# November 2022

My wife says that [taylor.town](/) readers are "anal-retentive". You've been
labeled and stereotyped, folks!

On that note, I'm growing intolerant of life's little frictions. I recently
[extinguished all push notifications](/extinguish-all-notifications) and
[obliterated my "someday" list](/someday). I also levied
[a skirmish against "content"](/eschew-the-new) and
[a battle against breakfast](/liberate-breakfast).

I've been scrutinizing my work habits. I reconsidered
[my ideal workweek](/weekend-whenever), listed
[my tips for remote-work](/tips-for-remote-work), and codified
[my rules for good work](/good-work). I also adjusted my daily routine: 6 hours
of _deep_ career work, 2 hours of chores, and 4 hours of creative work.

I'm celebrating [~10 weeks of sobriety](/8-weekends). I guess that means I'm 1%
complete with [my goal](/1000-weekends).

Use December to reflect on your [yearly theme](/yearly-themes)! And consider
[scheduling a 20-minute chat with me](/meet) if you'd like to discuss your
theme.

---

## Open Questions

_If you have questions or answers,
[send me an e-mail](mailto:hello@taylor.town?subject=Hello)._

- I made a lot of changes to [taylor.town](/) this month. How does the site look
  and feel?
- Have any [classic](/eschew-the-new) book recommendations?
- Do you know of any cures for [waiting mode](/zfx4xxytjot51.png)?
- Is there anything you'd like me to think and/or write about?
- Do you have any thoughts or opinions on baby sign-language?
- I'm looking to hire a VR developer for a very small project -- any
  recommendations?

---

## New Writings

- [Weekend Whenever](/weekend-whenever)
- [Tips for Remote Work](/tips-for-remote-work)
- [4 Rules for Good Work](/good-work)
- [8 Weekends Without A Drink](/8-weekends)
- [about](/about)
- [Liberate Breakfast](/liberate-breakfast)
- [Eschew the New](/eschew-the-new)
- [A Tiny HTML Snippet to “Discuss on HN”](/hn-discuss)
- [now](/now)

---

## Project Updates

- redesigned [taylor.town](/)
- continued home-improvement
- co-founded LLC for secret VR project
- continued UI scaffolding for secret app idea
- started training for [a 550-mile bike ride](https://www.aidslifecycle.org)
- switched from emacs to neovim

---

## Recommendations

[^note]: _You may skip to [books](#books), [purchases](#purchases),
    [images](#images), [videos](#videos), [podcast episodes](#podcast-episodes),
    or [music](#music)._

### Books {books}

- **_Metamorphosis_ by Franz Kafka:** This book is potent. It's witty, horrific,
  deep, and bizarre -- an unforgettable experience. ★★★★★
- **_The Stranger_ by Albert Camus:** It's very highly acclaimed. After reading
  it, I thought I missed something, so I read a few critical analyses -- nope, I
  understood it perfectly. _The Stranger_ has a decent plot with great writing.
  This book was probably ground-breaking in 1942, but existentialism has been
  beaten to death since then. On my end, this is probably a case of
  ["Seinfeld is unfunny"](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SeinfeldIsUnfunny).
  ★★★☆☆
- **_The Remains of the Day_ by Kazuo Ishiguro:** It's a subtle story from the
  perspective of a charming butler. I highly recommend this book if you're in a
  wistful mood or receptive to deep introspection. ★★★★☆

### Purchases {purchases}

- **[roborock S7+](https://us.roborock.com/pages/roborock-s7-plus):** A small
  human will soon be crawling all over our carpet, so we purchased a robotic
  vacuum. Its mapping/navigation algorithms are impressive! So far, this seems
  to be a worthwhile purchase.
- **[Radiotopia Donation](https://give.prx.org/campaign/radiotopia/c435498):**
  What an incredible source of free content! Some of my favorite podcasts have
  originated from this network: [99% Invisible](https://99percentinvisible.org),
  [Articles of Interest](https://www.radiotopia.fm/podcasts/articles-of-interest),
  [Everything is Alive](https://www.radiotopia.fm/podcasts/everything-is-alive),
  and [The Memory Palace](https://www.radiotopia.fm/podcasts/the-memory-palace).
- **[LonoLife Thai Curry Beef Bone Broth Sticks](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M3P9XXN):**
  Everybody loves sipping hot drinks during cold winters. Bone broth powder
  packets provide plenty of protein (sugar-free)!

