chronological chaos

The timeline

2026

Finding Worthwhile Problems

October 23, 2026

October 23: photography selection, AI tradeoffs, and looking for people who know worthwhile problems. Page 2 of 2.

The Last Three — 2 of 2

October 23, 2026

October 23: City of Gods volunteering, dancing, and finding a second wind. Page 1 of 2.

Little Things — 1 of 2

Journal — October 17–21, 2026

October 21, 2026

Mini golf, massage-class jokes and an unexpectedly expensive teeth-whitening visit.

Finding Humor and Costs

October 20, 2026

A style-guide meeting, haircut, too many app tasks, and a little tidying.

Start Small

October 20, 2026

A therapy session with Shveta, distraction, tapping, and room to act.

Following the Dot

October 19, 2026

Trying to turn a vision into product details, a letter to Jim, and a comedy date.

Three Sections

October 18, 2026

A canceled hike becomes Prospect Park, a ticket question, shopping and karaoke.

Backup Itinerary

October 17, 2026

Improv workshop, lunch with Michelle, Walden’s scripted show and a diner afterward.

Unexpectedly Scripted

October 15, 2026

October 15, 2026 journal: another long Costume Network meeting, interruption stress, a closet side app, and buckle pants.

Finding the Gap

October 12, 2026

The thrift-shopping ending, without the removed tangents.

10 · Instant Vintage

October 12, 2026

From an imaginary confession to Bitcoin and gold.

08 · THIIIIS Tiny

October 12, 2026

A memory of something I made that mattered to her.

07 · The Yellow Bird

More Than the Programmer

October 7, 2026

Creator-network launch scope, leadership recognition and the glimmer list.

More Than the Programmer — 3 of 3

October 7, 2026

Costume-search experiments, OpenAI costs and the MVP question.

More Than the Programmer — 2 of 3

October 7, 2026

Joining Costume Network, useful small tasks, Jim’s apartment and the AI idea.

More Than the Programmer — 1 of 3

Toli Banters

September 28, 2026

After switching from Optimum to Verizon, Toli and his roommate escalate the offers it might take to keep them. Even immortality sounds more plausible than bedroom Wi-Fi.

Customer Retention

September 3, 2026

A comedy show, a playground rope net in Washington Square Park, and an easy evening of wandering conversation with my friend Walden.

An evening with Walden

August 24, 2026

At the spa and at work, easy-enough conversations shrink beside other people’s banter. Journal: August 24, 2026.

Everyone Else: The Musical

August 18, 2026

An unexpected connection at a tantra evening leaves me more open to my type expanding.

My Type Expands

July 26, 2026

A picnic, honey cake, an Infinity Train detour, and the surprisingly tender escalation nobody planned.

The Big Trouple Date

July 18, 2026

A July 18 diary comic about three plans, three cancellations, and finding one small win in a clean room.

The Night That Disappeared

July 7, 2026

A July 7 CAMP diary comic about practicing offering help, usefulness, and small steps toward belonging.

Learning to Be the Person Who Helps

June 14, 2026

At Lightning Society's Y2K party, warm setup work and a supply errand felt easier than attending. June 14, 2026 journal; one page.

I Helped Build the Party. Then I Left.

2025

December 2025

Toli reaches for a clean sweep, not because it stops hurting, but because the room needs air again.

I Got to Be the Cool Kid

December 2025

Toli faces the community fire, where private heartbreak becomes public consequence.

Innocence Felt Like Freedom

August 2025

Toli shows off his motor skills.

Par for the Course

July 2025

Toli follows Alyssa into Cosmic Bowl, where neon games, scoreboards, and tiny omens make the crush feel staged by the universe.

Xanadu

Toli Banters

March 7, 2025

Toli and Alana turn a kava invitation into an elaborate dirt-wine tasting. Part 1 of 2.

Dirt Tasting · 1/2

March 7, 2025

A gurgling sommelier sends the banter through pirates, salmonella, and an unlikely reason to become vegetarian. Part 2 of 2.

The Sommelier · 2/2

2023

November 2023

Pagan's Paradise pulls Toli deeper into workshops, kink improv, and the possibility of turning play into a product.

Pagan's Paradise, Kinky Improv, and PlayBuddy

May 2023

Thanksgiving opens the circle into new friends, bigger family energy, and the beginning of life feeling populated again.

Thanksgiving, New Friends, and Hiking

2022

September 2022

Interviews start coming in, kids make art, QR-code eggs appear around Brickell, and creativity briefly feels alive again.

Interviews, Easter Eggs, and Beach NFTs

2021

May 2021

Australia feels easy until the shutdown arrives, turning the dream into a closed-down street and a shrinking world.

Australia, Then the World Closed

January 2021

Dog sitting becomes an excuse for free houses, intimidatingly well-trained dogs, and another domestic adventure with Asya.

