Music of the Week
Malcolm John Rebennack, Jr., known by his stage name Dr. John, was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist who fused New Orleans blues, jazz, R&B, soul, and funk into a pleasant melodic mix. New Orleanian Dr. John was active from the late ’50s until he died in the late 2010s. What’s insane to think about is that Dr. John recorded thirty studio albums along with nine live albums during his career. One of my favorite songs of his “Right Place, Wrong Time” was a top-10 hit single in the 1970’s. Nothing puts me in a calmer, happier mental state than listening to his music.
Quotes of the Week
If you think you’re going to regret not doing something, you should probably do it. Regret is the worst, and most people regret far more things they didn’t do than things they did do. – Sam Altman
Attention isn’t free. It’s the most valuable thing you spend. – Shane Parrish
In life the challenge is not so much to figure out how best to play the game; the challenge is to figure out what game you’re playing. – Philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah
Bad information is worse than no information at all. – Nassim Taleb
What is crucial is to give a hundred percent of what you have every day, whether it’s a hundred percent of crap or a hundred percent of gold. You acknowledge the day and move on to the next. – Alexi Pappas
The world wants you to be typical. Don’t let it happen. – Jeff Bezos
Rose Kennedy once told me that good luck is something you make and bad luck is something you endure, a very wise observation indeed. People do make their luck by daring to follow their instincts, taking risks, and embracing every possibility. – Estée Lauder
Your only focus should be on getting better at what you’re doing. Focus on what you are doing. Get better at what are you doing. Everything else is a waste of time. – Jerry Seinfeld
You are under no obligation to remain the same person you were a year ago, a month ago, or even a day ago. You are here to create yourself, continuously. – Richard Feynman
But you have to have hope. You have to be optimistic in order to continue to move forward. — John Lewis
Oh, it’s very simple. My secret has been I know what to ignore. – Nobel prize winner Francis Crick
What you do in this world is a matter of no consequence. The question is what can you make people believe you have done. – Sherlock Holmes
We’re all just guessing, but some of us have fancier math. – Josh Brown
The future is much like the present, only longer. – Baseball player Dan Quisenberry
It’s very common to be utterly brilliant and still think you’re way smarter than you actually are. – Charlie Munger
Focus on what provides value to others, not what impresses others. – James Clear
If you dig a hole and it’s in the wrong place, digging it deeper isn’t going to help. – Seymour Chwast
Remember, events are objective. It’s only our opinion that says something is good or bad (and thus worth fighting against or fighting for). A better attitude? To decide to make the most of everything. But to do that you must first cease fighting. – Ryan Holiday
Article of the Week
“It set legally binding greenhouse gas emissions targets, regulated air pollution, and encouraged the expansion of renewable energy by introducing a system to ensure wind and solar developers could sell power at a stable, profitable price” from Britain ditched coal. Here’s what the world can learn from it highlights how electricity markets respond as the electricity resource mix changes over time.
“We find that the secret to Buffett’s success is his preference for cheap, safe, high-quality stocks combined with his consistent use of leverage to magnify returns while surviving the inevitable large absolute and relative drawdowns this entails” quoted in Buffett’s Alpha attempts to explain Buffett’s investing prowess.
“There are many, many people who would rather work whatever number of hours per week on interesting, important things rather than fewer hours on things that are not that interesting” from Junior Bankers Want Interesting Work in Exchange for Long Hours, Lazard CEO Says makes me appreciate I never ventured into the world of banking.
“Average returns sustained for an above-average period of time leads to extraordinary returns” is one of many quotes I love in Rules, Truths, Beliefs.
“When you’re still going good, that’s the time to stop” is a quote from What Kind of Writer Is ChatGPT? that I am looking to implement as we speak.
“The lesson is that efficiency can get in the way of memorability, especially in speech-writing” from How To Write a Memorable Speech explores why Winston Churchill was an exceptionally gifted speechwriter.
Book of the Week
In the Hurricane’s Eye: The Genius of George Washington and the Victory at Yorktown by Nathaniel Philbrick is one of three books in his The American Revolution Series. The other books in the series are Bunker Hill: A City, a Siege, a Revolution (fantastic read!) and Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution (can’t wait to read it!). The Hurricane’s Eye “tells the thrilling story of the year that won the Revolutionary War.” George Washington came to realize in the early 1780s that he needed the French navy to win the American Revolution. Washington’s army eventually teamed up with the French expeditionary force led by Rochambeau and the commander of the French fleet led by de Grasse. Washington, Rochambeau, and de Grasse were able to get Charles Cornwallis to surrender at Yorktown effectively ending the war and gaining America its independence.
Podcasts of the Week
How I Built This with Guy Raz was on the podcast docket this week. Episodes I enjoyed included Black Diamond Equipment: Peter Metcalf, 21 Seeds: Kat Hantas, Paperless Post: James and Alexa Hirschfield, Lily’s Sweets: Cynthia Tice, Graduate Hotels: Ben Weprin, and Barefoot Wines: Bonnie Harvey and Michael Houlihan.
Bonus: Videos of the Week
My Daily Rituals and 9 Life Lessons – Tim Minchin UWA Address.
Bonus: TV Show of the Week
Starting 5 is a documentary series starring NBA players Jimmy Butler, Anthony Edwards, LeBron James, Domantas Sabonis, and Jayson Tatum. James’ business partner Maverick Carter, as well as Peyton Manning, and Barack and Michelle Obama all serve as executive producers on this fantastic behind-the-scenes show about the NBA.
