America is a freedom to do something. While other developed countries are freedom from something.

ā˜€ļø Fresh Monday morning in Toronto. The world is a little better when the sun shines.

New York. New York.

I just got back from New York and still letting the whole experience unpack itself out of my brain. Iā€™ve flown into Newark airport countless times but we would then head in the other direction towards Princeton. This time was different, we landed in Newark and headed east. As we approached the Manhattan Island, the landscape was a very familiar American highways construction. Looping freeways, lawyer billboards hugged the edges of the roads. The road twisted inbetween trees, that felt different to the ones we have in Canada, these were shorter in stature.

The first real signs of what was to come unveiled itself as we took the bend just before entering the Lincoln tunnel. I caught a glimpse of Bjarke Ingelā€™s VIA 57 West building (I had no idea what the thing was called but knew of the building). What I didnā€™t realise was that I was also looking at Hellā€™s Kitchen1. The view lasted a split second. I tried to grab my phone and take a pick, but the moment was over as we quickly turned into the Lincoln tunnel.

When we emerged on the other side, the transition to a startling density came almost instantly. Looking outside the car window it took my eyes a little while to fully grasp what we were driving through. A hyper dense city where every block is fully occupied by a building structure from edge to edge. In front of the buildings a slender pavement wraps around the structure. The biggest shock however was the limited space between the roads. The streets could barely fit one car down the centre, with another car width on either side for drop offs and pick ups - or as was exceedingly common, construction.

As we made our way through the chaos, the logistics of making this place function in a reasonable manner began to present themselves in real time. Life here would require an understanding of consequences and compromises. We were instantly given a demonstration. Traffic was bumper to bumper, blocked on all sides. And then an ambulance siren was heard behind us. There was literally nowhere to go. Intersection crossings had to be respected but there was no flexibility to allow emergency vehicles to pass.

The Grid

What totally captured my imagination was the grid. Not only the audacity to create something like this, but also the ability to implement and maintain this grid. It created a space unlike anything I have ever seen. My mind has accepted that cities were messy, organic constructions. Roads wind around as we built things sometimes around the natural world that existed. Sometimes we would tame the land to suit our very specific needs. The common element was that there was no consistent order within them.

Here however was an island that seemed completely flat and where there was a complete embodiment of a grid that was then turned up to the max by building straight up. I have lived in dense areas in my life, but this order to density to scale was a unique combination.

Someone had to wrangle this defining city element into existence. I had to find out more. Thankfully The Museum of the City of New York has collected all this information to celebrate and educate on this very unique city design aspect.

General Observations

  • Another defining element of what I imagined New York to be are all the elements that define a city. The yellow cabs were still there, but they did not occupy the same vibrancy I had previously imagined.
  • The entrances to the subway stations were inconspicuous, and was missing itā€™s own identity. Unlike the Metros in Europe there was no unifying sign that invited you in and announced itself. Rather New York has green railing with signs attached to the railings. To my mind this was a missed opportunity.
  • New York is a very live musical city. In the lobby of the hotel, on the short cruise boat that took us around, across Broadway avenue leading up to Time Square. Live music was everywhere.
  • Itā€™s very difficult to truly appreciate massive structures from up close. So in NY your viewing angles are limited.
  • The body traffic was something I had not experienced since I was last in Asia.
  • Walking north/south (so crossing streets) became a little annoying. It felt like I was always walking and hitting a red light. Every. Single. Time. Maybe thatā€™s just being in New York for the first time and it feels like that for everyone?
  • Its hard to explain, but this density and complete use of every portion of the available grid made it feel less real, made it feel like a theme park.
  • There was a little bit of self-importance on display by the locals. ā€˜Greatest City on Earthā€™. ā€˜Mega exclusive clubā€™. ā€˜Insanely expensive apartmentā€™. This is the kind of language that I have experienced in nearly every city I have been to (apart from the greatest city on earth moniker, that is reserved for American arrogance).

