Notes (2026-07)

"In the best marriage, each person should secretly be thinking they got the better end of the deal."

• Often attributed to writer Anne Lamott—suggests a happy relationship thrives on mutual gratitude, humility, and a deep sense of a shared good fortune rather than score keeping.

• Source

Book: Small Fry (a memoir by Lisa Brennan-Jobs)

Lisa Brennan-Jobs is the first child of Steve Jobs, and the author of this memoir. She is the biological child he never actually wanted to acknowledge. This memoir provides a sharp, first-person account of growing up as an outsider-child of Steve. It is centred around themes of illegitimacy, shame, and the search for identity against a backdrop of extreme familial complexity.

Steve Jobs used the nickname "Small Fry" as a term of endearment for his daughter, and she used it as the title of the book.

• As a child, Lisa assumed the name referred to the french fries left at the bottom of a bag—the cold, crusty ones. She later learned that "fry" is an old term for young fish that are often thrown back into the sea to give them more time to grow.

Notes:

• Nail Biter: Steve bit both his nails and the skin on the sides of his fingers. Lisa noted that she shared this exact habit with him.

• Steve, Not Dad: Throughout her childhood and adolescence, Lisa Brennan-Jobs primarily called her father "Steve" rather than "dad".

• Lisa Computer: Steve named one of their designed computers as: "Lisa", but denied (until almost on his death-bed) that the thing was named after his ignored daughter.

• Steve once told Lisa at her graduation that he "didn’t believe in genetics", but at other times he leaned into their biological link.

• The Lawsuit: In 1980 they sued Jobs for child support. Jobs swore in a deposition that he was sterile. A DNA test confirmed a 94.4% probability of paternity. Steve suggested in Time magazine that "twenty-eight percent of the male population of the United States" could be Lisa's father. Jobs was ordered to pay $385 per month (later increased to $500) and back-pay welfare costs. The court case was finalised on December 8, 1980. Four days later, Apple went public, and Jobs's net worth rose to over $200 million. 

• Steve Jobs was adopted. He carried a photo of his daughter in his wallet, showed it to everyone - but still denied she was his daughter.

• The Mother’s Struggle: Chrisann Brennan is portrayed as a creative but often unstable figure who struggled with the burden of single motherhood.

• Steve Jobs frequently used Lisa's extracurricular activities as a primary tool for emotional control, often framing her participation in them as a betrayal of the family unit.

• NeXT Computer: Steve once brought a NeXT computer home for Lisa as a gift, but it would not start. Steve had no idea how to troubleshoot it, did not even know where the wires should go. He removed the computer and never replaced it with a working one.

• From the time she was nine or ten, Jobs would joke that she was going to marry a homeless person or work at a strip club (specifically pointing out a building called Ruby’s)., He also used a mocking repertoire of "ugly, truncated names" like Biff, Blaine, Tad, and Dirk for her imaginary future boyfriends.

• Perhaps the most devastating remark occurred when he told her bluntly, "You have no marketable skills. Not one.", He dismissed her high school achievements, like her trophy-winning debate club, as "lame" and "not useful in the real world.

• The Conversation About Masturbation: One morning in the kitchen, while Steve was reading the newspaper and his wife, Laurene, was looking through the mail, he abruptly asked Lisa, "Do you masturbate?" She stood very still and did not answer. Internally, she noted that she had never tried it and, while she knew what the word meant, she wasn't sure how to do it. After the question hung in the air for a moment, he simply said, "Well, you should," and went back to reading his paper.

• Deathbed Reconciliation: In his final months, Jobs expressed "extreme regret" and apologised to Lisa, acknowledging that he "owed her one" for his years of absence and behaviour.

Quotes:

• Steve's first introduction to her: "You know who I am? ... I’m your father. I’m one of the most important people you will ever know."

• On Steve's harshness regarding money and inheritance: "You’re not getting anything. You understand? Nothing. You’re getting nothing."

• On the lack of "marketable skills": "The thing is, Lis... you have no marketable skills. Not one."

• On being Steve's daughter: "For him, I was a blot on a spectacular ascent, as our story did not fit with the narrative of greatness and virtue he might have wanted for himself. My existence ruined his streak. For me, it was the opposite: the closer I was to him, the less I would feel ashamed; he was part of the world, and he would accelerate me into the light."

• On her mother's belief in Steve's love: "He loves you. He just doesn’t know he loves you."

• Steve's deathbed apology: "I didn’t spend enough time with you when you were little. I wish we’d had more time. ... I owe you one."

• Lisa: "I was born too early."

Steve Jobs:
Steve Jobs is depicted as a charismatic, "larger-than-life" figure capable of immense curiosity and intermittent sweetness, yet simultaneously prone to startling cruelty, emotional withholding, and financial control.

• Obsessive control. Frequent temper tantrums and fits of rage. Publicly tearing down people and their ideas. Being rude, dismissive, and using harsh feedback. Viewing others primarily as tools to achieve his goals. Taking credit for the work and ideas of others. Exhibiting extreme arrogance and self-importance.

Source:

• Goodreads

• Wikipedia

• Video: Interview with Lisa Brennan-Jobs on Growing Up in the Shadow of Steve Jobs (The New Yorker)

• Lisa Brennan-Jobs On Dad Steve Jobs: ‘I Wish We Had More Time’ (TODAY)

• Movies:

  • Steve Jobs (2015): Directed by Danny Boyle and written by Aaron Sorkin, starring Michael Fassbender as Jobs. The story takes place behind the scenes of three major product launches (1984 Macintosh, 1988 NeXT, and 1998 iMac).

  • Jobs (2013): Directed by Joshua Michael Stern, starring Ashton Kutcher as Jobs. This traditional biopic traces his life from his college years in 1974 through the founding of Apple and the introduction of the iPod in 2001.

  • Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999): A television film directed by Martyn Burke, starring Noah Wyle as Steve Jobs and Anthony Michael Hall as Bill Gates, focusing on the early rise of personal computers and the rivalry between Apple and Microsoft.

  • Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine (2015): A documentary directed by Alex Gibney that looks closely and critically at Jobs' life and his legacy at Apple.

"The more things you own, the more things own you"

• Stuff (Mike Rowe)

• Garbage (Seinfeld)

"I ask you to judge me by the enemies I have made."

• Franklin D. Roosevelt

Monopoly was supposed to be a warning

The history of the game Monopoly highlights the contributions of Elizabeth Magie. Magie, a progressive advocate for women’s rights and a follower of Henry George’s economic theories, created the game as a critique of capitalism and land ownership. Charles Darrow later sold the game to Parker Brothers, and was accused of stealing Magie’s work.

• Source

Greek vs Roman Gods

Greek and Roman gods are similar because they share ancient Indo-European roots, interacted closely with Greek colonies in Italy, and through a practice called interpretatio romana, the Romans deliberately matched their own native deities with Greek equivalents.

