Did You Miss Me?

I have returned! The first monthly post on Conor Intelligence is officially live, and you’re reading it. Right now! Wild stuff!

Hopefully, none of you took the reduced frequency too hard, and if you did, are somewhat assuaged by the fact that I have returned and didn’t just fully bail on Conor Intelligence. So, what are we talking about this month?

That’s why my wife and I (and since her birth, my daughter) have gone camping multiple times every summer in state and national parks throughout the country. More importantly, when we do so, we have a strict no phones policy. Admittedly, we’ve lightened up a bit on that rule since my daughter was born, because a surprise thunderstorm caught us off-guard last summer, leading to a harrowing journey to find a motel in the middle of a cut scene from Twister.

While camping is generally delightful when it comes to unplugging, it’s certainly not a seamless experience overall. Setting up the tent always creates a bit of friction, the mosquitos are relentless, and the proximity to rowdy neighbors makes you want to plug back in just to try to find them on LinkedIn to get them fired. Suffice to say, there is a lot that can go wrong when you’re camping.

It’s all worth it, though, when you get those moments in nature that you can’t get anywhere else. Sitting by the fire with a drink and a s’more or swinging between two beautiful trees in a hammock are worth all the itchy bites and noisy neighbors, and it’s not particularly close.

You hear a lot about nature not being what it used to be when you’re plugged in. Baseless memes talk about how the bugs aren’t as loud, how they trees aren’t as green, or how chemtrails make the air unbreathable. I remember seeing one such nonsense meme just days before we left that claimed confidently that fireflies simply don’t exist anymore, because it’s too hot or too polluted or the new Marvel TV show has too many black people in it (Ironheart rules, definitely check it out).

So, when I decided to actually go to the campground bathroom at 10pm without my phone (instead of peeing behind our tent for the 15th time) and I turned the corner to see literally dozens, if not hundreds of fireflies beautifully and sporadically lighting the path, I was reminded once again that the only real way to see the world is without a plug.

Dad tips of the month

• Don’t act your age (mentally): A fear of being cringe is a surefire way to have less fun with your kids, so make sure to pepper your day with a bit of immaturity. 🤪

• Act your age (physically): Goofing around is the best, but as soon as you start thinking your body is as bendable as theirs, you’re going to end up in bed at 2pm with a heat pack on your back. 👨‍⚕️

• Be flexible: If, for example, you’re camping and it’s 85 degrees with 90% humidity, it’s ok to bail on your sweltering campsite and hit the waterpark. 🤸‍♀️

Cawley an Audible: Just a Rough Patch or Raising Red Flags?

My younger brother Brian is back to kick off monthly posts with another edition of Cawley an Audible to talk about the Cubs struggles over the last few weeks.

After a blistering spring, the 2025 Chicago Cubs have hit a bit of a summertime slump. The Cubs have gone 11-11 since their blazing hot start, and the Cubs’ lead in the NL Central, once as high as 6.5 games, is down to 2.5 games with the surging Brewers and Cardinals right on our heels.

Luckily, a baseball season is a long and winding road. Playing .500 ball over 25 days does not, alone, warrant grave concern. Almost every team in MLB has a stretch of .500 or worse over a 25-day period, even World Series favorites like the Dodgers and Yankees, each of whom have had an 11-12 stretch this year.

That said, it can be difficult to discern between an unfortunate but inevitable skid and more troubling tumble that reveals latent flaws. So, has this June been an anticipated rough patch or a harbinger of more troubling issues? Let’s take a look:

Here are some reasons why the Cubs are Raising Reds Flags:

• Mediocre pitching - Cubs pitching gave up 20 home runs over the last six games. It’s difficult for even the most explosive offenses to overcome a pitching staff letting up 3+ HRs a game.

• Amorphous, unreliable bullpen - Manager Craig Counsell is stuck playing Russian roulette every time he makes a call to the ‘pen and, as of late, almost all the chambers have been loaded.

• Missing team leaders - Team leaders Ian Happ and Dansby Swanson have underproduced this season. This team will need all of its veterans producing in order to overcome pitching deficiencies.

There is still hope, though, that this is Just a Rough Patch. Here’s why:

• High-octane offense - The 2025 Cubs’ offense is the best we’ve seen since 2016. The offense is among the best in the MLB in almost all relevant offensive metrics and has continued to produced even as pitching has imploded.

• Glistening peripherals - The Cubs’ defense and baserunning remains elite, with the 43 defensive runs saved (2nd in MLB), 0.43 errors per game (6th in MLB), and 97 stolen bases (3rd in MLB).

• Cupcake schedule - The Cubs have the 6th easiest remaining schedule in MLB.

• Deadline help - The front office will surely acquire some pitching help at the deadline to fill this team’s one glaring hole.

Based on those random topics I selected, that’s 4-3 in favor of “Just a Rough Patch.” So holster those alarm bells and let’s see if the Cubs can split the series with the Cardinals tonight with Shōta back at the helm of the rotation. Go Cubs.

What I’m consuming this week

Shockingly, it is far from without heart, too. Gillis delivers a myriad of surprisingly heartfelt speeches, often followed by some comedic undercut, but still. It even has me interested in and actively rooting for the economic growth and development of a small tire shop in Pennsylvania. What the hell, Netflix.

All in all, this was designed to be a background show at best and a two episode test run at worst, but it’s actually quite funny with a bit of warmth to it, which certainly doesn’t hurt in 2025.

Glad you came back after a long month!

Monthly posts are here, and I’m pretty jazzed you came along for the ride.

A month is so much longer than a week! It really feels like I’ve been gone for a long time, but I do feel like it gave me a bit more time to put some interesting things out there while still getting to live enough life to keep it interesting.

See you in July on the last Thursday of the month (July 31st)!