Author: openjargon

• The Nissan Z is the latest in a long line of iconic sports cars that date back more than 50 years.
• I enjoyed the 2024 Nissan Z's twin-turbocharged V6, 6-speed manual gearbox, and retro looks. 
• I was let down by the Z's unsatisfying engine sound and poor backup camera. 

Every brand needs a halo product—a car that reminds customers and employees of their origins, values, and goals.

It embodies the soul of that company.

Ford has the Mustang, Mercedes the S-Class, and Porsche the 911.

For Nissan, with the GT-R supercar headed for retirement after a 17-year run, that job will be left to the Fairlady Z, known in America simply as the Z.

The current Nissan Z launched in 2023 with more power and tech than the 370Z it succeeded.

I recently spent a week driving a 2024 Nissan Z Performance around the streets of Atlanta and the winding roads of the Appalachian foothills.

I loved its potent 3.0 liter, twin-turbocharged V6 and the 6-speed manual transmission. I was also impressed by its level of tech content and overall fit and finish.

There wasn't much to complain about, but I did feel somewhat let down by the unsatisfying engine noise and one of the poorest-quality backup cameras I've ever encountered.

My Nissan Z Performance test car costs $55,110.

The base Nissan Z Sport starts at $42,970, while the top-of-the-line and more powerful Z NISMO starts at $65,750.

My mid-grade Performance trim with a manual transmission starts at $52,210. Freight fees and optional extras pushed the as-tested price past $55,000.

The Z's history in the US dates back to 1970 when the S30 Fairlady Z went on sale as the Datsun 240Z.

The iconic 240Z became the byword for stylish performance at an affordable price. Over the years, there have been a series of memorable Nissan Z-Cars, including the all-conquering Z32 300ZX Twin-Turbo, which hunted supercars for sport in the early 1990s, and the more recent 370Z NISMO Tech.

The Z's long hood and sloping rear in signature elements of the classic Z-Car look.

Nissan's design team, led by Cuban-American designer chief Alfonso Albaisa, left no doubts as to this car's lineage. Take one look at its silhouette, and you know it's a Z.

The Z's angular front facia, and slightly recessed LED headlights also harken back to the 240Z.

It's a look that debuted on the Z Proto concept car in the fall of 2020.

Out back, the sloping roofline merges into the decklid spoiler.

Aesthetically, the Nissan Z is a perfect blend of modernity and retro Z-car cool.

The styling might be fresh, but the new Z is built on an updated version of Nissan's venerable FM platform, which also underpins the 370Z and Infiniti's Q50 sedan and Q60 Coupe.

My test car came with these dark gray RAYS 19-inch lightweight forged aluminum alloy wheels.

Behind alloy wheels, Performance trim Nissan Z's get 14-inch, four-piston vented disc brakes up front and 2-piston discs out back.

One of the Z's standout features is a 6-speed manual transmission.

The manual is carried over from the 370Z, but the 6-speed has been updated with beefier synchros to facilitate better shifts. And that's exactly what I found. The shifts were crisp and quick.

The manual comes standard on the Sport and Performance trims with the automatic also available as a no-cost option.

Unlike past iterations, this Z has an electric power steering instead of the traditional hydraulic system.

The transition to electronic power steering, which usually dulls steering feel and feedback from the wheels, has not diminished the Z's handling prowess. I found the steering to be smoother than the last 370Z I drove.

The shift also allows Nissan to incorporate semi-autonomous driving and driver assistance features.

The Nissan Z has intelligent cruise control, automatic emergency braking, predictive forward collision warning, blind spot warning, land departure warning, and rear cross-traffic alert.

The Z is powered by a twin-turbocharged V6 engine.

All variants of the Nissan Z are powered by a 3.0 liter twin-turbocharged VR30DDTT V6 engine, which sends power to the rear wheels through either a 6-speed manual or a 9-speed automatic transmission.

The VR30 produces a stout 400 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque in the Sport and Performance trims. The NISMO edition gets an extra 20 horsepower and 34 lb-ft of torque.

The VR30 is also a descendant of the handbuilt VR38DETT motors found under the hood of the GT-R supercar.

Fuel economy is probably not top of mind for most sports car buyers but for those interested, Nissan Zs (in Sport and Performance trims) with the 6-speed boast fuel economy figures at 18 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, and 20 mpg combined. Choose the automatic (please don't), and the fuel economy figures improve to 19 mpg city, 28 mpg highway, and 22 mpg in combined driving.

The Nissan Z was an absolute blast to drive.

Nissan really delivered on the driving front.

On a winding road, the Bridgestone Potenza-shod car handled the corners with the surefooted confidence expected of a world-class sports car.

Even though its heavier than its predecessors, the 350Z and 370Z, it felt far lighter on its feet and more balanced.

The Zs I've driven in the past felt more like powerful Japanese muscle cars than true sports cars. They were monsters in a straight line but felt heavy and unsure of themselves in the corners.

They also delivered a surprisingly comfortable ride, easily soaking up rough roads and small potholes, which is uncommon for a car with low-profile tires and a sport-tuned suspension.

Even though it's now more fleet of foot through the corners, it hasn't lost any straight-line performance.

The Z's VR30 engine pulls like an angry draft horse off the line, without any hint of turbo lag, quickly getting 3,500 vehicles to highway speeds.

The twin-turbo V6 boasts a torque curve that reaches its peak 350 lbs-ft at just 1,600 revs and remains on tap all the way up to 5,600 rpms. Paired with a launch control system that allows you to change gears without lifting off the throttle, gunning the throttle on the Z results in smooth, uninterrupted power and acceleration.

According to Motor Trend, the Nissan Z Performance with the manual transmission can go from 0 to 60mph in just 4.9 seconds.

Unfortunately for us sports car purists, that time will likely be a bit faster with the automatic.

My only real gripe with the driving experience was the unsatisfying engine sound, which lacked the high-pitched crescendo of a high-revving four-cylinder or the low-down rumble of a V8. It just sounded like a dull and listless drone.

Inside, the Z's cabin is cozy with room for two.

