My end-of-week morning train WFH reads:
• Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning: The Instinctive Drowning Response – so named by Francesco A. Pia, Ph.D., is what people do to avoid actual or perceived suffocation in the water. And it does not look like most people expect. There is very little splashing, no waving, and no yelling or calls for help of any kind. To get an idea of just how quiet and undramatic from the surface drowning can be, consider this: It is the number two cause of accidental death in children, age 15 and under (just behind vehicle accidents) – of the approximately 750 children who will drown next year, about 375 of them will do so within 25 yards of a parent or other adult. (Mario Vittone)
• Portfolio Pollution: The bottom line is that companies that pollute the environment and investors’ portfolios with little or no ramifications are free riders at their worst. (A Teachable Moment) see also The Secret to Compounding: When you take care of today, tomorrow takes care of itself. (Micro Cap Club)
• Remembering moments when I thought things took a permanent turn for the worse: One of the benefits of aging as an investor is that you accumulate invaluable experience and perspective by living through a lot of very bad economic and financial market events. These include events when, in the moment, it felt like things had permanently taken a turn for the worse. But time after time, you’re reminded that you can’t keep the U.S. economy and stock market down for very long. (TKer)
• The Tech Industry Is Huge—and Europe’s Share of It Is Very Small: A risk-averse business culture and complex regulations have stifled innovation on the continent, weighing on its future. (Wall Street Journal)
• UBS deploys AI analyst clones: Zurich-based bank using OpenAI and Synthesia models to create lifelike avatars of its experts. (Financial Times)
• Meet the ‘Stealthy Wealthy’ Who Make Their Money the Boring Way: The road to riches is paved with cup holders, burgers and miles of elementary school carpeting. (Wall Street Journal)
• Apps You’ll Want to Take on Vacation: A Digital Packing List Your bags may be ready to go, but do you really have everything you need? Here are some apps that can make your travels smoother, safer and more fun. (New York Times) see also The best secure browsers for privacy: Expert tested If you want a browser focused on security, you must know its approach to privacy and data collection. These are the best secure browsers of 2025. (ZD Net)
• Delete Yourself, Part 2: Your Personal Data on the Dark Web: How to lock down your finances and online accounts after a data breach spreads your information to the secret corners of the internet. (Wall Street Journal)
• Dance Music Is Booming Again. What’s Different This Time? A Lot. Fans emerged from pandemic lockdowns primed to hit the floor. Now online platforms are bringing fresh sounds and budding stars to bigger audiences worldwide. (New York Times)
• Inside the NBA’s hand care obsession: The official NBA rulebook forbids the on-court use of any foreign substance “designed or intended to provide … a competitive advantage.” However, according to league memos, explicit exemptions are allowed for three categories: “Rosin Powder,” “Chalk or Liquid Chalk” and “Hand Lotion.” (ESPN)
Be sure to check out our Masters in Business this week with Ron Shaich, Ron is the founder and former Chairman and CEO of Panera Bread and of Au Bon Pain (Sold for $7.5 billion in 2017). He is the current Chairman and lead investor in CAVA, (NYSE: CAVA), a fast casual Mediterranean restaurant chain; as well as Tatte, Life Alive, and Level99.
Creative Destruction, FTW (Again)
Source: AEI
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