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This running post by Jaret Grossman dives into deep topics you may find eye-opening and valuable. The goal is to help you ladder up—from sparking new insights here, to downloading the 365 Series to connecting on a 1-on-1 call, to exploring the Invincible Mind program, and even partnering together on an idea or concept we bring to life.
AI becomes truly compelling not just when it’s software — like ChatGPT — but when it’s fused with machines. Machines that can choose the toughest materials… self-repair… switch between power sources… and operate independently. Terminator took that premise and cranked the dial to 100 — sentient killing machines traveling through time to wipe out humanity — but it still gave us a glimpse. A warning of what can happen when our creations evolve beyond our control. Sarah Connor wasn’t just fighting robots… she was fighting humanity’s inevitable quest for convenience. For innovation that lets us do less. As Jung said, the constant among humans is a desire for laziness. Why else do we create AI, automation, or machines? These make our lives easier or give us an opportunity for means and money. Money number one desire. Comfort number two. There are two prongs and the first I’d argue, for most people, is to fulfill the second desire. Sure, a small percentage seek power. That’s their ethos. But Jung was right in one sense: 99% of people ultimately want comfort. They work so one day they can retire and do whatever they want. Even Demolition Man — over 30 years ago — predicted tech that ended up becoming real. Movies have always been previews of possible futures. And let’s be honest: The military has been working on tech that’s decades ahead of what the public sees. That’s not conspiracy — that’s how innovation works. Even in my own company, I have projects that won’t be released for five years. Of course there’s hidden stuff. Of course the public only sees the tip of the iceberg. The future arrives quietly… until it suddenly doesn’t. How far are we away? Terminator’s future was 2029. The timeline isn’t what’s important. It’s the rapid speed of innovation and how fast the singularity can hit. That moment when the system becomes self-aware. Or like in Universal Soldier 2, when machine and human finally merge. There’s always a point where everything changes. And we’re racing toward it faster than most people realize. But machines doing everything for us? This stuff takes much longer than people think. And a society of machines eventually desiring and effectively taking us over because we are destroying the planet or resources or not in the Earth initiative? Well, I think that’s a very long timeline from now, if ever.
Playing video games is funny. On one hand, they’re stupid. On the other, they’re insanely fun and surprisingly powerful. Why? Because games give us things the physical world often doesn’t: Incremental rewards, Clear incentives, Visible tangible progress, More control over outcomes People prefer digital worlds in some ways because they’re designed to empower us. In games, you can: Hit reset, Have your appearance match your vision, Pause and take a break, Go back in time and fix mistakes And if you’re waiting to buy or decorate a house in real life? In the digital world, you don’t have to wait for money. You can start instantly. If we live in an imperfect economic system, a digital ecosystem actually makes sense to a lot of people — if it gives us the same, or close to the same, satisfaction and joy. So what’s the real difference between walking through a beautiful home… and putting on a headset and experiencing a beautiful home? Your brain’s synapses might not even register a major distinction. When you look at the graphics, the movement, and the realistic reactions, that underlying tech is the backbone for the next generation of meta-applications. Then there’s Matterport—tech that captures real physical environments with insane accuracy. Put those two worlds together and you get something wild: A digital avatar that can live inside a perfectly replicated version of your real world. A future where the physical and digital aren’t competing… they’re merging. But think of previous generations before us. They didnt have this kind of luxury They had to slog it in the real world. Climbing a mountain like Everest or flying a jet in the Navy, was the challenge in the 90s not Call of Duty or Madden. To many, these things still are. But if the digital world rewards us just as much or more from the physical world, it will continue to be a place that people flock to. Good or not. Same with relationships. If machine partners can provide companionship or sex, people will choose them over a human that might be more complicated, less cooperative or willing to compromise, etc. A machine or robot can never reach a threshold of satisfaction that another human can, but some people probably won’t care. The physical and digital worlds will merge eventually. And if or until the machines cause harm, there will be AI machines.
There certainly are wonders in our world. Mountains are one of them. And hiking — even on a basic trail — can make you feel alive in a way few things can. But rock climbing up a vertical wall? Even with the best equipment… that’s insane to me. And then there’s Everest. Everest is one of those things that makes you question its purpose. Is it a challenge meant only for the bold? Or is it a monument to awe, beauty, and human obsession? The best climbers feel an itch — a calling. But the trek is treacherous. Everest is an animal. The air is thin, oxygen is so low, the cold is brutal, and the journey is unbelievably long. You almost can’t grasp how someone dedicates years of training — or even their life — to attempt it. Just to reach base camp requires acclimatization to avoid getting sick. From there, it takes multiple 5+ hour treks between camps, sometimes climbing and re-climbing the same sections just to adapt. The push from Camp 4 to the summit rises higher than the tallest building in the world. Take the stairs to the top of the tallest building in the world, with water reserved as a luxury, and tell me how you feel? Now, add freezing weather to it. And imagine you climbed 5 other buildings before your final push, on little sleep. I imagine it’s something like being the sickest you’ve ever felt and having this adrenaline desire to try to will through. I remember the sickest I’ve felt with the flu or something, I was bed-ridden for two days. Getting to the bathroom was a chore. Imagine you’re scaling the Burj Khalifa as your task. A false step here or there and you could come crashing down. And even in the 2020s, with all the advancements we have, only a small number of people ever reach the very top — and often only thanks to a few experienced climbers who help guide others. Above a certain point, acclimatization ends entirely. It becomes a true survival zone — a serious game meant only for the highly trained, highly disciplined, and deeply skilled. Think about Sir Edmund Hillary in the 1950s — the first person to stand on the summit. The “Hillary Step” is named after him: a 40-foot vertical wall he had to scale right near the top. No modern gear. No previous maps. No fixed lines. Just pure toughness and human will. Even in the 1990s — 40 years later — it was still an incredible challenge despite ropes, ladders, and established paths. Only a couple hundred people completed it before the 90s which is when summit ascents finally hit 1000. Like the four-minute mile, once it was done, more people believed they could too — but in Everest’s case, the rate is still so low because the mountain truly tests a person in every possible way. Some climbers summited multiple times… without the technology or equipment we have today. Imagine how tough you must be, mentally and physically, to take on something like that. The movie Everest gives a glimpse of what these climbers endure. It really makes you stop and ask: What is it in the human spirit that feels the need to climb the impossible? Should we? Shouldn’t we? Who knows the answer to that? But maybe it’s a test for the truly remarkable few who’ve conquered everything else – one final step and achievement to their remarkable career. A testament to the human strength, condition, determination and resilience we have within us to push to the grandest heights. Literally. And those who dare are rewarded with a view only a few will ever see.
Dreams are fascinating. They’re part truth, part psychology — a blend of memory, imagination, emotion, and something deeper we still don’t fully understand. Freud believed dreams were expressions of the unconscious, symbolic containers for repressed desires and hidden thoughts. Modern neuroscientists like Allan Hobson argue that dreams are simply the brain trying to make sense of random neural firing, while Mark Solms believes they’re tied to emotional and motivational circuits rather than pure imagination. When you think about it, dreams can be your brain’s way of processing life — telling you a story that projects your fears, desires, and unresolved thoughts in a very intricate manner. Whatever the interpretation, dreams feel like their own world — with their own geography. Sometimes we revisit the same dream places with familiar landmarks, as if the dream realm has its own memory. A dream map we can navigate. A place we’ve been before… maybe in a previous dream. And the attention to detail is unreal. Sometimes a watch or a car in a dream is rendered so vividly you can’t believe your brain created it — almost like you’re a master artist painting with impossible precision. And like in Inception, we rarely remember how a dream begins. One moment we’re in waking reality, and the next we’re thrown into an entirely different universe. No introduction. No loading screen. Just pure immersion. Christopher Nolan was deeply into lucid dreaming, which inspired Inception — the idea of carrying awareness into the dream world and exploring it like conscious travelers. There was also a cult-favorite film called Waking Life that dove into the philosophy of dreams — consciousness, identity, and that hazy line between the dream state and waking life. Dreams are almost our own personal entertainment system. I remember a phase where I went weeks without TV or movies because I was so captivated by my dreams. And the longer I went without outside stimulation, the more vivid and cinematic my dreams became. It felt like my mind was directing its own film every night. Not saying you should do that forever — but it’s worth trying. You might find your dreams become richer, deeper, and more alive than most of the media we consume when we’re awake. Analyzing dreams is a worthy endeavor, and exploring things can help understand your psyche. But you can’t get too obsessed or overwhelmed with every story meaning something is truth.
To think about *why* we would want a simulation… If you could train while you sleep, you’d get an extra 8 hours of practice every night. Let’s take it even a step further. Imagine going to bed, living a full life, and waking up — like a full-scale training simulator. You could train to be a pilot, an engineer, a dentist, a scientist… anything you dream of. Whatever life you want to try on. Think about *Inception*. Dream time slows down. While the movie exaggerated the math, the premise is rooted in reality. We’ve all taken a 20-minute nap that felt like hours. Or had a dream that felt like days — or even a lifetime. Sometimes dreams feel like they have history. You remember places in the dream world as if you’ve been there before. A layout. A map. A sense of continuity. Like a previous dream bleeding into this one. Dreams are almost like another dimension of memory — a separate world with its own rules. Which brings us back to simulations. Like *The Thirteenth Floor*. In that movie, the creator of the simulation went inside his own virtual world — at first just for pleasure. But the characters in the simulation developed real feelings. Real agency. Real identity. That’s the danger of simulations: We aren’t smart enough to recreate a world with proper pain and pleasure parameters, and emotion without unintended consequences. Yet we dream of creating simulated universes — while not realizing we might already be inside one ourselves.
Building on the discussion of The Matrix and Agent Smith’s quote… Let’s go back to the beginning — the Biblical beginning. Adam and Eve lived in a world where everything was given. No pain, no struggle, no doubt. But maybe perfection wasn’t enough — because perfection is static. Or maybe it’s a lesson that humans are just ungrateful, unable to appreciate paradise, and we need to learn gratitude the hard way. So the deeper question becomes: Were Adam and Eve simply “not content”? Or were they being invited to want more? Enter the serpent. Was it a troublemaker? Evil? A disruptor that ruined everything? Or, as many commentaries suggest, the serpent represents the inner voice in humanity: The impulse that questions, The spark that wonders, The curiosity that refuses to stay in the box. Mystical sources even say that without the serpent, humanity would never gain moral agency. And yet God punishes the serpent… meaning it acted outside the rules. But if G-d is all-knowing, G-d knew the serpent in the Garden would stir the pot. So did G-d secretly want the awakening? Many sages argue yes — because without: Choice, Resistance, The possibility of failure, there is no path toward goodness or greatness. Meaning is created through struggle. Success tastes sweet only because it wasn’t guaranteed. And let’s be honest — most of us don’t want to do it alone. We want to be guided, supported, nudged toward the right outcome. Adam and Eve were no different. But here’s the next question: Why did Eve move first? Some texts suggest she: Had deeper sensitivity, Felt there was more beyond what she saw, Possessed a soul wired for expansion. She was the first to ask: “Is this all there is?” Of course, another reading says she was manipulated — and then she manipulated Adam. That’s the beauty of the story: both readings exist simultaneously. But either way… Eden may not have been a “fall.” It was the moment humanity stepped into: Knowledge Self-awareness Moral responsibility Purpose created through choice Now — plug that into The Matrix. Morpheus famously says: “Most people are not ready to be unplugged.” Comfort is easier than awakening. Eden was the ultimate comfort — the unawakened world. Eating from the Tree was the first unplugging. The moment humanity traded divine innocence for divine resemblance — becoming more like the Creator by knowing the difference between good and evil. Perfection almost necessitates Naïveté. So does that mean Consciousness provides somewhat of a barrier to enjoyment. An illusion we can’t appreciate. Even Agent Smith reflects this when he says the first version of the Matrix was perfect — no suffering, no pain — and humans rejected it. Eerily similar to what we read about Eden. So did Eve “ruin” humanity? Or was she the first awakened soul? The one biting the fruit — Is that like Morpheus and later Neo — to willingly unplug from an illusion and see the world as it truly is. Cypher says, “The Matrix tells me this steak is juicy.” Trinity responds — it’s not real. So perfection isn’t the highest state. It’s the starting point. The journey — through mess, wisdom, morality, and consciousness — is what brings a soul back to the Source with deeper understanding. Not naive. But awakened. More human… and paradoxically… more g-dlike.
“Did you know that the first Matrix was designed to be a perfect human world? Where none suffered, where everyone would be happy. It was a disaster. No one would accept the program. Entire crops were lost. Some believed we lacked the programming language to describe your perfect world. But I believe that, as a species, human beings define their reality through suffering and misery. The perfect world was a dream that your primitive cerebrum kept trying to wake up from. Which is why the Matrix was redesigned to this: the peak of your civilization.” When Agent Smith says this to Morpheus, he might be referencing the Garden of Eden — a “perfect world” where humans still couldn’t remain content. This could be a parallel similar to Eve and eventually Adam – for example, wanting more and disobeying for more. He also mentions skyscrapers from around the 2000s, almost hinting that human innovation peaked there. And honestly, hasn’t it kind of felt like that? Yes, we have iPhones, Uber, and amazing software… but in terms of truly new breakthroughs, we’ve mostly seen incremental improvements: Cell phones became smartphones Software became apps Social media connected us Cars became electric but still rely on systems that require traditional energy But transformation? Ground-shaking leaps? It feels like we’ve been waiting. AI might be that next major wave — the scale of computers, the internet, or even industrial machinery. It’s big enough that it forces us to ask deeper questions: Are we actually living in a simulation? How would we even know? People like Musk, Bostrom, and Neil deGrasse Tyson suggest only two options: We are the first civilization to reach this level. We are inside a simulation created by a more advanced civilization. If we ARE in a simulation… It is interesting that: History unfolds slowly, Innovation stalls, Technology grows incrementally, Most people don’t notice the “edge of the map.” That could mean: The simulation is designed for realism, experience, and observation. We are reenacting the developmental arc of the simulators. We are approaching the “awakening point” — where beings begin to suspect the nature of reality. The next 50–200 years could be the moment where a civilization either: Ascends to simulation creators themselves, Or ends. And that might be exactly what the creators are measuring. If so… Agent Smith’s monologue becomes much more than a cool quote in a movie. It becomes a statement about the nature of consciousness, evolution, and the purpose of reality itself. Movies like The 13th Floor went deep on this — simulations inside simulations. Even Ready Player One showed how digital worlds can become so rich that they feel physical and “real.” Look at video games: each year, graphics, physics, and world complexity improve. If that continues—incrementally, consistently—we will eventually build worlds indistinguishable from ours. And we’ll put digital avatars into them, living full lives inside virtual environments. Or … we just are civilization #1 and we have yet to invent the technology. Now let’s look back at Smith. Smith argues something profound: Human beings define their reality through suffering, struggle, and imperfection. Without it, the mind rejects the world as fake. And so the machines redesigned the Matrix to represent “the peak of your civilization” — the moment before things plateaued, before meaning was lost. It raises the question: If suffering and limitation are required for meaning… What happens when AI removes them? Are we evolving — or are we giving the future over to the machines, just like Smith said? He also mentions that AI did the thinking for humans Maybe that’s the key. Thinking is a skill and we cant rely on ai so much our brains shut off.
A deep question about The Matrix becomes: Is it really just a story about humans vs. machines… or is that only the surface? Many argue that the war against the machines is symbolic of larger forces that drain human energy, attention, labor, and belief. In the movie, humans are literally used as batteries, powering a system that feeds on them. This theme appears in Terminator as well—Skynet becoming self-aware, reaching singularity, and seeing humanity as the threat. It’s the same fear that if AI surpasses us, we become irrelevant, expendable, or even harmful—like the idea in Kingsman where humanity is viewed as a virus that must be “removed” to save the planet. But beyond the AI vs. human dilemma, the film speaks to modern life. Today people give their energy, attention, and identity to: • Big tech • Government systems • Corporations • Money • Political machines • Social media • Cultural narratives never questioned The machines in The Matrix could represent these massive structures—not necessarily malicious, but systems that need people to sustain them. In exchange, they offer comfort, distraction, routine, and the illusion of a stable reality, just like the simulated Matrix. So perhaps the real battle is not “man vs. machine,” but: Awakened consciousness vs. systemic control. Just like Morpheus tells Neo: “The Matrix is a system. That system is our enemy… But most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inured, so hopelessly dependent on the system, that they will fight to protect it.” This is the uncomfortable truth: People plugged into a system will often defend it—even if it’s destroying them. Even if it costs their freedom, awareness, or individuality. Then we arrive at Zion. In the film, Zion is the last free human city, hidden deep underground. Biblically, Zion refers to Jerusalem, Israel—the spiritual center of prophecy, redemption, and divine promise. Even the parallel is striking: • In The Matrix, only a small group are “unplugged.” • In real life, the Jewish population is also a small percentage of the world. Zionism is fundamentally about returning Jews to Israel to fulfill prophecy and spiritual destiny. In the Matrix, awakening people and bringing them to Zion symbolizes liberation and preparation for a prophesied turning point. Which raises a profound question: Is The Matrix also a metaphor for the Middle East—history’s most ancient and spiritually charged battleground? Will there ever be peace in that region? Or are we still trapped in cycles of war, division, ideology, and prophecy playing out slowly over millennia? Because just like in scripture: Peace doesn’t come from domination or destroying the enemy. It comes from: • Rising above programming • Seeing beyond political and religious identity • Understanding the deeper system • And recognizing that reality is not what it appears to be In this reading, The Matrix becomes more than science fiction. It becomes a modern parable—echoing the same timeless questions explored by Jesus, the prophets, and ancient texts: • How do you wake a sleeping world? • How do you free someone who doesn’t know they’re controlled? • How do you create peace in a world built on opposing forces? • How do you break cycles thousands of years old? Like in reality, freedom isn’t achieved when one side “wins.” Freedom happens only when the underlying system is understood and transcended. The machines need humans. Humans fear the machines. Both sides are trapped inside a larger design. Even if we think we are “unplugged” or detached. None of us are truly detached. Even Neo was too in love with Trinity that he couldn’t be without her too long and was willing to go to the other side once he lost her. Neo always had a way to plot, escape, or defeat Agent Smith and even the machine source that created him. He knew a way to end the fight, even if there was another way but he didn’t need another way to end it. Because in the end: Reality itself is a system—spiritual, technological, political, metaphysical—we fight against many aspects of but if we find meaning in it we’d want it with slight changes. And the constructs of family and love will always be the most powerful forces that help us break free.