As a sports car, the front dash and center console are angled to facilitate easier use for the person in the driver's seat. The interior fit and finish were solid, although I didn't care for the bright blue seats and trim pieces.

Sitting atop the dash is a set of three analog gauges.

The gauges, which are a throwback to the original 240Z, show voltage, turbo pressure, and turbo rpms.

In front of the driver is a Z-branded steering wheel and a large 12.3-inch digital instrument display.

The display is customizable with three different layouts that cater to various driving situations from everyday use or performance driving.

The Z is equipped with a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment display.

It runs Nissan's corporate infotainment interface which was fairly intuitive to use. It's also equipped with Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay.

While the screen quality is excellent, the image quality of the backup camera was not.

The images from the backup camera were blurry and washed out. It's one of the worst cameras I've encountered.

Tucked away under the infotainment screen are the climate control knobs.

The dials themselves are easy to use, but their location lower down in the center console, however, made adjusting the temperature while driving more of a chore than necessary.

The ghastly blue leather and artificial suede seats were well-padded and supportive.

Power seat controls for the Z are located in an odd spot between the seat and the center console. It's a carryover from the 370Z.

Behind the passenger cabin is large but shallow cargo area.

There is space under the cargo area for a spare tire, but that area has been taken up by the subwoofer for the Z's 8-speaker Bose stereo.

You access the cargo area by opening the large rear hatch.

The button to open the hatch is inside the low part of the Nissan logo.

My Verdict: It's impossible not to like the Nissan Z.

With the new Z, Nissan has given us a modern take on the sports car that helped cement the company's place in America more than five decades earlier.

And boy, what a sports car they've given us.

It looks great, is agile and confident in the corners, has one of the finest V6 engines money can buy, and, most importantly, has a smooth-shifting manual transmission.

The Nissan Z is one of the last of a dying breed.

In an age of 1,000 horsepower EVs and semi-autonomous driving, the market for gas-powered, manual-transmission sports cars is growing ever smaller.

If you have the chance, buy it while it's still here. Or you may regret it later.

• Some of the biggest Supreme Court cases this term remain outstanding.
• A case concerning Donald Trump could become one of the nation's most important rulings.
• There's also a pending case about administrative law that could potentially affect billions of dollars.

The Supreme Court has yet to address cases that could affect former President Donald Trump's criminal prosecutions and the future of the presidency itself, the power of federal agencies that have existed for decades, and abortion rights in a post-Roe world.

The nation's highest court typically wraps up its business by the end of June, but court watchers count roughly a dozen major pending decisions. Some of those expected rulings, particularly those applying to Trump, could upend the 2024 election.

With that in mind, here are five major cases that we're looking out for.

Trump v. United States: The Trump immunity case

The implications for Trump alone made this the most closely-watched case this term. But the high court's ruling will likely stretch far beyond him, potentially making this one of the most important cases in the nation's history. As Justice Neil Gorsuch said during oral arguments, the court may write "a rule for the ages."

The former president has requested sweeping immunity from criminal prosecutions that touch the outermost reaches of a president's job. Oral arguments illustrated that while Trump is unlikely to get everything he desires, some justices were receptive to his fear that leaving the door open to prosecution could hamstring presidents.

In contrast, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson warned that the Oval Office could become "the seat of criminal activity in this country" if justices go too far in protecting former presidents from criminal prosecution.

Trump has already likely won, no matter what the justices decide. The immunity question has delayed Special Counsel Jack Smith's January 6-related prosecution against him. It's difficult to see how Smith will get a trial before Election Day.

Fischer v. United States: A potential lifeline for January 6 rioters

Justices could disrupt Trump's prosecution and hundreds of others connected to January 6, depending on how they rule in the case brought by a former Pennsylvania police officer.

Joseph Fischer's lawyers argue that federal prosecutors have stretched a post-Enron collapse law too far in using it to charge Fischer and over 350 others in connection with the Capitol riot. At issue is whether prosecutors adequately applied the law when they charged rioters with obstructing an official proceeding due to the fact that Congress was forced to halt its constitutionally mandated certification of the Electoral College results on January 6, 2021.

During oral arguments, Chief Justice John Roberts joined some of the court's other conservatives in expressing skepticism about the Biden administration's defense that the provision of the 2002 law in question could be considered a catch-all.

Smith's team has separately argued that their case against Trump should be unaffected even if justices narrow what prosecutors can charge as obstruction of an official proceeding. As The Washington Post pointed out, some already convicted of January 6-related offenses have been released early ahead of a ruling in the case.

Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo: A tiny fish could change American life as we know it

The federal government has for decades regulated everything from the environment to consumer safety based on the Supreme Court's precedent that judges must defer to agencies like the EPA and FDA regarding their reasonable interpretations of vague laws.

This administrative law principle, known as Chevron deference, is rooted in the Supreme Court's 1984 landmark decision in Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., which could be overturned or curtailed. Business groups have fought to kill the ruling for decades. There are potentially billions at stake depending on the outcome of the case.

Justices heard oral arguments in a case brought by commercial fishermen about a rule requiring them to pay for monitors that track potential overfishing. A lower court upheld the rule for Atlantic herring based on Chevron deference.

The Biden administration has warned that gutting Chevron deference entirely could spark a major shock. Justice Elena Kagan said during oral arguments that 70 Supreme Court rulings and more than 17,000 lower-court decisions have relied on Chevron.

Moyle v. United States: A major abortion rights dispute in a post-Roe world

Justices are weighing whether decades-old law governing hospitals that receive federal funds supersede Idaho's near-total abortion ban. The two cases at issue mark the first time the high court has considered a single-state ban passed in the wake of the Supreme Court's landmark 2022 ruling, the overturned Roe.

Lawyers for Idaho argued that if the Biden administration has its way, the federal government will find ways to undermine state laws restricting abortion access.

"There are 22 states with abortion laws on the books," Joshua Turner, who argued in defense of Idaho's law, said at the end of his oral argument. "This isn't going to end with Idaho. This question is going to come up in state after state."

