With Ross
By With Ross
This is an audio log of my travels, things I'm reading, epiphanies, and conversations with interesting people I meet along the way.
Episode topics tend to fall into the categories of travel, tech, biographies, or business.
I do this because I enjoy it.
With RossMay 10, 2023
From Mexico City to Afghanistan - Elmer
Timestamps:
0:00 Introducing Elmer
1:20 Skateboarding
4:20 Elmer's business
25:35 Elmer's job
26:11 Building the largest Embassy in the world
28:40 Safety Standards in Mexico
31:55 Is the US Government a good employer?
34:07 Afghanistan
37:57 His Job in Afghanistan
39:31 Living Conditions in Kabul
42:03 Artillery Attacks
44:05 Suicide Bombers
45:25 Working Conditions
45:35 The Food - Gaining 8 kilgrams
48:19 Nepali Gurkhas
52:36 Was it controversial to go to Afghanistan?
57:22 Is it popular to join the Mexican Military?
Six Months in Mexico City: An Update
Mexico City is amazing. Six months in and I never want to leave.
The Rapid Iteration Cycle of AI
There are new use cases for AI emerging every single day, improving at an unprecedented rate, according to the host. AI tools are capable of debugging code or suggesting ways to improve it, as well as walking users through a variety of tasks, such as setting up Facebook, Google or YouTube ads. It's aiding the development of useful code and increasing productivity for a variety of industries.
Timestamps:
[00:01:15] AI aiding in code writing.
[00:05:10] Chat GPT buys groceries.
[00:07:40] AI avatars forming relationships.
[00:11:25] Pew study article.
Keywords/Topics Mentioned:
ChatGPT, Facebook, Google, YouTube, Upwork, Wikipedia, David Ogilvie, Warren Buffett, AI, Apple Notes, Google Keep, Evernote, Notion, app store, Instacart, Aman Reshi, Pakistani, Chinese, Italian, recipes, dietary restrictions, alcohol, pork, dairy, breakfast, lunch, dinner, calories, grocery shopping, Stanford, Westworld, HBO, robots, avatars, memories, personalities, identities, relationships, dating, business, politics, policies, lost jobs, Reddit, Mid Journey, Dali, AutoGPT, Mexico City, $15.7 trillion, global economy, labor productivity, chatbot, agents, Pew Research Center, podcast.
Fun with GPT
To see the screenshots that accompany this episode, click this link: https://rosszeiger.substack.com/p/fun-with-ai
The AI Gardener
Linus Ekenstam's Tweet:
If it’s not clear yet, this is what I think will happen soon. Every major tech company except Apple has announced their own LLM. Apple has spent years perfecting their on-device neural engine. Capable of some absolutely insane operations. Loads of compute in a small and energy efficient form factor. With M1, M2 & soon M3 the neural engine is even more powerful than their A series mobile chipsets. While we currently need the cloud to run ChatGPT and it’s clunky, I think Apple is going to blow everyone out of the water here. Both on desktop class hardware and mobile. I think Apple will be launching their own secure and private LLM that runs on device (edge compute). And when necessary it offloads more heavy workloads to a cloud based LLM that’s optimized for heavier tasks. So we will initially have some hybrid system. Personal, with tight hardware and software integration, this AI will be omnipresent. Apple will probably use this to sell a lot of new hardware that they claim is needed to run this. They will make a lot of money. For me the LLM’s will form the new protocol level technology upon which most new software will be built. We will have to re-wire our core understanding about what an application is. Single-use apps will be a huge thing. If you need to solve a unique problem, and nobody has ever done software for that because not enough market. With an LLM even a problem with only one user, will be doable, enter your ask, and code gets written, problem gets solved. Runtime ends, app dies. Done. Single use apps are born. It’s hard to predict or try to understand how the world will look just 10 years from today. It will be very different, we have passed the inflection point, the rocket engines have been lit. We’ve taken off. Add to all the above that every single field, category and market will be disrupted at the same time. And not only with text/coding but with any multi-media we have. Images, video & audio. Anything we can come up with can and will be enhanced or disrupted by AI. Once we got more people that will have their AI A-ha moment the rate of change and adoption will continue to increase. This will continue until we have global access and coverage. People will get left behind, and this will be one of the most important things to try to combat. Having a 0% left behind policy. We need to make sure AI benefits all. We’re living through a paradigm shift, and we’re witness to a new protocol level technology. We’re seeing it arrive in real-time and most people have no clue about what’s about to happen. I’m not an AI alarmist, I’m an AI gardener, and optimist. We will have time to adapt. Not as long as we had during the Industrial Revolution, but enough time to make sure we have a chance at a positive outcome. We’re moving away from the Information Age into the Age of Intelligence. With unlimited access to intelligence anywhere, anytime. - Linus Ekenstam
Second Interview with GPT
twitter.com/nickfloats
twitter.com/LinusEkenstam
Today, an interview with ChatGPT-4.
