Supporting Others, Laws of Human Nature, 007 and Pizza
I hope that wherever you are, you're healthy and doing okay. I know a lot of people are going to be hit hard by the restrictions put in place in response to COVID-19. I'm surprised at how fast the governments here in Canada have been moving, which is good, but I hope their support of those in need will be just as rapid.
You get a sense of just how hard people like restaurant workers will be impacted from data like this:
And this is only the beginning.
I would encourage you, if you're in a lucky position like I am, where you can work from home and/or continue to receive income, to find ways to support those in your community who will be affected. Some ideas:
- Try to continue to find ways to purchase from local businesses, either by pre-order/pickup, buying online, or purchasing gift cards ahead of time.
- Donate to local charities who are providing shelter, food, and other essentials to those in need.
The next weeks and months are going to have significant macroeconomic impact, and we need to make sure we remember those affected.
Stay safe!
Book Notes I Added:The Laws of Human Nature - Robert Greene
These notes have been highly requested for a while, and the delay has been mostly because of how big this book is. I didn't love it upon first reading, but going back through the notes I realized how many valuable insights there are. It's also much easier to apply the principles here to your daily life, compared to some of his other works (say, 33 Strategies of War). Still one of my favorite authors.
Articles I'm Reading:
- The Quick and Ubiquitous Economics of Bodegas - Mel Magazine - Bodegas are the term for corner/convenience stores in New York City, and I've always wondered what the books look like. This gives some insight, including expenses like rent ($16,224/month in the Lower East Side!!).
- A History of Pizza - History Today - A fun, quick read about the origins of pizza. It reminded me a lot of lobster in Nova Scotia–once considered a dish for the poor, it has risen in prominence to become a delicacy.
- How execs at Twitter, Slack and Box decided to send everyone home - Protocol - An interesting look inside the decision-making processes inside large tech companies in response to COVID-19 (their crisis teams hadn't planned for this case either).
- Heart of An Assassin: How Daniel Craig Changed James Bond Forever - GQ - If you're a Bond fan like I am, you were no doubt disappointed when they pushed the release date from April to November. This profile should give you some motivation to go back and watch the Daniel Craig films again.
I hope you all have a calm weekend.
Try to make the most of these times–read, relax, do things that make you happy and try to avoid the news.
Graham
