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The Bucket
By: Steve Makofsky
Tags: Stoicism, Storytelling, Leadership, Life, Mindset

The Bucket

Live like you’re already dead, man. Have a good time. Do your best. Let it all come ripping right through you. — Jeff Bridges Steve Makofsky Dec 14, 2020·3 min read

bucket

Disclaimer: I’m feeling saucy today …

Something that I have spent a lot of time this year has been enforcing simple boundaries. Learning how to say ‘no’ (and not in any type of jerky way) — has become an important superpower for my own sanity. I’d recommend if you are a manager of a team or group, you may want to consider helping them enforce boundaries whenever you can for them as well — trust me, they need them. Be their shield.

Now here’s a simple idea: we all have buckets.

The nature of a bucket is that it can be filled to a certain point then it starts to overflow. Once it spills, there’s a mess all over the floor; no one likes cleaning up messes. Let’s look at the different buckets you have in your life every day/week/month — time, patience, workload, stress, fucks.

Yes, fucks.

A few years back, Mark Manson posted his legendary article on The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck, which was followed by a book with the same title.

As Mark says:

Think about the amount of time and energy that you have given a fuck about. […] The point is, most of us struggle throughout our lives by giving too many fucks in situations where fucks do not deserve to be given.

[…] Because when we give too many fucks, when we choose to give a fuck about everything, then we feel as though we are perpetually entitled to feel comfortable and happy at all times, that’s when life fucks us.

[…] Developing the ability to control and manage the fucks you give is the essence of strength and integrity.

I’d like to think of ‘fucks given’ as a form of currency. I’m not saying don’t give a fuck about anything — that would be irresponsible — use inverted thinking.

By choosing how to spend your fuck currency you now control the ultimate power you and you alone have: the ability to let go of the things that are are not bucket worthy. Throw them away, it’s that easy.

You’ll begin to observe that there’s a high degree of noise all around you; and there’s increased value to those few items that you choose to put in the bucket.

Oddly — another thing you’ll start noticing is that there are plenty of folks who equate noise to value; those are the ones you want to steer clear from — they will want to throw everything they can in your bucket and cause a mess on the floor. They don’t give a fuck about your bucket, and these folks will drain you until there’s nothing left.

If this year has taught me anything, it is that if you’re not careful, you can fill your bucket with low value things every day. You need to choose wisely how you want to fill the bucket of fucks, and you’ll start building the muscle around focusing on the high value things that matter.

The rest — throw it away, and don’t give a fuck.
5 Enlightening Lessons From Seneca That Will Inspire You to Live a More Meaningful Life
By: Nick Waghorn
Tags: Stoicism, Life Lessons, Philosophy, Wisdom, Self

Humans have been pondering what it means to live a good life for centuries.

While HeadSpace and Tony Robbins may not have existed back in the day — you can be sure people still yearned for a sense of meaning and contentment in their lives. It’s an inherent part of our nature.

Amongst the most profound thinkers were the Stoics.

A diverse group ranging from slaves to emperors, Stoicism is a philosophy that is was designed to both simple and highly applicable — regardless of a person’s circumstance.

Instead of fretting about the chaos the world, the Stoics believed in fighting the internal battle of mastering one’s own mind. By pursuing timeless values like wisdom, mental resilience and compassion — they believed that we could all attain meaning and fulfilment.

Amongst the most prolific Stoics was Seneca the Younger. I was recently reading his book, “Letters From A Stoic”, and I was blown away by how relevant many of his teachings are for the 21st Century.

In fact, the self-improvement genius, Tim Ferriss’s has even declared it his most recommended book of all time.

Amongst the tremendous struggle and triumphs of his life, Seneca’s personal reflections remain some of the wisest and useful philosophical teachings ever written.

After devouring the book for the fourth time, I want to share with you my favourite teachings. If applied correctly, these principles may just help you live a more meaningful and fulfilling life:
Choose Not to be Harmed
By: Street Consulting
Tags: Stoicism, Leadership, Self Care, Cbt

There is a Stoic principle that transcends philosophy and embodies psychology and self-care. The notion that it is not the thing that has happened that disturbs us, it is our view or judgement of the thing that disturbs us. The meaning of this is that all kinds of things happen to us, and to others, every day. Different people, with different experiences and different mindsets view these events very differently. What might seem catastrophic to you, could actually feel like a relief to someone else, and even a great day to another. While we often think that we are not in control of our feelings, it is critical to become trained to understand that what you feel comes from what you think and therefore can be shaped by your discipline of thought. If you practice seeing what happens to you as separate from who you are — both good and bad — and discipline your mind to viewing unpleasant events as a trial to be conquered you can develop less distrubed feelings about these events. In this manner, we can think of the founders of stoicism as the first cognitive behavioral therapists. Discipline your mind and your emotions will follow.

Choose not to be harmed — and you won’t feel harmed. Don’t feel harmed — and you haven’t been.”

