If I had to do it again, I’d start with the end goal and work backwards. It was a long time ago, I was single with no extra expenses, had a decent job, and thought it might be fun to learn. If I had wanted to become a professional pilot, the calculation would have been very different.

Getting the cert mainly involved putting in the hours. Having a good instructor helps a lot. Also, not making any stupid mistakes. I almost stalled the plane hard on my first solo touch and go. The hardest part was getting used to the ATC lingo and not stuttering too much. I got an aircraft band radio with a headphone and joined all the weirdos who liked to sit at the end of airport runways.

Getting a private pilot certificate. Was fun, but after going to every airport within range, not sure it was worth it.

Colditz, Victory, Stalag 17, Von Ryan’s Express, and the best of them all, The Great Escape.

Making fools of Nazis.

I had a roommate who would play “Burning Down the House” by Talking Heads every morning at top volume.

It starts slow and quiet, then the drums kick in hard, launching you out of bed. By the end of the song we’d be pogo-dancing around the apartment.

Fortnine. No question.

I’m really close to dropping Dwarkesh Patel after he gave a platform to AI bros and Musk.

He used to have proper researchers and scientists on. Now it’s unwatchable shit.