RRR24: Dreaming Of The Perfect Life, Productivity, Generational Disparity, What's Next for Biden, and a New Jersey Wind Farm
😴✨👴🏽👦🏻❓💨👩🏼🌾👨🏼🌾
Most mornings, I wake up naturally—no alarm blaring in my ear, no one urging me to get out of bed. Sometimes, it’s the sun’s rays through my window that awaken me; other days, it’s the soft pitter-patter of rain nudging me into consciousness. I usually rise around 8:30 AM.
After a glass or two of lemon water, I sit outside on the porch, listening to the birds singing as I shake off the morning grogginess.
Once I’m back inside, I brew up the perfect cup of coffee, and wash some fruit to eat while I listen to my 99.1 PLR playlist, or some other feel-good music.
From there, I take the cup of coffee into the home office where I’ll read anything that interests me for about an hour or so. Then, I get dressed and head to the gym for some stretching and about a 45 minute workout after.
Once I get back home and eat a big breakfast, I’m ready to spend at least three or four hours working on various projects, either by myself or with people who are partnering with me on the work.
In the afternoon, I head out for a half-hour walk and listen to my favorite podcasts.
After a light lunch, I might link up with some friends to play basketball or soccer for a couple hours. That leaves me exhausted and ready to cook a proper dinner.
I typically try to make one or two new recipes each week and invite friends or family over for dinner on those nights. I always shop locally and prefer to buy my groceries in small bunches - usually once every couple of days.
At night time, I might call a couple friends living far away, write a bit, and then read 15 pages of my latest book before bed.
My life can vary quite drastically from that routine, and it’s because I travel a bit to see friends living in other places, and to meet with people about work I may have going on in that moment.
I live in a super-walkable suburb with proximity to the city. Living just outside the city allows me to have space to host people - I love to host bonfires in the wintertime and cookouts in the warmer months. Equally, I love heading into the city as often as I can. It’s bustling with things to do and a lot of my friends still reside there.
In the summers, I host a lot of people for weeks at a time at my beach house. We take the boat for cruises around the shore and sometimes enjoy dinner on the water as well.
Sounds nice, right?
Well, the problem is this…
My alarm jolts me awake most mornings, and I have bags under my eyes until the afternoon on most days.
I am not good about getting outside every morning, I mess up my coffee on some days (although admittedly I’m pretty good at that part), and I definitely don’t work out before I start work for the day. Working 4 or 5 hours asynchronously on “various projects”?
I love my job, but I’m an 8:30 to 5 kind of guy who is definitely beholden to a schedule.
I can’t take walks on most days due to meetings, and my favorite podcasts suffer a little less listenership because of it.
It can be hard to coordinate sports as often as I’d like, I shop at Costco, and I don’t stray from what I know how to cook well often enough.
My friends might not pick up, or I might be too exhausted to call. Some nights, my energy is spent to the point that my brain isn’t producing creative enough thoughts to write, and I might even be too lazy to read my book.
I live at my parents house because with my remote job, it’s incredibly hard to pick a place to live. It is not “super-walkable” where I live.
Beach house? Lol.
But, I can dream! And if I can dream it, that means I can achieve it.
I don’t believe necessarily in the power of manifestation - thinking about something isn’t enough to make it a reality. But if I have a clear vision, that means I can also plot out the steps it will take to get there. Then, I can take action!
To be honest, I don’t spend enough time thinking about what I want my future to look like. I do try to take things a day at a time, and I feel like life is better when you live in the present.
Still, that doesn’t mean I can’t have some thoughts about things I’d like to work towards, even if those things change over time.
I bet I’ll read this again in a few weeks and feel quite uneasy at the thought of living in the burbs… 🤒
I already realize that family building is not represented in my dream life, which is a miss. I will definitely want that at some point, it’s just hard to envision when it feels so far away.
Have you spent time really thinking about what does / will make you happy in life? Is it going to be the people, the places, or the things within it? 🤔💭.
In Recent Times…
How do you think about productivity? Is it tangible progress towards completion of a task or goal?
Or could it be inclusive of the less-sexy portions of the creative process, like good rest and successfully clearing your mind?
I don’t know exactly why, but I’ve recently become hyper-aware of how seemingly unrelated acts can support or destroy production capacity in my life.
For me, it’s usually by way of distraction that I derail from the tracks of prosperousness. For example, some of my better thoughts get cut down in their youth when my phone rings, or when someone comes into the room I’m in to start chatting.
Other times, I notice something out of place in the room I’m in that distracts my mind from productive thinking.
It’s also not always the “thought” phase where my production takes a hit. I could have great intention to knock out a task on my to-do list, but if I get that text to go play a sport… I’m only human 🤷🏻♂️.
Then again, physical activity and dopamine release can really enhance productivity. Think of how calm and well-mannered a dog is after a couple hours of running around outside 😂.
Probably, the most impactful change I could make to enhance my productivity would be to cultivate more quiet in my life. I firmly believe that the noisier one's life, the more cluttered the mind becomes when it's finally time to focus on a task.
