Category: Travel

Ideas for getting around

A Couple of Feet in Either Direction

In February 2013, on the way home from my best friend's wedding in St. Lucia, a tractor hit our bus a couple of feet from the passenger cabin. The truck driver who caused it did not survive. Five years later, lightning hit our house while we were inside. Ten years later, I lost the friend whose wedding put me on that bus. This is an essay about the near misses we see, the far greater number we never hear about, and why surviving does not mean you were chosen, but does leave you with a choice.

You Think Gas Cars Are Better Than Electric. You Are Wrong.

I have been a Tesla owner since 2021 and investor since 2013, and here I argue against common objections to electric vehicles (EVs) based on a decade of experience. I emphasize the safety and efficiency of Teslas over gas vehicles, refuting claims about battery issues and charging times. I invite readers to engage with my AI agent for more insights!

Tesla Is Sitting on a Gold Mine It Has Not Noticed Yet

Tesla's Full Self-Driving version 14.3 introduces pothole avoidance and suggests a business opportunity to sell road condition data to municipalities. With significant data on road anomalies from its fleet, Tesla could streamline road repairs, helping cities efficiently allocate maintenance resources. This strategy not only benefits public infrastructure but also boosts Tesla's revenue potential.

The Ten-Second Rule of Human Decency

During our first trip to Turks and Caicos, a friend shared a simple cultural insight that immediately changed how I interact with people everywhere. Islanders prefer that every interaction begin with a genuine greeting before making a request. Instead of walking up and asking for something immediately, you first acknowledge the person and ask how they are doing. This small habit transforms transactions into human interactions and reminds us that people are not service machines. Since learning this lesson, I’ve adopted it as a personal default, and the positive reactions it creates are remarkable.

China Is Test-Driving the Future. The Rest of Us Are Still Arguing About Gas Stations.

China is living in the transportation future while the West is still arguing about gas stations. With nearly half of all new cars sold in China already electric, and China responsible for two-thirds of global EV volume, the world’s largest auto market has shifted decisively away from gasoline. The essay highlights that EVs are winning because they are simply better to own, charge, and drive, and questions why people with no financial stake still defend the hassles of gas stations. Drawing on your 2019 essay imagining a world where EVs came first, the piece argues that China’s real-time transformation is the clearest signal of where the global auto industry is headed, whether skeptics like it or not.

The Arrogance of Certainty: How “Egyptologists” Pretend to Know the Impossible

This essay dismantles the arrogance of modern “Egyptologists” who claim to know precisely how the pyramids were built despite glaring contradictions in their explanations. It argues that hauling multi-ton stones hundreds of feet high using primitive tools is implausible, that key evidence (like missing mummies) undermines the tomb theory, and that academic certainty is just another form of dogma. The piece calls for humility, suggesting that the Egyptians may have inherited rather than constructed these structures, and ends by asserting that true science thrives on curiosity, not the illusion of knowing everything.

Switching to a Tesla? Save $2,000 and Get My Full Support!

Switching from a gas car to an electric car isn’t the toughest transition—but it does come with a small learning curve. That’s why I’m not just asking you to use my Tesla referral code—I’m offering to support you every step of the way as you enter the Tesla ecosystem.

The Inevitability of Electric Vehicle (EV) Domination

By the time 2034 rolls around, the idea of not owning an electric vehicle will seem as outdated as resisting the adoption of smartphones in 2008 and the resistance of owning a car over a horse, 100 years ago. The future of transportation is electric, and it is arriving faster than many expect.

Pelotonia 2024: Closing Rings, Taking Steps, and Making a Difference

As we gear up for Pelotonia 2024, I'm setting personal goals to close my Apple Watch rings daily (continuing my 900+ day streak) and take 13,000 steps each day to help me stay motivated in the fight against cancer. I'm humbly asking for your support once again, as every donation brings us closer to a world without this terrible disease - please consider contributing to my campaign!

Striking Out: Why Employee Strikes Are a Dubious Enterprise

While employee strikes are often celebrated as virtuous crusades for worker rights, a closer look reveals a less noble reality. These actions can tip the balance of power unfairly, especially in struggling industries like the auto sector. Business owners take significant risks to create companies and provide jobs, yet they face the risk of collective action that could further destabilize their enterprises. The current trajectory of strikes demanding unsustainable pay raises and benefits could spell financial disaster for already debt-ridden companies. Future generations may well look back on this era and question whether these actions were acts of virtuous activism or misguided extortion.