smokes Weed ‘All Day, Every Single Day’ +
- +The Unrecord Gameplay Looks Unbelievable... So We Played The UE5 Demo Level +
- +When Jungle/DnB Music Dominated Video Games: A Brief Retrospective +
- +Why You NEED these Overengineered Japanese Office Supplies! 📋✨ +
- +You have chosen to save the OuiOuis and hit Luigi +
+Podcast Episodes
+| + | ++ | +
|---|---|
| +★★★ | ++Radiolab :: The Good Samaritan | +
| +★★☆ | ++Cautionary Tales :: The Vigilante and the Air Traffic Controller | +
| +★★☆ | ++Deep Questions with Cal Newport :: The Simple Life | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: April Fool's Day | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: Han van Meegeren: Forgery as an Art Form | +
| +★★☆ | ++Everything Everywhere Daily :: The World's Greatest Wagers | +
| +★★☆ | ++Hardcore History Addendum :: The Long View | +
| +★★☆ | ++Intelligence Squared :: Daniel Dennett on Tools to Transform our Thinking | +
| +★★☆ | ++Intelligence Squared :: Western Parents Don't Know How to Bring Up Their Children | +
| +★★☆ | ++Planet Money :: The safety net for banks | +
| +★★☆ | ++The Joy of Why :: Is There Math Beyond the Equal Sign | +
| +★★☆ | ++What's Your Problem? :: Human Bones, Made in the Lab | +
+Music
+| + | ++ | +
|---|---|
| +★★★★★ | ++Edger Meyer & Chris Thile :: Bass & Mandolin | +
| +★★★★★ | ++My Chemical Romance :: Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++August Burns Red :: Constellations | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Deas Vail :: All the Houses Look the Same | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Deerhoof :: Future Teenage Cave Artists | +
| +★★★★☆ | ++Vylet Pony :: Queen of Misfits | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Charli XCX :: Number 1 Angel | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Katia & Marielle Labèque :: Minimalist Dream House | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Magalena Bay :: mini mix vol. 1 | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Melt-Banana :: Cell-Scape | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Daphne Loves Derby :: Good Night, Witness Light | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Dogleg :: Melee | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Eat Your Heart Out :: Florescence | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++GFOTY & Spinee :: Dog Food | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Good Old War :: Come Back As Rain | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Jazmine Sullivan :: Heaux Tales | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Mux Mool :: Skulltaste | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++ODESZA :: In Return | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++PJ Harvey :: Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Ray Toro :: Remember the Laughter | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Redinho :: Redinho | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Sparks the Rescue :: The Secrets We Can't Keep - EP | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Sweet Trip :: Seen/Unseen | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Tennyson :: Tennyson | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Kensington :: Borders | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Lainey Wilson :: Sayin' What I'm Thinkin' | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Sentimental Scenery :: There Is Nowhere Else In The World | +
+Subscribe to Taylor's Town Hall via email.
++Clover. Mint, marjoram, echinecha, sage. Pumpkin, cucumber, sunflower, +cantaloupe.
++Sowing seeds is safe nowadays. Attempts are cheap, easy, and riskless.
++I'm not sure if I'm getting good in the garden, but soil feels nice between my +fingers.
++Learning demands feedback. In gardens, experiments take months (or years) to +resolve.
++I see seeds everywhere now. Social seeds, business seeds, health seeds, etc. -- +riskless projects demanding small periodic efforts.
++Last season's seeds are sprouting. My September sobriety seed is fruiting extra +time, better health, and deeper joys. And Spring is bringing the early +cotyledons of +Outland, scrapscript, and my +entrepeneurship project.
++Sometimes long work is more valuable than hard work.
++
+Bay Area Meetup
++I'll be visiting the Bay Area from May 30 to June 2! +Let me know if you'd like to meet up. I'm hoping to +get a group together for pinball.
++
+New Writings
+-
+
- +☆ Candid Culture +
- +Claim a Domain in the Wet Web +
- +AR Demands Peripherals +
- +Monomode & Multimode in Augmented Reality +
- +AR Interoperability Opportunities +
- +Apple Will Win The AR/VR Wars +
- +Lifestyle Design (from First Principles) +
- +Tiny Table-of-Contents JS Snippet +
- +Case Study: Taylor’s Lifestyle Design +
+
+Recommendations
++You may skip to software, books, purchases, +images, videos, or music.
++You can also scour my entire history of book reviews, +album ratings, and active podcasts.
++Software
+-
+
- +fdbq: an elegant query language for +FoundationDB +
- +ChatGPT: finally +a native OpenAI iOS app +
- +typescale: beautiful useful CSS typography tool +
+Purchases
+-
+
- +13,300+ Vegetable Seeds NON-GMO 33 Pack Variety +
- +Orbit Impact Sprinkler +
- +Sharpie Permanent Markers, Ultra Fine Point +
- +PerioMed 0.63% Stannous Fluoride Oral Rinse +
+Books
+-
+
- +★★★☆☆ This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone +:: Borderline pretentious but short, beautiful, and entertaining. +
- +★★★★☆ The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion :: Delightful romance story from +the perspective of an autistic man. +
- +★★★★☆ The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by +Jonas Jonasson :: An irreverent Forrest Gump story. Incredible comedic +payoffs. Required reading for rascals. +
- +★★★★★ Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut :: A wacky book about crazy +people for crazy people by crazy people. It's Vonnegut's incisive alien wit at +its best. +
- +★★★★☆ The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams :: Classic, +clever comedy. +
- +★★★☆☆ Baby-Led Feeding by Jenna Helwig :: This book details how and why to +transition babies to solids early. It provides helpful guidance on safety and +nutrition. The book comprises mostly simple recipes that seem tasty enough for +adults and babies to share. +
- +★★☆☆☆ Tell Me No Lies by Bader, Pearson, Schwartz :: Wading through pages of +filler to find a few worthwhile gems about lies in relationships. Sam Harris's +short treatise on lying is a more potent and practical read. +
- +★★★★☆ Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown :: An engaging encyclopedia of +emotions. +
- +★★★★★ Exhalation: Stories by Ted Chiang :: A provocative short story +collection about humans and technology. Each story will leave a lasting impact +on how I see the world. Highly, highly recommended. +
- +★★★★☆ The One-Straw Revolution by Masanobu Fukuoka :: Human hubris knows no +bounds. This book spurns modernity. It's a charming case against science, +technology, and progress. The pursuit of comfort makes life untenable. +
+Music
+| + | ++ | +
|---|---|
| +★★★★☆ | ++Ape Escape,Soichi Terada :: Ape Escape Originape Soundtracks / サルゲッチュ・オリジサル・サウンドトラック | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Sound of Ceres :: The Twin | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++KOTONOHOUSE :: Synchronicity | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Jay Som :: Everybody Works | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++kz(livetune) • NARASAKI • WATCHMAN • コジマミノリ :: TVアニメ「BEATLESS」オリジナルサウンドトラック | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Owls :: Our Hopes and Dreams | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Lucybell :: Lumina | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Chet Porter :: Intermission Broadcast (DJ Mix) | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Perma :: Fight Fair | +
+Images
+-
+
- +☆ bofa fire painting +
- +☆ 33 years old +
- +☆ parfum d'whatsapp +
- +☆ blurry tattoo +
- +☆ shaggy this isn't weed +
- +mandog +
- +big banana +
- +waffle barbie +
- +doglegs +
- +deep horse +
- +vigilante parking justice +
- +biblically-realistic furby +
- +never date a worm +
- +jail :( +
- +4x girlfriend +
- +am i stupid +
- +udder killing machine +
- +circumcision +
- +big prs +
- +programming is chaotic magic +
- +skeletal fashion +
+Videos
+-
+
- +☆ Spider-man 3 farm jump with Scooby Doo Laugh +
- +☆ +2 Hamsters 1 Wheel - Interstellar +
- +☆ +when the organist makes you believe in god +
- +☆ +is this what musical gore sounds like? +
- +This magic trick +
- +Biden blast +
- +How a 23-Year-Old Solved Urban Sprawl +
- +Introducing Nopia +
- +DOMi & JD BECK: Tiny Desk Concert +
- +Ascending Seal +
- +Driving to the banana store +
- +Hey guys I’m in New York just hanging out +
- +Inside An Architectural Farm House with A Luscious Internal Garden (House Tour) +
- +Japanese Foundation Structure Explained! - Dodai (土台) - Setting up the Dodai (Foundation Beams) +
- +Danny Brown - Ain't It Funny (Official Video, dir. Jonah Hill) +
- +I DON'T WANT PEACE, I WANT PROBLEMS ALWAYS +
- +You can't grow concrete +
- +I'm The President - KNOWER +
- +people say that time heals all wounds +
- +Bodies (Drowning Pool) - Kids' Edition +
- +Nichijou - My Ordinary Life – Principal Vs. Deer +
- +when you hire a genius to compose your movie score +
- +Inside A Stunning 1970s Clifftop House: Restoration Project with Connection to Nature (House Tour) +
+Subscribe to Taylor's Town Hall via email.