The Biden administration has argued that The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, the law in question, should override Idaho's ban by allowing doctors to perform emergency abortions still. The state law only allows for abortions unless the mother's life is in jeopardy.

Justice Elena Kagan highlighted how some patients have been airlifted to states where abortion remains legal as a result of the state's ban.

NetChoice LLC v. Paxton: Red-state social media moderation

Republican-led states, including Texas and Florida, have sought to restrict social media platforms from moderating political content. Industry groups sued to block the laws, arguing that tech giants have a First Amendment right to determine what to allow on their platforms.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Florida's law, which is targeted in a related case, which would fine companies if they banned active candidates for office from their platforms. Florida also made it easier for users to sue social media platforms if they feel they have been targeted for moderation, according to The Washington Post.

Court watchers left oral arguments predicting that justices across the ideological spectrum would strike down the laws, but the exact future of the GOP-led effort to punish tech companies on the belief that they are biased against conservatives remains uncertain.

• We've lived in our house for 19 years and have had the same dishwasher. 
• It's so loud but still works perfectly and I'm convinced it's because of how I load it. 
• I actually enjoy figuring out how to get the most out of each load. 

Maybe it's the long line of engineers in my family that molecularly imprinted my desire to load dishes with the precision of an Olympic decathlete.

If dishwasher loading were an Olympic sport, I'd be on my way to Paris this summer.

We've had our dishwasher for almost 2 decades

This year will mark my family's 19th year in our New Jersey home. I am surely about to awaken the appliance gods by announcing that the originally installed Maytag Performance dishwasher has been working without incident since the day we moved in with our 2-year-old and 6-week-old babes.

It's so loud. I once answered the phone while it was running, and my friend asked where I was going because it sounded like I was on the turnpike.

I'm convinced ol' May has lasted this long because we are a household of well-trained rinsers. An occasional re-rinse is necessary in the case of, say, traces of dried oatmeal, which are stronger than cement and impenetrable by any inside dishwasher forces. There's no scraping and then depositing directly into the dishwasher with spaghetti sauce or other stray blobs of food over here. I am ready to acknowledge and embrace my kitchen control freak status.

Anyone who's discovered cheese dried onto a fork or spoon after the dishwasher cycle has ended when it's been jackhammer-proofed onto the surface knows what I'm talking about. The commercials for today's dishwashers featuring smiling users cavalierly placing food-covered pots and plates in and letting the machine do the rest trigger me and raise the question, do people really do this?

Does the appliance come with teams of tiny scrubbing hands that magically appear when turned on? And where does all of that gunk go? While I am aware that many of today's dishwashers come equipped with hard food disposer systems that miraculously disintegrate and remove food particles, it seems almost too good to be true.

I will reload after family members have tried to load the dishwasher

Once items have been properly rinsed (anticipating comments about water waste), it's time to load. This is where Olympic competitors in my imaginary dishwasher loading event will put their spatial awareness skills to the ultimate test. My dear and helpful husband, a former fighter pilot who could land a F/A-18 Super Hornet on an aircraft carrier, which has been likened to landing on a postage stamp, does not possess this skill in domestic life.

With regard to the now viral meme which likens partners in dishwasher loading to either a Scandinavian architect or a raccoon on meth, I am, literally, the Scandinavian minus the degree in architecture. My husband is more raccoon-leaning.

I see the prongs of different heights and instinctively understand that the short ones are meant for smaller pieces. The engineers at Maytag designed them this way for a reason, right? I like to load the dishes from back to front. The bottom rack is reserved for large glasses, mugs, plates, and silverware. Small glasses, bowls, cooking utensils too big for the silverware section, and anything plastic go on the top rack.

I enjoy figuring out how to get the most out of each load. My husband takes a much simpler, pile them in with no rhyme or reason approach. I've tried to explain that if you pile things on top of each other, they won't get clean. This logic typically opens me up for a good family roasting. The running joke in our house is that if Dad loads the dishwasher, Mom will inevitably rearrange it.

I marvel at the hundreds of times I've plonked the dishwashing pod under the bottom rack, raised the door, and turned the knob to the "Normal" wash setting before firmly pressing the door closed and hearing her faithfully roar to life.

It's one of life's small luxuries I'm thankful for daily, along with being married to a helpful guy who does his own laundry. I may not be headed to Paris for the games this year, but I will continue to train with vigilance just in case domestic sporting events involving packing skills become a thing.

• Humanoid robots appear to be the next big bet for Big Tech — and the market could be worth billions.
• Tesla, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Nvidia are piling cash into the futuristic technology. 
• BI met Ameca, the robot with realistic facial expressions, to see what all the hype is about. 

Interest in humanoid robots has surged in Silicon Valley this year, with one Nvidia research manager even declaring 2024 as the year of the humanoid.

Major tech firms are investing heavily in the futuristic machines, with Microsoft, OpenAI, and Nvidia all backing the $2.6 billion robotics startup Figure AI, while Tesla already has its Optimus robot working on its factory floor.

Goldman Sachs has estimated that the global market for humanoid robots could reach $38 billion by 2035, although it notes that "the viability of such machines hasn't been proven yet."

Curious about the hype, I visited Engineered Arts' lab — the company behind the viral robot Ameca.

The company's headquarters are in the town of Falmouth, Cornwall, but it also has offices in Silicon Valley and London.

As I entered the reception, I could see Ameca in a conference room with its head moving around.

I was taken aback by how cool it was to interact with in real life. It has cameras built into its eyes, which can recognize objects in a room, and it's powered by a chatbot that lets it "speak," enabling it to answer questions.

When I asked how old Ameca was, it responded: "Age is a bit tricky for me. I was activated not that long ago, but my experiences are timeless."

I told Ameca I was curious about it, and it instantly responded that it was flattered and asked what I wanted to know.

Ameca is, so far, mostly used for entertainment purposes. For example, one of the robots greets visitors at The Sphere in Las Vegas.

But Jackson said that he could see them being used in the care industry and in some customer service roles in the next few years thanks to the speed at which AI is developing.