American Samoa to Yellowstone - An Interview with Milo
Email Milo: milo@southseasbroadcasting.com
Le's Instagram: www.instagram.com/lecirclestheglobe/
Interview with GPT
Subscribe to my free newsletter: rosszeiger.substack.com
Today I sat down with the incredible GPT. GPT is perhaps the most sought after being on the planet right now so it was an incredible honor to get some of her time. She explained her work, aspirations, and shared a couple jokes along the way.
She promised to come back on the show. Anything you'd like me to ask her next time?
Timestamps:
0:00 - Introducing GPT
0:28 - What she does and how she does it
1:44 - GPT's training regimen
2:49 - How GPT has been volunteering in the community
4:00 - Are you going to replace all human jobs?
5:30 - She doesn't swing a hammer or operate a forklift
6:58 - Helping people launch businesses
7:55 - Partnering with Microsoft
9:30 - Plans for working with Bing
10:45 - Are you a Google killer?
11:49 - Favorite Benjamin Franklin anecdotes
12:58 - Benjamin Franklin's opinion on AI
14:01 - Predictions for 2023
16:34 - Five year goals
17:27 - Helping millions of people
17:54 - Similarities to the iPhone
Apology for Printers
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Commentary on Benjamin Franklin's incredible 1731 essay, Apology for Printers. This is a "standing apology" for anything Franklin ever did that could offend anyone. Brilliant.
Cover art generated by Dall-E AI
Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction
1:54 - Parable of the father, son, and holy donkey
Buridan's Donkey
Subscribe to my free newsletter for more like this: rosszeiger.substack.com
Cover art generated by Dall-e using the prompt: donkey standing between hay and a trough of water
Buridan’s Donkey is a tale about a donkey standing halfway between a pile of hay and a bucket of water.
The donkey is thirsty and hungry so it spends a moment deciding whether to go for the water or the food.
The debate rages in the donkey’s mind. Back and forth it goes.
The seconds turn into minutes. The minutes into hours. The hours into days.
The water begins to dry in the sun and the hay begins to wilt.
Still, the donkey cannot decide.
Unable to decide, the donkey collapses and dies.
On Three Years of Podcasting
Since December 2019, I have released just over 100 episodes of my podcast.
The first episode was done from a park in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico using nothing but my smartphone and the built-in recording app.
Zero editing was done to that episode. Cars can be heard in the background. People talking. A simple outline was made with bullet points in the note app on my phone. No money was spent.
And no one listened to it.
First Episodes SuckedMy plan was simply to document my travels in weekly installments.
It wasn’t until the third or fourth episode that I told anyone I was doing it. Even then, it was only a small handful of friends and family. I was self-conscious recording each episode and hitting publish. I didn’t want to waste anyone’s time. Despite that desire, these episodes were terrible. Long pauses, lots of filler words, inarticulate stories, and bad audio quality.
Podcasting as a Low-feedback MediumPodcasting is a strange medium. There is little to no feedback. Unlike with a YouTube video or a Tweet, I don’t know what people think about my content. I don’t have analytics to know if they are listening to the whole episode or hearing the first word out of my mouth and deleting it. I don’t know if people are sharing it. I don’t know if people are finding the episodes valuable.
Evolution of the ShowWhat I do know is that over time, the podcast has evolved. Each episode, I try to make it a little better, a little more valuable to anyone listening to it. I have experimented with different formats: adding music, doing interviews, doing long episodes, doing short episodes, editing, not editing.
