Bronze and crystal sword from China, c.450-250 BCE: the hilt of this sword was crafted from rock crystal, turquoise, and gold, and the blade is covered in a greenish-blue patina that was naturally produced over time
[📸 National Museum of China, Beijing]
I hate this because something terrible does happen: I achieve a result only 40-60% of what I could have gotten from perfect preparation. I've had enough chances to act with perfect preparation to see my maximum output, and now everything less than that hurts.
I'm a big fan of the "GPS Theory" when you miss a turn, your GPS doesn't judge you, it recalculates. No matter how many detours you take, it finds another way forward. Life works like that too. You'll make mistakes, but your destination doesn't vanish. The route just changes.
Me: at Japanese dentist.
already terrified.
dentist office suspiciously luxurious, soft piano music, waterfall indoors, smells expensive.
Receptionist: Please relax.
Me: Impossible.
dentist arrives.
man looks twenty-three, perfect hair, perfect skin, probably invented teeth.
Dentist: We will begin now.
I sit in chair.
chair starts moving backwards, too far backwards.
I’m seeing previous lives.
Dentist: Open please.
I open mouth, Dentist pauses.
Dentist: …interesting.
Me immediately panicking.
Me: WHAT DOES THAT MEAN.
Dentist: Nothing bad.
Me: THEN WHY DID YOU SAY IT LIKE A VILLAIN.
assistant quietly leaves room, returns with second dentist.
Second Dentist: Oh.
Me: WHY ARE THERE MORE OF YOU.
third dentist enters.
now they all staring into my mouth like archaeologists discovering tomb.
Me: JUST TELL ME.
First Dentist: Your wisdom tooth…
dramatic pause.
Dentist: …horizontal.
Me: WHAT.
Dentist: It chose violence.
even assistant starts laughing.
Dentist pulls up X-ray, tooth lying sideways like lazy man on couch.
Dentist: This tooth has given up on society.
Me: I DIDN’T KNOW TEETH COULD BE UNEMPLOYED.
still not quite over the fact that i watched 15 year olds get sued for millions of dollars for downloading twelve songs and now we all have to accept AI slop because every tech company in the known universe decided that IP laws don't exist now that they're inconvenient for them
“My mother’s fault. I said to her, ‘I will not go. I want him impeached.’ She said, ‘I will take away your credit cards.’ I said, ‘I’m coming.’” – Carrie Fisher on meeting Richard Nixon
https://t.co/nLyI2khY5o