++Last week I completed a +550-mile bicycle ride. It was +hard yet rewarding.
++For those who've been waiting, my +nowify rewrite is officially public! +It's in really rough condition, but I'd love to hear your initial thoughts.
++Anyway, I have a lot on my mind, but not much to say. My life is full and +wonderful right now. Gravity is an ally when riding downhill.
++Feel free to email me if you've got any major life +updates. Consider sending me the best photo you've taken in the last month!
++
+New Writings
+-
+
- +☆ Hogwarts had a Cafetorium? +
- +☆ +they trap you in meetings because you do stupid shit +
- +i pretended that i didn’t know any better +
- +☆ IKEA-Oriented Development +
- +☆ 11 Ways to Shave a Yak +
- +☆ Weeds & Bozo Explosions +
- +Nextdoor’s Heisensubscribe (And Other Dark Patterns) +
- +Put Your Reputation on the Deadline +
- +Why I Use Elm in 2023 +
- +Self-Host Blog Images in Two Lines of Bash +
+
+Recommendations
++You may skip to books, images, videos, or +music.
++You can also scour my entire history of book reviews, +album ratings, and active podcasts. You may also want to +read about my rating system.
++Music
+| + | ++ | +
|---|---|
| +★★★★☆ | ++COVET :: effloresce | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Swimming With Dolphins :: Water Colours | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Sound of Ceres :: The Twin | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Iglooghost :: Lei Disk 「Radio•Broadcast」 | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Tomggg :: Unbalance - EP | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++The Candlepark Stars :: Shimmer and Gold | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Redinho :: Finally We're Alone | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++PeanutsKun :: Walk Through the Stars | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Machinedrum :: Many Faces | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Lights :: Little Machines | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Drive Like Jehu :: Yank Crime | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Cartel :: Cycles | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Feu! Chatterton :: Palais d'argile | +
+Books
+-
+
- +☆☆☆☆☆ White Noise by Don DeLillo :: This book produces a cool metanarrative +about finding meaning amongst noise. It also made me chuckle in quite a few +parts. I really liked the characterization of the main couple; despite its +humorous takes, I think the story displays a lot of elements of a realistic +healthy relationship. I only read one third of this book, because I'm a bit +burnt out on modern/postmodern literature right now. It seems worth another +try at some point in the future though. +
- +★★★★★ The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck :: This book is a passionate +exploration of United States' culture. It brilliantly covers capitalism, +hunger, determination, distance, inequality, crime, family, and xenophobia. I +also loved the poetic flourishes littered throughout the story. The world +would probably be a kinder place if everybody read this book. +
- +★★★★☆ A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders :: A collection of +engaging short stories with helpful analyses and writing advice. The audiobook +is read by an incredible cast: +George Saunders, +Phylicia Rashad, +Nick Offerman, +Glenn Close, +Keith David, +Rainn Wilson, +BD Wong, +and +Renée Elise Goldsberry. +
- +★★☆☆☆ The Black Prism by Brent Weeks :: Decent fantasy story with a +compelling hard magic system based on the light spectrum. +
- +★★☆☆☆ Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle :: An +extraordinary number of people hope for the world to end in their lifetimes. +
+Videos
+-
+
- +☆ Best of Opossum Lady +
- +☆ +POV: He fell asleep first at the sleepover 😂😂😂 +
- +☆ +Frank Sinatra sings Lil Jon’s “Get Low” (AI Cover) +
- +☆ Country roads let'sa go +
- +☆ +1 Hour Of Silence occasionally broken up by Lego Yoda death sound. +
- +☆ +Metal Pipe Falling in 6 different languages +
- +☆ +OK Nintendo 64 (Radiohead - OK Computer / N64 Soundfonts) +
- +☆ Party in the USSR +
- +A Day at the Beach: Roaring 20s Footage Restored to Life +
- +Frog Concert - Slumbering Sounds of the Frog Fellowship (2023) (Comfy Synth, Experimental Synth) +
- +Squirrel with a Gun - Official Trailer - Summer of Gaming 2023 +
- +Björk... +
- +Sliding home enlarges with railed-walls, underfloor bed & tub reveal +
- +No darling, it's not pomegranate. +
- +Nickelback and Ray Charles were not supposed to mix this well +
- +bionicle: choking hazard royale +
- +Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro Is a Perfect Movie, and Here's Why +
- +Tame Impala - The Less I Know the Better (Super Mario 64 Remix) +
- +I put a bit of wine in it [Original] +
- +"I'm a Barbie girl" but it's a three voice fugue! 🎹 🎤 - Josep Castanyer Alonso +
- +Inside a Breathtaking Desert Mansion That Looks Like A Fossil - Unique Spaces - Architectural Digest +
- +10 Hours of Opossums Eating Bananas +
- +Crash The Car - KNOWER +
- +eggdog hula hoop +
- +Why Do Movies Feel So Different Now? +
- +Louis ck on russia and russian people +
- +Living in a Work of Art: Inside an Iconic Monolithic Home Designed by Architect Owners (House Tour) +
- +Harkness Insurance +
- +every cigarette takes 17 minutes off of your life, every slice of bacon takes 9 minutes +
+Images
+
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+ 
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+
++Subscribe to Taylor's Town Hall via email.
