[WITI No. 71] Taking a break to tackle my book again, trying to read a bit more and not worrying about Covid lockdowns...for the moment.
Hallo. I’m back and you’re back for another issue of my weekly newsletter called What is the Information?. It’s where I check in with the people who are following me on my journey online. I usually write about what I’m reading, writing and thinking about. The March cohort for Ship30for30 ended recently. I’ve nearly completed 5 episodes of the podcast for the Tax Debt America Project. I’m taking a step back to finish the TDA Project book. I just need to get her done!
Currently listening to/reading:
I’ve paused books mention from last week except for:
Stop Asking Questions by Andrew Warner. Andrew has done 2,000 podcast interviews and used a scientific approach to analyze which questions worked. I like what he’s shared so far. One idea he mentions is the idea of a throw-away comment. He shares an anecdote about a friend who arrived late for a dinner party. The friend mentioned how difficult it is to be prepared as a parent after divorce because he had trouble finding a sweater for his child. Then his friend mentioned how bad traffic was. Andrew got the feeling his friend wanted to discuss his divorce but his guest steered the conversation toward traffic - a lost opportunity.
Another insight is to share some personal information so as to build intimacy. You can notice the throw away comment and ask someone to elaborate. But if you don’t reciprocate with any of your own issues, then your conversation partner might feel like you’re simply pumping them for information.
I restarted The Global Soul by Pico Iyer. I was actually reading this about a year ago and it was good as I remember it. As I was read, I took notes and recalled taking similar notes which I was able to track down. Do any of my readers remember Hugo of St. Victor?
The man who finds his homeland sweet is a still a tender beginner, he to whom every soil is as his native one is already strong; but he is perfect to whom the entire world is a foreign land.
I was thinking about this in the context of my children attending university in Europe. Are they beginners? Will they be strong? Or develop the global soul the author describes. It seems like it may not be possible to avoid.
Iyer writes…
So even the man who never leaves home, it might feel like home is leaving him, his parents, children, lovers scatter around the map, taking pieces of him where they go.
I have felt this in my own life. I live thousands of miles away from my own parents. I expect the same might happen to my own children.
Word of the week: Protean
Find of the week: Chinese Dystopia - Shanghai Covid Lockdowns
and this…
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Tell me what you’re working on? Any good book recommendations? Can you imagine Americans being directed via drone or robots? That might inspire the 2A people to start shooting, no? Let me know what you think!
And think someone might be interested to hear the opinions of a husband, father, tax debt studier, voracious reader, and continuous writer and podcaster?
No más esta noche. See you in a week!
-George