Author Archives: davidrichelson

I wasn’t born with a map. I don’t know what I’m doing. I recently made a “very interesting decision.” It was a “unique experience.” I’m thankful for the opportunity and I’m looking forward to the next chance to try again. I know what I’ll do in the future, and it wasn’t that. The time isContinue reading “Life is A Canvas and I’m Drawing A Map”

Max flipped through the channels. There was nothing good on any of the 200+ channels. He decided to check the fridge to see if there was anything good to each. There wasn’t. “You want anything while I’m up, Babe?” he asked. “Nah, I’m good. Hey, it’s Saturday night. Do you want to go out?” repliedContinue reading “Broken cars and broken hearts [short fiction]”

I have meditated on this long on hard. I have tried to convince myself otherwise. Despite my best efforts, I believe resolutely that the logistics industry will be disrupted in the next 20 years. When I look at the series of industries that have been disrupted by software/technology, I see a pattern. The industries thatContinue reading “The Inevitable Disruption of the Logistics Industry”

The holes were still moist. indicating they were recent. Captain Riggs paced the yellow sand beach. He navigated the holes, five feet deep and five feet wide, pockmarking the beachscape and made his way to a particularly deep and wide crater. There was nothing to see now, but judging by the bloody body parts scatteredContinue reading “Shark Teeth Island Escape [short fiction]”

After working in logistics for a whopping seven months, it’s safe to consider me an expert in the field. Based on my extensive experience, I feel confident in giving my predictions for the future. Logistics has a problem within the field with differentiating the players. Freight is freight. The only real distinguishing factor is theContinue reading “The Future of Logistics”

I read a blog called Slate Star Codex, and the most recent post is about “Is a multiple universe theory scientific?” https://slatestarcodex.com/2019/11/06/building-intuitions-on-non-empirical-arguments-in-science/   On the one hand, there’s no evidence. This leads people to say it’s not scientific. On the other hand, a single universe theory doesn’t explain everything and a multi-verse theory explains more.Continue reading “Multi-verse Theories verse Multiple Theories”

“Quick! Get Doctor Drisle!” “Doctor! Doctor!” The shouting in the streets was cacophonous. The dust kicked up caused it to be impossible to even see across the street. A boy of 17 ran up to the crowd, nearly pulling the doctor behind him. “Diggory. Diggory, can you hear me? We’re losing him. Bedford, take yourContinue reading “Podunk Town Rescue”

“Set thrusters to full power” “Sir? There’s not enough fuel-” “I said do it! That’s an order.” The command room fell silent, as silent as space itself. The Lieutenant Miaga looked at Commander Frig. Commander Frig looked at Navigator Pezco. None of them moved. “Aye sir,” said Commander Frig demurely. He touched his Tella deviceContinue reading “Set Thrusters to Full Power”

Time flies when you get older. Speaking of which, I got older. Yay! After working at Mainfreight for six months, I’d like to share what the heck I do all day. I started working with our Canada shipments. For Mainfreight, all of our US shipments going to Canada must go through our Chicago branch toContinue reading “September & October 2019 Report”

La La Land is an excellent movie. It started out overhyped, went underhyped, and I hope now it’s settled correctly hyped. When I first saw it, I loved it. Then I talked to other people who pointed out all of the flaws. “Yeah I must be wrong.” I thought. But no. I just saw itContinue reading “La La Land: Move Review”

I watched the movie, “The Last Airbender.” It was terrible. Don’t watch it. “The Last Airbender” is a movie by M. Night Shyamalan based on a TV show called, “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” They retitled the movie to avoid confusion with the James Cameron movie. It’s a shame that of all of the shows toContinue reading “The Last Airbender: Review”

I’ve embarked on a perilous journey, to understand the stock market and reap what knowledge might be gleaned from raw experience and the ancient tomes. So far, not so good. Just as I expected, there are directly conflicting theories and no conclusive results. One of my favorite cartoons is BoJack Horseman. In the cartoon, there’sContinue reading “The Stocks, The Market and Everything”

Whoops I made a survey, and embedded it on my website post, but it didn’t come through in the email newsletter. Here is a link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeSXxdc0aVR27-WhFhjuRKp8R3Ee0KOaTzwcxnCPPHWPBbpaA/viewform?usp=sf_link

