Do something.
It used to be about doing something, now it's about being somebody.
This is a marvelous line spoken by Margaret Thatcher in the 2011 study of her life, "The Iron Lady". The characterization of this controversial, popular, admired, vilified, celebrated politician deserves a robust discussion and, no doubt, some debate. The compelling aspect of Thatcher's persona, however, is depicted without bias: her call to think -- and to make thinking the first act in everything, from kindness, to spirituality, to patriotism, to decision making, to emotion. There are those among us who feel a display of emotion indicates a lack of control and thus an intellectual void. It is often the exact opposite. The emotion we encounter in others may very well be the symbol of a quick mind and a sharp intellect, courageous enough to express passion and laser-focused on the task at hand. It could be a person doing something, not a person posturing to climb the ranks, just to be considered somebody.
The Houses of Parliament, Sunset. Claude Monet. Oil on canvas. Chester Dale Collection. National Gallery of Art.
Read old books
Ted Lamade: On one hand, some things have certainly changed since these books were written. Most notably, I don’t think we will see Major Leaguers serving in the military anytime soon. Yet, these books also highlight many ways how things have not changed, and likely will not for years to come. Namely, (a) people will always react irrationally and be driven by fear in response to something like a global pandemic, (b) forecasts are as futile today as they have ever been (especially in the commodity sector), and (c) technological theft has been happening for centuries and will continue to happen, especially when a rising nation is chasing an incumbent one.
Coal community leaders from 10 states visit Southwest Virginia to learn from energy projects
Susan Cameron: The question came from Marc Kiehna, a commissioner from Randolph County, Illinois. ...Kiehna said that a large power plant in his county is shutting down in 2025, which will result in the loss of a lot of jobs and tax revenue. “I’m here this morning hearing these energy experts talk about how I might replace those revenues, how we can get a stronger tax base by putting solar or small scale nuclear in, and it makes a whole lot of sense to me,” he said.
Why AI will save the world
Marc Andreessen: human intelligence is the lever that we have used for millennia to create the world we live in today: science, technology, math, physics, chemistry, medicine, energy, construction, transportation, communication, art, music, culture, philosophy, ethics, morality. Without the application of intelligence on all these domains, we would all still be living in mud huts, scratching out a meager existence of subsistence farming. Instead we have used our intelligence to raise our standard of living on the order of 10,000X over the last 4,000 years. What AI offers us is the opportunity to profoundly augment human intelligence to make all of these outcomes of intelligence – and many others, from the creation of new medicines to ways to solve climate change to technologies to reach the stars – much, much better from here.
It's time to re-design how we think
Hal Wuertz: Unlike any other method, Design Thinking provides a model for solving grand challenges — through collaboration, imagination and empathy. Rather than move on, it’s time that we democratize access to this method, and standardize this mindset. Design Thinking needs to move out of the C-suite and universities, and become a foundational part of the curriculum in public K-12 education.
Five best Italian cocktails
Natalie: Aperitivo is a cherished Italian tradition that takes place before dinner. It typically involves enjoying a pre-dinner drink accompanied by a selection of small snacks or appetizers. Aperitivo drinks can range from classic cocktails like the Spritz, Negroni, and Americano to wine, prosecco, and vermouth-based concoctions.