He predicted that robots would be in grocery stores and airports within three years and relatively commonplace in cities within five years.

"There are all these practical problems that people are glossing over, but there are some really compelling use cases for humanoids and I think care is one of them, and social interaction is doable now," Jackson said.

But the robotics boss doesn't see them being used to help with chores around the house anytime soon — or at least for another decade — as there's still a way to go to ensure the machines are completely safe around people.

So while investors seem confident that humanoid robots have a big future, significant challenges remain before that vision has a chance of becoming reality.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Daria Rose, a 27-year-old lawyer who interned at Ray Dalio's hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, in 2017 and 2018. Her employment has been verified and the following has been edited for length and clarity.

The first time I ever watched the "Black Mirror" episode "Nosedive" — about a world in which people constantly rate one another — I thought, wait, I've worked for a place like this before.

The summer after my sophomore and junior years at Harvard University, I interned at Bridgewater Associates, the world's largest hedge fund. Its intense culture is not for everybody. Founder Ray Dalio once said around 30% of employees quit within the first 18 months.

And while I definitely see parallels between my time at Bridgewater and that "Black Mirror" episode, I look back fondly on my time there. If I hadn't gone to law school, I 100% would've returned to work there full-time.

I was drawn to Bridgewater's tenet of meaningful work

In my sophomore year, I heard about Bridgewater from another student in a social club I was in at Harvard. She'd been recruited as an investment associate and was looking for other people interested in working there.

I did some research and was drawn to the fact that one of Bridgewater's main tenets is about meaningful work and meaningful relationships. She told me about a management associate position and helped forward my résumé.

After applying, I had to take a Myers-Briggs Personality Type test and several other screening tests. Next, we had a full-day interview at the Bridgewater campus in Westport, Connecticut.

Authenticity is a big thing at Bridgewater, so I went into the interview wanting to be completely myself.

I was first put in a room with other applicants for a moderated debate-style interview. The rest of the day was spent in multiple rounds of interviews with managers. Some were case studies — kind of similar to consulting — and others involved deep intensive questions about who I was as a person. How did you grow up? Are you an only child? How do you think this affected you? How do you think this impacts your working style on a team? What wakes you up in the morning? How do you deal with criticism?

The interviewers I had were incredibly empathetic, and our conversation felt real and vulnerable.

About a week or two later, I got a call that I got the job. When I saw my offer package — I was like, whoa, this is a lot of money — and the great perks like housing, transportation, and a signing bonus, it was really a no-brainer. I thought, I'm 100% working there.

The internship was incredibly fun

Most of the interns lived together in dorms for the summer, which was really cool and special. To help us bond, we did fun activities like group dinners, our own version of Tough Mudder, and a scavenger hunt.

Every day, we would arrive at the campus by around 8 a.m. and leave around 7 p.m. I was a management associate intern in the office of the CEO, and we did basically any special project the CEO needed. I worked on a lot of diversity initiatives, figuring out how to make Bridgewater more streamlined and accessible to employees.

At the time, Dalio's book "Principles: Life and Work" wasn't out yet, so one of our tasks was to read the manuscript and give feedback on it.

Ranking each other was a big part of Bridgewater's culture

We ranked people daily using numbered "dots," a real-time check-in of how everyone was doing.

In each meeting, we'd each have an iPad in front of us, showing a list of everyone else present. Throughout the meeting, we'd give people dots for things like humility, composure, willingness to touch a nerve, openmindedness, and assertiveness. By the end of the meeting, our whole screen would just be filled with dots — some red, some green. It could get distracting sometimes — like, who gave me a three? — but we'd try to ignore it and stay in the moment.

Because we were constantly being evaluated on what we said, people were way more conscious when speaking. Instead of talking just to talk, people tried to make their points succinct and easily understandable, or they'd get a negative dot.

This criticism wasn't just limited to peers or supervisees. We were also encouraged to give dots to our bosses, managers, and even CEOs.

Dot outcomes went onto our "baseball cards," which had information about each employee's role and their strengths and weaknesses, to create a more vivid picture of what each of us was like.

Everything was recorded

Radical truth and radical transparency were very important at Bridgewater. Everything was recorded. If I wanted to go back and see why I got a certain dot, I could go back to the recording and listen to what I'd said. I could even look up my friends' dots and see how they were doing each day, even if I wasn't in the meeting.

One time, my friend threw her water bottle in the trash rather than recycling it. I don't know who saw her, but someone gave her a negative dot. It made me realize, wow, people really do care on a microscopic level and they're paying attention to you.

Pain + reflection = progress

Getting so much constant feedback was difficult at first. At times I was like, oh, that's harsh. It's never great to hear that you didn't do something right or that someone didn't like something you said. We had a button on our iPads that we could press whenever we felt pain, and then we'd write a reflection about the situation. The idea was that pain plus reflection equals progress.

Depending on the severity of the pain or what had happened, sometimes we'd have a diagnostic session to get to the root of the problem, such as if someone's ego got in the way of them asking for help. These sessions could sometimes be uncomfortable, but ultimately were really helpful and led to growth and better day-to-day operations.

I was really good at receiving constructive feedback and was always really high on the humility scale. I like to improve and have a growth mindset rather than taking things personally. On the days when I felt a little bit more sensitive or more emotional, I didn't want to hear the more critical feedback. But when I was able to look back at it from a less emotional standpoint, I was like, oh, okay, they had a point here.

Dalio wanted us to try to take our egos out of our work as much as possible and really look toward a higher self. From time to time, we'd have to do something called "force rankings," where we ranked our team members based on who was the most and least helpful. It never felt good to be at the bottom of that scale, which happened to me multiple times.

A lot of smart people who go to elite schools are used to being the best at everything and being on top all of the time, but that's not realistic. There are going to be days where you're super on it, and then there are days that you might not be.

At Bridgewater, there was no hiding that fact.

Gossip was not allowed

It was a no-gossip environment. We weren't allowed to talk about other people behind their backs — a huge principle was that you speak up, say it to the other person's face, dot them, and be transparent.