In case you weren’t on this planet when I announced it previously, I wrote a book. Check it out here for free: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1N2ZJRmRgodGKAUm4zWmxWprCx6f57Yqf/view Buy it on Amazon for money: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Q98CDVW?ref_=k4w_oembed_Nq6DLcpfbTeeio&tag=kpembed-20&linkCode=kpd Writing a book is hard Writing a book is really freaking hard. It’s in the top 5 hardest things I’ve ever done in my life.Continue reading “Everything I Learned about Writing A Book (By Writing A Book)”

Who designed professional sports teams’ names and mascots? I need to know, because they did a terrible job. They should be hung, shot, and then burned at the stake. A good mascot is an animal which represents some positive trait that a sports team would want. It should be inspirational. It should be intimidating. ItContinue reading “Terrible Team Names”

They say, fake it till you make it, Now I’m making sandwiches I have no idea what I’m doing But it’s got perks and advantages No one notices If I forget the tomato My perfect disguise Always hits high when I aim low Makes me wonder About life with no mask Owning my flaws TheContinue reading “Fake It Till You Make It”

Let me preface this article by saying that most people’s beliefs are heavily influenced by the people they hang around with, and their exposure to different ideas. I couldn’t be a libertarian until I knew what libertarianism was, and I would certainly be something else if I discovered something better. Ultimately, it comes down toContinue reading “Why I’m Libertarian”

After visiting the local gym xSport down the street from me, I feel dirty and abused. I was looking to join a gym. I was ready to pop out my wallet and buy a membership that day. Alas! The guy giving me a tour of the gym, effectively the salesman, did a piss poor job.Continue reading “How to Sell Gym Memberships”

There is a big scandal surrounding the start-up Thermos and its founder, Elizabeth Holmes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Holmes. Her actions are indeed despicable. However I want to look at an aspect of her that was admirable. Life is hard. Things have to be done all the time, and it can be unclear whether we’re qualified for the tasksContinue reading “The Elizabeth Holmes In All of Us”

It’s official! It’s finally happened! My book is self published! Here is a free pdf for all of my fans: Waking From Reality PDF Available on Amazon as an ebook or paperback.    

April fools! Hahaha I couldn’t resist. My full-time job is to look for a job. I’m finishing up a month and a half in this position. Frankly, I’m not seeing the results I promised myself when I hired myself for this job. Unfortunately, based on what I’ve seen, and the competitiveness of the market, I’mContinue reading “IM MOVING TO JAPAN! March 2019 Report”

Chicago is amazing and I love it. I’ve fallen in love with the city. The architecture is mind blowing. The public transport is robust. One thing I have to get used to, is doing a series of mental calculations everytime I want to go somewhere. First I calculate time by car, second calculation by trainContinue reading “February 2019 Report”

I’ve been polishing my resume. It’s now so easy to read that it looks completely generic. Such is the nature of trade-offs. If you’re going to stand out, it should be based on your experience and skills. If you’d like to use it as a template, here is a link: bit.ly/ResumeTemplate1. (Go to File ->Continue reading “Resume Template”

You know what they say about networking, “It’s not what you know. It’s who you know.” I don’t know who said it, so I’m not sure it’s valid. Anyway, here’s some things to know about networking. It’s not necessarily about who you know. It’s more about who you know, who knows someone else. A networkContinue reading “Networking 101”

The system of tipping servers in the United States is terrible. It’s glaringly, obviously, bad. Servers are employees, and should be compensated like any employee, with an hourly or annual rate. There’s no reason to add randomness into the equation. We don’t tip cashiers or janitors. It’s possible that the tipping system might encourage serversContinue reading “Why Tipping is Terrible”

Commit to writing today. Open a laptop. Tell the cats to be quiet. Stare at the blank screen. Close your laptop. Realize there are unwashed dishes in the sink. The thought of someone coming over, and seeing that not only did no writing get done, but the dishes also didn’t get done, is unacceptable. GetContinue reading “How to Clean Your Whole House”

I used to hold you in my arms Now I hold you at arms length I used to look forward to seeing you Now to look at you takes all my strength My hunger was unmatched My desire undiscerning Now I gag and reel My stomach won’t stop churning First you made me love sickContinue reading “Arms length”

I suck*… I don’t have the skillz to pay the bills.* I’m inadequate.* *right now I’m not doomed. I’m not stuck here. Growth has two components: sucking and then not sucking. It’s ok to suck. It sucks to suck, but you don’t suck forever. I have temporal grace. Time is on my side. A lotContinue reading “Temporal Grace”