• Common Ancestors: Both cultures descended from early Indo-European tribes, meaning their baseline ideas for major sky and storm deities (like Zeus and Jupiter) evolved from the same linguistic and cultural ancestor.

• Neighbouring Influence: Long before conquering Greece, Rome was surrounded by Greek colonies in southern Italy and Sicily, exposing early Romans to Greek stories, art, and religious practices.

• Blending and Borrowing (Syncretism).

• Matching Gods: Romans mapped foreign gods onto their own. If a Roman god shared a basic job with a Greek god—like Mars and Ares both dealing with war—the Romans adopted the richer Greek myths and applied them to their own figures.

• Literary Copying: Roman writers and poets loved Greek epic poetry and translated those narratives into Latin, fusing the identities of the two pantheons together permanently.

Source

The Renminbi (RMB)

Renminbi (RMB) is the official currency of the People's Republic of China. Managed by the ⁠People's Bank of China (PBOC), it translates literally to "the people's currency".

• Distinguishing Renminbi vs. Yuan: Though often used interchangeably, the two terms serve distinct financial purposes:

  • Renminbi (RMB): The official name of the entire currency system. This functions identically to how "Sterling" represents British currency.

  • Yuan (CNY): The principal base unit of account for the currency. This operates exactly like a British "Pound" or US "Dollar".

Source

Microchips Under Microscope

Showing a 20-year old computer-microchip under an Electron microscope, compared to a strand of hair, a grain of pollen, and a bacterium down to the 500 nanometre level. Modern chips today go as small as 0.7 nanometre.

• Source: Nano Pirate (YouTube)

Idiom: "Tempest in a Teacup"

"Tempest in a teacup" (also known as a "storm in a teacup" or "tempest in a teapot") is an idiom that means a big fuss or a lot of anger and worry about a small, unimportant matter. Most users on ⁠Reddit agree that it is very similar to making a mountain out of a molehill.

• Older Roots: The Roman writer Cicero used a similar phrase in Latin about a "tempest in a ladle" around 52 BCE (a large, deep-bowled spoon with a long handle, typically used for dipping, scooping, and serving liquids like soups).

Source

Definition: "Protagonist vs Antagonist"

The primary difference between a protagonist and an antagonist is their role in driving the narrative: the protagonist is the main character pursuing a central goal, while the antagonist is the force or character that opposes them and creates conflict.

Source

Etymology (Name Meaning) - Stanley Lawrence NIELSON

NIELSON - The name Nielson is a patronymic surname that literally means "son of Neil". 

Depending on its cultural roots, the name carries different historical backgrounds and deeper linguistic meanings:

• Scottish and Irish: In the English-speaking world, Nielson is primarily an Anglicised form of the Gaelic name Mac Néill (McNeill), meaning "descendant of Niall". The root name Niall is historically interpreted to mean: "Champion" / "Cloud".

• Scandinavian: Nielson is frequently an Americanised or adapted spelling of common Nordic surnames: Danish/Norwegian (Nielsen): Means "son of Niels". Niels is a shortened form of Nicholas, which comes from the Greek name Nikolaos, meaning "victory of the people" or "conqueror of the people". Swedish (Nilsson): Similarly means "son of Nils".

Stanley - The name Stanley is of Old English origin and means "stony meadow" or "stone clearing".

It is a habitational name created from two Old English words: stān, meaning "stone" or "rock," and lēah, meaning "clearing," "meadow," or "woodland".

• Evolution: It originally developed as a surname in medieval England for families who lived near a rocky field or geographical landmark. It transitioned into a popular masculine given name during the 19th century.

• Anglicisation: It is also used as an Americanised form of similar-sounding European names, such as the Polish surname Stanislawski or the Greek name Anastasiou.

Lawrence - The name Lawrence is a classic masculine name of Latin origin that primarily means "from Laurentum" or "laurel-crowned".

• Ancient Roots: It is the English version of the Old French name Laurent, which comes from the Latin name Laurentius.

• The Geographic Link: Laurentius literally translates to "a man from Laurentum," an ancient maritime city southwest of Rome.

• The Botanical Connection: The city of Laurentum itself was named after its abundance of laurus (laurel or bay trees).

• Symbolism: In ancient Greece and Rome, laurel leaves were woven into wreaths and used to crown victors, heroes, and poets. Because of this, the name Lawrence carries strong connotations of victory, honour, wisdom, and achievement.
  
  

• English: Many fixed historical family names originated as patronymics by adding the suffix "-son" or the prefix "Fitz-". For example, Williamson ("son of William") or Fitzpatrick ("son of Patrick").
• Scottish & Irish: The prefixes "Mac-" or "Mc-" (Scottish/Irish for "son of") and "O'-" (Irish for "grandson/descendant of") formed historical patronymics like MacDonald or O'Brien.
• Russian: Patronymics (otchestvo) are actively used today as formal middle names. Surnames are separate. A son of Ivan takes the patronymic Ivanovich ("son of Ivan"), while a daughter takes Ivanovna ("daughter of Ivan").

Definition: "quagmire"

A quagmire is a hazardous, boggy area of land that gives way underfoot, or a complex, predicament-ridden situation that is difficult to escape.

• Physical Quagmire: A soft, miry, or boggy wetland (like a marsh or mud) that yields under the weight of a person or vehicle.

• Figurative Quagmire: An extremely complicated, chaotic, or hazardous situation from which it is incredibly difficult to extricate oneself.

It also refers to the hyper-sexual, hedonistic, and comedic airline pilot from the animated sitcom Family Guy.

Source

"Grief is simply the gap between what you hoped for, and what actually happened."

• Source

Cognitive and Productivity Principles

• Parkinson's Law, work expands to fill the time you give it. Shrink the deadline, shrink the task.

• Hofstadter's Law, everything takes longer than you expect, even when you account for Hofstadter's law.

• Occam's Razor, the simplest explanation is usually the right one.

• Hanlon's Razor, never attribute to malice what is adequately explained by carelessness or stupidity.

• Pareto Principle, or 80-20. Roughly 80% of the results come from 20% of the effort.

• Peter Principle, people get promoted until they reach a job they're bad at, and then stay there.

• Hicks' Law, more options mean slower decisions. Cut the menu, decide faster.

• Goodhart's Law, when a measure becomes a target, it stops being a good measure.

• Dunning-Kruger Effect, the less you know, the more you overestimate how much you know.

• Chesterton's Fence, don't tear something down until you understand why it was built in the first place.

• Brooks' Law, if you add more people to a project that's already late, it's going to be even later.

Historical Ages

Prehistoric and Ancient Ages:

• Stone Age (c. 3.3 million years ago – 3000 BCE): Early humans used stone tools; includes the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic periods.

• Bronze Age (c. 3300 BCE – 1200 BCE): People began using bronze tools and weapons; early civilizations grew in Egypt and Mesopotamia.

• Iron Age (c. 1200 BCE – 500 BCE): Iron replaced bronze, changing farming and warfare globally.

• Classical Era (c. 500 BCE – 500 CE): The peak of ancient Greece, and the Roman Empire.