– Marcus Aurelius
Zidane, the master of the art of Stillness
Tags: Champions League, Stoicism, Zidane, Ryan Holiday, Real Madrid

Zidane, the master of the art of Stillness

The Frenchman brushes off another crisis with his usual calmness Ayman ·Dec 14, 2020

Photo by Jonathan Francisca on Unsplash

The Stoics called it ataraxia, Ryan Holiday calls it stillness, and Zidane practicing it admirably.

In his book ‘Stillness is the key,’ Ryan Holiday defines Stillness:

To be steady while the world spins around you. To act without frenzy. To hear only what needs to be heard. To possess quietude-exterior and interior-on command.

Zidane oozes Stillness amid all the madness that accompanies a job like the hot-seat of Real Madrid manager. He went to that trio of crucial games in a week against Sevilla, B.Mönchengladbach, and Derby Madrid, respectively, with that Stillness. He ended the ‘Crisis’ week with impressive three wins and a ticket to Champions League's last 16 round as a group leader.
Enjoy Silence
By: Connor Hearld
Tags: Minimalism, Stoicism, Essentialism, Productivity, Meditation

Photo by Sage Friedman on Unsplash

Take a deep breath, look at something beautiful, and be at ease.

There is a tranquility to being in a quiet room. In a silent room, the small sounds that are present take over.

Take for example typing on a keyboard, writing on paper, or an open window with a breeze. Sound is powerful. We enjoy music for a reason and equally should love silence for the abilities it grants us.

When we are striving to perform deep work, we are more likely to be able to dive in when we are grounded with ourselves.

Take a moment each day with silence to ground yourself.

Silence may come in many forms. Maybe for yourself, silence is throwing on a pair of noise-cancelling headphones or perhaps more simply just having the ambience of a room.

Enjoy the silence.
There is no good or bad without us, there is only perception.
Tags: Reading, Stoicism, Books, Stoic, Ryan Holiday

The only real criticism of The Obstacle is the Way that I have, in retrospect, is that some of the many examples it contains of historical individuals seemed a little one-sided because they focused on character strengths and didn’t always mention the same individuals weaknesses. (And that’s a trivial point as long as readers bear in mind that we’re only meant to be focusing selectively on certain aspects of the individuals in question.) However, I felt that Stillness is the Key succeeded in painting a more balanced picture of its heroes, simply by adding a few more observations about their flaws.

I’ll just mention that this made me think of something the early Stoics said according to Diogenes Laertius: ”A rhetorical speech is divided into introduction, exposition, replies to opponents, and conclusion.” Some early rhetoricians left out the refutatio or responses to critics but the Stoics seem to have thought that an argument was incomplete without anticipating and answering criticisms against it. I think that in Stillness is the Key there’s more of an attempt to anticipate, and absorb, criticisms of the historical individuals used as examples than there perhaps was in The Obstacle is the Way. For instance, early in the book there’s a detailed discussion of Kennedy’s cool-headed handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis. On the other hand, Holiday qualifies his admiration by also noting the lack of self-control exhibited by Kennedy’s reckless indulgence in casual sex. That more even-handed approach makes it easier, I reckon, for readers to enjoy and benefit from the anecdotes without getting lost in the weeds of analyzing whether or not everyone featured makes “a good role model” not.

I think a lot of people will benefit from reading of these books. Although they are not a book on Stoicism per se, they have lots of references to ancient Stoic authors like Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius. And I think its basic message should definitely resonate with people who are interested in Stoicism, as well as with a more general audience.
Stoicism for Emotional Healing
By: Yasier Fadilah
Tags: Self Improvement, Personal Growth, Stoicism, Personal Development, Emotional Healing

Photo by visuals on Unsplash

Today, we are still in a Pandemic situation. I think the new normal has been habitual. I mean we have been a new person who is aware of cleanliness and health. According to the news update, the number of victims of this pandemic is still increasing. They need a medical healing process.

But, we, as healthy person also need healing treatment. We need psychological and emotional healing.

Even though many people become vulnerable to virus infections but, the vital problem is when we are hopeless and when we can’t control our perspective and emotions during the new normal.

I recently read news about the violation of children and women. The number of cases increases significantly during the pandemic. I assume that the root cause of the problem is emotional control. That’s why we need to keep it under control. We need to control our emotions. We can do self-healing to help you manage your emotion.

But now, I want to share something about stoicism. You probably know this term. It is the other alternative in the healing process.

What is stoicism?

Stoicism is a philosophy of seeing something (event or phenomena) as what it goes. We react to good and bad events wisely. We try to perceive both events almost the same. I mean, we don’t take hard feelings on an event. In other words, we try to accept something wisely and let life happens.

“Let bygones be bygones.” — Proverb

By applying stoic philosophy daily, we can have better emotional control in facing one problem or undesirable events. Perhaps, we don’t throw it away but, at least, we learn how to react to it.

Pandemic is not a small problem. We have to do massive healing. It’s better to ask your close friend to do the same. Ask them to heal their emotional condition so that we can face this pandemic condition together. Together we can.
Stoicism, Virtue & Indifferents
Tags: Stoic Phiosophy, Desire, Virtue, Stoicism, Philosophy

The Stoics teach us that virtue is the highest good and everything else is indifferent. Now, does that mean you should not want to have health, wealth, family, etc? No, not really. It means that you should have them if they’re available to you. But not if getting them compromises your virtue.

