August was a social month, with three days of Outside Lands serving as the highlight. We had such a blast, that we already bought our tickets for next year. I trust that the lineup will be amazing as always.
Euphoria
“Mathematicians despair as AI achieves jaw-dropping breakthroughs,” reads a headline in The Telegraph . I can relate to what these mathematicians are going through. Several months ago I reviewed my ever-growing list of software project ideas and realized that hardly any of them are worth pursuing in the age of AI. Philip Thomas suggests the joy has shifted from building for the masses to building one-off products for yourself, but my needs are simple. Even within this context, the joy of writing code and coming up with solutions is outsourced to AI Agents. The resulting euphoria, that feeling of seeing my creation come to life, appeared to have evaporated.
After months of reflection, I’m finally able to find joy in building software again. I’ve found it important to avoid getting caught in the drudgery of becoming merely a reviewer of AI output. Specifically, I’ve built a self-improving agent design skill (I refer to it simply as the design module) that accelerates the design process. Here’s how it works:
I’ve long held the belief that good design comes from iteration—trying lots of ideas. Great design comes from more iteration. The key to consistently shipping great design, then, is the ability to iterate rapidly. That’s why the design module’s prime directive to agents is to always present multiple, divergent solutions, and to never treat a challenge as fully solved as the solution can always be improved with more iteration. Each round, the human decides which aspects to keep or discard and which directions to pursue.
Along the way, the module generalizes from each decision, so that subsequent design explorations can get to the more meaningful rounds more quickly. Already, I can see my designs improving. I’ve generated dozens of iterations for small components that I’d previously give less attention to. I’m spending more of my time making impactful trade-off decisions that require experience, skill, and intuition. I’m achieving flow state again.
I’m hopeful that mathematicians likewise find new approaches to their work that provide them the euphoria their vocation once did.
Belonging
Ten years ago, I spoke at my high school’s homecoming assembly about how derogatory use of the word “gay” matters, and how it hurt me. Around the same time, a Catholic school in Oakland was hanging pride flags in their classrooms.
Last month, The Chronicle reported that the school was ordered by their bishop to remove the pride flags. In response, the school replaced the flags with multi-colored posters with an aim to “visibly communicate that every student belongs.”
This is inherently problematic. As Philz Coffee acknowledged in a public apology and reversal after imposing a similar mandate, “The Pride flag is a symbol of safety and belonging for people who don’t always find that in the world.”
To say these students belong while simultaneously removing their symbol of belonging is contradictory. I hope the new posters ease the harm being done to gay students, but I worry that it muddles the very meaning of belonging while gaslighting families into believing their kids are alright.
I am pessimistic that the Catholic Church will change its stance on the issue, but I hope that we can acknowledge this is not a feel-good story with a happy ending as The Chronicle story purports. Words and symbols matter.
Pacing
I ran ten kilometers for the first time since high school cross country! I consider this a major feat since just a year ago I struggled to run two miles before my knee started giving me trouble.
By paying attention to the whole body through yoga, Pilates, and some lifting, I’ve managed to drastically reduce the pain in my knee. It’s a reminder that the body is a working system, and simply paying attention to the part that hurts as I’d been doing for years isn’t always effective. (I was also reminded of this when a single Hatha yoga session relieved all of the tension in my upper back after wearing a backpack for the three days of Outside Lands.)
Additionally, I’ve adopted a strategy of increasing my distance by just one-tenth of a mile each week. I’ve seen too many friends injure themselves by stepping up their running distance abruptly. This way, each week is a distance PR.
Red Lentils
Red lentils are a staple in our fridge, perfect for a quick lunch or as a side dish to a curry. We’ve been hooked on Andrew Bernard’s recipe for years due to its effort:impact ratio. I find the key is really cooking down the onions—almost caramelizing them. I also go heavy on the garlic and light on the ginger, as a personal preference.
To speed things up, I usually make the spice blend in a little jar the night before. It’s a calming activity in the evening, and a small gift to tomorrow self. A tablespoon of Garam Masala makes up the largest part of the blend. Then it’s a teaspoon each of coriander, cumin, smoked paprika, turmeric, and a bit of cinnamon for warmth.
In vegan cooking it’s important to use smoked paprika rather than sweet paprika in order to achieve that smoky-savory flavor. Even still, I will add in a dash of liquid smoke if I have a bottle on hand. (This dish is not intended to be authentic. It’s meant be enjoyable to make, and a delicious source of protein.)
When it’s time to cook, the only work is prepping the aromatics. Then I just rinse and throw in the red lentils, a can of tomatoes, a cup of coconut milk and/or cashew cream, and vegetable broth. For the broth, I use Better than Bouillon, a concentrate that mixes with hot water. One day I’ll make my own broth, but not today.
After a long slow simmer, I like to sprinkle in some kasuri methi, also known as fenugreek leaves. These leaves give it a special aroma I associate with Indian cuisine. And it’s an excuse to patronize Indian Spices & Grocery in the Mission–the type of modest family business that is increasingly difficult to find in San Francisco. I always stock up on lentils, spices, and paneer while I’m there, and ask the clerk for a couple hot samosas for the walk home.
When we’re visiting family or staying at a rental, I have a shortcut red lentil recipe that’s only 4 ingredients:
A jar of Maya Kaimal curry, which is surprisingly easy to find in stores across the US. Other brands of Indian simmer sauces work too.
A cup of red lentils
A cup of coconut milk (or a tiny can if you can find one)
A can of diced tomatoes (the regular ~14oz size)
Simply mix these ingredients together on the stove and simmer until the lentils are a nice texture. It’s always a big hit.
Looking ahead
September is looking to be a calm month, which means there should be plenty of time to enjoy warmer weather in San Francisco now that Fogaust is over. At the end of the month, we’ll be taking a trip to Los Angeles. I’ve got to a work offsite, and then we’re sticking around for a couple days in Silver Lake for some vintage shopping and cafe lounging.
Well written, Stan! I'm glad to hear you're settling back into SF well and am very impressed by your splits, considering you haven't ran that far since high school. 🤯 I'll give you a follow on Strava.
Wonderful post! Big congrats on the 10K!!!