Blog

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

You done messed up!

And this is why you don’t trade a perfectly reliable, recent model-year Japanese car, for a 15 year old high-strung German sedan. My brother, the genius that he is, swapped his ND2 Mazda Miata for a B7 Audi RS4. The latter of which is currently in the repair shop, because the high-pressure fuel pump failed, and there’s leaks in the engine oil cooling circuit. If you think that during this time my brother is without transportation to work, you would be correct. Counting on a German car made in 2008 for daily-driving duties is kind of taunting the gods.

I completely understand the want for a naturally-aspirated German machine that revs to the heavens. Once upon a time, I too traded in a Mazda Miata (ND1) for a 991.1 Porsche 911 GT3. Like brother, like brother. The big difference in my case is: I didn’t need the 911 to commute. The GT3 also had a certified preowned warranty, so anything that can go wrong is fixed for free at the dealership. (The circulation fan of the HVAC system failed during my ownership of the car.)

Again, if you need something dependable for commuting, an old, out-of-warranty German car is not it!

A lot of the issues with my brother’s RS4 is caused by the car having largely sat for a whole year by the previous owner. High performance cars (of any nationality) are meant to be driven. Hard. Getting the mechanical bits up to proper temperature, and the various fluids circulating freely throughout, is really good for longevity. Sort of like exercising for humans. The only downside is the fuel bill. I (still) don’t commute with my current BMW M2, but you can bet it gets driven spiritedly on the weekends.

I ran so far away

Rockstar Games finally released the first trailer for the hugely-anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6. My first reaction is: oh my god, it’s not coming out until 2025? We’re not even done with 2023 yet! Talk about a super long gestation period. Grand Theft Auto 5 - the previous entry in the franchise - came out way back in 2013! What will be 12 years in between releases is a bloody long time for such a storied and popular series.

It’s all about incentives, isn’t it? Grand Theft Auto 5 was and still is a money printing machine. Therefore there’s no real financially-incentivized rush to make GTA 6. I myself have contributed at least $170 towards the Rockstar Games coffer vis a vis GTA 5. I’ve bought a copy for each generation of the Sony PlayStation console the game was released for: PS3, PS4, and PS5. All because I wanted the fidelity improvements in each subsequently new PlayStation. Worth it? Heck yes. GTA 5 on a giant LG OLED 4K television is an absolute experience.

I am somewhat disappointed that the GTA 6 is returning to Vice City, the fictionalized version of real-life Miami, Florida. The franchise have already done Vice City previously, and it seems Rockstar Games is keen to redo every locale since GTA 3: Liberty City and San Andreas have been featured twice. I guess it’s Vice City’s turn. I’m sure GTA 6’s world map will be spectacularly detailed and huge, but I was hoping the franchise will fictionalized another city it has not done before. There’s organized crime and general mayhem to be had in the Seattle/Vancouver area, right?

Nevertheless, Grand Theft Auto 6 will be a day-one release day buy for sure. Best of all, I have more than a whole year to prepare for it. Being not an avid gamer, I will spend 2024 playing the second (of third) entry of the Final Fantasy 7 remake franchise. Then 2025 will roll in perfectly for GTA 6.

Electric toy truck

Last week, the big hubbub in the automotive world is the Tesla Cybertruck commencing deliveries to eager customers. After four long years of (purportedly arduous) development gestation, the quirkiest pickup truck ever (surely Doug DeMuro would agree) is finally on sale. For a company that famously does not have a PR department, it was curious to see a select few journalist getting their hands on prototypes (provided by Tesla, obviously) for early review. Maybe you do have to market an electric toy truck costing $80,000 to $100,000 after all?

Judging from the few early reviews, I must say I am very impressed with what the engineering team at Tesla has accomplished. Elon Musk set out to create something cool and fantastical - from the radical design, the unusual stainless-steel body, and various performance metrics - and his team did its best to fulfill the dictum as much as possible. The project inevitably ran into constraints: be they federal regulations, or general laws of physics. (Example: the final product has side-mirrors, where the concept truck did not.) But overall I think the execution is hugely laudable.

The Cybertruck is now the halo product for Tesla: one that increases the prestige of the brand, and elevates every other model in the portfolio. Customers can feel good knowing the same engineering prowess that went into developing the Cybertruck is also present in the Model Y or Model 3. No doubt that some of the innovations in the Cybertruck will trickle-down to future iterations of other Tesla vehicles. Tesla-firsts such as the 800-volt architecture with a 48-volt base, pure steer-by-wire system, and reverse charging. Those are exciting stuff to look forward to in non-Cybertruck applications.

While I give Tesla credit for making a truck that doesn’t look like any other truck on the road, I reckon there’s a good reason that pickup trucks have looked the same for the past many decades. Until future reviews say otherwise, the Cybertruck looks to not have the same sort of utility of a “traditional” truck. Obviously, I don’t think potential buyers care. Honestly, plenty of people buy a truck for style points, rather than truly using any of the utility fully. The Cybertruck certainly has style points up the maximum.

All I got's a moped

I've noticed lately that a lot of the DoorDash/Grubhub food delivery drivers are on mopeds. Instead of, you know, automobiles. It makes sense: in a highly competitive game of being stuck in San Francisco traffic, the moped (and its motorcycle cousin) is hugely advantageous. The ability to weave in and out between stuck cars is crucial in ensuring that KFC order gets to the customer with reasonable temperature left over. No one likes cold fried chicken - a congealed mass of molasses.

