Motivation for writing this
I have always enjoyed sharing what I have learned, what excites me, and what I am pondering. However, more often than not, the people around me are not as enthusiastic about these topics as I am.
It is understandable, actually. We live in an information-overloaded world, where everyone has a constant feed of social media. I figured that I could write things down for my own future reference. If it could help or inspire someone, that would be a bonus.
Quote I’m pondering
An unexamined life is not worth living - Socrates
As I am getting older, I have started to realize that I have wasted a lot of time not making conscious decisions in most of my adult life. Most of the time, the friends I have made, the school I attended, and the job I got were all chosen based on my current situation rather than long-term planning. I only seriously examine my life when I am faced with an existential crisis.
I am glad I started journaling about 5 years ago. I have accumulated numerous journals in plain text, which I believe will be a treasure trove for my future self to explore with the help of AI.
Diversification is—as practiced generally—makes very little sense for anyone that knows what they’re doing…it is a protection against ignorance" - Warren Buffet
I was heavily invested in tech and suffered losses in 2022. I was on the verge of getting margin called on Robinhood. However, I learned my lesson and have been diversifying my investments ever since.
However, in my own nature, I know deeply that I can’t be a hands-off investor. I yearn for the volatility and the associated risk reward. As long as I know what I’m doing, I have fun playing it. Of course, I’m not a gambler, I do lots of fundamental research(mainly by following others 😅) and I generally hold for long time.
So far this year, I have been heavily and frequently buying Bitcoin, Tesla, and Ark ETFs. I have also sold some individual growth stocks that I am not familiar with. It feels great when the market tumbles and I can buy my favorite stocks at discount.
Life style / Habit changes
Kimchi and fermenting
I have been fermenting for a while, thanks to the “Fermentation Enthusiasts” meetup group led by Gagan. I have made batches of yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kombucha. However, I have been putting off making kimchi for quite some time. Finally, I got around to starting it and I made two batches this month.
As always, it was not that difficult, although I did wait a couple of months which is much longer than I should have, haha. Learning new things can be challenging for me, and I believe this applies to everyone.
I’ve noticed that my passion for fermentation has diminished. I’ve already learned so much about different techniques and processes, and I’ve become comfortable with my knowledge. It’s okay though, I can take a break and focus on perfecting and simplifying what I’ve already discovered.
Bookkeeping, Beancount
I’ve always been interested in bookkeeping, not just to save money, but also to become more aware of my spending habits and motivate myself to spend wisely/more.
The tool I am using is Beancount, a powerful double-entry accounting tool. I will writet a separate blog post to delve deeper into it.
New tools
NAS
I have always known the importance of backing up data, especially after losing some important photos in the past. However, the hassle of constantly plugging and unplugging an external hard drive was a major deterrent. Thanks to Shane’s encouragement, I decided to look into NAS as a solution.
NAS, or Network Attached Storage, is a system that allows for easy access to data through a wired Ethernet connection. This means that any device within the same local network can access the stored data. While the concept may seem straightforward, the capabilities of NAS are vast and offer numerous possibilities.
I should write a blog post about it.
Proxy server
I love chatGPT so much that our company blocked it on VPN frustrated me 🙁. Since I have an old laptop collecting dust, I figured I could use it as a proxy server for VPN and my on duty laptop be an client, that’s such a brilliant idea. All credit to Shane, again!
The idea is simple, but implementation is a bit difficult actually, as a self-professed geek I have to say I lack of computer network knowledge. Thanks Shane helping me hand by hand.
Steaming Pod
I’ve always known steaming is one of the healthiest way of cooking, and it’s very easy to do so. Finally I got a steaming pot from Amazon Prime day for ~$30, that’s such a steal!
And I love it so much, it’s one of the best ROI tool I’ve bought recently, lol. It’s so easy to cook and prep, though a bit hard to clean, it introduces way more veggies in my diet, one stone hits multiple birds. 😆
Struggles
Neck pain
I struggle with neck pain on daily basis, it hurts me both physically and mentally. Sometimes it gets too bad that I can not think about anything but just lay down or doom-scroll on social media (esp short videos!), I hate it! 😡
I have been doing neck exercises every day since last week in hopes of alleviating the pain. If the pain persists, I may need to seek treatment from a chiropractor or physical therapist.
Neck Pain Relief Exercises in 5 min
Loneliness
I don’t have many close friends and I feel lonely every now and then. (it’s Okay to admit it, the loneliness epidemic is real, especially for sinle men 🤷 )
I have heard that there is a common belief that men often rely on their romantic partner as their only outlet for sharing their vulnerabilities, making them more susceptible to depression after a breakup. However, I believe that toxic masculinity is harmful for both men and women, and it is a cultural issue that cannot be solved by me.
Having connections within the community could definitely helfp, and I am grateful to have connections within the Bitcoin and Fermentation communities in Dallas.
I have a wide range of hobbies that I am passionate about, including skateboarding, self-improvement, stock market investing, Stoicism, computer hacks, and Vim editor. Each of these interests has the potential to connect me with like-minded individuals, I might be able to find the communities or even create my own.