“There is great difference between joy and pain; if I am asked to choose, I shall seek the former and avoid the latter.” Seneca wrote. “The former is according to nature, the latter contrary to it. So long as they are rated by this standard, there is a great gulf between; but when it comes to a question of the virtue involved, the virtue in each case is the same, whether it comes through joy or through sorrow.”

So, the Stoics classified everything into two categories. Preferred indifferents and dispreferred indifferents. Preferred indifferents are health, wealth, family, education, and so on. While their opposite things are dispreferred indifferents.

You can and should choose better things in life but it’s not necessary if you have no choice but to not have them.

Virtue has absolutely nothing to do with health, or good looks, or wealth, et cetera. “And if Plato was handsome and strong, ought I also to set to work and endeavor to become handsome or strong,” Epictetus explained, “as if this was necessary for philosophy because a certain philosopher was at the same time handsome and a philosopher? … And if I were a philosopher, ought you also to be made lame?”

Seek joy — preferred indifferents, avoid pain — dispreferred indifferents. But not at the cost of virtue. Not at the cost of your character. Not if you have to jeopardize your integrity.

At every moment let these words, from Massimo Pigliucci, guide you:

Better to endure pain in an honorable manner than seek joy in a shameful one.

Until Next Time,

Pooran
Kronos
By: Silvester Zheku
Tags: Zen, Stoicism, Memories, Poetry, Time

The morning weeps when Dawn is gone

and childhood disappears,

when Memory was short and time was long.

— — — —

Forlorn and forgotten,

footsteps taken on the shore

have been swallowed by the sea.

— — — —

Youth is wasted on the young; wisdom is spent by fools.

Slippery words from a liar’s tongue

lead the latter to their doom.

— — — —

If I knew then what I know now,

I’d hold my breath

and keep it all together.
Inversion
By: Steve Makofsky
Tags: Stoicism, Mental Models, Storytelling, Thinking

Inversion

Invert

Over the summer, I came across several posts that talked about a mental model known as The Inversion principal. It’s based on a simple tenet from the German mathematician Carl Jacobi — ‘invert, always, invert’ that he used to solve the most complicated problems he faced.

The idea is as follows: flip the problem upside down; start at the solution and work backwards to where you are now. Begin at where you want to end up, consider everything that got you there in reverse order. In other words: define the outcomes you don’t want and plan the path to avoid hitting them.

Inversion exercises are used to help you figure out what you need to do to get to an outcome, as well as help you become aware on things you will need to get you to where you want to go. Pitfalls to avoid, skills you need to master and issues you will encounter along the journey. You need to think forwards and backwards.

Marcus Aurelius as well as other stoic philosophers called this premeditatio malorum — a ‘premeditation of the evils and troubles that might lie ahead’ — in other words — imagining the worst case scenario. Avoiding these mistakes sometimes is even more powerful skill than actually achieving success.

Charlie Munger put it best in ‘The Power of Not Making Stupid Decisions’, in which he says: “It is remarkable how much long-term advantage people like us have gotten by trying to be consistently not stupid, instead of trying to be very intelligent.”
All of your trouble comes from your judgment
By: Timmu Tõke
Tags: Philosophy, Stoicism, Self Improvement, Self-awareness

All of your troubles come from your judgment.

It’s how we represent things, it’s how we perceive them. It’s the stories we tell ourselves about things happening around us.

“My colleague did this and this, how awful.”

“The deal I was working on didn’t go through, what a pity.”

“I broke up with this amazing person, my life is over.”

The only things we can truly judge as “good” or “bad” are our own thoughts and actions. The rest is indifferent.

You are the source of all of your suffering.

Don’t worry about the things you don’t control, don’t judge them.

Every challenge is an opportunity to continue courageously, following your principles, and doing your best work. No matter the circumstances.

PS! I write a daily journal with Stoic thoughts on Substack.
The Weekly 3, 2, One (3 Tiny Things, 2 Quotes, and One Last Thought)
By: Marc W. Crayton
Tags: Stoicism, Wisdom, Courage

3 Tiny Courage Things

Courage, one of the four Stoic virtues

Do what is right when facing anxiety; Do what is right when facing pressure; Do what is right in the face of fear.

2 Quotes

“There are more things … likely to frighten us than there are to crush us; we suffer more often in imagination than in reality..”-Seneca

“The fool, with all his other faults, has this also, he is always getting ready to live.”-Epicurus

One Last Thought

Why do we always expect the worst? As Seneca explained, “It is likely that some troubles will befall us; but it is not a present fact. How often has the unexpected happened! How often has the expected never come to pass!” Be prepared for whaterver comes your way and live in the present.
Setting goals and shooting bows
By: Timmu Tõke
Tags: Self Improvement, Stoicism, Mental Health, Life Lessons, Philosophy

When an archer shoots a target, there are three parts to that action.

First, the goal of hitting the target. It’s fully under the archer’s control. He will set the intention (why I want to hit the target) and decide to perform the action.

Second, the action. Making the shot. Also fully under the archer’s control. He can do everything in his power to make the perfect shot — check the wind, prepare the bow, take the correct stand.