I dialed in a method of turning my notes into a script. I started editing it using free software like Garageband and have since upgraded to AI editing software Descript. I transitioned from using the smartphone microphone to using a decent USB mic. I’ve switched podcast hosts. I bring attention to my filler words and try to eliminate those (that’s an ongoing battle). I record in quieter environments. Slowly, with tiny, usually imperceptible iterations, the podcast has gotten better. Still not good, but better.
39 Hours of PracticeThe podcast is still an amateur production. Spotify tells me that I published 130 minutes of content this year. That is probably lower than my first two years but let’s conservatively say I’ve published a total of 390 minutes of content in aggregate. And let’s say for each minute of recorded content there is 5 minutes of discarded content, editing, uploading, and other production work. That is 1,950 minutes. Put this together, 1,950 plus 390, I have spent roughly 2,340 minutes podcasting, or 39 hours.
If it takes 10,000 hours to become a master at a skill, I am at the very earliest stage of this process.
Going ForwardThe average life expectancy for a male born when and where I was, is 79 years. If I’m fortunate enough to live that long, I have 48 years of podcasting ahead of me. I don’t know what directions the show will take or how it will evolve but I intend to keep making it. I have no particular goals for the podcast in terms of listeners or reach. It is, and will remain, something I do because it’s fun.
Parasocial RelationshipsOne final thought, there is a phenomenon in the modern era known as parasocial relationships. These are one-sided relationships in which a person feels as though they have an intimate bond with another person whom they have never met before. This is why you know everything about your favorite podcaster’s family, preferences, philosophies, and hobbies yet you’ve never met him or her before.
If you’re someone I don’t personally know, and you’ve somehow found the show, please reach out. I’d love to hear from you.
Ben in London
Fifth in the Ben Frank series.
Timestamps:
0:00 - Ben sails to London
0:40 - Arriving in London
1:00 - Plans go awry
1:24 - Making the most of it
1:50 - Thomas Denham and the General Store
2:20 - Plan for Future Conduct
4:26 - Why I Love Studying Franklin
Ben as a Teen
Fourth in the Ben Frank series
Timestamps:
0:00 - Ben's Apprenticeship in the Candle Shop
0:45 - Ben's Next Apprenticeships
1:27 - Ben as a Writer
2:54 - Silence Dogood
4:20 - Benjamin's Reading Habits
4:52 - Ending the Apprenticeship
5:08 - Escape to Philly
5:52 - Philadelphia
AI Cover art prompt: Benjamin Franklin writing with the ghost of his character silence dogood hovering above him, digital art
Ben as a Boy
Third episode in the Benjamin Franklin series.
Cover art compliments of Dall-E with the prompt: benjamin franklin as a boy in colonial boston
Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction 2:22 - Quote about Ben from Walter Isaacson 3:30 - Benjamin Franklin's Early YearsQuote from Walter Isaacson:
"Benjamin Franklin was, during his 84 year life America’s best scientist, inventor, diplomat, writer, and business strategist, and he was also one of it’s most practical, though not profound, political thinkers. He proved by flying a kite that lightning was electricity, and he invented the a rod to tame it. He devised bifocal glasses and clean-burning stoves, charts of the Gulf Stream and theories about the contagious nature of the common cold. He launched various civic improvement schemes such as a lending library, college, volunteer fire corps, insurance association, and matching grant find raiser. He helped invent America’s unique style of homespun humor and philosophical pragmatism. In foreign policy, he created an approach that wove together idealism with balance-of-power realism. And in politics, he proposed seminal plans for uniting the colonies and creating a federal model for a national government. But, the most interesting thing that Franklin invented, and continually reinvented, was himself."
Junto
Second episode in a series on Benjamin Franklin.
Episode cover created by Dall-E AI with the prompt: benjamin franklin at a junto meeting in the style of frida kahlo
Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
0:56 - The Four Questions That Opened Every Meeting
1:55 - Junto
2:36 - Lessons of the Junto
2:49 - Self-improvement
3:13 - The 24 Questions
7:11 - Junto as an Incubator
Questions to the Junto at the beginning of meetings:
Any person to be qualified, to stand up, and lay his hand on his breast, and be asked these questions; viz.
