June 2022 - Down the Road 🛣
What was this month??
I'm going to address something right out of the gate - The Supreme Court decided this month to strip women of the right to control their bodies and future.
It's a sad time to be an American in a variety of ways. Inflation is out of control, two sides the country hate each other, and COVID is still going around like a hot potato.
Despite all of this, I still believe there's so much to be thankful for every day in your personal life. There are a lot of people that care about you and want to see you succeed.
I hope that you stay safe out there in the next month and that you hit your goals. I hope you learn something new and push yourself to be a better version of yourself every day.
Talk soon.
--
Nathan ☕️
Articles/News
Google Engineer Thinks AI is Sentient
This month, a Google Engineer told the world that he thought the AI he worked with is sentient. He was promptly let go from Google. Here's a link to the conversation he had with it. It's a bit of a trip (even though I think he's incorrect).
Books
Courage is Calling by Ryan Holiday
I tend to love Ryan's books (they center on stoicism and other good concepts to improve your life). His most recent book, Courage is Calling, has short passages that center on handling fear, having courage, and being a hero.
Code
Coding Articles by Me
I wrote quite a few articles this month and thought some of you might enjoy them:
This is far from all of them (I don't want to overwhelm you here), so feel free to hit up my Medium page for the complete list.
ThreeJS Journey Course by Bruno Simon
I've spent tons of time in the last month working in WebGL, and I've spent a lot of free time pouring through this course to learn how to do 3D modeling with it. I know I've put this course into a previous newsletter, but I couldn't help but recommend it again.
Games
Colt Express (Board Game)
This board game will make you feel like a train robber fighting for control of jewels and gold. That's the single best endorsement I can give it.
Consisting of cardboard cutouts of a train, this game is peak bluffing and trying to predict what your friends will do in advance while you're all competing to rob the same train.
Music
Cosmo's Factory by Creedence Clearwater Revival
This album (Apple Music and Spotify) was the first vinyl record I ever bought, and I've been circling back around to it and listening to it nonstop this month. Originating from the Bay Area, CCR's debut album hits all the right notes (including anti-government ones) this month.
Videos
"An Old Man's Advice"
This beautiful video is one long pep talk from a self-made elderly man who has seen a lot in his life and wants to encourage those younger than him. I got super emotional listening to it and encourage you to watch it if it's the only thing you take away from this month's newsletter.
"Give Yourself Permission to be Creative" by Ethan Hawke
Some of you know that I've been working at introducing creativity in my life through a variety of ways (such as playing guitar more or journaling). This talk from the actor Ethan Hawke is a brilliant take on why you shouldn't care about what others think and should allow yourself to be creative in life.