Medieval and Modern Ages:

• Medieval Era / Middle Ages (c. 500 CE – 1500 CE): The period between the fall of Rome and the Renaissance, featuring feudalism and the Twinkl Medieval Period Guide.

• Early Modern Era (c. 1500 CE – 1800 CE): Marked by the Age of Discovery, the Renaissance, and early scientific revolutions.

• Modern Era (c. 1800 CE – Present): Defined by the Industrial Revolution, major global conflicts, and the technological age.

Source  /  Timeline of World History (video)  /  Poster/Illustration

Movie: The Odyssey (2026, by Christopher Nolan)

Odysseus, the legendary King of Ithaca, embarks on a long and perilous journey home following the Trojan War. Throughout his voyage, he is forced to confront the whims of gods, mythological monsters, and trials that stretch both his cunning and his humanity to the breaking point. Nolan's telling of The Odyssey is about the savagery of men and how society is defined by individualism and human division.

• Based on the Emily Wilson translation of The Odyssey

• The score (original music) was composed by ⁠Ludwig Göransson

• Movie Trailer

• I’d Watch This Before You Watch the Film (Mysteries of Mythology)

• Movie Reviews:

  • Kermode and Mayo / Deep Focus Lens / Heavy Spoilers

  • Conservatives:  Ben Shapiro / Michael Knowles  / Piers Morgan
    
    

"Feel free to add some stuff"

• Spoken by Sinon to Odysseus (the key to the whole story) (Source)
  
  

"...every recruit headed into war would be well advised to read the 'Iliad', just as every soldier returning home would be served by reading the "Odyssey"

• New York Times Book Review, author Chris Hedges (2000)
  
  

Nolan's Practical Filmmaking Methods:

• Nolan's CGI is really just invisible-CGI

• The entire movie was shot on IMAX cameras.

• The whirlpool was created by jet-ski's circling.

• 2000 extras on full armour for the siege at Troy.

• Stuntman were fully buried underground (with snorkels) for the Underworld Hades scene (shot on the black sand beaches of Iceland).

• A 60-foot puppet for the cyclops scenes, combining puppetry, animatronics, robotics and Visual Effects.

• They used a real 115-foot viking ship (Draken Harald Hårfagre).

• Stunt women had to swim to the island to become the Sirens.

• Only authentic (reconstructed) Greek music instruments were used for the music.

• When the people turn into pigs, that is not CGI - it's sculpted animatronics.

Greek Myths - Some basic things to know (because this is even more complicated than Game of Thrones):

• Zeus is the king of the gods, supreme divine authority, and ultimate arbiter of justice. He acts as a cosmic mediator, enforcing moral rules, deciding human fates, and shaping the plot.

• Hera is the primary wife of Zeus and the Queen of the Gods. She is the goddess of marriage, women, family, and childbirth.

• Athena, the goddess, acts as the ultimate divine patron, strategist, and protector. She drives the plot forward by constantly manipulating events to secure the homecoming of Odysseus and the maturation of his son, Telemachus. Because Athena embodies wisdom, tactical warfare, and cleverness, she shares an innate intellectual bond with Odysseus, who is renowned for his quick wits (metis).

• The Trojan War is a legendary Bronze Age conflict in Greek mythology fought between the allied kingdoms of Greece (the Achaeans) and the city of Troy in western Anatolia. The romance between Helen and Paris sparked the Trojan War, driven by a divine beauty contest, an elopement from Sparta, and a massive Greek expedition.

  • The Trojan Horse was a giant hollow wooden structure devised by Odysseus and built by Epeius that allowed Greek warriors to sneak inside Troy and end the ten-year war.

  • Helen of Troy (referred to as "the face that launched a thousand ships"). Helen's divine father is Zeus and her mother is Leda (the Queen of Sparta). In mortal tradition, her foster or earthly father is often recognized as King Tyndareus of Sparta, though her conception is famously attributed to Zeus disguising himself as a swan.

• Odysseus is the mythical King of Ithaca whose name defines the ultimate epic journey. Known as Ulysses in Roman mythology, he represents a unique shift in Greek heroism from raw physical power to sharp mental brilliance. 

• Penelope is the clever and loyal queen of Ithaca, the wife of Odysseus, and the mother of Telemachus. She is famous for her 20-year wait, her daily weaving trick, and her careful test of Odysseus upon his return.

• The suitors are a group of 108 young, noble men who move into the palace of the absent king, Odysseus. Operating under the assumption that Odysseus died in the Trojan War, they aggressively compete for the hand of his wife, Queen Penelope, in an effort to claim the wealth and political power of Ithaca.

• The Odyssey is an ancient Greek epic poem composed around the 8th century BC and traditionally attributed to the blind poet Homer. Running over 12,000 lines of dactylic hexameter verse, it stands as a foundational text of Western literature. The narrative serves as a direct chronological sequel to Homer's war epic, the Iliad, shifting focus from the military devastation of the Trojan War to a deeply human adventure about survival, identity, and the yearning for home.

• Cyclops Polyphemus is the most famous of the one-eyed giants in Greek mythology, best known as the son of Poseidon and the nymph Thoösa who terrorizes Odysseus.

• The Laestrygonians  are a fierce race of man-eating giants ruled by King Antiphates. They live in the rocky stronghold of Telepylos. They nearly wipe out Odysseus's entire fleet by hurling massive boulders from the cliffs.

• ⁠Circe is a powerful sorceress and goddess who lives on the isolated island of Aeaea. She famously turns Odysseus's men into pigs, resists Odysseus with the help of a magic herb, and later becomes his host and guide.

• Calypso is a beautiful nymph and minor goddess who holds the Greek hero Odysseus captive on her mythical island of Ogygia for seven years.

• The Lotus-Eaters (or Lotophagi) are a race of peaceful people living on an island dominated by a narcotic botanical plant. They present one of the most insidious hurdles to Odysseus’s heroic journey because they do not fight with weapons, but with the seduction of total oblivion and comfortable stagnation.

• The Sirens are dangerous female enchantresses who lure sailors to their deaths with their irresistible singing, promising divine wisdom. Odysseus survives their call by plugging his crew's ears with beeswax and having himself tied tightly to the ship's mast.
  Odysseus describing.

  • •  What Odysseus heard: "All the things you wanted to be and then all the things you wished you never wished for. It was a delicious itch you want to scratch but you find it under the skin and can't reach it. So the delicious itch becomes unbearable. It told you what you most want is what you most can't have and that the most you can't have is what you already had and lost. It was a song of all the promises I failed to keep and it told me I don't really want to go home."

• The "Oxen of the Sun" are the sacred cattle of the sun god Helios on the island of Thrinacia. Despite warnings from Tiresias and Circe, Odysseus's starving crew slaughters the cattle while Odysseus sleeps, leading Zeus to destroy their ship with a lightning bolt, killing all except Odysseus.

• Charybdis is the famous whirlpool. It is paired across a narrow strait with the six-headed monster Scylla, forcing sailors to choose between two deadly hazards.