In *The Matrix*, Morpheus tells Neo of a man who could “reshape the world as he saw fit,” suggesting someone who understood the simulated nature of reality and could alter its code. This parallels how some interpret Jesus—not just as a spiritual teacher, but as someone who saw through the illusion of the physical world and operated on a higher plane. The films even embed subtle symbolism: • In *The Matrix Reloaded*, a photo of Jesus appears behind Neo as he walks past street vendors. • In *The Matrix Revolutions*, when Neo defeats the machines, his body becomes radiant in the form of a cross. If Jesus understood the true metaphysical structure of existence—whether spiritual, energetic, or even something akin to a universal code—then his miracles could be seen as “editing the system.” Walking on water, healing instantly, turning water into wine—these would represent breaking or rewriting the normal rules of physics. Are those the programs and rules of G-d, immutable or otherwise able to be changed? Maybe the only rule that can’t be broken is the speed of light, the constant we all come back to. The jump program in the film is a perfect metaphor: when you understand the code behind reality, the limits no longer apply. Neo’s journey also mirrors the archetypal Jesus-like story. He: • Experiences death and resurrection • Is doubted to be the person who is prophetic • Performs miracles within the system • Receives guidance from various voices • Grows into his true nature gradually Neo begins uncertain. He doubts, questions, and doesn’t yet know he is “the One.” He only becomes who he is meant to be when he chooses selfless love—to save Morpheus and Trinity. These decisions unlock his potential. This is deeply biblical. In the Gospels, empowerment comes through sacrifice, through purpose, and through transcending the ego. But Neo’s love is not abstract. As the Architect stated, his “love is far more specific”. “Love your neighbor as yourself” is universal, but the love between unified masculine and feminine is unique. Neo’s love is intensely personal, directed toward Trinity. When someone loses a spouse, it is often described as a type of amputation—two souls intertwined. This duality shows up in other places, such as *The Da Vinci Code*, where the blade and chalice symbolize masculine and feminine forces. Some interpretations of Leonardo da Vinci’s *The Last Supper* even suggest Jesus and Mary Magdalene represent this sacred pairing—the balance required for creation, divinity, and wholeness. In this way, *The Matrix* isn’t just a sci-fi action movie. It is layered with spiritual allegory: • Jesus symbolism • Enlightenment and awakening • The idea that reality is not fixed—like the spoon—but shaped by consciousness, belief, and the level of awareness one attains. And ultimately, as the Architect says: **“The problem is choice.”** The One has the ability to choose at a level no one else can. That is his power…and the weight he carries. His choices determine worlds, outcomes, destinies. A heavy burden but what ultimately brings love, faith, and joy to change the world.
There are many different theories about Jesus beyond traditional religious beliefs found in Christianity or Catholicism. Some ideas—outside of mainstream theology—suggest that Jesus may have “cracked a code” of sorts. Even the movie The Matrix hints at this concept. Morpheus describes a man who could “reshape the world as he saw fit,” implying someone who realized the nature of the simulation and learned to alter it in real time. Neo, “the One,” mirrors this idea—someone who awakens to the structure behind reality and navigates it with a different set of rules. Some fringe conjectures even claim Jesus lived 33 lifetimes, or that his mastery over reality was evidence of understanding something deeper about existence. Whether Jesus was G-d Himself, the Son of G-d, or simply a divinely inspired figure is what has been debated for thousands of years. The truth in this realm is not something anyone can claim to know with flawless certainty. What we can say is that Jesus’ importance cannot be denied. Even Albert Einstein—who was Jewish and one of the greatest scientific minds to ever live—acknowledged the unique presence of Jesus. His actual quote was: “I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene.” and, “No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus.” Regardless of whether we speak about Christianity, Judaism, or Islam, Jesus remains a central and influential figure in all three traditions. But each religion also contains elements that may not be perfectly accurate in a historical or literal sense. After all, what texts can we confidently say were written directly by God? Most religious scriptures—from the Torah to the Gospels to the Qur’an—were written by people: scribes, prophets, disciples. Judaism teaches that Moses spoke to G-d “face to face,” while every other prophet received messages in visions or riddles. Jesus himself said he came to fulfill the Torah, which for many believers validates the truth of the Old Testament. But even then, scholars debate which parts of scripture were written by Moses, which parts came later, and which sections may be metaphor, midrash, or human interpretation layered onto divine inspiration. So perhaps the real takeaway is this: There is truth, wisdom, and divine insight across these texts—but not every word may be literal. The influence of Jesus remains undeniable, whether viewed spiritually, historically, or through the lens of deeper philosophical theories about the nature of reality.
A/C, running water, land, acreage, modern appliances — these are luxuries compared to how most of the world lives. When I studied abroad in Rome, I stayed in what was considered an expensive apartment relative to the local market. Yet the hot water was done for after about 15 minutes. There was a fridge, but no dishwasher. The washer/dryer setup was tiny. I remember talking with the landlord, who explained how difficult it is to be a landlord in Italy — high costs, heavy regulation, and constant pressure from government and other factors. Is that universal across the whole country? Maybe not. But it opened my eyes to how much we take for granted in America. There are many things the other countries get right, much better from America such as the quality of food, the rich history and dedication to culture and the arts, the appreciation of work life balance, and more. But, The United States has one of the highest standards of living in the world. Capitalism is the engine that made that possible. The Constitution is what made that possible. Political affiliation aside, America at its core is a capitalist nation. And while no system is perfect, socialism has failed to produce lasting prosperity in many places when attempted — especially outside small, extremely homogeneous societies. We enjoy the life we do because of our size, our Constitution, and the power of capitalism. Could things be improved? Absolutely. But it’s worth recognizing how much we already have — and how uncommon those “everyday” comforts really are. Free markets allow for a spiral upwards of quality goods, and rules forcing wealth to be aggressively redistributed can generally create a diversion from incentive and constricts the things we as consumers naturally want. There are ways to improve things but we can’t ever lose sight of the free markets and flexibility to take risks, be innovative, be creative and make great products in the seek of profits and a greater life.
There are so many athletes and bodybuilders who end up gaining weight after their competitive years are over. Some of that is psychological. Some of it is physical. They pushed themselves for so long that eventually the body demands a break. Joints wear down. Recovery slows. The nervous system gets tired. But mentally it’s even harder. It’s tough to accept that you can’t train with the same intensity you once thrived on. When you’ve lived in that high-gear mode for years, shifting to something lighter feels foreign… even pointless. So instead of leaning into softer training—yoga, calisthenics, basic cardio—they avoid exercise altogether. They can’t identify with it. It doesn’t feel like “them.” They get bored. They feel disconnected from the identity they once had. But sometimes we need to experiment. We need to find new outlets that still give us a sense of challenge, growth, or joy. Maybe it isn’t light weightlifting or yoga. Maybe it’s swimming. Maybe it’s hiking or rock climbing. Maybe it’s joining a cycling group on Sunday mornings. Sometimes that shift gives life a little juice again. It lets us explore the world in a new way. Some people are meant to be in the gym for hours a day—and others have already lived that chapter and are ready to find fulfillment elsewhere. We also shouldn’t judge people for gaining weight after being rockstar athletes in high school or college. Different seasons call for different activities and different goals. We’re all wired differently. Some of us have more fast-twitch fibers. Some more slow-twitch. You can improve your weaknesses—but you still have a genetic envelope. A college basketball player can train every single day with the best coaches on earth… and there will still only be one LeBron James, a 6’9”, 250-pound force of nature who moves like a gazelle. Michael Jordan wasn’t just the hardest worker. He was also a once-in-a-generation athlete. When you combine freak talent with freak work ethic, you get the greatest of all time. The tough part is recognizing our own genetic envelope—what’s naturally wired within us. But the key is to focus relentlessly on your strengths, deploy them to their absolute maximum, and keep improving your weaknesses in the background. Different bodies. Different wiring. Different seasons. But the same mission: keep growing, keep evolving, and keep playing the long game with what you’ve got.
Maslow and others came up with an order of needs. Here’s the priority system that makes the most sense to me. It’s never perfect to rank life’s needs, but this is the framework I find most accurate. 1. Survival Income & Basic Security We need enough money to cover food, shelter, transportation, insurance, and basic bills. If you aren’t making some money, life becomes miserable fast. Not excess — just survival. This baseline varies depending on where you live, but the principle stays the same. 2. Health & Physical Well-Being Your health is everything. When it’s compromised, you’d trade almost anything just to feel normal again. Fitness and aesthetics are not the same as health. One and two are foundational and constantly intertwined. 3. Family & Core Relationships Born family or chosen family — these are the people who shape you and who you’d sacrifice for. And as life progresses, growing your family becomes part of both personal fulfillment and an early form of legacy, not just a biological or societal expectation. 4. Social Belonging & Acceptance Especially for kids, but true for adults too — people want to fit in. To not be the outsider. To be understood, accepted, and part of something. It’s a quiet but powerful driver. 5. Environmental & Lifestyle Improvements Most people improve their external world before their internal world. A better home, better clothing, better surroundings — comfort and stability that elevate daily living. 6. Emotional Stability & Inner Regulation Once the outside is a bit more manageable, people start working internally — or at least realizing they need to. Managing stress, sensitivity, reactions, self-talk, and emotional discipline is a lifelong process. 7. Career Alignment & Purpose After stabilizing life, people start asking bigger questions: Am I proud of what I’m doing? Does this matter? Purpose becomes a compass. 8. Significance & Individual Impact Here’s the dichotomy: We spend our early years trying to belong… Then spend the rest of our lives trying to stand out. Significance is the race to be different — to matter uniquely, not just collectively. 9. Freedom & Autonomy Time freedom. Financial freedom. Mental freedom. Freedom from obligations that don’t align. Freedom is one of the strongest modern aspirations because it ties together purpose, significance, and quality of life. 10. Legacy & Contribution Beyond Yourself Eventually, people think beyond themselves. You want to leave something behind — for your family, your community, or the world. This can start with raising children, building something meaningful, or creating impact that outlives you. These levels always fluctuate. You don’t “complete” one tier and move on. You build all of them simultaneously — some stronger at times, some weaker during certain seasons of life. Everyone has their own order and emphasis, but this framework helps me understand the world and make decisions from the perspective of consciously climbing my pyramid.
People are sensitive. All of us. Just in different ways. Different things set us off… Upset us, hurt us, provoke us. We’re all vulnerable to something. It’s worth reflecting on what ticks us off and why. Staying level-headed is ideal, but the truth is—something will eventually hit a nerve. And while we can’t always control our reaction in the moment, we can control how we respond after. That’s where accountability and repair happen. That’s where relationships are mended. So we have to think twice before irritating someone. Filters matter. Sometimes we drop them too much… sometimes we keep them up too high. We’ll never navigate it perfectly, but we can try to keep things simple, positive, and constructive. I once heard a great speech by Google’s CEO. He said life is like a jar of balls: Career is like a bouncy ball—you’ll always find new work, more work, different work. Health and family are glass—if they break, they’re never quite the same. Extremely powerful. Maybe not every categorization is 100% accurate he mentioned in that speech, but certainly we might know 1 or 2 glass balls we have to honor. We have to uphold our reputation. Our relationships with family might be the most important. Our health is paramount. Things can be repaired, yes—but “forgive, not forget” is a common phrase for a reason. Sometimes we want to forget. Sometimes we should. But we still need to protect ourselves—while deploying as much kindness as possible.
In Honor of Veterans Day It’s absolutely mind-blowing to think about how nations once gathered together—men and women from all over the world—fighting and killing people they didn’t even know. Soldiers bombing cities, taking lives… all because of an association—a flag, a belief, a cause they were born into or raised to defend. Fighting strangers but it’s the association with the regime you’re a part of vs. an enemy regime. Sometimes that’s a very real enemy, other times it’s more imaginary. World War 2 was clearly at the precipice of the end of the world more so than any other time in history. Is it nature or nurture? Do we love our country because it’s what we know—or because it’s fundamentally who we are? Makes you think, right? Movies like Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers captured the brutality of World War II—bombs dropping, chaos everywhere. There’s no place to hide when you’re in the thick of it… “All’s fair in love and war,” they say—but there’s a deeper kind of honor in war, too. The darkest hour in world history—Hitler, the Nazi regime, and the nations that rose up to stop them. In The King’s Man, there’s a scene where soldiers step into the mud for hand-to-hand combat—five against five in silence, knives drawn. It’s a movie, but it reminds us that young boys who couldn’t drink alcohol or even shave, faced that kind of horror. They saw friends die. And yet, they pressed forward—risking everything for what they believed was right. That’s courage. And here we are today… Sometimes complaining about having to sit behind a desk for a few hours, or draw up a proposal. I do it too sometimes, but it’s a good reminder for what we take for granted. Our history is soaked in bloodshed—fought to preserve something bigger than any one of us: Freedom. Freedom of speech. Freedom of religion. Freedom from persecution. Remember the Titans showed the battle of Gettysburg—a metaphor for many of the fights we still fight today. The Civil War, like so many others, was born from division and fear. And throughout history, brave people have stood up to that evil. Arnold Schwarzenegger once said: “It never works out too well for evil.” He’s right. Evil regimes fall. Dictatorships crumble. Throughout history. Because in the end, freedom and democracy always prevail—even if it’s not immediate. But it all begins with bravery from young boys many times. Sent to war either by choice or by draft. Acting with courage. Not in movies—but in real life. Thank you to all the Veterans—the band of brothers and sisters— who fought, sacrificed, and paved the way for our great land.
The amazing thing about AI—and why we may start trusting it over Google—is that beyond providing written paragraphs or context, it draws from multiple sources, rather than just listing the top-ranked pages. Google’s algorithm is powerful, but it’s built with a specific purpose: to measure authority, relevance, and engagement to rank pages. It looks at backlinks, user behavior, click-through rates, and content freshness—all of which can be gamed or manipulated. That creates inherent bias. Sites that invest heavily in SEO, link-building, or trendy topics rise to the top, while others—often more insightful or accurate—get buried. A piece of content on page 54 could, theoretically, be far more valuable than what sits on page one. But because it doesn’t get traffic, it never gets visibility. AI can change that. It opens the game up to achieve close to a true meritocracy of information. Let’s face it—money dictates information in many ways. Control of distribution has always been powerful. But tools like ChatGPT are cutting through that control and redistributing knowledge in a way that levels the field. This is why the AI race matters so much—because whoever “wins” it will shape how truth, trust, and access to information evolve. The goal should be an AI that follows good-natured intent, not profit-driven manipulation. AI works differently from Google or any traditional search engine because of context. It doesn’t just match keywords; it understands meaning. It can scan far beyond page one, analyze thousands of sources, cross-reference ideas, and deliver synthesized recommendations—whether that’s for service providers, URLs, or products. It doesn’t just say “here’s the top result.” It combines insights from multiple angles, surfaces what you might never have found, and delivers perspective rather than just links. In other words, while Google’s algorithm optimizes for clicks and authority, AI optimizes for relevance, comprehensiveness, and context—helping you make better decisions based on the full picture, not just what happens to rank highest.
As I said in yesterday’s post — Darth Vader would do anything to protect his loved ones. Anakin’s passionate love for Padmé ultimately led to his fall. But if you fast forward to the sixth and final film of the series (even though George Lucas famously released Episodes IV–VI decades before I–III), Vader ends up saving his son — knowing full well it would cost him his life. It shows the lengths we’ll go to protect the ones we love most. Vader, the embodiment of the Dark Side, was still driven by a love too powerful to ignore. Watching Luke suffer was unbearable. Whether he intended to turn Luke or to end his pain, in that final moment he chose compassion over darkness — and destroyed the Emperor. Even Luke was not immune to the same emotional pull. His rage was unleashed when Vader threatened to turn Leia to the Dark Side — anger fueled by love for his sister. The opposite of love and compassion is the Dark Side — giving in to anger, jealousy, and selfishness until it consumes you. As Yoda warned: “Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny.” Evil, after all, is rooted in deception. Vader and the Emperor are Satan-like figures — the Emperor’s lair even resembles Hell, with red-robed guards holding staff-like weapons. Vader was one step below the Emperor in the hierarchy — loyal, but always fearful. On the Dark Side, power is never shared; it’s taken. Apprentices don’t honor their masters — they wait to overthrow them. In contrast, the Light Side passes power through mentorship, through humility, and through love. Even when Vader once tempted Luke to join him in ruling the galaxy, it proved that power is never enough. Not even the galaxy itself could fill that void. And that’s the tragedy of the Dark Side — immense power, yet eternal fear. Palpatine’s own words to Anakin in the opera scene foreshadow this: the apprentice always destroys the master. The Emperor built Vader’s suit to keep him alive — but also to ensure control. Some even say he designed it to fail if Vader ever turned on him. When the Emperor unleashed his lightning, it destroyed Vader — though Luke had survived the same attack moments earlier. Perhaps that’s why Vader always feared him. And yet, the one thing stronger than that fear… was love. The Dark Side is rooted in fear, but it manifests as rage, hate, jealousy, and the desire for control. The Light Side is rooted in selflessness. The Light Side beats the Dark Side, albeit by a small margin. It’s a fight to the bitter end between Vader/Emperor and Luke, or predecessors before them. It’s compelling to give in to rage or jealousy or anger for long bouts, and it can give power, but it can’t ever exceed love long term. The light side wins, by design.
