All posts by keith

How to Do What You Love

Paul Graham writes about doing what you love.

Some quotes from it, and how hard it actually can be, even if you don’t have to work at something else. (Which is a flaw with Universal Basic Income, which I’ll get into sometime.)

Another test you can use is: always produce. For example, if you have a day job you don’t take seriously because you plan to be a novelist, are you producing? Are you writing pages of fiction, however bad? As long as you’re producing, you’ll know you’re not merely using the hazy vision of the grand novel you plan to write one day as an opiate. The view of it will be obstructed by the all too palpably flawed one you’re actually writing.
….
Most people would say, I’d take that problem. Give me a million dollars and I’ll figure out what to do. But it’s harder than it looks. Constraints give your life shape. Remove them and most people have no idea what to do: look at what happens to those who win lotteries or inherit money. Much as everyone thinks they want financial security, the happiest people are not those who have it, but those who like what they do. So a plan that promises freedom at the expense of knowing what to do with it may not be as good as it seems.

Dex Day

Tired and Grumpy
So today is Saturday, and I had my Dexamethazone yesterday. I was awake at 3AM, up at 4, and have been wanting to bite people’s heads off all day. Hate it. Worst day in a while, I think the Revlimid might tone it down, but I’m off that for a week.

Why Unschoolers Grow Up to Be Entrepreneurs


This article at Foundation for Economic Education has a great explanation. Not surprisingly it’s because they don’t have their creativity and individuality stultified by a government school that glorifies conformity and order, and discourages thinking for yourself.
From the article:

As the American entrepreneur and author, Jim Rohn, once said: “Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.” While all of us can benefit from his advice, unschoolers have a great head start.

15 minutes of work…

Today was 15 minutes of work, and an hour of rest. Rinse. Repeat. (More or less.) This is the last week of my 5th round of chemo, and the Revlimid has got me tired over the last 3 days. Blergh. Luckily I have two more doses of it, and then a week off.
Tired

The Testament of James (Case Files of Matthew Hunter and Chantal Stevens)–Vin Suprynowicz

This was a fun book. I read it in one day (mostly because I was super early for doctor/infusion appointment, whoops, so I had time, and stayed up a little late to finish it.) It’s a fast read, great plot, great characters, etc. I’ve got the second one in my wishlist at Amazon already


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The manager of Books on Benefit has died under mysterious circumstances, and one of the rarest books in the world is missing — if it ever existed at all.
Did James the Just, oldest surviving brother of Jesus of Nazareth, write a book about the suppressed secrets of his brother’s ministry, and the plan to help him survive the crucifixion? The number of strange characters descending on the scene, determined to lay hands on the missing volume, indicate powerful forces believe it exists — and are hell-bent on making sure The Testament of James never sees the light of day.
Aided only by a small band of College Hill misfits, can the unorthodox methods of Matthew Hunter, tracer of lost books, find the Testament in time to keep the Forces of Darkness from condemning the Western World to yet another long, dismal night of ignorance and repression?

Jeanne & Modigliani: Paris in the Dark

A story that was quite common in the early 20th century, beautifully illustrated. A graphic novel not to be missed. You can only get it for Kindle or via Comixology right now, but the physical book is (supposedly) on its way.


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The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

I recommend this book to everyone. It’s that good.


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In this generation-defining self-help guide, a superstar blogger cuts through the crap to show us how to stop trying to be “positive” all the time so that we can truly become better, happier people.

For decades, we’ve been told that positive thinking is the key to a happy, rich life. “F**k positivity,” Mark Manson says. “Let’s be honest, shit is f**ked and we have to live with it.” In his wildly popular Internet blog, Manson doesn’t sugarcoat or equivocate. He tells it like it is—a dose of raw, refreshing, honest truth that is sorely lacking today. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is his antidote to the coddling, let’s-all-feel-good mindset that has infected American society and spoiled a generation, rewarding them with gold medals just for showing up.

Manson makes the argument, backed both by academic research and well-timed poop jokes, that improving our lives hinges not on our ability to turn lemons into lemonade, but on learning to stomach lemons better. Human beings are flawed and limited—”not everybody can be extraordinary, there are winners and losers in society, and some of it is not fair or your fault.” Manson advises us to get to know our limitations and accept them. Once we embrace our fears, faults, and uncertainties, once we stop running and avoiding and start confronting painful truths, we can begin to find the courage, perseverance, honesty, responsibility, curiosity, and forgiveness we seek.

There are only so many things we can give a f**k about so we need to figure out which ones really matter, Manson makes clear. While money is nice, caring about what you do with your life is better, because true wealth is about experience. A much-needed grab-you-by-the-shoulders-and-look-you-in-the-eye moment of real-talk, filled with entertaining stories and profane, ruthless humor, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is a refreshing slap for a generation to help them lead contented, grounded lives.