Remember my 2018 review? I said this year was supposed to be smooth sailing? Well I moved to Chicago at the beginning of January. I realized I wanted the big city life, and damn it I’m not going to wait. Life is short. What about New Hampshire? I was going to move there as aContinue reading “January 2019 Report”

What a trip. I’m ready to take off my 3D glasses and walk out of the theater now. Sadly, they’ve been implanted in my head. This year was full of weirdness, anticipation and agony, defeat and resurrection, tiny and large victories, and much adventure. This year was full, to say the least. My goal inContinue reading “2018 Annual Review”

Throughout my mission to change the world, I’ve focused primarily on how we treat each other. Just recently it occurred to me that I should point out a few things about how we treat ourselves. Rule of thumb: it all comes down to kindness. Not niceness. Kindness. A guide for kindness which I like is,Continue reading “Put A Little Love In Yourself”

There are some solutions to Global Climate Change which are painfully obvious to an outside observer. I feel like the kid pointing out the emperor has no clothes. Here are three suggestions on how to fix the US’ contribution to Global Climate Change Stop subsidizing cars and roads. Stop bailing out car companies. Stop fundingContinue reading “An Anarchist Approach to Global Climate Change”

Author’s note: I’m rewriting this story as part of a writing exercise. http://www.giuliotortello.it/ebook/cathedral.pdf Ffffffffft. I love that scraping sound a joint makes when you inhale all the way to the bottom of your lungs. I blew it out of my nostrils like a dragon. I think I heard a car roll into the driveway, butContinue reading “Cathedral v2”

I think today is important for something nationally. Something about saluting the flag and patting yourself on the back. I’ve heard all sorts of arguments about voting today because of how vitally important it is. *Yawn*. I’m worried that we’re trying to prop up a political system that hinges on the participation of hundreds ofContinue reading “Votes My Goats”

“Give me the best men you have! They have to be the absolute best. Our client is practically royalty!” I remember saying those exact words. I couldn’t have been clearer. And yet, I found myself on the phone with some numskull telling me, “Well, the best of the best weren’t available… so we got theContinue reading “Best of the Mediocre”

I recently had the pure pleasure of playing an epic fantasy game called, “Skyrim.” In the world of Skyrim, you’re the chosen one who has to save the world from an infestation of dragons, while defending yourself from assassins, manipulative wizards, and blood thirsty bandits. The good Huge It’s huge. It’s expansive. There are likeContinue reading “Skyrim game review”

Intro This guide is intended to answer all of your questions about espresso, but were too afraid of sounding like dumb to ask. Espresso beans I bought a package of “Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans.” I thought to myself, “Surely there are no such things as “Espresso beans.” I’ve been to a coffee farm, with coffeeContinue reading “The Anti-Coffee Snob Guide to Espresso”

I entered the office. I was nervous, but I reminded myself the reviews were unbeatable. People raved about how Dr. Mill had saved countless lives. I only needed someone to look at the rash on my arm, but if insurance covers it, why not go to the best? A gorgeous secretary sat directly in frontContinue reading “Dr. Mill Will See You Now”

Rorg bull-rushed his opponent. His opponent panicked. Making a hasty retreat, he lifted his head exposing the vulnerable flesh between his helmet and his breastplate. It was precisely what Rorg wanted. Rorg plunged his golden sword into its target, and quickly spun around, shield up. Dong! Someone had been sneaking up on him and triedContinue reading “Gladiator Flowers”

Game of Thrones is a terrible story. I read the entire first book and watched the entire first episode. I feel fully qualified to pass judgment like a kidney stone. Failure #1: There is no main character The point of view and focal characters are constantly shifting. It feels like reading a transcript of aContinue reading “Why GoT is Terrible”

“‘Morning Bill75875” said Bill75876. “Morning Bill75876” said Bill75875. Bill75875 and Bill75876 considered each other brothers, although they were no more brothers to each other than they were to Bill54656 or Bill245243, not even Bill1 or Bill0. It just so happened, by pure coincidence, that two consecutive Bills were placed in the same Work_pod. Their representativeContinue reading “All this time”