### Images {images}

- [Spaghetti-Os To-Go](/jjes7wm541y91.jpg)
- [cute shrimp donut](/ziklyri2b4y91.jpg)
- [Pied Piper Jr.](/a4xtl1c7uju91.jpg)
- [My son put some Trix in his ant farm...](/d94008r23tz91.jpg)
- [spoopy peeps](/fzqto90ud1y91.png)
- [Mom, can I get a dolphin?](/chia465s7qz91.png)
- [a tiny camera umbrella](/y9rxq6wegeu91.jpg)

### Videos {videos}

- [Can Groceries Be Delivered TOO Quickly?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpavEMVQpW8)
- [How Madoka Magica Destroyed an Entire Genre](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojULfIuyK20)
- [Suburbia Doesn't Have to Be Boring](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ghUy_L1F9E)
- [Making chocolate from scratch to feed an addiction](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaCZcdWk1DU)
- [Deferred Lights - Pixel Renderer Devlog #1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6vQ9VmMz2w)
- [questions (toki pona lesson four)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukcizQ1pau0)
- [2001: CAMERAS... on PHONES? (BBC News)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ywODcJ8yu8)
- [The movie where they go BACK IN TIME TO THE FIRST THANKSGIVING TO GET TURKEYS OFF THE MENU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGLyNcO8LcA)
- [ROBLOX\_OOF.mp3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0twDETh6QaI)
- [The Thinnest Video On YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dl4EQ5d47U)
- [The Great Places Erased by Suburbia (the Third Place)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvdQ381K5xg)
- [Stop Buying Stuff](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QesWRLsWJA4)
- [How to Write the Impossible](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i44KnocYsno)
- [But what is a convolution?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuXjwB4LzSA)
- [when you stop casting your actors off the street](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qHHplli2q4)
- [Why It's Rude to Suck at Warcraft](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKP1I7IocYU)