If you were talking about someone in the context of work, you'd have to send that tape to them afterward. When I got my full-time offer to join Bridgewater, my manager sent me the tape of them deliberating and I got to hear what they genuinely thought about me while I wasn't in the room.

I think that's really valuable, especially these days when some corporate environments involve fakeness and niceties to your face and people aren't upfront about what they actually think about you and your work.

At Bridgewater, there was none of that. It sounds counterintuitive, but the constant recordings did encourage us to be more open and put everything on the table — there's no incentive not to.

I really appreciated the candidness. Now working in law, we have so much going on sometimes that we don't necessarily get direct feedback all the time. As with most companies, feedback usually happens during an annual or semi-annual review, and sometimes by that time, it's become a bigger problem.

With the dot system at Bridgewater, if there was an issue, we'd know that day, and it'd be diagnosed that week. I miss that part about it.

The best ideas won

We were really encouraged to push back on supervisors and superiors, because one of the tenets was that we were an idea meritocracy and the best idea will rise to the top, not based on the seniority of the person who put it forth.

Because debating and disagreeing with each other was encouraged, I learned so much from my colleagues. I had my viewpoints challenged and I challenged theirs. I can't imagine another workplace like that that allows for that type of growth and honest feedback.

My experience made me who I am today

I think Bridgewater's culture might be a little bit different now, especially because Ray Dalio isn't there anymore. But I can't emphasize enough how transformative and eye-opening my experience was. It helped shape who I am today, especially how I think about feedback, work, and the relationships I have at work.

I've never worked with a more brilliant group of unique people. There were poker stars, musicians, and people who wrote comedy. We all did so many different things but were united under this Bridgewater umbrella and really brought our full selves to work and gave it our all.

The experience prepared me for life, even more than just for a corporate career. It helped me grow a thicker skin; not a lot fazes me now.

A few years after working at Bridgewater, I was on "The Bachelor." People scrutinized me and said so many mean, horrible things.

My Bridgewater experience prepared me to understand that everyone will have judgments or perceptions about you, but you don't have to take them all in. We'd always say, "It's just one dot."

One dot doesn't make up the whole picture. You're going to get thousands and thousands of dots; take that criticism for what it is.

A representative for Bridgewater Associates declined to comment.

If you experienced a uniquely demanding workplace culture and would like to share your story, email Jane Zhang at janezhang@businessinsider.com.

• The 332 miles between London and Edinburgh takes a similar amount of time by plane or train.
• I took both modes of transport and timed how long it took from the center of each city.
• The train was only slightly longer, but cheaper, more comfortable — and more convenient.

The 332 miles between London and Edinburgh show a particularly narrow difference when traveling via train or plane.

While the flight takes about an hour compared to a nearly five-hour train ride, there's also time spent traveling to the airport and waiting to board.

I grew up near London, and because my dad is from Edinburgh, we visited the Scottish capital every summer. We flew once or twice, but it was typically easier to take the train.

Last month, I visited Edinburgh for a press event and took the opportunity to time my journeys. I traveled north on an LNER Azuma train and returned the next day on a British Airways Airbus A320.

The contest was indeed close, and even though the train took longer, it was cheaper and more enjoyable.

I started my stopwatch at Trafalgar Square in the heart of London.

A plaque here reads: "On the site now occupied by the statue of King Charles I was erected the original Queen Eleanor's cross, a replica of which stands in front of Charing Cross station. Mileages from London are measured from the site of the original cross."

Similarly, the center of Edinburgh is traditionally measured from a now-demolished post office near the train station.

Already, this highlights the main benefit of traveling by train — especially in a city like Edinburgh where the main attractions are in a compact area.

It was only a short walk to the nearest Tube station, and I was on a train within 8 minutes.

I arrived at King's Cross Station about 20 minutes before my train departed, which gave me plenty of time.

There was an unusually big crowd of people for a Wednesday afternoon because some other trains had been delayed. Luckily, mine was on time.

It was only a short wait before our platform number was announced and passengers flooded toward the ticket barriers. We departed on time, 37 minutes after I left Trafalgar Square.

In Edinburgh, I took a 35-minute tram journey from the center to the airport. The security line was pretty speedy.

I arrived at the airport an hour and 50 minutes before my flight's departure time.

With time to sit around, I had lunch in a Wetherspoons pub. Given my experiment, I found all the train memorabilia ironic — but this also signals the strong history of British railways.

I'd been at the airport for an hour by the time the gate opened — then another 25 minutes before I boarded.

Unfortunately, my flight was delayed by 45 minutes. I adjusted for that on my timer, but we still wouldn't have taken off until two-and-a-half hours after I left Waverley station.

All the plane timings in this piece exclude the delay.

London to Edinburgh is clearly a popular route for BA, as before the safety demonstration, the pilot said: "I know many of you are probably frequent fliers."

For those regularly making this journey, there's the benefit of loyalty points which you wouldn't get on a budget airline or a train.

By the time we took off, my train had almost reached York, its third stop on the East Coast Main Line, and roughly halfway to Edinburgh.

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But the flight itself would take just over an hour, traveling at roughly 300 mph versus the train's top speed of 125 mph.

The only true high-speed rail in Britain goes between London and the Channel Tunnel. A second line on the West Coast, known as HS2, is planned to be Europe's fastest — but construction has been delayed and cut down.

On the other hand, the train is far better for the environment given that it carries more people. I traveled on a Class 801/2 which has 611 seats compared to the plane's 180.

Soon after takeoff, the flight attendants offered passengers a free bottle of water and either peanuts or cookies.

The LNER has a café car on board, but wasn't serving any hot food on my journey. You can also order via a QR code on the seatback.

However, I found the legroom and seat width to be less than ideal, even at 5-foot-9.

I flew on a British Airways Airbus A320 for $195. It's definitely better than flying budget.

On the train, I was comfortable with plenty of room — plus an extending tray table for my laptop.

The free Wi-Fi wasn't great, but I wrote a Business Insider article. I spent the rest of the journey reading or taking in the views.

