Standing on the cusp of 2021, life can be exhausting.

No matter where we look on social media, we will find people who seem wealthier, luckier, prettier, healthier, more popular, smarter, happier than us.

As highly ambitious people, what are we to do?

A solution to consider👇🏾

The solution, in three words:

Aim for Mediocrity

Here’s what I’ve done for years now:

1) Aim to be mediocre at most things.

2) Celebrate this mediocrity.

3) Then focus on excellence at a few things.

4) Make sure those few things align with my passions, my strengths, and what the world needs.

contd.👇🏾

5) Work hard at those few things for long periods of time.

6) Find rewards in the act of getting better, not in immediate external feedback.

7) Get clarity on what rewards really matter.

8) Trust that those rewards will come.

9) Tweak my approach as I learn more.

An acceptance of our mediocrity is a ticket to freedom.

Very few smart & ambitious people recognize this.

This isn’t about giving up or "being a loser".

It’s about recognizing that very few of the things that bring us lifelong anxiety actually matter, when all is said & done.

Many of our restaurants, and the JOBS they provide, will not survive being forced to close for indeterminate time periods. Here’s what one restaurant owner shared...

As I walk into the grocery store with 30 other people at the same time, I think about my restaurant which allows parties of 6 total, and meticulously spaces out reservations by 10 minutes ensuring guests that aren’t from the same party do not arrive at the same time.

As I take a cart, that has had just the handle sanitized, I think about my restaurant which invested thousands of dollars (so far) on ink and paper to print disposable menus to ensure no two guests touch the same menu.

As I walk to the produce aisle with 15-20 other people around me, I’m reminded of the strict “no mingling /no walking around the restaurant other than to use the washroom or enter/exit” policy we have in place and the 6ft distance btwn tables which has cut our capacity in half.

As I watch the woman next to me pick up apples, check them over closely and put them back on the open pile and repeat this until she finds the perfect apples,the same thing that all other people that day who want an apple will then do and then put those apples into their mouths,

Our inability to introduce remote learning during a global pandemic is a social problem.

A decade of austerity has left families without the means to own adequate devices, and some can’t even afford broadband.

Scoff all you like, but it is reality I’m afraid. 1/10

It wasn’t long ago @GavinWilliamson was promising help for poorer families, so their children could access the necessary equipment to learn from home and no child is left behind.

How did that go? Do I even need to ask?

Another huge failure from the fireplace flogger. 2/10

“Whatever it takes”, they said.

I’ll stick my neck out here and call that bullshit. Utter hogwash.

“Whatever it takes to ensure our friends get HUUUUGE PPE contracts” - that would be accurate. 3/10

Remote learning is far from ideal.

I understand the difficulties, but as I say, this is a failure of government.

Life preservation has to come first.

My child isn’t a guinea pig. 4/10

They will not have an adequate test and trace system in schools, and let’s not pretend otherwise. Schools are not prepared for it. It’s a ludicrous and desperate proposition.

@michaelgove is confident schools will stay open.

He might not like experts, but SAGE disagree. 5/10

1/THREAD: UNDERSTANDING PRICE TRANSMISSION VIA ARBITRAGE $ABXX $ABXXF

TL;DR: While I couldn't possibly be more bullish @abaxx_tech, today is NOT the day to buy the U.S. ADR $ABXX, which is trading at a ridiculous premium to the last $ABXX (Canadian) close.

WAIT FOR TOMORROW!

2/What's happening today is not specific to $ABXXF. It affects a lot of Canadian stocks with U.S. ADRs, and many of those ADRs are up a lot this morning.

They're not up because the companies got better. They're up because Canadian markets are closed. The connection isn't obvious

3/Let's still with @abaxx_tech to explain the concepts thru example.

$ABXX is the Canadian ticker. This company has tremendous prospects, and no doubt in my mind the stock is headed MUCH higher long-term.

But that his NOTHING to do with why the price literally doubled this AM.

4/What happened this morning is that when someone bought $ABXXF at the open--and it probably wasn't even a big order--there was no seller to match the order to at a reasonable price.

The result: the price spiked to +92% from the prior close instantly! BUT...

5/The reason the price spiked had nothing to do with its value going up. The price spiked because THERE WAS NO SELLER OFFERING LIQUIDITY to absorb the buy order.

Why not? One reason is that few investors holding ABXXF have any desire to sell it. But NORMALLY, there would have

#Thread
Why Indian married Women Wear Toe Rings ?
It is worn as a symbol of married state by Hindu women,called Bichiya (pronounced: bee-chee-ya)in Hindi, Women wear these Toe rings, They are usually made of silver and worn in pairs on the second toe of both feet.

👇👇

Scientific reason behind why indian married women wear toe rings, health benefits ; Why to use only Silver toe rings and Why Not gold:‘Bichiyas’ may not be made of gold, as gold holds a ‘respected’ status & may not be worn below the waist. @kaushkaus @varshaparmar6

👇👇

Indians especially Hindus believe that gold is the metal of the Mata Lakshmi Devi, The Goddess of Wealth,& so they considers it inappropriate to wear gold below the waist.Scientific & Ayurvedic Reason behind wearing Toe Rings..
@onlyonenetra @Maithili__ @SuvarnBharat

👇👇

Some Men frequently wore a ring on the big toe for curative purposes or to augment their masculine vigor.
Wearing toe ring to the second toe has s€xual/er0t!c effect.
The reflexology texts also mention about treating gynaecological problems by massaging the second toe.