++P.S. If you want to hear what my voice sounds like, check out +my recent Changelog interview!
++Guess what? You can slap a +WONTFIX on b*llshit +whenever you want.
++"I should text that dude that I met in SF. But I don't need more friends right +now. WONTFIX."
++"I should finish the project I started. But I'm bored of it. WONTFIX."
++"I should go to my grandma's birthday party. But she's not particularly fond +of me. WONTFIX."
++Learn to say "no". Set boundaries. Deny obligations. Dismiss friends and +conventions and dreams and expectations. If somebody demands too much of you, +you can WONTFIX that entire relationship out of existence.
++Your time is scarce; nobody can guard it but you.
++But don't stop there! Protect your time from yourself. Don't squander your +life on sidequests.
++Consider your to-do lists, wish lists, bucket lists, etc. -- what tasks will +matter in 5 weeks? 5 months? 5 years?
++Do things that matter.
++What would be wonderful?
++Projects
+-
+
- +published the scrapscript guide +
- +launched scrapscript community +
- +made WorstPress +
- +built blogs.hn +
+Writings
+-
+
- +☆ When to Build Millennia Sewers +
- +☆ No More Bargain-Bin Kisses +
- +I wasn’t ready to start a tech conference +
+Recommendations
++You can also scour my entire history of book reviews, +album ratings, and active podcasts. You may also want to +read about my rating system.
++Music
+| + | ++ | +
|---|---|
| +★★★★★ | ++JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown :: SCARING THE HOES | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Simon & Garfunkel :: Sounds Of Silence | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Pinback :: Autumn of the Seraphs | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Home Is Where :: I Became Birds - EP | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Brett Dennen :: So Much More | +
+Books
+-
+
- +★★☆☆☆ Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami :: I totally get that this book +is subtle and clever, but sorry, it didn't really make feel anything. And the +sheer volume of media references made me feel like I was reading Ready Player +One for self-aggrandized Mensa members. The +19-year-old-philosophy-student-sex-scene from Kafka on the Shore embodies +much of Murakami: pretentious, captivating, and horny. +
- +★★★★☆ A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman :: Heart-warming dark comedy about +a grumpy old man who wants to die. +
- +★★★★☆ Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu :: Great short story collection exploring +China, technology, and the power of words. +
+Videos
+-
+
- +☆ +DOMi & JD Beck - The Flintstones Theme - 10/12/19 - at Blue Note NYC +
- +☆ +Shawn Douglas - Nanoscale Instruments for Visualizing Small Proteins & Bret Victor - Dynamicland +
- +Ólafur Arnalds live from Hafursey, in Iceland for Cercle +
- +Christian Schafmeister | Atomically Precise Catalysts +
- +here comes the boy (transcribed) +
- +Soup Luncher +
- +That's not my problem, it's your's. +
- +standing here i realise +
- +monkey with guts theme +
- +THE LAST DREAM HANDS +
- +All of the pipe sounds ASMR good for sleeping +
- +Goodnight!.... No! AAAHYE, AHHYE! +
- +Extreme Japanese Tire Ski Jump Rolling +
- +This is serious we could make you delirious +
- +Caroline Polachek - Full Performance (Live on KEXP) +
- +Inside A Super Yacht Designed For And By An Architect (Yacht Tour) +
- +Country Roads Let's-a-go (Better version) +
+Subscribe to Taylor's Town Hall via email.
++Judgement Day flooded our household -- an insect apocalypse! We fumigated our +home after a long battle with termites, mice, and carpenter bees. Honey now +drips from the ceiling in our bedroom. I'm not joking.
++Yet pests remain. Trifles gnaw at my discipline. The Internet™ vies for my +attention. Ego and self-doubt battle for my mind. Ephemera eats my time.
++Your skull cannot be tented nor fumigated. Reduce distractions; insulate your +attention. Rid yourself of negativity; don't let mind mold fester. Take your +trash out; get a therapist. Proactively prevent pests from getting in your head.
++
+New Writings
+-
+
- +☆ Spoil Your Secret Sauce +
- +☆ Things That Outlive Fancy Rats +
- +Rucking with Children +
- +How to Coast with Corporate Camouflage +
- +Productize Yourself + +
+
+Recommendations
++You may skip to books, images, videos, +podcast, or music.
++You can also scour my entire history of book reviews, +album ratings, and active podcasts. You may also want to +read about my rating system.
++Podcasts
+-
+
- +Deep Questions with Cal Newport +
- +Software Unscripted +
- +Everything Everywhere Daily +
- +Radiolab +
- +Planet Money +
- +99% Invisible +
- +Memory Palace +
- +Twenty Thousand Hertz +
- +Conversations with Tyler +
- +Joy of Why +
+Books
+| + | ++ | ++ | +
|---|---|---|
| +review | ++★★★☆☆ | ++Last Argument of Kings :: Joe Abercrombie | +
| +review | ++★★☆☆☆ | ++Before They Are Hanged :: Joe Abercrombie | +
| +review | ++★★★☆☆ | ++The Blade Itself :: Joe Abercrombie | +
| +review | ++★☆☆☆☆ | ++Company of One :: Paul Jarvis | +
| +review | ++★★☆☆☆ | ++Fair Play :: Eve Rodsky | +
| +review | ++★★☆☆☆ | ++Station Eleven :: Emily St. John Mandel | +
| +review | ++★★★☆☆ | ++We Are Never Meeting in Real Life :: Samantha Irby | +
| +review | ++★★★★☆ | ++Story of Your Life and Others :: Ted Chiang | +
+Music
+| + | ++ | +
|---|---|
| +★★★★☆ | ++The Smiths :: Hatful of Hollow | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++The Olivia Tremor Control :: Black Foliage: Animation Music | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Regal Lily :: The Post | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Into It. Over It. :: Proper | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Arca :: KiCk i | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++Anomalie :: Métropole, Pt. II | +
| +★★★☆☆ | ++A Skylit Drive :: She Watched The Sky | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Sonata Arctica :: Winterheart's Guild | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Menomena :: Friend and Foe | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Emily Keener :: I Do Not Have To Be Good | +
| +★★☆☆☆ | ++Elephant Gym :: Under Water | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Perfume :: Cosmic Explorer | +
| +★☆☆☆☆ | ++Panic! At the Disco :: Vices & Virtues | +
+Videos
+-
+
- +☆ +Monty Python - Seduced Milkmen +
- +☆ John I Want a Divorce +
- +☆ +I watched every Fast and Furious movie to answer this question.... +
- +☆ Oh look a civilian airliner +
- +☆ My salami is still alive +
- +☆ I'm a rat, I ain't no snitch +
- +Can American Cities Save Themselves? This One Thinks So. +
- +The Minneapolis Police: A Criminal Organization +
- +Designing Urban Places that Don't Suck +
- +Una Casa Brutalista Enterrada En Una Colina | OPEN PLAN | House Tour +
- +Webinar™ - w w w . d e e p d i v e . c o m +
- +Run tew yew +
- +Love Parade Berlin 1997 +
- +Hair Growth Time-lapse - 2 Years +
- +The first time marmot bathed with a brush +
- +I'll Sing Your Song (Hatsune Miku Barbershop Quartet) +
- +Combining Two LEGO Botanical Gardens for the ULTIMATE Modular Building! +
- +Absolutely Painful: Curved LEGO Tram Tracks... Lego City Update +
- +Ether/Or — The story of black holes, and how I temporarily lost my mind over an Amazon review +
- +American Football - Never Meant (Sewerslvt and Sadfem Remix) +
- +Analyzing Björk's HUNTER - It took me MONTHS to get this beat right | Drum Patterns Explained +
- +Alice Sara Ott: Tiny Desk Concert +
+Images
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+ 
+
+Related pages: Flash Cards, Manifesto
+-
+
- +0: Gestures +
- +1: Basics +
- +2: Descriptions +
- +3: The World +
- +4: Names, Shapes, and Colors +
- +5: Body Parts +
- +6: Commands and Desires +
- +7: More +
- +8: Beyond +
+0: Gestures
++There are 4 elements to each Toki Pona gesture:
+-
+
- +hand shape +
- +location on the body +
- +palm orientation +
- +whether one or both hands +
+ 
+
+There are only 9 Toki Pona hand shapes:
+-
+
- +flat hand +
- +thumb-fist +
- +bent hand +
- +O-hand +
- +1-hand +
- +2-hand +
- +wiggling hand +
- +L-hand +
- +F-hand +
+ 
+
+There are 8 body locations:
+-
+
- +in front of chest +
- +at side of forehead +
- +at side of chin +
- +at left shoulder +
- +at left elbow +
- +on top of left fist +
- +on stomach +
- +under left slanted forearm +
+1: Basics
++For baby sign-language, speak Toki Pona with your hands while speaking your native tongue (e.g. English) with your mouth. Your reusable gestures will become associated with spoken words. The goal is to create a minimal gesture vocabulary for bootstrapping speech.
