Blog

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

Build another PC?

In a fit of nostalgia, I’ve been toying with the idea of building a PC. I used to be a huge custom PC enthusiast. I built my first custom Pentium 4 machine back in middle school. I’ve done a dual AMD processor build, back before multiple cores on a single die was a thing. The last PC I built was used as a media center connected to an HDTV. That one got confiscated by the Feds (it wasn’t me). Since then, I’ve been entirely on the Mac platform.

Obviously I don’t exactly need a PC. This M1 MacBook Pro I’m typing on is my main computer. The LG TV I have has its own operating system, so I don’t need a PC for that either (besides, far easier and cheaper to buy a streaming stick from Apple/Amazon/Google). I don’t need a PC to game, either: there’s a PlayStation 5 for that.

So building a new PC in the year 2023 would be a pure vanity project for me. What I really miss is the craftsmanship and meticulousness that go with putting all the components together. There’s a tactile art to proper cable management and fitting the parts in harmony. It’s as close to building a car for those of us lacking the skill and money to build our own car. The satisfactory joy from pressing the power button and the PC coming to life for the very first time. That’s what I miss.

Of course, in this economy, I’m not spending money on what is essentially an art project. As mentioned, I have no use for a built PC. And these days I’m trying to eliminate as much superfluous stuff as possible. I shall be content with living vicariously through the people building PCs on YouTube.

In solidarity!

The Writers Guild have gone on strike. I can remember the last time the writers picketed, back in 2007. The beloved show The Office was nearly cancelled because of it. Many other shows did get cancelled, and those that survive had their storylines hugely affected. Depending on how this strike goes, the effect on your favorite show may be devastating.

Don’t get me wrong, I am squarely on the side of the striking writers. As a member of a union myself, I have nothing but solidarity with members of other unions. Inflation continues to be an issue, so workers have to fight for every bit of increase just to keep up with expenses. Last year my union negotiated a 7% increase for the members, for which I am extremely grateful. The increase definitely eases the pain of the current inflationary environment. From an already frugal base, I didn’t have to alter my spending that much, if at all.

The writers also have to contend with the existential crisis of being replaced by AI. I directly know people who are already using ChatGPT (and the like) to help them write long form. The same technology can no doubt be leveraged by TV and movie studios to write stories and dialogue. You can employ less writers if all you need is for them to tidy up the output from an AI bot. The time is right now for human writers to negotiate a future in which their role is protected for years to come.

Our favorite shows might be on pause for a long time because of the strike, but these are real people with real families to take care of. These aren’t the Hollywood elites living in the hills. Most writers earn a middle-income wage like you and I. They deserve every bit they can get from the studios. In solidarity!

Stay off the weed

You know it’s nearing finals when the frequency of false fire alarms at the university library is increasing. These stressed kids are smoking joints to relieve the tension. Sadly for them, the library’s smoke detectors are sensitive and automatic. Students think it’s okay to take a few drags in the bathroom (and it’s almost always the bathroom) and then next thing later the whole building is evacuating. No gripes from me, however: I can use the walk outside from actually working.

Also during work yesterday I attended - via Zoom - my best friend’s dissertation defense. It’s kind of wild to do one of these things virtually, but it had to be done since one of his advisors is still working remotely (must be nice, says me who now goes to campus the full five days). That said, the ease of logging into Zoom meant people could attend without having to travel. It was nice to see basically the entire friend group taking time out of their workday to be there for our soon-to-be doctor. And congratulations, he is officially a doctor now!

Just not the kind that resuscitate people during medical emergencies. He should remained seated when they ask if there’s a doctor on a plane.

It’s getting to my favorite time of the year working on a campus: graduation season. Coming out of the pandemic I reckon this will be the first year that ceremonies big and small will return live on campus. Back in the day when I did AV support for some of the events, I always got tremendous joy seeing the students attain their degrees after years of hard work (and play, let’s be honest). It’s the culmination, the finality, and opening the door to the next stage, that’s so rewarding to see.

Looking forward to my best friend’s ceremony in about two weeks’ time.

Out with the old

The problem with buying and replacing furniture is the waste that’s left behind. The sheer amount of cardboard and plastic that have no chance to fit in the ordinary household recycling bin. The old furniture that’s being replaced: how the heck do you throw away an old desk?

Part of the reason I’ve been hesitant to replace my desk and buy a couch (respectively) is dealing with the waste byproduct. I definitely do not want to spend the time putting the old desk on Craigslist and dealing with tire kickers. That thing has been with me since my end of college days, so I feel like I’ve gotten the full monetary use out of it already. Naturally, none of my friends are in need of a desk - we’ve all got our own.

The proper thing to do would be call the garbage collector and schedule a bulk pickup. Households around here get two of those for free, per year. Each time you get to throw away 10 bulk items. And the collector is militant about this: the workers will leave any item over the 10 count right out on the street. They wouldn’t even do you the solid of taking the bulkiest items. Hashtag PSA.

The improper thing to do, aside from driving to an empty highway and dumping the stuff to the side, is to have parents living in an apartment complex with large communal trash bins. All I had to do is ferry the old furniture - broken down, of course - and cardboard waste to my parents and have them dump it. This saves me the pain of storing the old stuff in what little space I have. No matter how generous my landlord is, the garage space is already rather full.

