Fernando Gros

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People who think racism is just some form of rudeness or not being polite are often the worst kind of racists.

Looking at my flight schedule for October 2019 London > Tokyo > Brisbane > Adelaide > Melbourne > San Francisco > New York > London. Feels like a lifetime ago.

This morning's Japanese lesson was a good experience. I wasn't really in the mood. But I got into the swing of it pretty quickly. And mostly did well. Was right in that "challenging but not too hard" space. I've made progress this year.

There’s an “almost” missing because English isn’t my first language.

I have this expectation that one day speaking Japanese will not be stressful. But, I’ve spoken English my whole life and that’s never not been stressful. The only time speaking in English wasn’t anxiety inducing was in front of big audiences. Maybe I should try giving speeches in Japanese?

Sorted through my blog drafts. I have 22 unfinished essays. Picked 9 I will attempt to finish before the end of the year. The rest will be composted into notes in Obsidian. That process usually yields many more notes than the drafts they are cleaved from. My guess is 30-40 new notes.

Sitting in my cabin with the widow open listening to the sea breeze carry the sound of gentle rain falling on the nearby leaves. Somewhere, in the distance, someone is revving their motorcycle.

It was all the Latin American characters that really stood out for me in East of Eden.

Revisiting something I wrote in 2018. Sometimes we need to listen to our advice. fernandogros.com/simple-rooms...

I frequently get nostalgic about Twitter. But then I remember that I copped hate for saying I loved the TV show Midnight Diner. Anyway, I love Midnight Diner. Just hearing the theme music, and the opening voice over, created so many emotions.

I lost yesterday to some kind of stomach bug. So I wanted comfort food for dinner tonight. Some Carnaroli rice arrived in the mail. So I decided to make a mushroom risotto. I was reminded that it takes quite a while to make a good risotto. And that it's a wonderfully calming dish to cook. And eat.

"Do we think churning out more stuff will win us more love and respect? Whose approval are we chasing? Have we made the tragic mistake of treating everything in life like some kind of competition?" fernandogros.com/the-point-of...

This morning's Japanese lesson was fun. I made a bunch of mistakes. The questions were (intentionally) confusing and it was nice to try and unpack them. I'm feeling good about the new things I've learnt. But there are basic things I still get wrong. And might always get wrong. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Atomic Habits, the book by James Clear, came up in my writer's group this morning. One of the group was asking if it was worth reading. The facial expressions from those who'd read it told me I was amongst my people.

Productivity is often associated with hustle culture and relentless ambition. But that's not what it means to me. Or why I've spent so much time on it over the years. fernandogros.com/the-point-of...

Twitter was, for a while, magical.

Added a little note at the end of the statement about AI that I wrote two years ago. fernandogros.com/a-personal-s...

Productivity is often associated with hustle culture and relentless ambition. But that's not what it means to me. Or why I've spent so much time on it over the years. fernandogros.com/the-point-of...

Saw Hans Zimmer live in Adelaide last night. An epic show. Arrangements made his best cinema scores and cues work as concert material. The band full of brilliant and versatile musicians. A modular synth as big as a small apartment. And, the original singers from Gladiator, Dune, and The Lion King.

Failure to get verification right undid Twitter and turned Instagram into the mess it is now. With the rise of a new era of bots, or agents as they are called now the need for verification has become urgent. fernandogros.com/verification...

The Michelin Guide has arrived in Australia. Starting in Adelaide! Of course no one got three stars. Two stars for Magill Estate Restaurant. 11 Restaurants got one star including arkhé where I ate last month. Delighted to see Port Adelaide's La Popular Taqueria get a Bib Gourmand.

I've been saying for years Apple should make a clock. They've gone and done it. After the huge misstep with Vision Pro, all the VR nonsense, and their attempt to "AI-everything" Apple are back to defining categories and solving problems people actually have. Apple HomeView is a brilliant move.

This morning's Japanese lesson was rough. Had technical problems at the start which forced me to change device. Then I was kind of lost for a while. Nothing was hard but it felt hard. The rest of the morning was a bit of a blur. Slowed down to cook a good lunch. A mental reset before the afternoon.

Project massive unpack has me doing hard, important, physical things that don't require a screen, everyday. And I'm loving it. I've been reminded that even though I was a Verified Twitter addict and OG Blogger so much of my life was analogue and offline.

Live broadcast public executions? We could see this coming at least as far back as 2020. The language was being tested. It's not a surprise.

Me: I wasted all day sitting around waiting for that delivery. Also Me: 10,945 steps.

Posting this here again because it changes everything. The way I look at life has been transformed. And whatever 2027 brings, it will land differently. fernandogros.com/this-story-e...

Today's discourse is Amazon's "weird" about you tab. Here's what mine says, Consistently acquiring intellectual content Tracking technology industry developments Invests in high-quality kitchen equipment Seeks diverse perspectives on complex topics Reads extensively across academic disciplines

For the whole of my adult life politics has been dominated by white male baby boomers trying to undo their childhood trauma by winding back women’s rights, civil rights, and the unfolding of post-colonialism.

It’s not a World War. It’s “interconnected security dilemmas.”

Today's Japanese lesson was OK. Because of DST my lessons are now one hour later. This doesn't work as well for me. As for the lesson it was mostly new grammar points using familiar vocab. I felt confident and relaxed.

I have a home office again and I can’t tell you how happy that makes me feel. I also have a studio space and it’s a little to emotionally overwhelming to even describe that feeling.

This weekend Australia moves to five different time zones as half the country plunges into Daylight Savings lunacy. It’s hardly worth debating this anymore. The arguments in favour of DST are so dumb. And the health issues around clock changes so well established. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Today's blogpost fernandogros.com/this-story-e...

Everyone knows what's happening. This is how it's happening. And we have no international treaties around the use of autonomous weapons.

Japanese lesson was delightful today. Sat outside in my old rattan chairs that have travelled with me from Singapore to Tokyo and are now finally unwrapped again in Adelaide. Felt confident speaking and using recently learned grammar points. And loved the vibe of this setting.

Contacted the council who claimed the beach was open. I sent them photos of the beach closed sign. A few days later houses in our area got a letter box drop saying the beach was open, with a rough map of the works. But no explanation who put up the beach closed signs.

Long day of unpacking. Touching things I haven't seen since 2022. Or 2019. Unboxing, unwrapping, and shelving is tiring. But the emotional rollercoaster is even more exhausting.

Midnight Diner is coming back with a new season! Seven years after the last seasons. Lots of old characters returning. This is thrilling.