There are four general types of people who become programmers: There are those who enter the fray by their inherent tendency to tinker, who tinker so much that they suddenly realize they are qualified for jobs. Then there are the money chasers who hear that “coding pays well” and who either put themselves through a […]
Coupons
I’m not convinced that coupons are worth using. This is largely due to the fact that most coupons I receive are not for stores I frequently visit, but they always manage to plant one question in my brain: “Hm, is there anything I need from this store?” This is a dangerous question. It’s like asking, […]
The Degrees of Financial Independence
I’m excited for 2020, in large part because I’m now working a job that pays more than my previous job and happens to also give me experience with the things I’d really like to do in software. Given the higher pay, it’s likely that I’ll achieve a 60% savings rate this year. Some of that […]
Reflections on Anger
Several weeks ago, I started thinking about the anger in my life. I’d written my fill of words on this blog expressing several of the things that really make me angry, but the only thing to return back from the great void of expression was a simple question: now what? At the macro-scale, the things […]
White Savior
Many years ago I signed up to volunteer with a refugee organization in Denver. I guess I had this idea of which ethnicities I preferred to work with, like picking things out of a catalog, or browsing which classes I wanted to take next semester. So I was surprised when instead I was assigned to […]
Failure to Give
It’s been a rough couple months. Budget-wise. I spent the whole month of November on a massive spending bender. I don’t remember the last time I spent all the slack in my paycheck on various crap, but it definitely happened. Some might say that was long overdue, I’d say it was long over-stupid, but at […]
Nostalgia
Several weeks ago, I bought a Lego set. But it wasn’t just any Lego set: it was the best set you could have purchased in the mid-90s. And I bought it brand new. Mint. Sealed in box. I had been tracking it for a few months, waiting for a good deal, and the right deal […]
The Two-Week Closet
It took me years to realize that while I had a closet full of clothes, I only ever selected certain shirts to wear, and by the time laundry was done next, I would have scarcely worn half of my shirts before my favorites were again ready for service. Back in my apartment, I had this […]
Why I Haven’t Bought a House
For all that I’ve written on this blog over the past few years, I really haven’t said much about home ownership. Frankly, it’s a tricky topic. Not the least because it’s one of America’s sacred cows, and to even suggest that buying a house might not always be the best decision is likely to attract […]
The Changing of the Garage
Just a few weeks ago, my second roommate moved out and for the first time in my life, I have a garage space! My car barely fits. It’d be hilarious if it didn’t also piss me off. But nothing can really be done about it. For not having to scrape the frost off my windshields […]