RRR12: Flow-States, Destroying Habits, Next Steps in the Middle East, Ben Franklin in London, U.S. Housing Market Dysfunction, and Things to Love in the NBA
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Nothing beats the high of being in the zone. You know, that mystical flow state where everything just clicks and effort feels effortless.
I've been lucky enough to catch that wave and ride it for a few weeks now. It feels amazing. Yet, while I'd love to know how to bottle up this magic feeling, I know eventually the wave will crest, and I’ll be struggling to achieve everything that I want on a daily basis.
That’s life, right?
But over time, I've picked up a few tricks to help me find my flow when things start feeling off:
Make my “tasks” and “to-do’s” as enjoyable and enriching as possible.
Sleep. I tend to need 9-10 hours in bed each night to obtain enough good sleep. Consistency matters! One night of lackluster sleep, for example, will definitely require extra rest in the following days to get back to 100%.
Say no. I used to be anxious about missing out if I wasn't with people 24/7. Now I cherish and even crave alone time. Weird how things change.
Don’t panic. There will inevitably be times where you can’t seem to get in a nice groove with whatever it is you want to be doing. This feeling will pass in due time, and it’s likelier to happen if you’re relaxed mentally. Stress will prolong your struggle.
In Recent Times…
Little things can obliterate your habits. No different than the massive iceberg which sank the Titanic, a modest change in weather patterns can too down your vessel of good habits that took time and effort for you to master. Moving to a new place can blow up your world, no different than the asteroid that caused dinosaurs to become extinct.
Thankfully, habits are not always a matter of life and death, and it’s healthy to create new ones regularly.
I’ve noticed, for example, I’ve been spending more time inside because of seasonal weather changes, as well as NBA basketball commandeering some of my evenings 🏀.
On top of that, I’m experimenting with how best to exist in my new environment:
I’m going to need to construct new habits in order to make the most of my time here, and I’m confident that I’ll have some good ones by the time I leave!
As they say, necessity is the father of invention.
Content of the Week 📖🎙📺
I realized that “Readings of the Week” was unnecessarily boxing me into a content type. I am a firm believer in the power of reading (books and other forms), but I also listen to podcasts, and occasionally will watch something that I think is insightful (I previously wrote about Chimp Empire and the Minimalism documentary). We’ll still discuss plenty of readings in RRR, but I want to give myself space to share other forms of content in the future.
Israel's military operations will deal a huge blow to Hamas. But is it even possible to completely destroy them? by Mick Ryan
An important framing of what the IDF is trying to accomplish, and an analysis on the merits of their approach:
One reason for isolating northern Gaza is to ensure Hamas is cut off from external sources of support. The cordon will prevent support from southern Gaza moving north to Hamas terrorists. But it will also allow civilians to escape the combat occurring to the north, while preventing Hamas from fleeing south.
While Israeli forces are manning this southern cordon, a large ground force has been advancing on two major axes – from the north and the north east – into Gaza City.
The aim of this is to continue squeezing Hamas, forcing them into a smaller and smaller area where they can be detected and destroyed. The IDF will also be seeking to find Hamas infrastructure in northern Gaza, including confirming the locations of the extensive underground network used to move fighters and store weapons. At the same time the IDF will desperately be seeking hostages that might be held in northern Gaza.
And on whether or not this could be successful…
Certainly, the IDF operations will deal a lethal blow to Hamas, kill many of its followers and destroy its infrastructure. But, like all wars, more than military operations are needed to achieve long term, stable political solutions. Military operations can only be successful if they are conducted in support of political objectives.
To "destroy" Hamas will require severing the support it receives from organisations such as Hezbollah, and from Iran. But it will also require a long-term political and social remedies that eliminate the reasons why young men in Gaza feel a need to join organisations like Hamas.
Hamas's purpose and ideas would need to be made irrelevant to the people of Gaza.
Without these issues being addressed, the current Israeli operations are at risk of just being a more violent form of Israel's "mowing the grass" strategy for Gaza that preceded October 7.
Setting Israel’s Hamas strategy aside, we must turn our attention to the many innocent civilians living in Gaza. The IDF should be beyond diligent to ensure the safety of civilians in the region.
Aside from the obvious and paramount importance of protecting human life, it’s also critical if they want to have standing atop the moral high-ground and demonstrate strong leadership. Leadership that has been lacking on all sides in post WW2 history as the whole world gazes their hopeful eyes at conflict resolution in the area.
November 5th, 2023 by Heather Cox Richardson
A brief look back at the history of the U.S. and its struggle to balance capitalism with workers rights and business competition.
Lincoln, Roosevelt said later that year in Osawatomie, Kansas, had stood against the special interests that had perverted government to their own ends and robbed hard workers of what they had earned. In Lincoln’s day the threat came from the Slave Power; in 1910 it came from business interests. The nation was currently governed by “a small class of enormously wealthy and economically powerful men, whose chief object is to hold and increase their power.”
