I’m sitting at a Chase Sapphire Lounge at an international airport. All around me are “business people”. How do I know? For starters, they are starring into their Lenovo Thinkbooks. They smile awkwardly every once and awhile to signal their engagement with whomever is on the other side. The outliers in this room? The lucky ones starring into a MacBook instead of a Thinkbook. Literally not a single person in my view is not grinding away. Like most people, these folks are completely tethered to the albatross that is their VPN.
Tag: longform
Everything Feels Awful
Why do otherwise intelligent people think everything is awful?
Biometric Data
I’ve long been interested in gaining insights into how certain actions (e.g., what I eat, how I exercise) impact how I feel. And “feel” is a good way to word it because any experimentation is done mostly if not exclusively on feel. The oft dreaded task of waking up early in the morning to hit a workout, after planning and spending time meal prepping, has had benefits for me. Thus, I have a feeling that exercising in the morning gives me lasting energy throughout the day. What I do not have is hard data to back up that claim.
The Emperor Wears No Clothes
I feel about as negative on our longterm prospects as I’ve been in years.
Beyond the foundation of the U.S. system as a democratic republic, one could argue the U.S. banking system, Wall Street, and the U.S. technology ecosystem, Silicon Valley, are the two most valuable assets we have.
China’s High-Wire Act
China is the single thing I read most about this year. I want to learn both about the history and the current leadership because it is both a unique culture and many argue the heir apparent to the superpower throne.
Grieving A Dozen Year Bull Market
This past week, after seeing the anger boil over, I started thinking about this market in the context of the five stages of grief.
Type 1 Civilization Or Bust – Going Nuclear
The way I’ve been thinking about our energy utilization is shaped by the Kardashev scale — a method of measuring a civilization’s level of technological advancement based on the amount of energy it is able to harness. My takeaway? We need MORE POWER!
Debt – The Ultimate Financial Kryptonite, Part 1
At one time, the practice of charging interest when loaning money was outlawed.
At other times, there are examples of a ruling body permitting its own constituents to lend and charge interest only to outsiders.
You’re Already In The Metaverse
I’ve read exactly one fiction book over the last few years — Snow Crash. Among numerous accolades, it’s often credited with coining the term “metaverse”. Whether or not it was the first usage of the word, the book piqued my interest in the concept of a metaverse and it’s something I have been pondering ever… Continue reading You’re Already In The Metaverse
When Listening Became Underrated
Attending a large western university exposes students to at least a somewhat diverse cross-section of people. Oddly enough, when I was a student at one such university, that felt like a good thing. If anything, with hindsight, exploration of even more diverse viewpoints would have been a benefit.