We must maintain control. Doing so requires principles, routines, and rules of engagement. We take pride in what we choose not to do. Indeed, we draw as much satisfaction from our impressive self-control as we do from the areas of focus we graciously bestow with our time and energy.
Our inner monologue is unrelenting. Regardless of the consequences, we must maintain the narrative that keeps us securely cast as the hero in our story. We’ll accept responsibility, but there’s a limit to how much. The narrative we’ve spent a lifetime creating must be sustained.
If we get hurt in a relationship, the other party has to shoulder the bulk of the blame. That should go without saying. Like bowling with bumper guards, the story we’re writing has to end with us putting some points on the board. The only question is how many. With points awarded, we’ll write and rewrite the story as often as possible to eventually turn a gutter ball into a strike.
I want to apologize for the abrupt and unannounced pause of this newsletter. Life intervened to remind me that control is an illusion, no more of a mirage than the misleading and counterproductive narrative in our heads.
We now return to our regularly scheduled programming. God willing, you’ll find me in your inbox tomorrow.
🎮 Microsoft vs. The World: The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has rejected Microsoft's $75 billion deal to acquire Activision Blizzard, citing competition concerns. This decision raises doubts about the completion of the deal and disrupts both companies' short-term strategies. Microsoft and Activision plan to contest the ruling, though legal experts believe it will be an uphill battle. The CMA's decision could influence the US Federal Trade Commission and the European Union's competition watchdog, which are also examining the deal. - WSJ
💵 Let's Fight About Debt: The House of Representatives passed a bill to raise the US debt ceiling while also cutting spending and dismantling parts of President Biden's domestic agenda. The legislation proposes a debt ceiling increase in exchange for freezing spending at the previous year's levels for a decade and rolling back elements of Biden's health, climate, and tax laws. - NYT
☢️ Rattle The Sabers: A new bipartisan House resolution to be introduced calls on the United States to support an outright victory for Ukraine over Russia and restore Ukraine to its internationally recognized 1991 borders, including Crimea. The resolution, which requires review from the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is sponsored by Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., and co-sponsored by Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn. The resolution also calls for Ukraine to join NATO and for Russia to pay reparations and face war crimes trials. - Yahoo News
🍿 Live Event: Larry Gadea, who was born in Romania and grew up in Ottawa, Canada, founded Envoy in 2013 in a shared work space. His goal? Replace paper sign-in books with a modern and efficient iPad-based experience -- and over the long-term, improve visitor and host experiences in the workplace. Under Gadea, a former Twitter infrastructure engineer, Envoy has garnered 3,500 weekly active users and raised more than $16 million in funding, winning the backing of early investors such as Quora CEO Adam D'Angelo and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff.
👨🦼 What's The Definition Of Insanity? President Biden has launched his re-election bid, despite potential risks for the Democratic Party and the country. Biden's advantages from the 2020 campaign have diminished, and there is no guarantee he will face Trump in the election. Polls show that if Biden faces candidates like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis or South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, he could be the underdog. With just 25 percent of Democrats wanting Biden to seek a second term and concerns about his age, the Democratic Party could benefit from a younger candidate to inspire youth and minority turnout for a 2024 victory. - David Faris
☑️ The Blue Check's Last Cry: Elon Musk's decision to remove Twitter's blue check marks from certain users' profiles has led to chaos and confusion. Musk has made it so that users can get a checkmark by paying for a monthly Twitter Blue subscription, but not enough people are willing to pay. In response, Twitter has been giving check marks for free to important people, some of whom do not want the mark anymore. The chaotic situation casts doubt on Musk's commitment to treating celebrities and regular users equally and his ability to turn Twitter into a profitable business. - Shirin Ghaffary
🔋 The Cost Of Going Green: The transition from fossil fuels to green energy in the United States may be necessary to combat climate change, but it may lead to job losses for millions of workers in the fossil-fuel sector, causing economic hardships and potential backlash against green policies. A recent study on the aftermath of the Marathon refinery shutdown in California revealed that one in five workers remained unemployed, and the median hourly wage for those employed had dropped from $50 to $38. - Annie Lowrey
🤖 The A.I. Dilemma
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