“Halt! Who goes there? We got orders to kill anyone that get close and don’t identify themself.” “It is I, Boton Fairchild. I mean no harm.” “I never heard of no Fairchild. The gate is closed to outsiders after sundown unless yur a noble. Since ya’in’t a noble, you can come back in the morning.” “How do you know I’m not a noble?” “Cus noblesContinue reading “Master Thief”

I was in the Ferocious Forest, looking for exotic flora I could take back to town for a little gold coin. I came to a clearing and decided to rest for a minute. Sitting still, I heard a rustling in the bushes. I unsheathed my two-handed sword, the Fire Iron. I stood silently and creptContinue reading “Hercules Beetle Battle”

Jenna pulled the gem out of her bra and looked at the gleaming, giant, flat Stein Sapphire in the palm of her hand. 52.263 carats, it was hefty. She carefully placed it in her purse, then calmly left the women’s bathroom. Easy-peasy, how every job should go. She went to the ballroom to get aContinue reading “Slow dancing on a burning boat”

Cory burst into the bustling room. There was a constant stream of frantic people pushing their way in and out of the only doorway. This had been designated as the war room. Cory instantly identified the man he needed, at the back of the room. He was wearing all white with 4 and a halfContinue reading “That Sinking Feeling”

“Hey, young man, got a smoke?” he asked. “Huh?” was my only reply. My mind was consumed by the turmoil I was trying to escape. I’d been staring out the window for the last two hours. “Were you sleeping?” He asked. “No. I’m too tired to sleep, believe it or not.” I replied. “Well… gotContinue reading “The Gambler’s Advice”

Ahhh ok I need to meditate. I haven’t meditated in a while and I’m feeling stressed. I’ll just find a nice quite spot. I look outside to find my lawn chairs crusty with bird poop, the grass turned into a mine field of dog poop, and the sun’s unforgiving smile upon my peaceful domain. Nope.Continue reading “Maditation”

I updated my photo album from my trip to Hawaii. I added a description to some of the photos, so check that out. Click here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/07S2cnQzzzPaCSD13

Sooo. That just happened. I survived. I feel like one of the Hunger Games Victors. I feel like one of the lucky few survivors from the Oregon Trail game. It was grueling hard labor. I wanted to go to prove that could work 80 hours per week, so that if I chose to work forContinue reading “What the FAQ? (Ship life follow up)”

I made a comic strip to deal with my frustrations with management. I haven’t decided if I’m writing more. Management isn’t all that bad, but when it is, it’s Dilbert level of amusing. https://photos.app.goo.gl/8hDGkeWGTtHun8O63

Too much freedom? I never though I’d hear myself say those words. In the book “The Art of Choosing” the author tells us about her parents’ arranged marriage. For a long time, I considered arranged marriages to be a form of slavery. Except, as far as I can tell, it is voluntary. The  participants actually want it that way.Continue reading “A Libertarian With Too Much Freedom”

Wow. I made it to Hawaii. Finally. After everything. Some photos here.

Why are so many people wrong? It’s painful to watch them bumble about and wreak havoc on their lives and the lives of others. I read this absolutely wonderful book, Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality, which helped illustrate some of the reasons why so many people are wrong. In this fanfiction, Harry becomesContinue reading “Waking the Draco”

Good news everyone! I have not one, but two more chapters done (Chapter 16 and 17). I’m going to keep all of the chapters in one place from now on: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BEVynP68iqSHcob-0owhFF6RDllxJCQTe2pKAgvLjuU/edit?usp=sharing    

One of my favorite authors, Chuck Windig, has a blog where he occasionally imagines an absurd situation and then pretends that it’s normal by adding the phrase, “Hey, it happens to all of us.” I decided to make a Mad Libs game out of it, for the sake of humor and as a writing exercise.Continue reading “It happens to all of us”

I hate recycling. I hate it because it doesn’t benefit me, but most of all I hate it because it benefits other people! Just kidding! What I find repulsive, is that it’s a tax on my time, with no benefit to me. It’s much faster and easier to just dump everything into the landfill. TheContinue reading “Anarchy Recycling”

“Hey Doug! How’s it going? Shitty right?” “Haha, hell yeah it is, Don! Super shitty. How’s going for you?” “Same shit, different day, man. What’s new?” “Well not much. Oh, I did find about this really cool piece of shit.” said Doug, pulling it out to show Don. “Cool shit, man! Actually, we’re good friendsContinue reading “Scarab wisdom”

I spent about 6 months making sketches during my lunches on an app called, “Sketch.” I finally uploaded the sketches to a sharable album. Check them out here.