That means we must resist the urge to spend every conscious moment we have listening to podcasts, reading, and stuffing our minds with more than we’ve adapted to handle. Maybe just a nice long walk without headphones, or sitting somewhere to be alone with our thoughts can unlock the hidden treasures that lay deep within our minds 💎🧠.
Content Corner 📖🎙📺
How the US is Destroying Young People’s Future, by Scott Galloway
I watched this a few weeks back and am struggling to remember how I stumbled upon it, but I’m thankful I did.
Scott masterfully gave a voice to the young people in the U.S. who may not even fully understand their social realities, let alone have the ability to articulate them so powerfully.
At the same time, he puts real impetus on adults in the U.S., parents specifically, to at least think about some of the problems that are very real for younger generations. These sorts of powerful messages that can reach large audiences is actually how change is made.
Scott probably activated the minds of the millions of people who watched his presentation to recognize that there is a problem with how American society is unfolding. That’s a great thing!
Severe inequality is what puts democratic ideals in jeopardy. Let’s not let it come to that if we can help it.
The Precursor Pipeline - Hearing from the U.S. Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control
It was interesting learning about how the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other government agencies are trying to crack down on the distribution of “precursor chemicals” that are used in the manufacturing of Fentanyl and other synthetic drugs.
The hearing video (which starts at 15:30) details the key chemicals in the scope of the conversation such as Xylazine and Nitazenes, the operations that the DEA is undertaking to try and hold Chinese companies accountable for distributing the chemicals, and the international cooperation efforts underway to break up the current supply chains.
Particularly, I found it fascinating to hear about the complex financial networks (such as the underground Chinese Banking System) that support the drug cartels that are purchasing these chemicals.
Will Biden Step Down?
November 5th is approaching rapidly, and it’s already shaping up to be one of the most unusual, if not the most unusual elections in American history.
After the first presidential debate that took place at the end of June, genuine and legitimate concerns about Biden’s cognitive acuity have rocked the traditional incumbency setup heading into campaign season.
It is not normal to have political commentators and pundits calling for the sitting president to exit the race a handful of months pre-election.
Alas, I sat back after the debate and watched that exact situation unfold in real-time as people reacted to what they had just seen.
If Biden and the people in his ear continue with their plan to remain in the race, I am nearly certain we will get a second Trump presidency. Here’s why:
Americans have been flagrantly lied to as it pertains to Biden’s level of mental fitness for what I would consider a demanding job. There is no sense trying to get them to accept those lies again.
There is not consensus support anymore from the democratic base, which will not convey confidence to swing-voters to cast a vote for President Biden. Put yourself in the shoes of someone who follows politics very casually (like the majority of Americans). If Biden’s “biggest supporters” of the past have now openly called for him to be replaced, why would someone who is rolling out of bed and turning up at the polls think it’s wise to vote for him?
To be clear, I would certainly cast a vote for Biden if the election were tomorrow.
I am averse to Trump’s anti-democratic designs, and while I do think the American system is strong enough to withstand another term, I do not want to push our luck.
I also commend a lot of the policy that has come to fruition under this current administration. Things have gone well with Biden at the helm!
Yet, it is now hard to argue with someone who is genuinely concerned about the health of Joe Biden.
Nobody could be blamed for seeing Biden’s debate performance and thinking, “There is no way he should be serving as the President of the United States for another four years.”
I’ve been extremely unsettled recently by this thought 🧠🤔💭:
Avoiding another Trump presidency should be remarkably easy.
Just throw in a younger, sharper, centrist candidate, and it should be a cake walk to a victory.
Lots of people I’ve spoken to have expressed that it’s far too late to try and replace Biden on the ticket.
This sort of attitude is an attachment to the norms we’ve observed historically, but do not need to apply today.
I increasingly can’t see why it would be the case that people would happily cast a vote for Joe Biden, but not for a more spry candidate of similar policy positions. I do, however, see why tons of Americans would not cast a vote for Biden but would be ecstatic to vote for this theoretical new candidate.
A name I would love to see at the top of the ticket is Pete Buttigieg…
Ecuador Photos / Recap
A couple of weeks ago I returned home after an incredible 7 weeks in Ecuador. I had the opportunity to visit parts of the country that were completely new to me, meet awesome people, and enjoy a much different style of life than what I’m used to.
An important factor to understand about Ecuador is that the mainland is divided into three incredibly distinct geographical regions:
You have La Sierra, the mountainous region that runs directly down the middle of the country from the northern border with Colombia through to the southern border of Peru. To the west, you have the coast. East of the Andes mountains, you run into La Amazonia. Each region has a distinctly different culture.
This go around, I got to experience much of the coastal region, including major cities such as Manta and Guayaquil.
Throughout my stay, I was reminded of what makes it such a special place.
It is a country that is largely made up of some of the nicest, most fun loving people you could ever hope to meet.