++8 words offer a surprising amount of contextual nuance:
+| +jaki | ++yucky, filth, garbage | +
| +ko | ++mush, paste | +
| +lape | ++sleep | +
| +len | ++clothes, fabric | +
| +moku | ++eat, drink, food, meal | +
| +pona | ++good, simple, clean | +
| +telo | ++liquid, wet, wash, water | +
| +tomo | ++home, house, room | +
+All Toki Pona words in this guide can be used as nouns, adjectives, and verbs.
++To modify a Toki Pona word, add more words after it. With "liquid" (telo) and "cloth" (len), you can talk about wet clothes (len telo) and laundry detergent (telo len). Always use the first term as the main noun/verb and additional terms as the adjectives.
++You can combine our 8 basic words into many concepts:
+| +jaki ko | ++poop | ++"mushy yucky" | +
| +jaki telo | ++pee | ++"liquid yucky" | +
| +len jaki | ++diaper, dirty clothes | ++ | +
| +len lape | ++blanket, pajamas | ++"sleep fabric" | +
| +len moku | ++bib | ++"food fabric" | +
| +len pona | ++clean clothes | ++ | +
| +len telo | ++damp clothes, swimwear | ++"wet clothes" | +
| +moku ko | ++mushy food, baby food | ++"mushy food" | +
| +moku telo | ++drink, liquid food, milk | ++"liquid food" | +
| +pona telo | ++wash, bathe, clean | ++"wet clean" | +
| +tomo jaki | ++bathroom, outhouse | ++"yucky room" | +
| +tomo lape | ++bedroom | ++"sleep room" | +
| +tomo len | ++closet, laundry area | ++"clothes room" | +
| +tomo moku | ++kitchen | ++"food room" | +
| +tomo pona | ++clean room | ++ | +
| +tomo telo | ++boat | ++ | +
+In the beginning, only sign for immediate actions/objects. Don't sign "milk" unless you have milk in your hand. Do not gesture for desires or aspirations.
++2: Descriptions
++You can extract incredible mileage out of 15 words. In full Toki Pona, you have a specific word for sweets (suwi), but "fun food" (moku musi) allows you to recycle terms from an even smaller vocabulary.
+| +kalama | ++sound, noise | +
| +lete | ++cold, ice, uncooked | +
| +lili | ++small, short, young | +
| +musi | ++play, fun, art, toy | +
| +seli | ++hot, fire | +
| +suli | ++big, tall, old | +
| +supa | ++horizontal, table | +
+With 7 additional words, we achieve vast explanatory power:
+| +kalama lili | ++quiet | ++"small sound" | +
| +kalama musi | ++music | ++"fun noise" | +
| +kalama suli | ++loud | ++"big sound" | +
| +ko musi | ++clay, playdoh | ++"fun mush" | +
| +lape lili | ++nap | ++"small sleep" | +
| +len musi | ++costume | ++"fun clothes" | +
| +moku lete | ++cold food, uncooked food | ++ | +
| +moku lili | ++small food | ++ | +
| +moku musi | ++snack, candy, treat | ++"fun food" | +
| +moku seli | ++hot food, burnt food | ++ | +
| +moku suli | ++big food | ++ | +
| +moku telo seli | ++warm soup | ++"hot liquid food" | +
| +musi lili | ++small toys | ++ | +
| +musi suli | ++big toys | ++ | +
| +musi supa | ++crafts | ++"table fun" | +
| +musi telo | ++swim, water toys | ++"water fun" | +
| +musi tomo | ++dollhouse | ++"house toy" | +
| +supa lape | ++bed | ++"sleep surface" | +
| +supa moku | ++dinner table | ++"food surface" | +
| +supa musi | ++play table, iPad | ++"play surface" | +
| +supa seli | ++stove | ++"fire surface" | +
| +telo lete | ++cold drink, cold water | ++ | +
| +telo seli | ++hot water | ++ | +
| +telo seli | ++jacket, sweater | ++"hot clothes" | +
| +telo suli | ++ocean, lake, pool | ++"big water" | +
| +tomo lili | ++fort, crib, playpen | ++"small room" | +
| +tomo musi | ++play room, playpen | ++ | +
| +tomo seli | ++oven | ++"hot room" | +
| +tomo suli | ++family room | ++"big room" | +
+Note that you can add multiple adjectives to a noun, e.g. "hot liquid-food" (moku telo seli). Each additional term applies to all the preceding words.