The Dog Sitting Phase

2020

November 2020

A neighboring resort makes Toli feel young, cute, and magnetic through volleyball, fire shows, sunset confidence, and unlocked charm.

Young, Cute, and Magnetic

August 2020

A safari trip turns first-class-ish plane tickets, Serengeti animals, and one very tense bathroom break into travel lore.

Safari Business Class

May 2020

Halloween handcuffs turn into a ridiculous night of costumes, club chaos, and the strange comfort of being literally attached.

Halloween Handcuffs

2019

December 2019

An interactive play turns into a secret room, a costume, and the first glimpse of a world where performance and intimacy overlap.

The Secret Room

Undated

Standup

Blind, big-tech salaries, and the TC or GTFO refrain.

TC or GTFO — 1 of 3

Algorithm interviews, a LeetCode meetup, and the conditional we in WeWork.

TC or GTFO — 2 of 3

Fifty users for procrastination, a job at a bank, and choosing GTFO.

TC or GTFO — 3 of 3

ChatGPT Doodles

Blind Culture. Page 1 of 5 from Fun With DALL-E.

Blind Culture: Page 1

Blind Culture. Page 2 of 5 from Fun With DALL-E.

Blind Culture: Page 2

Blind Culture. Page 3 of 5 from Fun With DALL-E.

Blind Culture: Page 3

Blind Culture. Page 4 of 5 from Fun With DALL-E.

Blind Culture: Page 4

Blind Culture. Page 5 of 5 from Fun With DALL-E.

Blind Culture: Page 5

Clocks. Page 1 of 3 from Fun With DALL-E.

Clocks: Page 1

Clocks. Page 2 of 3 from Fun With DALL-E.

Clocks: Page 2

Clocks. Page 3 of 3 from Fun With DALL-E.

Clocks: Page 3

DALL-E LLMa. Page 1 of 3 from Fun With DALL-E.

DALL-E LLMa: Page 1

DALL-E LLMa. Page 2 of 3 from Fun With DALL-E.

DALL-E LLMa: Page 2

DALL-E LLMa. Page 3 of 3 from Fun With DALL-E.

DALL-E LLMa: Page 3

Dropdog. Page 1 of 4 from Fun With DALL-E.

Dropdog: Page 1

Dropdog. Page 2 of 4 from Fun With DALL-E.

Dropdog: Page 2

Dropdog. Page 3 of 4 from Fun With DALL-E.

Dropdog: Page 3

Dropdog. Page 4 of 4 from Fun With DALL-E.

Dropdog: Page 4

Great Ratsby. Page 1 of 1 from Fun With DALL-E.

Great Ratsby

I Had a Dream. Page 1 of 4 from Fun With DALL-E.

I Had a Dream: Page 1

I Had a Dream. Page 2 of 4 from Fun With DALL-E.

I Had a Dream: Page 2

I Had a Dream. Page 3 of 4 from Fun With DALL-E.

I Had a Dream: Page 3

I Had a Dream. Page 4 of 4 from Fun With DALL-E.

I Had a Dream: Page 4

Louis's Journey. Page 1 of 5 from Fun With DALL-E.

Louis's Journey: Page 1

Louis's Journey. Page 2 of 5 from Fun With DALL-E.

Louis's Journey: Page 2

Louis's Journey. Page 3 of 5 from Fun With DALL-E.

Louis's Journey: Page 3

Louis's Journey. Page 4 of 5 from Fun With DALL-E.

Louis's Journey: Page 4

Louis's Journey. Page 5 of 5 from Fun With DALL-E.

Louis's Journey: Page 5

Marboro Flamingo. Page 1 of 13 from Fun With DALL-E.

Marboro Flamingo: Page 1

Marboro Flamingo. Page 10 of 13 from Fun With DALL-E.

Marboro Flamingo: Page 10

Marboro Flamingo. Page 11 of 13 from Fun With DALL-E.

Marboro Flamingo: Page 11

Marboro Flamingo. Page 12 of 13 from Fun With DALL-E.

Marboro Flamingo: Page 12

Marboro Flamingo. Page 13 of 13 from Fun With DALL-E.

Marboro Flamingo: Page 13

Marboro Flamingo. Page 2 of 13 from Fun With DALL-E.

Marboro Flamingo: Page 2

Marboro Flamingo. Page 3 of 13 from Fun With DALL-E.

Marboro Flamingo: Page 3

Marboro Flamingo. Page 4 of 13 from Fun With DALL-E.

Marboro Flamingo: Page 4

Marboro Flamingo. Page 5 of 13 from Fun With DALL-E.

Marboro Flamingo: Page 5

Marboro Flamingo. Page 6 of 13 from Fun With DALL-E.

Marboro Flamingo: Page 6

Marboro Flamingo. Page 7 of 13 from Fun With DALL-E.

Marboro Flamingo: Page 7

Marboro Flamingo. Page 8 of 13 from Fun With DALL-E.

Marboro Flamingo: Page 8

Marboro Flamingo. Page 9 of 13 from Fun With DALL-E.

