Category Archives: Life

College Tours: Then vs Now or Here vs There?

I’ve reached the point in my life where we’re now taking tours of colleges and universities for my own kids, and something struck me as we were walking around UChicago this past weekend… aside from the ridiculously expense cost which is potentially a topic for another post.

It was great seeing the beautiful campus, and hearing about all the great things alumni from the university have done. But what hit me was that on the tours we’ve been on, not once have we actually gone into an academic building. We haven’t seen an actual dorm (at UM we saw a “model”… but how realistic is that). And we haven’t seen or eaten at a cafeteria. Sure the guides have told us all about it, but there’s a huge difference between hearing, seeing, and experiencing.

I get it that you can’t really experience a class, and you’re going to get people who complain if you go into the humanities building vs the physics lab (or some such), but the point is something is usually better than nothing.

Now “back in my day” (yes, I’m old) when I gave tours at Kettering all of that was what set things apart IMO. I loved taking the kids/families into the rec center, through the tunnel to the academic building, and even into my own dorm room. I like to think it’s part of the reason I chose Kettering/GMI over some of the other schools I looked at. That openness and lack of pretentiousness. Real people doing real things.

Who knows… maybe they don’t do that anymore at Kettering (my kids have no interest in following in my footsteps), but it would be a shame if they don’t… and it’s a shame they haven’t done it at the places we’ve toured.

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Disclaimer: Thoughts and opinions are my own, and do not reflect the views of any employer, family member, friend, or anyone else. Some links may be affiliate links, but I don't link to anything I don't use myself.

The Art of Not Sharing

Check out this article: The Art of Not Sharing

“In the pre-digital age, privacy was the default state. Sharing information required effort – writing a letter, making a phone call, or having a face-to-face conversation. Now, privacy requires effort. We have to actively choose not to share, to resist the temptation to post, to keep our thoughts and experiences to ourselves.”

“I think of my journal as my private social media feed, one where I’m the only follower. Like a social media platform, it’s a place for me to share my thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Unlike social media, there’s no pressure for me to perform, no need to curate, no risk of oversharing.”

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Disclaimer: Thoughts and opinions are my own, and do not reflect the views of any employer, family member, friend, or anyone else. Some links may be affiliate links, but I don't link to anything I don't use myself.

This is an embarrassment and should be a crime

From today’s Morning Brew (which you should subscribe to BTW)

Federal minimum wage
2015: $7.25 per hour
2025: $7.25 per hour

Average cost of a home in the US
2015: $366,000
2025: $503,800

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Disclaimer: Thoughts and opinions are my own, and do not reflect the views of any employer, family member, friend, or anyone else. Some links may be affiliate links, but I don't link to anything I don't use myself.

Take me back: Amelia Island ✈

Just got back from a quick Spring Break trip to Amelia Island (Jacksonville, FL area). Stayed at this great Airbnb with some amazing ocean views. Spent each evening with the patio door wide open listening to the waves crash against the shore.

The first day we took a 2 hour boat trip with Amelia Adventures, and got to see wild horses, a manatee, and dolphins! Ate at Sliders Seaside Grill which was my favorite dining place of the trip (plus The Tavern by AIBC for beer and pretzels).

Wednesday we bummed around downtown Jacksonville and Neptune Beach. Downtown wasn’t all that great since the “Friendship Fountain” was closed, and not much to do, but Sweet Pete’s Candy Shop was a fun stop. There were also some museums and such, but we didn’t bother with those. Ate at Fish Camp on the beach, which was ok, but not as good as I’d heard it made out to be.

Thursday was a day for history and learning while we drove the A1A (“beachfront avenue”) and rode the St. Augustine Trolley Tour. Dinner at Salt Life Food Shack which was decent.

Overall, I could have spent the entire time just reading and listening to the ocean, but alas the kids actually wanted to do things, and I guess we had to eat too 😊. I’d say check it out if you’re looking for a laid back trip.

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Disclaimer: Thoughts and opinions are my own, and do not reflect the views of any employer, family member, friend, or anyone else. Some links may be affiliate links, but I don't link to anything I don't use myself.

Brutal Honesty

This is an interesting one because I’ve more than once been given this feedback, but there’s a nuance… one can give honest feedback in constructive and helpful ways or just being a dick about it.

I know it’s hard when the stupidity is so obvious, but that doesn’t really excuse being a jerk. Now, some people aren’t going to like what you have to say regardless, and you better have a good argument or alternative for your honesty. Being a seagull and just shitting all over everything and calling it “honesty” is no excuse.

Be a part of the solution, but never be afraid to speak up and hold your ground (even if some people don’t like it).Please remember to subscribe to the newsletter or feed to stay up to date!

Disclaimer: Thoughts and opinions are my own, and do not reflect the views of any employer, family member, friend, or anyone else. Some links may be affiliate links, but I don't link to anything I don't use myself.

The Goal of Adulthood

“The goal of adulthood is to let go of the other possible existences and to make the best of the one. A successful adult is one who understands that it doesn’t matter which life you ultimately pick, only that you live it well.”

From (spoiler alert you have to actually read the article not just the title): A Surprising Number Of Teens Think They’ll Die Young, Or Live Forever, Whichever Comes First

But, back to the quote, it’s actually pretty spot on if you think about it. Somewhat difficult to do, but living your life well (however you define that) seems like a worthwhile goal.

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Disclaimer: Thoughts and opinions are my own, and do not reflect the views of any employer, family member, friend, or anyone else. Some links may be affiliate links, but I don't link to anything I don't use myself.

Vacation

This… it’s always bugged me when people say “if my vacation is approved”. Like hell. I’m telling you I won’t be around so you can plan. Not to ask your permission.Please remember to subscribe to the newsletter or feed to stay up to date!

Disclaimer: Thoughts and opinions are my own, and do not reflect the views of any employer, family member, friend, or anyone else. Some links may be affiliate links, but I don't link to anything I don't use myself.

The Importance of Leverage

I first read this in James Clear’s 3-2-1 Newsletter, but thought the idea from Naval Ravikant was so good that I just had to share…

Humans evolved in societies where there was no leverage. If I was chopping wood or carrying water for you, you knew eight hours put in would be equal to about eight hours of output. Now we’ve invented leverage… As a worker, you want to be as leveraged as possible so you have a huge impact without as much time or physical effort.

A leveraged worker can out-produce a non-leveraged worker by a factor of one thousand or ten thousand. With a leveraged worker, judgment is far more important than how much time they put in or how hard they work.

For example, a good software engineer, just by writing the right little piece of code and creating the right little application, can literally create half a billion dollars’ worth of value for a company. But ten engineers working ten times as hard, just because they choose the wrong model, the wrong product, wrote it the wrong way, or put it in the wrong viral loop, have basically wasted their time. Inputs don’t match outputs, especially for leveraged workers.

What you want in life is to be in control of your time. You want to get into a leveraged job where you control your time and you’re tracked on outputs.

The Almanack of Naval Ravikant
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Disclaimer: Thoughts and opinions are my own, and do not reflect the views of any employer, family member, friend, or anyone else. Some links may be affiliate links, but I don't link to anything I don't use myself.

Yuval Noah Harari: the world after coronavirus

A good perspective from the author of Sapiens, Homo Deus, and more on the Coronavirus

https://www.ft.com/content/19d90308-6858-11ea-a3c9-1fe6fedcca75Please remember to subscribe to the newsletter or feed to stay up to date!

Disclaimer: Thoughts and opinions are my own, and do not reflect the views of any employer, family member, friend, or anyone else. Some links may be affiliate links, but I don't link to anything I don't use myself.