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SiMPL #001: The Journey Begins

SiMPL #001: The Journey Begins

Why I started a newsletter to Simplifying Life’s Complexities?

Joel Barsallo
September 01, 2024

Have you ever had that fleeting thought, “You know what? I should start…” Writing a book, painting, taking guitar lessons, dusting off my old bike, learning a new language, planning a trip, finally tackling that room you wanted to remodel—whatever it is that sounds more like a hobby and less like work. Our first reaction is to dream about the endless possibilities, and then… boom! Reality checks in, and it becomes just that—a dream. We return to the grind, day in and day out.

I don’t know about you, but in my case, 99.99% of the time (not a real statistic, by the way), I don’t finish these endeavors. Why? Because I become my own biggest obstacle. It took me five years of “You know what? I should write an article about…” to actually sit down and publish this. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve been sipping coffee with my wife, talking about this idea. Either she’s the most patient woman in the world (spoiler: she’s not), or she’s still half asleep when I start rambling.

For all you Tolkien fans out there, remember, “Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.” Or in less poetic terms: to get anywhere, you need to take that first step.

That’s how I learned to cook, code, ride a bike, play the guitar, and, well, now write a newsletter.

Over the past few years, I’ve struggled to put something into words. I know, I know, I’m not the first nor will I be the last, but if you’ve made it this far… it means I finally did it. So, there you have it.

My experience in continuous improvement and IT has made me a bit of a problem-solving enthusiast. I love the process—understanding the pain points, digging into the root cause, brainstorming ideas, and then gradually chipping away at the problem until it’s fixed.

Through SiMPL, I want to try and make sense of the complexities of the world for you, in my own way, hoping it helps you get a grip on what’s happening out there, or why things work the way they do.

What You Can Expect:

• Weekly World Wrap-Up: Every week, I’ll bring you the most important global news stories, broken down into easy-to-digest insights. No jargon, no fluff—just the facts, simply explained.

• Books, Podcasts, and More: Get my personal recommendations on what to read, listen to, and watch. Whether you’re a bookworm or a podcast enthusiast, I’ve got something for you.

• Experiences and Tips: From how I started a TikTok news channel using AI to my latest cooking adventure, I’ll share stories and tips that you can actually use.

Follow me, write back, and let me know what you’d like me to explain in the future.

And as always, I’ll leave you with this: What have you done this week to make something a little better? (Go ahead, make it count!)

SiMPL’s Weekly World Wrap-Up _{(Aug 26th to Sep 1st 2024)}

Telegram Founder Arrested in France

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Pavel Durov, the Russian entrepreneur behind Telegram, was arrested and charged with a long list of crimes for failing to prevent illicit activities on the app. These include enabling illegal transactions by organized criminal groups, distributing child sexual abuse material, drug trafficking, and refusing to cooperate with law enforcement. Now, he’s stuck in France, reporting to the police weekly. Want more details? Check out this article from The New York Times here.

Kamala Harris Stays the Course

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With Kamala Harris leading in the presidential election polls, her stances are under the microscope. She’s in a tough spot—convincing voters she’ll achieve what hasn’t been done in the current administration. Her take on the Israel-Palestine conflict caught my attention: she won’t tolerate Hamas but understands the Palestinian desire for independence. Intrigued? Here’s an interview with her on CNN here.

Nvidia’s “Good” Year—Is That Bad?

Nvidia’s financials were solid, but not up to expectations, causing some investor doubt. It’s still a top player in the market, but confidence is waning. Curious why? Barron’s breaks it down here.

Russia Bombs Pokrovsk as Ukraine Pushes Forward

Russia continues its bombing of Pokrovsk, a strategically significant town for Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukrainian troops are advancing on Russian soil. I would recommend the BBC’s coverage on this —find more here.

Venezuela: A Month After the Presidential Elections

This story feels like that Limp Bizkit song…still a “he said, she said” situation. A month after the July 28th election, both sides—Maduro and opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez—claim victory. Maduro is tightening his grip, naming Diosdado Cabello as “Ministro del Interior,” seen by many as a move to enforce power and suppress Gonzalez’s supporters. Keep an eye on this one. For more on Diosdado, check out this piece from the BBC here.

P.S. Don’t miss out!

Get your weekly dose of simplified insights, book reviews, and more by subscribing to the newsletter here. Plus, join the conversation on X (formerly Twitter) for real-time updates and a bit of banter. You know you want to!

SiMPL Selections: The Hobbit

So, now that I’m diving into this new adventure of writing a newsletter, what better story to kick things off with than The Hobbit? It’s all about stepping out of your comfort zone and embarking on an unexpected journey—kind of like what I’m doing here. For those who’ve read it (wink, wink), you know what I mean.

What’s The Hobbit About?

SiMPL! It’s a historical fiction book about a Hobbit—a small, home-loving creature from the Shire—who meets a wizard and gets “convinced” to join a secret quest with a group of dwarfs. Along the way, there are jewels, elves, dragons, a werewolf, and more. It’s an absolute blast!

Photo by conner bowe on Unsplash

Maybe you’ve seen The Lord of the Rings movies. Whether you loved them or not, you’ve got the general idea. And if you watched The Hobbit movie and thought, “Amazing movie!” then I have one word for you: read the book. It’s hundreds of times better in my opinion. But if you watched the movie and thought, “Eh, not for me,” I still say: read the book! Trust me, it’s worth it.

Where to Get It?

I’m a digital reader myself—paper books are reserved for textbooks or rare finds. During the pandemic, I decided to reread The Hobbit on my Kindle, and it was even better the second time around! So, head over to the Kindle Store (it’s $9.99 with audio and video add-ons) or Apple Books (just $0.99, almost nothing!) and grab it. Your local library should have it too. And if audiobooks are your thing, go for it—check it out on Audible.

Now, My Summary (Spoilers Ahead!):

The Hobbit tells the tale of Bilbo Baggins, who gets talked into helping a group of dwarfs led by Thorin Oakenshield (yep, that’s the prince’s name!) on their quest to reclaim their homeland and treasure from the fearsome dragon Smaug. Along the way, Bilbo encounters trolls, goblins, and the mysterious creature Gollum, who unknowingly gifts him the One Ring—a little trinket that will cause quite a bit of trouble in Middle-earth.

What’s My Favorite Part?

The most memorable moment has to be when Gandalf convinces a very reluctant Bilbo to leave his cozy home and join the adventure. “The world is not in your books and maps, it’s out there.” (I love that quote!) But my absolute favorite is when Bilbo outsmarts Gollum and escapes the cave with the One Ring. “What have I got in my pocket?”—now that’s a moment of pure brilliance!

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Fun Fact:

The first time I encountered The Hobbit wasn’t through the book—nope, it was the 1970s cartoon adaptation that somehow made its way to local TV when I was a kid. There was a Hobbit adaptation and a Lord of the Rings adaptation, and I loved them so much that when the movies came out, I was beyond excited. After watching The Lord of the Rings in theaters, I went straight to the books—no regrets!

Well, that’s it for this week. I chose a classic, one that means a lot to me, especially as I’m starting this newsletter journey. But if you’re looking for more recommendations, stick around—I love reading, and I’ll be sharing plenty more right here!

And that’s a wrap for our first edition of SiMPL! 🎉 I hope you enjoyed the journey as much as I did putting it together. If you found it helpful or interesting, why not share it with a friend? The more, the merrier—let’s simplify the world together, one reader at a time.

See you next week!

Cheers,

Joel!