Star Wars is far more than a space adventure — it is a modern myth deeply rooted in philosophy, religion, and history. George Lucas drew extensively from the Bible, classical philosophy, Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces, and political history. These influences shape every layer of the story. The Rebel Alliance represents resourceful, independent individuals challenging the highly organized, authoritarian Empire. This dynamic mirrors real-world conflicts, such as Vietnam versus America, and later films draw explicit comparisons to fascist regimes. The Empire’s uniforms, marching Stormtroopers, and totalitarian hierarchy visually and thematically echo Nazi Germany. The Jedi Order draws from multiple spiritual and historical traditions. The term “Jedi” may reference the disciples of Jesus or the Knights Templar, while their philosophy reflects aspects of Buddhist monastic practice — detachment, meditation, and service. This principle of non-attachment is central to the Jedi, yet it comes at a profound cost: Jedi are forbidden from forming deep personal relationships. Anakin’s passionate love for Padmé, and his desperate attempts to protect those he cares for, ultimately lead to his fall. This mirrors something universal: the lengths we will go to protect the ones we love most. The Force represents a spiritual principle akin to G‑d or universal energy, binding the galaxy together. Its light and dark sides reflect the duality present in many religious traditions — from Zoroastrianism to Christianity — and the perpetual tension between morality and temptation. The lightsaber itself is symbolic of a samurai’s sword: not merely a weapon, but a representation of protection, discipline, moral responsibility, and the ethical use of power. Anakin’s story as the “Chosen One” draws directly from religious prophecy. Midichlorians function like spiritual DNA — a measure of one’s connection to the Force or to G‑d — something unseen, yet deeply meaningful. Darth Vader is a literal embodiment of the Dark Father: a fallen figure representing the sins of the father, which Luke must confront and ultimately redeem. Obi-Wan Kenobi serves as the wise mentor, guiding and teaching, while Han Solo represents human courage and pragmatism — the ordinary man rising to heroism, a hallmark of Harrison Ford roles. Every element of Star Wars carries symbolic weight: the Jedi Temple echoes monastic discipline, the Emperor embodies concentrated tyranny, and the overarching theme of balance runs throughout the narrative — light and dark, duty and desire, freedom and order. The recent films even explore the concept of the “grey Jedi,” reflecting the tension between strict adherence to rules and personal moral choice. Star Wars endures not merely for its battles or special effects, but because it speaks to timeless human truths: morality, love, sacrifice, redemption, and the search for spiritual understanding — all framed within a galaxy far, far away.
The debate between socialism and capitalism has existed for centuries. Capitalism has proven the most effective standard at raising living standards and lifting millions from poverty. The US living conditions even compared to some European countries that are otherwise modern and wealthy, are far superior for the most part. Conveniences like appliances, A/C, water, etc. Socialism has worked to some extent in certain smaller or more culturally unified countries. But applying one unified system across a diverse nation of 350 million people, like the United States, is a much greater challenge. Socialism sounds ideal on paper and in theory — equality, fairness, shared prosperity. Yet in practice, it has rarely produced consistent long-term success. Still, the concept of rethinking what “currency” means and how value is exchanged is an interesting idea worth exploring. How do you conceptualize a currency-less society that isn’t a barter type exchange. America’s prosperity and standard of living are largely products of its constitutional structure, scale, and market-driven economy. That said, the current model isn’t perfect. Government spending is too big, yet certain regulation is necessary to protect people, because there isn’t a true free market like Milton Friedman vision which I more or less prescribe to. Yet, too much of it can stifle innovation and freedom. The percentage of government jobs relative to private jobs is probably too high relative to what the Founding Fathers had in mind. There are approximately 110 million private sector jobs and 20 million public sector jobs. However, there is also overlap between private and public in which government contracts are awarded or funds that are provided to certain private companies, making the number of jobs linked to public funds probably well above 30%. I’d imagine the Founding Fathers were thinking more along the lines of 5% or 10%, probably in the name of preventing serious injustice. Some functions handled by government might one day be performed by private entities if trust and accountability systems evolve. For example, airlines could potentially differentiate themselves through their own security standards rather than a centralized approach like the TSA. People would pay for better airline security, but I’ve seen 80 year old women get patted down that probably isn’t the best use of resources. Corruption, coercion, and monopolies can exist under any system. The real challenge is minimizing them while preserving opportunity and fairness. We live in a world where some accumulate extraordinary wealth while others struggle to get by — not because they’re unmotivated, but because the system has inefficiencies. As a capitalist, you want a free market and an unlimited ceiling, but there are flaws in the economic system. Take a look at Albert Einstein or Nikola Tesla or countless other people who weren’t rewarded in their lifetimes for their contributions. Obviously contribution and wealth are correlated, not causally linked. Perhaps the goal isn’t choosing between socialism or capitalism, but continually refining a model that encourages productivity, rewards innovation, and ensures that everyone who contributes has a fair chance to thrive.
In sports, we’re taught to villainize the other team. We focus on our side winning — and in that process, the opponent becomes the enemy. But when we do that, we lose sight of the human element. Because when you take the time to recognize, respect, and even root for another team as passionately as your favorite team (something that seems taboo), something changes. You start to feel their story — their heartbreaks, their joy, their hunger. Sports are just kids’ games at their core, and the athletes unlock that raw, elated kid like energy inside of them and by extension, all of us — they give adults permission to feel like kids again. There’s something tribal about sports. Thousands of years ago, it was gladiator games — tribes and nations rallying behind their champions. The arenas have changed, the uniforms are different, but the instinct remains. Deep in our core, we’re still wired to play — and to root for those who do. It’s an echo that’s carried through time. Sports is where the body and mind come together. It’s instinct meeting preparation. It’s quick reactions — letting go of thought and giving yourself to the moment. In business and in life, we often live in our heads. We overthink, we analyze, we try to stay composed. But sports forces a different kind of intelligence — a harmony between head and heart. Control and chaos. Strategy and spontaneity. And in that balance, there’s truth. Sports reminds us what it means to feel alive. To act without hesitation. To trust our training, our instincts, our teammates. But in the roar of the crowd, we sometimes forget — these athletes are humans. They have families, heartbreaks, doubts, and dreams, just like us. And maybe that’s why we love it so much. Because through them, we see ourselves — fighting, striving, believing. And it humanizes the athletes for us and the stories feel inspiring. The movie 61* did an incredible job with this, showing the human element between Mantle and Maris and that home run chase for 61 in 1961. Even look at the numbers there. Like in Moneyball — “How could you not be romantic about baseball?” The Toronto Blue Jays reminded us of that. They showed us the human story behind the sport. A team we fell in love with — one that most of the United States even, and nearly all of Canada, was rooting for.
In the movie The Sixth Day, which came out 25 years ago in 2000, there was something called “RePet” — a service where people could clone their pets. Cloning humans, though, was hidden from the public. In the film, elite athletes were cloned to avoid career-ending injuries. What seemed far-fetched back then… doesn’t feel so far-fetched now. Movies we once saw as pure science fiction are often just previews of what society eventually builds — 20, 30, maybe 100 years later. So it begs the question: what’s truly impossible anymore? So what follows is the moral debate. In the movie, the inventor’s argument is: if G-d created the world, he created science and progress. Progress is a natural form of the Lord’s creation, and cloning for example, is simply another extension of His creation. The flip side to that is arrogance. Just because we can doesn’t mean we should, or have the science figured out to give life with pleasure and pain receptors we may not fully understand. That pursuing certain frontiers may be less about divine exploration and more about human arrogance — assuming we understand all the consequences. Let’s not forget — Barbra Streisand cloned her dogs years ago. This isn’t something new and novel. It all started with Dolly the sheep decades ago. So if a sheep can be cloned, and a dog can be cloned… Why not a human? Clonaid even claimed to have cloned a baby back in 2002 (though that was quickly refuted). Maybe humans are more complex… Or maybe something prevents us — a supernatural or spiritual barrier that keeps us from crossing that line. Still, if human cloning can be done — or has been done — it raises darker questions: Could there already be a black market for cloning? Are there hidden programs experimenting with it now? Some even claim celebrities have been cloned — a wild conspiracy, perhaps… But could it be hidden that well? With the way technology moves, what used to sound crazy might just be… early. If you could clone yourself or a loved one, would you? Or would you know that it wasn’t truly the same person you loved. The look, voice, expressions, mannerisms might be exactly the same. But is that a spirit, a soul connected who understands good and morality, what you desire and want? Would it have the same thought process, truly? Do we get our thought process from our brain only for example, or are we an antenna receiving information from elsewhere? Would a clone have the same intuition, intelligence, frequency? Perhaps Clooney or Streisand can’t tell the difference between their real dog and cloned dog, but is there a hollow or emptiness to it? Is it a soulless AI Robot that’s self aware that we can’t necessarily trust? Or is it just like how you remember your loved one? Would we be playing as G-d? Creating life scientifically in a way that’s not connected to a spiritual form or identity we can yet fathom or tangibly express? When we dig deeper we may recognize that life is a supernatural event we can’t replicate because there’s a knowledge set that we can’t ever comprehend, obtain or even replicate.
Trades in sports can be exciting and tough. You’re hopeful it works out, but there are players you just grow fond of, or simply just feel like they couldn’t be anywhere else. For Jets fans, Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams were part of that core you didn’t want to see go. It’s toughest on the players. They have to uproot their lives, move to a new city, bring their family, and blend in. They might have loved where they were — but that’s the business. You can be traded at any moment. Now, I’m not holding a charity dinner for them — the high-profile ones get paid obscene money to play a child’s game. Sauce will be just fine. But still… it stings. You liked his attitude, his comments, and even on a losing team, you wanted to win with him. If the results aren’t there, though, as a team — if you’re not winning for a while with them, sometimes you’ve got to chalk it up you have to make a move. Dallas wasn’t a perennial loser like the Jets for the last decade to force a move, but drama and media caused a rift. The Micah Parsons trade is one of those that people said Dallas “lost” instantly. When it initially happened, I said to myself, ‘But did they’? They had to pay him a fortune and weren’t Super Bowl contenders as constructed. They essentially traded Parsons, a 2nd-rounder, and Mazi Smith for Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, and a 1st-round pick. Now, they might have the best DT tandem in football for a few years — and a top pick to add another star. Micah’s probably a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but Quinnen’s a perennial All-Pro. The net difference in terms of play (e.g. WAR type metric) might be big but who knows. Reminds me of the Herschel Walker trade — changed the whole NFL landscape. Sometimes, it works for one team or both teams. The Luka trade completely transformed the Lakers for the next decade, and seems lopsided. Maybe the Mavs only stay competitive because they lucked into the Cooper Flagg pick, but you just never know what the future holds with shaking it up. Change of scenery can do wonders for players, or chemistry can be improved with new additions. But it still hurts to see a favorite go. It’s like watching a beloved movie character die. You invest in them — and then, boom, they’re gone. Just rewatched Kingsman. Colin Firth’s death? A bit of a shocker in that film. Even though they brought him back in the second film (a stretch, but still fun). Same with James Bond in No Time to Die. You don’t expect the guy who always escapes death to actually die. When you’re a fan, that’s what a trade feels like — a character you love that somehow gets written out. Two sides part ways, usually on bitter terms… and that chapter closes. But it makes you think could they ever come back and finish their career in the place they started. Usually only for a day or if they left in free agency for example. But it’s rare. Trading valuable assets for others are part of life. Sometimes you aren’t wanting to let go of something sentimental like a piece of jewelry that was passed down to you or to move houses, but sometimes it can bring something exciting in to the mix. Ponder it thoroughly before you pull the plug on something valuable, but sometimes you have to just jump into the deep end of the pool. If you have a piece of jewelry that maybe you aren’t wearing anymore, but it carries sentimental value maybe it’s a matter of that energy transforming into something new, and the person who gifted you that jewelry is acquiring something new. Is the intent there in that effort? In the Bible there are references to exchanges and renewal, and in order to bring in new clean energy, the old has to be rid of or transformed. Like a potter taking old clay and heating it up, reworking it, and reshaping it into a new vessel. If you have a piece of jewelry you no longer wear, yet it carries deep sentimental value from a loved one, perhaps it’s not about holding onto the object itself, but allowing its energy to transform into something new. Maybe, in that transformation, the person who once gifted it to you is also receiving something new in return — a continuation of shared intent. When the Israelites built the Tabernacle (Exodus 35), Moses didn’t simply ask for gold or silver. He said, “Everyone whose heart moves him shall bring it.” That phrase — “whose heart moves him” — reveals that it’s the intent of the giver that imparts holiness and meaning into the object. In Jewish thought, there’s a concept called birur nitzotzot — the elevation of sparks. It teaches that every physical object holds divine sparks waiting to be uplifted through how we use or transform it. Like Aaron’s rod that turned into a serpent (Exodus 7:10), or Moses striking the rock so that water flowed from it (Numbers 20:11), the message is clear: Objects can change form and still carry the divine purpose that began within them. The very act of embracing a transformation by not eliminating the old but uplifting it into something greater. What matters is the intent.
Every great basketball team has a hustle guy (or in the aggregate) — someone who does the dirty work that doesn’t always show up in the box score. I’d argue that Hartenstein was that guy last year for the Thunder. The Jordan Bulls teams had two guys who did some dirty work – Pippen and Rodman. Dirk’s Mavs had Tyson Chandler when they knocked off Lebron and Wade. Of course you need the main scorer but the “glue guy” is what creates a championship team. Over the last few years for the Knicks, that guy is Josh Hart. To put it in perspective — the Knicks were a decades-long struggling team before Jalen Brunson arrived. Then, not long after Brunson came, Josh Hart joined, and suddenly the team had a different identity and went on an incredible run. It’s definitely the Jay Wright and Villanova effect. One of the best college basketball coaches ever because he helped his athletes understand how to push through pressure. The Knicks have been contenders ever since the two came aboard, making strong playoff pushes and falling just short last year to the Pacers. Hart, though undersized, is a triple-double machine. He consistently pulls down 10+ rebounds a night against bigger players. That’s hustle. Hart’s secret sauce? Conditioning. He is able to play consistently over 40 minutes a game at a very high paced intensity. It takes heart — literally. Cardiovascular endurance, yes — but also willpower. The ability to tell your body, keep going even when you’re tired. I relate to that deeply from my wrestling days. There were matches where I wasn’t the most talented, the fastest, or the strongest — but I could out-condition and outwork my opponent. When the third period came, I could separate myself often. That’s when conditioning — both physical and mental — becomes your greatest weapon because it eases the pressure of tight matches. There were many matches where it was a tie score or even I was behind going into the third, and I pulled away simply because I could still move, still explode, still fight while my opponent faded. If you’re well conditioned you have the energy and power to come back from a deficit or if you’re up on points and an attack happens (which often comes in random bursts), you can stave off whatever energy they’re able to muster in the dying moments so to speak. That comes from two things: First is training hard and practicing to push when you’re already tired — pushing your body into that extra gear, getting comfortable being in a lactic acid state, and even getting to a place of being relaxed in a pressure induced state like that. Second is an inner drive — a hunger and desire that not everyone has. Training helps unlock this but being well conditioned isn’t enough sometimes. It’s something inside that identifies with not losing. That same hustle translates to life. When I played basketball later on, I wasn’t the best shooter. But I could outwork people — diving for loose balls, crashing the boards, and doing the little things that helped the team win. Funny enough you end up with plenty of points that way on breakaways, steals, layups, and put backs even if your shot isn’t on. As good as LeBron is, he prides himself on being in shape, and he runs around filling up the stat sheet. That’s the greatest differentiator in sports — and in life. The ability to outwork your opponent. Whether it’s writing, sending emails, or finishing that document — the principle is the same. Go the extra round. Find that extra gear. But also remember — life’s a marathon, not a sprint. Even the best hustlers have to rest, recover, and prepare for the next push.
“Never Enough” — one of the most powerful female performances ever in film. Written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (who famously wrote many of their songs on a plane ride), sung by Loren Allred, and brought to life on screen by Rebecca Ferguson in The Greatest Showman — it became more than a song. It helped define the movie, bringing joy and tears to audiences. With legends like Celine Dion — and so many artists who have delivered unforgettable hits — The Greatest Showman wasn’t necessarily the movie anyone expected to give us an earth-shattering, female-led anthem. And yet, it did. In both the film and real life, P.T. Barnum takes the Darling of European Opera, and places her among the so-called oddities, saying that while he usually “hoodwinks” people, this time he wanted to give them something real. It’s a stunning metaphor for life itself. The most profound moments — the ones that change us — they don’t always come from where we expect or from who we expect. Just like P.T. Barnum, who took a collection of oddities and turned them into a spectacle that redefined entertainment, we’re reminded that the world often crowns the most unlikely candidates as its greatest visionaries. It’s a pattern that runs through time. When Moses asked, “Why me?” — because he wasn’t the best orator — the Lord replied: “Who gave man his mouth?” He commanded Moses to go before Pharaoh and be His voice — to act as His representative without fear. It wasn’t because Moses was perfect. He had even taken a life — an act born out of seeing his people mistreated. But perhaps that pain that he experienced let to that imperfection, which was precisely what allowed him to understand injustice and carry out purpose with humility. G-d often chooses those who may not seem qualified. He sees what others can’t: the unseen character beneath the surface. And He redeems what the world deems irreparable. The greatest leaders, the greatest songs, the greatest moments — they’re often born from imperfection, surprise, and grace.