• Scylla is a terrifying, immortal sea monster who lives in a cliff-side cavern opposite the deadly whirlpool monster, Charybdis. Together, they guard a narrow maritime strait—traditionally identified as the Strait of Messina between Sicily and mainland Italy.

• Achilles is already dead in this telling. He appears as a spirit in the underworld when Odysseus travels there, and he where he famously tells Odysseus that he would rather be a living farm labourer than a king over all the dead.

•  Telemachus is the son of King Odysseus and Queen Penelope of Ithaca. His name literally translates from Ancient Greek to "far-fighter," reflecting his destiny to fight alongside his father far from home.

• Argos (also spelled Argus) is the famously loyal hunting dog of Odysseus. He serves as one of literature's oldest and most heartbreaking symbols of canine devotion and unconditional love.

• Bards. A bard (aoidos) is a professional oral poet and singer who channels divine inspiration from the Muses to preserve history, entertain nobility, and recount heroic legends. Homer's Odyssey features two internal bards, Phemius and Demodocus, who mirror the real-life oral poets of ancient Greece. These characters showcase how singer-poets used divine inspiration from the Muses to preserve history and entertain royal courts.

• The Sea Peoples. A mysterious confederation of seafaring raiders and migrants who wreaked havoc across the Eastern Mediterranean around 1200 BCE, contributing significantly to the Late Bronze Age collapse.

  • The Late Bronze Age collapse (c. 1200–1150 BC) was a sudden, devastating period of societal collapse in the Eastern Mediterranean. Great powers like the Mycenaean Greeks and the Hittite Empire fell, writing systems were lost, and complex trade networks disintegrated. Historians attribute this catastrophe to a "systems collapse" driven by a deadly combination of severe drought, regional famine, internal rebellions, and marauding invaders known as the Sea Peoples. Source / Video

• "The clearest view for a man is from below.” - Odysseus
  You get the clearest view of a man when he has power over/looking down on you. You “see” what he will really do with it. It's a line that refers to the way that Gods would allegedly walk among men as beggars and low status people.

• Zeus' Law (and the commentary on American) - The ancient Greeks lived by Zeus' law (Xenia). If a stranger showed up at your house, you must offer them hospitality. Things like wine, food, and no chance of murder or injury while under the host's roof. The guest, in turn, must treat their host kindly.  When Odysseus and the Greeks broke into the city of Troy inside of the Trojan horse, they defied this law of civilisation. Inside those walls of Troy, Odysseus watched his men become savages. As he watched the city burn, he watched his men kill civilians for a purpose that seemed so meaningless now.

  • The choice to cast Matt Damon (a popular American movie star) as Odysseus (and have the entire supporting cast perform in American accents) is probably apt. It is easy to draw Nolan's depiction of this world to America and the mythos that it was founded on.

Extra Homework:

Podcasts:

• • • The True Story Of The Odyssey (and why it matters) - Alex Petkas (Modern Wisdom)

    • The Real History Behind The Odyssey (Dan Snow's History Hit)

Books:

• • • Stephen Fry’s highly entertaining, witty retelling of Greek mythology comes in a four-book series:

      • #1 Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold

      • #2 Heroes: Mortals and Monsters, Quests and Adventures

      • #3 Troy (Trojan War)

      • #4 Odyssey (Odysseus's Journey)

Videos:

• CNN Interview with Emily Wilson, the translator of the original text of The Odyssey

• Historian Explains the ENTIRE ODYSSEY (Dan Snow's History Hit)

• Details You Missed & Ending Explained (New Rockstars) 

• Stephen Fry Tells The Real Story Behind The Trojan War

• ‘The Odyssey’ Cast Answer The 50 Most Searched Questions

• Top 10 Differences Between The Odyssey Movie and Epic Poem

• Nolan's Odyssey Is Way Darker Than You Think

• Roundtable Discussion on Homer's "The Odyssey" featuring Christopher Hitchens

• What Translator Emily Wilson Thinks of Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey' (Plain English)

• The Secret Of The Odyssey - with Christopher Nolan, Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland & Zendaya (BBC)

• Christopher Nolan Breaks Down Every Format to Watch The Odyssey

  • The History of IMAX and Why The Odyssey is its Culmination

  • How IMAX 70MM Film is Projected! (Adam Savage)

• The ENTIRE Story of Greek Mythology Explained (3.5 hours)

• The Odyssey by Homer | Full Audiobook on YouTube (11 hours)

Other Related Movies:

• The Return (2024): This film stars Ralph Fiennes as Odysseus, but it begins the story with our hero arriving home in Ithaca after 20 years away. There, he finds his wife trapped in her own home by suitors willing to kill their son to claim the throne.

• The Odyssey (1997): A two-part TV miniseries written and directed by Andrei Konchalovsky and starring Armand Assante as Odysseus.

• The Odyssey (1968): Odysseus’ journey, told in Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. After fighting in the Trojan War, Odysseus spends years trying to return home to Itaka.

• Ulysses (1954): A movie adaptation of Homer’s second epic, that talks about Ulysses’ efforts to return to his home after the end of ten years of war.

• Helen of Troy (2003): Paris of Troy goes to Sparta on a diplomatic mission and falls in love with Helen, the wife of King Menelaus. When lovers flee to Troy, the bloody seeds of a long war, sown by King Agamemnon of Mycenae, finally sprout, so an old prophecy is realised.

• Troy (2004): The direct prelude to The Odyssey, this star-studded epic covers the devastating 10-year Trojan War, bringing to life figures like Achilles, Hector, and Odysseus himself.

• 300 (2007): A story very loosely based the 480 B.C. Battle of Thermopylae, where the King of Sparta led his army against the advancing Persians.

• O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000): This movie transposes the narrative structure of The Odyssey into a completely different time period and set of circumstances. It follows a man named Ulysses Everett McGill (George Clooney), who escapes his chain gang sentence and sets off on a journey in search of buried treasure along with two other men. 

• Keyhole (2011): This movie puts an extremely experimental and abstract spin on The Odyssey. It transposes the classic narrative from the sea into an ancient, rotting house that serves as a labyrinthine maze where a gangster seeks out his ailing wife.

The Little-Treat Economy (Lipstick Effect)

The "Little-Treat Economy" refers to the modern evolution of the classic "Lipstick Effect". It is an economic theory noting that during tough economic times, consumers continue to buy small, affordable luxury goods (like high-end lipstick) as psychological mood-boosters when big purchases are out of reach.

Source

Dark Stores

A dark store is a dedicated retail fulfillment center or micro-warehouse that is completely closed to the public. Designed exclusively for online shopping, these facilities use aisle-and-shelf layouts where workers and automated pickers rapidly pack delivery orders rather than helping in-store shoppers.

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• Dark stores from Woolworths, Pick n Pay, and Checkers opening across South Africa

"You may be done with the past, but the past is not done with you."