++3: The World
++With daily-life covered, extend your sights to the outside world:
+| +jan | ++person | +
| +ma | ++outdoors, land, soil | +
| +kasi | ++plant, tree, vegetation | +
| +suwi | ++sweet, candy, sugar | +
| +pan | ++bread, grain, dry cereal | +
| +kili | ++fruit, vegetable | +
| +akesi | ++reptile, creature | +
| +soweli | ++land animal, meat | +
| +kala | ++fish, sea creature | +
| +waso | ++bird, poultry | +
| +pipi | ++bug, insect, spider | +
+Here are some new combinations available from our added wordset:
+| +jan lili | ++small person, child | ++ | +
| +jan pona | ++friend | ++"good person" | +
| +jan suli | ++big person, adult | ++ | +
| +kalama jan | ++talking | ++"people noise" | +
| +kalama ma | ++nature sounds | ++ | +
| +kalama musi jan | ++singing | ++"fun people-noise" | +
| +kalama soweli | ++"woof", "meow" | ++ | +
| +kalama waso | ++bird sounds | ++ | +
| +kasi kili suli | ++fruit tree | ++"big fruit plant" | +
| +kasi moku | ++vegetable | ++"edible plants" | +
| +kasi pona | ++flower | ++"good plant" | +
| +kasi suli | ++tree | ++"big plant" | +
| +ko ma | ++mud | ++"earth paste" | +
| +ma kasi | ++forest, jungle | ++ | +
| +ma kili | ++orchard, garden, farm | ++ | +
| +ma soweli | ++corral, ranch | ++ | +
| +ma telo | ++beach, lakeside, wetland | ++ | +
| +moku kala lete | ++sushi | ++ | +
| +moku soweli | ++dogfood, catfood | ++ | +
| +musi jan lili | ++doll | ++"small person-toy" | +
| +musi ma | ++play outside | ++"outside fun" | +
| +pan telo | ++cereal | ++"wet bread" | +
| +soweli moku | ++beef, pork, meat | ++"edible animals" | +
| +soweli pona | ++dog, cat, pet | ++"good land-animal" | +
| +telo jan | ++blood | ++"people liquid" | +
| +telo kili | ++juice | ++"fruit liquid" | +
| +telo ma | ++rain | ++"land water" | +
| +telo suwi | ++soda, soft-drink | ++ | +
| +tomo soweli | ++doghouse, barn | ++ | +
| +tomo waso | ++birdhouse, coop | ++ | +
+Again, Toki Pona has more nuanced words from its full vocabulary. But for baby sign-language, reuse a smaller number of terms. For example, use signs for "people noise" (kalama jan) over "talk" (toki).
++4: Names, Shapes, and Colors
+ ++Toki Pona offers pronouns and people descriptors, but I suggest using names/titles instead. Create unique gestures for people's names (Toki Pona has an official way to do this, but it's not necessary). Instead of signing "me" (mi), gesture "person Dad" (jan Dad). Instead of saying "mother" (mama meli), say "person Mom" (jan Mom). Instead of gesturing "you" (sina), gesture "person __" (jan __). You can use your unique gestures to indicate possession or association. "My room" (tomo mi) could instead be "Dad room" (tomo Dad).
++Create unique gestures for people's names, but reuse general descriptors for everything else. In order to maintain a laconic vocabulary, use shapes and colors to describe the world. Spaghetti is "string food" (moku linja). A banana is "long fruit" (kili palisa) or "long yellow fruit" (kili palisa jelo). Card games and origami can be described as "flat fun" (musi lipu). Playing catch is "spherical fun" (musi sike). Milk is "white liquid" (telo walo).
+| +sike | ++round, cycle, ball | +
| +lipu | ++flat thing, page, leaf | +
| +linja | ++string, hair, flexible | +
| +palisa | ++rod, stick, long thing | +
| +kiwen | ++rock, hard thing, metal | +
| +jelo | ++yellow | +
| +loje | ++red | +
| +laso | ++blue, green | +
| +walo | ++white | +
| +pimeja | ++black, dark, shadow | +
| +suno | ++light, sun | +
+5: Body Parts
+
+ 
+
+Exploit innate proprioception to explain surroundings. Many objects have fronts (sinpin) and openings (uta) and bumps (nena) and legs (noka), just like you!
+| +insa | ++stomach, inside, between | +
| +kute | ++ear, listen, obey | +
| +lawa | ++head, mind, guide, lead | +
| +luka | ++arm, hand | +
| +monsi | ++back, behind, rear, butt | +
| +nena | ++nose, bump, button | +
| +noka | ++foot, leg, bottom, under | +
| +oko | ++eye, look, read, watch | +
| +poka | ++hip, side, next to, near | +
| +selo | ++skin, shell, outer layer | +
| +sewi | ++up, above, sky, top | +
| +sinpin | ++face, front, wall | +
| +uta | ++mouth, door, window, lip | +
+Your body offers an excellent reference for spatial awareness. Little people can be picked up (sewi) and set down (noka).
++Body parts are also verbs! To kick is "to leg" (noka). To pick-up is "to hand" (luka).
++And learning about your body naturally leads to insights about feelings and experience. Happiness is "good feeling" (pilin pona). Pain is "bad body" (sijelo ike).
+| +pilin | ++emotion, heart, feeling | +
| +sijelo | ++body, physical, torso | +
+6: Commands and Desires
++Your baby will discover that they can request non-immediate things, i.e. future objects and distant objects. This is your cue to start using commands like "stop" (pini) and "away" (weka). You can also describe imminent events, e.g. "soon sleep" (lape kama).
++But speak with with simple nouns and adjectives when possible. A "clean surface" (supa pona) is concrete; a "finished meal" (moku pini) is abstract.
++Communicate consequences over opinions. "Mom is sad" (pilin ike Mom) carries more weight than "you are naughty" (sina ike).
+| +seme | ++what, why, how | +
| +wile | ++want, need, wish | +
| +tawa | ++go, moving, towards | +
| +weka | ++absent, away, ignored | +
| +awen | ++stay, wait | +
| +pini | ++done, quit, stop | +
| +ala | ++not, none, no | +
| +ike | ++bad, complicated | +
+7: More
++These terms may be useful additions to your gesture vocabulary:
+| +esun | ++shop, business, purchase | +
| +mute | ++many, lots, more, much | +
| +nasa | ++strange, weird, drunk | +
| +pakala | ++broken, damaged, harmed | +
| +poki | ++bag, bowl, box, vessel | +
| +sitelen | ++image, symbol, writing | +
+8: Beyond
+ ++Toki Pona is a wonderful little language -- I've only scratched the surface in this short guide. If you'd like to go beyond baby sign-language, consider reading the official guide and the official dictionary. I also highly recommend watching Jan Misali's free Toki Pona lessons.
+ +]]>+This page has been translated into Toki Pona and English.
++Related pages:
+ ++The Problems with "Baby ASLs"
++There is no "true" baby sign-language. Most gestures from baby sign-languages are haphazardly adapted from American Sign-Language (ASL).
++ASL was not designed for babies. Baby ASLs demand dexterity that babies don't have.
++ASL offers the full power of human expression via hand gestures. Baby ASLs offer cramped communication with no framework for expression.
++Toki Pona Sign-Language is Easy and Expressive
++Toki Pona is an entire language you can learn in a weekend.
++There are ~140 words in Toki Pona. Its grammar is scant. But its minimalism is its strength.
++Toki Pona's simplicity shines in its sign-language: you can communicate with recognizable signs and a few reusable gestures.
++These reusable gestures create a lego-like structure for the mind. Toki Pona recycles and recombines concepts. For example, "telo kili" means "juice" and "telo walo" means "milk", so you may deduce that "telo" means "liquid". You may further deduce that "kili" means "fruit".