  1. A familiar name because of all the Daredevil comics Iā€™ve read of the years. ↩︎

Ok I really hadnā€™t appreciated how tightly packed Manhattan actually is. Itā€™s tiny and super densely packedā€¦truly unlike any other place I have been to (and Iā€™ve been to a lot of dense places).

āš½ļø What a seriously painful miss. I mean that really should have gone in. Great cross from Fernandez.

āš½ļø They just donā€™t play like a team. Just a bunch of individual moments and seriously bad passes.

Honestly Iā€™m finding it hard to concentrate on my own passions and hobbies because they feel so trivial in comparison to what is going on in Gaza and Lebanon. A building next door to my cousins supermarket got bombed this week. My cousin was in the building at the time. Aside from the destruction one of the girls at the cashiers died. The utter randomness of hurt and destruction continues unchecked.

Aloo Gobi is the only way I will get excited about cauliflower.

The last time I bought Field Notes was 7 years ago. While Iā€™ve been stocked up nicely, I have been hankering for a restock for a while. Should be good for another 2 years. See you in 2026.

The Future International Isolation of Israel

Seeing this monologue by Mehdi Hasan reminds me of what a shit choice people with a conscience have in the upcoming election in the US.

On the one hand you have a Democratic nominee that sees absolutely nothing wrong with what is going on in Gaza and Lebanon - and will continue to enable and support the genocide perpetrated by the 21st Century Nazis (thatā€™s some fucking irony there). The colonialism and racism at play here is just astonishing. On the other hand you have a Republican, who also doesnā€™t see anything wrong with what is going on, but will likely ratchet up and expand the killing.

Both are distinctly odorous. Given the choice, which I obviously donā€™t have, I donā€™t know how I would use my vote. My view is that we collectively cannot stop the killing but what is happening right now, is inhumane and must never be forgotten, by myself or anyone with a moral fibre in their bodies.

The sooner work can be begin to isolate Israel from the world, in the same way the world did to South Africa during the apartheid, the better.

Screenshare 2024 - Zen Edition

A smartphone lock screen displays “Saturday, October 19” at 9:57. Top left shows “TELUS” and top right has icons for Wi-Fi, battery at 93%, and signal strength. The bottom features flashlight and camera shortcuts

Iā€™m testing out a new ā€˜Zenā€™ mode for my mobile life. Iā€™m trying to limit how long I spend on the phone and focus on things that matter a little more to me.

Reading has generally re-entered my life in a big way this year, which I am incredibly happy about. What I would like to do is create a little more space for writing and drawing again. Iā€™ve taken nearly a year off.

A smartphone screen displaying the time (9:57) and battery percentage (93%). Below, there’s a list of apps: Drafts, iA Writer, Soulver, Notes, Camera, Safari, Photos, and GlobalTrader.

Easily one of my favourite ways to start the day. Fresh cup of coffee, a great book (currently reading John Bogleā€™s Enough) and a quiet house. Everyone else is asleep.

The video explaining what has been going on in Gaza is truly harrowing. I mean what the fuck is going on in the world where this type of behaviour is not cut outright. Just not right.

Mo Hamz is one angry Palestinian, but I love the fact that heā€™s not going quietly into the night. As long as there are people with this type of energy, Israel will ultimately not prevail. They will however continue to kill Palestinians, until a more active generation stops them.

šŸšš Landlords informed us that they want the house back. After two years weā€™re going to be moving again. Thankfully itā€™s only within a city, rather than to another country. Silver linings.

I’ve spent the entire morning working through my Forever Note stack, and it really is a revelation. A few simple rules of organisation and all of a sudden my dumping ground has become incredibly organised. And fricton of maintenance is really low. Highly recommend you take a good look.

Forever Notes. Super interesting idea. I have tried multiple methods for my notes and none have stuck recently.

Amazing Comics Company. Joe Quesada has always been my favourite artist of all time. The last time he did this was for Event Comics and the main character Ash, which was great. Looking forward to seeing what he comes up with.

Holey money. First time I use the AI feature for text description (using the Mimi Beta), and it really is like magic. Great work @samgrover !

