Tentacle Notes (June + July 2022)

The past few weeks have been more challenging for me than normal, and unfortunately that has had nothing to do with what we are doing with Tentacle.?As a matter of fact, Tentacle has been an amazing respite for me during these times.?The most recent Supreme Court ruling has excited all sorts of emotions in me, for its specific topic and also the host of other social issues we’re seeing in the US right now: gun violence, racial and social injustices, political bickering and posturing, and the countless items we hear about so routinely that question the baseline ethics and morals that our society has nowadays.???

I have always poked fun at the fact that I am a New Yorker, living in Texas.?It has seemed apropos to liken myself being in Texas to a drop of water landing within the Texas oil. No matter how much I try to shake it up, it’s impossible to ever get a true mix.?Although this metaphor fluctuates from time to time, I can say that, lately, the separation feels starker than ever.??

In light of the most recent events, and in an attempt to ensure that I don’t just “brush it under the rug,” I thought I would commit content within my newsletter to the most recent topic frustrating me.?And of course…. I wanted to write about the books I have gotten through since my last writing (since my book reviews continue to be the most popular section of the newsletter).???

Decision Making?

I am the proud father of four children, three of whom are amazing young women. I have two incredible sisters; my mother has had an enormous impact on my life; and Danielle, my life partner, is a dynamic and astounding woman whom I am lucky enough to spend hours together with every day. This list fails to include so many other outstanding women that have been in my life, are in my life, and likely will be in my life - for which I apologize in advance.?The truth is, the list of women in my life is so long, so impactful, so inspirational, motivational, and meaningful, that I could never come close to describing or giving grammatical justice to them all.??

The women in my life are incredible in part because they make incredible decisions.?The decisions they make are ALWAYS better than those I make.?They deploy far more thought and planning, real-time scenario analysis, and 1,000 time more empathy in every decision they make—to name just a few features.?Over the years, I have not only witnessed this firsthand, but I have come to thoroughly respect, admire, and attempt to emulate their abilities myself.??

I’m struggling to understand why our country would ever take away the right of the amazing women in all our lives to continue to make the best possible decisions that can be made.??

Speaking Up?

Danielle and I speak regularly about women's rights, the violence in our society, and the history around racism, social justice, and equality.?We grapple with these topics and our gross misunderstandings pertaining to them.?We struggle to make sense of how to speak to our children about them and what we can do as we attempt to make the world a little better place for our kids than it has been for us.??

Most recently, Danielle said something to me that stopped me dead in my tracks.?She said, “The privileged white male needs to start stepping up and speaking up.?They need to start sharing their stories and truly supporting change by putting themselves out there.”??Her comments really rang true for me and have motivated me to do something about it.?

?To the 1,000+ people who read this newsletter—especially the privileged white men—, I want to toss out a call to action to be brave and start speaking up more.?Let’s share our stories, voice our concerns, express our opinions, be vocal for change.?Nowadays, a single voice can impact hundreds or thousands or even millions of people.?Staying quiet is a sure way to impact nobody.?

KEEP READING

The content of this newsletter, albeit it important, is heavy. I am fully aware of that.?But, as I said at the beginning, I felt it my duty to dedicate some time to opening a discussion of certain topics that seem so relevant today.?At the same time, I want to make sure I don’t deprive that small handful of readers who are continually messaging me about my book reviews.?

Endure - Cameron Hanes

If you are fan of David Goggins (Can’t Hurt Me) or Jako Willink (Extreme Leadership), or if you are simply a huge hunter, then you will eat this book up.?I picked it up to listen to while training for my upcoming Leadville 100-mile race, to motivate me to keep pushing harder and to acknowledge that I am only ever really exerting 40% of my potential.?And the book did its job.?A totally “in your face” book, sprinkled with stories that are likely irrelevant to 95% of us, the book was enjoyable, properly motivating, and gave me a great new perspective on what a true (respectful) hunter truly thinks.??

Link: Endure

How to Not Die Alone - Logan Ury

Knowing that my kids will, in the next 10 years, likely be turning to some sort of dating app (something I have never done), I felt as though it only made sense for me to read a book about how they work, the best methods for getting the most out of them, the potholes that go along with such an experience, and how I can best support my children if/when they ever begin to use them.?Informative, yes.?Fascinating, yes.?Repetitive, yes.?Was glad to be done with the book when it was finally over, yes.?

Link: How to Note Die Alone

Unmasked - Paul Holes

I was looking for a bit of a mystery book, so the description of how one of the best investigators out there has been able to solve some of the biggest serial murder cold cases in history seemed like it might fit the bill.?Well, it didn’t.?The book focused far more on the life of an obsessed investigator than it did on the mysterious nature of what he was investigating.?I found myself getting depressed just reading through the depressing life that Paul Holes lived/lives. Perhaps a sign of a good book that it could move my emotions like that, but I sure was glad to have wrapped that one up and moved on to my next.??

Link: Unmasked

WRAP UP

I want to make sure I am very clear that the content of this newsletter has come from my fingers only.?These are my views and opinions, and I sincerely don’t mean to be offensive or off-putting to anybody. I seek to share with you my perspective, not to try to convince you that my view is right.?We all should form our own opinions, and MOST importantly, we should respect the perspectives of others. I believe that understanding all angles, from every direction, for every problem we face in business or in life helps us come up with the best solutions for moving forward.???

Stay safe.?Stay healthy.?Stay/be/get happy!

Matt Combs / Founder & CEO / Explainer Video / Web