The Saturday Morning Blend
V.1 - January 4, 2025
It's a new year and with it comes new endeavors. As such, I'm excited to debut my new weekly newsletter "The Saturday Morning Blend." In contrast to my "Risk, et al." newsletter where I do a deep dive into a certain topic or issue, this newsletter (which will come your way each Saturday morning) will allow me to highlight some recent articles and stories that I think are significant or informative.
In addition, I will also highlight some additional media (e.g., podcasts, videos, etc.) that I think you will find interesting, as well as some things a bit more light-hearted (e.g., songs/albums I'm listening to, shows/movies I'm watching, books I'm reading, booze I'm drinking, etc.) in my never-ending pursuit to enlighten your mind and bring a smile to your face.
Let's get to it.
Stories of the Week
“U.S. Treasury says it was hacked by China-backed actor” - As reported by The Washington Post, “the U.S. Treasury Department said on Monday that it was hacked by a Chinese state-sponsored actor who gained access to government workstations and unclassified documents.” Well, if anyone read “2034: A Novel of the Next World War” by Elliot Ackerman and Adm. James Stavridis, then you know it’s this kind of headline that brings reality closer to fiction every day. Don’t think it’s a big deal? Imagine life if you can’t use an ATM or your credit cards.
Over the past year, The Atlantic has made a dramatic rise in the ranks of my favorite news outlets. In that spirt, this recent article “Star Trek’s Cold War” from Tom Nichols caught my fancy. It illustrates how the original Star Trek series creator, Gene Roddenberry (a WWII veteran), used his science-fiction creation to explore the issues swirling around the Cold War. For all my fellow nerds out there, I think you will enjoy this article.
Speaking of The Atlantic and the Cold War, there is an active war right now in the world of political reporting. As described in the article “The Atlantic Beefs Up Politics Coverage Under Trump”, Benjamin Mullin at The New York Times explains The Atlantic is bolstering its political coverage by hiring some well-respected reporters away from The Washington Post.
Personally, I’m happy to see this. I’ve been a loyal reader of the Post for years, but I was furious when Jeff Bezos stopped the editorial board from issuing an endorsement in the recent presidential election. Newspapers are not immune to the laws of supply and demand. If the Post’s owner no longer cares for journalism integrity, and the owner of The Atlantic does, then journalists should be free to work in an environment that supports them. It’s called free market capitalism. If it’s good for retail websites, it should be good for journalism as well.
Finally, a recent article by Rachel Wolfe in The Wall Street Journal called “What Happens When a Whole Generation Never Grows Up?” struck a chord with me. As the article describes, 30 somethings have a great deal of insecurity about their future even though “median wages for full-time workers ages 35 to 44 are up 16% between 2000 and 2024, from $58,522 to $67,652 adjusted for inflation.”
As an example, the article talks about a young lawyer who “instead of being able to support a family or at least live on his own as a full-time lawyer, he’s paying $1,700 in monthly rent to live with roommates in Brooklyn.”
Well, here is the thing about the high cost of living in places like New York, San Francisco or Los Angeles. You don’t have to live there!
There is a big reason cites like Dallas, Nashville, and Tampa (to name a few) are seeing record growth. People are looking for affordable places to live. And I’m sorry, but there is a world outside of Manhattan.
Podcast of the Week
In the latest episode of the “Bogleheads on Investing” podcast, host Rick Ferri interviews Aswath Damodarn, Professor at the NYU School of Business. In case you didn’t know, Prof. Damodarn is THE expert on business finance and valuation. So, if you are interested in how to invest with confidence to meet your long-term objectives, this is a great podcast to help you on your journey.
Book of the Week
The recent and sudden demise of the Assad regime in Syria took a lot of geopolitical experts by surprise. However, the factors behind the collapse were in place for years. In his first novel Damascus Station, author David McCloskey (a former CIA analyst) sets his story during the early stages of the Syrian war. So, if you are looking for a good page turner while also getting some background on how things got to where they are in Syria, then I would definitely pick this book.
Show of the Week
During the pandemic, I think on-demand saved a lot of people’s sanity. Also, I think it dramatically changed the entertainment industry forever. No longer are movie theaters the only place you go to see good films, but now you can watch them from home. Also, series are no longer confined to network or cable television but can now be accessed on your laptop or phones.
As an example, I just finished the second season of the Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which is set before the time of the “The Hobbit” novel. Needless to say, I enjoyed the first two season, and it looks like a third is in the pipeline. So, if you are a fan of the Peter Jackson films (like me), then I’m confident you will enjoy this series as well.
Sports of the Week
In what looks to be a football showdown for the ages, the Minnesota Vikings (14-2) travel to the Detroit Lions (14-2) for a winner-take-all battle this Sunday. The victor of this showdown claims the NFC North title and the NFC’s #1 seed. The loser will claim the NFC’s No #5 seed, and also a lovely set of steak knives.
Personally, I’m rooting for the Lions. I’m a big Dan Campbell fan, but I also earned my Master of Science in Finance from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. Regardless, it should be one helluva game!
That’s All Folks!
So that’s it for the inaugural edition of “The Saturday Morning Blend.” I hope you liked it. If so, please spread the word and repost this link on your favorite social media websites. Also, please provide any feedback on what you liked and don’t like.
Until next week!