After three and a half hours total, the plane landed at a sunny Heathrow Airport, but it took another 20 minutes to leave, with time to deplane and a long jet bridge walk.

The timings were aided by the fact that I only had hand luggage.

I took the Elizabeth Line and the Tube back to Trafalgar Square, arriving 4 hours and 52 minutes later.

No budget airline uses Heathrow, so it would take even longer to reach the center if you flew with easyJet or Ryanair.

By train, I reached the center of Edinburgh after 5 hours and 21 minutes.

If you have checked bags or were traveling with a budget airline, the plane would take just as long, if not longer.

I found the train to be more comfortable and convenient. Plus, if you book in advance, it would likely be cheaper than a budget airline.

The LNER starts at £49 ($62). While a Ryanair flight starts at £17 ($21), the price of a checked bag — plus the train into London from Stansted Airport — would bring that up to £65 ($82).

So, if you're visiting the UK and want to visit both cities, the train would be cheaper since luggage is free.

Plus, there's the added benefit of seeing so much of the countryside, and some great seaside views too.

• Up until this year I had never been on a cruise before. 
• I decided to take my 10-year-old son over Spring break. 
• The cruise desperately needed some TLC and we lost power twice. 

Until this year, I'd never been on a cruise — and I swore I never would. As someone anxious in general, I had plenty of reservations. What if there was a norovirus outbreak? What if I got seasick? What if the ship hit an iceberg, sinking like the Titanic? But as I brainstormed potential Spring break destinations with my 10-year-old, I reconsidered.

As a single mom, I don't love navigating new places alone, and organizing a weeklong vacation felt overwhelming. Setting sail on a fun-packed cruise ship where everything was pre-planned was the perfect solution.

I booked a five-night Key West and Bahamas cruise through Celebrity, leaving from Miami. To avoid feeling trapped, I chose a stateroom with a veranda. We could sit outside in the salty ocean air and enjoy the stunning views.

Our pitstop in South Beach

To keep things stress-free, I bookended our trip with a full day and night in South Beach. Neither of us had been there, and the day before our cruise, I splurged on The Miami Beach Edition. The 5-star property, with private beach access, ocean-facing pools, and an on-site ice rink and bowling alley, did not disappoint.

We chose Estiatorio Milos for Easter dinner, a Greek seafood restaurant where fish flown in fresh from the Mediterranean are displayed. The experience included a chef visiting our table to discuss the day's offerings. Our trip was off to an incredible start.

Our cruise experience wasn't great

Boarding our cruise ship, the Celebrity Summit, went smoothly, and we went right to our stateroom, which appeared as advertised. On the balcony, we watched the sunlight dance on the water's surface. I relaxed, letting my worries slip away.

But when I went inside and opened the bathroom door, the musty smell of mildew overwhelmed me. During that night's shower, I discovered why as the water collected in a pool at my feet. From then on, we wore our flip-flops and showered fast.

We made our first port and explored the delightful city of Key West. But our boat couldn't dock the next day due to high winds, so we missed our second destination, Bimini, Bahamas. Disappointed, we explored the boat, looking for fun diversions. But other than gambling and drinking, there wasn't much to do.

The pool was rusty and dirty, and the "arcade" consisted of two Xboxes in a small room. The ship, built in 2001 and refurbished in 2016, desperately needed some TLC. Chipped tile, stained carpets, and broken faucets were a few of its glaring issues. My son checked out the gift shops while I grabbed a coffee. A salesperson put a $2,000 watch on his wrist, encouraging him to make the purchase. Luckily, he knew better.

We even lost power

During a several-hour power outage, our imaginations took over. We discussed the possibility of onboard pirates — zero communication from the crew didn't help. At one point, dark sludge crept up through our shower drain, and our toilet stopped working. When the power came back on, the $270 Wi-Fi didn't, and it remained spotty for the rest of the voyage.

The ship went black again during dinner the next day. The staff served our meal in the dark like nothing was amiss. At that point, we wanted off. The next day, we docked in Nassau, Bahamas, where we played in the ocean. I let my son take me on a Jet Ski ride, which was the highlight of his trip.

The following morning was debarkation day. We couldn't get off the boat fast enough.

We enjoyed another beautiful day at South Beach, sinking our toes in white sand beaches and exploring the outdoor Lincoln Road Mall.

Though our cruise experience was probably an outlier, I won't chance it again. But South Beach? We're in love.

• A California millennial began secretly working multiple remote jobs to save for retirement.
• He earned over $100,000 in 2023 and said he might be able to retire by age 50. 
• He shared why he decided to not look for a new job when his second role came to an end this year. 

Adrian, a California-based data analyst in his 30s, began secretly working multiple remote jobs in July 2023. For a while, it was well worth it.

Last year, he earned about $110,000 across his two jobs, according to documents viewed by Business Insider. Thanks to this overemployment, he believes he'll be in a financial position to retire in the next five to 10 years and move somewhere abroad with a lower cost of living than the US.

But by the time Adrian's contract for his second job came to an end in March, a big part of him was relieved, he said. He has little desire to be overemployed again.

"I did make a lot more money than I've ever made before, I think it was a smart idea, and it was kind of fun to tell friends about — but life is better now," said Adrian. His identity is known to BI, but he asked to use a pseudonym because of his fear of professional repercussions.

Adrian is among the Americans who have worked multiple jobs — often in secret — to boost their incomes. BI has interviewed roughly 20 of these job jugglers, many of whom work in the IT and tech industries and use the extra money to pay off student debt, save for retirement, and afford vacations and weight-loss drugs. While some companies may be OK with their workers having a second job, doing so without approval could have negative repercussions.

Recently, however, intense competition for remote roles, return-to-office mandates, and burnout have made the overemployment lifestyle unsustainable.

Adrian shared how and why he first became overemployed, his top advice for making it work, and why he's happy to be back to only one job.

Retirement fears led to overemployment

While some Americans are struggling to save for retirement, Adrian is among those who have taken unique earnings and savings measures to retire early.

