Blog

Short blog posts, journal entries, and random thoughts. Topics include a mix of personal and the world at large.

Type R or bust!

Two days later, I am still buzzing over the newly-announced Honda Civic Type R.

The hottest version of the 11th-generation Honda Civic looks absolutely fantastic. It resolves everything that was wrong with the previous generation Type R. The gaudy body cladding and fake vents are gone. The new Type R is way more subtle, with just hints of aggression. The wheels are 19-inch items now, instead of overly large 20-inch units on the last car. Even the prerequisite “big wing” at the back is now colored in black, blending in nicely with the rear windscreen. It's as if legendary Honda tuner Spoon did the styling on the new car. If you know, you know.

Fitting, then, that the new Civic Type R will be made in Japan. The Swindon plant in the UK - production home of the previous Type R - is no more. As illogical as it may be, a Japanese-made Civic Type R is immediately more attractive than one made elsewhere. Just as I would be less inclined to buy a BMW that isn't manufactured in Germany. I'm sure the forthcoming BMW M2 is completely fine being hecho en Mexico. But I'm extra glad my own BMW M2 was built in the fatherland.

Back to the new Civic Type R: I desperately want one. With the era of internal-combustion engines seemingly at the end of life, the performance cars of today are likely to be the last of its breed. This is the time to buy what you can and keep it forever. As an enthusiast that grew up on Japanese cars, I've had thoughts about getting back into a proper J-VIN vehicle. The Toyota GR86 has been so resoundingly well-received that the soft goal is to buy one to keep - soon as I finish paying off the M2. It seems the Civic Type R has entered the chat. And it's talking a very loud game.

It'll be a tough decision. Logic would follow the front-wheel-drive Type R, since the M2 is rear-wheel drive. However, the GR86 might be the last pure, affordable real-wheel-drive sports car, and there's something to be said about that. Bottom line is: I am not selling the BMW - the Japanese car will be an addition. I consider my F87-generation M2 Competition to also be the last of its kind. The upcoming M2 is heavier, uglier, and uninteresting.

The joy of tools

A fresh set of iFixit tools is a special feeling. Rows and columns of alloy bits not yet tarnish by human fingers. The sharp ends not yet met the heads of a screw. Breathe in that freshly open box smell. It’s probably toxic, but you don’t care. Every single piece is right where it should be, corresponding to the labels perfectly. It’s strange how much excitement I can draw from a $40 dollar tool set. I was super excited when we finally got in some new sets at work.

Primarily because other people have no sense of responsibility. No sense of order. No sense of putting things back where they should be once you’re done with it. Our old roster of iFixit toolkits are all in varying state of mess. Bits either missing or not where they should be placed. Half the time the sets themselves aren’t even put back in the designated area. More than once I’ve vowed to buy my own set. I would then only have myself to blame if the pieces are in disarray.

Of course, they would never be: I’m entirely too obsessive compulsive about things being in their proper place. I don’t expect my coworkers to be on that same level. Most people don’t clean the floors of their home every other day. Naturally then I also have the cleanest desk in the office. I put to regular use those alcoholic wipes that gets handed out like candy since the start of the pandemic.

So I may have selfishly commandeered one of the new iFixit sets for myself. I instantly ran to the label-maker to sticker my name to the case. Perhaps it’s a dick move, but I have to say I do use the tools quite often. Besides, I would gladly proffer up “my” set should someone needs one, and all the others are being used.

London is burning (hot)

The news today out of Great Britain is the country is suffering through a record-breaking heatwave. Temperatures there breached 100 degrees (Fahrenheit, natch), a phenomenon supremely unusual for the island nation that far up the latitude chart. People from hotter climes must be confused at the news: “What’s so especially devastating about 100 degree weather?” And to think that England conquered the world whilst dressed in multiple layers of wool.

The answer is of course obvious: Britain is simply not built for temperatures that hot. The country is famous for its perennial rain, cold, and cloudy grayness. Houses and infrastructure aren’t designed to keep the populace comfortable under those heat conditions - there was never a need. Same situation exists in San Francisco, also famous for its temperate climes year round. When it does get super hot for that one week in October, we suffer just like the Brits are suffering right now.

When it gets that hot in a region where air-conditioning is not really a thing, the only effective way to combat it is one, stay indoors and keep hydrated. Then two, do absolutely nothing else. Productivity is going to and will have to decline massively during that period.

I have to say I was pretty smug this morning, after hearing about the heatwave in England. I walked to work in a balmy high 50s (again, Fahrenheit) weather. Complete cloud cover, no direct sun in sight. How have the climate change gods managed to avoid wrecking their havoc on San Francisco? Last summer was rather mild, and thus far this one has been too. I see reports of massive heatwaves elsewhere and I can only sheepishly chuckle, “Well, it’s still nice and cool over here!”

Granted, there is the great drought our region is continuously going through. What use is cool weather if there isn’t any water?

Must protect the hair

I’m not at all vain about aging, except for one thing: hair. The thought of balding scares me unreasonably. If my hairline ever starts to recede or a bald spot forms at the back, I’ll seek medical remedies immediately. I don’t care to spend thousands of dollars on teeth straightening or laser eye surgery, but for hair loss I would gladly throw money at the problem. As I head into my later 30s, I am definitely, unreasonably, proud that I still have a full head of hair.