Third, it’s the end. The reality of the arrow actually hitting the target. Here, the archer is no longer in control. Anything can happen — the wind can change, the bow can break. This is not under the archers’ control and thus not something he needs to spend any time thinking about.

The only two parts you control in the progress towards your goals are having the right intentions (setting the right goals) and performing the correct action in the best way you possibly can. The rest we leave up to the universe to figure out.

It’s not the results that count, for it never depends solely on us. It’s the intention one has when seeking the result and the action we take to get there.

PS! I write a daily journal with Stoic thoughts on Substack.
How can you filter tweets?
By: Ryan Dejonghe
Tags: Stoicism, Life, Stoic Letter, Philosophy, Self

How can you filter tweets? If you're on the platform, you go through a lot of crap to get to the corn. But, the corn that you find is sweet as hell.
Character Traits
By: Street Consulting
Tags: Stoicism, Character, Self Improvement

Many people spend a fair amount of energy trying to hide who they really are by presenting a different mask, publicly. However, there are two relatively simple ways to look past someone’s mask and see what their true character is. If you want to know about what is behind someone’s mask, look at who they spend their time with and what books are on their reading table / bookcase. These are two areas in which it is exceedingly tiring and difficult to uphold a false front. If a person reads superficial works, or spends time with false friends, it tells you all you need to know about their true character. Likewise, if you are seeking to assess or improve your own character, starting with the company you keep and the books you read is a great place to leverage your thinking and behavior to a new and improved state.

Listening, not imitation, may be the sincerest form of flattery.

– Dr. Joyce Brothers
I disagree with this view.
By: Kyle Ratliff
Tags: Morality, Objectivism, Stoicism, Ethics, Values

I disagree with this view. Holding character as an end in itself apart from how one’s character redounds to himself divorces the relationship between life and values. Broadly speaking, one should consider how a value benefits or inhibits his biological survival. Without being alive, one can not value anything. The purpose of ethics is to identify what values are worth pursuing and how to achieve them.

Let me give an example: maintaining the virtue of honesty. Why should a man do this? He should be honest because exercising honesty keeps his mind in accordance with the facts and the context of his knowledge. He knows what he knows and never overstates his position. He refuses to evade facts even when presented difficult obstacles. For instance, perhaps a friend defames him unjustly behind his back. He can either rationalize and excuse this behavior or he can be honest about the facts and revoke his sanction. By maintaining the virtue of honesty, he acknowledges the facts and refuses to associate with dishonest people. How does this benefit his survival? It does so because one can expect dishonest people to be unworthy of friendship and he will be protecting himself from their harmful behavior.

In short, consider first the relationship between values and your own life before thinking about how to achieve that value.
What examples of this come to mind?
By: Kyle Ratliff
Tags: Objectivism, Stoicism, Philosophy, Ethics, Values

…le, but for the Stoics life itself is a preferred indifferent, so survival isn’t the ultimate good. There are situations when the virtuous thing to do is to sacrifice oneself.
The Power of Indifference
By: Antonie Schimmer
Tags: Indifference, Stoicism, Philosophy, Emotions, Quick Reads

A couple of years ago I started researching the stoic philosophy. At that point in my life, I was heavily influenced by the rif-raf of daily reality. Taking to heart what people thought of me, and changing according to their standards.

Soon I came to realize, that I wasn’t alone in this regard. Rather, the majority of people, I recognized, were heavily influenced by the short-term pains of daily existence. A product of externalities. And most importantly, making choices based on what the moment brought.

This is how I came by this life-changing idea of “indifference”. According to the stoics, a person should be indifferent to all external things, ultimately, things that are outside of our control.

This might sound silly at first glance, and I get why. Why should you be indifferent about external events, doesn’t that just mean that you care?

Well, no.

What it means is that you’re never truly living according to your inner thoughts, and that you’re always just a product of external events, things that happen ‘to’ you. This means that you’re in a reactive state, and thus, not proactive.

The power of not just being reactive to your environment is that you have time to reflect on what’s really going on. Process information and make choices according to your morals, according to your nature.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not easy, it’s rather one of the harder things that you do. Because it is a daily battle, a battle as I think of it, against not living according to your own conscious ideas of how you should live life.

So next time that you feel like you’re being overwhelmed by daily life, try to take a step back. And ask yourself whether you’re in control of your day or if your day is in control of you.

Then, change accordingly.
How can one be indifferent to their own life?
By: Kyle Ratliff
Tags: Morality, Objectivism, Stoicism, Philosophy, Ethics

How can one be indifferent to their own life? The fact of desiring to live is what motivates action. It’s a contradiction in terms to say that one needs to be indifferent to their life while simultaneously maintaining it.
Secrets of why good character is invaluable — letter 27
By: Robert Thompson
Tags: Character Development, Stoicism, Life Lessons, Stoic, Secrets

Good character is not formed in a week or a month. It is created little by little, day by day. Protracted and patient effort is needed to develop good character — Heraclitus

In this publication I translate the Moral letters to Lucilius by Seneca into modern English. In letter 27 Seneca describes the importance of having a good character.