++Toki Pona's sign-language is a perfect platform for baby sign-language:
+-
+
- +Its gestures were selected for simplicity. To say "sleep", rest your hand on your head like a pillow. To say "food"/"eat", make a gesture like eating a sandwich. +
- +Its gestures are designed for humans with limited dexterity (i.e. babies and busy adults). +
- +Its small vocabulary forces adults to repeat a limited set of reusable concepts. For example, the gesture for "banana" is "long fruit"; both "long" and "fruit" are reusable ideas. +
- +Its small number of concepts can be recombined into a surprisingly complex set of ideas. In Toki Pona, "blanket" is commonly "len lape" ("sleep fabric") or, to avoid confusion with pajamas, "len pi supa lape" ("fabric of horizontal sleep surface"). +
- +Toki Pona's gestures form a foundation for all spoken languages (e.g. English). You can combine familiar Toki Pona gestures to explain unfamiliar English vocabulary. +
+ + + +
+sina ken lukin e ni kepeken toki pona anu toki Inli.
++ike pi toki Inli luka lili
++nasin wan pi toki luka lili li lon ala. toki Inli luka li pana ike tawa toki luka pi jan lili.
++toki Inli luka li ike tawa jan lili. toki Inli luka li ike tawa luka lili.
++toki Inli luka li pana e toki ale kepeken luka taso. taso la, toki Inli luka lili li pana ala e toki ale e nasin toki.
++toki pona luka li ken pona e toki
++toki pona li toki lon. tenpo suno tu la, sina ken kama sona e toki pona.
++toki pona li jo lili e nimi e nasin nimi. taso la, toki pona li wawa tan lili.
++sina sona e toki pona luka la, sina sona e pona pi toki pona. toki pona luka li pona tan ni: sina ken toki kepeken nimi pi nanpa lili.
++nimi luka pi toki pona luka li pali e ijo musi sike lon sona sina. toki pona li kepeken sike e sona. sina sona e nimi "telo walo" la, sina sona e nimi "telo kili" la, sina kama sona e nimi "telo".
++toki pona luka li ken kepeken pona sama toki luka pi jan lili:
+-
+
- +nimi pi toki pona luka li pona. nimi luka "lape" li lukin sama lape. nimi luka "moku" li lukin sama moku. +
- +nimi pi toki pona luka li pona tawa jan pi luka ike en jan lili en jan pali. +
- +jan li toki sike e nimi pi nanpa lili la, jan li toki sike e sona pi nanpa lili. sina sona li nimi pi "kili palisa" la, sina sona li nimi "kili" li nimi "palisa". +
- +toki pona li jo e sona lili. taso la, sina ken pali e sona suli kepeken sona lili. nimi "len" en nimi "lape" li pali tu e nimi "len lape". +
- +nimi pi toki pona luka li pali e nasin tawa toki uta ale. sina ken pana e sona pi toki ale kepeken toki pona luka. +
+
+
+ 
+
+I stumbled upon this post when I was first looking at wedding rings for my wife. I remember texting her and saying something like, "sorry babe i couldn't afford tiffany's, so i got you this".
++2 years later, that ring still makes my sides hurt with laughter. But it also reminds me how scared I was when I was thinking about marriage, and how my wife continues to make my life so wonderful. Seeing that ugly ring made all the memories come flooding back.
++So anyway, I've grown quite fond of the "world's ugliest ring". It's weird how things like this happen.
+]]>+Warren Buffet is credited with developing a clever system:
+-
+
- +write down 25 goals +
- +circle the top 5 items +
- +the remaining 20 goals are your "avoid-at-all-costs list" +
+I have a bucket-list, so why not an unbucket-list?
++
-
+
- +don't buy a boat +
- +don't consume "current" media +
- +don't run for local office +
- +don't chase speculative assets +
- +don't lie +
- +don't drink alcohol +
- +don't learn French +
- +don't practice music +
- +don't do nicotine +
- +don't wait in lines +
- +don't go to physical stores +
- +don't skip leg day +
- +don't play online games +
- +don't do social media +
- +don't golf +
- +don't eat breakfast +
- +don't yell +
- +don't keep bad friends +
- +don't run marathons +
- +don't do collectibles +
- +don't do modular synths +
+Appointments are mirages. We wade through sands of time to arrive at the inevitable. No oases await us.
++Our minds fabricate Busy Time, Deep Time, Between Time, Free Time, etc.
+ ++But minutes cannot be bottled and labeled. There are no slots to deposit our seconds. We are always busy; we are always free.
++Waiting Mode seizes us when work seems too large for its allotted slots. 2 hours seems a pittance when reviewing looming to-dos.
++To thwart Waiting Mode, transform tasks into portable morsels. Scrounge for Between Time.
++To thwart Waiting Mode, foil temptation. Sell your television. Adopt parental-self-controls. Delete social media. Find a phone home. Don't waste your willpower on worthless pursuits.
++To thwart Waiting Mode, make peace with the anxieties of unfinished work. It's okay to be incomplete, and it's okay to begin anew. Consider using a scratchpad (or working-memory.txt file) to persist thoughts through interruptions.
++To thwart Waiting Mode, take pride in simple progress. Even the longest novels are relentless strings of sentences.
++Labeling your hours is a misuse of minutes. Do what you can when you can. Never wait for anything.
++
+ 
+
+I attempted Weekend Wednesday, but it quickly transformed into Weekend Whenever.
++When folks catch wind of Weekend Whenever, they whisper of overwork and burnout. But this is not The Grind nor Crunch. This is a plea for consistent and sustainable work.
++Workweeks are Man-Made
++The typical workweek is 5d×8h (5 days × 8 hours = 40 hours).
++Many nurses and doctors work 3d×12h (36 hours), which I personally cannot fathom. Seriously, send me an e-mail if you prefer this schedule -- I'd like to understand.
++Weekend Whenever is 7d×6h (42 hours). You may also opt for the 7d×5h (35 hours) or 7d×4h (28 hours) variants.
+ ++Hours are Valuable
++60 minutes is 60 minutes, but some hours are worth much more than others.
++Humans tire and become bored. And tired/bored humans are unproductive.
++If you've ever sat in a cubicle, you can feel energy evaporate throughout the day. Few people truly hustle at 4:30PM.
++For some jobs, 7dx5h (35 hours) is more productive than 5dx8h (40 hours). The first 4-hours of your day are not the same as the second 4-hours of your day.
++Weekends are Compromise
++Workers want 4d×10h, but managers reject low-quality work.
++Managers want 7d×6h, but workers reject extra commuting overhead.
++5d×8h is a silent compromise between workers and managers: fewer commutes exchanged for longer but less-productive days.
++Remote Work can be Revised
++So it's time to discuss the elephant in the zoom: remote work. Why do remote workers continue 5d×8h? My guesses:
+-
+
- +meetings pull people towards Monday-Friday +
- +weekend plans and parties push people away from Saturday/Sunday workdays +
- +society stigmatizes hustle culture and "the grindset" +
- +people confuse busywork with actual work +
- +everybody hates incessant async notifications (especially from co-workers) +
+Spurn the Split
++The 5d×8h schedule forces you to oscillate between fundamentally incompatible modes: full throttle and full vacation. But we resist relaxation when work looms, and we shirk our careers when urgent personal tasks attack.
