War Strategy, Climate Updates, Wait but Why, Jewelry Heists & neo-Westerns
I hope you're having a great shortened week, and you had a fun Labour Day weekend. I took a last-minute trip back to Nova Scotia, and enjoyed spending time with family and friends, getting out on the water, and golfing.
Blog Post I Wrote:33 Strategies of War - Robert Greene
I've said before Robert Greene is one of my favourite authors, and I finally worked my way through my notes on 33 Strategies of War. It's dense, but as usual, there are lots of useful takeaways, and the history woven in makes it a fascinating read. In many ways, war tactics fit this format (lesson+historical example) better than some of his other books.
Articles I'm Reading:
- Scientists Have Been Underestimating the Pace of Climate Change - Scientific American - We'll start with some bad climate news this week, as apparently the methods we've used to estimate climate change tend to underestimate the effect. Tendencies to state conservative values contribute too.
- Wind power prices now lower than the cost of natural gas - Ars Technica - Now for more positive news. It's now cheaper in parts of the US (Midwest) to build solar than it is to buy fuel for natural gas plants. This is significant, because it means it makes sense to start building wind power instead of keeping old natural gas plants running.
- Don't let vegetarian environmentalists shame you for eating meat. Science is on your side. - USA Today - One last climate-related piece offers a counter-argument for most of the "don't-eat-meat-if-you-want-to-save-the-environment" advocates. The meat issue is obviously complex and difficult to decipher, and I plan to write about it at some point. It's a hard decision for me personally.
- The Story of Us - Wait but Why - Tim Urban is back with a very, very long post that will be released in parts over several months, exploring some of the larger issues in society today. Here's the first installment (there are 3 out now).
- “A Stunning Coup”: The Almost Unsolvable Harry Winston Diamond Heists - Vanity Fair - Just for fun, this story about some of the largest diamond heists ever. It's crazy that things like this happen, and that apparently the Pink Panthers are a real thing.
- Montreal’s Best Restaurants Are Proof: This City Is Food Heaven - GQ - Since I can't resist bragging about Montreal, here's a piece that showcases some of Montreal's best food.
What I'm Rewatching:Sicario, Hell or High Water & Wind River
My brother pointed out that these three films were written by the same person (Taylor Sheridan) in what he calls a 'frontier trilogy' - kind of neo-Westerns. I had mixed feelings when I watched them before, but watching them all together through that lens helped me appreciate them more. Sheridan talks about all three here.
Photos from this week:
I got out golfing with my dad on Monday at Chester Golf Club in Chester, Nova Scotia, and I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better view than the one from this green. I also got out sailing with friends at sunset on Saturday night, and it didn't disappoint.
Have a great week!
Graham