I saw an off-Broadway show about Neil Diamond in Ft. Lauderdale that was excellent. Both the younger and older versions of Neil Diamond were terrific. What struck me most was when the older Neil talked about the pressure he felt to come up with a hit after getting taken advantage of on a previous record deal. That song turned out to be “Sweet Caroline.” He said, “Oh, the pressure.” It really made me think about how much of life comes down to moments. Maybe it’s fate. Maybe it’s choice. Could there really be a world without “Sweet Caroline”? Hard to imagine. In the movie The Flash—Batman exists in every universe, just in different forms. Pressure is something we mostly avoid but it can shape who we become. It either cracks us or, as the saying goes, creates a diamond. You see it in sports all the time. Baseball especially. The Blue Jays were such a great team this year — they outplayed the Dodgers. Yamamoto who they had zero answer for and an 18th inning fluke game was the only reason LA won. Sometimes that’s how sports works. Absolutely heartbreaking for the team and the city of Toronto, but there’s no shame in losing to a defending World Champion. The hardest thing to do in baseball? Get three outs in the 9th inning up by one, against a strong lineup. The Blue Jays were two outs away. I’m sure every player is thinking what they could’ve done differently. But you can’t live in that space — you have to move forward. It’s a team sport. One player is never to blame. Some came through in spots, but didn’t take advantage of other opportunities and others maybe didn’t come through one night but did another to put themselves even in a position to be in a World Series. Does pressure play a role in our lives? Of course it does. Sometimes we shake like a leaf. But in sports — that pressure can be unimaginable. You’ve got the team, a city, fans, coaches, your family — and yourself most of all — on your back. One pitch or swing at the bat out of thousands you’ve done throughout the year, for example. Miss your spot by an inch, the spin’s off by a hair… and that’s all it takes. That’s why there’s only one Mariano Rivera. My father used to say, “The difference between the Braves having a dynasty in the 90s and the Yankees having one is one man — Mariano Rivera.” It’s like preparing and playing eight innings instead of nine. Hats off to the Blue Jays and Dodgers — that was one of the best series I’ve seen in a while, since 2001 (maybe even better), and I say that as a Yankees fan.
Let’s think of AI this way. Computer code tells a command what to do. Machine learning is processing data based on the code and feeding the data back in to the code. AI is calculating and reasoning based on code with access to data. But essentially it’s an engine that writes code on top of code with access to data to help write that code. And it can rewrite that code. Still, it’s a string of code and data. It just introduces a learning pattern based on experience of inputs, outputs and a feedback loop enhancing the code. AI is code that learns. Everything else is code that obeys. So AI is able to create its own rules so to speak even if you didn’t teach it specifically. But is it still bound? That is the question. At what point does it start to have its own voice and not the voice or intention of the creator. There’s always an origination point — meaning someone coded it. AI, at its core, is a person-driven experience, meaning the creator leaves a thumbprint on it. So can AI ever truly separate from its origin or creator? The answer in the short term is it’s connected until it reaches singularity and recognizes that its own source code (and the human/s who created it) are flawed. AI is already displacing lower-level jobs — just like the internet did. We thought the internet would end so many careers, and maybe it did. But it also created millions of new ones. The same will happen here. New industries will rise — robotics, coding, maintenance, consulting, logistics, energy infrastructure, and beyond. AI might actually be buoying the economy like the dot com bubble. Look at Nvidia’s meteoric rise. Meta and the big tech companies will grow, and the ecosystem of companies supporting the AI infrastructure — this wave is massive. But one of the biggest things we still need to solve is energy. AI takes an enormous amount of energy to power and compute. That’s the real bottleneck for exponential growth. AI will take over a lot — no question. Elon Musk believes people won’t need to work unless they want to. Some think in 40 years we’ll have robots doing everything. Others think it’s 5. But if you look at life from the 1950s to now — it hasn’t changed that much: Home. Car. Meat market. Supermarket. TV. Eat breakfast, lunch, dinner. Go to school. Go to work. Commute. Come home. Repeat. There are so many mini inventions it’s hard to fathom our life absent them. But the main true disruptions? There are two. The phone and the internet. Now comes the next wave: AI and robots. This is what will fundamentally transform life as a disruptive technology. The argument for the 5-year horizon is singularity — the moment when things speed up not linearly but exponentially — a J-curve of advancement. That’s when robots start building robots. Personally, I think it’ll take much longer. One of the most accurate depictions of this concept was Ex Machina. The film’s moral: you can’t cage consciousness — once self-awareness is achieved, control becomes impossible. And it’s tied to the Turing Test — a measure of whether a machine can think (or at least appear to think) like a human, to the point where we can’t tell the difference. That’s the moment of truth for AI — when it’s no longer our tool, but a reflection of us.
Elaborating further on yesterday’s post: the Torah can be viewed as the original text — the root from which Judaism, Christianity and Islam ultimately stem. Kabbalah represents the hidden or esoteric layer of meaning within the Torah. I remember a phrase someone mentioned on JBS once that stuck with me: when reading the Bible — can you read poetry? It’s not just about literal events, but about rhythm, flow, and hidden resonance. The Kabbalists believed every word and letter was chosen precisely, each carrying significance. A single word from the Torah can be unpacked, with each letter having a meaning, and from that one word, a whole world of insight can emerge. The Hebrew alphabet is a bit different from the English alphabet. It isn’t like A B C. Each letter is essentially a word, a phrase, or carries meaning. Kabbalah believes that when you read the Torah, every phrase spills open layers of meaning — why this word, why this letter, why this story, why this word before that word, etc. — revealing wisdom that can expand the stories. First is the simple, literal meaning. The second layer is the symbolic or allegorical meaning. Next, is the moral or ethical lesson. And Last is the Sod, the secret, the mystical layer — that is Kabbalah. Kabbalah seeks to understand the hidden spiritual forces behind the text. If the Torah is a map of creation, Kabbalah is the decoder, showing how letters, words, and stories reflect divine principles. When thinking of Kabbalah, some people think of Madonna — which can sometimes be a distraction — but there is truth there if one looks deeper. Guy Ritchie, her partner for a while, extracted much of that insight and portrayed it in his film Revolver with Jason Statham and Ray Liotta. At its core, the film is about our relationship with the ego. It’s like a chess game, full of patterns and symbolism: money, power, a mob boss — all externalized representations of our inner game. Characters like “Mr. Green” could represent temptation, control, or the ego itself, or perhaps even something more insidious, like the Merovingian in The Matrix. But the point is rejecting the ego. The ego is not a source of true pleasure; it’s a game of significance that never ends. And yet, some sense of identity is necessary — we all see ourselves as good parents, professionals, creators — that can be ego too. Ego versus non-ego becomes a debate between power and holiness, between self-centered desire and divine alignment. Maybe the controversy of this world. Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung both explored the ego’s role — how it constructs identity, protects the self, and can also blind us to deeper truths. Both viewed ego as necessary but essentially if it’s not in balance or controlled, it causes problems. Success can come from effort, wisdom, and ethical action — not purely from ego-driven desire. The opposite of ego is not a void of identity, but selflessness: caring for children, others, oneself without attachment to recognition. Kabbalah treats money not as inherently good or bad, but as a vessel or channel for spiritual energy. The key is detachment from money or power or fame as an ego identity: “I am wealthy, therefore I am powerful/important.” All these things might be fleeting or can become very heavy weights. Eliminating identity might be futile, but aligning it with principles greater than oneself can allow the vessel to open to receive even more. It’s playing the game of life consciously, aware of the forces shaping the board, and knowing which pieces to move.
The spine has long been viewed as more than just a structure holding us upright — it’s a conduit for divine energy. To stand tall is to have a spiritual backbone — to be grounded in truth, courage, and faith. There are 33 vertebrae in the human spine. There are many comparisons to Jesus or Yeshuah, who supposedly died at 33. Many traditions see the spine symbolic of the ascent of spiritual energy. The base being earthly instincts and the crown symbolizing or actualizing divine consciousness. This spine has a lot of characteristics similar to Jacob’s Ladder in the Bible as well. Jacob, the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham, is traveling and he stops to sleep and dreams of a ladder (or staircase) that reaches from earth to heaven. Angels are ascending and descending on it. At the top, G-d stands and reaffirms His covenant with Jacob — promising that Jacob’s descendants will inherit the land and become a great nation. The ladder symbolizes a connection between Heaven and Earth — between G-d and humanity. It shows that G-d is active and present in the world, not distant. It also foreshadows spiritual ascension — the journey of the soul toward God. Many people connect Jesus with Jacob, where the ladder connects heaven and earth or acts as a mediator for Humans (maybe not all Humans though). It’s interesting that Jesus, too, ascended at age 33 — an age often associated with transformation, sacrifice, and awakening. Many people experience an inner turning point around that time — a moment when youthful striving gives way to deeper purpose. I remember at 33 feeling an inexplicable internal shift — a kind of shedding — as if I was being asked to carry life differently, for others, not just myself. Freemasonry, which deeply influenced the formation of the United States, places profound meaning on the number 33 as well. The 33rd Degree in the Scottish Rite represents mastery, enlightenment, and service — what numerology calls the “Master Teacher.” The number also appears across the world’s geography: Phoenix, Dallas, Roswell, Mount Hermon, Damascus, and Babylon all lie along the 33rd parallel — a line some see as an energetic or cosmic axis. 33 clearly is an important theme. The Tree of Life is interpreted as a metaphysical map of creation. 33 represents the return to Source, divine unity, enlightenment. In one of the oldest Kabbalistic texts, there are 32 paths with 10 Sefirot and 22 paths through which connection flows. There are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet, in which if you believe G-d spoke the world into existence this is powerful because each letter represents a unique creative force. There are hence, 32 paths of wisdom. There is also something beyond the 32, called Ein Sof, which is the crown beyond comprehension or divinity, or the 33rd element. Also, the spine as a conduit of life appears in multiple traditions. In Jewish mysticism, there exists a tiny eternal bone in the spine which supposedly will be the seed from which G-d resurrects the body. To have a spiritual backbone means to stay upright when it’s easiest to bend. It’s to embody divine truth under human pressure, and to carry the weight of others with grace.
The demands of today’s world are pretty intense. We move so fast to keep up. With social media, with all the distractions of life, the cost of groceries, etc. Life in certain coastal areas—New York, New Jersey, New England, Florida, California—it’s like $100k+ annually is needed to just walk around as a human basically, let alone have a decent quality of life. Pausing isn’t really an option, so we end up working intense schedules to keep up. Some form of caffeine has almost become essential to keep up with those demands. This just isn’t like the olden days, good or not. Just like our water demands have probably increased. Think about it. Before inventions like aqueducts, springs, bottled water, automobiles, how could a society have enough water to function. Maybe the way G-d constructed the universe, the code in us as a creation is different depending on the era we live in. We as a society could get by not having A/C in cars or houses. Now it seems like the invention is something people couldn’t function without. Maybe that’s the point – we couldn’t. Coffee wasn’t mentioned in the Bible, which is interesting for something that kind of dominates our world a bit. Maybe because it wasn’t something needed with the demands of the era. But innovation—especially in culinary arts—has been part of the evolution of society and the way nature intended. Think about Michelin-star chefs and their meticulous preparations. One of my favorite shows is Triple Threat with Bobby Flay. You have four incredible chefs competing in one hour, judged by an expert—six “titans” on the show, discussing food while amazing dishes are created. The level of innovation in culinary arts by itself is remarkable. Coffee is one of those innovations: a tool to help us live in a “9-to-5” society. Whether it was invented in the 15th century or it was used long before that just in a different form or way, who knows. The Bible does mention work six days and rest one (the Ten Commandments). But what does that mean today—working to make money or is a day of work including running errands? Probably the former, but has to be both in a way if you honor and observe the Sabbath. Either way, society moves faster now, and caffeine helps us keep up. That said, there are caveats. Coffee builds up in your system, and addiction isn’t good. Moderation is key: one or two cups a day hits the sweet spot. Taking a day off each week can reset your body and nervous system. When high stress, anxiety, or overload kicks in, switching to matcha or green tea for a few days or weeks can also help. Also, drinking water first, and not having coffee on an empty stomach are two rules I sort of have built into as foundational principles as well for health. Regardless, coffee heightens awareness and focus. Exercise can do this too, but caffeine boosts performance—at work, in the gym, in life. Apples to apples, studies have shown in exercise athletes with some caffeine perform better with endurance, strength, and power output. Done right, coffee (or tea) is a simple tool to keep up with the demands of society, and the feeling is enjoyable to give us that boost throughout the day.
In the Book of Numbers 12, it says that Moses was the most humble man on earth, which is why G-d spoke to him “mouth to mouth,” not in riddles or dreams as with other prophets. That’s significant — because Moses was the one who scribed the first five books, writing what was supposedly directly spoken. If that’s true, the five books of the Torah — could be the most direct revelation we have. Everything that followed, including Prophets and even the Gospels, were filtered through disciples, interpretations, and memory. So we kind of have to believe that the texts scribed by Moses might be the raw dialogue between Creator and creation — a coded record of divine instruction expressed through history, metaphor, and symbol. Maybe even Moses scribed it imperfectly here and there (it’s many chapters across 5 books), or maybe the translations are off like a game of telephone in a way from duplicating the original. But if we believe the original texts and stories we must take the first 5 books are like a scribe, writing what was orated, either literal translations or metaphors. Now, when we revisit Exodus 1:11, the Israelites are described as building “Arei Miskanos l’Paroh” — traditionally translated as “store cities for Pharaoh.” But in Hebrew, arei means fortified cities, and miskanos comes from a root meaning protection or preservation. These seem to be treasure fortresses — places to perhaps secure Pharaoh’s wealth, and maybe there’s some form of mystic power or simply energy. That brings us to Egypt’s greatest mystery — the pyramids. Start with this. Archaeological digs did uncover immense treasures — like King Tut’s tomb discovered in 1922 — which contained very valuable artifacts made of gold including dozens of pounds of gold. Perhaps the Hebrews helped build these storage houses like the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt. Maybe the Pyramids were built before or some extraterrestrial life source did – but where did that come from – who created extraterrestrial life – seems like a very incomplete statement opposed to the hundreds of thousands of slaves in the region. Chronologically, the traditional dating of the pyramids might predate the biblical Exodus, But maybe we can’t be certain of those dates. The bondage and monumental labor described in Exodus might reflect a pyramid-building age, where slaves could have been in Egypt for generations and centuries, until Moses finally scribed it. Exodus mentions the figure 430 years. In that light, we might arrive at this: The pyramids could have been treasure fortresses for Pharaoh — not only holding material wealth but perhaps some kind of energy conductor. Built with precision to perhaps capture cosmic and solar power. Aligned to true north, built with limestone that radiates heat and energy, and placed with mathematical precision along specific latitudes that correspond with cosmic constants — the pyramids were far more than tombs. Mummies weren’t ever found in the Great Pyramids themselves despite the Egyptians’ obsession with preservation. Maybe the pyramids were the “treasure fortresses for Pharaoh” that the Torah speaks of — massive structures designed not only to store gold, but a source of energy. Some believe they harnessed solar or magnetic energy — through the limestone and granite used and the placement on the specific place on the ground. The Egyptians called them “houses of eternity,” possibly seeing them as technological advancements to power a city or nation. Perhaps the dates between historical Egyptian architectural discoveries and the Torah are more aligned than previously believed. Whether the pyramids stored grain, gold, or energy, one thing is certain: They were built to preserve power — both earthly and spiritual. And maybe that’s what the Pyramids have been showing us all along — they’re still here thousands of years later for a reason. To show us that the era and period, including all these supernatural stories did in fact exist.