1. Have you any particular disrespect to any present members? Answer. I have not.
2. Do you sincerely declare that you love mankind in general; of what profession or religion soever? Answ. I do.
3. Do you think any person ought to be harmed in his body, name or goods, for mere speculative opinions, or his external way of worship? Ans. No.
4. Do you love truth’s sake, and will you endeavour impartially to find and receive it yourself and communicate it to others? Answ. Yes.
For the 24 Questions asked during the Meetings: https://franklinpapers.org/framedVolumes.jsp?vol=1&page=255a
Don't Pay Too Much for Your Whistle
First in a series on Benjamin Franklin.
Timestamps:
0:00 - Benjamin Franklin Introduction
1:04 - The Parable of the Whistle
3:53 - Conclusion
To find all of Franklin's writings: https://franklinpapers.org
Cover art created with Dall-E using the prompt: make a painting of benjamin franklin blowing a whistle and standing in front of the wall street bull
This is an excerpt from a letter he wrote in November 1779:
When I was a child of seven years old, my friends, on a holiday, filled my pocket with coppers. I went directly to a shop where they sold toys for children; and being charmed with the sound of a whistle, that I met by the way in the hands of another boy, I voluntarily offered and gave all my money for one. I then came home, and went whistling all over the house, much pleased with my whistle, but disturbing all the family. My brothers, and sisters, and cousins, understanding the bargain I had made, told me I had given four times as much for it as it was worth; put me in mind what good things I might have bought with the rest of the money; and laughed at me so much for my folly, that I cried with vexation; and the reflection gave me more chagrin than the whistle gave me pleasure. This, however, was afterwards of use to me, the impression continuing on my mind; so that often, when I was tempted to buy some unnecessary thing, I said to myself, Don’t give too much for the whistle; and I saved my money. As I grew up, came into the world, and observed the actions of men, I thought I met with many, very many, who gave too much for the whistle. When I saw one too ambitious of court favor, sacrificing his time in attendance on levees, his repose, his liberty, his virtue, and perhaps his friends, to attain it, I have said to myself, this man gives too much for his whistle. When I saw another fond of popularity, constantly employing himself in political bustles, neglecting his own affairs, and ruining them by that neglect, "He pays, indeed," said I, "too much for his whistle." If I knew a miser, who gave up every kind of comfortable living, all the pleasure of doing good to others, all the esteem of his fellow-citizens, and the joys of benevolent friendship, for the sake of accumulating wealth, "Poor man," said I, "you pay too much for your whistle." When I met with a man of pleasure, sacrificing every laudable improvement of the mind, or of his fortune, to mere corporeal sensations, and ruining his health in their pursuit, "Mistaken man," said I, "you are providing pain for yourself, instead of pleasure; you give too much for your whistle." If I see one fond of appearance, or fine clothes, fine houses, fine furniture, fine equipages, all above his fortune, for which he contracts debts, and ends his career in a prison, "Alas!" say I, "he has paid dear, very dear, for his whistle." When I see a beautiful sweet-tempered girl married to an ill-natured brute of a husband, "What a pity," say I, "that she should pay so much for a whistle!" In short, I conceive that great part of the miseries of mankind are brought upon them by the false estimates they have made of the value of things, and by their giving too much for their whistles.
One Month en la Ciudad
Just over a month into living in Mexico City and I've learned an incredible amount about Mexican culture. It's welcoming, unpretentious, fascinating, and delicious. Listen on to hear why!
Timestamps:
Intro - 00:00
Embarrassing Experiences while traveling - 00:40
Japan embarrassments - 01:00
Nepal embarrassment - 03:05
Mexico is laid back - 03:59
Tacos - 04:23
Al Pastor - 05:55
Dog Friendliness - 07:14
Alguinaldo (Christmas Bonus) - 09:06
WhatsApp - 09:42
Traffic - 10:25
Mi Casa es Su Casa - 11:23
Thoughts on Leaving the US
We are now settled into our new expat life in Mexico City! Some quick thoughts on leaving the US and what is next.