👇👇

There is also a belief that the wearing of toe rings press on certain nerves that pertain to the reproductive system, keeping it in balance and healthy.
Ancient Ayuvedic medicine has long been used along side acupressure.
@Jayalko1 @AnuSatheesh5 @soil_Legion @voyagerstrail

👇👇

One of the most important threads I’ll share. It contains organized information so you can draw your own conclusions on what could happen on 1.6.20. and the parameters of Mike Pence’s role.

WaPo says he’s powerless.

Gateway Pundit says he’s Oz.

The truth lies in the middle.

The confusion as to Mike Pence’s power comes down to the different interpretations of the Electoral Count Act of 1887 and how each media outlet reports their versions.

Read it for yourself,

What we know:
-One Rep and one Senator must both object to the electors in order for each House to debate & vote.

What we still don’t know for sure:
-The limits of Mike Pence’s power. Can he throw out slates in a stalemate? Is he a tie breaker? Is his job just to open envelopes?

2. The muddled language of section 15 has puzzled scholars for decades
Read it for yourself

3. The Constitution center has an objective way of explaining law. Read their write up here.

In the Corpus Hermeticum there is a conversation between Hermes Trismagistus & Asclepius that is very relevant now.

He speaks of Egypt but if you substitute it with “America” it fits perfectly & gives an outline for what we are facing now & what is to come.

Everything-

Thread:Good news: TN Information Commission orders penalty of Rs 25000 to be deducted from Chennai Corp Exec Engr Victors salary & also orders Corp Comm to take disciplinary dept. action on Victor & Superintending Engr Vijaykumar for not furnishing info under RTI to Arappor

While we shd be happy that this will act as a deterrent to many public information officers who refuse info under RTI, the ordeal behind this order will show how diff people get together to protect the corrupt. I filed a RTI on 31/07/2018 seeking information on a road tender

This tender was awarded to SP Builders whos said to be close to Min.S.P.Velumani. Velumanis close aide firm KCP Engrs & SP Builders compete in 3 tenders of Busroute roads in 2015 of which 2 were won by KCP& 1 by SP. Theres clear collusion btn the 2 firms on pricing & many factors

This tender was also caught redhanded by CAG in its audit report clearly showing that Rs 34 lakhs of loss to the exchequer has been incurred bcaz the Corporation raised the camber correction amt for SP Builders after award of the tender. Such a blatant act of violation!

As we probe info into this tender, Corp refuses to give info in RTI citing its private info. Second appeal b4 info commission comes up after an year of wait in Oct2019. In d next hearing held on 5/11/19, Info Commissioner Mr G.Murugan orders PIO Victor to give d data by 19/11/19

Donald Trump’s presidency was defined by multiple financial conflicts of interest and unprecedented abuses of power. Here are some of the most important things we’ve uncovered about Trump’s actions in office — and what we’re still investigating.

Abuse of Presidential Powers: From pardoning his political allies to pushing for an authoritarian response to nationwide racial justice protests, Trump’s penchant for using presidential powers for his own gain has been well documented.

Documents we’ve uncovered have shed light on many of these instances, including Trump’s 2018 pardon of Scooter Libby, DOJ’s intervention in criminal cases against Roger Stone and Michael Flynn, and Trump’s post-impeachment

We still want to know:
-How have agencies responded to Trump’s pardons, and who was involved?
-How did DOJ, DHS, and Defense respond to Trump’s insistence on a militarized response to nationwide protests?

Trump’s Pandemic Failures: Covid-19 has left over 300,000 Americans dead. Many of those deaths could have been prevented had the president initially taken the virus seriously. We’re keeping a close watch on these failings with our Covid-19 Oversight

Exposing 5g Is Evil Thread

Running a small company or need cash for your side hustle? Here's the ultimate capital raising guide [Thread]

Ways to raise capital:

1. Bootstrapping
2. Bank Debt
3. Working Capital/ Revolving Facilities
4. Angle Investors
5. Venture Capital
6. Private Equity
7. Crowdfunding
8. Government Agencies
9. Get a Business Partner
10. Funding competitions

1. Bootstrapping

The cheapest way of funding. Build the company with savings & family contributions. Privilege is a massive factor in getting off the ground.

Jeff Bezos' parents ploughed $245k into his e-commerce startup. Bill Gates' parents funded his founding company.