### Podcast Episodes {podcast-episodes}

- What's Your Problem: _Paying People to Turn Off the Fridge_
- Chemistry for Your Life: _How did Bella Hadid's spray-on dress work? (and
  other questions)_
- University of Oxford Computer Science: _Integrating Logic, Probability and
  Neuro-Symbolic Reasoning using Probabilistic Soft Logic_
- Endless Thread: _Imaginary Friend_
- Derek Sivers: _a daily run, party two_
- Cautionary Tales: _The Halloween Poisoner_
- Epic Gardening Daily: _Growing Global and Unusual Veggies_
- Radiolab: _The Weather Report_
- Endless Thread: _Olga of Kiev_
- Everything Everywhere Daily: _Philip II of Spain_
- Derek Sivers: _make believe_
- Epic Gardening Daily: _The Importance of Flowers in a Food Garden_
- Software Unscripted: _Static Types in Elixir with José Valim_
- Everything is Alive: _Charles, Party Horn_
- Articles of Interest: _American Ivy: Chapter 2_
- Everything Everywhere Daily: _Banned Techniques That Would Smash World Records
  in Track and Field_
- Conversations with Tyler: _Mary Gaitskill on Subjects That Are Vexing
  Everybody_
- Everything Everywhere Daily: _Alfred Wegener and Continental Drift_
- Everything Everywhere Daily: _Horses in World War II_
- Radiolab: _Guts_
- Plant Money: _Planet Money tries election polling_
- Deep Questions with Cal Newport: _Can Parents Do Deep Work?_
- Epic Gardening Daily: _The Carnivorous Plant Man_
- Articles of Interest: _American Ivy: Chapter 3_
- Software Unscripted: _Accessibility in Practice with the Accessibilibats_
- Planet Money: _Peak Sand_
- Freakonomics Radio: _The Most Interesting Fruit in the World_
- Cautionary Tales: _The Inventor Who Almost Ended the World_
- Deep Questions with Cal Newport: _Did Cavemen Use To-Do Lists?_
- Software Unscripted: _Software Rituals with David Nolen_
- Dear Hank & John: _Sphere the Atmos_
- Evereything Everywhere Daily: _World Population Throughout History_
- Cortex: _State of the Apps 2023_
- Everything is Alive: _Miriam and Peter, Playing Cards_
- Articles of Interest: _American Ivy: Chapter 4_
- Twenty Thousand Hertz: _Synth War II: Digital Doom_
- What's Your Problem: _Sam Bankman-Fried Revisited_
- The Memory Palace: _One Fruit_
- Chemistry for Your Life: _How can mosquitos smell you? (new research!)_
- Everything Everywhere Daily: _Leap Seconds_
- Radiolab: _What's Up Doc?_
- Planet Money: _How the cookie became a monster_
- Software Unscripted: _Derw with Noah Hall_
- Deep Questions with Cal Newport: _Could This Meeting Have Been An Email?_
- 99% Invisible: _Super Citizens_
- Articles of Interest: _American Ivy: Chapter 5_
- Freakonomics Radio: _Did Michael Lewis Just Get Lucky with "Moneyball"?_

