Pete's Newsletter - Issue #3
Photo of the Week
The high point of the week was swimming in the river below the Pont du Gard. It was a key part of an aqueduct that provided fresh water to nearby Nimes, one of the most advanced cities in the Roman Empire.
Throughout the region, I was struck by the contrast of the heights of Roman society to the lows of the Medieval period. What weakness in human nature led a society to turn inward, build walls and live in fear, with little progress or advancement, for 1,000 years?
Book of the Week
This week, I relived my early 20s reading (and loving) Meet Me in the Bathroom by Lizzy Goodman. It tells the story of the great New York bands (The Strokes, Interpol, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, LCD Soundsystem etc.) from 2001-2011.
In '04, at the age of 22, I moved to N7th and Driggs in Williamsburg. I loved the music happening in the neighborhood and reading this book opened up the inside (and quite scandalous) stories of the scene. It was fun hearing the bands name drop all of the old places where we used to hang.
The book is an oral history so you hear the dirt directly from the people who lived it. The author did years of interviewing, it is an impressive piece of work. Check it out.
Music of the Week
Every few pages of Meet Me in the Bathroom I would open Spotify and listen to a song that was discussed in the book. It brought back a ton of memories and great tunes. So this week, I put together a playlist of some of the classic bands and songs highlighted in Lizzy's book.
Article of the Week
Jeremy has been so consistent and tenacious in his thinking on this topic. I am impressed by his ability to carry this torch for companies everywhere. My take - ecosystems must exist where people can find the best products and services. Google is a monopoly and puts their second rate products first, and will continue to do so. That is bad for the economy and the impetus for government intervention.