Thank you, the genetics of my forefathers and foremothers.

Of course, I’m not immune to the random strays of white hair. Luckily it has not (yet) developed to a point of unmanageable. Every week or so I would spend about 10 minutes in the front of the bathroom mirror to pluck the white hairs out. Obviously this is only possible if you grow out your hair like I have. Do white hairs grow back once they’ve been pulled from its roots? I don’t know: I’m unreasonably afraid that the answer is yes, were I to look it up.

When white hair starts dominating my head, I will for sure be using hair dyes. Hopefully that is something way down the road.

Does a hat-wearing habit accelerate or cause balding? I certainly hope not. I wear a hat to work everyday, just like gentlemen of old at the turn of the 20th century. Function? To keep the sun out of my eyes. At work it isn’t so convenient to carry around a pair of sunglasses (they also fog up while wearing a mask), so I wear a billed hat instead. I don’t think I or anyone can pull off a top hat these day, like the gentlemen of old.

What are you unreasonably self-conscious about?

I'm going to walk

Yesterday I had a truly blissful moment. It was around 5:00 PM in the afternoon. I’d just finished swimming some laps at the local pool. The sun was out, and the temperature was warm enough for San Francisco (which is to say: slightly cool). Being a local pool, I walk there instead of drive. A short 20 minutes of pre and post exercise. That walk back home yesterday was the best post-workout high I’ve experienced in a long time.

I’m generally a fast walker, but yesterday afternoon I walked at a far slower pace. Partly because I was tired from the cardio at the pool, and partly because I so present in the moment. What would I be in the hurry for anyways? Absolutely nothing. Saturday is for slowing down and enjoying life. At least it still is for my single, zero children lifestyle. Those of you with kids: sorry, Saturday is for spending more time with them!

It never gets old how utterly walkable (almost) everything is around me. Not only is it a time and planet savor, but I’ve come to enjoy walking to places. The air quality in this part of the city is fairly decent, plus I get that all-important sun exposure for those precious vitamin Ds. If a spot is within a mile or so radius from home, I’m walking. Unless of course I need to buy a big bag of rice from H Mart. Then the car comes into play.

Or when the weather is inclement. Walking in the rain is no fun, poncho or otherwise.

Suburbia may appeal to me at a later stage in life. For now, I don’t see myself giving up on this entirely walkable situation any time soon. Not for two times the salary would I go back to having a soul-sucking car commute. How you seen how crazy the drivers are on the freeways lately? My 10 minute walk to work is almost therapeutic in comparison.

Victory fanfare

One of the best feelings doing my IT support work is when I solve a problem after a prolonged period of fighting it. The problem doesn’t even necessarily have to be complicated. The smallest conundrum can sometime take weeks to figure out. Who knew attaching Ubuntu to an active directory can be so maddeningly difficult to figure out? On Windows you simply put in the directory address, then click add.

Nevertheless, the high I get from figuring out a difficult problem is rather euphoric. I definitely feel good about myself and my abilities. The ego gets bit of juice. I raise my arm in celebration, proclaiming what a genius I am. It’s important to take these victories when they come. I mean, don’t we all strive to do our jobs well? Sure, we’re mostly in it for the paycheck, but taking pride in the work is way better than simply going through the motions. Day after day.

If anything: every issue I resolved at work - big or small, long or short - is worth celebrating. Recognizing small milestones let us know that we’re in motion; that we’re actually going somewhere. And when you do tackle the big stuff, the finish is even more satisfying. Bathe in that feeling!

Subscribe to everything

Amazon Prime Day is happening right now. Hope you all get something nice with a massive discount. I am not participating because I don’t really need anything right now. It’s best to avoid spending money on things I want simply because it is on sale. I’m not even going to look at the Amazon webpage, lest I be tempted to click the checkout button. Besides, it irks me that you have to wait for a certain time/day for particular items to be on sale; I don’t have time to play stake-out.

You know what isn’t available for Amazon Prime Day? A PlayStation 5 console. Insert smirk face emoji.

Word on the street is that BMW will start charging subscriptions for features in their cars. It’s happening now in the South Korean market. You want heated seats? That will be $18 dollars a month. A heated steering for your precious hands costs $10 dollars a month. These features are already built into the cars: payment merely unlocks it in software. Customers are able to pay one full price for “unlimited” access to the features - much like ticking the option box when ordering a car.

I guess this appeals to our millennial generation who are so used to figuring out costs on a monthly basis. If the monthly payment for a particular thing is doable, then I can afford it! Who cares if the full payout stretches many years out into the future. I’ve been paying a month lease on the latest iPhone for many years, and will likely continue to do so. For certain products, it’s just easier.

I don’t feel the same way in paying a subscription for features in a car, however. It’s as if the customer doesn’t own the car at all! I joked that since the lock is all software, I’m sure there will be cheap hacks for sale on eBay. But then someone raised a good rebuttal: BMW can probably disable your car entirely if it sees you’ve got some illicit code running.

Glad my BMW M2 was made and bought before the oncoming of this connected-car nonsense.