It’s 4 in the morning. Well, 4:02 AM. You start with a full tank of gas, forty ounces of water, and a couple of granola bars for your journey.

Your goal: Los Angeles by 9 AM, preferably by 8:30. You take the freeway and hit the 5. You’ll spend the next four and a half hours here. You take it easy out of Sacramento - cops are notorious for hiding behind the bushes. You’re going 75 miles an hour, but you only have to do it for ten minutes.

After you leave the Freeport area, there isn’t anything until Stockton. It’s too early for the truckers to have woken up, and the Silicon Valley super commuters take the 80. But you still have to take it easy; it takes you 25 minutes to reach the center of Stockton. You see the super commuters heading to work and join them, acting as part of the rat race for a bit. But 15 minutes later, you’ve reached it. The split. You see the wagies split off to the 205, and you have the most pure, unadulterated stretch of highway you can get this side of the Sierras.

The twelve miles before the 5 joins back up with the 580 represent lawlessness, no cops, no other cars at 5 am. You press on the pedal; what should take ten minutes takes six. Unfortunately, it’s back to the merge, but here’s where it gets fun. You slow down a little bit, but you’re still cruising at 95. Soon, you see the familiar signs of Flying J, Chevron, on your left. You’ve reached Patterson, and it hasn’t even been an hour. You skirt the hills as you zoom by. You know that aside from a cop check at Los Banos, the highway is yours and yours alone.

It’s 175 miles to Buttonwillow, a trip that should take two and a half hours. You plan to do it in less than two. You put on your podcast and are in the zone. Google maps estimates you’ll arrive in LA at 10. You know you’ll get there at 8:45. You pace your water and granola intake, ensuring you can hold your bladder for the next two hours. Your miles per gallon drop thirty percent as you zoom by the few semi-trucks on your right. The sun starts to rise on your left. At first, it’s blocked by your A-pillar, but soon it’s in your eye, but you knew that. You anticipated that. You put on your sunglasses, drop your sun visor, and extend it all the way to the left. You shimmy your lightweight jacket on to protect your arms from the sun. Problem solved.

Soon you zoom by Kettleman City, the last of the hills, and you truly enter the valley. You see the sign of the In-n-out race by, and you see the few electric vehicles parked there, poor souls. Thirty miles and twenty minutes to Lost Hills. But Lost Hills is for the uninitiated, and you are initiated. You forgo the temptation of McDonald’s, Burger King, Taco Bell, and the Arco that’s so close in favor of an extra fifteen minutes. Buttonwillow, your only fuel and bathroom stop for the drive. You turn off and go under the 5. Taste of India? One day you’ll try it, but today isn’t the day. You see the farm workers already hard at work, and the taco trucks lining up at the SureStay. But you don’t have time for that.

You pull up into the TA Travel Center and start the pump. You leave your car with your water bottle. The Taco Bell and Popeyes combination shop are closed, but their drinking fountains are always accessible. You fill up on ice-cold water, set your bottle on the counter, and go take a piss. By the time you’re done, your car is filled up and ready to go. You’re ready to go. You throw away the Nature Valley bar wrappers that have entertained you for the last few hours, and you get back on the 5. Google says it’s two to the 110, but you know it won’t take you that long. The long on-ramp lets you hit the 5 running. It’s 6:50. You still have twenty minutes of fun before you have to merge with the 99, where the real traffic comes in. You take the bridge to merge in, wondering if it would’ve been faster to take the truck ramp. Well, who cares, it’s still early and you have time.

The outlets loom by like a man-made oasis. You’ve never been, and likely never will. You zoom by the Ikea Distribution center and prepare yourself for the Grapevine. There are warning signs to turn off AC, but it’s not warm enough yet to turn your AC on. Soon you’ve climbed up into the mountains, and you’re blazing by Fort Tejon. The gentle slopes of the 5 and the lack of traffic mean you save on gas at every decline. On your right, Pyramid lake. You always wonder if it’s named after the strange triangle carving on its side, but you’ve never been bothered to look it up. But now you know you’ll soon approach civilization again. You see the blue skies turn gray in the distance as you begin your descent. But don’t get too happy now, you still have a bit left to go and another mountain range to pass.

