Walking Through Beautiful Days and Complex Futures
Morning routine. MCP installation. Personal taxonomy refinement. Monday Suds with friends. Bob Taylor conversation ranging from Isaac Asimov to billionaire bunkers.
Pleasant walks, personal taxonomies, and predictions about the future
January 5, 2026
These notes describe the events of Sunday, 01/05/2026.
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| Random sunset picture from Mexico |
The book I'd ordered—Never Split the Difference—arrived at my door, a small pleasure in an otherwise complex day. I worked on refining my personal taxonomy, updating the wiki page that documents how I organize information across my various systems. There's a particular satisfaction in seeing organizational structures clarify and stabilize.
Email processing revealed several items requiring attention. I forwarded information about a virtual session on the status of insects in North America to Deaken, thinking he'd find it interesting given his ecological interests. I confirmed that Leland's Christmas presents are still at Sydne's house, which means I'll likely drive to Loni and Sam's place this weekend to deliver them properly.
I managed one 45-second plank and fifteen ten-pound curls with each arm—not the full exercise routine I'd planned, but movement nonetheless. The afternoon brought conversations about practical matters: I talked with Paul about the logs available next door, and he wants to stop by this week to examine them. We also discussed the future of the cherry tree near my house.
I walked to Suds for the Monday gathering, arriving early because the day was beautiful and the walk pleasant. Tim, Brian, and Jack were there. Tim and I discussed his home energy monitoring system, and he sent me a link so I could explore it further. Jack continues working through the electrical system for his bus conversion. Brian and I talked about Minecraft—he's building an interesting new factory near Cherry Forest in our shared world. Jack generously bought pizza for the table, and we enjoyed popcorn as well. Brian gave me a ride home afterward.
Later in the evening, I talked with Bob Taylor. The conversation ranged widely: his new computer, Isaac Asimov's The Naked Sun which he's been reading, the distinction between viewing and seeing, and how quickly some science fiction becomes dated while other elements seem remarkably prescient. We discussed the challenge of predicting three hundred years into the future, touching on Nate Hagens's work on "The Great Simplification," the Network State movement, and the emerging Spacebase project in Texas.
Bob raised the question of finding personal havens in uncertain times. Our conversation turned to market valuations—U.S. stocks appearing overextended while other markets seem undervalued. He wondered, with characteristic dry humor, whether there's a billionaire bunker tour available in New Zealand. We shared stories about travels, particularly trips to HP facilities over the years.
I watched an episode of the Ancient Civilizations lecture series focused on the rise of Islam, followed by time in the hot tub listening to the Wisdom audiobook. The day concluded with some reflection on societal resilience, a conversation I'd started exploring with Claude earlier.
The day held both small victories and larger concerns, but I found myself noting a pattern worth cultivating: paying attention to moments of joy—the book arriving, the taxonomy work clicking into place, the pleasant walk, the good conversation with Bob—alongside the inevitable disappointments. Perhaps tracking "when did I experience joy today?" and "what am I grateful for?" as regular observations could shift how I move through these complex days.
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