Blog

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

Beg some asshole

On a recent perusing of Reddit, I encountered a discussion about how difficult it still is to buy a new car these days. Inventories remain low, therefore dealership markups are still a thing to contend with. Basic supply and demand: whichever party has the power can dictate the terms.

Of course, that doesn’t mean people can’t complain about it. Especially those who want to buy a new car, but not exactly in a hurry to do so. These buyers can wait it out and try different dealerships to get the best price possible. But that in itself can be a time consuming, frustrating process. You’re begging people to shut up and take your money, yet they won’t do it. One Reddit commenter summed it up perfectly: “I just fundamentally can't bring my self to go beg some asshole to take my 60K.”

I think that is a big reason why the Tesla Model Y is the best selling vehicle - in the world - for the first quarter of 2023. Tesla sells cars directly to the customer, one price (that can change periodically), no markups or discounts. You can do the entire transaction on your smartphone, never needing to talk to a dealership salesperson. There isn’t a finance manager to upsell you on extended warranties either. In a time when when finding a car at MSRP is akin to hitting the lottery, the Tesla method of selling is highly attractive.

The pendulum will eventually swing back in the customer’s favor. Unless the traditional automaker constrain supply intentionally. That would be too cynical. I don’t think the automakers can sell (especially) electric vehicles while still relying on the dealership/markups method. Tesla’s direct-sale model will simply continue to eat their proverbial lunch. Those with the money and patience want low hassle above all else.

Rocket. Rocket Raccoon.

I did not expect to be emotionally compromised watching a Marvel movie, but there I was. Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 is a fantastic movie that beautifully closes off the various character arcs into a satisfying finish. One of the characters - Rocket - got this origin story told in this movie. Of how he came to be a talking brainiac of a raccoon. I have to say, it is heavy stuff. Director James Gunn seemingly wanting to tear our hearts out.

Lovers of animals and pet owners should be fore-cautioned - you may want to sit this chapter of Guardians out. The story of how Rocket came to be is effectively disturbing. Scenes of animal cruelty are three-dimensionally animated right in front of our eyes. I nearly lost to tears already at the beginning, when they showed a young Rocket post his traumatic transformation. A large stitched circle on his shaved head, denoting the point of entry to his brain. It is intense, and that story arc is weaved throughout the movie, never letting the audience relax.

Kudos to Sean Gunn (the acting stand-in as Rocket), Bradley Cooper (voice actor of Rocket) and the animators. A combined performance to make the drama utterly believable. Disturbing as it may be (and has to be, I would say), the audiences’ empathic connection to Rocket and his animal friends is profound. The cathartic payoff at the end is that much sweeter. Tears of horror turn into tears of joyful relief.

I did not expect to cry so much watching a Marvel movie, and I was an emotional wreck the rest of the day. The typical Guardians of the Galaxy hijinks is there, but more importantly, Volume 3 carries the message that we should always treat our animal friends with kindness and care.

Sonny

It was a somber workday yesterday. A coworker got the news that her mother is diagnosed with cancer, and not the good kind. Not to say there is a good kind of cancer, but you know what I mean. My own mother has had breast cancer, which while scary, is imminently survivable. She’s in remission to this day (god willing).

Obviously, my coworkers was in a bit of shock. As a coworker, I was at a lost of what to say, other than how sorry I was to hear the sad news. Was there more to be said? I’m not so sure. It’s tempting to encourage him to take the rest of the day off, but people handle bad news differently. Perhaps being at work and actually doing the work is a needed distraction from the difficulties to come.

It’s never fun when human mortality surfaces right front and center. Most of us go through life running away from contemplating our mortality. That in turn governs how we act each day. We think we have all the time in the world, but reality can snatch it away in a quick second. A normal workday will be utterly interrupted by the news your mother has terminal cancer. What a cruel joke! Just a minute before, another day was going swimmingly.

Sometimes you wish there’s a button to turn back the time. Like there is in a role-playing video game.

The constant contemplation of death should influence our actions. To not sweat the small stuff, be quick to forgive, and say the things you want to say now. Because it can all go away in an instant.

Hello, boredom

How is the no-twitter experience going for me? The complete lack of any social media! One word: boredom. Boredom is back in my life with a vengeance, and I have to say, it’s alright. Instead of watching the twitter feed scroll by on a separate monitor at work, I just zone out. Sure there was an initial itch to take out the phone, only to realize there aren’t any social media apps on there either. I either sit with the boredom, or go chat with my coworkers.

Boredom it is!

Twitter was how I got the news in the morning. The problem was: after I’ve read up on the latest news, the scrolling afterwards can be endless. Since deactivating my account, I’ve been relying on actual website. The good thing about those is the amount of new content is finite. I’d look at ESPN for the scores, and that’s it. No more scrolling. It’s really liberating.

What I do instead is simply lie on the couch and listen to music. Remember when we use to do that exclusively? Music wasn’t just background accompaniment. Back in the days of cassette and compact discs, we’d put on an album and listen to in attentively all the way through. No social media to distract, no smartphone to scroll through. I’ve reclaimed some of that experience, and it’s quite nice and relaxing.