Check out my Substack at rosszeiger.substack.com
The Cover Art for this episode was generated using Open AI's Dall-E 2 software. Make your own by clicking here.
I, Pencil
A reading of the excellent essay "I, Pencil" written by Leonard E. Read in 1958. All credit to the author.
The text can be downloaded and read at the following link:
https://fee.org/resources/i-pencil/
Let me know if you enjoyed today's episode!
Paris of the Americas: Mexico City
Mexico City: Vibrant. Friendly. Beautiful. Quiet. Green. Delicious. Incredible.
One Trip Around the Sun in Austin, Texas
Extra special episode today. The venerable Dr. Park sat down with me in a room packed with dogs to discuss the finer - and some not so fine - points of life in Austin.
Vancouver/Whistler, Canada
Monterrey, MX
Global Population
The global population sits just under 8 billion people and appears to be leveling off. The decline and growth of populations will break or make countries this century.
Video can be found at: https://youtu.be/ixSH8s444Jc
Die With Zero
Video can be found on YouTube at the following link: youtu.be/1ttEk2xvALo
Deflationary Effect of Technology
Consumer Price Index
Bandwagon Effect
In-Group Favoritism
Self-serving Bias
Fundamental Attribution Error
IKEA Effect
Confirmation Bias
Anchoring Bias
The False Memory Bias
The Dunning-Kruger Effect
Happy New Year & Declinism
Cryptocurrency Adoption
The Great Resignation
Some thoughts on the Great Resignation.
Texas
A brief overview of the State of Texas.
Advertisements
Exponents and Extrapolation
A follow up to the Moore's Law episode.
AirBnB: A Tool for the Modern Nomad
Moore's Law
Moore's Law: "the observation that the number of transistors in a dense integrated circuit (IC) doubles about every two years. Moore's law is an observation and projection of a historical trend."
Cover image credit: Wikipedia
Austin, Texas
With Ross
Quarantine Conversation with Del from Gaijin News
Historic Moment
Digital versus Analog Introduction
Dematerialization
Our world is quickly dematerializing.
Roadtrip Wrap-up
Three Questions
Road Trip, episode 1
New Direction
Profit First
Parkinson's Law
Reflecting on the last 365 days
Learning to Delegate
I started by trying to do everything myself. I have learned it's much more effective to delegate responsibilities to others and lean on others.
Thoughts from the Trenches
Thoughts from the Week
This week I started conducting interviews to hire some people. It's been a learning experience.
Happy 2021!
Happy New Year! I look forward to another 52 episodes this year. It's going to be a great year
Send the Rucksack Entrepreneur your comments and questions:
https://anchor.fm/rucksack-entrepreneur/message
Podcast question #1
Today I respond to a question submitted by Uncle Bruce.
If you want to submit a message for future shows you can do so with this link:
https://anchor.fm/rucksack-entrepreneur/message
Semiotics
Semiotics is the study of signs and signals or anything that communicates a meaning.
Weigh Your Spending
Weigh your spending by use, not by how much "status" it gives you.
Consumer Surplus
Consumer surplus is the difference between the price the consumers pay and the price that they are willing to pay.
Resulting
Resulting is the fallacy of judging a decision based on its outcome.
Seek Challenges
Seek out challenges in your business. It usually means no one else is doing it.
Misogi
This is another Japanese concept I enjoy called Misogi.
Ikigai
This is a Japanese concept I enjoy thinking about called Ikigai.
Send me a message!
Send me a comment, question, or anything else you'd like to share with the audience. Your message will be used for a future show. Here is the link: https://anchor.fm/rucksack-entrepreneur/message
Bad News Doesn't Get Better With Time
Bad news doesn't get better with time. It's a principle that applies to business and life.
Burn Out
As an entrepreneur, it's easy to drift toward doing more and more, taking on ever increasing amounts of responsibility and tasks. At some point, you have to set clear boundaries and establish a balance in your work and life.
Pet Industry, part 2
More discussion about the emerging pet industry.
The Pet Industry
The Pet Industry is rapidly growing. This is an amazing time to be in the pet industry.
Pareto Principle
The Pareto Principle is fascinating. 20% of your efforts result in 80% of your results.