Last year, when a recruiter messaged him on LinkedIn about a remote, full-time, contract role, he decided to hear them out.

As he went through the interview process, Adrian realized he might be able to balance both roles. He asked for the highest end of the new job's pay range: $70 an hour.

"If I was going to take something on the side I wanted to be sure it would be worth it," he said.

A few years ago, Adrian would never have made a career decision that was so focused on maximizing his income.

He always believed, "If you love your job, you'll never work a day in your life." He never worried much about his financial future or how much money he was making. It's this philosophy that led him to pursue an "amazingly enjoyable" job — one in an entirely different industry than his current role — that he said paid less than $40,000 a year.

"I didn't really care about making money because I never really thought about retirement," he said. "I just kind of assumed that you work until you're old, then you retire, and it somehow just works out."

But a few years ago, Adrian said he experienced a personal "transformation" that led him to begin prioritizing his financial health and future.

"I would never actually be able to retire by working my old job," he said. "But I never really thought about that, and I did love the life I was living."

He started by looking for a different career path. He went to graduate school, and after a roughly yearlong job search that nearly exhausted his savings, he landed the job he still has now.

Next, he started saving whatever money he could. He and his wife took up house and pet-sitting for a year, which he said allowed him to avoid paying rent as they bounced from home to home every month or so. He also began maxing out his 401(k) and Roth IRA, investing in low-cost index funds, and trying to live in low-cost-of-living areas while keeping his "high-cost-of-living area salaries."

When the opportunity to work multiple jobs came last year, it was just another way he could improve his finances.

What to look for in a second job — and why he's happy to no longer be overemployed

Adrian said that his second employer knew he had a primary job but "didn't care," in part because they were happy with the quality of his work. He never told his primary employer that he took on a second gig, but he doesn't think they would have cared either because he was a "top performer."

Adrian said that before taking on a second job, one should be "very comfortable" with one's main role.

"You need to be comfortable enough with your first job that you feel like you actually have extra time to accomplish other work," he said. He added that it's helpful if both jobs are flexible, independent, and don't have many meetings.

It's also important to make sure you're prepared to have your personal life impacted by your extra workload, he said. This is perhaps the biggest part of job juggling he wasn't fully prepared for — and why he hasn't looked to replace his second job ever since his contract came to an end in March.

While his workload varied, Adrian said he often worked more than 40 hours a week across the two jobs, including on some evenings and weekends. It was manageable, but it began to take a toll.

"Too stressful, too much time away from my partner, can't get outside or go to yoga — not worth it," he said of his overemployment. "I made a bunch of money this past year, but my goals for 2024 are not to maximize my income."

Instead, Adrian said he wants to prioritize his health, social ties, his partner, and "having fun." While he's still much more focused on his finances than he used to be, he said working a second job eventually proved to be a bridge too far.

Even without the extra income coming in, Adrian said he's still in the position to potentially retire before age 50. While he wouldn't rule out pursuing a second job again someday, he said the workload would have to be quite low. For now, he's happy to just have one job again.

"The reduction in stress and time commitments is well worth it," he said.

Are you working multiple remote jobs at the same time and willing to provide details about your pay and schedule? Are you a manager who has experience with overemployed employees? If so, reach out to this reporter at jzinkula@businessinsider.com.

• Cracker Barrel's CEO recently said that the chain is "not as relevant" as it used to be.
• The restaurant chain is well-known for its vintage decorations and store full of kitsch.
• I went to a Cracker Barrel outside of Washington, DC, to see what's going on.

Cracker Barrel restaurants are at a crossroads — literally and figuratively.

You'll often find the chain right off freeway exits. For decades, that's made them appealing to people making long drives searching for a hot, sit-down meal and a break from the road.

But that strategy hasn't worked well over the last few years.

"We're just not as relevant as we once were," CEO Julie Masino told investors on a call last month.

Masino added that the chain is "refreshing and refining" several aspects of its operations, from marketing to the atmosphere in its restaurants.

So far, that's included offering dinner specials in the late afternoon to appeal to diners who want to eat earlier.

Cracker Barrel is also testing a new layout for its locations that is "lighter, brighter, fresher and cleaner," Masino said. The layout includes bookcases instead of the chain's traditional momento-covered dividers. The company has also added booths to its seating options.

But for now, most of its stores still have the old-timey decor and wooden seats that many people associate with the brand.

To better understand what eating at Cracker Barrel is like these days, I visited one of the brand's restaurants in northern Virginia, outside Washington, DC. Here's what I found.

I visited this Cracker Barrel restaurant in Sterling, Virginia.

This particular Cracker Barrel location is just north of Washington Dulles International Airport. It's also near the intersection of multiple major highways and freeways.

One of the first things I saw were these rocking chairs on the patio outside.

The chairs were for sale — buying one of them will set you back $240. Of course, you can also try them out if you have to wait to get a table at the restaurant.

I didn't have to wait to get seated.

I visited this restaurant on a Monday at 9:30 a.m. I didn't have to wait for a table since the restaurant was only about half full.

The vintage decor immediately caught my attention.

My table was right next to one of these dividers, so I had plenty of time to admire its decorations.

Some decorations seemed to nod to the DC region where the restaurant is located.

This antique ad for "White House"-brand melons was an obvious nod to Washington, DC, about a 40-minute drive from this restaurant.

Overall, though, I was confused about whom this sort of decor is supposed to appeal to.

I love antiques, but as a millennial, none of the decorations are nostalgic for me. Many seemed to be from the 1930s or 1940s, meaning that they wouldn't mean anything to the vast majority of patrons, including baby boomers.

I was also confused by this light fixture hanging above my table.

This light was designed to look like a lantern but had a modern light bulb attached to the bottom.

The menu included lots of breakfast options.

My waiter told me that Grandma's Sampler Breakfast is his location's most popular breakfast order. But I wanted to try Cracker Barrel's fried chicken, so I opted for Grandpa's Country Fried Breakfast instead. I also added an order of the Biscuit Beignets and a drip coffee.

I was surprised by the range of drinks that you can order at Cracker Barrel.

