My Thanksgiving Holiday

Silence:

It was a quiet Thanksgiving weekend. Not just in our house—where, as empty nesters, the silence is something my wife and I have grown accustomed to—but strangely, on my phone.

Have you noticed it? The silence?

I watched a video this weekend discussing a phenomenon called "Posting Zero." Apparently, social media usage is down 10% globally. We’re seeing the rise of the "Dead Internet Theory"—the idea that half the traffic online is just bots talking to bots. The rest of us? We’re too paralyzed by the need to be "polished" or too afraid of judgment to post real human moments. We are retreating.

This retreat isn't just digital. I also fell down a rabbit hole watching Oprah discuss the rising trend of "going no contact" with family. It’s a heavy topic—mental health versus tradition, boundaries versus obligation. It made me realize that whether it’s muting a toxic Twitter feed or stepping back from draining relationships, we are all currently in the business of curating our peace.

So, there I was, sitting in the quiet, thinking about connection in an era of disconnection.

Entering the Market

Naturally, like any good American on Thanksgiving weekend, my thoughts eventually drifted from philosophy to capitalism.

I’ve saw a video on Warren Buffett’s "Three Ms" recently: Market Irrationality, Monopoly, and Money Power. Buffett likens the market to a bipolar "Mr. Market," swinging between depression and euphoria. His strategy? Ignore the noise, find a "Moat" (a sustainable competitive advantage), and use capital power to widen it.

I realized that I am the CEO of my own life. And if the internet is dying and social connection is fraying, my personal "Moat" needs to be my ability to create, to tell stories, and to adapt.

Investing in myself on Black Friday

So, this Black Friday, I didn't buy a new TV (well, mostly). I didn't buy clothes I don't need. I decided to invest in my own "Capital Advantage" by hunting for tools that would widen my creative moat.

I approached this Black Friday looking for value where others might just see expense. Here is the breakdown of the "treasure" I brought back from the black Friday sales:

• Magnific Upscaler (50% Off): I secured a year of this for $195. This AI tool adds an extraordinary amount of detail to images, turning vague ideas into crisp reality.
• OpenArt.ai (50% Off): I grabbed the Infinite Plan for $330/year. This gives me access to models like Nano Banana Pro, allowing me to generate visuals that might have taken an artist days to produce.
• Skilleap.ai (50% Off): I signed up for this at $180/year. It includes about 30 courses on various AI tools like Gemini. As Buffett says, the best investment is in yourself, and getting that education at half off is just good business. I expect this will be the most valuable of all my purchases.
• LTX Studio (40% Off): This one was in impulse buy :( After watching a video by Brian Sykes on storytelling, I had FOMO and wanted a dedicated platform for visual narrative. I picked up a yearly subscription for $252.

I also did some housekeeping. I cancelled ChatGPT on its third anniversary (saving $240/year) because I found myself gravitating toward Gemini Pro, Claude, and Copilot. It’s about optimization—keeping only what adds value.

And yes, I did make one "guilt-free" physical splurge: a $100 soundbar for the living room TV.

Buffett talks about the "ovarian lottery" and how capitalism skews toward those with capital. I’m fortunate. I still work full-time, I’ve been disciplined with my 401(k), and I can pay off this credit card bill in full.

But this $1,000 is an attempt to solve a pain point. In a world where the internet is feeling "dead" and human connection is becoming harder, these tools allow me to tell better stories. They help me bridge the gap between the idea in my head and the person on the other side of the screen.

We might be posting less, and we might be talking to fewer people, but perhaps the things we do share can be more beautiful, more thoughtful, and more human.

That’s a moat worth building.

I also wrote a separate blog post this week on people analytics & AI.

You may have realized that my weekly reflections are based on YouTube videos that I have seen recently. This week I'm trying out Gemini for my editing.

I am expecting Google's Gemini to be the go-to LLM that I will use day-to-day.

Have a wonderful week ahead!