You may ask why I’m giving you some advice, especially when I’m not perfect myself. No, before you say it, I’m not a hypocrite. Nor is dishing out advice a hobby of mine. Rather, by giving you feedback I can consider my own character flaws. Could I also take my own advice too to improve my character? In other words, will my advice to you make me a better person as well?

By thinking in this way then we can both make sure we live good lives. By following this advice we won’t have many regrets when we’re dying. We’ll know that we’ve tried to live a virtuous existence and our character was as great as it could be.

Character and past regrets

None of us know when we will die so it's important to start this process now. Anything we are not proud of may come back to haunt our thoughts. Past regrets can linger in our minds. So the sooner we live well, the better it is for us. Another benefit is that when you can understand what it means to you to live a good life, then day to day problems will come and go. They will be like a cloud floating past the sun.

So, lets not delay in making these improvements. You can’t expect someone else to do this for you. Decide how you can control yourself and devise your own strategies for change. You can’t delegate this activity. Don’t overthink how best to start. Experience and mistakes are a great tutor.

So in signing off I’ll say this: you don’t need money to be rich. For example, you can’t buy love, integrity and friendship. You can be poor but if you have these things then this is real wealth. Think about this as much as you can. Some people will take this advice on board, others will need it shoved down their throats.

Take care.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
What if doing less is the key to living more?
By: Rob Arthur
Tags: Self-awareness, Time Management, Mindfulness, Minimalism, Stoicism

We wear “busy” as a badge of honor.

We value productivity.

We emphasize filling every second of every day.

Always working toward something.

Always looking forward.

Always trying to do more.

Training ever harder in the gym.

Working ever longer on the job.

Living with as little margin as possible.

We think this constant effort to do more is how we make the most of life.

Yet, life often has other plans.

Pandemics, even.

We find ourselves unable to keep up our pace.

Facing this openness, we feel discomfort.

So we turn to whatever we can to refill it.

Streaming services.

Substances.

Whatever we can find to turn our attention from the emptiness we feel.

This might serve as a temporary fix.

In the long-term, though, we lose a tremendous opportunity.

To reassess how we’ve been living.

To examine whether we’re living in accordance with our values.

To explore how we might live better.

We can only do such introspection when we have space.

Even if that space comes against our will.

Sometimes you’ll be forced to slow down.

To spend time alone.

How will you use that time?

To distract, numb, and ignore?

Or to reflect, learn, and grow into a better life?

What if doing less is the key to living more?

What can you do today to make the most of your down time?

If you don’t have any, what can you do to create some?

To give yourself that space?

To allow yourself some breathing room?

To figure out who you are?

How you want to live?

Take those steps.

You’ve got this.
Moving Until Normalcy Returns? Maybe We Don’t Want You Back
By: Simon Mclaren
Tags: New Year, New York City

There are New Yorkers who have the means to skip town and have left, and many who have the means to skip town but have stayed the course.

So when you see an Instagram of the “hot & happy” couple on a boat with an image so radically tuned by a body dysmorphia app that the rails of the boat in the background look disconnected, realize they are too dumb to have a “let them eat cake” moment. And when you notice their cringe-worthy, yet obligatory, tags of #blessed #miami #yachtlife #newbeginnings, and you spontaneously purge your last meal — don’t feel bad, you’re only human.

Apologies, I know you won’t be able to unsee that image. But let’s face it, you’ll probably see another one just like it in less than 24 hours.

However, if you are seeking the opposite side of the spectrum of the insta-couple, perhaps for some modicum of inspiration, and if you understand that our city is powered by a level of grit and heart that is without peer, check out the alternative from @boyfromnewyorkcity below. Just push yourself to read past his intro.

So what have you really done? Downed a “Quarantini” during a virtual fundraiser? Finished The Crown? Snookered a weekend at a friend’s in Palm Beach?

Your city needs you more than ever. Shut off your Zoom, and embrace New York — ignoring the themed masks and vacant storefronts. Start going to your office or place of work (don’t tell me it’s closed if it’s optional), and patronize the businesses that haven’t given up and are the very marrow of the city. Help restart our engine.

And if you have already given up on New York, remember this email in June when you’re strolling down Collins Avenue in 90F+ temps with your melting KITH Treats ice cream wondering if you made the right decision.

Good riddance to 2020, and welcome 2021, true New Yorkers are ready.
Tribute to Dr. Ahmed Jaber
By: Rami Avraham Efal
Tags: Brooklyn, New York City, Muslim, Obituary, Interfaith

Dr. Ahmad Jaber, I sat next to you in an interfaith dialog circle for several years. “Brother Rami, you are one of us.” Whether it was at your mosque in which you taught and led the prayer, at a church, a synagogue, or your own living room in Bay Ridge, you always welcomed me with a smile. You liked my name, Rami, being a common name in Arabic speaking cultures, and that made me so happy. Your presence and benevolence were at the center of what I loved about living in the culturally mixed city of New York. I will forever remember one Sunday afternoon, nearly 15 years ago at the offices of the Arab American Association of New York.