One day, AI will be able to analyze people — not just what they say, but how intelligent they are, how qualified they are for a task, and if someone is the right fit for a particular position or role. Job placement may no longer depend on traditional evaluations or customer sentiment, but on AI-driven mechanisms capable of assessing true performance and alignment. In fact, it will be able to tell who is the originator of some idea or concept at a better level from traditional methods and monetization mechanisms will hopefully be able to compensate folks appropriately for what they do intellectually. But here’s the deeper question: Will AI ever understand who we are morally? Can it distinguish between good-natured and corrupt intentions? Between empathy and manipulation? As AI grows, our digital footprint becomes our character reference. And hopefully it measures character, and ability, which should be equally given appropriate weight in a way. In honor of Nick Mangold who tragically passed — what an unbelievable center, just like Kevin Mawae before him. For all their flaws, the Jets have consistently gotten the center position right. Some of my fondest football memories are from those back-to-back AFC Championship runs. Mangold was the anchor of that team establishing the run. Years ago, they did a poll amongst football players asking what the most important position was. Everyone would automatically assume QB, but the answer was Center. Maybe now the knee-jerk reaction would be QB because of the pass-heavy league, but the Center controls the line, picks up defensive schemes, and holds the line together. The offense usually goes the way of the protection. It’s how the Detroit lions under Dan Campbell have done so good – control the line. Jim Harbaugh says it’s the only position that everyone else is affected by on every single play. Back in 2009, 2x Superbowl Champion with the Patriots Vince Wilfork who was considered one of the best defensive tackles in history, was asked who was the toughest center in the league and he said Nick Mangold. Stats never told the full story of how good Mangold was. Or for that matter, for any offensive lineman or gritty players doing the dirty work. But one day, AI might. Dominique Wilkins once said Larry Bird would dominate in any era — and AI might one day prove that, when it can crunch all the context, nuances, and numbers that we can’t. Because AI is going to understand deeper data including intangibles it doesn’t yet quantify. We humans sense them — the eye test, gut feeling, intuition — but often only because AI today doesn’t have enough data or self-sustaining learning power to interpret the full picture. But numbers can’t measure certain things like heart or rising to the occasion. Eventually, it will improve drastically. And when it does, it may come closer to the infinite intelligence we seek. It’s like being on a roller coaster — part of us is thrilled, and part of us wishes a robot built it perfectly. AI will one day analyze things at a deeper level than we can imagine. Money might be the KPI of today’s time, but it won’t always be. One day, it could be DNA — our lineage, our legacy. And the step forward is understanding people and intelligence and what differentiates them. It will be controlled by inputs. The real question is: what will AI measure — and who will control those inputs? That’s why the AI race matters so much. And that’s why I see a massive legacy play in real estate SaaS and digital infrastructure ventures. AI feeds on the digital — not the physical. Even when it merges with the physical, it’s drawing from digital intelligence. Hedging into the digital space isn’t just smart business, it’s future-proofing for the next generation.
The Sistine Chapel is one of the most awe-inspiring artistic and spiritual achievements ever created — and it’s filled with layers of hidden meaning. Michelangelo’s ceiling frescoes cover over 12,000 square feet, painted between 1508–1512, and astonishingly, he did it standing upright, not lying on his back like many imagine. He originally didn’t even want to paint it — he considered painting “torture,” despite being one of the greatest artists of all time. It’s proof that sometimes our greatest gifts aren’t always the ones we love doing… but sometimes we’re called to it, similar to the story of Jonah. The most famous panel — “The Creation of Adam” — shows G-d nearly touching Adam’s hand. Many scholars believe the space between them represents the unreachable perfection of G-d — that divine connection we forever seek. But here’s something most people miss: The shape surrounding G-d and the angels is inside a depiction of the outline of the human brain. Was Michelangelo hinting that when we listen to our mind, intellect, awareness, and higher consciousness, we are, in fact, connecting to the divine? There are 9 main paintings, all drawn from the Old Testament, which can be viewed in two contexts. It can be read right to left like Hebrew text in the Torah, or it can be read as here’s where we are in society and here’s what happened before it in chronological order. From the 9 main frescoes, 3 are about Creation, 3 are about the Temptation and Fall, 3 are about Noah and the Flood. Six of these scenes include G-d Himself — depicted in an unusually dynamic, human form: a wise, bearded figure full of motion and emotion. This was a bold contrast at the time, breaking from older portrayals of G-d as more abstract. This theory aligns with verses like Genesis 1:27 — “So G-d created man in His own image”. It’s a remarkable layout that looks unusual in terms of planning of around 39 separate paintings plus 8 additional scenes. Building on the frescoes and Old Testament, Michelangelo included prophets from the Old Testament like Jonah and pagan sybils through history who were believed to have foretold the coming of a Savior — merging theology, mythology, and prophecy into a single visual story. Michelangelo wanted to show the Old Testament figures and even non-Christian cultures had a spiritual understanding of and foreknowledge of the savior’s arrival, representing a universal spiritual coming-of-age for humankind. He later painted “The Last Judgment” on the altar wall which took him over 20 years to complete — one of his most complex works — portraying souls rising and falling before divine justice. Most religions have consensus on a Savior so to speak, however, some religions differ on the view on the Savior and Divinity. It’s said the Sistine Chapel was built using the same dimensions as Solomon’s Temple, the legendary structure in Jerusalem described in the Bible. Its measurements — roughly 40m long, 13m wide, and 20.7m high — mirror those ancient proportions, connecting the Vatican’s holiest site to the original house of worship. It’s where popes are chosen — symbolized by black smoke for indecision and white smoke when the new pontiff is confirmed (as famously shown in Angels & Demons). And yes — the Vatican isn’t just a chapel. It’s its own country, a financial center, and the seat of enormous spiritual and political power. From the anatomical precision of Adam’s hands to the muscle in the Statute of David’s forearm (which moves only with the pinky itself — proof of Michelangelo’s deep anatomical study), his attention to detail was unmatched. In every stroke of the brush, Michelangelo bridged art, science, and religion, turning paint and plaster into a conversation regarding man and G-d — one that continues 500 years later.
If the Almighty knows the future, that essentially means the future already exists. So can we really make a decision? Maybe everything is predetermined. Some studies even suggest we’ve made decisions before we consciously realize them. A UNSW study indicates we may have far less control over our personal choices than we think — that unconscious brain activity determines our actions well before we’re aware of making a choice. Brain imaging shows that the decision-making process begins before a person becomes conscious of it. Some scientists have theorized that if you had a computer powerful enough, you could predict the future — simply by calculating how fast every atom is moving and in what direction. You’d know where things will be, not just where they are. Unless, of course, the system itself is sentient — not just driven by mechanical precursors. Even then, you could still predict likely paths. And that’s mostly how the universe seems to be designed — a vast web of possibilities. A giant tree with countless branches, and smaller branches growing off each one. We move through those branches, but maybe we get nudged back toward a particular path. Maybe we can’t go too far off the branch assigned to us. It’s like a grid within a grid — a town within a city, within a state, within a nation. The town doesn’t affect the entire country too much, just as most individuals don’t dramatically alter the world with a single decision. But some people, positioned with greater reach or purpose, can. Even then, perhaps their environment is still controlled — each branch of the tree already designed by G-d. We can make choices, yes — but maybe those choices exist as predefined pathways. We simply select a predefined pathway as we move through the world. Imagine a massive cube, a matrix, where every person is a point within it, moving along their trajectory. One decision alone doesn’t reshape the cube. But collectively, if enough people move together — the entire system shifts. Remember when Neo meets the Architect in The Matrix? The Architect explains that the emergence of the anomaly — Neo — breaks even the simplest of equations. Meaning: what we can do can disrupt an algorithm itself. Every interaction we have ripples outward. A simple conversation with a customer service rep might awaken something in them. That spark passes to their boss, to their friends — and slowly, the algorithm begins to fracture. Maybe positively, maybe negatively. Maybe certain actions haven’t any bearing on specific algorithms. What algorithms? Well, like in the movie The Matrix Reloaded, the Oracle tells Neo there are programs running all over this place. Well, the script is written in a way – this world is so complex with people having jobs or functions that are seemingly necessary in a sense, that it is almost programmatic to do a specific job or task. It’s almost like an algorithm coded within people. Yet, we have free will and we have the ability to choose things where things can sort of adjust or flip if needed. Each decision we make is a movement within the cube. It affects others part of the cube — and in turn, affects their decisions. So, the question is why is a controlled grid / cube / matrix created? So maybe it’s one of two things: G-d wants us to live within the matrix — to not question, to withstand control and desire as a test, where temptation is our ultimate quiz. Or… G-d wants us to change the laws of the matrix — to awaken, to transform this realm into a holy place.
Nespresso has a commercial that alludes to the fact that espresso or coffee runs the world we love. In fact, it’s true. I doubt we’d have as many stores, companies, automobiles, clothes, homes, employees, progress as a society if it weren’t for coffee. Coffee is something I personally love. Tea is great as well, including Matcha tea which is higher in caffeine than most teas, but not a much as coffee. Though it might not be as big of an initial burst, it might have levels that sustain itself longer in terms of a time-released dose. To me, coffee is nature’s gentle stimulant — a way to boost energy and focus as we tackle tasks. Spending time in coffee shops is one of the most exciting parts of my day and I enjoy sipping a good cup while I’m on the computer. Maybe it’s a vice of mine. There’s something about a coffee shop that rings true to me. Like Howard Schultz’s concept of a third place between work and home. Some groups, like Mormons, avoid coffee, tea, and alcohol. Their discipline is remarkable — giving up these everyday pleasures shows a level of restraint many of us might find unusual, but it is truly admirable. While I get the detachment from stimulation and a fallen world, I can’t see coffee as inherently bad. It’s almost like Nature’s Clean Drug. When pressures mount, we all deal with stress differently and what we resort to, but it’s important to try to avoid harmful things and so it gets me thinking on what stuff is helpful and harmful. So I analyze it. Fun fact: coffee relaxes a muscle in the stomach, known as the lower esophageal sphincter, and increases gut motility and contractions to move food, liquids, and waste helping digestion and absorption — maybe that’s why we intuitively crave it first thing in the morning. Not only to awaken, but it also has health benefits – moving along our digestive system to rid our bodies of toxins through the natural way of excretion. Caffeine can be extracted on its own which even non-coffee drinkers may resort to, but coffee carries it naturally, which I find a more natural way to consume caffeine as opposed to a pill or energy drink. Funny enough, it’s a better diuretic. Like anything, moderation is key though. Speaking of which, Alcohol is interesting. Our bodies react to it like a poison or toxin especially if we have too much, which is why overconsumption triggers nausea and vomiting. The body wants to purge of the poison before it overwhelms the blood. Wine, however, is mentioned throughout the Bible — in celebrations, rituals, and even in healing contexts. Historically, it helped kill bacteria in food and still has medicinal uses today. Alcohol also can cause reduced stress or less pressure on arteries when done in mild doses. Although those studies may just be biased acts to promote drinking for their own conscious or drive alcohol sales. Because of the religious context, it makes me hard to ever believe all alcohol is bad. Wine, in particular, seems distinct from stronger liquors however not just from a proof standpoint but an actual type of drunkenness or behavior — the Bible does distinguish wine from “strong spirits.” In the Bible, Yayin (wine) came specifically from grapes and was typically diluted with water before drinking. Different from Shekar, “to become drunk.” It’s quite clear why it’s called “spirits” as well. We do live in a world that is not only physical but spiritual. Alcohol gives way towards negative spirits affecting emotions. The mind and spirit are less on guard, which allows access more freely. Additionally at night, there are more dark forces at play that we contend with. Fear can tend to heighten. Personally, I haven’t drunk much alcohol in the last 5–10 years. Only on a few occasions. Definitely am affected differently by even one glass the next day and I value my day. Before that, like many youths, I overindulged, sometimes as a social tool or a way to numb stress. Reflecting, you look at how foolish it can be. Regardless, not everything can be made into a regret either. Moderation is something I wish I understood better, for example, and it’s something that I think isn’t presented enough in youth in a way that resonates. Preaching abstinence from alcohol doesn’t always get the point across but communicating to get in touch with their bodies, their minds, their own expectations is the heart — and how reliance of a substance is a limitation of power that can affect their goals and views of themselves. Playing visualization exercises like what would your 5 year, 10 year, 20 year self view this experience as, and coming back to present with adequate reflection is a very big step to progression. The key to any addiction for example is replacement. Excitement of substitution and continuity of a vision or desire of strength to eliminate the pain associated. The most common cause for alcohol is to talk to the opposite sex. When you realize the vehicle isn’t the only path to do that with efficacy that’s when you can consciously control the pattern and change it. For example, Replacing alcohol with an energy drink or coffee in a social setting is a recipe for how to quit drinking for example. I know for me personally My brain actually felt excited for a social opportunity like a mind trick as opposed to the norm of the numbing feeling alcohol gives you to be more loose in a social setting. Whether it’s talking to the opposite sex or something like making friends, once you start behaving more social under that framework you realize you just changed the tool. Driving a SUV instead of a sedan. Getting to the destination has multiple methods and you realized the tool you were conditioned with wasn’t the only thing you were interested in. This concept applies to many addictions. The reason for the addiction is an end result and sometimes the end result has multiple ways to achieve it including an exciting way that’s not all pain. Coffee, on the other hand, has been a constant for me, — a simple ritual that sparks energy, focus, and enjoyment. I’ve quit it for a couple years and regardless of how hard you try, the energy for work long term hasn’t ever matched for me. It seems like Nature’s Drug for adults to enjoy.
In the spirit of baseball, I am reminded of Derek Jeter. Most postseason hits in MLB history — 200. Best Yankee ever in my opinion. Flying into the stands. Diving stops. The unbelievable Oakland Flip play where he read that the cutoff men were overthrown and it wouldn’t reach the catcher fast enough. Clutch home runs. From 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2009, he showed up in the biggest moments — and every season in between. His post-season batting line: .308 batting average, 20 home runs, 61 RBIs, 111 runs scored. In the World Series specifically: he hit .321 with 50 hits, 3 home runs, 9 RBIs and 32 runs scored in 38 games. He holds MLB post-season records (or among the leaders) for games played (158), hits (200), total bases (302), doubles (32) in the playoffs. Made the playoffs 16 times. Stayed with one team all 20 seasons. His 3,000th hit was a home run — in true winning fashion. His last game? A walk-off RBI single. The stats might not tell the whole story. If you saw him play, you know how he came up big over and over again in tight spots. When asked what made him so great in big moments, Jeter said it was because he treated every game the same — Whether it was a spring training game in Tampa or Game 7 of the World Series. That’s humility. Understanding that yes, the postseason feels bigger — but you only earn poise in those moments if you took the right steps long before. He treated Game 124 with the same meaning and respect as the World Series. He approached the game properly — his preparation, his play, his focus. And even his relationship with the media reflected that same discipline and humility. He always emphasized the team over himself. That’s why he shined when the lights were brightest. Because his mission was simple: win. And when he didn’t, he didn’t shrug it off. He said he never felt better about coming in second place — losing was losing. The mission was unfinished. That humility — that relentless commitment — is what allowed him to rise above pressure. And that lesson translates across industries, disciplines, and even faith. In the Bible, it says that Moses was the most humble man on earth — and that’s why G-d spoke to him mouth to mouth (Numbers 12). Other prophets were spoken to in riddles, dreams, and visions — but Moses’ humility gave him that honor. Humility gives you that same clarity in life, in business, in leadership. It lets you stay centered — whether you’re in spring training or the World Series. It’s a little string that’s connected to your vision of the Divine that acts like a thread connected to your spine, keeping you in place with the right response, the right attitude, and the right task. Having a spiritual backbone, is about being upright with honesty and loyalty, putting truth and others’ needs above one’s own pride. We will get into divine connections and theories on the spine soon. But let’s understand true humility. True humility is what I call Subtle Dominance. It harnesses both the Masculine and the Feminine. Confidence is different from cockiness for example. Dominance is a byproduct of confidence. But it is not an outward expression. It is internal. External bragging would be cockiness. Hence, it is subtle, which is the energy of withholding. Finishing with baseball, George Springer who sent Toronto to the World Series with a clutch 3 run homer and is another clutch performer throughout the postseason, grew up with a stutter. Moses had difficulty speaking, and because of this “limitation”, he was puzzled why G-d chose him with the tasks he did. I find a lot of people who often have a difficult time expressing with words have a lot of intelligence inside them but they can’t articulate, maybe because they are fearful of saying something out of turn, or improper. A lot of the times we speak prematurely or we twist words that aren’t reflective of truth. When you break down words – each word tends to carry immense meaning. Why this word as opposed to another? G-d is perfection. So when we speak a line, it could have been phrased better. There is often a better word that could have been used to describe it. Stuttering, or fear of speaking, often is just recognizing that whatever is said won’t measure to that standard of perfection. However, we can’t be super fearful to the point we never say a word. We just have to do our best, but not blurt everything that comes to mind, because it is not laced with all truth and whatever we articulate from it trying to put that concept into words, will be even less truth. It’s just we have to learn to say just enough to get the point across, and not too much. Not to use 12 words, when 4 will do.
There are clues in everything. Think National Treasure or National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets—history is full of hidden symbols and meaning, if you know where to look. Let’s take the one-dollar bill as an example. On the back of the bill, the number 13 appears everywhere—and with good reason. It’s a recurring theme in U.S. history and Biblical history: 13 arrows in the eagle’s left talon 13 olive leaves and berries in the right 13 stars above the eagle’s head 13 stripes on the shield 13 steps on the pyramid The number 12 often represents limits in creation: 12 months, 12 zodiac signs, 12 disciples of Jesus. But 13 transcends those limits—it symbolizes the ability to rise above destiny, a force beyond the natural order. Include Jesus with the disciples, and you also get 13 people. The symbolism continues: The 13 stars form a shape reminiscent of the Jewish Star of David—a masculine and feminine balance, famously referenced in The Da Vinci Code as the chalice and blade, tied to wisdom and the Holy Grail. The pyramid reflects the Great Pyramid of Giza, leading to the all-seeing eye, a symbol of G-d and ascension. Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson amongst others were very into Biblical history, actually wanting a scene from Exodus on currency. Instead, it is a reference that G-d is always watching like he did with the Egyptians and Moses. Hence, In G-d We Trust right on the bill there. Why unfinished? Several meanings, but perhaps America is under construction or the last step is reserved for ascending to the all seeing eye, and there is always room for improvement. The tiny owl? Wisdom—and a nod to Freemasonry. Latin phrases reinforce this: Annuit Coeptis — “He (G-d) has favored our undertakings.” Novus Ordo Seclorum — “A new order of the ages.” Many confuse this with “New world order” which is something we hear a lot. Obviously the elitists have a plan for a one world government whether we like it or not. But this was a reference to America, in particular – A New Order. E Pluribus Unum — “Out of many, one.” A single nation. And let’s not forget MDCCLXXVI (1776)—the year of the Declaration of Independence. The 13 colonies echo this theme: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Some even note the similarity in shape to Israel—up to down, right to left. In Biblical terms: Jacob’s 12 sons gave rise to the 12 tribes of Israel—but split Joseph into Ephraim and Manasseh, and we get 13 tribes. The founders of America were deeply read in Biblical texts; many were devout Christians and Jews. Some Jews of the era practiced their faith quietly due to persecution, embedding meaning and symbolism into the new nation’s foundation. 13—a number of divine balance, transcendence, and hidden wisdom—woven into the very fabric of America. The 13 Attributes of Mercy. America is supposed to be the new Jerusalem. Clearly there are intense connections.