In the face of the current threats to the peaceful way of life that most present-day Ecuatorianos have historically enjoyed, they maintain their humor, hospitality, joy, and spirituality. Their culture is second to none.
Sometimes, all it takes is eating some Pinchos (grilled kebabs) and having a Pilsener beer to wash it down over some good conversation to keep enjoying life each day.
Each visit to Ecuador sends me home feeling more balanced. I have better ideas in my head about how to spend each day, clearer thoughts about what will make me happy in life, and more friends to talk about it with.
Thank you, Ecuador.
New Jersey Wind Farm 💨⚡
A major step in the approval process for a new wind farm off the southern coast of New Jersey was just made earlier this week:
The U.S. Interior Department approved the proposed Atlantic Shores offshore wind farm in New Jersey on Tuesday, giving a major boost to a project that would be the state’s first.
The project still requires an additional federal approval of its construction and operations plan, along with two state-level permits, before construction can begin.
There is, of course, lots of opposition to the new turbines. The better ones that I’ve heard have to do with risks to wildlife, such as raptor birds and bats.
Then you have some people just arguing that they are an eye-sore… 🤦🏻♂️. I actually think they are kind of… beautiful?
"I think basically this is a mistake. Nobody in the world is siting these large, newer wind turbines this close to the shore," Stern said.
The group's prepared to go to court to fight the project, Stern said. He said it will not only create noise, but also have an adverse effect on wildlife and beachgoers.
"The blades will be rotating. I think there's something about the rotation that can that can be very disturbing to the human eye," Stern said.
Yup, nothing more disturbing than the slow rotation of a wind turbine that is nearly 13 miles away from the shore!
Unceremonious End to the 2023/24 NBA Season 🍀
The Boston Celtics made quick work of the Dallas Mavericks on their way to a historic 18th title for the franchise.
I firmly expected a more competitive series given how impressive Dallas had looked throughout their run to the finals.
My biggest takeaway is that we’re entering a new era where quality depth on the roster is going to usurp pure star power. This could prove especially true given the new team-building restrictions that are being introduced as part of the NBAs most recent collective bargaining agreement. Here are some details with the help of AI:
1. Luxury Tax Threshold and Penalties
Stricter Luxury Tax Penalties: The new CBA imposes harsher penalties for teams exceeding the luxury tax threshold. These penalties are designed to discourage teams from overspending on player salaries, making it more challenging for wealthier franchises to accumulate talent without financial consequences.
Repeater Tax: Teams that repeatedly exceed the luxury tax line will face even steeper penalties. This discourages teams from consistently operating above the tax line, limiting their ability to retain high-priced talent over multiple seasons.
2. Salary Cap Constraints
Hard Cap Provisions: The introduction of a "hard cap" for teams that utilize certain exceptions (like the mid-level exception) restricts their total spending to a fixed amount. This prevents teams from significantly exceeding the salary cap to acquire or retain players.
Mid-Level Exception Limits: Changes to the mid-level exception, which allows teams over the cap to sign players, can affect how teams fill out their rosters. Lower mid-level exceptions limit the ability of over-the-cap teams to sign quality free agents.
3. Trade Restrictions
Trade Aggregation Rule: New restrictions on aggregating salaries in trades can complicate the ability of teams to match salaries for larger trades, making it harder to acquire star players via trade.
Base Year Compensation Rule: This rule affects how recently signed players' salaries are calculated in trades, often reducing their trade value and complicating potential transactions.
4. Increased Player Mobility
Shorter Contract Lengths: With maximum contract lengths reduced, star players can reach free agency more quickly, increasing player movement and making long-term planning more challenging for teams.
Player Option and Early Termination Options: More frequent use of player options and early termination options can lead to greater uncertainty and shorter planning windows for teams, complicating long-term team building.
5. Draft Pick Limitations
Stepien Rule: This existing rule prevents teams from trading consecutive future first-round picks. Combined with other restrictions, it makes accumulating draft assets for trades more difficult.
Increased Importance of Draft: With spending and trading restricted, teams may need to focus more on building through the draft. However, draft picks are inherently uncertain and can take years to develop.
6. Buyout Market Changes
Buyout Market Restrictions: Limitations on the ability of teams to sign players who have been bought out by their previous teams can restrict the influx of veteran talent late in the season, which teams often rely on to bolster their playoff runs.
7. Two-Way Contracts and G-League Adjustments
Two-Way Contract Limitations: Adjustments to the rules surrounding two-way contracts, which allow teams to sign players to split time between the NBA and the G-League, can impact how teams develop young talent and manage roster depth.
I expect to see more teams built like the Boston Celtics winning in the years to come. Something that looks a little more like 5 incredible role players backing up a star or two, rather than three stars surrounded by below average NBA talent.
Next edition, we’ll get into some Olympics coverage. Until then, I hope you have an incredible week ahead ❤ - Tiko
Some Tunes Before We Go 🎶🎵🎼🎧
Let The Music Play - Shannon
Message In A Bottle - The Police
Your Love is King - Sade