Town Hall #7: Scary Stuff

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There is nobody to blame out here.

It’s scary stuff. I’m starting a business, and all the failure will be my fault if things go awry.

To protect friends and family from my business blast-radius, I’ve been building the smallest valuable version of my idea. If I’m not clearly successful in a few months, I won’t let my dreams drag me along.

My mind makes excuses. It tells me that I’m not prepared and not working hard enough and that the economy is not ready and that nobody will care. It pleads for distraction and comfort. But clocks are not kind to the comfortable.

I really don’t make things easy on myself. Outland 2023 is only 6 months away! Tickets are now on sale, sponsor slots are still available, and speakers will be announced March 31.

The AIDS/LifeCycle is coming up! I’ll be riding my bicycle from SF to LA to raise money. Please donate!

To avoid training and real work, I distracted myself by updating taylor.town. The typography is much more legible now! I also have a nifty RSS feed! What a waste.

New Writings

Check out the new RSS feed!

• Don’t Play Near Black Holes
• Charts & Checklists for Serious Dreamers
• Are You Serious?
• Ghost Story
• Death in Diapers

Recommendations

You may skip to software, books, purchases, images, videos, music, or podcast episodes.

You can also scour my entire history of book reviews, album ratings, and active podcasts.

Software

• Reeder 5 :: I tried out all the RSS readers I could find, and this one was by far the best. I’m really impressed by the UI/UX. Artykul is my RSS honorable mention.
• VimLike :: This Safari extension adds VIM keybindings to your browser! And it works on iPad! I don’t know how anybody tolerates mousing through webpages.

Books

• ★★★★★ Anything You Want by Derek Sivers :: I adore this short book. Anything You Want celebrates simplicity and sincerity. It reads like a guide to entrepeneurship for Taoists. I’ve read a lot of business books, and none come close to hitting this hard. Companies forget their customers and drink bureaucratic kool-aid in the pursuit of profits. As I’m starting my own business, I keep coming back to this book to remind me of why I’m doing what I’m doing.
• ★★☆☆☆ Learned Optimism by Martin E. P. Seligman :: This book has exactly three good observations: (1) optimists attribute permanent causes to good events and temporary causes to bad events, (2) optimism is useful when risk is minimal, and (3) optimism is dangerous in risky situations. Learned Optimism would have been an excellent 250-word book.
• ★★☆☆☆ To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis :: Witty, but distractingly British.
• ★★★☆☆ Get In Trouble by Kelly Link :: The Summer People is one of the best short stories I’ve ever encountered. The other stories in this collection are well-written but failed to hit me in the feels – intriguing plot premises and a great literary style wasted on young-adult subject matter.
• ★★★☆☆ Slade House by David Mitchell :: This book is a structural marvel but hollow inside. It gives great pacing with lackluster payoffs.
• ★★★☆☆ The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath :: This is a must-read for anybody who wants to learn what it’s like to have a mental breakdown, or love somebody in a dark place. This book was well-written but too painfully familiar. This book made me sad without being charming or teaching me anything new. It stole from me and gave me nothing in return, but I imagine it has much to give others.
• ★★☆☆☆ The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons :: This book seemed to have a lot to say. It wanted to be philosophical, it wanted to be adventurous, it wanted to be suspenseful, it wanted to be mysterious, and it wanted to be thought-provoking. But in my opinion, it didn’t do a great job at anything in particular. Or maybe its brilliance was wasted on me.

Purchases

I’m still preparing for my big ride. I purchased cycling shoes, shorts, and a jersey.

Oh and fire season is almost upon us! Be safe and make sure you have active fire extinguishers. Fire extinguishers need to be serviced or replaced every ~6 years.

Images

• ★ zoomer exodia
• guac doll
• meat curtain
• are you flirting with me?
• shakira at age 43
• vibing with my cat
• *lives an easier life*
• very special cigarette

Videos

Deep:

• ★ I think about this clip every day when I get home from work…
• Words to Live By: Nathan Fielder

Hottakes:

• ★ Eggman Takes Over the US Healthcare System
• ★ Conversation with an Engineer

Interesting:

• ★ Vegan diets don’t work. Here’s why
• ★ How to turn your Neighborhood into a Village
• ★ Amazing Invention- This Drone Will Change Everything
• The History of Super Mario Bros 3 100% World Records
• Knowledge Based Games, and Why You Should Play Them
• Alphabet Aerobics - CARTOON IMPRESSIONS RAP (take 2)
• These Stupid Trucks are Literally Killing Us
• Bed Bugs- What You’ve Been Told is Totally False
• design concrete chair
• “Clean” Code, Horrible Performance
• Introducing… ✨CHOMPI✨

Funny:

• ★ Frog speaking chinese meme
• space jam dvd
• walter white refuses to help goku with the spirit bomb
• apple bottom jeans boots with the jeans
• YOU WANT JAZZ?
• quiet dinner party
• marge simpson as the godfather
• Cat breakdancing, but the girl breakdances too
• Carl Wheezer - Glimpse of Us (Croissant Remix)

Music

Podcast Episodes