Over coffee in styrofoam cups and crunchy falafel, I listened to you speak with glistening eyes fixed into the horizon far East, of your memories, and longing, for the Olive trees in the field by your home, in the West Bank of the Jordan River, Palestine. It took me years to truly appreciate the gift you gave me — a vision of hope and belonging. Thank you for your faith, Dr. Jaber. This being the first night of Hanukkah when the smallest light of awareness enlightens the entire universe, right here and now, may Allah bless your family with comfort and ease, and may your spirit shine bright among your proud ancestors.

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un.

—

Notes:
Micro-Mobility Leader, Helbiz, Continues Community Engagement Events Throughout NYC
By: Alessia Cacaveri
Tags: New York City, Sustainable Mobility, Electric Vehicles, Micromobility, Electric Scooter App

Community members in Brooklyn, Bronx and Queens learned how to safely ride e-scooters with the guidance of Helbiz staff. Safety programs to continue into the new year.

Helbiz NY team shows how to correctly use e-scooters

As part of its continued efforts to engage with local communities throughout New York City, Helbiz, a global leader in micro-mobility, recently conducted safety programs in Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens, to demonstrate important safety measures that ensure users are riding e-scooters safely and adhering to all local traffic laws. Attendees were given free helmets and the opportunity to ride Helbiz’s innovative e-scooters.

“NYC is our home and where Helbiz is headquartered, and we want New Yorkers to feel comfortable and safe riding our convenient, green and affordable e-scooters to get them to where they’re going,” said Salvatore Palella, founder and CEO of Helbiz. “With e-scooters coming to NYC soon, we hope to have the privilege of serving New Yorkers everyday and working closely with community and advocacy groups to ensure our e-scooters are easily accessible to all.”

As in every city Helbiz operates in, the company is committed to helping to educate the local communities around safely operating e-scooters. For more information, visit www.helbiz.com.

ABOUT HELBIZ

Helbiz is a global leader in micro-mobility services. Launched in 2016 and headquartered in New York City, the company operates e-scooters, e-bicycles and e-mopeds in over 30 cities around the world including Washington DC, Alexandria, Arlington, Atlanta, Miami, Richmond, Jacksonville, Milan and Rome. Helbiz utilizes a customized, proprietary fleet management platform, artificial intelligence and environmental mapping to optimize operations and business sustainability.

Media Contact

Sandy Choi

E: Sandy@agentofchange.com
NYC Restaurant Restrictions to Be Aware Of
By: Kevin Brunnock
Tags: New York City, Food, Restaurants, NYC, Restrictions

Due to the continuous rise of COVID-19 cases, the government developed restrictions based on zones. NYC is implementing and adjusting restrictions for schools, businesses, schools, restaurants, and gatherings. There are three zones, namely red, orange, and yellow.

Red Zone Restrictions

Restaurants that are already in the red zone are not allowed to host customers. The only services that should be made available are takeout and delivery.

Orange Zone

All restaurants in New York areas placed in the orange zone can do deliveries, takeout, and allow customers for outdoor dining. However, there should be a maximum number of four people per table.

Yellow Zone

Restaurants in yellow-placed zones serve indoor and outdoor dining allowing a maximum number of four people per table. They can also provide delivery services and takeout.

Other Restaurant Restrictions

Apart from the above cutbacks, the government has put more measures to make all operations as safe as possible. They include:

Bar-Area

Customers should not be allowed in the bar area seating. They should be restricted from sitting or standing side-by-side. Bar-area sittings were mainly used for congregational parties. As a result, they need to be closed. All alcohol sale services, including wine, beer, and spirits, should be prohibited after 10:00 pm.

Dining

Restaurants in the yellow and orange zones should not host more than 50% of the maximum occupancy. However, outdoor seating is not included in the maximum building occupancy.

All outdoor structures should not have more than two walls for ample ventilation. This applies to both temporary and permanent structures. Restaurants can also add and modify an outdoor liquor service while adhering to the licensing form rules.

Customer Log

Every restaurant should collect contact information, including name, email or phone number, and the time they were in the restaurant, from customers. This information should be kept for at least 30 days to make contact tracing easy if the need arises.

Menu and Payment

A menu is to be provided using one of the following options:

Single-use disposable menus

Display options on a board or sign

Reusable menus that are easy to disinfect

Digital menus — app or website service

The payment systems involved should be contactless.

Conclusion

These restrictions keep adjusting as there are changes in the progress of the virus. They are there for the safety of NYC people and to reduce its spread.

Originally published to kevinbrunnock.net
Michael Cohen and Emily Jane Fox: The Podcast
By: Franklin Mount
Tags: New York City, Podcast Recommendations, Conspiracy Theories, Trump, Politics

I’ve never been a huge fan of podcasts, but there are exceptions. For me, one big surprise was this podcast: The interview of Michael Cohen by Emily Jane Fox. Okay, this was a surprise.

It starts out a little weak, but spot on: noting that Donald Trump’s mind is “a very scary place to live.” Okay, not too hard a call, but just listen. Cohen lived in Trump’s psyche for many years, so you don’t have to.