There's advantage in parking, too. As in, there isn't a need to park a moped. Not that delivery drivers in cars obey the parking rules anyways. The speed demand means they double-park, and simply play the lottery of "hope you don't run into a meter maid." (Or an angry driver stuck behind.) I can confirm this to be the case, because my brother for a time did food delivery as a somewhat full-time job. (Surely he does not miss hustling in traffic all day for a measly $100 payout.) With a moped or motorcycle, the riders park them on the sidewalk right outside the restaurant.

What makes the proliferation of moped-as-delivery vehicles interesting is that in Asia, this has been the modus operandi for a very long time. You go to any major city in Asia, and mopeds are absolutely everywhere, ferrying all sorts of things. It's driven by necessity, of course: it's far cheaper to buy and own a two-wheeler compared to a whole car. Americans don't realize how, relatively to the rest of the world, car prices here are cheap and attainable. (Gas prices, too, in the non-Saudi Arabian category.)

Will mopeds become as the gig commerce vehicle of choice here in San Francisco - a la Asian cities? I think it depends how inflation-proof the gig economy is. Buying food - much less having someone deliver it to you - has become prohibitively expensive. If the economy contracts due to high interest rates, surely people will be way less inclined to order on DoorDash.

Died in the middle

It’s weird to read on breaking news the person I’m currently reading about is pronounced dead. Henry Kissinger died yesterday at the prime age of 100. I am about halfway through Walter Isaacson’s biography of him. The takeaway from the book thus far: my god was the Vietnam War just utterly and stupendously horrendous. That Kissinger seemingly had a hand in extending that human tragedy for a few more years, all for the sake of diplomacy vis a vis the Soviets and China, is kind of vile. The Vietnamese people - from both sides of the conflict - have a right to hate America for at least a century of years.

Or one Kissinger: he lived to 100! Let it be known that one can have a hugely stressful job, late nights and early mornings, a typical American diet, zero exercise, and still live to see triple digit age. What the heck am I doing? Working out consistently, keeping a good diet, and getting tremendous amounts of sleep nightly. I don’t even drink a lick of alcohol! Perhaps gluttony and hedonism is the way to go for a long lifespan. All in moderation? Negative! What we all want is the promise of a long life without the hard work.

For better and worse, Kissinger gave his gift to America, and the world. Not content with toiling in academia for a career, he pursued his interests and what he wanted to do with fervor (and a hearty dose of egomania). On this specifically, I think Kissinger is admirable. So many of us - and I include myself in the us - give up on even trying to fulfill our potential, to chase what we really want to do. We settle for a life of enough, a life of too comfortable to take risks. I’m not saying there isn’t happiness in that, but people like Kissinger sort of makes you think of what might have been.

That maybe at your death, there will be a litany of highlights and lowlights to look back on. And perhaps the world will know about you too.

Suburban hiking

The problem with taking Thanksgiving week off from work is that I feel disgusting to be sedentary during that time. This year, I even got a gadget that reminds me just how much I am not moving: the Apple Watch. With me staying home the entire day, those daily fitness rings are definitely not closing. Can the gamification of fitness actually help me get off my butt?

Yes it can! (Thanks, Obama.) That Monday afternoon of the week off, the unfinished fitness rings were staring right at me from the watch face. On a typical work week, those would have been fulfilled by that time. Not content to let the streak die, I reluctantly put on some outside clothes - because wearing the same clothes outside and inside the home is kind of dirty - and headed outside for a walk. 30 minutes later, mission accomplished (like President Bush), rings closed.

And then I did the same the following day, and every week day during Thanksgiving week.

Turns out, taking a walk around the neighborhood is kind of nice (file under: duh). Obviously, it helps to be in a safe and leafy neighborhood. I can’t imagine doing this 20 years ago living near the Sunnydale housing projects. It also helps to go outside during golden hour - the period just before sunset. The views are often spectacular this time of year, with many clouds and no fog. A meditative stroll is a great way to end the day before heading to a hearty dinner.

New habit, then: I shall take walks around the neighborhood on weekend days - and weekdays when I am not working - where I’ve only been inside the home. Got to close those Apple Watch rings! The health benefits are cool, too.

Thankful for the balance

Welcome back, everyone! I hope you’ve all had a very nice Thanksgiving holiday. I most certainly did. I accomplished the one task I set out at the start: vacuum and clean the interior of my BMW M2. Job done, the rest of the time is pure rest and relaxation.

Cleaning the inside of my car is an annual tradition (unlike any other). Because I drive the BMW so seldomly - and typically it’s just me inside - the interior never gets too grimy. The few people I’ve chauffeured around have all remarked in amazement how clean it is. I would sheepishly reply that it is not due to any sort of cleaning diligence on my part. Granted, I probably would vacuum more often if the M2 needed it.

I am thankful I live close enough to work for me to walk (instead of drive). Furthermore, what I am most grateful for this Thanksgiving is happy employment, one that allows for taking an entire holiday week off with zero issues. There was no stress at all in going back to work today. I slept quite soundly the previous night; the dreaded “Sunday scaries” are fortunately not a thing for me.

You absolutely cannot pay me enough (more) to break this peace of mind.

The contrast of seeing people working during Thanksgiving week (shoutout to the folks keeping Whole Foods open for half a day that Thursday), while I am freely hanging out on vacation, fills me with immense gratitude. Sure, I’ve hustled tremendously to be where I am at, but it would be naive to think there weren’t some lucky levers that got pushed by some sky deity along the way. My original staff position - some 10 years ago - only opened up because someone left.

No amount of agency on my part could have control that!