It is said that the smartphone killed boredom. We’re so stuck to our phones now that I don’t think we know how to handle boredom. The horror of having to stew in our own thoughts for even one second. The itch to bring out the phones whenever we encounter boredom is immense. Would you be able to stand in a grocery store line just standing, waiting? You’d probably be the odd-looking one out. There’s something wrong with you, who is not face deep into your smartphone.

Got ready to rumble

You guys remember SoulCycle? (Still a thing, apparently.) The stationary exercise bike group class led by an enthusiastic instructor. I guess Peloton and the pandemic have largely obviated that service. No one wants to go outside when the same thing can be done in the comfort of home. Especially when it’s a bunch of sweaty strangers.

Rumble Boxing is kind of like SoulCycle, but as the name suggest, the prime exercise is boxing. (It’s not so easy installing a punching bag at home compared to an exercise bike.) Led by an equally enthusiastic instructor, you go through a circuit of ten rounds within an hour. It’s a blend of cardio and strength training, though I would say it’s more the former than the latter.

I prefer to workout on my own, but when the friend group wants to give Rumble Boxing a go, how can I not oblige. Any opportunity to exercise is good enough for me. The problem is: the location is downtown, and who goes downtown these days? At least street parking is free after 6:00 PM (for now). Obviously we chose an evening class because we’re working adults. All of this needs paying for somehow!

While there’s locker room and shower facilities, you really should show up to Rumble Boxing dressed in workout gear already. That way you can simply use the lockers for storing your personal items (built-in locks, so no need to bring your own padlock). Rumble will sell you the mandatory hand wraps for $8, and rent you a set of gloves for $3. If you’re serious about the sport (and I am definitely not), you can bring your own. There’s plenty of complimentary towels, and water fountain to fill up your drinks bottle (you’ll need the water).

For about $35 for the one hour class, I had a great time. My cardio’s been lacking since I did the 10K run last autumn, so it’s good to train that part again. The free towels definitely came in handy: I was sweating buckets throughout.

Day game after a night game

On Saturday I went to an afternoon baseball game. The first time doing so with this season’s new pace-of-play rules (namely, the pitch clock). Awhile back I attended a night game, and I have to say it is nice to have a nine inning game be done in about two and a half hours. You can get home in a reasonable time and not be too effected for the work day following (unless you’re a complete night owl.) So how does the pitch clock affect going to a day game on a leisurely weekend afternoon?

Much like the night game, it still feels bizarre that a baseball match can go by so quickly. You sit down, eat your food, and boom, it’s the fourth inning already. We use to be able to fit in whole conversations in between pitches. With the new rules, you miss a whole lot of action when your attention is occupied away just for a few moments. Keep that smartphone in your pocket because there isn’t time to go on social media.

I have to say, for a day game on a weekend, I actually wouldn’t mind sitting at the (beautiful) ballpark for a little longer. The particular game we went to was completed in two hours and 16 minutes. It definitely felt rushed because we were in no hurry to get home. Obviously, MLB isn’t going to adjust the pace-of-play rules for games played on different days of the week. For now, my short verdict is: great for weekday night games, not so great for weekend afternoon.

With the shortened game times, I bet the food vendors are making less money than last season (controlling for attendance). Fans are less inclined to go for a second round of food when by that time the match is already over. When games are shortening by half an hour (let’s say), there’s that half hour less opportunity to sell food. Basic, right? Though, perhaps I’m underestimating the gluttony of the typical American baseball fan.

Farewell, twitter

So, I deactivated my twitter account! After more than a decade, it’s time to say goodbye to the bird app. No, this act isn’t a commentary on the state of things vis a vis Elon Musk. Rather, me quitting twitter is the final piece to my complete divestment from social media (I’ve long quit Facebook and Instagram many years ago). To cut myself off fully from the rampant toxicity and negativity. Instead of scrolling through the twitter feed in the morning, now I’ll just listen to music. The latter is a much healthier exercise, that I can assure you.

What do I do for news now? Well, back to what it was before the advent of twitter: actually visiting websites. For technology stuff I’ve got The Verge to tell me the latest. Up-to-date sports there’s ESPN. For Kpop interest there’s the venerable AllKpop. Unlike the endless dopamine hit of an infinite scrolling twitter feed, there’s a finite amount of new stuff when you visit these pages. Surely I’ll get some precious time back from the inability to doom-scroll.

Twitter wasn’t (and isn’t) all negative. I’m going to miss chancing upon book recommendations, or excellent online articles that I otherwise would not have encountered. There’s also the thing I would argue that twitter is best for: watching significant live events or shows. There’s a certain communal magic in having a big sporting match on the TV, and the twitter feed on another screen. I get to see in real-time how others are responding to the same thing I’m watching. Watching a Formula One race won’t be as joyful henceforth, and that is indeed a sad part to quitting twitter.

As with any change, I’m sure I’ll adapt to it in no time. Thanks a bunch for the many good times, bird app.