Veedeeohs
Bitcoin Rap Battle Debate: Hamilton vs. Satoshi
This is a wonderful way to highlight the primary differences between crypto and paper money. Opinionated, of course, but still helpful. - Calvin
Paternoster Lift
Phased out decades ago due to their unfortunate propensity to kill and/or maim people, there are nonetheless a few of these escalatoravors still in service. -Brian
Food
Do the Turkey Dew
I love this so much. A few key points in this article: there's a summer camp for bartenders, one of the bartenders that loves this drink got a Turkey Dew tattoo, there's a popup event dedicated to this drink. Brian, let's go to one. Or have our own? - Calvin
Truvia Crime
The fake French minister in a silicone mask who stole millions
Dude is out there shamelessly rocking that OG "deep fake" tech. I'm just going to assume that underneath it was Tom Cruise all along. -Brian
TravelMASity
He Crossed the Atlantic in a Barrel. We Asked Him About Dodging Ships and Using ‘La Toilette.’
I remember as a kid being fascinated by all the world record kids out there solo sailing or flying or paddleboarding or whatnot across the Atlantic on their own. At the time I was super jelly and thought it was awesome. Now I'm like who the #$@ lets their 14 year old sail across an ocean by themselves? -Brian
Follytics
Michael Avenatti Lived the High Life While Owing Millions to IRS
No further example of the herd mentality of our modern day media and/or culture is needed beyond this yahoo. For about three minutes he was a semi-serious presidential candidate and TV talk show superstar. Meanwhile, in reality he's stealing (allegedly) money from his clients, business partners, and whoever else will sit still long enough for him to dip his hand into their pockets. -Brian
Further Reading
Mall’s End: What will retail look like without stores?
Courtesy of Joe D. who routinely sends me super-smart and interesting stuff. You should also take note of the source; in a world of absolutely terrible political websites, City Journal stands out as smart, sober and thoughtful. I try to read around all sides of the political spectrum and every time I wander through CJ I'm impressed. -Brian
Why the world's biggest tech billionaires all love a lefty Scottish author
I've read eight or nine of the twelve books in The Culture series (which also is being adapted for an Amazon series) and it's pretty fantastic. Far into the future, a post-scarcity anarcho-communist utopia meddles with the less technologically advanced civilizations around it. And even when humanity's every need, want and desire is available on command, there's still a search for deeper meaning and some sort of relief from our inherent brokenness. I'd put it in my top five sci-fi works. If you want to dive in, I recommend starting here -Brian
Further Listening
Twain's Feast
I listened to this on my long solo drive to the beach this summer. The concept is that while Mark Twain was traveling abroad, he made a list of foods he was homesick for. A few Twain fanboys (including Nick Offerman) decide to attempt to cook a handful of dishes from Twain's list and document their search for strange ingredients that have disappeared from our cuisine.
It's more similar to a podcast than a typical audio book, and would make for a great listen on your commute. But don't take my word for it. - Calvin