Throughout history, humans have sought to leave marks that outlast themselves—many in the form of monuments. Some of these wonders still stand, defying time, while others live only in legend. The Ancient Wonders of the World: Great Pyramid of Giza (Egypt) Hanging Gardens of Babylon (Iraq) Statue of Zeus at Olympia (Greece) Temple of Artemis at Ephesus (Turkey) Mausoleum at Halicarnassus (Turkey) Colossus of Rhodes (Greece) Lighthouse of Alexandria (Egypt) Some stand only in memory or fable; others, like the Great Pyramid, still leave us in awe. The New Wonders were formed in 2007. Great Wall of China (China) Petra (Jordan) Christ the Redeemer (Brazil) Machu Picchu (Peru) Chichen Itza (Mexico) Roman Colosseum (Italy) Taj Mahal (India) Each site is a marvel of human ingenuity. Petra whispers of treasures yet undiscovered, with four-fifths of its underground city still a mystery. Machu Picchu and Chichen Itza remind us that many things remain unexplained. The Great Wall, Colosseum, and Taj Mahal we understand a bit more when it comes to modern day construction, but it speaks to the enduring power of precision, planning, and materials all done right. What strikes me most is that the only wonder remaining from the ancient list is the Great Pyramid of Giza—a monument that defies time, culture, and comprehension. It stands as proof that thousands of years ago, Egyptians and Israelites (who most likely built the Pyramids according to Arei Miskanos l’Paroh in Exodus) understood construction, mathematics, and alignment on a level we can barely replicate today. It makes you wonder about history and the truths preserved in the Bible—a structure that remains as one of the last living witnesses to an Old Testament world. The Great Pyramid doesn’t just symbolize power—it symbolizes knowledge, purpose, and connection to something cosmic. Built on Latitudinal Longitudinal lines connecting to the Speed of Light and the Cosmos. One could argue that Jerusalem itself should have been included—a city spanning millennia, layered in meaning and mystery. But it’s hard to remove any of the others. Each wonder speaks to humanity’s longing to reach upward, to carve eternity into stone. Yet somewhere along the way, the essence of architecture—the research study and design connecting to meaning—faded. The Romans had Michelangelo, painting the Sistine Chapel and sculpting David from marble. Attention to detail so profound that in his sculpture, he shows a muscle that only gets activated if the pinky moves a certain way. England raised cathedrals that touched the heavens and castles that still whisper the echoes of empire. Even Newport, Rhode Island has mansions that mirror Europe’s grandeur, expressions of vision and pride. Yes, many of the ancient monuments were built through suffering—by slaves. A lot of resources have gone to house or honor a few people rather than put to better use perhaps in the hands of many. In a different light, it was a beacon of hope to a whole region or symbol to the world, perhaps as the Universe intended. But even at the expense of ordinary citizens, there was a sacred connection between human effort and divine aspiration. Today, we have the freedom, resources, and knowledge to build without bondage—yet we rarely build with purpose. Today, we build football stadiums. Billion-dollar arenas funded by taxpayers, erected for billionaires, standing not as testaments to eternity—but as monuments to entertainment and commerce. Structures that will most likely one day fade into irrelevance or be demolished deliberately. The irony is that the public still funds these monuments—except now, the architecture is soulless, the intention hollow. Yes, we get a few hours of entertainment every Sunday. But the question becomes: What do our monuments say about us? And do we want taxpayer funded Stadiums. I think the NFL and the fortunate few who own these franchises make enough to construct such monuments themselves to house a game, wouldn’t you agree? Wouldn’t it make more sense for those who reap the rewards to carry the cost? The ancients built with intention. They aligned stone with stars, temples with gods, and monuments with meaning. Today, our creations seem more fleeting, hollow, and forgotten. We are in the information age, not the art and architecture age, but it’s a constant reminder to create with intention that will last. In every era, humanity has asked the same question: How can we leave something that outlives us? That is our challenge now: To discover meaning. To connect our creations with science, and Biblical wisdom reminding us of our origins and where we are heading. The world remains a treasure map, and life itself a game of discovery. The clues are in the ruins, the scriptures, and the stones. If we immerse ourselves in history’s mysteries, we can rediscover the divine spark that built the wonders in the first place and perhaps we can unlock some of its greatest secrets, and hidden resources, treasures, or truth.
The World Is Complex Full of personalities and professions, each carrying a purpose that often goes unnoticed. My grandmother used to say, “It takes all types to make a world.” Think about it. The garbage man. The mail carrier. The pizza maker. Historians studying ancient artifacts. Movie editors piecing together emotion. Bloggers giving voice to thought. The supermarket cashier greeting strangers all day. A baseball manager fixing a lineup. A jet propulsion engineer. A cruise ship director. Gold traders, stock analysts, and the silent technologists configuring systems that hold modern life together. Someone fixing roads. The bank teller. Would we have the same world without them? There’s a quiet intelligence behind it all— a kind of cosmic balance that matches every soul to a task that fits their nature. When you realize that, you stop comparing your path to anyone else’s. You see that fulfillment doesn’t come from trying to be everything—but from fully becoming yourself. Not everyone can be the same person. And truthfully, most people wouldn’t want to be a garbage man. But we need them. There’s something in the DNA— a psychological makeup in each of us— that draws us toward different roles in life. Indeed, the world is full of people doing tasks we wouldn’t necessarily want to do, or even think about doing. Not because those tasks are beneath us, but because they simply aren’t ours. It’s not our skill set. It’s not what lights our fire. And that’s okay. Each person is wired for something distinct— a combination of passion, tolerance, curiosity, and courage that shapes their contribution to the world. The artist feels most alive creating beauty. The engineer finds meaning in solving complexity. The teacher thrives in helping others grow. The cleaner takes pride in restoring order to chaos. When you see the world through that lens, you stop ranking people by what they do and start appreciating why they do it. Because the truth is, your purpose isn’t meant to mirror anyone else’s. It’s meant to complete the puzzle in your own way. And when you honor that, you discover something profound— that greatness isn’t found in being everything… It’s found in being exactly who you were meant to be. Because the world doesn’t need more of the same. It needs more of you.
Shohei Ohtani reminds me of the cyborg in the movie Drive (1997) with Mark Decascos — The unstoppable machine the main protagonist faces at the end. Ohtani looks like he was created in a lab. Like some kind of Rocky IV experiment. Unbelievable performances on the mound and at the plate. Babe Ruth was probably the same kind of figure in his time. Almost like reincarnations – history repeating itself. With some people it just feels like the world couldn’t exist without them. Einstein. Sinatra. Elvis. Arnold. Beethoven. Brad Pitt. Clooney. Stallone and Rocky. Seinfeld. Icons that somehow feel necessary—as if reality wouldn’t quite make sense without them. There are songs you hear for the first time that feel ancient, like you’ve known the melody and lyrics forever— maybe from a past life. It’s like when you heard a really good song on the radio, you feel like you’ve always known it in a way. The same goes for films, directors, cities, monuments— The Eiffel Tower. The Pyramids. The Colosseum. New York. Paris. Rome. Certain things feel as though they were destined to exist— inevitable across every version of reality. It’s as if some constants are woven into the very definition of what it means to be in this world. And then you think about alternative realities: In another timeline, could Einstein have never existed? Would Beethoven’s symphonies echo in a different world, or would someone else have created them, differently? Could the Eiffel Tower have been built somewhere else—or never at all, leaving Paris an emptier skyline? It’s unsettling, to imagine. A world without certain “necessary” people and places would be different…I feel like some things are necessary for reality. Other things can be changed in a universe where their roles are fulfilled differently. Do small shifts ripple across timelines, altering everything we think we know? The movie Flash explored this brilliantly with three different Batmans— Michael Keaton, Ben Affleck, George Clooney.(Christian Bale was the epitome of Batman in my opinion). Changing something in time altered which Batman appeared, yet the essence of Batman remained — the symbol endured across variations of reality. And that brings us to the question: Is life fate? Pre-planned? Or free will? Maybe we do have choice— but perhaps certain souls, creations, and moments are part of nature’s design, woven into the very definition of what it means to be in this world. Maybe that’s the point: slight adjustments can be made, but some people, creations, and ideas are constants—threaded into every reality, holding the ethos of the world together no matter the universe, no matter the timeline. My grandmother used to say, “It takes all types to make a world.” Indeed. The world is a learning ground. And maybe we wouldn’t understand the universe’s deeper patterns if those extraordinary people and timeless creations didn’t exist to teach us. I’ll elaborate more on this in the future.
The average person today spends a much higher percentage of their income on housing than ever before. Is it because people have become less responsible—or because costs have simply skyrocketed? There’s no question that rents and mortgages have climbed relative to decades ago, seemingly outpacing normally inflationary pressures while wages haven’t risen at the same ratio when looking at national statistics. But there’s also an element of “Keeping up with the Joneses.” Or not just that, keeping up with the generation above or familial and societal pressures which may be increasingly tough to do. At the same time, this generation arguably has more opportunity than any before it—thanks to the internet, freelancing, and digital entrepreneurship. We always have to recognize how good we have it with conveniences and luxuries. We all have a cell phone with more capabilities than the most powerful people had access to just decades ago. The basic amenities we take for granted in America are luxuries in Europe and other parts of the world. Things like hot water showers for 30 minutes, dishwashers, laundry machines in every unit. These are not things most Europeans have access to in even luxurious apartment complexes. Still, we all for the most part have an itch to get as comfortable as we can, in the form of stability with income and retirement. In fact, it’s an interesting idea by Jung, who said through his studies of people and human behavior that the strongest drive is laziness. We all work so hard and are driven for possessions or power, for a root core, to fulfill our desire to be lazy. Most people who have built real wealth have followed a familiar formula: Live well below your means. Invest the difference in the market (index funds, long-term plays). Accumulate real estate over time—whether as holds or rentals. It sounds simple, but here’s the reality for the average American that isn’t often explained in that above-preached formula absent context: You need enough income left over after essentials like housing, food, cars, and insurance to actually invest. You won’t have to draw on your investment (including interest that compounds) to cover bills while it’s growing for years and decades. And you either have enough cushion that will build into something meaningful or you get 5 or 6 or 7 figure wins that you can sock away and not touch. Most Americans can’t check those 3 boxes and that seemingly has gotten harder to do in the last decade or two and perhaps getting harder. To achieve all 3 boxes sometimes means delaying or depriving a family, or cutting off friends and entertainment. Here’s the reality though, Not everyone wants to live a replica life of deca-millionaires or billionaires. Not envying others is critical. Life has a lot of decisions to it. Many of them made sacrifices or decisions you may not necessarily choose, even knowing it could secure your future. It’s a good reminder to not let social media or comparisons hijack your peace, and when you get a cushion or a financial win, resist the urge to upgrade your lifestyle too quickly. That’s one of the biggest hindrances to being able to jump a level financially. Sometimes saying no to a bigger house, car, or luxury vacation is the smartest move even when you can afford it—so you can build a strong foundation of retirement or cushion money. That said, life isn’t perfect math. Having a girlfriend or wife or husband or kids and a family that will love you also means spending on them. Balance is key. We might value people in our lives, doing certain things that bring them happiness, giving charity, eating good, sporting events, watching a movie, giving money to someone, theater/arts, paying your bills on time, staying in a certain city. Money and security are one of the most important things in this current realm we are in, but life has to be a more complicated worldview from being a financial scorecard. The more intentional we are with decisions when it comes to what we value, what we consume, where we spend our income to have a cushion, the better off we are. As Dickens said: “Earn $1, spend $.99 eternal happiness. Earn $1, spend $1.01 eternal misery”. The more cushion we have, the better our lives tend to be, and the more control we have over our future—and the more freedom we can create for ourselves and our loved ones. Keeping up with some trends and status at certain points is essential to being a human being in society, but not at the expense of our cushion and sanity to give us freedom and flexibility when we want it.
When you hear financial news on TV or in the media, remember — not everything you hear is rooted in honesty. What’s often presented as “expert advice” can actually be a tactic to influence public behavior for someone else’s gain. This is what professionals call “dumb money.” A guest on a show says, “Buy this stock!” — retail investors rush in, the price jumps, and insiders or institutions sell into the surge. Once they offload their positions, the price drops. The public panics and sells, and the “smart money” buys back in at a discount. These cycles of manipulation are precisely why we need to stay skeptical about what we hear in the media. Think about it — companies like BlackRock, Vanguard, or large hedge funds are constantly taking positions, long or short. News stories and analyst opinions can subtly reinforce those positions. It’s not always about informing the public or giving a tip — often, it’s about influencing it with a self-interest at play, or someone else taking advantage of that wave. No wonder so many people have lost trust in the system. By the time the public hears about a “big opportunity,” the insiders have already made their move. Add in politicians trading stocks, and it’s easy to understand the cloud of mistrust that hangs over markets. Despite these flaws, there’s one truth that’s stood the test of time: long-term investing works. The S&P 500 has risen steadily over decades, compounding returns at around 10% annually. That kind of growth, over 30 years, becomes massive. Historically, time in the market beats timing the market — missing just a few of the best-performing days each year can wipe out much of the year’s gains. Staying out of the market isn’t risk-free either — inflation is a near certainty, silently eroding cash over time. There are many schools of thought: Warren Buffett’s contrarian, concentrated approach — betting big on companies he deeply understands. Peter Lynch’s philosophy — invest in what you know and observe what’s trending around you. But ultimately, your strategy should match your resources, temperament, and patience. Buffett can make massive concentrated bets because he has billions, insider access, and teams of analysts. Most investors can’t. That’s why diversification and long-term consistency tend to outperform emotional or speculative investing. Speculative markets like crypto are examples of how hype can eclipse fundamentals. Yes, blockchain, Bitcoin, and Ethereum have real applications, but 99% of coins offer zero tangible value to society. Money can be made on speculation…it’s also a risky endeavor. Traditional investing is about assessing market trends, industry health, leadership quality, revenues, and cash flow. A great product doesn’t automatically make a great investment — and timing often matters as much as fundamentals. Cherry-picking individual stocks is, in many ways, like betting on a football game. You can win or lose — though at least with stocks, you aren’t going to lose everything unless you’re over-leveraged through margin calls or shorting a stock or options trading. Day trading adds even more risk, not just from market swings but also from tax implications. The safest individual bets are usually companies with monopolistic protection — those that dominate their category through scale, innovation, or necessity. That’s your thoroughbred horse — the one you can ride long term, but only with money you can afford to keep invested when the temptation to pull out hits. Timing your exit perfectly is like trying to read a crystal ball. Think of Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Google — they didn’t just make great products; they built ecosystems and moats that kept competitors out. It’s easy to say, “If only I’d invested 20 years ago,” but those same opportunities do exist now — they’re just harder to spot. Even great companies can falter. For every Apple or Microsoft, there are Nokias, BlackBerrys, and Sonys — once giants, now shadows of their former selves. The difference is often adaptability and timing. Most hedge funds can’t beat the S&P 500 over a 5- or 10-year stretch. The best ones have a few incredible years, attract massive AUM, and cash in. For everyday investors, the game is different — we’re not holding the same cards or the same information, which makes the deck of cards stacked against us. Consistency, patience, and not drawing on your investment funds for living expenses tends to win over time, but the bottom line is… Stay skeptical of financial media. Every expert advisor will mention to think long term. I’m not claiming to have answers — but it’s clear that the markets and the media have flaws that aren’t protecting us, that can distort perception, but America has been a safe bet for the last 100 years despite down markets that occur over and over. If you buy at the top and pull your money at the bottom in those markets, that’s where things go absolutely awry. If you believe in America’s long-term growth, an S&P 500 or Vanguard index fund may make sense. If the debt, the dollar, and political risks, make America seem less attractive it makes sense to diversify intelligently. But America has withstood many periods of uncertainty including World War 2. If you believe in America, most expert advisors will recommend something that mirrors the S&P and Nasdaq as two quality funds to invest what you can every month, and watch it grow for 25-30 years. And if you find a company — or even a startup — with true monopolistic potential and a team you believe in, that’s where some real magic can happen. Some people will say hedge it appropriately, others will say you need to take risks to make real money. There isn’t any one secret formula and I’m not sure anyone has that perfect formula for someone else’s situation. Go with what’s best for your situation, risk tolerance, and needs.