### Music {music}

| ★★★★★ | Björk :: _Volta_ | | ★★★★★ | Clown Core :: _Toilet_ | | ★★★★★ |
Disasterpeace :: _Rise of the Obsidian Interstellar_ | | ★★★★★ | Gil Evans ::
_The Individualism Of Gil Evans_ | | ★★★★★ | The Shaggs :: _Philosophy of the
World_ | | ★★★★☆ | Abel Korzeniowski :: _Nocturnal Animals (Original Motion
Picture Soundtrack)_ | | ★★★★☆ | Anaïs Mitchell & Jefferson Hamer :: _Child
Ballads_ | | ★★★★☆ | Eisley :: _Currents_ | | ★★★★☆ | Marvin Gaye :: _Let's Get
It On_ | | ★★★★☆ | Michael Nyman :: _The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover
(Soundtrack to the Film)_ | | ★★★★☆ | The Academy Is... :: _Almost Here_ | |
★★★★☆ | The Smiths :: _Meat Is Murder_ | | ★★★★☆ | Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan,
Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile :: _Not Our First Goat Rodeo_ | | ★★★☆☆ |
BADBADNOTGOOD :: _III_ | | ★★★☆☆ | Beastie Boys :: _Licensed to Ill_ | | ★★★☆☆ |
Bill Laurance :: _Flint_ | | ★★★☆☆ | Covet :: _Covet on Audiotree Live_ | |
★★★☆☆ | Crying :: _Get Olde / Second Wind_ | | ★★★☆☆ | Department of Eagles ::
_In Ear Park_ | | ★★★☆☆ | Five Star Hotel & Machine Girl :: _Machine Girl / Five
Star Hotel_ | | ★★★☆☆ | GoGo Penguin :: _Between Two Waves - EP_ | | ★★★☆☆ | I
Am Abomination :: _To Our Forefathers_ | | ★★★☆☆ | Jacob Mann Big Band ::
_Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 - EP_ | | ★★★☆☆ | Jyocho :: _Days in the Bluish House_ |
| ★★★☆☆ | Kyary Pamyu Pamyu :: _Moshimoshiharajuku_ | | ★★★☆☆ | LITE ::
_Installation_ | | ★★★☆☆ | Lightning Bolt :: _Wonderful Rainbow_ | | ★★★☆☆ |
Mammal Hands :: _Animalia_ | | ★★★☆☆ | Medieval Slimes :: _Medieval Slimes_ | |
★★★☆☆ | Oklou :: _Galore_ | | ★★★☆☆ | Pinback :: _Nautical Antiques_ | | ★★★☆☆ |
Portico Quartet :: _Knee Deep In the North Sea_ | | ★★★☆☆ | Purity Ring ::
_WOMB_ | | ★★★☆☆ | Sun City Girls :: _Torch of the Mystics_ | | ★★☆☆☆ | 2814 ::
_Lost Fragments_ | | ★★☆☆☆ | BOYS LIFE :: _Departures and Landfalls_ | | ★★☆☆☆ |
Black Country, New Road :: _For the First Time_ | | ★★☆☆☆ | Carpainter :: _Noble
Arts_ | | ★★☆☆☆ | Cavetown :: _Lemon Boy_ | | ★★☆☆☆ | Charmer :: _Charmer_ | |
★★☆☆☆ | Cosmo's Midnight :: _What Comes Next_ | | ★★☆☆☆ | Dr. Dog :: _We All
Belong_ | | ★★☆☆☆ | Followed By Ghosts :: _Dear Monsters, Be Patient_ | | ★★☆☆☆
| Gost :: _Possessor_ | | ★★☆☆☆ | In Love With a Ghost :: _Healing_ | | ★★☆☆☆ |
Joshua James :: _The Sun Is Always Brighter_ | | ★★☆☆☆ | Julien Baker, Phoebe
Bridgers & Lucy Dacus :: _Boygenius - EP_ | | ★★☆☆☆ | Knapsack :: _Day Three of
My New Life_ | | ★★☆☆☆ | La Luz :: _It's Alive_ | | ★★☆☆☆ | Lil Nas X ::
_MONTERO_ | | ★★☆☆☆ | MASTER BOOT RECORD :: _Interrupt Request_ | | ★★☆☆☆ |
Manchester Orchestra :: _The Million Masks Of God_ | | ★★☆☆☆ | Mono/Poly ::
_Monotomic_ | | ★★☆☆☆ | Mura Masa :: _Soundtrack to a Death_ | | ★★☆☆☆ | Necry
Talkie :: _Memories_ | | ★★☆☆☆ | Nick Johnston :: _Remarkably Human_ | | ★★☆☆☆ |
Sampha :: _Process_ | | ★★☆☆☆ | Sheena Ringo :: _Karuki Zahmen Kuri No Hana -
Kalk Samen Chestnut Flower_ | | ★★☆☆☆ | Son Lux :: _Tomorrows I_ | | ★★☆☆☆ |
Various Artists :: _The 6 Machine - EP_ | | ★★☆☆☆ | dandelion hands :: _Dhid!!,
Vol. 2_ | | ★☆☆☆☆ | Akron/Family :: _Sub Verses_ | | ★☆☆☆☆ | Alanis Morissette
:: _Jagged Little Pill_ | | ★☆☆☆☆ | Death from Above 1979 :: _The Physical
World_ | | ★☆☆☆☆ | Destroyer :: _Poison Season_ | | ★☆☆☆☆ | JONGHYUN :: _She
Is - The 1st Album_ | | ★☆☆☆☆ | Jessie Ware :: _Glasshouse_ | | ★☆☆☆☆ | Maggie
Lindemann :: _PARANOIA_ | | ★☆☆☆☆ | Mono/Poly :: _Manifestations - EP_ | | ★☆☆☆☆
| Polvo :: _Today's Active Lifestyles_ | | ★☆☆☆☆ | Poppy :: _Poppy.Computer_ | |
★☆☆☆☆ | The Academy Is... :: _Fast Times at Barrington High_ | | ★☆☆☆☆ | The
Temper Trap :: _Conditions_ |