If it had been a weekend, maybe I would have ordered a mimosa or a glass of wine.

My breakfast showed up about 15 minutes after I ordered.

Grandpa's Country Fried Breakfast includes a piece of fried chicken covered in gravy, two eggs, hash browns, as well as two biscuits with gravy.

The fried chicken wasn't anything special.

Maybe it was because I went out for soul food the weekend before, but this fried chicken seemed average. The breading wasn't very crispy, probably thanks to the gravy that was smothered on top.

The biscuits and gravy were also average.

I'm used to biscuits served with the gravy on top, but at Cracker Barrel, they come separated — which confused me — with the gravy in its own little container and not much room to pour it out.

I had to dip the biscuits in a cup of gravy.

The biscuits reminded me of the ones you buy in a cardboard tube and twist to open. The gravy, meanwhile, didn't taste very fresh.

After a bite of biscuit on its own, I started dipping it in the gravy, which felt wrong.

The biscuit beignets were my favorite part of this visit to Cracker Barrel.

My server didn't put in the order for the beignets until my breakfast came, but that worked out fine since they came out fresh from the fryer right as I finished my main meal.

They were fresh and tasty, especially considering they use the same dough as Cracker Barrel's biscuits.

Lots of foods taste better fried; the same was true for the biscuit beignets. These are made out of the same dough as Cracker Barrel's buttermilk biscuits, the restaurant says on its website. It just cuts them into smaller pieces, fries them, and coats them with cinnamon sugar.

Overall, this Cracker Barrel breakfast was fine, but not memorable.

The food tasted okay, but the textures weren't always right. The hash browns, for instance, were soggy.

I felt that breakfast would've been at least as good, and potentially better, if I had gone to Denny's or IHOP.

With breakfast finished, I headed to the Cracker Barrel store.

Old-fashioned snacks were a major offering at Cracker Barrel's "Old Country Store." Like the vintage ads and knick-knacks in the restaurant, they harkened back to the early 20th century.

You can also buy some of the same foods that are served in the restaurant.

If you were a big fan of what you ate at Cracker Barrel's restaurant, you could buy some to make at home.

And if you need a skillet to cook your at-home meal, the store has you covered.

Some of the cast iron skillets were made by Lodge specifically for Cracker Barrel.

Cracker Barrel's store sells a lot more than food and cooking supplies, though.

The more I looked around the store, the more confused I was about what the unifying theme was.

There was beach-themed home decor, even though this Cracker Barrel is far from the ocean.

This selection of items would've been right at home in a TJ Maxx, though the prices were much higher than you'd likely encounter at that store.

It was also an odd mix of items for a Cracker Barrel located hours away from the nearest beach.

There was also a surprising selection of vinyl records for sale.

Lots of music memorabilia was on offer, such as this vinyl of Journey's greatest hits.

The old-time, vaguely rural decorations also continued in the store.

You couldn't buy them, but the various old ads and farm tools contributed to a cluttered feel in the store.

Overall, I definitely saw what Cracker Barrel's CEO was talking about.

With mediocre food, lots of very old decorations, and an eclectic store, I was confused about what Cracker Barrel is trying to be. There was lots to look at, eat, and buy, but none seemed worth returning for.

I won't be coming back until Cracker Barrel rolls out some big changes.

I'm not sure that replacing the partitions with bookshelves will be enough. But it's clear that the Cracker Barrel restaurant and store I visited needs an update.

There were so many examples of attractions that trade on nostalgia. In order for that to work, the attraction needs to offer something that people recognize — consider a ride at Disneyland modeled after your favorite childhood movie, for example.

It felt like Cracker Barrel was trying to remind patrons of a bygone era. But I'm just not sure that it's resonating with enough people anymore.

Do you work at Cracker Barrel or another restaurant chain and have a story idea to share? Reach out to this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com

• A severe housing shortage has made both buying and renting increasingly unaffordable.
• But those lucky enough to own a home are struggling, too. 
• Harvard report finds cost-burdened homeowners rose by three million from 2019 to 2022.

You may have heard it's a terrible time to buy or rent a home. A severe shortage of housing, high mortgage interest rates, and strong demand from a growing number of new households have made it increasingly unaffordable to put a roof over your head.

The only group that seems to be faring well through this housing crisis are homeowners who locked in low-interest mortgages before rates began soaring two years ago. The average rate for mortgages that homeowners currently hold is just about 4%, while the current 30-year interest rate for those who want to buy a house now is around 7%, according to a new report from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies on the state of US housing.

"Having locked in fixed rates with lower monthly payments, homeowners as a whole are paying less on housing debt service as a percentage of income than at any time since 1980," the report found.

As home prices soar, property owners are sitting on historic levels of home equity. The average homeowner's equity has soared by $28,000 just over the past year — growing to an average of about $305,000, according to Corelogic.

But even many of those lucky homeowners are increasingly struggling with the rising costs of home insurance premiums, home repairs, and property taxes. And they can't afford to move.

Lower-income, older people, and people of color are among the most vulnerable. Their options for moving or downsizing are increasingly limited with high mortgage rates and a scarcity of smaller, accessible homes.

The number of cost-burdened homeowners — those who spent more than 30% of their income on housing and utilities — rose by about three million people between 2019 and 2022. Most of this increase was among those who make less than $30,000 a year. A full 30% of Black and 28% of Hispanic homeowners are cost-burdened, compared to 21% of white homeowners, the Harvard report found.

"The all-in monthly costs of the median-priced home in the US are the highest since these data were first collected more than 30 years ago," the Harvard report found.

Insurance costs have risen dramatically in communities across the country — a result both of increasingly severe climate issues, including flooding and fires, and the elevated cost of home construction and repairs. Nationally, average home insurance premiums rose by 21% between May 2022 and May 2023, Policygenius found.

"Even if they're not paying a lot on the mortgage or property taxes, the maintenance, both in costs and labor, are often quite a burden on these households," Jenny Schuetz, an expert in urban economics and housing policy at the Brookings Institution, told Business Insider earlier this year.