Money bores me. Bores the fuck out of me. I was on a call and people were chit-chatting before everyone joined, as we do — and they were discussing buying gold coins and stocks and shit. Bragging about their gains, and options, and puts and buys, and interest and dividends and all kinds of groovy financial words.
They talk about their financial advisors like my cousin talks about his ‘weed man’. Like they are some kind of mystic shaman with other worldly abilities.
Sorta like everyone who goes to Vegas wins. I zoned out. Money’s a useful utility but not worth fixating on too much.
I am building a home and a moble app at the same time. An interesting contrast. There are some commonalities. And of course, some differences.
The main commonality is money is going out the door like a drunken sailor in a discount whorehouse on payday.
Building a home involves physicality. In this case, since the living structure is 20 feet above ground, a literal treehouse; the guys must get all the lumber up to the platform. And, by the way, building the platform was no easy task. That involved standing up 8 – 8″ x 8″ x 30′ stanchions and one very large Hemlock tree trunk in the center. All had to be perfectly in their place and perfectly level on 3 planes. This is art and craftsmanship and strength at a very high level.
We had a large lift for a while and they took all they could up to platform level, but now everything else will be taken by hand. Either up a ladder or on the skywalk. Lumber, nails, doors, windows, screws, tools and other materials. Up and down the ladder multiple times a day. Splinters. Sore muscles. Some danger. The platform is high and they are constantly walking on 12″ centered 2″ x 10″ floor joists. I implore them to be careful. They are. Kenny is a seasoned professional and a father of two young boys. Easton is young but hard working and very committed.
Some of these young kids give me the slightest hope that the world is not fully fucked just yet.
Soon the structure will take shape. Walls and windows and doors will go up next — then electrical, plumbing and flooring and the funnest part, the finish work. As usual, Kenny and I collaborated on the design. I tend to take the broad strokes at what I think would be cool and functional and he layers in common sense and practical advice. Always respectfully with a ‘we can do that if you want to…..but‘ sort of vibe. Always sensible recommendations and most of them we adopt.
The mobile app is a different story. Late nights calls with India 5 days a week. 11:30 pm. A full 2-hours after my bedtime. We go until 12:30 or so and then I have to get calmed down before sleep comes.
There’s a lot of research and robust discussion. We are trying to create something unique and great. There are back office discussions like credit card payment systems, API’s, calls, compression, platform and all kinds of tangential technologies to make everything work. And also user experience so UI/UX, AI, and workflows. Some terms that are foreign to me so I need to self-educate in real time to keep up. Hands on keyboards instead of rough lumber.
This is the first time I’ve had a partner who is my equal in energy, ideas, and action. Ram is great. Very smart and much more knowledgeable about technical development than I am. He is carrying more water at this point than I am, which makes me a little uncomfortable. I feel indebted. But my time to shine will come once we are nearer to having a product.
I’ve started 5 businesses in my life and been the first employee at 2 others where I’ve helped them grow to multi-million dollar operations. TOOM is different. I happened on the idea in Amsterdam while hanging out with Sjoerd, Carla, Onah, Shannon and Terri. We had a hella lotta fun that week, discussing the potential app and how great it would be. I think Terri coined the phrase ‘This One’s On Me‘ – or TOOM.
Then 8 years went by.
Both projects are physically exhausting and financially draining at the moment. The house project will finish up by end of November or so and that will be that. TOOM will take a lot more money to get up and running. I may have to pimp Martini out for some extra cash. But as noted before — money is a utility. It comes and goes. But when it goes, it’s gone, and projects can suffer.
Why do we still have kings in the modern era? I was as embarrassed of Charles as I was of Trump while those two genetically compromised and lineage privileged assholes were galavanting through the English countryside and riding atop the streets in ornate horse drawn carriages and strolling through lines of soldiers pretending like either of them is worthy or capable of inspecting troops.
It’s sad that after all the hardship and natural resources theft and genocidal tendencies of colonialism, the British people haven’t seen fit to throw those royal dipshits into the English Channel. Best to cut the cord with that part of your history.
