On writing: what we read is just a tip of an iceberg. It is easy to miss how much work goes into being consistent and how much discipline writing requires.
Yeah, just like how when we see a film, we don't see the hundreds of hours of footage on the cutting room floor, all the things that were tried and discarded at the script level or ad libs on set or whatever... With writing there's also a lot that isn't visible.
Some people do win the lotto and have quick success, but generally if it can come really fast, it can leave really fast. Better to take the time to build solid foundations.
For coffee, I recommend an Aeropress and some costco William Espresso beans and a baratza encore grinder ;)
It's the cheap and easy way to upgrade your coffee A LOT.
I'm super excited about James Webb. Thanks for the thread from 10K diver, I somehow missed it. Newsletters are sort of like restaurants. Easy to get into but few succeed. And even fewer are superstars.
With respect to military spending, as impressive as the US's annual spending is vs competitor nations, I often think of it in cumulative terms over this period. If you think about it this way, the US lead is, IMHO, insurmountable (even if some military spending is wasted and a lot of it goes to annual payroll for current armed forces).
The other factor to consider is that the United States is protected by two oceans and friendly neighbours to its north and south. Consequently, all of its military spending is offensive (rather than defensive like patrolling borders or maintaining domestic security).
This is not the case with countries like China. Roughly 45% of its active-duty military force is deployed towards internal security and border defense. China's relations with countries along its land borders (India, Russia, Vietnam) or nearby across its access to the Ocean (Japan, Taiwan, etc) have historically been conflict-ridden and so much of its military posture is defense of the homeland.
I hate war - but I rest easy knowing the US military power is unmatched. Hopefully that might is used wisely and to maintain peace through strength (a famous Ronald Reagan saying).
Very good way to think about it, Bill. Stock vs flow is too often forgotten when thinking about systems.
And I hate war too, which is why I'm glad that it's the democracies (who are not fully benign, but are better than the alternatives) that have superiority here and can deter most large conflicts (though they didn't push back against Putin enough in the past 15 years, and we're seeing the result of that now).
On writing: what we read is just a tip of an iceberg. It is easy to miss how much work goes into being consistent and how much discipline writing requires.
Probably it is because *it just appears*.
Yeah, just like how when we see a film, we don't see the hundreds of hours of footage on the cutting room floor, all the things that were tried and discarded at the script level or ad libs on set or whatever... With writing there's also a lot that isn't visible.
The iceberg is an apt metaphor!
Cheers Igor 💚 🥃
Actually, it is life. Everyone wants a shortcut, but there are no shortcuts.
I hereby denounce everything instant while drinking Nescafe instant coffee.
Some people do win the lotto and have quick success, but generally if it can come really fast, it can leave really fast. Better to take the time to build solid foundations.
For coffee, I recommend an Aeropress and some costco William Espresso beans and a baratza encore grinder ;)
It's the cheap and easy way to upgrade your coffee A LOT.
I just somehow like the instant one. Weird, I know.
It's not necessarily bad to have cheap habits! haha
I certainly wouldn't go buy coffee shop coffee or tea and pay what they charge every day.
I once did the math and I think my home-made coffee is like 17 cents per cup, and to me it tastes great ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
To be honest I have never calculated the cost. It is just the taste, hehe. I am a modest man.
I'm super excited about James Webb. Thanks for the thread from 10K diver, I somehow missed it. Newsletters are sort of like restaurants. Easy to get into but few succeed. And even fewer are superstars.
Good way to put it.
Each niche tends to have its power law, but there's also thousands and thousands of niches, so sometimes it's about finding the right niche, I think.
Cheers 💚 🥃
With respect to military spending, as impressive as the US's annual spending is vs competitor nations, I often think of it in cumulative terms over this period. If you think about it this way, the US lead is, IMHO, insurmountable (even if some military spending is wasted and a lot of it goes to annual payroll for current armed forces).
The other factor to consider is that the United States is protected by two oceans and friendly neighbours to its north and south. Consequently, all of its military spending is offensive (rather than defensive like patrolling borders or maintaining domestic security).
This is not the case with countries like China. Roughly 45% of its active-duty military force is deployed towards internal security and border defense. China's relations with countries along its land borders (India, Russia, Vietnam) or nearby across its access to the Ocean (Japan, Taiwan, etc) have historically been conflict-ridden and so much of its military posture is defense of the homeland.
I hate war - but I rest easy knowing the US military power is unmatched. Hopefully that might is used wisely and to maintain peace through strength (a famous Ronald Reagan saying).
Bill
Very good way to think about it, Bill. Stock vs flow is too often forgotten when thinking about systems.
And I hate war too, which is why I'm glad that it's the democracies (who are not fully benign, but are better than the alternatives) that have superiority here and can deter most large conflicts (though they didn't push back against Putin enough in the past 15 years, and we're seeing the result of that now).
Hope you are well,
Cheers 💚 🥃