Two children walk down a sidewalk holding hands. Each carries a backpack and a blue lunchbox. The scene is lined with parked cars on one side and greenery on the other.

While the situation in the Middle East is absolutely deplorable and shows a chasm of epic proportions between the ruling elite and what they think is acceptable based on race.

Itā€™s not ok if youā€™re Ukrainian. Itā€™s totally fine and necessary if youā€™re Palestinian or Lebanese.

I am however heartened by the voices of people I genuinely look up to and listen to or watch. Journalists, writers, activists, helpers, volunteers, parents, mothers and fathers who are not going quietly and accepting this situation.

The latest being Ta Nehisi Coates and Trevor Noah. These people have huge platforms and bring with them a great deal of attention. My hope is that some of that attention is converted into meaningful change.

From a moral standpoint, this genocide will not be completed for as long as there is one Palestinian or Lebanese, then there will always be resistance to cowardice, brutality and inhumanity.

With everything going on in Lebanon, itā€™s super hard for me to get excited about everyday things that I would typically get excited about. Lifeā€™s mini milestones. They all seem super trivial now as I continue (like millions around the world) to watch disaster unfold and not a single powerful country out there to step in and do whatā€™s right.

The world feels like it is completely morally bankrupt and the ruling elite across nations that sit idle or support can seriously go fuck themselves.

41,000
The number of Palestinian lives lost in the last year.

1139
The number of Israelis that lost their lives in the same amount of time.

The multiplier is 40 (as of October 2024). That is how much more expensive an Israeli life is compared to a Palestinian one. The racial supremacy at play here is simply astounding. This is not ok. This is not right. You cannot carry out or enable genocide and have any moral standing.

How anyone in power can be aware of these numbers and continue to support this deplorable government shows their moral corruptness and callousness.

Elected leaders who support this regime are devoid of any humanity. Donā€™t talk to me about Putin, anyone supporting Netanyahu is cut from the same blood drenched rag.

To Joe Biden,

Shame on you.
The world deserves a better world leader.

Youā€™ve managed to make sure that Iran is the only power, in the entire world, that is willing to stand up to the morally deplorable and callous Israeli government. Even if itā€™s fruitless or for show at least someone is bothered to take action rather than ignore the genocide being committed.

Meanwhile you, the United Stateā€™s elected leader (which even with your stupid electoral college garbage still means the majority of Americans who bothered to vote), stand behind and support a regime that has only death on their minds. I cannot believe the majority of Americans believe that this genocide is just.

The Palestinians and Lebanese and Syrians and Yemenis and Iranians did not cause the holocaust, but critically they are paying for it in the same manner.

Back in the 1940s America stepped in to stop humanityā€™s madness. America has now switched roles and is the proxy enabler of the madness.

Politically you are retiring in 2 months, why wouldnā€™t you take a stand and do whatā€™s right? You have nothing to loose. Youā€™re nearly dead anyway. Before you have no power left, save some lives, even if they are filthy Arab and Persian ones.

ā€” K

āš½ļø Shit game but the boys are really trying even with 10 players!

I feel that politics have normalised terrible behaviour, which has then emboldened people in power that may have acted with more restraint to simply go unleashed, the consequences be damned. Regardless, world is only going to get much worse.

As the daily news from Lebanon trickles in, one devastating blow at a time, itā€™s a reminder that social orders donā€™t matter unless you have the muscle to enforce those orders.

Somehow we find ourselves back at the mercy of the laws of the jungle. Might beats right. Iran and the US are playing their proxy war while innocent people and futures are the collateral damage.

The Lebanese are descendants of the Phoenicians and a Phoenix never dies.

The Godfather is such a great movie. I canā€™t remember how many times Iā€™ve seen it but every time I rewatch it Iā€™m just totally sucked into the world.

šŸƒā€ā™‚ļø That. Was. Tough. First HIIT session in years and every muscle aches. The first 15min after are not great but feel more energised now. Missed this and actually think that my new app of choice (Freeletics) might keep me going. Letā€™s see.