That famous quote from Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia is a heavy truth. It perfectly captures how unhealed trauma, regrets, and unresolved consequences inevitably catch up to us, no matter how hard we try to run away or move on.

Source

"Unspoken expectations are premeditated resentments"

• Jimmy Car (but mostly credited to author and journalist Neil Strauss, who famously wrote the phrase in his book, The Truth: An Uncomfortable Book About Relationships)

Source: 01 / 02

"The highest form of peace is having no desire to be seen, validated, or understood by anyone."

This sentiment captures a profound shift from seeking external approval to cultivating deep emotional independence. It highlights that when you stop depending on others' perceptions for self-worth, you bypass the anxiety that comes with constantly performing or explaining yourself to the world.

Source

"Do it or do not do it. Either way, you will regret both"

• Søren Kierkegaard (the famous philosopher)

It captures the tension of human indecision. It suggests that whether you take action or remain passive, the outcome will likely leave you wondering about the "what ifs."

• The Core Truth: Both choices carry emotional weight because neither guarantees a completely regret-free outcome. Growth usually requires accepting that some level of regret is inevitable.

Source

“Trauma is acute. It is the things that happened to you, but it is also the things that did not happen to you, but should have.”

• The concept of developmental trauma or omission. It encompasses active harm, but also the agonising void of what should have been given to you—such as safety, emotional atonement, protection, and unconditional love. This lack of nurturing leaves deep, internalised wounds. Recognising that trauma includes the absence of vital support is often a major breakthrough in healing, as it validates the grief of unmet childhood or relational needs. To explore this further, understanding how omission shapes your nervous system and coping mechanisms can be incredibly empowering.

Source

Initial Public Offering IPO's

Simon Brown Said:

When I first started in markets Initial Public Offering IPO's were huge events and generally made good money for those investing. Some like the 1989 listing of Iscor included double page newspaper adverts and a mandate to include as many small investors as possible.

These days with more private capital available the need for a listing is delayed. These days listings are about exit liquidity enabling early investors an opportunity to take their profits and run.

The evidence is simple;

• SpaceX. IPO price $135, closed on Friday at $123.99. 

• Optasia. IPO price 1900c, closed on Friday at 1450c. 

• Cell-C. IPO price 2650, closed on Friday at 2500c.

All initially ran higher, but today every single buyer of these three hyped stocks is losing money. These are not necessarily bad companies, but they were certainly bad listing prices. Investors were squeezed and early pre-IPO investors took all the juice.

The lesson is ignore the IPO hype and FOMO. Know what you do actually like and importantly, what price you like it at. Then wait. The three above have returned to earth quickly, not all do. The last decade or so of IPO history is that they’re below listing price soon enough.

"Dis 'n baie lekker Suid Afrika hierdie, as jy ryk is." - Pieter Mulder

• Source (RSG Geldsake Podcast)

Interviewed: American Left vs. American Right

• Zohran Mamdani interviewed by The New York Times and JD Vance interviewed by Joe Rogan.

"Grief demands a witness"

Renowned grief expert David Kessler notes that while every person’s grief is as unique as a fingerprint, everyone shares a fundamental need to have their pain acknowledged by another person without judgment, reframing, or attempts to "fix" it. When grief is witnessed, it lessens the isolation of loss and helps to gradually integrate the experience into your life. It doesn't mean someone is trying to silver-line your pain; it simply means they are willing to sit beside you and acknowledge its weight.

Source

"Your kids can only be as well as you are"

Children learn to regulate emotions, navigate conflicts, and build resilience by watching you . By prioritizing your own mental and emotional well-being, you model the exact coping skills they need to thrive. You cannot pour from an empty cup. Focusing on your own health sets a powerful foundation for your kids, but it can be hard to know where to start, especially with a busy schedule.

Source

"You may not care about politics but politics cares about you" (and shapes almost everything around your life).

Politics shapes almost everything in your daily life, from the taxes you pay and the infrastructure you use to the healthcare available to you and the rights you hold. Even when you choose to disengage, legislative decisions directly impact your finances, career, and community well-being.

Source

Helicopter means: "Spiral Wing"

If you try and split up the word helicopter, your brain automatically goes heli-copter. But that's not where it's split. Because in reality it's split into "helico", meaning spiral, and "ter" (with a silent "p"), meaning feather or wing (like at the start of pterodactyl).

• So a helicopter is a helico-ter, so a "Spiral Wing".

Source

Surveillance Pricing

Surveillance pricing is the practice of using AI and vast amounts of personal data to determine the maximum price an individual is willing to pay for a product. It sets unique, personalised prices based on your location, browsing habits, and device, rather than adjusting costs for general market demand.

Unlike traditional dynamic pricing—such as public airline or ride-share surges that apply to everyone—surveillance pricing is individualised. For example, a retailer’s algorithm might raise an item's price if your browsing data shows you have been repeatedly searching for it, or if you are shopping from a wealthy neighbourhood.

Source: 01 / 02 (video)

"The moment someone says they want a divorce, it’s immediately stops being a relationship - it now becomes a business transaction."

Once the word "divorce" is spoken, the emotional partnership often takes a backseat, and the process instantly becomes a legal and financial negotiation regarding assets, liabilities, and maintenance.

Source

Culture eats strategy for breakfast

"Culture eats strategy for breakfast" is a legendary business mantra meaning that no matter how brilliant your strategic plan is, it will fail if your company's culture doesn't support it. Popularised by management expert Peter Drucker, it reminds leaders that people (and how they work together) dictate execution.

• Culture is not what the organization says. Culture is what the organization rewards, tolerates, and repeatedly reinforces.

• The strategy document tells you what should happen. Culture tells you exactly what is happening.

Source

China's Al-dump could crash the US economy

Scott Galloway argues that China could crash the US economy by flooding the market with cheap or free open-weight AI models. By aggressively undercutting the pricing power of American tech firms, he believes this strategy—akin to historical steel dumping—could trigger a massive devaluation in AI stocks, severely impacting the S&P 500.

• Source

The AI boom’s survival rests on gigantic contracts—between chip suppliers and their customers building data centers, between cloud-computing companies and AI developers. But those contracts may not be sure things if AI demand ebbs. Tech suppliers historically have been accommodating toward customers at times of flagging demand. And that could mean investors and creditors that are banking on the survival of these contracts will be in for a nasty surprise if the AI boom fades.

• Source

Irish Twins

"Irish twins" is a colloquial term for two siblings born to the same mother within 12 months or less of each other. Because they come from two completely separate pregnancies, they are not biologically twins, but rather siblings with a very close age gap.

• Source

Irish Goodbye (or French Exit)

An "Irish goodbye" (or "Irish exit") is the act of sneaking out of a social gathering or party without saying farewell to the host or other guests. While it can sometimes be perceived as rude, many people—especially introverts—use it to avoid long, drawn-out goodbyes or awkward conversations.

• Source:  01 / 02 / 03

"Jesus don't want me for a sunbeam. 'Cause sunbeams are not made like me."

