523: El Salvador tips, beyond brave spaces, and every half time show to date
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I fly out of El Salvador tomorrow, so it’s time for some tips. There’s little reason for a traveller to come here unless you are into bitcoin or surfing, to be honest.
El Zonte is the famed ‘Bitcoin Beach’ that’s actually quite small and sleepy, although everywhere does indeed accept Bitcoin Lightning, which is faster and has a lower transaction fee than credit cards. Puro Surf Academy has the most well developed progression method for teaching surf I’ve ever seen, complete with a paddle pool and a skate bowl modeled like a wave. The attached Covana resturant is where we spent most of our time.
Nearby El Tunco is slightly more built up, though still humble. Soya has delicious craft chocolate, and Pargos is the highest rated of the beachside restaurants.
San Salvador as the nation’s capital was far cleaner and safer than I thought it’d be, likely due to Bukele’s policing. Picnic Steak House as a combo steakhouse/mini amusement park over the city was unique.
We rented a car from Hernandez, though you’d probably get one at the airport.
A few other regular sights from the trip for flavor, presented without comment.
Giant smoky trash fires from different neighbors every day.
A roadside electrical fire that raged unchecked both to and from the grocery store.
Dozens of highway side vendors selling fruit, pool floaties, sun hats, and more, waving to get your attention.
Casual smiling security guards and police packing large bore armament weapons.
Every property line delineated with barbed wire and medieval parapet walls.
Technology
I created a Personal User Manual as part of my Never Search Alone job hunt method, and found this First Round example to be a great introduction to the genre. Even the basics of describes when you work and how you like to communicate speak volumes.
Coreyspondence reader Danny made one too, which alerted me to his defense of George Orwell as a self avowed democratic socialist, who wrote 1984 and Animal Farm skewering the Soviets, not socialism itself.
Ideologies
A Black Canadian woman argues that safe and brave spaces are out, while accountable spaces are in. She claims that safe spaces are impossible because we don’t know what is going to trigger who (correct!) and that brave spaces ask too much of minorities because the world they exist in is a ‘brave’ one that forces them to confront difficult truths daily (fair!).
That said, I’m not sure I fully understand what the new ‘accountable space’ entails, despite her description. It sounds like normal constructive respectful conversation, which I am all for.
I fell down a Wikipedia rabbit hole about the Gallic Wars after researching the origins of the popular Belgian children’s comic Asterix and Obelix. A lot happening there!
Caesar waged these wars to settle personal debts and as a PR coup against his rival Pompey, not out of an explicit need to pacify the Northern borders.
Indeed, he crossed the English Channel and the Rhine solely for renown.
Roman legionnaires’ strength was in the fact they carried much of their own supplies, allowing them to range ahead of their miles long supply trains.
The Gaul forces were more powerful than the Roman army but were divided against one another, which Rome played adroitly.
Memes
Usher’s impressive Super Bowl half time show this weekend sent me to this 45 minute long video essay exploring all the past half time shows ever. It’s wild to see the show’s evolution from Elvis impersonators, to Disney commercials, to pop concerts, to safe yacht rock after Janet Jackson, and back to mega pop.