Quick Hits Vol.2

RRR10 Coming Soon...

Hey, RRR fam 🙋🏻‍♂️👋🏻👨‍👩‍👧‍👦.

Thank you so much. Why, you ask?

1.) Patience. Last week I took time away from work, and some time away from the blog to completely unplug on a family vacation. I had originally planned on publishing an edition of RRR while I was away, but I quite literally could not find the time given the excellent weather and good company. I didn’t stress too much about missing a week of publishing, and that means it was a great vacation 🏖☀😎.

2.) Continued support. The words of encouragement and thoughtful dialog about what has been written in RRR thus far is making me more eager to continue this writing practice and sharpen my ideas. I can’t do any of this without each of you. You keep me going!

This week, I’m pushing the northeastern limits of my country with one of my close friends:

This part of Maine is stunning. Unfortunately, the wedding we’re here for is dealing with a pinch of uncertainly due to Hurricane Lee, which is scheduled to make a New England landfall sometime this weekend 😧😥.

In the meantime, I’ve been trying to jet over to Acadia National Park after my workdays to get a peak at some of the best nature the U.S. has to offer:

Acadia National Park

I’m a bit stoked that we’re getting to see Acadia in such an eerie week of deep fog 🌫. I know there are some incredible views we won’t see, but I’m pretty okay with it. I could always come back and get a clear sunny day.

It’s probably a bit more rare to have it look like a horror film set!

In RRR10 (which will come out Monday or Tuesday of next week), I’ll have a full blown photo dump for you guys. Hopefully I’ll be able to sell you all on a Maine trip! Lord knows I’ve already tried more than once 😂.

Let’s get into some quick hits…

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Do You Have Direction?

What are you aiming for in life? Okay, let’s take a small step back.

Why are you doing whatever it is you spend a lot of time doing during a day, week, or month?

Of course, some things in life are simply necessary. For example, you might work for many hours each day to have money to afford shelter, buy food, etc.

But let’s get a hair more granular than that… how much money do you need to afford shelter, buy food, and do other activities? The answer can get complicated quickly!

For example, do you need to live in New York City where the cost of living is high? Do you really want to keep living there? What if you moved somewhere that was much more affordable?

Forget money…

Why do you spend 3 hours a day sending memes and cracking jokes with your friends over text messages? If the answer is because it’s truly enriching your life, more power to you!

My friend recently asked me what I thought about having goals in life. Do you always need one/many?

I believe firmly that the answer is no. But I also think that having direction is important. To me, direction is at least having the conversation with yourself about why you’re doing something, why you want to do something, and figuring out what would give you the best shot at consistent happiness (as much as that’s attainable) and fulfillment. Direction is living with intention, in everything you do.

You can try, and fail, at finding what you desire 100 times in a row.

You still have direction if you’re trying to figure it out!

It’s quite easy to feel as if life is squeezing the life out of you. However, many of us are fortunate enough to have at least some level of optionality. That is, optionality in where we live, what we do, who we spend time with, what we eat, and more.

It doesn’t take a blank checkbook to move somewhere new.

It’s probably more cost friendly to buy a kayak than it is to keep up with the latest fashion trends. Then again, maybe you need to keep up with fashion so your TikTok videos will take off, thus providing you a lucrative avenue to pursue your own interests on your own schedule.

There are many different paths your life could take.

Maybe “paths” is too serious a word. There are many ways you can spend your time.

Give that some thought! It’s worth it 🧠💭.

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2022 Tax Competitiveness Index

I found this to be a compelling read. There’s a lot of detail, but I would encourage you not to be caught up on it. The value add here is gaining a better understanding of the components that make up an internationally competitive tax structure. The value add is learning the pros and cons of raising effective tax rates, or having complex tax rules and regulations:

The structure of a country’s tax code is a determining factor of its economic performance. A well-structured tax code is easy for taxpayers to comply with and can promote economic development while raising sufficient revenue for a government’s priorities. In contrast, poorly structured tax systems can be costly, distort economic decision-making, and harm domestic economies.

One of the key concepts that I found interesting was the idea of tax neutrality:

As tax laws become more complex, they also become less neutral. If, in theory, the same taxes apply to all businesses and individuals, but the rules are such that large businesses or wealthy individuals can change their behavior to gain a tax advantage, this undermines the neutrality of a tax system.

A tax code that is competitive and neutral promotes sustainable economic growth and investment while raising sufficient revenue for government priorities.

There are many factors unrelated to taxes which affect a country’s economic performance. Nevertheless, taxes play an important role in the health of a country’s economy.

A less neutral tax structure would make it difficult to attract investment, a legitimate hamper on economic growth.

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Catastrophic Flooding in Libya

Mediterranean storm Daniel caused deadly flooding Sunday in many towns of eastern Libya, but the worst-hit was Derna. Two dams in the mountains above the city collapsed, sending floodwaters roaring down the Wadi Derna river and through the city center, sweeping away entire city blocks.

The satellite photos before and after the flood are remarkable. It’s quite difficult to read about the terror of the event as described by those who were there witnessing it first hand. It’s nice of course to see the coordinated international response to help the people of Libya, but it would be equally nice to see preventative measures taken across the globe in order to prevent massive losses of life, such as this one.

Flooding is a particularly destructive phenomenon, if history is any guide.

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The Best Gummies

I’m a bit of a gummy candy connoisseur. Back in my Drexel University days, when I took a night off from the typical collegiate activities (I mean studying, of course), my friends and I would have the occasional movie night. Before hand, I would go down to the 7/11 on campus, and peruse the gummy section. On most nights, I’d end up with a pack of Lifesaver Gummy Sours, but I would often try out something different, especially if some new gummies had made it to the store. There’s definitely stuff out there I still need to try 👀.

Without further ado, here are my top 5 favorite gummies in order.

1. Lifesaver Gummy Sours

2. Haribo Goldbears (the only non-sour item in my top 5)

Sour Patch Watermelon

4. Sour Patch Original

5. Troli Sour Brite Crawlers

Agree? Disagree? Let’s have some dialogue in the comments section!

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Cheers, everyone, and have a great week ahead 🥂. See you early next week for RRR10!