Breakthroughs & Stereo Instructions

DAILY DRIVER | 10.01.23

Hello Friend. I’m back with another batch of things that have been on my mind lately. Thanks for the encouragement. 

In this edition: 

1. paying attention to my attention
2. using vs. collecting information
3. writing = using information
4. making my own postcards
5. missing medications
6. some car audio

1. BREAKTHROUGH: I WANNA ROCK?

How often do you think about what you don’t like versus what you do? This week I realized my default is a lot more loss-averse than I thought. Now what?

I dunno. I’m more curious than anything these days. Maybe that comes with being 40-something. So why does it feel like I’ve just cracked some kind of code?

When The Man asked, “Whattayouwannadowithyourlife?”, dudes didn’t mince words. They said, “I wanna rock.“ 

I’m going to start paying more attention to where my attention goes.

2. USE IT OR LOSE IT: INFORMATION ISN’T KNOWLEDGE

I like the relationship between knowledge and information. Knowledge comes from using information. We’re all consuming a lot of information these days. I wonder how much we actually use.

Dear Brain. If we agree time is our most precious resource and we are so goddamned loss-averse–could we not be so easily distracted by INPUT? Wouldn’t OUTPUT be easier? Asking for a friend. 

3. ON THAT NOTE: WRITING = USING KNOWLEDGE

Writing forces me to stop thinking and start doing something with the “big ideas” taking up so much of my attention. If this isn’t worth mentioning, if “nobody cares”–maybe I shouldn’t care either, ya know?

Making things interesting and relevant so they feel uniquely human is hard. Which is why we understand things better when we explain them to others. Which is part of why I’m sharing this stuff. 

It’s also good practice. Less is more. 

4. GOING POSTAL: POSTCARDS 2.0

I started sending postcards last year. As in, 4×6 cards with pictures on one side and a brief message on the other. It’s a simple way to keep in touch and I’ve enjoyed finding fun postcards to send, but it’s getting trickier (or I’m being pickier), so I’ve decided to try making my own.

Travelling is the OG way to find fresh postcards, but I haven’t done much traveling this year. I’ve supplemented this with vintage, 100-year old postcards I get at Artifacts, my favorite local consignment shop. Mocking the patriarchy and dominionist bullshit got old, though, so I had to come up with other ideas. 

We’re all swimming in digital messages these days. Most of them are distracting and irrelevant and utterly disposable. I like the thought of my friends finding a handwritten note in their junkmail once in a while. It says someone out there thinks you’re worth real, actual time and money. 

To my postcard buddies reading this–get ready. We’re gonna get weird. 

5. IN THE NEWS: OUT OF ADHD MEDICINE

This week’s Adventures In Oversharing is brought to you in part by the shortage of ADHD medication currently affecting millions of Americans. It’s been going on for about a year now. The drug companies say the FDA limits production. The FDA says the drug companies stopped at 70%.

While everybody else competes to out-bullshit each other, my doctor got my insurance to cover name brand for free.  Fortunately, I was only out for about a week, but it was cold turkey and it was rough.

You’ve come a long way, baby. 

6. STEREO INSTRUCTIONS: SPEAKERS & WIRING 

Last but not least, bI’m upgrading all the speakers and stereo wiring in my truck while the interior is out. It wasn’t originally in the plan, but I’ve wanted to do this for years and I’m excited.

I’m going from four speakers to nine with my first set of components and a powered subwoofer under the front passenger seat. I lucked into some JL Audio 6x9s and am pairing them with a set of CT Sound 3-way components. I kind of have to pre-wire the truck for an amp at this point.  

Fezzik sounded great before. Here’s to getting closer to the quality of the 12-speaker BOSE system in the Mazda. More on this in the build thread.

Until next time, go fast with class & press on regardless.

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