Looking at commercial building #3 at noon. In the process of looking at commercial building #2 we learned that the local city we're expanding to was so die-hard in preventing "methadone clinics" that they wrote out every other type of "clinic" despite the fact that they have flyers telling you about all the wonderful "health centers" you can build thanks to their new zoning. Like, one use case out of three that they're advertising is something they accidentally banned. Fortunately I was in conversation with goobster who said "the mayor's an old friend, want an intro" which is why my weeks involve - getting the kid to camp - dealing with tax nonsense that is nonsense but has also made us $60k - trying to figure out what China, Ukraine, Trump, the Fed and crypto mean for my family - integrating some other unsung but vital part of a machining center nobody understands so that maybe I'll get to use it some day - talking to commercial brokers about millions of dollars in loans - talking to the mayor's office about whether I need to bother with milions of dollars in loans because they admittedly accidentally banned several entire categories of business in their fear of high-functioning addicts - dealing with a rogue DJ who decided to spew 6000 words of lies all over facebook and every blogspot he owns that call me out personally - helping out a buddy who has decided to switch from motorcycle parts to belt buckles because lo and behold, making pretty things is more fun That part was cool. He was asking me about my torch because he didn't quite trust the hour I spent on the phone with a master engraver and the half hour I spent with a master caster about how to do inlay and wanted to "melt it in." So I whipped out the torch, got out all the things and did a demo and said "nope, not going to work" in a conclusive fashion. Had another friend who only knows me through movie shit ask me about watches. It was a 2 hour conversation. Made me realize I'm an iceberg to most people. They know the 15% we have in common. Based on projections, one of these buildings, if executed according to calculations and estimates, will pay itself off after 6 years, pay its initial investment off after 8 years, and thereafter make me roughly $280k a year in rent. But then, we haven't seen the real numbers. The other two buildings could be sold tax-free after 10 years ("economic opportunity zone") or razed and replaced with mixed-use up to 25 stories high. It's really fuckin' hard to get rich in the United States. It's appallingly easy to get richer. I guess that's how you know your society is capitalist.
Dear Zul, I just had to say a big frickin THANK YOU !! for the show tonight, listening to it finally and the end was the most awesome unexpected and definitely NOT STUPID! and Yes, VERY SATISFYING!!; so amazing how music can make the worst shit somehow just the tiniest bit better TECNO SYNDROME,? THE IMMORTALS ?! FOREVER ON MY BEST EVER PLAYLIST,B THANKS TO YOU. KEEP SPINNIN, BUDDY! YOU ARE THE SHIT, MY FRIEND!
trying to figure out what China, Ukraine, Trump, the Fed and crypto mean for my family
What did you figure out?
how is this something you're still dealing with. jeez, man, wish that would just end for you. - dealing with a rogue DJ who decided to spew 6000 words of lies all over facebook and every blogspot he owns that call me out personally
My wedding took place under a massive banyan tree in Lahaina, Maui. It was sort of a symbol of permanence and might, given that it was 140 years old and like an entire city block wide. Guess it's a joke to think of anything as permanent. I visit Maui most years, so I guess this year instead of going I'll be looking for a good relief group to give my would-be tourist bucks to.
Still no job, but I'm getting more promising interviews. It feels like people are finally coming back from vacation and being more responsive in the hiring process. I'll send out another batch of applications next week and then take a break. There are 2 jobs I interviewed for I feel I did well - but I am waiting for a reply. Got rejected for a role I found really interesting - but they decided not to fill the role at all and hire freelancers instead. So in a way it feels okay because it's more about the company not having the budget, not my abilities. I'm hopeful for fall being a good hiring season, I have gotten some good interview practice and have understood my options a lot better. Somehow, even after almost 3 months of trying I'm still feeling optimistic and confident. And when summer is over, ramping up my search efforts will yield more results. Decided to go to Burning man after all - i'm a bit better off financially than i was expecting and I feel it will be a fun year for me. I have the whole event week free of responsibilities as i'm not going with a camp or signing up for any volunteering. Friends have offered to make things easy for me such as delivering me a box of things and my bike directly there - so I only have my personal things to manage! And then I'm staying 5 extra days to help the Rangers - which will be a super fun experience AND guarantee me a free ticket for next year again. I'm hoping to have a blast this year, and then potentially stop going every year unless there's a completely different way for me to re-live it. After going 5 times, I need a complete change in the way I participate every time to keep the experience rewarding.