Roosevelt demanded that the government restore an even economic playing field in the country, forcing businesses to operate transparently, submit to regulation, and stop funding political campaigns. He also called for graduated income taxes, inheritance taxes, the protection of national resources so industrialists could not strip them all from future generations, minimum wages, maximum hours of work, and better factory conditions.
Junto Club ♣
On account of being a Philadelphian in London, I’d like to dedicate this Junto Club to its founder, Benjamin Franklin. You can read a brief history of Franklin’s time in London here.
Franklin was happily settled in England. As late as the summer of 1768, he wrote in strictest confidence to his son William that “having lived long in England, and contracted a friendship and affection for many persons here, it could not but be agreeable to me to remain among them some time longer, if not for the rest of my life.” Certainly he had an agreeable existence in Britain, with his London life supplemented by summer travels around the British Isles and Europe. In addition he had two homes from home: one was with the Shipleys in Hampshire and the other at Francis Dashwood’s West Wycombe Park.
Yet Franklin was now also troubled by fears for the future relationship of Britain and America. Just a year after the repeal of the Stamp Act, Charles Townshend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, sparked further uproar in the colonies by introducing duties on glass, paint, paper and tea. By February 1769, Franklin was already writing “Things daily wear a worse Aspect, and tend more to a breach and final separation.”
Things were not always so rosy for Mr. Franklin, and it was this that led him back to the City of Brotherly Love:
The British government’s denunciation of Franklin before the Privy Council, in the wake of the Boston Tea Party, reflected a breakdown in Franklin’s relationship with ministers, but it did not end his search for peace. In early 1775, Franklin and William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, finalized their plan for settling the Anglo-colonial dispute. Chatham, though now an opposition leader, was the man chiefly responsible for Britain’s victory in the Seven Years’ War. His initiative should have been treated with the greatest of respect. It was its contemptuous rejection by the government and the thwarting of a last, despairing effort at negotiation, that made Franklin take ship for America – shortly before a warrant was issued for his arrest. It was only then that Franklin became an enemy to Britain and one of the fiercest American patriots of all.
U.S. Housing Market Extremes
The frustrating dynamic in the current housing market situation is that supply constraints aren’t allowing for a meaningful price correction. Sure, there’s a lot of data pointing to the fact that mortgage applications are cratering, but that hasn’t done much to make homeownership attainable for new entrants in the housing market.
As the days go by, the U.S. is increasingly a land of privileged and disadvantaged. The economy, while strong, is not working for enough of the population, and housing certainly plays a large role in that.
NBA Stuff That Makes Me Smile
This NBA season is certainly living up to its promise - the talent on display is legitimately mind boggling. Let’s delve into some great storylines and things that are worth watching:
The Indiana Pacers Are Scoring 126 Points Per Game
That figure is good for first in the NBA. If we look at offensive rating (points scored per 100 possessions), they are at 121.2, well ahead of last years historic offensive numbers from the Sacramento Kings.
It’s way to early to make a huge deal about this, but damn, it has been spectacular to watch. Look at how fast they play here to capitalize on the fact one Utah defender is trying to occupy the space that two Pacers are in:
Marcus Sasser
The Pistons rookie is off to an incendiary start - check out his barrage of buckets against Milwaukee:
He looks like a certified scorer, so the next question will be can he provide enough shot creation for others to be a high impact player consistently.
Anthony Edwards Two-Way Excellence
Here’s just one of the several incredible defense to offense sequences we saw from Edwards on the night:
There is something so beautiful about the leagues most talented offensive players stepping up to take tough defensive assignments as well. You don’t see it often because the conditioning required to play defense at a high level is immense, in addition to the idea that the extra energy would be better served on offense.
Anthony Edwards embraces being one of the leagues best players on both ends of the floor, and that makes my heart smile.
Good Teams Struggling To Get Wins
What truly energizes me about the Association today is that talent alone no longer guarantees wins. Just look at some of the underachieving teams so far this season. The Los Angeles Clippers sit below .500 despite their All-Star lineup. The Phoenix Suns have floundered out of the gate despite having phenoms like Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. The Memphis Grizzlies are a dismal 1-7 with Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. and other big names like Desmond Bane and Marcus Smart. Even the young Houston Rockets walloped the Sacramento Kings the other night.
Simply compiling good players on paper doesn't cut it anymore in the NBA. The league's talent level has reached such rarefied heights that it takes true team chemistry, roster fit, as well as effort and execution to rack up regular season wins now. That parity and unpredictability makes the game all the more exciting to me as a fan.
Thanks to all of you for reading, it is so greatly appreciated. I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and I invite you to start a conversation in the comments!
Allow me to leave you with some songs I’ve been enjoying recently:
Reelin’ In The Years - Steely Dan
I Want You Around - Snoh Aalegra
Future Lover - Thee Sacred Souls
Cheers - Tiko