++With proper planning, the 7d×6h schedule offers freedom and flexibility. You don't have "work days" and "personal days" -- you just have days.
++With Weekend Wednesday, Saturdays and Sundays supply supercharged sessions without distractions. And weekday afternoons offer fewer queues at the grocery, bank, salon, etc.
++Adopt Weekend Whenever
++Stop stigmatizing seven-day workweeks.
++Use your flexible schedule without compromise. Deliver high-quality work with less effort.
++++Human output is fickle as the wind.
++To sail through the seas with ease, plan your days around the breeze.
+
+
+Suggestions
+-
+
- +You can schedule emails and Slack messages for Monday mornings. Don't interrupt others' weekends with your idiosyncratic hours. +
- +Take advantage of others' schedules. Do deep work on the weekends. Ask questions when others are online. +
- +People make plans on weekends. Force yourself to squeeze in your 5-6 hours in the morning before afternoon fun. Never try to work after hanging out with friends. +
- +Don't seek praise for weekend work. Sane scheduling doesn't make you a saint. +
- +If your subordinates sense your working hours, make it clear that they are not expected to follow your schedule. Do not allow your subordinates to overwork. +
- +Never complain about working weekends. Take responsibility for your decisions. +
- +Ask your spouse/roommates/children for permission before working "weird" hours. Your friends and family may be adversely affected by your new schedule. +
+Related AR/VR essays: Apple Will Win The AR/VR Wars, AR Demands Peripherals, Bananas Will Become Smartphones, Monomode and Multimode in Augmented Reality, Tools and Techniques for AR/VR Media, AR Interoperability Opportunities
++
+The Company Formerly Known As Facebook usurped a really cool word.
++In its stead, I offer "the wet web".
++The wet web is the inevitable tangle of virtual layers imprinted onto our planet.
++Gas stations are dry. Nightclubs are dry. Laundromats are dry.
++Call of Duty is dry. VRChat is dry. Pinterest is dry.
++Pokemon Go is wet. Strava is wet. Yelp is wet. Mario Kart Live is wet.
++
+AR devices will force existing apps to become wet:
+-
+
- +mobile games (e.g. Pokemon Go) +
- +social networks +
- +shopping +
- +professional tools +
- +media streaming +
- +messaging/chat +
- +search +
+Most apps will have to figure out how to straddle navigation of the wet and dry web simultaneously, similar to today's "responsive" design of desktop and mobile.
++
+To claim your domain in the wet web:
+-
+
- +enhance hyperlocal search +
- +make a dry environment easier to navigate with wet apps +
- +publicize invisible stats +
- +identify a context for a multimode extension +
- +improve a narrow experience with a monomode app +
- +gamify chores +
- +make a dry activity easier with wet apps +
- +provide superhuman object recognition +
- +make a dry object more intuitive with wet apps +
+
+The wet web offers serious privacy risks. We must make the wet web interoperable on our own terms.
++Do you want Facebook strapped to your face?
++
+Find me in the streets, surfing the wet web.
+]]>+++Michelangelo was asked by the pope about the secret of his genius, particularly in regards to the statue of David, largely considered to be the greatest sculpting masterpiece of all time. Michelangelo responded by saying, "It's simple. I just remove everything that isn't David."
+
+I want to become recklessly kind. I want to become healthy enough to meet my great-great-grandchildren. I want to become disciplined. I want to become prolific and charasmatic and full-of-wonder. +But I'm not these things. And I'm often disappointed because I'm not these things.
++Who I Want To Be abhors Who I Actually Am.
+ + ++"Finding Yourself" is not like molding clay. Your mind is not malleable — it's resistant to change. Who You Actually Are cannot easily flex and twist into Who You Want To Be.
+ ++But Who You Actually Are is sculptable. You can decide that "That Ain't Me". You can chip away at imperfections. You can slowly smooth out rough edges.
++So how do you find yourself? It's simple: remove everything that isn't You.
+ +]]>+Point-blank, I recently asked a friend, "What do you do when you don't like who you're becoming?"
++She replied, "Tell other people about the behavior you're trying to change. Other people can tell you to stop when you don't even realize you're doing it."
++Excellent answer! But there are way too many behaviors I want to change. Which prompts the question, "what exactly don't I like about myself?".
++My Recipe-for-Disaster
++My worst self awakens around strangers and acquaintences.
++I feel personally responsible for others' happiness. This is not a good thing. Uncomfortable people make me feel uncomfortable, so I start trying things. Do they need water? Wine? Light conversation? Depth? Chapstick? Do they want to be left alone?
++But we can't read minds. And people don't tell us what they want. Or even worse, they try to obscure their inner feelings because they're embarassed or hurt or don't like us or whatever. And trying to pry that out makes some people feel better and makes other people feel worse.
++But then I take it even further. Around some people, my poor mind-reading abilities become thoroughly mixed with a dash of curiosity, two teaspoons of impatience, and four heaping scoops of "needs-validation".
++And so we have the key ingredients to my personal recipe-for-disaster: social discomfort, mind-reading, unbridled curiosity, impatience, and attention-craving. Dowse me in whiskey for extra spice.
++This recipe creates a dish with pungent flavors:
+-
+
- +being too intense for the occasion +
- +craving validation +
- +overpowering others in conversation +
- +not considering others' boundaries +
- +flakiness +
- +not remembering details about people +
- +too much funny all the time +
- +almost complete inability to listen +
- +thinking out loud +
- +extreme condescension (which means talking down to people) +
- +lack of follow-through +
- +making judgements about who I'd find most interesting +
- +extreme avoidance +
- +inability to moderate +
- +treating others as NPCs +
- +passive-agressiveness +
- +severe impatience +
- +being too honest, too negative, too fast +
+I'm not always like this. Around my friends and family, I manifest my values as other mixtures and macro-behaviors. There are a lot of things about those alter-egos I hate. But strangers and acquaintances awaken my alter-ego that I hate the most. And if I don't change swiftly, I feel like I could become that person forever.
++So how do I avoid becoming that recipe-for-disaster?
++Applying the Inversion Principle
++++Invert, always invert: Turn a situation or problem upside down. Look at it backwards. What happens if all our plans go wrong? Where don’t we want to go, and how do you get there? +-- Charlie Munger
+
+++Instead of looking for success, make a list of how to fail instead–through sloth, envy, resentment, self-pity, entitlement, all the mental habits of self-defeat. Avoid these qualities and you will succeed. Tell me where I’m going to die so I don’t go there. +-- Charlie Munger
+
+It's easier to not do stuff than to do stuff. For example, it's generally easier to not run marathons, it's generally easier to not win hot-dog-eating contents, and it's generally easier to not speak Italian. So don't try to become your best self. Simply figure out how not to become your worst self.
++This is the core of the inversion principle -- some problems are easier to solve with subtraction than addition.
++More specifically, pre-mortems are an excellent tool to avoid disasters. Pre-mortems prompt you to imagine all the paths to failure, and then imagine all the paths to get to the failure states.