Anyway, the royals have no power or actual purpose. Just noise and pomp and circumbullshit. But seriously embarrassing with the crown and capes and jewels. A terrible sight while so many suffer — and so wholly and completely unearned. You’d think shame itself would bring them to renounce this ridiculous system of privilege. But if they won’t renounce, then it should be taken.
At least the Dutch king occasionally captains a KLM flight and has a massive country-wide party every April, so is somewhat useful. What’s the king of England good for? Off with their heads I say! Or maybe just tell them to fuck off and quit living on the dole.
We have our issues here at home, obviously. Wannabe kings not the least of our problems. But seeing all that royal bullshit is just fucking embarrassing. Besides, the Brits did vote for Brexit so seems our US apple has not fallen so far from the British tree. We are both doing our best to destroy our countries.
My biggest danger is probably these words in a public space.
I had a 6-hour layover at JFK so went to the ClubOne Lounge. My favorite lounge anywhere. Amazing. Multiple bars and a great restaurant plus the Buffett and coffee bar and dessert bars. All complimentary (sorta). I sat next to a couple that seemed about my age. Discussion is always a bit complicated these days. Politics is on all of our minds. It’s dominating. But some of us are tiring of the vague references and get right to it. So it was.
We were both like-minded and lit right into Trump with gusto. Not even bothering to temper our volume. He was as passionate about his anger and disappointment as I am. His wife also. If we were in some high-end steakhouse we would probably be outnumbered and taken outside and cruelly beaten or maybe shot. But in the airport lounge, we felt safe.
It’s funny in these lounges. Business people, men and women, are heading home after a long week. I’ve been there. Traveling week after week sucks. So when they get to the bar, they are thirsty and wound up. Ready for a hard re-entry.
I sat there for quite a while since I had time on my hands. The men came in and they were all hitting on the bartenders. But the bartenders are seasoned and wary. They bantered and parried and deflected and moved drinks with a smile and coquettish professionalism that left the men just thinking they had a chance. They never did. And anyway then had to leave and in short order another business geek took the seat and the cycle started over. The girls made money and played along.
Just boarded my flight now for Geneva. Was lucky to get upgraded so will have a 2nd FNM somewhere over the Atlantic. The boarding was pure biometric, which means they just have a camera at the gate — no need to bring up your boarding pass or passport. The camera takes a picture and you either are welcomed aboard or, if the camera doesn’t like you, savagely beaten in front of the crowd and then taken off for some long hours of torture and eventually deportation or taken behind the White House and shot by JD Vance.
I was in line and the lady before me stepped up to the camera to learn her fate and I stepped in close and photo-bombed. In my defense, I had a martini and several glasses of wine and at least 2 beers in me. The gate agent chuckled. The TSA agent didn’t. He was humorless and harshly reminded me that safety is no joke and I needed to get back in line.
But is it not really a joke? This illusion we have of safety. Most of these dipshits couldn’t survive a competent game of Clue, but we’re meant to believe they are saving lives? Really?
Anyway, I thought it was funny.
At the risk of being predictable, I’ve included another bit of great wisdom from the old Buk. Which also reminds me, I need to re-watch ‘Barfly‘.
Humbly Submitted
Robert Myres – Flanker, Portneuf Valley Rugby Football Club (ret.)
there is enough treachery, hatred, violence, absurdity, in the average
human being to supply any given army on any given day
and the best at murder are those who preach against it
and the best at hate are those who preach love
and the best at war finally are those who preach peace
beware the preachers
beware the knowers
beware those who either detest poverty
or are proud of it
beware those quick to praise
for they need praise in return
beware those who are quick to censor
they are afraid of what they do not know
beware those who seek constant crowds for
they are nothing alone
beware the average man the average woman
beware their love, their love is average
seeks average
but there is genius in their hatred
there is enough genius in their hatred to kill you
to kill anybody
they will attempt to destroy anything
that differs from their own
not being able to create art
they will not understand art
they will consider their failure as creators
as a failure of the world
not being able to love fully
they will believe your love incomplete
and then they will hate you
and their hatred will be perfect
The Martini Tales 