Third Newsletter

Today’s the third week of my newsletter.

For the first month, I’ll repost it on my blog.

Sign up for my newsletter here. Every Monday, you’ll receive in your inbox: My writing, updates on my Semester at the Library project, and any thought-provoking material I discover along the way.


This one’s long overdue but I finally finished my Semester at the Library essay this weekend. That piece documents my decision-making process, what I’ll be doing, and defining what success looks like for the project.

I haven’t heard of anyone from my university taking time off to focus on reading and writing before, so this was a risk on my end, but I couldn’t be happier that I made it.

At the end of the semester (end of April) I’ll write a reflection piece on how it went.

Stay tuned for that.


Stuff I Enjoyed This Week

The Egg

Andy Weir | Short Story (5min)

I was in downtown Toronto when I read this and on my way home, I couldn’t help but view everyone in a different light. I felt more empathy for everyone, from the banker in the suit to the panhandler on the street. Whether this piece is true or not, I do believe there is truth to its message.

China: Rise, Fall and Re-Emergence as a Global Power

Prof. James Petras | Publication (1 Hour)

Will China be the number one superpower? This was a question I found myself asking a lot recently. I believe understanding history and incentives give you a glimpse into the future. Thus, I spent an afternoon going down a China rabbit-hole”. This was the best article I found on the subject. Not only did I learn a lot about China, but how the world works.

Bobby McFerrin Demonstrates the Power of the Pentatonic Scale

World Science Festival | Video (3min)

If the name Bobby McFerrin sounds familiar it’s because he’s the man behind the classic Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” A talented musician in his own right, in this video he plays the crowd like an instrument. I can’t help but smile every time I watch this.

The Light

Common | Rap Song (4min)

I used to love this song back in the day. It’s been years since I last heard it, then Common played the hook from this song as a tribute to Kobe in his spoken word intro at the 2020 NBA All Star Game, that part gets me every time. Common raps about real shit here, in fact, this is one of the first songs that deviate from a misogynistic depiction of women. This song reminds me that rap is modern-day poetry.

Tyler Cowen’s Favorite Question

Marginal Revolution | Blog Post (1min)

Recently, one of my favorite questions to bug people with has been What is it you do to train that is comparable to a pianist practicing scales?’ If you don’t know the answer to that one, maybe you are doing something wrong or not doing enough. Or maybe you are (optimally?) not very ambitious?

I answered this question here. How do you practice your scales?”

March 9, 2020 · Newsletter


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