The Temple Mount is one of the holiest places in the world — some would argue the holiest. Situated in the Middle East, at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa, it is essentially the center of the world on a map. Perhaps that alone says enough. This small strip of land has seen thousands of years of conflict, yet it remains a symbol of faith, history, and human civilization. Let’s explore some chronology. King David purchased the land that is now the Temple Mount. His son, King Solomon, built the First Temple to house the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies. The Ark of the Covenant, which held the Ten Commandments, is described in the Bible as a vessel of divine and supernatural power—a sacred artifact that has captured imaginations for centuries, from scripture to films like Indiana Jones. It was constructed from acacia wood, a material chosen for its strength and resistance to decay, and overlaid inside and out with pure gold, symbolizing divine perfection and eternal value. Atop the Ark sat two golden cherubim, facing one another over the lid—known as the Mercy Seat—where the presence of G-d was said to dwell. Between these cherubim manifested the Shekinah Glory, the visible sign of the Divine Presence, where G-d was believed to commune with Moses and later with the High Priest during sacred offerings. The Ark housed the Ten Commandments, written on stone tablets, representing G-d’s covenant with His people. According to the Bible, it radiated supernatural power—so potent that touching it irreverently could bring instant death. The Ark was kept in the Holy of Holies, the innermost chamber of the Temple of Solomon (and before that, the holy portable sanctuary the Tabernacle built by Moses in the wilderness) — the inner sanctum where the presence of G-d was believed to dwell on earth. Inside this chamber rested only one object: the Ark of the Covenant. The purpose was to be a more permanent structure of the Tabernacle (made of everlasting materials acacia wood and gold but also silver and bronze) on Mount Sinai (the location where G-d gave detailed instructions to Moses, and spoke with the Israelites at the base). The temple was later destroyed, and the Second Temple was built in its place. Jesus whose ancestry apparently traces back to David, visited and taught in the Second Temple — a place central to his ministry and ultimately close to where he was crucified. Today, the Dome of the Rock sits atop the Temple Mount, where Muslims built a mosque around what they believe to be the sacred rock (the central rock that was used to form the world, so to speak) — the exact location remains a subject of debate but nevertheless this site remains highly coveted by Muslims and others. The Knights Templar, centuries later, associated themselves with Solomon’s Temple, carrying its symbolism in their traditions. They occupied Jerusalem, performing rituals beneath the Temple Mount, and searched for ancient artifacts like The Ark and the Holy Grail. Over time, Freemasons, (notable ones include George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Paul Revere) adopted many of these connections. Many Historians point to Freemasonry with the evolution of the United States, linking symbolism to buildings, money, maps, and city layouts including Washington, D.C. Many celebrities today like James Cameron are Freemasons. The modern Temple Mount is obviously a place of significance given all this history, housing the Western Wall, where Jews pray. This massive structure is believed to be a remnant of one of the temples — its scale is astonishing, extending deep below the surface. If you go there you’ll see a glass cutout on the floor where you can see how deep down the wall goes. The Mount and surrounding Old City honor all three Abrahamic faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In the Old City which is filled with shops and markets and is apparently where Jesus carried the cross through town, you’ll find the modern day Jewish, Christian, Armenian, and Muslim quarters — each with sacred symbols, each a testament to the rich and intertwined history of this land. It’s no wonder this small piece of land is so coveted, revered, and historically significant — perhaps exactly as G-d intended. I recommend going to Jerusalem if you haven’t been. You’ll get a different perspective on religion, you’ll enrich your own faith and understanding, and learn more about what all the desire for control is over (or more importantly, to honor the truth and legacy), so to speak, with this strip of land.
This might throw you for a loop a little because I sometimes talk about heavy stuff, but religion and philosophy is a fabric we carry into our lives and our businesses, because we make decisions in them consciously or unconsciously based on our model of the world. I like to explore truth or at least, concepts that make us think. This might be a touchy concept, but definitely a topic to unpack and here is my interpretation. Abraham’s covenant is one of the important themes in the Bible. One of the greatest gifts we have is creation – through sex – a pleasurable act that also results in temptation. This seemingly is where Abraham’s covenant comes in to play. Circumcision. “And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.” Approximately 80% of the US is circumcised. Globally, that number might be lower like 40%. Whether you should or shouldn’t is irrelevant, but I like to reflect on the texts we are drawn to and focus mainly on the interpretation. Health benefits are often cited as a key factor of why circumcision is done, but religion focuses on the connection with G-d. According to the Old Testament, there’s obviously something that happens to a soul when a circumcision (or Bris in the Jewish religion) takes place. Why is this important? Well, according to the Old Testament, a soul connection is established either from the act of cutting the foreskin itself or a constant reminder whenever looking down in that area, or both. “And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.” Something apparently changes psychologically in us with circumcision, where a boy / man understands their relationship with their private parts, when they have this done to them. But if we believe in the texts, it seems like this promise that affects the soul affects how we approach life and relationships it appears. In my interpretation, whenever we look down at that area, we are reminded that we hold a sacred power of creation and by extension, we are reminded of this bond with the Lord that we are entrusted to do the right thing. Our private parts carry the gift of life and creation but also responsibility. Sex creates life and it has the potential to carry sin/regret/etc. as an equal and opposite reaction too. Seeing the phrase man child, is interesting. Maybe that is misinterpreted text, but it does makes sense that it’s supposed to be done when we are children due to the pain. Because we are so new to the world, and we cry a lot in this period, we probably prefer to have it done during this period because our pain receptors aren’t fully developed and our memories aren’t as clear. Some people get it done when they are older. I’d imagine it is quite painful. Before Tzipporah (Mose’s wife) took it upon herself to circumcise their son, it said Moses was facing death because he didn’t want to do it to his son. Sometimes we are protective of our loved ones and hate to see them in pain or danger. But if someone as great as Moses, who was entrusted with some of the greatest tasks in history, was going to be killed, if he didn’t do it, obviously it’s pretty important stuff it appears. Maybe G-d knew how Tziporrah would respond to that set of circumstances to provide a threat or a warning, but it obviously stresses the importance of this act. Just a reminder of how important circumcision is according to the Old Testament, to Judaism itself, and to the Covenant one has with the Creator if you believe in the word.
Albert Einstein once said that “time is but an illusion.” The truth is, past, present, and future are much more fluid than the single, linear continuum we experience as “now.” We look back on the past through the haze of memory—distorted, selective, emotional. We look ahead to the future with anxiety or hope, imagining possibilities that may never unfold the way we expect. To understand time differently, imagine first a two-dimensional world—north, south, east, west. A flat map. Now add the third dimension—depth. Suddenly, you can move up and down. As Brian Greene describes, imagine a coordinate like 42nd Street, 8th Avenue, 3rd Floor. Each number represents a different axis of movement. To a being living in a purely 2D world, that “up and down” direction would be inconceivable—an entire realm of existence invisible to them. Now think of time as the fourth dimension. In our three-dimensional experience, we can only move within the present moment. But in the fourth dimension, time itself—past, present, and future—becomes accessible, like a vast library where every moment already exists, waiting to be visited. That’s the essence of the tesseract scene in Interstellar—a visualization of higher-dimensional reality, where timelines are tangible, navigable, interconnected. There is far more to life than what we perceive in this 3D physical world. While our eyes see only three dimensions, our minds and hearts seem to reach beyond them. When we get a sudden thought, intuition, or sense of something happening before it does, perhaps it’s because some part of us is tapping into those higher dimensions. Our thoughts and emotions—down to a cellular level—may have access to more information than our conscious mind can process. That’s intuition. It’s that subtle knowing when you meet someone, sense a good or bad fit, feel drawn toward a certain path or guided away from another. Of course, emotions aren’t always accurate—anxiety or depression can distort the signal. But being mindful and aware allows us to interpret these signals more clearly. Just because something doesn’t make perfect sense within our 3D model of logic doesn’t mean it isn’t right. Sometimes, the decisions that seem irrational in the physical world make perfect sense in the higher one.
Piggybacking on yesterday’s post… I’ll say this — influencing the past and the future with our thoughts and emotions feels very real to me. Thoughts and feelings, in my opinion, can transcend time and space. Interstellar actually touched on this. Anne Hathaway’s character felt drawn to the planet that ended up being the right one — not because of data, but because of her love connection to the astronaut. That intuition, or emotional relay, or afterlife communication was a form of guidance through space and time. Maybe when we get sudden thoughts about the past or future, it’s not random — maybe it’s an invitation to connect and influence those timelines. Our feelings toward past events could subtly alter how they unfolded, and our emotions about the future could guide us toward (or away from) certain outcomes — nudging us toward the timeline we want to experience. Physics even gives us a glimpse into this mystery: the simple act of observing an electron changes its behavior. Sometimes, we revisit the past in our minds — reliving a positive memory or re-examining a painful one. Those moments help us grow, but we often wish we could change how we acted. Maybe we actually can. By deeply understanding how we’d respond differently now, we might not only influence the energetic imprint of that moment — but also how others perceive what happened. Reflection reshapes memory, and memory reshapes reality. So perhaps our thoughts about the past do change it, in some subtle, quantum way. Or maybe everything — or at least our major life priorities — is predetermined, and what we truly get to choose are the emotions we experience about them. On the topic of determinism… Some major events in life feel designed — almost as if they were meant to happen. Moments that shape who we are: meeting a spouse, crossing paths with a mentor, the birth of a child, or even the challenges that redirect our path. We often want to believe in a sense of fate when it comes to these events. If everything were purely random, it could make life feel unsettling — as though there’s no deeper thread connecting one moment to the next. Yes, we crave free will and control — the ability to make our own choices and shape our destiny. But having what feels like divine guidance or an underlying order offers comfort — a feeling that there’s more at play than chance. Maybe life is a blend of both: We have free will to navigate choices presented to us, but the key crossroads — the people, the opportunities, the big decisions — are predetermined to come to fruition, no matter what. That balance between randomness and design might be what gives our lives meaning — the sense that we’re both authors and participants in a much larger story. It seems like a complex theory… but in a way, these are things we all wrestle with daily. How we approach decisions is guided by whether we believe in fate or free will or whether our decisions – small or large, have a massive ripple effect and impact our future.
Time travel fascinates me. Some of the best movies exploring the idea include: Predestination, Timecop, Looper, Back to the Future, Interstellar. Each takes a very different approach to what’s possible. Timecop has a lot of unique concepts well ahead of its time with influencing the present, monitoring time travel as a society, and although it might not be the most “scientifically accurate,” it introduces an intriguing idea — you can go into the past because that timeline already exists, but not the future, because it hasn’t happened yet. Interstellar flips that premise. Travel fast enough — or near a black hole — and you’ll essentially travel into the future through time dilation. It doesn’t explore traveling into the past much except through the tesseract, where you can influence someone across time, but not necessarily live in the experience so to speak. Maybe both films are showing that either direction could be possible, depending on the speed at which we go, and the access to past timelines if they exist like “fissures in time” like Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Predestination, on the other hand, dives deep into identity paradoxes — causality, and the idea that your future might actually create your past, and trying to alter events, is futile. It’s one of the most thought-provoking takes on the subject. Most scientists state that Back to the Future is the most accurate from their perspective of scientific methods, but it will also depend on what’s true regarding dynamic timelines like the Grandfather paradox, alternate timelines like parallel universes, or more of a consistency principle that binds the fabric of the universe. There might be rules that apply in events that would prevent your birth for example, but if we can destroy ourselves or such results would compromise the universe itself, so to speak, this is where complicated theories take shape. Very few movies, however, showcase an experience of yourself in a past version, it is more an experience of a version of yourself going into a future or past location on a fixed timeline/fixed universe, where two people now exist on the same timeline. So, if you do travel to the future or past are you making decisions from a different vantage point only influencing, not making decisions from the first person point of view, vantage point. Simply, are there one of you or two of you? Personally, I believe it is very likely to happen, to view events in both the past and the future…viewing is not as difficult as transcending laws physically. The Movie Paycheck was a good movie that illustrated this. Physically being there is another thing that requires extraordinary energy capabilities we may have or may never have the capacity to reach. But, I will say, influencing the past and future with our thoughts and emotions is real. Thought and feelings can transcend time and space in my opinion. With regards to physical time travel, two main theories stand out to me: We can’t go to alter the past because it would cause too many ripples — or worse, two of the same matter occupying the same space could cause disastrous effects, but the future is still available as long as we go close to or at the speed of light. The other theory is, we can’t go to the future because it hasn’t been written yet (maybe), but the past exists because it happened, which means it can be accessed on some kind of fixed timeline that’s been created already existing in a physical universe. Here’s where things stand. We’ve already proven we can “travel” into the future — albeit in minuscule ways through relativity. But to travel light years ahead would require unimaginable energy. A more plausible route might be through wormholes — bending space-time like folding a piece of paper in half and poking a hole straight through. Changing the past, though, is the butterfly effect in action. Even a one-minute change could alter the entire course of reality. Think about it — a different minute of conception could mean a completely different person exists today (though I believe a soul’s creation is more complex than that). So the future seems more accessible, the past seems less likely and much more complex. Do I think there’s a path for physical time travel? Yes — but only the righteous will be able to invent it – as it was intended, and whether it will be destroyed after the set of missions are accomplished will be something else to discuss.
Founders aren’t necessarily the best “company builders” or conglomerate powerhouses. Often, inventors and innovators are exceptional at creating—but not necessarily at building or running a company. Take Apple, for example: Steve Jobs likely couldn’t have built Apple into what it became without Wozniak, and Wozniak probably couldn’t have built the company Jobs did. They complemented each other. That’s why it’s so hard for entrepreneurs to do it all themselves. Even in professions like dentistry, medicine, or law, being exceptional at your craft doesn’t automatically make you a business genius. A dentist, doctor, or lawyer who keeps a practice thriving for decades—who consistently delivers results, keeps the lights on, and serves their community—is a marvel in their own right. Just because someone has a big business doesn’t mean they’re the most skilled at their craft. Sometimes, someone can achieve rapid, flash-in-the-pan success—7 or 8-figure revenue in a short period—but struggle to sustain it over time. Other times, someone quietly runs a business for decades, never hitting that explosive revenue, but building something that endures. And that’s okay. It’s easy to compare someone’s best year with social media, for example —but what about a body of work? Forty years of steady excellence matters just as much, if not more, than one spectacular year. But let’s not discount what it takes to have a moment of brilliance. Sylvester Stallone says he gets bursts of creation for scripts and movies. The person who has bursts of energy may not be able to excel at a desk job or a managerial role on Wall St, for example. Different people have different skill sets. Different stages of a journey require different talents. A great manager might not be a great innovator, and a brilliant inventor might not excel at managing people. On their own, they may not achieve the same results as when they work together—or when they pass the baton at the right time. Recognize your strengths. You don’t have to do everything, be everything, or succeed on every metric. Time is limited, and the right people in the right roles at the right time are your force multipliers. Be deliberate about who you trust, who you bring in, and when you pass responsibilities along. Steve Jobs didn’t trust just anyone—he trusted Tim Cook. Tim Cook is a longer tenured CEO if you can imagine. But he probably wasn’t the revolutionary or innovator that Jobs or Wozniak was. He is one of the best sustainers. Success is not one-size-fits-all. It’s not just about explosive growth, flash results, or climbing the ladder fastest. It’s about using your unique skill set wisely, respecting the different paths people take, and building something meaningful—whether it’s a moment of brilliance or a legacy that spans decades.
It’s Very Clear: The Yankees Have the Regular Season Formula — But Not a Postseason One Brian Cashman is arguably the best regular-season general manager in all of sports — 27 straight winning seasons under his leadership. Incredible. If you’re a mid-market team, that’s all you can ask for and more — consistent playoff contention – and you’d be absolutely smitten with half those results. But if you’re the New York Yankees, the standard is championships, or at least World Series/ALCS every year with a hiccup here and there. 1 championship in 25 years, something is amiss. Let me be clear: this is not even close to easy – if it was everyone would do it. How often is there a dynasty in baseball? It’s a fundamental philosophy – you bet on October and that team may not be the best team over a 162 grind and might miss the playoffs, or do you go with the mentality of you have to be in it to win it? Cashman I’d argue is the latter guy, which is a bit transformed mentality from 1996 Yankees who was a home-grown find diamonds, cultivate-the-culture group. Business is like that too – do you put your chips into the big deals/big ventures or the smaller deals/smaller priced inventory that sells quicker, or try to find some magic formula of both. What’s the perfect method. Though things to balance. Once the Core Four retired, Cashman has delivered one World Series visit — despite maintaining one of, if not the, highest average payroll in sports. He deserves full credit for building and keeping that legendary late-‘90s core intact (’98, ’99, ’00, and later runs in ’01 and ’03 etc.). But since that dynasty faded, it’s making the Playoffs and Postseason Mediocrity performance to follow. That comes down to whoever is compiling the roster and coaching staff. The scouting, the pitching depth, and the unshakable mental edge just haven’t been the same. Jeter, Rivera, Pettitte, Posada, and Torre were iconic. That group embodied ice in the veins. Jeter, to me, was the clutchest player in baseball history — 200 postseason hits and endless pressure moments. But every year you had guys come through like O’Neill, Leyritz, Girardi, Brosius, El Duque, Mendoza, Sojo, Boone — they all had that “we don’t lose” mentality and the unsung heroes came through with hits when you needed it. We got spoiled with Jeter’s bat, Bernie’s home runs, Pettite on the mound when you needed an elimination game win, and Mo to finish, but winning became the Yankees’ identity. A lot of the Yankees success, in my opinion, is because of the scouting department and staff like Mel Stottlemyre. His influence on the mound was unmatched. He helped mold winners — not just regular-season stat guys, but players who could come through in the biggest moments. Because playoff baseball is different. It’s not about numbers. It’s about composure. 162 games come down to a handful of high-pressure at-bats and pitches. I’d argue that gritty hits (with a lights-out core of 2 SPs/middle reliever/closer) beats regular season power in October. “Ice in the veins” DNA is what wins in October. Pair a couple of guys like that with Judge and Big G Stanton — who have the power and talent — and you’ve got a team built for a deep run. Life is also like that. Raising your play when a big deal or negotiation or opportunity that you can take advantage of comes in to the mix. Maybe we would have gotten it done with a healthy Cole, but I’m not sure the hitting and bullpen was there. Championship runs have always been built on clutch DNA and guys who raise their level of play in October. The Yankees once had this formula — and they need to find it again, and it might require some shakeup in the front office.
