Money doesn't solve everything

I am extremely shocked and sad at the news of Anthony Bourdain killing himself this morning. He had what I and many others consider the dream job: traveling throughout the world and eating amazing food, yet plainly that wasn't enough. In the same week that Kate Spade also committed suicide, it goes to show that money, fame, and power can't possibly solve all of life's problems.

People that don't have money or power can't fathom the possibility someone with those things can still be dissatisfied with life. The usual rebuttal to the maxim "money can't buy happiness" goes "I rather be unhappy with lots of money"; well, Bourdain and Spade were obviously quite unhappy while having lots of money, and it led to death. 

Is that what you want? 

It's easy for the have-nots to imagine having unlimited funds to satiate wants would lead to a happy life. It indeed feels wonderful to buy material things and obtain various luxuries of life, but it's fleeting. Demons that existed when you are poor don't suddenly go away just because there's a large influx of cash. 

I've been there. 

In 2013 I felt like luckiest boy when I purchase my then dream car (Subaru WRX STI). I'd spent the preceding years saving up hard and it was a personal victory I was super proud of. The euphoria did not last however because in 2014 I fell into depression due to various reasons. Having the trappings of a nice car and a stable job did absolutely nothing to prevent it from happening. On paper I should be incredibly content with life, but I obviously was not, even if I wanted to be, 

Reading and traveling retrieved me from my rut. 

So it's from personal experience that I can readily see how someone like Bourdain who seemingly has it all can reach a mental place where continuing to live became untenable. It's truly sad. 

My kind of morning rays. 

Just when I thought I was out...

The car enthusiasts blood never leaves. It even grows stronger when you don't have a car at all. 

Last week I sold the Miata and I've been doing the San Francisco public-transportation thing, quite happily, mind you. In this crowded metropolis it's so freeing to not have to worry about parking, street cleaning, tickets, and the audacious traffic. Riding the train I can relax and listen to podcasts until arrival at destination.

However, the fact is I am without a car, and as a petrol-head (it says so on my landing page) the yearning, the withdrawal symptoms, are ever present, more so than I realized because indeed selling the car was the correct decision and I'm immensely happy. On my daily commute I can't help to analyze the cars passing by and if it's a nice one I think about what it would be like to own it. 

Paradoxical, isn't it. 

Since selling the MX-5 I've also had renewed interest in automotive content on Youtube. I would go as far to say I'm actually enjoying the content more now that I don't own a vehicle. I think my subconscious reckons the abolishment of driving as a system malfunction and is therefore not so subtly pushing me to correct the situation. 

It makes sense: I've got leftover money from the sale and can easily afford to buy another car.

My subconscious won't win though because I am quite determined to be car-less for at least the next few years. In the meantime I'll enjoy the reenergized amusement I get from Youtube car shows and watching awesome cars drive by on the bus home. 

The transit life. 

Productivity hack: daily checklist

Keeping a daily checklist of enriching must-do items is a good tactic to keep motivated and not waste time. Especially if you posit the list as I do: something to complete before the fun and mindless things like watching Youtube shows. Like doing homework before play or eating broccoli before dessert, putting the hard stuff first and have something sweet at the end is highly conducive to good productivity. 

For example my daily checklist consists of the following: 

• Read whatever book I'm currently on for one hour.
• Study Korean for at least two hours.
• Practice driving in Gran Turismo Sport for half an hour.
• Write something on the blog. 

As you can see the tasks all revolve around learning and self-improvement. I believe it's crucial to do such activities so to avoid regression as a person. I do them everyday (and on the seventh day I rest). 

Indeed it's simple and short but checking things off on a list is a great mental framework to keep me focused and not stray to frivolous time-sucks like social media. I can do leisure stuff only after I've finished the tasks for today, so I'd better get moving quickly on the work if I want to spend a decent amount of time enjoying the latest Star Wars fandom wars on twitter.

The San Francisco outsiders imagine it to be. 

Mechanism for implementing austerity

I have found the best way for extremely frugality: have something impossibly expensive to save up for. 

My one New Year's resolution this year is heavy austerity in my finances. The past fews years have been a bit overboard on the travel expenses, even though I wouldn't trade away a second of the experiences. Nevertheless it was time to refresh the rainy day fund, in preparation to counter any ill events, should they arise. 

First half of the year the resolution was not going so great. I didn't travel anywhere so that was good, but I put some money down for travel later this year, which required a significant chunk (super counterintuitive, I know). Due to various circumstances my mother decided it was time to buy my brother a car, him of still in college and no real income. So towards that end I've fronted and still fronting (insurance is a bitch) some money.