2. Bank Debt

Banks take credit risk which means they're often fucking conservative. They will focus on your ability to repay the debt & pricing depends on the probability of you defaulting*

*Pro-tip: don't use bank funding to frequent strip clubs, use shareholder money instead

3. Drawdown facilities

Probably the most underused, useful type of funding. You can borrow against the assets of your company for really cheap. Most companies have short-term liquidity issues

I have worked on deals where these type of facilities were used to buy small companies

My first vote was for Harold Wilson's govt. (a clue to my age) .. In all that time, all those votes went to Labour then SNP.
Despite Scotland striking oil..masses of it! Poverty was rife in Scotland under Labour..the oil revenues disappeared with no obvioys benefit to Scots1/2

Then came Thatcher. As Denis Healy pointed out in his memoirs, she was the one who benefitted from those revenues, but instead of using them to level up the whole of uk, never mind Scotland, she chose to make London the epicentre of commerce. 2/3

Great buildings + infrastructure took place...in London. Oligarchs arrived, money was made, homes were now investments. London became THE place for business..all backed up by oil revenues. 3/4

Meanwhile in the real world most of us live in, she was creating hell. Selling off the "family silver" demolishing Ravenscraig (which still had orders)and other places that employed thousands...with no thought for the workers and their families.4/5

Turning Britain from being largely self sufficient to being dependent on China for its steel. Instead of manufacturing here, creating things, we imported them. 5/6

Live thread: Ronald Koeman's press conference ahead of tomorrow's game with Eibar.

Koeman: “Tomorrow we face a very competitive rival and we will have to be good, like in Valladolid. If we're not good, the game will be very complicated."

Koeman: "Messi in Argentina? Leo had some ankle discomfort. He couldn't train or play tomorrow, that's why we have given him two more days of vacation. He returns after the game with Eibar. The doctors say that a week without training will be good for Leo."

Koeman: "Messi's interview? I think it's perfect for him to do an interview to make his opinions known. The only thing we can do is get the most out of Leo in games and we'll see what happens."

Koeman: "I haven't seen Messi's interview, but I'm grateful that he spoke well about me. I'm trying to get the team going, it's a year of transition and he's a very important player."

1/ We all know WHAT are the ingredients of a Frequent "Regional Rail" network. But there is little talk often about the "HOW to get there".

The case of Lombardy is quite interesting as it shows that, no matter how long it takes, what matters is to have a PLAN and stick to it.

2/ I'm doing this thread because I ended up reading a number of documents about how, in a general framework of stagnation or even decrease in regional rail use in Italy in the last two decades, Lombardy doubled its daily rail ridership from 400,000 in 2000 to 800,000 in 2018.

3/ Of course, the most "glittering part", the piece of hard infrastructure that enabled such a stark increase in service is the "passante": a cross-city rail link opened in phases between 1997-2004 that allows for through-running of "suburban" trains

4/ But the most important part comes even earlier: in 1982, the Region devised an overall plan for the implementation of an S-Bahn network (called "servizio comprensoriale") in a ~30-40km radius from Milan. That plan kickstarted the construction of the passante in 1983

5/ Until the early 2000, the implementation was slow, because the 930m€ "passante" was locally financed with scarce ressources by the City and the Region and the responsibility of programming and financing regional rail transit was devoluted to Regions only in 1997-2000

THE BATTLE OF SARAIGHAT (1671)

Lachit Borphukan's humiliation of Aurangzeb.

The battle of Saraighat was a naval engagement fought on the Brahmaputra river near Saraighat between the M0ghul empire and Ahom kingdom in 1671.

Guts, resolve and glory!

(Elaborate thread)

Koch was a state situated between the dominions of M0ghuls and Ahoms. For Ahoms, it was a buffer state for keeping M0ghul territorial expansions at bay.(1)

Times changed when the ruler of the Koch kingdom, Nara Narayana passed away in 1587 resulting in Koch being divided into 2. Western Koch was ruled by his son Lakshmi Narayan and the eastern Koch by his nephew, Raghudev.(2)

Lakshmi Narayan formed an alliance with M0ghuls after which he attacked Parikshit, son of Raghudev, in 1602. Parikshit Narayan was defeated while his brother Bali Narayan took refuge in the Ahom Kingdom.(3)

The M0ghuls used it as a pretext to invade Ahom kingdom. The first battle between them took place in 1615 leading to a series of engagements in which both sides had their shares of ups and downs resulting in a stalemate.(4)

Okay I'm extremely sleep deprived, so why not start some Twitter drama on this fine Monday morning.

Hot take: Vinay Sitapati is a deracinated, colonized fella who shouldn't be writing about the topics he writes about.

I will elaborate.

So mind, I haven't read his books. I want to read Jugalbandi but it isn't yet available on the Kindle store in the US. It seems like he's researched the crap out of his topics. I'm not going to dispute his research chops. BUT

The lens he looks at things with. It's the most colonized lens I've seen in a long time. It is maddeningly colonized.

This is based on all the videos of him promoting his books that I've watched.

In several talks/interviews about his PVN Rao book, he says 'Rao was going to quit politics and become a "Hindu Priest"'.

That's the kind of language you would use if you were so far removed from India that Hinduism was just one big monolithic blob to you.

Someone even marginally immersed in the culture would probably say "poojari" or specified that he was going to serve at Kutralam peetham. But no, he sticks to the incredibly sterile "Hindu Priest".