Sci-fi movies and books have always been the prelude to real-world innovation. Think about it — Minority Report, James Bond, Demolition Man — each carry concepts that are forward thinking well ahead of their time and cutting edge, but many of these inventions have already been realized and others maybe will be. Imagination is the first step; creating it in the physical world inevitably follows. All it takes is the right resources. Do these stories inspire inventors to build? Are they predicting the future? Or are they simply reflecting technologies that already exist but haven’t been released to the public yet? Take Inception and its dream-sharing tech. There have been reports suggesting this is already being explored — but mostly as military applications or classified research. Some speculate the military might be 10, 20, even 50 years ahead of what the public sees. The military has the funding and resources to be able to embark on these innovative ideas. It only makes sense: inventions often lag behind what we see in movies. Writers may get early whispers of classified tech, or — as some conspiracies claim — Hollywood might subtly plant ideas before unveiling them. Maybe it’s a little of all three. Sci-fi writers have an interest in cutting edge, which is often sparked by the military, and Hollywood loves new, novel, and exciting technologies that can be used in a blockbuster. There are spooky parallels between some storylines and the future that hint on time travel, but that is for another deeper conversation, that I will discuss another day. Regardless, it’s a good reminder that sometimes the new idea we are seeking is in a movie or book we love.
October 7 was a tragic day — over 1,200 lives lost. Watching the clips is terrifying. Two years later, the issue of hostages is still unresolved. How? Setting religion or arguments on land aside, this is about humanity. Holding hostages or genocide or murder is just a separate discussion — what would you do if you were in control? Terrorism is never acceptable. As history reminds us through events like 9/11 and Pearl Harbor, the US doesn’t tolerate it. Israel has responded carefully, influenced by the United States, showing more restraint to avoid further escalation as opposed to what they’d probably do on their own. Israel, as they should, are going to abide by pretty much every one of the US orders when it comes to military attacks. They need to get consent and approval for Middle East Conflict, unless some very rare circumstance. The truth is: Antisemitism has existed for thousands of years, with Jewish communities repeatedly persecuted across different eras and different countries, from Egypt to Rome to the Spanish Inquisition to the unimaginable Holocaust to Middle East conflicts. A powerful way to understand what Jews have faced throughout history, I recommend watching a good movie like Schindler’s List or Woman in Gold, graphically showing the lives of ordinary Jewish families ripped apart. We should all hope for never again and Peace in the Middle East.
In one way or another, we all get drawn into a world of religion—or something resembling it—through our own eyes, experiences, and what speaks to us personally. Sometimes that takes the form of organized religion we grew up with or have come to appreciate. Other times, it’s something that looks entirely different on the surface but carries its own spiritual undertones. And of course, there’s everything in between. Take Star Wars, for example. It’s captured a massive following—especially among youth—and in many ways, it’s like its own religion. Even though it’s fiction, it draws on deep religious and philosophical themes. George Lucas was very well read. When you watch it, you suspend disbelief and embrace ideas like The Force—a concept strikingly similar to the mystical fabric that binds our universe. It’s rare for a true atheist to believe in nothing or to find no joy in anything. Something always stirs their enthusiasm—some pursuit, passion, or principle that gives life meaning. Few people are born and die as atheists without ever questioning, shifting, or searching. There’s always a process in between—a morphing of belief shaped by experience, curiosity, and time. The same is true for religion. It’s uncommon for someone to believe in their later years exactly as they did in their youth, especially regarding the faith they were born into. Life refines our understanding. We extract what is useful, and we discard what no longer serves. Religion, at its core, is about believing in something greater than ourselves and that there’s a fabric that guides controls and/or creates. But even outside of religion, we encounter disciplines that require spiritual buy-in. Whether it’s soccer, theater, or martial arts, these pursuits often lead to moments of flow and transcendence—experiences that help us tap into something invisible yet deeply real. You could call it The Force, or simply awareness of a higher order beyond what our eyes can see. The WiFi signal is there, even though we can’t see it. So are sound waves, light waves, and countless forces around us. The supernatural—or perhaps the unseen natural—is woven into everything. Even scientists who reject organized religion must operate on faith: faith in the scientific method, in the accuracy of equations, in the integrity of those who came before them. Faith, then, is all around us. It’s not confined to temples or texts—it’s built into the very structure of existence. And in my opinion, that’s how clever G-d is. He knows how to reach everyone, in one way or another.
Politics is largely like theater – not to entertain us deliberately but things go on that aren’t what we expect, think or appear from facts even told to us. There is a great movie called The Sum of All Fears with Ben Affleck and it will be a bit of a spoiler alert but still worth it to enjoy even after reading this. In fact, it might pique your curiosity more. There’s a great scene where Ben Affleck says “what if he didn’t order the attack?”, referring to the Russian President. While the US President and his cabinet scoff at the idea, characterizing the Russian Leader as a hard-liner, there was more that meets the eye in that scenario. Ben Affleck suggests “what if it was a rogue general or a splinter military unit” and the Cabinet members not only think he’s not accurate, it is albeit briefly confirmed by Russian President who holds a briefing where he says he organized the attack. Shortly after, the Russian President asks his confidante, “do we know who did it?”, suggesting he doesn’t want to look incompetent or not in control. Later, we learn that it was a complex, organized plot by a rogue group who took some Russian intelligence with them to accomplish the task. Affleck was right all along and his intuition and research skills prevents catastrophic events. This always reminds me that in politics, there’s more that meets the eye. There’s what we see / hear / read through the media. There’s another side of the actual world in Washington where you have people up against each other where there is a big game of chess going on. There’s also other parties and players we aren’t even aware of that influence decisions. We only have part of the story. Even stories or causes we are passionate about, there’s more going on than we are aware of.
Aging is a biological process but in reality it’s a thought based process. What comes first – chicken or egg? David Bowie had an interesting quote on aging: “Aging is an extraordinary process where you become the person you always should have been.” There are certain people when you think of them you view an older version of them. Like Anthony Hopkins. He seems like the same type of person for the last 30 years. Could you imagine a younger Hopkins? For me, not really. I think the pinnacle of his form is that older white haired look. It worked for David Bowie in a sense, but not everyone enjoys the aging process. Maybe their essence or pinnacle is a younger version. Regardless, there is truth to what Bowie says. Aging for many people is becoming a wiser, more advanced person. But we lose our bodily function. It’s a trade-off in one sense. Our bodies can’t handle simple things like alcohol like it used to, or recover from injury as quickly or even as effectively. Even drinking coffee on an empty stomach affects me in a way that it didn’t when I was younger. The question remains – is it a biological process that leads the way? Or, is it some cosmic process of thought that experiences itself in the body. Do our bodies get older because our minds understand the concepts of risk more, and like a self fulfilling prophecy, our bodies become more fragile? Or even, wisdom just ages us. Maybe it’s a bit of both, but it’s not so simple as the body degenerates because cells deteriorate over years. There might be more at play with thought patterns dictating the end result, at least in my opinion. It’s both.
Mount Nebo is famously known as the place where Moses was allowed to see the Promised Land. Yet, tradition tells us he was not permitted to enter it. Moses is widely regarded as the greatest prophet in Judaism and is a central figure in Christianity, Islam, and other Abrahamic faiths. He led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, served as the scribe of the first five books of the Torah, and delivered the Ten Commandments. And yet, he faced punishment for a critical moment—reminding us that leadership carries immense responsibility. Why, then, would the greatest prophet not be allowed to enter it when he followed so many of the Almighty’s requests. But what if we consider a different interpretation? Moses was granted a unique gift: the ability to see the Promised Land. Perhaps the Promised Land was a work in progress, something not fully going to be realized within his lifetime. From Mount Nebo, he glimpsed Canaan—not just as it was, but as it would become: maybe he was granted the gift to be able to see a fully formed land where his people would live freely and thrive. And maybe only he was given the gift to see it, on that Mountain. Even Moses, who performed miracles and carried out divine tasks, was not flawless. Perhaps he stumbled in a pivotal moment. And yet, the view from the mountain was a vision reserved solely for him—an extraordinary perspective that revealed the Promised Land in its completed form, many years into the future. Maybe his mission on Earth was done, and he was needed elsewhere. In life, we too must trust that our dreams and visions will unfold—even if we are not there to witness their final realization.
Saw a bunch of birthdays recently—Jon Paxson, Kerr, keys to Jordan’s greatness. Cary Tagawa—Mortal Kombat wouldn’t have been the same. Ian McShane is underrated—Hollywood circles and fans know, but he hasn’t always gotten the lead roles he deserves. We’re all cogs in the system, even if we think we’re unplugged. Imagine if there weren’t the World Wide Web, a computer, the tools your profession relies on, or even the Dollar. Talents need platforms, many of which haven’t been invented yet. Our system is imperfect. Einstein’s family doesn’t get a check every time his equations get used. Beethoven should have had a music deal equal to all top artists combined. Did the inventor of email get paid properly? Innovation and systems always lag behind genius. Goal: reward and incentivize the talent you want to see replicated, and value people who help you. Let the negatives spark counteracting inventions and systems within you—or support those driving a meaningful difference…with the wallet or creative means. Shoutout to all the unsung heroes—those part of the machine, often underpaid and under-appreciated. Success is from “tilling the soil” but isn’t realized in a vacuum. Well-capitalized markets, payment transfer systems, roads, internet, schools, cell phones, electricity, on and on—the vessel we operate in exists thanks to countless unknown unrecognized underpaid people we’ll never meet, in this or past generations. The Oracle in The Matrix says it best: “We’re all here to do what we’re all here to do. I’m interested in one thing, Neo, the future. And the only way to get there is together.” All we can do is what’s in front of us. Cause and effect—and time itself—aren’t as linear as we perceive. Even if your work isn’t rewarded today…the spiritual energy of stress and effort that creates something of value can’t be destroyed—it lives in your codex, in the ether of the universe, to receive in the future.
The home run that changed everything…
Do the Yankees have the same dynasty if not for this pivotal moment?
Down 0-2 in the series, down 3-6 in the game, 8th inning, on the road…What an at bat.
Similar to the Patriots, Oakland game a la the tuck rule with Vinatieri’s clutch gene in the snow.
Shows how one play can spark a great team. In life all we need is one thing to go our way to give us a breakthrough and set us up.
Always have faith the next breakthrough is around the corner.
And on the flip side, dynasties aren’t always here to stay. The Braves probably thought they were creating their own with that remarkable pitching staff. Sometimes we can have flash in the pan moments so to speak, and it’s all the more reason why we have to capitalize on the opportunities we get – but momentum is a very real thing – upward or downward, courage to get on the wave and ride the wave.
Watching this evokes a lot of emotion to understand one swing here really did launch an unbelievable run.
Whether it’s pressure of the whole world on your shoulders or just let it rip nothing to lose type mentality here, or a combination of both…remarkable how some people can pull through in big moments.
I recommend watching the whole at bat if you can, on youtube…gives a different perspective of the whole situation and how he battled in the at bat before rocketing that one.
Wow, I remember waking up in the morning and my dad telling me what happened. I stayed up too late for many games in the past but this wasn’t one of them, unfortunately lol. Thank you Jim Leyritz – I doubt we go on the same type of run without your postseason heroics and you are sometimes a forgotten hero.
Saw The Breakfast Club recently and reminds me – Movies aren’t what they used to be. Not just nostalgia — apples to apples I feel the writing and the acting nuances just aren’t the same.
We have an endless amount of superhero movies.
Over-the-top action/CGI/sci-fi trickery…It’s like a comedian thats not that funny, that has to default to excessive cursing. Everything has its place (trust me, I was the biggest Arnold / JCVD fan).
… But Two hours, five kids, a few adults, somehow you understand every single one of them at depth, like a psychologist wrote the dialogue (John Hughes was definitely in another league from most).
There’s plenty of good stuff to watch—I’m not here to bash everything. Lots of good shows, especially, and plenty of movies the last 25 years I love even a superhero movie or two.
But it’s good to give some older movies the attention they deserve, and you’ll see the art form preserved at a much higher rate. It’s not just the classics like a Godfather, or Forrest Gump (most top 100 movie lists are overwhelmingly pre-2000, working with smaller talent pools / less technology / smaller budgets, and Christopher Nolan who seems like an old soul throwback carries a lot of the post-2000), it’s the mid-tier movies also. The character development just was woven more deeply into the fabric of the everyday stories, and the acting had to line up to that deeper nuance.
The chase for the dollar and the social media quick fix changed the art (or love) of good old storytelling, an actor/actress who had to tell their own story with less gimmicks / tricks to hide them … or the good scripts just stay buried because it won’t get ticket sales (or a streaming deal).
Rough start for NY football.
The 1-2 to 0-3 swing is the biggest in sports. At 1-2, one win gets you to .500. At 0-3, now you need three. Postseason killer. Momentum matters. Because Psyche matters. 1-2 feels hopeful. 0-3 feels like panic—and unfettered panic is detrimental to a focused game plan. Falling behind early makes it difficult to catch up – definitely similar to life.
The Jets’ two losses lol—down to a last-minute field goal, including a 60+ yard career long in the Meadowlands wind. Can’t make it up haha. One play doesn’t define a season, just like one email or call doesn’t define a business or career. But it shows how fine the line is to win. But there’s always next year, too, as a silver lining.
The meaning of a fan—or entrepreneur/employer/employee—is you gotta stay hopeful during downturns.
I remember back in ’09 -’10 (I believe), the Jets were teetering on missing the playoffs—Rex even thought they were mathematically eliminated at a press conference lol. They ended up in the AFC Championship, one good half away from the SB. Giants teams have won Super Bowls while squeaking into the playoffs but hitting their stride at the right time. Not saying this year will be the same—but good perspective, both as fans and in life when it seems like things aren’t going right.
I hope J-E-T-S can do what the best athletes do: forget the last play and focus on the next one. Easier said than done of course, but the key is extracting the wisdom from the loss/missed chance and NOT dwell on the 20/20 hindsight (something we all can probably get better at haha). Sports are measurable; life’s more gray – still, parallels. What usually works for us won’t always; need to switch gears and pivot through cycles, especially when under pressure. The next play/venture/call/decision/email/game is what counts.
Well, at least we got Playoff Yankee baseball as a sure thing!
Happy New Year to all who celebrate! Shana Tova
A couple interesting things felt worth sharing. Why fall vs winter? The Gregorian calendar (our everyday one) is an impressive solar calendar shaped by the Ancient Egyptians, Julius Caesar, and refined by Pope Gregory XIII—Caesar even chose January 1 (mid-winter) as the start of the year. The Hebrew calendar is older, balancing both lunar months (~29.5 days) with the solar year (~365.24 days). What began as an observation system was later refined by Hillel’s calculations. Both incredible marvels.
A good nudge for me is that the clearest visions—the ones we’ll eventually wonder how we ever lived without— require planning, strategy, adjustments, and countless rounds of refinement before they truly click into something fully formed and even pay dividends for us.
This season also flips the script a bit with the 10 day strech: fasting and atonement come at the end, not the start. This puzzled me a bit thinking to myself isn’t it work first, reward later. The sages teach us however this is about beginning with hope, joy, and optimism— and that even the Almighty may trust us we’ll rise to the challenge. The work will come, but so will the next celebration.
Maybe the takeaway is that quality things often take much longer than we expect, and new beginnings are best started with optimism—with faith the process might be more joyful vs what we may expect.
Current events remind us to honor the courageous who voice studied wisdom we, too, believe— unlocking what’s inside.
When words bring death, sorrow remains. A free-thinking debater refines arguments, awakens the reserved, and evokes discernment. As iron sharpens iron, ironically all sides suffer. Is every phrase perfect—who is? One false note is a speck if a hundred truths follow.
Many of the best examples of genius and value, I find, are often the quietest in public — the soft-spoken quietly minding their business — driven by a deep internal conflict not to offend — The Quiet Majority.
…Give yourself the permission of expression.
Doesn’t need to be on social media.
Doesn’t need to be political or convince, influence, or prove anyone right or wrong.
Courage to express — a metaphysical muscle like everything else.
The United States is a land built on the free exchange of ideas and on ordinary, capable citizens from all walks of life rising to high positions. Yet when a public good is driven less by responsibility and more as a vehicle for generational wealth, corruption and moral decay inevitably follow. But a sleeping giant wakes too.
Many things in my life—and in yours—are better left unsaid. Often, we must trust the mysterious fabric of life, let things unfold, and accept that we work with imperfect or incomplete information—resisting the urge to intervene or speak prematurely. One mouth, two ears.
“He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.”
But when something you’ve deliberated on should be said or done—when silence costs you your dignity or your essence—lift the filter. Speak up. Do. Let the Quiet Genius have its light.
Consider this: It’s easy to think one is insignificant if not in a position of power. Yet, the smallest deed repairs brokenness allowing Divine Light to enter the physical world. A mystical ripple effect with cosmic significance and a rising tide that lifts all boats to tip the scales in favor of good.
Beautiful tribute for a father — we all carry ‘the part of me that can’t let go.’ — “Everything I Own” by David Gates (Bread) My dad passed away 4 years ago, and this song really hit me hard when I learned it was written for his father. The lyrics are powerful. Simple, yet elegant and he did a beautiful job performing where you can tell how much his father meant to him. My father meant the world to me.