Laboratory of Mathematics and Writing

Nostalgia Baited I've been on a nostalgia trip this year. It all started with a "90s cool movies" Youtube video, followed by "90s cool video games", followed by "Y2K attitude era". I grew up watching "The Matrix", playing "Contra 3: The Alien Wars", and thinking that Stone Cold Steve Austin was a role model. It didn't help that this year I saw Korn, Slipknot, Mastodon, and Lamb of God in concert. I listened to those bands growing up. I still remember watching "Wait and Bleed" and "Freak on a Leash" on The Box channel (that was the poor person's MTV back in the day). I was proud of myself when I learned "Laid to Rest" on guitar back in high school. Nostalgia is important, but don't let it absorb you. It's tempting to look back at the good old days come to the conclusion that things won't get better. They can, and they will get better as long as you...

I'm Going Through a Mid-life Crisis I just realized I'm through a mid-life crisis (albeit, prematurely). Now, normally it manifests itself through purchases of fancy (land or water) vehicles. I was never into such things. So, I'm not going to dump $60k on a Corvette (I don't know what they're actually worth). No, my mid-life crisis is manifestly differently, but also typical. First, I am a musician. I play guitar. So I went out and bought more guitars than I will ever need. I've always been into Jacksons, especially dinkies, so I have quite a few of those. I also have a few Charvels, Schecters, and some old 80s Yamahas. I think my guitar niche is finding inexpensive guitars that are still rare. For instance, I have a very rare Fernandes Revolver that was made back in the 2000s. Fernandes is no longer in business. I am also into retro-game collecting; specifically Super Nintendo, Sega Dreamcast, and, as of last week, ...