A famously beautiful and melancholic line from the hymn parody made popular by Nirvana's MTV Unplugged performance and originally by the Scottish indie band The Vaselines. It perfectly captures the feeling of not fitting into traditional molds of goodness or perfection.

The lyric reflects a profound feeling of unworthiness, rejection, and alienation from traditional religious expectations. It is a stark, melancholic reversal of the cheerful 1900s Sunday school hymn "I'll Be a Sunbeam"(which taught children to be pure and shine for Jesus).

• YouTube:

  • I'll Be a Sunbeam for Jesus

  • Nirvana - Jesus Don't Want Me For A Sunbeam (Live On MTV Unplugged, 1993)

  • The Vaselines - Jesus Don't Want Me For A Sunbeam

The Ultimate Cognitive Bias

In their 2023 framework, psychologists Aileen Oeberst and Roland Imhoff argue that psychology’s hundreds of named biases aren't separate phenomena. Instead, almost all of them stem from one simple "recipe": holding a few fundamental positive beliefs about ourselves and our groups, combined with belief-consistent information processing (essentially, confirmation bias). Rather than a tangled web of 200+ distinct cognitive flaws, Oeberst and Imhoff suggest that various biases are just different manifestations of a few core defaults.

• "My assessments of the world are correct."

• "I am a good person."

• "My group is a good, reasonable reference."

Source: 01 / 02 / 03 (cognitive biases list)

ACE Score

An ACE score (Adverse Childhood Experiences score) is a psychological and public health metric used to measure cumulative trauma, abuse, and household dysfunction experienced before the age of 18. Originating from a landmark 1998 study conducted by the ⁠CDC and Kaiser Permanente, the score acts as an indicator of your relative risk for physical and mental health issues in adulthood.

• Emotional abuse: Regular humiliation, insults, or threats. The tool functions via a "dose-response" framework: as the number of ACEs increases, the statistical risk of future medical, social, and psychological issues rises exponentially.

• Physical abuse: Getting hit, pushed, or physically harmed.

• Sexual abuse: Any form of unwanted sexual contact.

• Emotional neglect: Feeling unloved, unsupported, or ignored.

• Physical neglect: Lack of food, clothing, shelter, or basic safety.

• Domestic violence: Witnessing abuse between adults in the home.

• Household substance misuse: Living with someone addicted to alcohol or drugs.

• Household mental illness: Living with a suicidal or severely mentally ill family member.

• Parental separation or divorce: Losing a parent through divorce, separation, or abandonment.

• Incarcerated household member: Having a close family member go to prison.

Source

Heresy

Heresy is any belief or theory that strongly opposes established beliefs, customs, or orthodox dogma. Derived from the Greek word "hairesis" (meaning "choice"), the term is historically rooted in religious contexts to describe doctrines that contradict official church teachings, though it is frequently used today to describe deviations from widely accepted mainstream opinions. In the Catholic Church, formal heresy is defined as the obstinate denial or doubt of a revealed truth of faith by a baptised person. Throughout history, proponents of heresies (known as heretics) often faced heavy ecclesiastical and societal censure, ranging from excommunication to execution at the stake.

• Apostasy: The complete, explicit renunciation of one's religion or cause altogether, rather than just disagreeing with certain teachings.

• Blasphemy: The act of insulting or showing contempt for sacred entities, names, or doctrines, rather than differing on theological interpretation.

Source

The Uncomfortable Science of Sex Differences

In this episode of the podcast "Modern Wisdom" psychologist Steve Stewart-Williams explores how evolutionary psychology explains psychological differences between men and women. He argues that these variations—such as in aggression and risk-taking—emerge too early in life to be solely attributed to cultural socialization, demonstrating they are rooted in our evolutionary history.

• Podcast: The Uncomfortable Science Of Sex Differences (Modern Wisdom)

• Book: A Billion Years of Sex Differences: How Evolution Shaped the Minds of Men and Women

The Bible Belt

Religious states in America have higher violence, illiteracy, obesity, incarceration, and anti-depressant use. While correlations are observed, sociologists emphasize these outcomes are heavily driven by regional economic disparity and systemic educational deficits rather than religion itself.

• Source

Alice in Wonderland Syndrome (AIWS)

Alice in Wonderland syndrome (AIWS), or Todd’s syndrome, is a rare condition where the brain distorts how a person experiences size, distance, or even their own body. People may feel that objects are shrinking, growing, moving closer, or appearing farther away, even though their eyes are working normally.

• Source

Andropause (male menopause)

Andropause is the age-related, gradual decline in testosterone levels in men, typically starting around age 40 and dropping by about 1% annually. Unlike female menopause, the hormone drop is slow and steady rather than a sudden cessation.

• Decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction, and reduced fertility.

• Loss of muscle mass, increased abdominal fat, reduced bone mineral density, and fatigue.

• Mood swings, irritability, depression, lack of motivation, and difficulty concentrating.

Source

Fibermaxxing

"Fibermaxxing" is a trending nutrition philosophy focused on intentionally increasing daily dietary fibre intake to optimise gut health, balance blood sugar, and support sustainable weight management. While social media trends often encourage extreme limits, health professionals recommend aiming for the established daily target of 25 to 38 grams.

• Source: 01 / 02

Retardmaxxing

"Retardmaxxing" is a blunt, internet-born philosophy focused on one core idea: stop overthinking and start acting. It targets the modern frustration of mental gridlock, encouraging you to skip endless planning, embrace imperfect beginnings, and build momentum through immediate execution rather than over-analysis.

• Action Over Analysis

• Imperfect Execution

Source

Slavery

Slavery was not universally practiced across every culture or geographic region, though it was an incredibly widespread institution in human history. Found globally on every continent, the practice and legalities of it varied wildly depending on the civilization. Ancient Egypt had slaves, the Indus Valley had slaves, China had slaves, India had slaves, the Hittites had slaves, the Assyrians had slaves, the Phoenicians had slaves. In classical Athens, the city that invented the word democracy, roughly 1 in 3 people was a slave.

• Source

Misophonia

Misophonia, or "hatred of sound," is a neurological condition causing extreme emotional and physical reactions to specific, common sounds. Triggers like chewing, sniffing, or keyboard tapping instantly trigger a fight-or-flight response, leading to intense anger, panic, or the urge to flee. It usually begins in childhood.

• Source

Rules-Based International Order (RBIO) 

The rules-based international order (RBIO) is a shared global governance framework. Emerging post-WWII, it relies on universally agreed-upon laws, institutions, and norms to maintain peace, regulate trade, and prevent unilateral aggression. It prioritises multilateral cooperation over  power-politics.

• Sovereign Equality

• Multilateralism

• International Law

Source

Government Bonds

EasyEquities has a very good explanation of Government Bonds. What they are, how they work - and why SA investors are paying close attention right now. 

• Source

My New Apple AirPods Pro 3

• Better noise cancellation, with automatic volume adjustment, "Conversational Awareness" features, Heart Rate Monitor.