When I initially set out the goal of spending half of my time this holiday on home improvement and half on seeing friends & family, I didn’t meant it as “7 days of DIY followed by 7 days seeing people” but here we are. Spent the day today being a good uncle to my sister’s three toddlers. I haven’t visited them that much the past year and I should do better. Seeing them 4 times this month is a good start I think.
Job search still fruitless, but I have signed a lease on an apartment so that's pretty sweet. It'll be nice to have our own space again.
I got invited to bluesky, so far it seems to mostly be populated by journalists and the psychotropic left, but at least it's not twitter. Following the domestic news cycle after the elections last year feels about as exhausting as keeping up with the news during the Trump years. Just too much depressing shit happening on a daily basis. My average for the last year has been three workouts per week, which I think is the most consistent I've been about exercise ever as an adult. Dropping the social aspect, going to the closest gym from my home and setting the bar low (getting to the gym, changing clothes and doing my warm up counts as a workout) has helped.
I do cardio. I should do more but it's too much of a chore. So every day, sometimes twice a day, I go for a walk. And I talk on the phone or I listen to audiobooks or I find songs for the radio show. It's discouraging. I'm probably good for 15-20 miles a week and careful monitoring of my caloric intake has me permanently set at "obese." Those appear to be my biological choices: "obese" or "exercise bulimic and also so light-headed that your teen years go by in a fog." I recognize on some level that I'm anything but obese, I'm the thinnest of my friends by far, who are all normal-shaped people, can out-pace them in pretty much any activity but I'm irrevocably broken inside. Cousin averred to the fact that he had finally realized that it's a goddamn miracle I came out halfway normal (plutonium adventures continue apace). But it fucking sucks nuking shoes in three weeks because apparently I have an adamantine skeleton or some shit.
Ever try tennis? I loathe cardio for the sake of cardio, but love tennis or even basketball or soccer. I’m just better when there’s a sport/contest involved. With your height and reach you’d probably be formidable
I've always hated cardio too, but finally at age 40 I'm learning to embrace it. I do all Tabata-style wind sprints on the exercise bike. It can keep my interest for about a half hour at a stretch at this point, which is way more cardio than I've ever done in the past in a single sitting. I haven't ice skated in a couple months, so I'm really interested to see how this has or hasn't helped me when the season starts in September. It gets harder every year to keep up with the 20-somethings.
Yeah I really suck at tennis. I suck harder at basketball. I'm preposterously bad at soccer. Turns out one of the things childhood abuse does is fuck with your motor development. It was a massive load-off to read that because it's always been my fault that I suck. Combine that with post-COVID impacts on balance and shit and I've been real hesitant to get back on the motorcycle. I can tell it fucked with me every time I ride a bike.
Yeah, don’t fuck with what your body is telling you… especially on a motorcycle. Sorry dude. Stationary bike? Rowing machine? I did the rowing machine. Works a ton of muscles and is great conditioning.
It’s always the holidays that get me. Two weeks of not showing up is enough to decimate the habit for me. I too got into bluesky but I haven’t found anyone worth following yet. Coming to the realization that the central public square that Twitter was will never come back, everything will just be disaggregated from now on, either in Twitter clones or by copying Twitter features in other platforms. Maybe it’s for the better.
For about the past 2 months I've been going most days, and it's really making me feel good. Once upon a time I was a regular gym attendee. I quit for a few years, then tried to go back in 2019. I was doing really well until a shoulder injury that needed surgery to fix sidelined me for a while. Getting the mentality of going to the gym regularly is harder than actually doing the workouts.
Nice work on getting back into the gym. I miss the social side of my old gym sooo much, but the benefit of a home gym being right there was too hard to ignore. Especially now as I've hit my strength goals and am no longer chasing bigger numbers. I couldn't justify the membership cost over building a setup I wanted and letting it pay for itself over time. Feeling you on setting the bar low. Even just turning up and warming up builds a habit of attendance and you still feel like you've done something worthwhile. Good shit.
I do weight training twice a week, tennis twice a week and once a week I do Krav Maga. I’m in the best shape of my life and I’m 46. Wish I had started this when I was in my 20’s. I would like to add some distance running into the mix when the weather cools a bit. I find it helpful to have either a gym friend or a trainer (which I know is a luxury) to keep me accountable. Without that, I would not go as much or as consistently. Lifting weights has become a favorite activity for me. I can’t believe that. I used to scoff at the idea. It is nice to challenge yourself and set new PR’s. I have a torn rotator cuff which has made me ease up on the intensity of my training but I’m still in there every week. Even when traveling you can always find a gym. And if not, push-ups, squats and sit-ups. The longevity and health benefits are undeniable