You see the empty Six Flags, and wonder if you were driving a few hours later, would it be full of children? But those thoughts leave your head as you zoom down the final stretch. You see the Van Norman reservoir. Whatever happened to those shade balls they put there? By now your trip is ending. There are cops and traffic on either side, but luckily it’s not too bad. You see the airplanes on the mall signs in Burbank, and the Ikea right next to the highway. Just a few more miles, and you’ll have reached the 110. You veer right through a rickety two-lane off carved into the Elysian park to merge with the 110. As you pass Dodger Stadium, you know your trip is finished; the view of the Intercontinental is in front of you. The time is now 8:37 AM.

SpongeBob SquarePants, an animated television series created by Stephen Hillenburg, has been entertaining audiences since 1999. The show revolves around the adventures of the titular character, SpongeBob, and his best friend, Patrick Star. Although both characters are beloved by fans, their personalities and roles within the series can be analyzed through the lens of the “Virgin vs. Chad” meme, which contrasts the characteristics of a socially awkward, inexperienced “virgin” with a confident, experienced “chad.”

SpongeBob: The Virgin

1. Insecurity: SpongeBob often displays insecurity and a lack of self-confidence, which are traits typically associated with the “virgin” archetype. He frequently seeks validation from others, such as his boss Mr. Krabs, his driving instructor Mrs. Puff, or his friend Sandy Cheeks.

2. Naivety: SpongeBob’s innocence and naivety are central to his character. He is often oblivious to the intentions of others and can be easily manipulated, as seen when Plankton tricks him into stealing the Krabby Patty secret formula.

3. Work Ethic: SpongeBob’s dedication to his job at the Krusty Krab is commendable, but it also highlights his submissive nature. He is content with his role as a fry cook and rarely seeks to advance in his career or explore new opportunities.

Patrick Star: The Chad

1. Confidence: Patrick Star exudes confidence, a key trait of the “chad” archetype. He is unapologetically himself and rarely questions his abilities or decisions, even when they lead to disastrous outcomes.

2. Carefree Attitude: Patrick’s laid-back, carefree approach to life contrasts with SpongeBob’s anxiousness. He is often seen lounging under his rock, unconcerned with responsibilities or societal expectations.

3. Social Skills: Despite his lack of intelligence, Patrick is often more socially adept than SpongeBob. He is able to make friends easily and is generally well-liked by the residents of Bikini Bottom, including the usually grumpy Squidward.

Conclusion

In the world of SpongeBob SquarePants, SpongeBob embodies the “virgin” archetype, characterized by his insecurity, naivety, and submission to societal expectations. In contrast, Patrick Star represents the “chad” archetype, with his confidence, carefree attitude, and social prowess. This dichotomy between the two characters adds depth and humor to their friendship and the overall narrative of the show, making it a timeless classic.

The 15-minute city is the new hot thing the elites are all talking about. Whether it’s in the New Yorker or in Davos, the 15-minute city has gripped the conversation by storm. An idea created by urbanist Carlos Moreno, the 15-minute city is one where a citizen can have all the services they need within a 15 minute walk of their home. They can enjoy work, school, restaurants, shopping, parks, cultural activities, and everything else without walking more than 15 minutes one direction from their home.

The 15-minute city is now used as an example of what could’ve been in America, an idea that would’ve been possible if not for the evil car corporations and the evil gas companies. Proponents of the idea argue that suburbs & urban sprawl are the antithesis of the 15-minute city, and inconvenience everyone.

But is that really so? Are the suburbs that inconvenient? No matter how much the zeitgeist pushes the idea that people enjoy dense, urban cores where everything one would possibly need is within 15 minutes walking distance, folks are moving out of these dense, urban cores into the burbs of major metropolitan areas across the United States. They’re moving to the outskirts of Austin and Dallas, of Phoenix and Boise. Why?

Of course, there are a variety of usual factors that are easily identified; affordability, larger homes, crime, etc. However, the allure of the 15-minute city should have people moving to urban cores in droves, right? Why are so many people happy and content with the suburbs?

Well, the suburbs are the new 15-minute city.

“But I can’t walk to a school, a movie theater, find ethnic food, or go to a park in 15 minutes of walking from my burb! Look at this poor planning!” - one would say, and they would be correct. But, they could drive there. With a car.

The suburb is the new 15-minute city because of the automobile. Pick a desirable suburb, and you can drive to all these places within 15 minutes. Sure there might be some traffic some days so it’ll take you 20 minutes instead of 15, but a few badly timed stoplights can impact your walking through an urban core as well. And often times, there are more amenities available to a suburbian resident driving a nice, air conditioned SUV on their arterial roads than a city dweller walking by foot.

