Life Framework

Kevin Wammer on what he calls his life framework:

A collection of rules, thoughts, and ideas I try to live by. I’m posting them here as a reminder to myself, not for you to copy, though you’re welcome to steal a few and make them your own. They might not apply to you at all, but publishing them forced me to sit down and shape them. Otherwise, they’d still be gathering dust in my notes app.

Some of my favorites:

  • Curate your inputs. Cut the noise. Cut the hatred.
  • Make weird shit.
  • Eat whole foods. Not everything needs to be “clean”, but your grandmother should recognize it.
  • Be useful. Be kind. Be decent. Don’t be an ass.

The whole list is great, it’s worth checking out. A lot of these self improvement books, articles, podcasts, etc. are all the same basic ideas repeated and remixed over and over. Once you’ve seen it in one form, you’ve seen it all.

Still, it’s a good reminder that all this really isn’t that hard.

Can You Fool A Self Driving Car?

Mark Rober takes on Tesla Full Self Driving in his latest video.

The results do not surprise me.

On a road trip to Northern CA, our first in an EV, I used Tesla’s FSD on the boring part of the 5. Ahead of us were skid marks where you could tell a car lost control and veered off the road. As we got closer to the skid marks, I could feel the car start to “follow” the skid marks. I firmly grabbed the wheel and and turned it enough so that FSD stopped and I took control.

That was the moment I came to the realization that FSD is bullshit. I’ve tried it here and there since Tesla gives you 30 day free trials for users to try it out in hopes of buying or subscribing. That right there should give you pause. But on other trips, there were numerous times where it just wasn’t confidence inspiring and it just did dumb stuff.

Tesla Full Self Driving is bullshit.

Knitting Your Parachute

David Sparks, of MacSparky, on changing your career:

So, if you’re in your forties—or even earlier—and wondering if you should start preparing for a possible change, the answer is yes. That doesn’t mean you need to quit your job or make a drastic move.

It just means placing small bets on things that interest you. Explore different skills, build relationships in other fields, and don’t be afraid to try something that might not work out. Even if you never need to pull the ripcord, it’s good to have options.

I’m in my mid-forties (it feels weird just saying that) and I feel like I’m in the prime of my career. I’ve found my niche in the HVAC world and I can confidently say, I’m pretty good at what I do.

I also have interests outside of work that I bring into my work life: Apple products, social media, and YouTube. I have no idea if these things will lead into anything similar to David’s path, but I know that these skills are skills that not many in my industry have and it could potentially lead to something else.

Dinner Is Terrible

Rachel Sugar in The Atlantic:

A quiet monologue runs through my head at all times. It is this: dinner dinner dinner dinner. The thing about dinner is that you have to deal with it every single night. Figuring out what to eat is a pleasure until it becomes a constant low-grade grind. It’s not just the cooking that wears me down, but the meal planning and the grocery shopping and the soon-to-be-rotting produce sitting in my fridge. It is the time it sucks up during the week. It is the endless mental energy.

I love cooking, but the weeknight dinner is one of the most stressful things in my day to day.

Daring Fireball: How It Went

John Gruber:

I thought of my dad this week when I watched Harrison Ford’s gravelly endorsement of Kamala Harris, which he began thus: “Look, I’ve been voting for 64 years. Never really wanted to talk about it very much.” My dad’s politics are like that. His religion is too. Strong beliefs that he doesn’t feel the need to broadcast or proselytize — and deep suspicion, bordering on contempt, regarding those who do.

This is my favorite Daring Fireball post. John’s post regarding his parents and the 2024 election is easily number 2.

Humphry Slocombe closes original S.F. location

Elena Kadvany in the San Francisco Chronicle: (Apple News+ link)

“Throughout COVID, we were able to keep all of our shops open thanks to the loyalty and support of all of you. We were especially proud of keeping our original shop at the Mission open to continue to serve our first neighborhood. However, all things must come to an end,” the email reads.

In our early days of dating, my then girlfriend, now wife, would take me to her favorite places in San Francisco, introducing me to all her non-touristy spots. This ice cream shop was one of those spots.

While their other locations in the Bay Area will remain open, the original location holds a special place in our hearts. It will truly be missed.

Michelin-Star Chef Rates Every Fine Dining Scene From ‘The Bear’

There are two things I appreciate: The Bear on FX and Insider’s How Real Is It? on YouTube. On this episode, a Michelin Star chef, Paul Liebrandt, rates different scenes from The Bear and rates it based on how true to life it is.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

After watching The Bear, I knew the video had to feature the scene where Thomas Keller shows Carmy how to truss a chicken. Even before watching Chef Paul give his thoughts, I absolutely adore this scene. My wife and I are fans of Thomas Keller and have visited his restaurants (French Laundry is still on our to do list) and have a few of his books. From Ad Hoc at Home, Keller has a recipe for roasted whole chicken and he walks you through how to truss a chicken.

I’ve made this version of roasted chicken many times and it is one of my favorite dishes. I geeked out like a fan boy when I watched this episode and just listening to Chef Keller give Carmy life lessons while showing him how to truss a chicken, it just really solidifies for me, how great this show is.

And for Chef Paul to confirm it in How Real Is It? is just *chef’s kiss*.