And we hear about what Trump is really going to do next: Trump News Network, at $4.99 a month. “… and for that $4.99, you will get to listen to all of the bullshit and all of the rightwing conspiracies that Donald Trump can dream up in Trump world, which exists only in his head … and that’s going to pay for the gas in his 757.”

And no pardon for you! Even the kids. Because anyone who receives a pardon might be compelled to testify against Donald Trump.

The motivation of Trumpers: less directly racist than one might think. Racism can be defined as: 1) the belief that there are, in fact, “races”, and 2) that these “races” have inherent characteristics making some superior to others. This is obviously a false construct. But for a lot of Trumpers it’s not so thought out. “They have no issue whether you’re black or brown, they just like the status quo the way it is, … Donald Trump likes the status quo of white power.” In other words, a raw greed at a remarkably low level. Michael Cohen is certainly in a position to recognize that.

And it’s all delivered with a fair amount of profanity in a loud Queens accent, which, while not the most pleasant, euphonious sound, is fun to listen to for an hour. The voice could be that of a mob lawyer, but it’s Donald Trump’s former lawyer. Which is the same thing, except sleazier. Or was sleazier. Cohen seems to be on a mission to reinvent himself, which I heartily support.

Cohen is a little weak on his part in all of this. And Emily Jane Fox is not the toughest interviewer in history. But you get to hear Michael Cohen call Allen Weisselberg “that fuck nut.” Worth a listen.

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/12/michael-cohen-predicts-trumps-future
The Top 10 Pied-à-terre in New York City
By: Albert Moy
Tags: New York City, New York, Hotel, Amenities, Pied A Terre

As you know, a pied-à-terre is French for “foot on the ground” or best known as an apartment where you reside there part-time. For most, pied-à-terre buyers are not just looking for a central location but a building that is outfitted with impressive amenities and concierge services reminiscent that of a hotel. On-site restaurants, roof decks, spa and fitness centers, and lounges are usually considered attractive perks.

Below, you’ll find my list of the top luxury NYC pied-à-terre buildings that will make your stay in your pied-à-terre an unforgettable New York experience.

Number Ten

Gramercy Park Hotel // 50 Gramercy Park North

The Gramercy Park Hotel

Owning a pied-à-terre in this exclusive hotel and residential building comes with on unique perk that you can’t find anywhere else — your own key to the coveted Gramercy Park — known as the last private park in Manhattan. The historic buildings have hosted their share of famous celebrities, such as Bob Dylan, the Beatles, and a young John F. Kennedy. You can take advantage of the Gramercy Park Hotel services and amenities which include housekeeping, room, valet and butler services, childcare, dog walking, event planning, catering, personal shopping, and access to a fitness center and spa.
Podcasting for the First Time
By: Wear Many Hats
Tags: Podcasting, New York City, Talk Radio, Wear Many Hats, Grind

I always was interested in radio. When I was a kid in high school, I joined the radio club a million times a year, only to drop out. It was a hard extra curricular activity to join on top of track & field (which I also dropped out as well) marching band, and tennis. College came around and I tried once more to join the radio club but my school’s radio club was not organized whatsoever even though it tried to be. I wish it was as cool and concise as Drexel’s radio club called WKDU. For one, WKDU is memorable. Dancehall on certain days of the week, electronic music on another, and indie rock on another. They were so organized. They also had their own radio series that they partnered up with throughout Philadelphia. I only wish I went to Drexel to join their radio club but the money is not worth it.

Fast forward to 2018, I worked at Office Coffee at the Canal Street Market and podcasting was a big deal at that time. Everyone wanted a podcast. They made a podcasting / radio station at the back of the market and that’s when I reinvented myself and started Wear Many Hats there. 3 episodes in and my friends told me that I should also shoot video in there. I should have! At the end of my time working at the market, a customer give me a book called “Out On The Wire: The Storytelling Secrets of the New Masters of Radio” by Jessica Abel, forward by Ira Glass and it was the nicest thing anyone ever given to me while exiting a job.

So here I am in 2020 restarting my podcast.

Listen to Wear Many Hats presented by Dahsar on Spotify, Apple, Stitcher, or Mixcloud.
Three New Restaurants that Opened in NYC this Year
By: Kevin Brunnock
Tags: New York City, Food, Kevin Brunnock, NYC, Restaurant

Restaurants across the nation have suffered incalculable losses this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic. They have had to alter their business models and switch to outdoor seating, delivery, or take-out to try to adjust to pandemic safety protocols. Many eateries have gone out of business, and countless numbers of restaurant workers have lost their jobs. The situation has been grim overall.

However, there has been some good news amidst all of the struggle. Some restaurateurs have persevered, and they have been able to open new dining establishments this year. New York City has seen a wave of new restaurants open their doors to a weary public, providing delicious food and a respite from home cooking just when New Yorkers need it most. Here are three new restaurants that opened in NYC this year:

1. Forever Yours Falafel: this is a new vegan/vegetarian restaurant located in Washington Heights. It bills itself as a “Hip Mediterranean to-go Falafel Bar NYC.” Previously known as Forever Coffee Bar, the eatery rebranded itself when the owner noticed a lack of plant-based restaurants in the neighborhood. Guests can order homemade falafel and jackfruit shawarma over quinoa from the takeout counter, or they can sit at one of the outdoor tables to dine al fresco. Enticing sides include hummus and baba ganoush.

