Monthly Archives: November 2024

When People Do Good and Bad

Incentives, Politics, ,

Over the past weeks I find myself repeatedly saying phrases like “Roman Polanski made some good movies”. In conversations, we keep covering brilliant ideas from people who’ve done despicable actions or who’ve made great creative works and also advanced horrible thoughts.

In that vein, I want to share this wonderful thought from Dynomight about attitudes to take towards people who’ve done Good and Bad.

I think it’s important to get the good from people and appreciate it. But you have to know that the man who helped America get to the Moon was a Nazi who worked people to brutal deaths. I believe I can fly is an incredibly good song. Jefferson, an architect of so many good thoughts, was a slavemaster, slaves built the White House and George Washington fought hard to recover the slaves that escaped him.

It’s uncomfortable, but you also need to know the full story. We need to talk about it. Because pretending the full story isn’t there is bad for us. Pretending the good isn’t there is also bad for us. And thinking people are only one thing is a fundamentally bad idea.

Some Thanks

Pals, Politics, Save.the.world,

It’s a day with a good idea, based on a bad story. I’m going to take the good idea – practicing gratitude and not celebrate the bad story.

I have SO MUCH to be grateful for. My family is healthy, faces struggles and difficulty with patience and practice and we have enough to give back. We have growth and navigate trouble together – and while we’ve had plenty of trouble to navigate, none of it has drowned us.

My workplace is appreciative of what I do, not abusive, and has a fairly healthy relationship with me. More to come on this, but my main challenges are prioritizing the interesting problems to solve and navigating change.

My personal health is a bounty. I hope for my friends with difficulties life threatening and chronic. I am merely stuck with the realization that I won’t achieve my goal to do 2 one-arm pullups by the end of the year. But I’m so close I think I’ll have it by the end of next year. It took me multiple years to be able to do a pistol squat, but I got there as well.

I’m grateful to have found some of the most wonderful interesting people and to have them be my friends. I’m still a little incredulous that they tolerate my personality, my long silent periods, but show me the same love and joy when we find each other together. They shore me up where I’m weak and I’m grateful when I can similarly help them.

I’m thankful that people are resolving to cooperate locally, support their communities and help each other get through coming tough times. The bonds forged in adversity can be strong and I hope they will link us in better times as well. I’m hoping to do more direct help by feeding hungry people at CHiPS and find more ways to be personally involved.

Bike Angels – Citibike Gamification

Economics, Incentives, NYC, , , ,

Well, friends, I just found myself seeking points. I’ve become a Bike Angel.

I love CitiBike – being able to grab a bike whenever for a short trip is just magic.

And then I saw a video about Bike Angels, and it grabbed me. It’s genius.

CitiBike has a clumping problem. Bikes flow like tides across the city, and they clump in popular destinations. Some docks end up with lots of bikes and some end up with very few.

They already have some overhead – the electric bikes need someone to come out and swap fresh batteries for dead ones. Repairs need to happen. They also have vans that pull up to overweight docks and transport them over to underweight docks. That’s not great though, using a motor vehicle to move bikes around. Better if people just did it cheaper on the bikes themselves.

That’s the bike angel program. It gives you points for moving bikes from crowded docks to emptier ones. More extreme docks give you more points. Doing it a lot is a streak and racks up your points. It’s all very silly and the very base rate of it all has a point worth around a dime. But it’s enough to make me OK with walking a little farther when I’ve got the time and riding a little farther to drop off at a dock that needs it.

And then I got a streak. And then I got to triple points. And then I found myself taking a ride between two docks to just not break my streak.

They got me!

If you’ve only got two clamps because you live in an apartment – you can hack them into any length you need.

No Laptop

Hacks, Photos, , , ,

Shoutout to this cool person I met in the lounge at Heathrow.

A person with long purple hair gives a thumbs up at a table with a full keyboard, monitor and tiny computer.

We got talking while she was setting up. She explained – wherever she goes she has a full keyboard, 2 monitors and a powerful setup. She always left her laptop plugged in to external monitors at home and she had it plugged into external monitors at work, so why not just carry the tiniest part she needs.

I love it.

New Bike Day

NYC, Photos, Travel,

Wow, that got here fast! Got my new Priority Continuum Onyx.

I’ve barely ridden it yet, but it seems amazing.

Added my fave retro reflective tape on it for style and to deter thievery.

Priority continuum bike in daylight with white stripe tape on it.
Daylight look

But it will shine shine shine at night.

Bike at night shining with white stripes reflecting brightly
Nightlight look

Going to get a rack put on it and then I’ll have a perfect commuter and arrive without the classic backpack sweat. Too bad I have to go on a work trip this next week and I can’t use it.