āš½ļø I dunno. I really hate this team. They just annoy me.

āš½ļø Predicting a 2:1 to City. Itā€™s going to be tight but I really hope itā€™s a good game.

āš½ļø Generally pretty entertaining game so far. Just missing a few goals to really get things going. Theyā€™ve had so many chances I can totally see CP smash and grabbing this!

Every man has two deaths, when he is buried in the ground and the last time someone says his name. In some ways, men can be immortal.
ā€” Ernest Hemingway.

šŸƒšŸ‚ Autumn is definitely in the air and Iā€™m all for it. Crispness in the air. The light is a little different, a little lower, less harsh.

Finished reading: The Algebra of Wealth by Scott Galloway šŸ“š. This one was an extension of Scottā€™s previous book I just finished. However it does go deeper into many economic concepts (so at least you canā€™t claim ignorance). ETFs similar to mutual index funds are a major part of the answer, but equally there is a lot there about buying property and hopefully using wealth at different times of your life to help you lead a better life. Itā€™s a great book and one I wish I had when I was starting my working life.

More over having someone guide me around these economic constructs (that I honestly have previously had little to no interest in) is another important element in this. I sadly did not have that growing up and until recently didnā€™t have the inclination to find out more. This is a good book to get you on this journey.

Today morning was a bike day. Went from sunny to gloomy and back to sunny again. Kids have Karate, so thatā€™s the afternoon sorted. Might get a little reading done.

āš½ļø Sweet we finally see Ugarte making an appearance. Weā€™ve been waiting for this all summer.

āš½ļø Not loving this ref at the moment. Just seems a little random.

āš½ļø Rashford finally scoring a goal after like 100 games. Finally.

āš½ļø Zirkzee is having a really good game connecting everyone. Really getting involved.

āš½ļø Well thatā€™s a different 5min than I thought it was going to beā€¦in a good way.

āš½ļø Dalot having a really terrible game. Heā€™s not a right back and this game sadly is exposing just that.

Just finished rewatching Mad Men. Itā€™s a great show, with both great and vile characters. I love the historical context. I love Peggyā€™s wardrobe. I love the dialogue. Most of all I wonder what things we are doing now will be seen as completely incomprehensible to someone 60 years from now?

Newey to Aston Martin is massive. The man clearly knows his way to a successful car. Could this be how Alonso finally gets his third championship?

There was a time that I would watch the Apple infomercial when it came out. Even be excited about it. I canā€™t remember a time I was less interested in what Apple has just released. From a computing standpoint Iā€™m good. iPhone Pro has hopefully years of service in it. My 2018 iPad Pro is still a compelling device, 6 years after it was released. My Mac Mini is chugging along, kicking ass and taking names.

The only take I have is that the Apple Watch is slowly turning into a device that I donā€™t hate. Itā€™s getting thinner and more rounded and less of a mental burden. Itā€™s only taken them 10 editions to get there.

āš½ļø Man international break sucks. Especially coming in so soon after a few major tournaments. Iā€™m ok to wait 6 months (a year even?) between any international activity as the scarcity is what makes it special.

Easily my favourite time of the year. The weather is shifting. There is a crispness in the air. In a few weeks everything goes bang and the colours will explode. If you live in a country with seasons donā€™t take it for granted. This is not the norm for millions.

Finally getting back to writing about the built environment.

Finished reading: Paper Girls Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan šŸ“š. I love BKV. Heā€™s brought me hours of joy and is one of the best writers of comics, but this series did not connect with me. I just wasnā€™t all that interested. Equally I returned the first Incredible Hulk volume by Jason Aaron (another writer I love). Tastes have clearly changed over time and thatā€™s ok.

āš½ļø The attack is not coming together at the moment. Just a little off. A little soft. A little hard.

āš½ļø The stationary nerd in me wants to grab EtH and upgrade his BIC multi-pen (and whatever paper he is writing on). You deserve better.

āš½ļø Close one for United. Glad for VAR for once.

āš½ļø This is the big oneā€¦so early in the season. My prediction? 2:1 United.