Video: Features Explained

Why do we say "O'clock" when referring to time?

"O'clock" is a contraction of the phrase "of the clock". When mechanical clocks first became popular in the 14th century, people used the phrase to distinguish time shown on a clock from other methods, such as reading a sun-base ⁠sundial or counting church bells.

Why did people in the past not get so much cancer?

Ancient humans got cancer regularly, but probably less than us - but not for any of the reasons you're imagining.  Ancient people wrote about cancer in Egypt as far back as 1600 BCE.

• The Greek physician Hippocrates, who lived around 400 BCE, gave cancer its name. He used the word "karkinos", that is the Greek word for crab. He thought the swollen veins around a tumor looked like crab legs reaching outward. The Roman physician Celsus later translated that word into the Latin word "cancer". That is the word we still use today.

Cancer begins when a cell gets a mutation. The DNA inside the cell gets damaged or copied incorrectly. Most of the time, the body catches and fixes these errors. But sometimes a mutated cell escapes that correction system. It starts dividing uncontrollably. It builds up into a mass. It invades surrounding tissue. Mutations happen naturally. They can happen every time a cell divides. They are part of life itself.

The more cells you have and the longer you live, the more chances there are for a mutation to slip through. Every living organism with cells that divide carries this risk. Dinosaurs got cancer. Ancient fish got cancer. Even trees can get cancer.

So did ancient humans actually get cancer less frequently than we do today? The honest answer is probably yes, but not for the reasons people usually think. The biggest reason is lifespan. Most ancient-humans died young. They died from infection, injury, predators, and famine. The average life expectancy for a prehistoric human was roughly 25 to 35 years. Cancer takes time. Most cancers develop after the age of 50.

Source

When Someone Lies

Betrayal is the violation of trust. The realisation of any lie changes what you know about someone. The moment somebody lies to you, or manipulates you, or repeatedly disrespects you, something changes. You don't just remember what they did. You learn what they're capable of. And once you know that, you cannot un-know it.

Forgiveness is a decision. Trust is an observation. One happens because you choose it, and the other only happens after enough consistent experiences convince your nervous system that it's safe again. And even then, the relationship is different. Because before the betrayal, you experienced that person through innocence. You weren't wondering if they were lying. You weren't questioning their loyalty. That version of the relationship is completely gone. Maybe forever.

That's the real cost of betrayal. It's not losing the relationship, but losing the way you'll forever be experienced inside of it.

Obituary

A man was standing at a newspaper stand reading all of the headlines. The newspaper salesman said: what are you looking for? The man said: I'm looking for an obituary. The newspaper salesman noted the obituaries aren't on the front page. The man said: the one I'm looking for will be...

Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces

The Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) is a branch of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (unmanned robotic platforms). Ukraine is the first country to have a separate branch of its military dedicated to unmanned systems. The USF was formally established on 11 June 2024, in the midst of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.

• Current Commander: Hero of Ukraine Major Robert "Magyar" Brovdi, the renowned founder of the "Magyar's Birds" drone unit.

• Source

Definition: "sycophant"

A sycophant is a servile, self-seeking flatterer. This person excessively praises or constantly agrees with powerful or influential individuals—not out of genuine admiration, but to gain a personal advantage, special treatment, or a promotion.

• Source

The Dead People

What was my mother's favourite colour? I don't know. What was my father's favourite colour? I have no idea. For my mother, my best guess would be: probably something in the bible. For my father, probably something grumpy. 

Do I have a photo of my Grandfather? Yes. Do I have a photograph with my grandfather? Maybe two.

And to that I say (like some wise-ass kid also recently told us): "Ons is nie so grootgemaak nie".

• Triggered by: Ask Me About My Dead Son (NYT: Modern Love Podcast)

Conflict As A Strategy

"Get the conflict, then you get the attention, then you get the influence." - Mike Cernovich

• Source: Andrew Marantz New Yorker Article

Why do I hiccup so much?

Hiccups are caused by sudden, uncontrolled spasms of the diaphragm, which make the vocal cords close briefly and produce the “hic” sound. While common triggers are known, the exact biological purpose of hiccups remains unclear.

• Frequent hiccups are usually from diaphragm irritation (common triggers like eating quickly, carbonated/alcoholic drinks, spicy food, swallowing air, or sudden temperature changes), but repeated or persistent hiccups can also signal nerve irritation, reflux, medication side effects, or (rarely) serious conditions that need medical review.

Source: 01 / 02

First They Came

A famous quote from the powerful poem of protest titled "First They Came," written by German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller. It reflects on the cowardice of German intellectuals and the clergy following the Nazis' rise to power and subsequent purges of various groups.

• "First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me."

Source

Quote: "The opposition occupies the benches in front of you, but the enemy sits behind you."

• This refers to disloyalty, backstabbing, or ideological drift within your own political party, faction, or coalition. The danger here is that they look like an ally but undermine you from within, making them far more unpredictable and destructive.

• It is frequently attributed to the British Prime Minister ⁠Winston Churchill. However, historians have confirmed that this quote never actually appears in his published writings or speeches, making it one of his most famous falsely attributed sayings.

Source

Demon Mode & Reality Distortion Field

Both Elon Musk and Steve Jobs are famous for pushing teams to achieve the impossible. However, while Jobs relied on charismatic persuasion and extreme focus (his ⁠Reality Distortion Field), Musk complements this with an intense, often harsh operational plunge (⁠Demon Mode).

• Source: 01 / 02

Social Sub-Generations

Social generations are birth cohorts used in social sciences and marketing to categorise groups sharing similar formative experiences, historical events, and values. Because strict 15- to 20-year spans can group very different ages, several micro-generations (or sub-generations) have emerged to describe those born on those cultural cusps.

Traditionalists & Boomers

• The Silent Generation (1925–1945): Grew up during the Great Depression and World War II, known for prioritising duty and career.

• Baby Boomers (1946–1964): The post-WWII demographic surge associated with social activism, the space race, and the Cold War.

  • Generation Jones (1945/46–1964): A sub-generation bridging late Boomers and early Gen X. Members came of age during stagflation, Watergate, and the arrival of MTV, giving them a distinct experience from early, post-war Boomers.

 Gen X & Millennials

• Generation X (1965–1980): Known as the "latchkey generation". They witnessed the dawn of personal computing and prioritise high self-reliance and work-life balance.

  • Xennials (1977–1983): Often called the "Oregon Trail Generation" or "Star Wars Generation". This micro-generation had an analogue childhood but transitioned to a digital young adulthood.

• Millennials / Gen Y (1981–1996): The first generation to come of age during the internet boom and the rise of social media.

  • Zillennials (1993–1998): The micro-cohort on the cusp of Millennials and Gen Z. They are older digital natives who vividly remember early social platforms like MySpace or AOL, but were still in school during the digital transition of the 2000s.

Gen Z, Alpha & Beta

• Generation Z (1997–2012): True digital natives who have never known a world without the internet or smartphones.