++Pre-mortems are a powerful tool to alleviate optimism biases. You must anticipate average-case scenarios rather than best-case scenarios. If you haven't been to a gym in months, what makes you think you'll suddenly have willpower tomorrow? If you've been smoking for decades, what will make you quit on New Year's Day? It's easy to imagine a rainbow road to success. But if you want to avoid disaster, you have to thoroughly prepare for the common and dangerous routes. And enumerating failure states can be grueling intrapersonal work.
++So I've already imagined my personal recipe-for-disaster, but what paths will lead me there again and again?
+| +problem behavior | ++possible paths | +
|---|---|
| +being too intense for the occasion | ++avoid listening; feel forgettable; dive into dialogue; have topics ready before conversations | +
| +craving validation | ++induce imposter-syndrome; imagine yourself as the main character | +
| +overpowering others in conversation | ++launch into monologues without giving others a chance to signal disinterest; never ask questions; talk "out loud" instead of thinking quietly | +
| +not considering others' boundaries | ++assume that everybody will "get over it"; assume that everybody enjoys all humor; do things before asking; push every button and see what sticks | +
| +flakiness | ++try to find the "best option" instead of trying to be a dependable person; plan everything at the last minute; ignore instructions | +
| +not remembering details about people | ++don't ask questions; think of something clever to say as soon as people start talking; never repeat people's names; immediately forget birthdays, anniversaries, etc. without written reminders | +
| +too much funny all the time | ++cause chaos instead of confronting your own social anxiety; reject all boredom; yearn for acceptance at all costs | +
| +almost complete inability to listen | ++fill your mind with internal dialogue instead of actual dialogue; live in the past; live in the future; never echo others' thoughts; immediately and severely judge people's opinions; say what I think before I actually understand others; never listen to backstories; think and talk quickly; interrupt people often; consider why people choose what to talk about; repudiate boredom; take advantage of all conversational pauses; immediately engage people with what you want to talk about; kill all silence as soon as it begins | +
| +thinking out loud | ++be afraid of forgetting what to say; interrupt others before your thoughts are complete; talk about things before asking if people are interested; never admit ignorance | +
| +extreme condescension (which means talking down to people) | ++assume that everybody is stupid; assume that people think you're interesting; hold a lot of things in your head that nobody gives a h*ck about; state your stance and belittle others' opinions; assume that people actually want to change your mind | +
| +lack of follow-through | ++follow your passions rather than your commitments; never write anything important down; ignore instructions; think of "better" plans and ask people to follow you blindly | +
| +making judgements about who I'd find most interesting | ++frequently scan surroundings for things instead of listening to people; favor shallows over depth; disregard whether or not my prescence is wanted | +
| +extreme avoidance | ++let fears run free; assume the worst; assume the best | +
| +inability to moderate | ++play with fire; try to outrun the hedonic treadmill; plan for the best rather than the worst; fix everything "tomorrow" | +
| +treating others as NPCs | ++obsess over your own insignificant details; live in an RPG rather than an MMO | +
| +passive-agressiveness | ++feel deeply; embrace cowardice; shun sincerity | +
| +severe impatience | ++take personal affront to systemic inefficiency; reject the shortness of life; pretend life can be experienced faster; believe that waiting is something that happens to you; punish others for your boredom; let anxiety abound; expect others to run on your timers | +
| +being too honest, too negative, too fast | ++assume that people are eager for criticism; assume that people are eager for your criticism; assume it matters; assume that they haven't already thought of that; ask pointing questions instead of asking about their inner experience; assume that they want to fix the problem | +
+These insights are full of contradictions. How am I supposed to be more honest and not say what I think? How am I supposed to stop thinking out-loud while quieting my inner-monologue?
++Contradictions are okay. Perfection is futile. Everything will be alright.
++When we reflect on our worst selves, we cast a dim light on our darkest paths. There are no maps to your "best self", but this dim light makes the journey less miserable. Avoid the dangerous roads.
++Steel your soul, take a good hard look at yourself, and then be gentle.
++
+The Worst You
++Your world will whisper who are you becoming. And when you don't listen, you become the worst version of yourself.
+]]>+This page is an ongoing log of my experiences with long-term "themes". Learn +more about yearly themes here +and here.
++
+ The Year of Raw 2023-2024
++++The fooking bass is fooking raw!
++-- Gordon Ramsay
+
+ Going Raw 2023.08.11
+-
+
- +raw foods over processed junk +
- +raw materials over manufactured goods +
- +raw emotions over filtered feelings +
- +raw code with minimimal dependencies +
- +raw textbooks over summaries +
+
+ The Year of Trailblazing 2022-2023
+ ++ End of the Trail 2023.08.08
++I charted a wild path over the last two-ish years:
+-
+
- +finally started antidepressants +
- +became a dad +
- +quit booze and cigarettes after ten years of attempts +
- +conquered my internet addiction +
- +started a popularish blog +
- +biked from SF to LA +
- +failed at starting a tech conference +
- +botched a startup launch +
- +read a ton of books +
- +overcame chronic crippling anxiety +
+Things I learned:
+-
+
- +don't think about yourself while others are talking +
- +quitting booze was a decision I needed to make years ago, but it's never too +late to start living +
- +track how you spend your time until you're happy with your life +
- +friends and family might be overrated +
- +be obsessive but always come back to earth after a few weeks +
- +limit the number of queues and inputs into your mind +
- +make mayhem +
- +frequently finish small things +
- +don't waste brainpower on impractical knowledge and world news and things you +can't control -- learn things only to make things +
+ Keeping the Path 2023.01.03
++I want to explore! I want to ascend! I want to yearn and struggle and grow!
++In 2023, I'll be pursuing some lofty goals:
+-
+
- +publish a novella +
- +go on a camping trip +
- +become a best dad +
- +launch a startup +
- +organize a tech conference +
- +benchpress my own bodyweight +
- +continue my sobriety experiment +
- +release a VR "game" +
- +cycle from San Francisco to Los Angeles +
+Blazing these trails will require skills that I don't yet possess:
+-
+
- +discipline +
- +finishing projects I'm disinterested in +
- +managing fear and anxiety +
- +consistency +
+Let's go!
++ (Officially) Blazing the Trail 2022.10.17
++When I decided to start my "year of trailblazing" earlier this year, I was +speedrunning major life changes:
+-
+
- +purchased my first home +
- +moved to an unfamiliar climate +
- +started a new job +
- +changed my name +
- +had my first child +
- +quit drinking forever +
+For me, charting unexplored territory has been a difficult delight! My soul has +been fully engaged.
++But the year's not over yet! Continuing into 2023, I'll still be trailblazing +(literally and figuratively):
+-
+
- +weekly hikes +
- +seasonal camping +
- +cycling from San Francisco to Los Angeles +
- +launching my first real startup +
- +starting a tech conference +
+A thousand dollars is $1,000.
+A million dollars is $1,000,000.
+A billion dollars is $1,000,000,000.
+A thousand seconds is 16 minutes.
+A million seconds is 2 weeks.
+A billion seconds is 32 years.