I’m the type of personality that the sooner something gets done, the better. Especially when it comes to getting rid of clutter. For a homebody like me, the home space is sacred, and must be kept pristine as much as possible. I’m glad this new furniture episode is completely behind me now.

Something with more utility

I always thought that if I were to ever get a second car, it would also be something of the sporting variety. Something to compliment my rear-wheel drive BMW M2. Perhaps a front-wheel drive Honda Civic Type R, or an all-wheel drive Toyota GR Corolla. Because every car guy should have examples of each drivetrain style, am I right? I’ve already done the engine in at the back of the car thing…

Lately however I’ve been slightly frustrated by the lack of utility with my M2. Sure there’s a normal size trunk at the back, but the opening is on the small side. Bigger items that would otherwise fit inside can’t get through the aperture. I completely understand why the sport-utility vehicle is the most popular type of car sold in America. It’s nice to go to IKEA and not have to worry about jigsawing those furniture boxes to fit. Simply open the hatch and dump it all in.

So I’m thinking maybe, if I were to get a second car, that it should be something on the utilitarian side. I already have a sports car! It makes sense for the other car to be able to take care of the everyday life stuff. An SUV that can haul stuff in the back with ease, carry pets and their dirt without care, and be able to park it anywhere with no worries. The M2 will then be relegated to pure, occasional pleasure driving. No more Costco runs for the little BMW.

This is all a big if, obviously. A second car is way down on the priorities list. Insurance cost for one car is expensive enough as is. It’s just something nice to think about. Unlike sports cars, the availability of SUVs is vast and varying. There’s so many options to choose from that doing a bit of window shopping and comparing is fun in it of itself.

First of the 2023 season

Yesterday I attended my first Giants baseball game of the season. It’s been a while since I’ve stepped foot in Oracle Park for baseball-related activities. The last time I was there was for the annual 10K run last, I want to say, September? Coming out of the pandemic, attending baseball games is so far down the list of favored activities that it may as well have disappeared entirely. Of course it doesn’t help the Giants hasn’t been doing well. Who wants to sit in the San Francisco cold for three hours watching a mediocre product? Not a lot of people.

But when your friend is in town from New York City and asks if you’re free at short notice to go to a game, I had to oblige. Besides, this season the league have implemented a pitch clock (and various rule changes to promote a faster game). Basically the pitcher have a limited amount of time to throw the next pitch. The batter likewise have to be ready in the box to receive. Games that used take more than three hours to play the full nine innings have now been finishing in just two and a half. We can now go to an evening game and still get home before 10:00 PM!

And indeed the game last night felt like it went by super quickly. I was actually surprised when the 7th inning stretch arrived. The game that started at 6:45 PM was over well before 9:30 PM. Say what you want about putting a clock on the game without a clock, but on first experience, I quite like the new rules. The game felt natural to watch as it did before. Hitters and pitchers have obviously adjusted to the new speedier pace. Those of us watching can no longer fit in whole conversations in between each pitch.

It was a sparse crowd for a Tuesday evening game against the St. Louis Cardinals. So sparse that they didn’t even bother announcing the attendance figure. That said, heading to the park on 280 northbound is as congested as it ever was once you get near the ballpark. I did the usual and parked near the Hall of Justice (free street parking, naturally), then walked the 10 minutes to Oracle Park on 3rd and King. That part of the Giants baseball experience has not changed in a decade plus.

New flex in town

For the rich one percent, the vehicle to buy right now is no longer the most expensive Tesla Model S or X. No, it’s a high-priced product from another electric-vehicle maker: Rivian. Those things are absolutely everywhere. I literally see at least one Rivian R1T or R1S (all-electric truck and SUV, respectively) every day driving through the neighborhood. Rivian is the new symbol of cool car flex. Teslas are too common, so is the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon (the unofficial rich-person vehicle of Southern California).

Granted, I live in arguably the center of EV adoption in America: San Francisco Bay Area. So it’s not really surprising to see this many Rivian trucks rolling around. It’s so easy to buy one, too (provided you have the money). Like Tesla, Rivian sells directly to the customer. A few clicks on the website and it’s done. No haggling, no need to visit a dingy dealership with douchebag sales and finance persons. Sure, you’ll have to wait a few months for the thing to arrive, but at least you can get on a list. And you can be sure there won’t be additional shenanigans upon delivery.

Meanwhile, I can’t even get on a list for a Honda Civic Type R without agreeing to pay a hefty sum over MSRP. And the finance manager is going to insist I get financing with Honda, because they get a kickback. Paying cash? The price just went up.

As the automotive industry transition to electric, traditional automakers really need to figure out a way to efficiently sell online. Millennials and younger don’t want to visit a dealership and talk to a guy. We want a set price and simple buying. Do the entire transaction over smartphone, and just let us know when the car is ready for pick up. The additional friction of having to work with a dealership is going to drive people to the likes of Tesla and Rivian.

Only the most compelling of products can make people willingly go the dealership route. Like the aforementioned Civic Type R…