I’m listening to this audiobook called “The Art of Choosing” which has radically altered my world view. Everyone has some need for individualism, and some need for community. There’s one part of our brain which wants us avoid being outcast from the tribe, and there’s another which insists that we refuse to walk off aContinue reading “Hand On The Stove Level of Stupid”

What have I become?!? The answer is that I have become a bus boy on a cruise ship. Most people say, “Wait, what?” Today I will answer as many of your questions as I can. I’m learning as I go because unfortunately, none of the information is in one place. Many of the administrators whoContinue reading “What am I doing with my life? (Ship life FAQ)”

First watch this absurd and slightly humorous video: The support character in this skit (Julian) is a good representation how I view socialists, particularly Marxists. Marx had this kookie idea called the “Labor Theory of Value.” He posited that the economic value of a products is derived from the amount of labor that goes intoContinue reading “Labor theory of value of hot koolaid”

I get agency and flexibility on the projects that I work on There are high stakes at my work, the success of the company hinges on my work ethic and attention to detail. I get to interface with the customer. My work has a face and personality to it. It’s not nameless assembly line work.Continue reading “What I Love About My Job”

If there’s one thing I’ve learned on my fitness journey, it’s that slow and steady always beats fast and jerky. Increasing by 5 pounds a week for 10 weeks is better than 25 pounds in 2 weeks. It’s the same when it comes to cooking. You don’t broil a 25lb turkey. You cook it lowContinue reading “Fitness advice: Don’t get broiled”

Square One: 9 out of 10 Absolutely phenomenal book. This book is so good in fact, that if you have even the smallest inclination to read it, I would buy it for you in a heartbeat. It’s perfect for the layman who has never studied philosophy in their life. It’s perfect for the bearded snobContinue reading “A book review of “Square One””

Most interactions can be boiled down to two people, either trying to cooperate or manipulate (aka defect). When each person has a nearly equal amount of information about the other, then it’s hard to defect. It might work once or twice, but eventually the other person will learn from their mistakes. Fool me once andContinue reading “Doctors, Car salesmen, and Asymmetrical Information”

“Hi Dexter!” said Alexis. “Oh, uh, hi, Alexis.” I said. I was dumbstruck for words. She was gorgeous. Her big blue eyes were sandwiched between long lashes. Her golden hair cascaded to her shoulders. “Want to come to my party tonight? It’s at 8pm at my house.” “Oh you’re having a party?” “Yeah silly. IContinue reading “Dexter’s Odyssey”

There are two kinds of people in the world. When I tell people that I’m going to Hawaii, I get two responses. “Oh wow! That’s awesome! You’re gonna have a great time” “Yeah but what about your engineering degree?” To the first people I say, “Thanks! I’m super excited.” To the second people I say,Continue reading “Hawaii goers and everyone else”

I recently had an interview and I want to go over what I said and what I should have said. Question: Teamwork is really important for this position. How well do you work on a team? Answer: I work great on a team. I’ve really bonded with my coworkers and even though it hasn’t beenContinue reading “Interview Review”

I’m slowly giving up alcohol. It’s not about feeling superior, or a principal, or risk of addiction. I simply don’t like alcohol. What’s the best part of a mimosa? The orange juice. Jack and Coke? The Coke. They sell a beer called a Vanilla Java Porter and it does sound delicious, until I realize thatContinue reading “Why I’m (Slowly) Giving up Alcohol”

I catch myself thinking, “If only I had X, then I would do Y”. Ah ah ah! Not so fast. I quickly realize that I already have what I need to do Y. For example, I often think, “If only I had a weight belt, I could burn more calories when I run.” Except thatContinue reading “Things Would Be Different, If Only Things Were Different”

Being the Onshape Master and Engineer that I am, I wanted to create the best possible spinning top. The fundamental principal of a spinning top is the moment of inertia. To keep a top going and going, you need a high concentration of mass far from the axis of rotation. Essentially, I’m looking for theContinue reading “How to Make the Tops (Onshape Tutorial)”

When it comes to intelligence, I think about two aspects. There’s horse power and there’s acceleration. Some people, by nature, are smarter or more intuitive than others. Some people just apply their focus more sharply. I know really smart people who couldn’t win a chess game to save their lives, and chess masters who can’tContinue reading “To Be Smarter, Do Smarter Things”