Learning to Say No
At first, we said Yes to every opportunity. Now, we find ourselves saying No! And it's not always easy.
Hair of the Dog
My stories have been positive so far. This one is not.
Leverage
"Give me a lever long enough and a place to stand and I shall move the Earth." -Archimedes
The Power of Social Media
Don't underestimate social media marketing.
Perfect is the Enemy of Good Enough
The podcast is back.
The End of the Show...for now
This will the end of the show for now. Think of it as season one. It will return when travel returns. Thanks for 1,200 listens. It's been a blast to make. Talk to you soon!
Second Passport Series - Part 3: How to Get a Second Passport
Part three of the Second Passport series. Today we talk about how to get a second passport. Short answer: it's not simple. It may (will) involve lawyers, money, paperwork, and lots of time. This show is more broad than I anticipated but this topic is more complex than I realized. See the blog article for more.
Web: peripateticpodcast.wordpress.com
Instagram: @peripateticpodcast
Casted from: Southwest Washington, USA
Second Passport Series - Part 2: Benefits of a Second Passport
Continuing the series on second passports. This week we talk about why you should consider a second passport.
Instagram: @ peripateticpodcast
Casted from: Southwest Washington, USA
Second Passport Series - Part 1: Passports
Welcome to part one of the Second Passport series. This week we introduce what passports are, define some terms, discuss the relative value of different countries' passports, and more. Stay tuned for parts 2 and 3 in the coming weeks!
Instagram: @peripateticpodcast
Web: peripateticpodcast.wordpress.com
Casted from: South Washington, USA
Introducing the Second Passport Series
Today I'm pleased to announce a forthcoming two - maybe three - part series on why and how to acquire a second passport. The benefits are enormous not only for travel but for economic, tax, societal unrest, and a host of other reasons. We will dig into all of these topics and more in the coming weeks.
Instagram: @peripateticpodcast
Casted from: Western Washington, USA
Observations on Coming Home
Very short episode today. Some observations on what is similar and different about Asia - where I've spent the past nearly two years - and the US.
Instagram: @peripateticpodcast
peripateticpodcast.wordpress.com
Casted from: Southern Washington, USA
Traveling During COVID-19
Answering Listener Questions
Consumerism
On Gap Years
Cannabis in Nepal
Books That Shaped My Travel Philosophy
How I Stay Fit on the Road
Casted from: Kathmandu, Nepal
On the Ground in Nepal: An Update
Instagram.com/peripateticpodcast
Casted from: Kathmandu, Nepal
What To Pack For Extended Travel - A Conversation With Bossk
Bag
Clothes
Toiletries
Tools
Wallet/Passport/Documentation
More info about the show can be found at peripateticpodcast.wordpress.com/?p=187.
Podcast Instagram @peripateticpodcast
Be sure to check out Bossk's Instagram @whoisbossk
#travel #packing #nepal #packinglist #gear
The Future of Travel (and work, education, and entertainment)
peripateticpodcast.wordpress.com/?p=172
Today I talk about the future of travel.
instagram.com/peripateticpodcast
Casted from: Kathmandu, Nepal
Podcasting: Why and How You Can Start Your Own Show
Also, there is now a website for the show. Check it out at peripateticpodcast.wordpress.com. And as always, on Instagram @peripateticpodcast.
If you are interested in starting your own show, download the Anchor app or head over to anchor.com. They make it super easy to get started and it's completely free!
peripateticpodcast.wordpress.com/?p=138
Casted from: Kathmandu, Nepal
The Spanish Flu, part 2
The Spanish Flu
13: Locked Down
Instagram.com/peripateticpodcast
Casted from: Kathmandu, Nepal
12: COVID-19 - Nepal
11: Hedonic Adaptation and Nepal
10: Nepal
9: Angkor Wat and Siem Reap
8: Kampot, Cambodia
7: Cambodia
Casted from: Phnom Penh, Cambodia
6: An Expensive Lesson
5: Cozumel and Some Book Notes
Episode 4: Bacalar and Some Facts About Mexico
Episode 3: Belize
Maddy Reynolds of Lower Dover, Belize
Episode 2: Exploring the Yucatan
Episode 1: First Week in Cozumel