Fjorden acquired by Leica. Totally missed this news, but pretty exciting news for the Fjorden team. Hopefully this means that maybe the grip will slowly get some material science help from the Leica team to improve the wearability of the grip itself (mine is already showing wear in the corners). Also would be nice to see the iconic red dot on the hardware as well - doubt this is on the cards but one can dream :).

āš½ļø Really close game so far. Should have been ahead (or at least level at the moment). I hope they make a proper game of this and just go for it.

First day back at work. I feel refreshed and ready to go. Game face is on, letā€™s see how long I can keep my holiday calm in place.

Finished reading: Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed šŸ“š. Great summer read. Can totally understand the praise this work has received. Fantastically original, great scope, well written and drawn. Celebrating Arab culture as it is now (rather than as it was). Highly recommended.

Yes, People Do Buy Books. I also buy books, but nowhere near as much as I read and listen - mainly because of the insanely great public library system. To get into my personal collection, that book has to work overdrive. Thankfully there are those books, but they are the exception.

Just finished reading the first chapter of Shubeik Lubeik, and it was exceptional. Been a long time since I read a black and white comic with such emotional power.

āš½ I love Onana. Now Sancho messed it upā€¦poor.

Making The Cut. This year I watched the Olympics with my Canadian hat on (typically Iā€™ll root for the Lebanese, the Greeks, the Brits and now the Canadians). I missed the swimming competitions which would have been awesome to watch. The Canadian womenā€™s beach volleyball team has been another highlight. Shame they missed the gold by a few points.

Part of the joy of relaxing on holiday is being given the autonomy to work at my own pace on stuff that matters to me on a personal level. At the moment Iā€™m editing the BEC (Built Environment Compendium) Vol.2. Back into the warm embrace of the Pages app, which Iā€™ve learnt to love, two pens (one to scribble and the other to highlight) and my thoughts. Happy Holidays!

Iā€™ve been thinking a little about how I can take in more information from the non-fiction books I read. The first tip Iā€™m going to try is The Blank Sheet Method. The second thing that Iā€™ve discovered is the excellent scanning/OCR feature of the Notes.app. Itā€™s not 100% perfect, but honestly I can deal with the occasional missed word or two. Just one note with the key parts of the book scanned and searchable for the future.

Anyone have any other low friction tips to share?

ā›ˆļø Damn is absolutely chucking it down today.

Big fan of Ottolenghi cook books. Iā€™ve used a few of the recipes recently (one today in fact) and itā€™s exactly the kind of colour and flavour that I absolutely love. The thing is that these books actually benefit from being physical items rather than entries into an app like Mela (which I love). I tend not to buy many books anymore, because of the whole Toronto Public Library thing, but I might make an exception for these books.

Finished reading: Slow Productivity by Cal Newport šŸ“š. Nothing majorly new in this book (for anyone that has been paying to Newportā€™s podcast, but its nice to find out about all these stories. I also went for the audiobook and I tend to enjoy Cal on his own.

International Brokerage for Serial Emigrants (or Expats)

Even after reading The Simple Path to Wealth, it is clear that across all the different countries and their regulations (and bullshit), governments want to keep you poor. If this was simple then everyone would be able to do it pretty quickly. Rather even after someone tries to decipher it all, there is still an immense amount of friction that intentionally makes things harder. It’s even harder for those of us who enjoy a more mobile serial emigrant lifestyle.

Having lived and worked in seven countries, finding a place that will allow me to invest and keep things mobile is actually an exceedingly small number. The only one that I have found is Interactive Brokers - that is available in all the countries I have ever lived and worked in. I don’t know when they expanded into all these countries (or if they always operated in these countries), but this a massive win and feather in their cap.

Can’t really comment on how good a service it is, but having the ability to move my investments wherever life takes me is a truly unique feature and worth other possible pain points.

The only other brokerage that came up in my limited search was Saxo (out of Denmark) and Charles Schwab, except BOTH are not available in Canada, so I would need to move everything over to Interactive Brokers if we ever decided to move.