Hey everyone!
Coming to you live from Austin, Texas. Here is your weekly dose of Arman’s Antics. Five things I’ve been pondering and exploring that will either make you think, laugh, cry (or a nasty combination of the three).
Welcome to the two new subscribers receiving this for the first time (292 total). I respect your inbox and don’t take your attention for granted.
Essay I wrote last week
Google books ran the numbers and estimated that 129,864,880 books have been published since the invention of the printing press in 1436.
That number is going to increase exponentially in the coming years. I don’t know about you, but that unsettles me.
Even the most avid of readers will be lucky to read a few thousand books in a lifetime. And for the less than avid readers? Maybe a hundred? Or less?
Barely a drop in the bucket. Which brings me to our dilemma — what the heck do we read?
I’m not sure, but I do know that I want to make the most of my limited reading time. So my new reading rule is:
Internet writer I’m enjoying
Nat Eliason, who writes
on Substack. I love finding a writer who writes about topics that I wish I wrote about.He’s been at this writing game for ten years. And he’s my age.
At first, that makes me want to slap my younger self for not starting sooner. But then, it encourages me to keep going.
He writes about life, work, and writing. In a style that’s clear, direct, useful, and includes a dash of humor. The exact same qualities I hope my writing could have one day.
If you’ve never heard of him, go ahead and start with his most popular essay that will only take two minutes to read:
Running into the voice inside my head
As soon as I walked in to my barber shop last Friday, I did a double take at the guy who was checking out after getting his fresh fade.
“Do I know him?”
I started flipping through my mental rolodex.
“I swear I do, but what’s his name? And how do I know him?”
Aha! I think that’s the British podcast host of Modern Wisdom, who recently moved to Austin, Chris Williamson.
It looked just like him but I didn’t want to assume it was and look like a fool if it wasn’t. So I listened intently to his accent when he said farewell.
“That’s him!”
But I froze up like a raccoon in headlights. He walked out without me making a peep. The struggles of being an introvert.
But it still gave me great satisfaction to see the face of the voice I’ve heard in my head for hours and hours while walking the dog.
If nothing else, it gave me a confidence boost knowing I’d been getting my haircut at a Chris Williamson approved barber shop. Maybe next time I won’t be such a pansy and I’ll manage to say something clever like ‘Ello mate!
Affordable luxuries
I have always struggled with splurging on anything that doesn’t seem absolutely vital to my survival. In fact, I get a sick sort of pleasure by refraining from anything that hints at the word “luxurious”.
Which is why I’m on the hunt for affordable luxuries — things that don’t cost much more than the generic version, but still punch above their weight class.
I think I’ve finally found one that’s worth sharing — fancy coffee beans.
The difference in price between the cheapest and most expensive beans is miniscule. But the difference in taste is immense. Or maybe it’s just a little psychological mind trick. Doesn’t matter.
So I recommend trying Tim Ferriss’s Cockpunch Coffee. Description from the site: “The FTZ Blend from Four-Arrows Press is one of a kind. Raised on exclusive farms throughout Varlata, roasted only within the Eight-Fold Arena, and alchemized with nothing but the finest Dalomai technology, it’s the most famous coffee in the realm for good reason.”
Who knows what any of those words actually mean, but I swear paying $22 per bag as opposed to the $11 bag from Amazon, seems to make the coffee taste significantly better. And for some reason beyond my comprehension, my pinky can’t help but stick out while sipping.
What’s an affordable luxury you wish you’d discovered sooner?
Random thought
We don’t actually have shorter attention spans, just higher standards.
That’s all for the 50th edition of Arman’s Antics. Thank you for sharing a sliver of your limited attention with me today.
Consider forwarding this to a friend who also loves a different point of view. Now back to your regularly scheduled nonstop scrolling.
Have a terrific Tuesday!
Cheers,
Arman
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