Music of the Week
Parcels is an Australian five-piece electropop band consisting of “keyboardist Louie Swain, keyboardist/guitarist Patrick Hetherington, bassist Noah Hill, drummer Anatole “Toto” Serret, and guitarist Jules Crommelin.” Per its Wikipedia page, the band blends electropop, indietronica, nu-disco, funk, psychedelic pop, soul, alternative dance, and indie pop. Some of my favorite songs include Tieduprightnow, Overnight, and Lightenup.
Quotes of the Week
Do you know what success is? Success is when your children want to be with you when they’re adults. How many people have all the material stuff, and their kids don’t come home for the holidays. Come on. – Paul Orfalea
The mind must be given relaxation — it will rise improved and sharper after a good break. – Seneca
Life is short. Do not forget about the important things in our life, living for other people and doing good for them. – Marcus Aurelius
Articles of the Week
“Researchers have estimated that a single ChatGPT query requires almost 10 times as much electricity to process as a traditional Google search.” AI Wants More Data. More Chips. More Real Estate. More Power. More Water. More Everything
“Given that Phil is as gung-ho as they come, I wish we all had a Phil.” Phil Knight Is Using His Nike Fortune to Make Oregon a Football Powerhouse
Book of the Week
Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution by Nathaniel Philbrick is the “second book of his acclaimed American Revolution series” where Philbrick focuses on the relationship between George Washington and Benedict Arnold. Washington was forced to retreat from New York in the fall of 1776. Arnold came to his rescue after Washington’s retreat by blocking the British navy advancing south from Lake Champlain. Arnold continued to fight for the Americans until his financial commitments to his wife’s family plus his inability to advance his career came to a head. At this point, Arnold agreed to fight for the British by surrendering Fort Ticonderoga. What is fascinating about this book is how incredible of a fighter Arnold was for the Americans only to be remembered as an infamous traitor. Also check out the podcasts Nathaniel Philbrick, “Valiant Ambition” and Valiant Ambition in the American Revolution for a deeper dive into the book.
Podcasts of the Week
Hermès: The Luxury Icon and Hermès are incredible profiles of a company I knew little about before listening to these podcasts. Hermès is truly in a category of its own due to the way the business is run, now in its sixth generation. What Hermès has been able to overcome since the company’s founding in 1837 is astounding.