I also bought a few expensive play things as well. Self control is difficult. 

Now the situation has changed. Looking backwards I realize the only times I was able to implement crazy austerity was when I needed to save for something big. Back in 2012 when I decided to buy a WRX STI and needed many thousands in down-payment dollar, every financial decision, big and small, was run through the filter of will it adversely affect my goal. Utilizing that mental mechanism I socked away nearly over 50% of a paycheck. 

So to force myself into frugality, I've pick another big item to save money for. It isn't a house because I have no interest in ever owning, so naturally it's another car. Not a normal-priced car obviously because I can go and buy one now. It needs to be quite expensive: six-figures at least. 

Won't say what the car is because that'll spoil the fun, but ever since I made the decision my austerity resolution is back on track.  

Do you want to save money effectively? Have a huge monetary goal to save towards. 

The architect drew inspiration from the Death Star. 

WWDC 2018 is software only

Apple's annual WWDC was today and the keynote was all software; the company announced zero new hardware for us to tell it to shut up and take our money. It's quite disappointing, honestly speaking. 

Yes I understand it's a software developer conference so that will be the main focus. Apple has got four interface juggernauts in iOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS, and showcasing the new features in their respective new iterations took the entire two hours of the keynote.

But, software doesn't sell things, does it? Not when you're Apple at least. People have come to expect great software from the company, so a dazzling show of cool items coming soon isn't going to move the needle in my opinion. 

The thing we love Apple for best is the shiny hardware, and to have none announced today was a huge bummer. Don't ever forget: the Mac Mini was last updated back in 2014, and Apple is still selling the same four-year old unit at the same original price.  

What about a Macbook with Thunderbolt 3? How embarrassing is it that a $1,200 laptop currently can't plug into modern 4K external displays, or utilize fast external accessories. Granted this one probably isn't Apple's fault because Intel is beyond delayed in bringing out appropriate chips and chipsets for ultrabook-class laptops like the Macbook.

Mac Mini though. Come on, man. 

I am excited about the new stuff coming in the software, though. Most interesting to me was a true system-wide 'Dark Mode' in macOS Mojave. 

One last longing look at the MX-5 before I sign over the papers as sold. 

Was I ever good at multitasking?

Lately I've come to realize that having singular focus is supremely important. Whatever I am doing at the moment needs my complete attention, otherwise the results will be suboptimal. For example, when I write on this blog I can't have music on in the background because I'd have difficultly stringing words and thoughts together. 

Or perhaps my playlists are too good and engrossing for its own good. 

Is this need for singular focus a byproduct of getting old: a deterioration of attention-ability? Back in high school and college I'd multitask the hell out of everything and it turned out fine. Studying while having the baseball game on was a tradition, and I graduated with honors. 

Fast-forward to the present and even a wandering mind can be detrimental. Whenever I listen to podcasts I have to rewind more frequently than I'd like to admit because when my thoughts goes off to a distraction I absolutely cannot pick up any of the podcast's dialogue during.

I thought learning a third language and reading many books would keep my mind tack sharp (mental exercise), but I guess not?

Some people can watch a television show while keeping tabs on social media on the smartphone (or playing Candy Crush) yet they suffer no loss of detail from the particular episode. I am definitely not one of those people. 

Focus on the task in front of me: no distractions, no multitasking. That shall be my process to producing/attaining quality. 

I stuck my iPhone X out of a four-story window to take this, thinking I was going to drop it the entire time. 

Stop if you've seen this before

So for the fourth straight year, it's the Golden State Warriors versus the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals for all the marbles. 

How did we (fans of the Warriors) get so lucky? I can still remember the decade plus of futility that hung over the franchise from the late 90s to the early aughts, where a mere non-losing record would be considered a great season. 

Now, four consecutive trips to the Finals with the chance for a third championship. Ridiculous,. We'd do well to treasure every moment of this because success like this is once in a generation. There's way to many variables in sports to win on simply having the the better team on specs (see 2016 Finals). 

Likewise I'll always cherish the the three SF Giants championships earlier this decade, because It's likely we will never see such a run ever again. 

You have to admire the might of LeBron James, age 33, singlehandedly powering this ragtag Cavaliers team of paperclips and bandaids out of the Eastern Conference. He is the undisputed  best player of this generation, and with regards to the never-ending comparison to MJ... I'll take LeBron's physical body with MJ's mental instincts. 

Even if such a player were to exist and you substitute LeBron with him, there's still zero chance Cleveland will beat the Golden State. In less than a fortnight's time the basketball world will be crowning its newest dynasty. 

Red cafe.