A New Slaughterhouse-Five, The Spiderverse's Secret Weapon, Being Free in the Universe, and More

Friday, June 30, 2023

Happy Friday everyone!

Here are 10 things I found interesting from the last week or so.

I was on the road traveling all last week again, so this week's newsletter has no set destination once again too. Anyway, here’s a picture I took during a layover at Doha International Airport in Qatar.

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NYU Journalism Announces 2023 Award Winners

NYU's Journalism Program announced its 2023 award winners for excellence in reporting, writing, and news production. Congratulations to the winners! Check them out here. 

The End of an Iconic Baseball Strategy 

A few weeks ago, I mentioned how the MLB's new rules have completely changed the flow of the game. This short video by Frank Smith takes it one step further and explains how this marks the end of an iconic baseball strategy, i.e., switch-hitting. 

Wisdom from Theo Von  

Saying Theo Von is hilarious is an understatement. But, every now and then, he has some quality wisdom to share too. A caller asked him what he would say to his younger 21-year-old self. His answer didn't disappoint. 

Friday Night Lights Half-Time Speech

This past week, I re-watched the 2004 football classic, Friday Night Lights. The half-time speech in the final game of the season is of my favorites. I actually happened to watch a few movies on my way back to Vietnam this week, so let's continue on this train of thought. 

Leave No Page Unturned 

Speaking of wisdom and motivation, if you like to read or write, then the documentary, Turn Every Page, directed by Lizzie Gottlieb, will be of interest. This film provides a glimpse into the multi-decade relationship between writer Robert Caro and editor Robert Gottlieb. I won't give away all of the details of the film, but I'll just say it was fascinating to witness the kind of writer / editor relationship they have developed over the years. 

A New Slaughterhouse-Five

Another movie I watched was Paris is in Harlem, directed by Christina Kallas. Between the opening dialogue and the array of camera movements throughout the film, it felt like this was Kallas' version of Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five. This story takes place on a cold winter night on the eve of New York City's controversial "No Dancing" Law getting repealed. 

The Spiderverse's Secret Weapon 

Of all the movies from last week, my favorite experience was seeing Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse with my nephew Madyx. He had been talking about the movie for what seemed like forever. After we left the theater, we shared our favorite scenes when I mentioned the Lego scene specifically. And thanks to Madyx's investigative work, it turns out that one scene was done by a 14-year-old kid! Here's director Kemp Powers explaining how it all went down.  

Being Free in the Universe

Last week the San Antonio Spurs drafted Victor Wembanyama with the #1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. The 7'5 phenom has been called "The Greatest Prospect Ever." He shared his thoughts on JJ Redick's podcast about what hearing that feels like. His answer left Redick speechless. 

The Tools of Escapism 

Here's another thought on escapism from author Nir Eyal on the podcast, The Diary of a CEO, by Steve Bartlett. Eyal says, "All human behavior is driven by the desire to escape discomfort." Check out the rest of the video here and the entire interview here. 

Bad (But Good) Traveling

Whenever my flight gets delayed, my mind immediately goes to the 2004 comedy The Terminal, starring Tom Hanks. Suffice it to say time begins to behave differently the longer you are couped in an airport. That said, after a few flight delays (which I was definitely not the only one this week) and nearly 50 hours of total travel time, I am back in Vietnam. And it sure feels good. 

Enjoy the weekend and see you next Friday. 

—Garrett