Why a $20 AI Subscription Beats Buying Local AI Hardware
Gene built his own AI-usage tracker this week and used it to make a pitch: local AI hardware that can keep pace with cloud models starts around…
Just Two Good Old Boys
Read the Original Dune Trilogy Before You Judge It by the Movies
Ben’s pushing back on Gene’s “I saw the movie, why read the books” stance: the original Dune, Dune Messiah, and Children of Dune — he draws the…
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TMOG: Dave Plummer’s Cross-Platform Task Manager (and the $40 Pro Upgrade)
The system-monitor app Darren built with AI turned out to closely mirror an existing commercial product: TMOG (Task Manager OG), built by Dave Plummer — the guy…
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MiniMax-M2: The Local AI Model to Run If You’ve Got 32GB
Gene’s running MiniMax (MiniMax-M2, the open-weight model from Chinese AI lab MiniMax) as his local LLM, and says it’s the fastest option out there if your machine…
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The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville Lives Up to the Hype
Ben’s planning a work trip to Nashville, and more than one person has steered him toward the Bluebird Cafe — turns out that’s well-earned advice. Opened in…
Mom and Dad’s Duck and Sausage Gumbo — Bacon Grease Roux Is Non-Negotiable
Ben walked through his parents’ duck and andouille sausage gumbo recipe, now posted on his blog. Key tip: skip the butter roux entirely. “Who the fuck’s using…
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Proton Mail — Gene’s Shifting His Email Over From Gmail/Outlook
After finding a stranger’s PayPal account tied to one of Ben’s own domains (a reminder of how much junk collects on old catch-all email addresses), Gene talked…
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Maggiano’s Little Italy — Family-Style Italian Across Texas
Gene’s other Dallas-area favorite: a family-style Italian spot where big shared plates come out for the whole table — “it’s like family style, sort of upscale-ish, but…
John Malecki’s YouTube Channel — For Anyone Wanting to Try a Live Edge Table
Ben’s dad has a sawmill and cut him some slabs, so Ben’s building his own live edge coffee and side table — and he’s been learning the…
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The Ranch at Las Colinas — Ben’s Favorite Farm-to-Table Spot in Dallas
Ben’s go-to recommendation for upscale-but-not-stuffy dining in the Dallas area: The Ranch at Las Colinas, a farm-to-table restaurant in Irving. “My favorite restaurant is the ranch in…
Dvorak’s COMDEX Chili Is Ben’s Go-To, Modifications and All
Episode 173 of Just Two Good Old Boys has a whole chapter on recipes, and one of them is a house favorite: John C. Dvorak’s COMDEX chili,…
“The Ranch” Starring Sam Elliott
The Netflix comedy The Ranch, starring Sam Elliott, came up as more than a passing namedrop: the host cited a scene where Elliott’s character, asked point-blank if…
Read A. American’s “Going Home” Series If You Like Tom Clancy-Level Gear Detail
Guest host Don P. Bongwater and Gene got into A. American’s Going Home — book one of the long-running Survivalist Series — and it’s not a passing…
NoAgendaFun.com Is Expanding Beyond No Agenda
I’ve been running this site as a No Agenda producer project site since 2010, pulling product tips, wine picks, movie and book recommendations straight from the show…