Marboro Flamingo: Page 9

Othership (Sauna). Page 1 of 9 from Fun With DALL-E.

Othership (Sauna): Page 1

Othership (Sauna). Page 2 of 9 from Fun With DALL-E.

Othership (Sauna): Page 2

Othership (Sauna). Page 3 of 9 from Fun With DALL-E.

Othership (Sauna): Page 3

Othership (Sauna). Page 4 of 9 from Fun With DALL-E.

Othership (Sauna): Page 4

Othership (Sauna). Page 5 of 9 from Fun With DALL-E.

Othership (Sauna): Page 5

Othership (Sauna). Page 6 of 9 from Fun With DALL-E.

Othership (Sauna): Page 6

Othership (Sauna). Page 7 of 9 from Fun With DALL-E.

Othership (Sauna): Page 7

Othership (Sauna). Page 8 of 9 from Fun With DALL-E.

Othership (Sauna): Page 8

Othership (Sauna). Page 9 of 9 from Fun With DALL-E.

Othership (Sauna): Page 9

Standup

Hawaii shifts from hiking and swimming to a consistent routine of breakfast, Netflix, beach visits, and pizza. Part 3 of 3.

Hawaii Needs Subheadings — 3 of 3

A half-hour airport inspection turns out to be testing a box of buckwheat. Part 2 of 3.

Hawaii Needs Subheadings — 2 of 3

TSA pulls Toli aside and brings a testing kit. He has packed ketamine in a spray bottle but has not taken it. Part 1 of 3.

Hawaii Needs Subheadings — 1 of 3

Remote Work, page 3 of 3. A nomad adventure and an overly reassuring spreadsheet.

Remote Work — 3 of 3

Remote Work, page 2 of 3. Halloween, familiar HR, and a remote-work ultimatum.

Remote Work — 2 of 3

Remote Work, page 1 of 3. Office amenities, a regular visitor, and two people in particular.

Remote Work — 1 of 3

Different Hawaii, page 3 of 3. Too complicated: three people, one absent ex, and the six a.m. callback.

Different Hawaii — 3 of 3

Different Hawaii, page 2 of 3. Eight months later, a cuddle party leads to a date with an unexpected connection to Lauren.

Different Hawaii — 2 of 3

Different Hawaii, page 1 of 3. Lauren wakes Toli at six a.m., changes her phone wallpaper, asks for five hundred dollars, and leaves.

Different Hawaii — 1 of 3

The Uncredited Case Study, page 3 of 3. One dissatisfied park ranger outweighs hundreds of positive reviews.

The Uncredited Case Study — 3 of 3

The Uncredited Case Study, page 2 of 3. Unexpected compliments become a search for validation, until a Miami beach outing gets interrupted.

The Uncredited Case Study — 2 of 3

The Uncredited Case Study, page 1 of 3. A mock therapy session sparks a memory of an impulsive livestream and a familiar couple dynamic.

The Uncredited Case Study — 1 of 3

The partner referral bounty reaches the New York Times, bringing recognition and four submissions.

The Love Bounty — 2 of 2

Toli wants lasting love and proposes a hundred-thousand-dollar referral bounty with a startup vesting schedule.

The Love Bounty — 1 of 2

The Opening Offer, page 3 of 3. Receiving a compliment becomes the opening offer in a negotiation.

The Opening Offer — 3 of 3

The Opening Offer, page 2 of 3. Standardizing a dropdown menu earns an imaginary promotion and standing ovation.

The Opening Offer — 2 of 3

The Opening Offer, page 1 of 3. A Storybook presentation turns silence into fear and compliments into wounded pride.

The Opening Offer — 1 of 3

Retreats, airport security, loneliness at camp, a breakup in Hawaii, and ECT. Moments 6–10 and the closing refrain.

Better Than Netflix — 2 of 2

Ten autobiographical moments that cleared a very low bar: better than Netflix. Introduction and moments 1–5.

Better Than Netflix — 1 of 2

Toli builds AI for therapy, serves as the team’s staging environment, and takes the product home. Standup · 01.

The Staging Environment

Toli Banters

Toli and Jessica turn a skyline comparison into a collapsing-crane joke, then talk about the little moments of feeling like himself again.

Under Construction

A Russian-bathhouse conversation: billable pondering, salt and honey, high tea, and wages in mackerel. Part 1 of 2.

Russian Bathhouse · 1/2: Steam of Consciousness

At the Russian bathhouse, Toli recounts the airport buckwheat mix-up, then the conversation turns to Hunks and Hens. Part 2 of 2.

Russian Bathhouse · 2/2: A Suspicious Grain

Part 1 of a text banter with Rachel: adult summer camp, high by osmosis, and the invention of meth lite. An absurd illustrated joke.

Sober-ish

A deadpan couch conversation escalates from a dubious diet pitch to an airline-status punchline.

The Pitch