Mike’s Manifesto .016
THOUGHTS ON SPORTS, MUSIC, TECH, AND THE LIFE IN BETWEEN - Captain’s Log .016
"I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it."
— Maya Angelou
THE OPENING
Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Or at least that is what they want to us to believe. I am inclined to agree. The more gravity of the weight on the preverbal crown, the thoughts, the decisions or lack thereof, the power and control you have over your own life, the emotions you sit in or sit outside of, all matter and all have presence. Often what you discover amid the ascension is that what is for you will find you at the right time, at the right place. Life is beautiful when you stop chasing, but furthermore when you accept the door that is already open, awaiting your arrival. When doubt leaves, and certainty enters. When reciprocity is the standard, and understanding is the icing on the cake.
🏀THE GAME—SPORTS THROUGH A CULTURAL LENS
Belgium Danced On Trump’s HeadTop
I am not even going to lie, I just feel like posting the meme and letting it sit for this week. There has never been a situation where the sitting president has interfered with a global sporting event — to even go as far as admitting that he made the inquiry. And this rightfully infuriated the Belgium team to the point where they beat the breaks off the USA team.
A well-deserved ass whooping and reminder, that we are far behind in the sport of “football” and may never be the power we believe we are supposed to be. And you compound the beatdown with the embarrassment of the “leader of the free world” trying his hardest to make “America Great Again”, tough time for showing of the Host country.
🎵THE SOUND—MUSIC AS MEMOIR AND MOOD
FATHERS’ TIME
The anticipation of the new collaborative album from the new ensemble of Kiefer, CARRTOONS, Kenny Beats, and Nate Smith, creating the beautiful body of work titled, FATHERS. Four of the brightest minds in music in their respective genres, coming together to create this amazing body of work is remarkable.
Remember this is not a review but more of a celebration of the album. Each person’s skills and calling card can be heard throughout the album, but also on specific songs where they shined. “TOMORROW, AGAIN” feels like it has Nate’s hands all over it with the drum pattern to start the record and guiding throughout while the keys blend in perfect harmony. “FRONT YARD” feels like Kiefer took the reins and had the rest of the gentleman fall in place at the right time.
Kenny Beats adds a particular unconventional, but organically satisfying element to this project on the tracks just felt like instrumentation was not enough. Songs like “EYE LEVEL” and “PEARL” come to mind. CARRTOONS bass lines are a thing of beauty, like a exotic bird resting poolside in a tropical country resort.
Overall, this project is really good, and I hope the masses enjoy it as much as I will continue to.
📡THE DOWNLOAD—TECH THROUGH LIVED EXPERIENCE
Apple Sues OpenAI… Interesting!
Leave it up to Apple to make headlines in the tech space whenever they announce news or products. This past week was no different when the reported lawsuit filed against OpenAI hit the mainstream news cycle. Apple is alleging that OpenAI misappropriated trade secrets and breached their contract. The interesting piece of this is not the lawsuit or even the allegations. OpenAI has been in a working relationship with the former design chief of Apple for the past year.
OpenAI has made no secrets that they are trying to push not just an AI framework model, but now devices that are operating strictly from their software — to make life easier for the public. Now I have a few gripes about how this is becoming a influence on our society where AI is replacing logical thought. The more interesting aspect from this store is Apple has a history. They have a track record of impeding progress from their competitors to “buy” them more time to finish their development cycle on their products and software.
OpenAI was preparing their launch of their device later this year and of course the more awaited IPO release for their shareholders. Now with the lawsuit in affect, it now pauses the momentum, while Apple can relish in the fact their legal team can tie this matter up in court to prevent the inevitable. We wait on bated breath to see how this unfolds.
Well played, Tim, well played.
❤️THE REAL—LOVE, GRIEF, GROWTH, COMMUNITY
Feeling The Shift Before It Happens
We all have intuition; it really is just a matter of if we trust it. More often than we admit aloud or even to ourselves, we know what our heart wants. The belief that the feeling we are enclosed in, is to right to surrender. What we also know is there is a 5% feeling, that keeps repeating in the moments of silence — the moments where the conversation veers to the left more than you expected. It forces you to ask yourself, is this where I really want to be? That question doesn’t arrive loudly. It whispers. And the fact that it keeps coming back is the answer you’ve been avoiding.
Standing at the crossroads of what you want and what you are willing to tolerate. How much more do you want to shrink to appease this connection, this friendship, this family member. Shrinking is gradual. You don’t notice it happening until one day you look up and realize you’ve been making yourself smaller for so long that you’ve forgotten what your full size actually looks like. That’s when the shift begins to announce itself.
The shift always happens internally before it is exposed externally. The universe always has a way of sending you signals, to use as a guide, as a confirmation. Our human nature is to at times, ignore them because we have more faith in our own ability, than the yearning of our soul. When your heart and mind are confused about what you want, what does your SOUL require? Can you listen enough to know that what is right in front of you, is right for you.
Can you sit with the comfort of your indecisions to know that growth is required for understanding? Indecision gets a bad reputation. But sometimes sitting in the uncertainty is exactly where the clarity is being built. The discomfort of not knowing is not weakness, it is the processing that precedes the breakthrough.
Shifting is never about the situation or people involved, it is always a referendum on us, the common denominator. We get into modes of when we want something, and we pursue it, we falter at the first “NO”. A gentle reminder, the denial is protection. The denial in some instances, is the delay required. We typically downshift in moments where our expected answer is not presented. I believe we should do the opposite; we should upshift. Not increase the intensity or energy, but understand downshifting presents the ability to show up less — this is when we should show up more. To prove to yourself that you can handle adversity, not shy away from it.
I have had to learn this lesson the hard way. I have felt shifts before then answers presented themselves. Yet, I believed, I could usher my logic into the equation and force the outcome I wanted. Only to have God laugh at me trying to break into a locked door, “Like fool, that door is locked for a reason.” I was never meant to go through that door. Not because it did not seem worthy, but it would have required me to revert to a version of myself I have outgrown.
The shift you feel is not a warning to retreat to what is most easy, but an invitation to evolve. To proceed to the next chapter, you need these moments. You need to transform to the best version of yourself. Refrain from accepting shifts as losses, instead view them as building blocks. They can be liberating, awakening, and gratifying things that have ever happened to you. God’s reminders that you can feel after loss, you can think after lapses, you can see after darkness.
Sometimes, you must possess the courage to stop resisting what your soul has already confirmed.
WESS RECOMMENDS — 3 LINKS THIS WEEK
SUBSTACK
Intimacy seems to be a lost art only to those who do not understand the artform.
SONG
Beyonce — “MORNING DEW”
The-Dream is one of the best to ever pen a song and Beyonce knows exactly how to make timeless music. And of course #HomeTeam aka Skateboard P on the production.
READ OR WATCH
Nemesis (Netflix)
So far so good of a watch, but I will report back if it fails to exceed my expectations.
The greatest act of courage is not falling in love. But, despite everything, falling in love again.
— WESS