• Generation Alpha (2013–2024): The children of Millennials, heavily influenced by streaming media, the COVID-19 pandemic during early childhood, and rapid AI integration.

• Generation Beta (Born 2025–2039): The newest cohort, marked by artificial intelligence and digital connectivity being woven natively into all aspects of their daily lives.

The Quiet-Life Tax

The "quiet life tax" is a popular philosophical and lifestyle concept describing the invisible, non-monetary cost of choosing peace, slower routines, and privacy over hustle. It represents the personal sacrifices required to maintain boundaries—such as shelving grand ambitions, losing certain relationships, or dealing with boredom.

• Source

The Devils Are Here

"Hell is empty, and all the devils are here" is a famous line from William Shakespeare's play The Tempest. It is metaphorically used to express that true malice and evil exist among everyday people in the world, rather than in a distant underworld.

• Source

Hell Is Other People

"Hell is other people" is a famous quote from French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre's 1944 existentialist play No Exit. It suggests that being trapped under the judgmental gaze of others is a psychological hell. Jean-Paul Sartre argued that other people restrict our freedom and identity because we constantly measure ourselves through their opinions rather than our own.

• Source: 01 / 02

Body Temperature

In adults, a fever above 39°C requires a doctor's call, while temperatures exceeding 40°C are emergencies. Untreated temperatures above 41°C can lead to organ damage or failure, especially if fever is accompanied by confusion, a stiff neck, or trouble breathing.

• Low: 38°C to 39°C

• Moderate: 39°C to 40°C

• High: 40°C to 41.1°C

Source

Errol, the trillion apples, and the family tree that led to the serpent that is Elon Musk

Errol Musk (the father of Elon Musk) loves to do long, rambling interviews. He loves to brag about how rich he was and how his kids learnt everything from him. If you watch enough of these interviews, you understand where the serpent that is Elon comes from.

• “Every man is trying to either live up to his father’s expectations or make up for his father’s mistakes,” - Barack Obama

Good Overview:

• 2023-11: Walter Isaacson (biographer). The Man Who Followed Elon Musk Everywhere (The Diary Of A CEO)

• 2026-05: The Man who Made Elon: Errol Musk unfiltered and unapologetic in candid interview (7NEWS Australia)

• 2024-02: Kimbal Musk: Working with Elon, taking risks on Tesla, and building The Kitchen (Graham Bensinger)

• 2021-01: Maye Musk - Talks Pain, Marital Abuse, Raising Children & Navigating Life (Mindvalley Talks)

Extra Homework:

• 2025-11: Elon’s Dad Errol Musk “I’m Tired of Pretending” (Octopus TV)

• 2025-06: Errol Musk’s Explosive Oxford Union Debate & Shocking Life Stories! (Octopus TV)

• 2026-06: Meet Errol Musk: Father of Elon Musk (Lelethu)

• 2025-06: My boy Elon (George Galloway)

• 2025-05: The Truth About My Son Elon Musk (James English)

• 2025-04: Errol Musk: Trump, Elon Musk, Cyril Ramaphosa letter, Julius Malema, ANC-DA, ‘GNU’, FBI, Apartheid (SMWX)

• 2025-03: Errol Musk Opens Up On His Biggest Regrets, Family Life & The Real Story Of Elon Musk (Khaleej Times)

• 2025-09: Errol Musk, Father of Elon Musk, Tells His Life Story (VLAD TV)

• 2024-11: Errol Musk On Growing Up in SA, Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Dating Step Daughter, Ex Wife’s (MacG)

• 2024-11: Musk Snr Reveals Untold Stories of Wealth, Fame, and Dark Secrets (Octopus TV)

• 2023-11: Kwêla - Errol Musk (KykNET)

Books:

• Elon Musk - Walter Isaacson (2023) - The authorised biography.

• A Woman Makes a Plan - Maye Musk (2019)

Diminishing Xmas Cards (and I'm not talking about Xmas)

The "Law of Christmas Card Diminishing Returns" refers to the tipping point where the money, time, and emotional work of sending holiday greetings outweigh the joy and connection they provide. While once a holiday must, the tradition is declining due to rising postage costs and the ease of digital connection.

• The Norm of Reciprocity: Historically, receiving an unexpected holiday card triggered a strong urge to reciprocate, resulting in cards being sent to mere acquaintances. Today, many people politely break this cycle by prioritising close family and long-time friends, or opting to use digital greetings.

• Birthday wishes & presents. Reaching out with reciprocal jokes. Calls, Messages, etc.

• Source

Sizing The Universe

Earth orbits the Sun. The Earth and Sun are inside the Solar System. The Solar System is inside the Milky Way galaxy, and the Milky Way is a very tiny part of the (observable) Universe.

• Earth > Sun > Solar System > Milky Way > Universe

Now imagine this: The Sun is large enough to fit roughly a million Earths by volume. If we represent the Sun as a single dot on a piece of paper, then the Milky Way galaxy (at that scale) would be as big as the whole Earth. Furthermore, the Milky Way is but one of approximately 2 trillion other galaxies that exist within the Universe.

And, as a friendly reminder of what a trillion actually represents: 

• 1 million sec: ±11days.

• 1 billion sec: ±32 years.

• 1 trillion sec: ±32,000 years.

Source: This comparison was made by NASA educator Michelle Thaller.

• 01 / 02

Afri-MAGA

"Afri-MAGA" is a pejorative and political term used in South African media and discourse to describe a right-wing, conservative movement aligned with the "Make America Great Again" ideology. It frequently refers to local groups like AfriForum that advocate for minority interests and lobby for conservative causes.

The "Afri-MAGA" moniker is used to characterise a shared ideological link between South African conservative organisations and far-right American groups. These networks promote a narrative of white victimhood and "white genocide," while actively lobbying conservative politicians internationally, such as the Donald Trump administration.

• Source

Crude Oil vs Brent Crude Oil

CL=F is the ticker for WTI crude oil futures, while BZ=F is the ticker for Brent crude oil futures. They track two different global oil benchmarks, and Brent usually trades at a premium to WTI because it is the more internationally priced benchmark and reflects different supply-and-demand conditions.

• CL=F (Crude Oil): Tied mainly to U.S. inland crude pricing.

• BZ=F (Brent Crude Oil): Tied to the North Sea benchmark and widely used in global pricing.

Source

Definition: "nothingburger"

A nothingburger is an informal slang term for a highly publicised situation, event, or controversy that ultimately turns out to be entirely insignificant, mundane, or much less important than initially suspected. It can also describe a person who lacks substance or importance.

* The term is formed by combining "nothing" with the suffix "-burger", playing on the imagery of a burger missing its primary component—the meat patty—leaving only the empty bun.

* Source

Richer Trump

Donald Trump has raked in more than $1.4-billion from his family's cryptocurrency ventures in 2025, benefitting massively from his own pro-crypto policies. The BBC reported that Trump also made $4.7-million from Trump-themed Bibles, watches, guitars and various other knick-knacks.

• Source: Daily Maverick