For instance, from my location in the burbs, just within a 5 minute drive, there are:

• Numerous restaurants, including a variety of ethnic foods run by mom and pop stores as well as major fast food chains (McD, In-n-Out, Chipotle, Wingstop, Blaze, you name it), coffee shops, both independent & chains, breweries
• Costco, Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Lowes, Best Buy, various grocery stores and chains, pharmacies
• Schools - multiple elementary schools, middle schools, and one high school
• Specialty shops - Grill stores, internet cafe (yep!), Fedex & UPS
• Mall - million square foot plus mall with all the mall amenities, arcades, bowling, food court
• Movie theaters - multiple, don’t like one? choose another
• Local parks - miles of walking trails connecting to hundreds of acres of parks by greenbelts
• Gyms - multiple within a 5 minute drive, including public swimming pool and other exercise facilities
• University - yep, within a 5 minute drive

Within a 10 minute drive:

• Libraries
• Multiple world class hospitals featuring specialists
• Water park
• Golf courses (if you’re into that sort of thing)
• Industrial area with large multinational corporations
• Convention area and event spaces
• Local farmers market
• Large regional park
• Community college
• Casinos
• Nurseries (for plants)

Within a 15 minute drive:

• Major lake & state park with extensive hiking trails & aquatic activities
• Wineries
• Local farms selling local produce & specialties

And this isn’t unique to just my little suburb. Pick an address in the middle of many of the suburbs in the outskirts of major metropolitan areas and they’ll offer the same set of amenities within 15 minutes. Sure some might not have a mall within driving distance, or some might not have a casino or a convention center or a water park, but the basics will generally be there; everything you’ll need for the most part, within 15 minutes or less.

Even large cities are not 15-minute cities, except for the very very few:

For example, this excellent visualization of Seattle as a 15-minute city by Nat Henry demonstrates which blocks have access to what amenities: https://nathenry.com/writing/2023-02-07-seattle-walkability.html

Play around with the check marks, and see what amenities are available within 5 minutes! There are only a handful (I count 9 or 10) of city blocks that are within 5-10 minutes of supermarkets, libraries, parks, restaurants, coffee shops, and all three types of schools. Of course, Seattle is not the perfect urban core, but with all its best efforts only a few blocks offer to the pedestrian the same amenities as a sububanite with a car within the same time.

“But this is what we’re trying to change!” proponents say. Well, it’s obviously not working! People want their space, and with the suburbs, they can have their amenities too, and there’s no reason to make the idealized, fantasy 15-minute city exist. And even many urban living proponents, once they have children or enough money to afford a home, will end up buying a single family home on the outskirts and enjoy the amenities by car.

But isn’t owning a car expensive? Sure it is, but everything else is cheaper - the cost per square foot of any urban core in the US versus its suburbs is so drastic that the cost of a car pales in comparison. And many people like cars. They like their space, their backyards, their clean sidewalks, and their lawns. They like the ability to drive to a Costco within 5 minutes, pick up a bunch of toilet paper, and have it not get wet from the rain on the drive back.

The suburbs are the new 15-minute city. Sure, some suburbs kind of suck, but reasonably priced, well-accessed, safe, clean suburbs are available in much of the outskirts of tier 2 cities all throughout America. And people are moving to them; Plano, Scottsdale, Irving, Boulder. They offer all the benefits and amenities of a large city provides within a 15 minute drive, plus the safety, privacy, space, and affordability that people want.

We already have 15-minute cities; they’re called the suburbs.

“The dependency hell that modern technology has created for itself will be its major downfall. Complexity is liability, and modern software products and services have become too complex for their own good. After a certain while, things are too complex to maintain and have to be scrapped.”

People realize that the above is true; it’s not a secret or some smart insight, rather it’s the basis of what is technical debt. However, while we all understand it, we still dive deep into complexity and dependency without hesitation. For instance, look at the new hotness: AI companies which are nothing but layers built on top of GPT-3 or some other common AI model. And VCs are funding these new AI companies.

And that’s fine. The primary purpose of technology is to shift the production possibility curve upwards and to the right. Technology should be considered a consumable, instead of a liability or an asset; complexity can and should be built in with the expectation that the tech with which it is build is going to have a tangible deprecation curve.

Careers were built on tending horses, and then working the railroads, and then fixing carburetors, and now on electric charger installations, and with each iteration the complexity of dependent factors, whether it be supply chains or engineering effort or infrastructure, increases significantly. In the end, people are still employed, and the production possibility frontier is shifted upwards and to the right, fulfilling the role of technology in social development.