Controlling the Controllables
What has been resonating with me this week is “controlling the controllables”, meaning all the things that can make you rise above everyone else is in your control. The food you shove in your face, the exercise you do, the amount of sleep you get, the time you endlessly waste online. All of it is within your control to win or to stand on the sidelines of your own life and lose.
Gretchen in Phoenix
I had a memory of being ten and living in Phoenix. I grew up on the lower side of the middle class. We lived in apartments for most of my childhood. In Phoenix, there was a very large apartment complex I lived in. Behind it across another major road was another large apartment complex. The challenge with living in the desert during the summer months, when your mom wanted you out to play, was that there was nowhere to go that was not sweltering.
It's Humanity, not AI that matters
Crypto failed because its desire was to remove humans. Its biggest failure – or was it a feature? – was that when the technology went awry and you needed somebody to step in, there was nobody.
Ultimately, we all want to appeal to another human to be seen and understood – not to a machine running a model.
Interacting with each other is the whole point.
From Jim Nielsen https://blog.
Lego Bansai Tree
My kids really nailed their Christmas gift to me this year.
Now or Never Now by Metric
The song I have had on repeat this past few weeks.
Running in my Feet and Not in my Head
One of the practices I have been focusing on has been to run in my head. What I mean by that is not putting all of my energy into looking down at where my step is and thinking about how each foot lands. Processing the input from my feet hitting the ground is a lot for me to take in. I feel every step and then start to worry about my foot strike and any residual or future pain if I am not doing it the right way.
The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers
A favorite show from growing up in the 80’s. It’s fun, silly, and amazing.
From the Wikipedia summary:
The show is set in the future, some time after the year 2086, when two aliens from the planets Andor and Kirwin travel to Earth to search for allies against the expansionist Crown Empire led by the Queen of the Crown. In return for the help, the two aliens gave mankind construction plans for a hyperdrive device.
The Whiskey Shelf Project
I wanted to improve the visibility of the whiskey I had on a shelf, so I put together a small riser with some scrap wood I had.
Angling the joints at 45 degrees. Joining them with some wood glue and driving in some finish nails with my pneumatic nail gun. I always look for a chance to use my nail gun.
I gave these a few coats of paint. I have realized that either by priming or giving the first coat of finish paint, you should give a light sanding with 220 grit paper to remove the raised wood grain.
Why do mechanics have to buy their own tools?
I am not sure how many people are aware, but car mechanics often have to buy their own set of tools. Here is a good article on the topic as I was curious how this came to be the case.
As you know, most aftermarket technicians in the U.S. supply their own toolboxes and tools, at least when it comes to things like sockets, screwdrivers, hammers, basic power tools, and a couple of specialty tools.
Winter Time
The holidays are over. The decorations are packed. The charm of the first snow is behind us. Now comes the two to three months of spirit crushing grey cold that is winter. Nothing more to look forward to other than each day getting a little bit longer.