Tom's Top 6: October 22, 2024
The Comeback Kid
Hi everyone! Welcome to this week’s installment of Tom’s Top 3 Tuesdays, where I highlight three pieces of content (Podcasts/Shows/Songs/Articles/etc.) that I found interesting or noteworthy from the prior week.
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I must apologize.
I’m sure you all were waiting around your computer last Tuesday, twirling your pigtails, eager for my little-ol’ newsletter to hit your inboxes. Tuesday turned to Wednesday, Wednesday turned to Sunday, still nothing.
I let you down. This was my first time missing a week since I started writing this newsletter, and to be honest, it probably won’t be my last.
But I’ll make it up to you. You may have noticed a new title for this week. I have six things to show you today. Hopefully you’ll accept this olive branch and forgive me.
Without further ado, let’s get into it.
[Bone to Pick] Hotel Showers without Doors
Alright, I know this is supposed to be a list of my favorite things from the week, but I gotta be straight with you: the people who designed hotel showers without doors need to be put in jail.
I was on a work trip last week (hence the absence), and they put me up in a nice luxury hotel. Great service, beautiful room, comfy pillows. The bathroom itself was larger than my college dorm room.
I guess they used up all the building materials making the room because my shower only had half a door.
Rolling out of bed, I was so excited for a pleasant, steamy shower to start my day. The kind where you really revel in it because you’re not on the hook for the bill. I couldn’t wait for a fully-formed shower door to hold in the heat and wrap me in a blanket of warmth.
Instead, there I was, freezing my ass off, spinning around like a rotisserie chicken, trying to evenly disperse the trickle of water from this fancy-yet-ineffective shower wand.
I only ask, why? My working hypothesis is that, due to the frequency of earthquakes in California, a full shower door is a hazard for those that need to naked sprint out of the hotel. Let me know if you have any other theories.
Back to our regularly scheduled programming. I’ll keep it quick I promise.
[Article] One Mile At A Time - Alaska Mileage Plan Status Easier To Earn (AMAZING Award Flight Perk)
Alaska Airlines just announced some changes to its loyalty program for 2025, and I couldn’t be more giddy. 🥰
While many airlines are switching to a pay-for-status model (for example, Delta grants status based on flight cost and credit card spend), Alaska is basing its status off of miles flown and uhh… credit card spend.
The big change here is that now you can earn towards status for flights booked with miles. You used to only get status credit for paid flights, but now you can stack up Alaska miles using transferrable credit card points and earn status while flying for free.
Even better, miles flown on Alaska partner airlines count towards Alaska status. For instance, you can book a British Airways flight to Europe using Alaska miles and earn towards Alaska status while doing so.
[Blog] Shaan Puri - how i spend a year ‘strategically broke’ (and why it was the best decision of my life)
This is part one of a two-part series from Shaan Puri, an entrepreneur/investor and co-host of the My First Million podcast. Shaan is one of the most entertaining “business” people online, and this series puts it on display.
Part one deals with Shaan’s backstory. He lays out his strategy, explaining how he chose to work on personal projects rather than taking a traditional job out of college.
I found his concept of “master skills” to be the most thought provoking. He likens it to a janitor’s master key, unlocking many doors. For those of us without a clear sense of what we want to do long-term, focusing on master skills is a good idea.
[Blog] Shaan Puri - the 3-step plan to figuring out what you want
If part one resonated with you, part two could be the framework you’re looking for. As the title suggests, Shaan lists the three-step process for uncovering your interest.
I use “uncover” intentionally, because the process largely involves efficiently crossing bad ideas off the list. Usually the reason for these bad ideas is just naiveté — we don’t know what we don’t know.
Eliminate bad ideas by trying before you buy, tap into your curiosity and explore other options, and look for examples of people who are living the life you want. As Shaan puts it: “you can’t ask someone for directions to a place they’ve never been.”
[YouTube] VisionaryBuilds - Here’s Why LA Spent $1BN On A Museum Rejected By Chicago
I live in LA and didn’t even know this was a thing until now. If you’re a fan of George Lucas, LA, or architectural feats, you’ll find this quick video interesting.
I’m particularly excited for how they are designing the park surrounding the museum. LA needs more drought-resistant trees!
[YouTube] WSJ. Style - Apple CEO Tim Cook on How Steve Jobs Recruited Him and More
Most of this is just softball questions met with corporate platitudes. A turkey sandwich on white bread with swiss. If we’ve come to expect anything from Tim Apple, this is it.
But the last thing he said really stuck with me, and I think it’s worth highlighting for you all.
You know, life has a way of happening, and throwing you off from some well-crafted plan, and I think the most important thing is to roll with it and make sure that you recognize when doors are opening… and you choose the one to walk through.
A good reminder to take a deep breath and pick your head up from the grindstone. Only then can you see the doors opening.
[BONUS] RIP Fernando Valenzuela
A Dodger great passed away today, just days before the Dodgers returned to the World Series. In honor of the legend, please enjoy Vin Scully calling the final inning of Fernando’s No-Hitter in 1990.
That wraps up this edition of Tom’s Top 3 Tuesdays. If you know anyone who would like this newsletter, please consider sharing. I’ll be back next week. ✌️