Weekly Report: July 23, 2023
Observations
We’ve been on holiday. Here are a few photos:
Write up to come…
Further Observations
- Aptos is Microsoft’s new standard font, succeeding Calibri, which was made standard around 2007. Calibri in turn replaced Times New Roman and Arial as Microsoft’s default fonts. I never liked Calibri, so I welcome the change. This is dating me, but TNR is still my default serif font of choice for writing large amounts of text.
- In an example of the speed at which the government moves, in January 2023 the U.S. Department of State finally made Calibri (14-point) its standard font, replacing Times New Roman due to readability factors (sans serif fonts are regarded as being more readable than serif fonts). Just in time for Calibri to no longer be Microsoft’s default font. Prior to introducing Times New Roman in 2004, the State Department used Courier New, which is a monospaced font (otherwise known as a typewriter font where each character occupies the same width on the page).
- Inflation seems to be back under control and the stock market is ripping again. It’s kind of crazy. More and more people are now literally buying into the prospect of a soft landing after tearing into Jerome Powell for first acting too late, and then acting too aggressively. I still think the other shoe is yet to drop. Interest rates went up 5%+ in record time, the labor market is still tight, and everything is suddenly back to the way it was before? I don’t buy it (literally).
Articles
- How second-generation owners of 99 Ranch are turning the Asian supermarket into a national powerhouse (LA Times)
- Inside the most extreme heat wave the Southern U.S. has faced (Washington Post)
- Boiling the Ocean (The Atlantic)
- The Trillion-Dollar Grift: Inside the Greatest Scam of All Time (Rolling Stone)
- Inside the Private Writings of Caroline Ellison, Star Witness in the FTX Case (New York Times)
- Judge rules XRP is not a security in SEC’s case against Ripple (Coin Telegraph)
- When Clarence Thomas Entered an Elite Circle and Opened a Door to the Court (New York Times)
- The Maverick Design Choices That May Have Doomed Titan (New York Times)
- The state of AI and social media shows capitalism is unlikely to end with a robot rebellion (The Guardian)
- 4 reasons why homelessness keeps going up (NPR)
- Proof You Can Do Hard Things (Nat Eliason)
- A change of typeface: Microsoft’s new default font has arrived (Microsoft)
- How a family of five transformed a 58-seater bus into an incredible home to travel across Australia (Daily Mail)
- Can Everyone Take a Sabbatical? (New York Times)
Reviews
- 🎪 Knuthenborg Safaripark (Maribo, Denmark)
A surprising safari park in the south of Denmark where you can drive around and see a host of animals, including elephants, giraffes, tigers, lions (evacuated from Ukraine!), ostriches, etc. Also has a huge, super fun playground for the kids. We stayed overnight in a cabin that has a window looking directly into the tiger area. ★★★★ - 🎪 Den Blå Planet (Kastrup, Denmark)
Denmark’s national aquarium. Pretty decent, with a fun water playground outside. ★★★ - 🎪 Frilandsmuseet (Lyngby, Denmark)
Open air museum with what must be the world’s largest collection of old barns. Decent for the kids because there are a few activities there they can do, but not so much for adults, unless you love looking at barns. ★★ - 🗺️ Nivå Strand (Nivå, Denmark)
A nice beach for young kids with a shallow gradient out into the ocean. ★★★ - 📺 Jack Ryan (Season 4)
A reliable show to binge watch. I liked how all its seasons were self-contained. Unfortunately this is the final season, but it looks like it will be getting a spinoff. ★★★ - 🎬 The Menu (2022)
Nice looking movie. Characters are a bit of a mess. ★★½
9:00pm 