2. Yellow Rose: after spending years as a pop-up restaurant, the delicious creation of two San Antonians has found a permanent home in the East Village. Yellow Rose specializes in Texas-influenced fare, including daily bean and cheese tacos served on homemade tortillas. Offerings such as specialty soups will rotate based on what is currently in-season. The drinks menu is especially tempting, including everything from Topo Chico to a Michelada Kit to iced hibiscus tea.

3. Mao Mao: the new restaurant Mao Mao centers around Thai drinking snacks, called kub klaem, and the atmosphere that exists when you indulge in such treats. Take a step back in time with this restaurant and enjoy classic Thai movies while eating street snacks including Thai-Chinese chive dumplings and crunchy fried red chilies. There is an extensive beer selection on tap, too. The two-story eatery evokes a bygone era in Thailand, with market lights and vintage décor.

It’s been a tough year. Show your support for a new restaurant and call for take-out soon!

Originally published to kevinbrunnock.net
A New Yorker in L.A.
By: Cara J. Stevens
Tags: Los Angeles, New York City, Snow, Winter, Haiku

When I was a kid growing up in New York, Los Angeles was just a concept to me. I could sum up all I knew about L.A. in six things: Beaches, surfers, Hollywood, plastic surgery, sushi, and earthquakes.

In my twenties, my whole life was New York City, and I couldn’t imagine ever living anywhere else. From the gritty downtown jazz bars that served wine in juice glasses, to the unending calendar of black-tie galas, I embraced it all.

Photo by Sam Browne on Unsplash

Meeting my future husband, a born-and-bred Angelino, on a cruise in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean was not on my radar, so when it happened, I was knocked completely off-guard.

Geography took a back seat to love, and so began a lifetime together of moving back and forth between the two coasts, first as a duo, then as a family.

I’ve been transplanted back in L.A. for four years now, and for the first time I feel like I’m starting to take root here. But still, when winter storm watches flash across the screen and the first photos come in of gently falling snowflakes and snow drifts that force you to shelter in place with a cup of hot cocoa and snuggly blanket, my heart reaches out across the miles. I lay on the warm sand, face tipped toward the sun, and imagine tiny snowflake kisses and the blanket of silence that dampens all sound and makes everything completely still.

Photo by Josh Hild on Unsplash

Rainer Maria Rilke, in his letters to a young poet, wrote: “when what is near you is far, then your distance is already among the stars and very large.” And so it is, that because what is near to me is 3,000 miles away at the moment, my world is truly vast, well-rounded and full.

My heart is happy here and now. And it was happy there and then. So I count myself among the lucky to have found that I can live several happy lives in a single lifetime, and I stop to wonder what tomorrow will bring. Hopefully whatever comes next will come with a blanket of snow.
Construction Can Lead a NYC Recovery
By: Francisco X Pineda
Tags: New York City, Cities, Jobs, Economics, Construction

The Economic and Societal Impact of Construction has been Undervalued

The majority of policymakers and of the public do not fully grasp the extent and contribution of the construction industry to an economy.

Even fewer understand construction industry’s larger contribution to economic enablement across other core industries. Or, its central role in the creation of jobs and sustainment of blue, gray, purple, and white collar careers and workforce.

In New York City, the construction sector is over-shadowed by finance, technology, health care, retail and media industries. This limited view is due to the way economists and statisticians classify and account for GDP contribution of industries, sectors, and sub-sectors. Less than 5% as is shown in the graph below (bottom right, dark teal tile).

Under these accounting standards, the construction industry only accounts for roughly 4.46% of NYC employment and about 5–7% of the NYC GDP. When compared to “financial activities” (30%), business services (15%), and health care (10%), the construction sector barely makes it into the top 10 industries is relegated to a low-impact, low priority sector for policymakers, the media, and the public.

But this picture may be misleading, and the real economic value of construction may in fact be significantly higher — as high as 20%. A broader understanding will help inform policy and investment.

The official statistics do not account for the horizontal role of the construction sector across key industries, such as financial services, manufacturing, and others. They also fail to fully incorporate the impact of NYC construction across the value chain, or in supporting regional jobs, economic competitiveness, and growth more generally. Many of these services or jobs would not thrive, or even exist, without NYC’s construction sector. And, many of the technical and jobs in construction, require deep knowledge and sophisticated capabilities related to the construction activities they support and are part of the “new economy” in technology, manufacturing, and services.

We need to more accurately conceptualize and then measure the construction sector’s role and importance to the NYC economy and its recovery. In doing so, we will highlight the systems-nature of construction and reveal that the economic contribution of construction is more significant than is conveyed by conventional methods of accounting and economic reports.

Key Questions Repositioned:

– how construction is defined and how it is changing,

– its interdependencies and impact across NYC most important industries,

Key Outcomes:

– collect key data to develop a broader set of metrics and more relevant insights and,

– recommendations for policymakers shaping NYC’s recovery strategy and economic policy agenda