Afternoon Tea 10.13.21 - Time Millionaires

IATSE approved their strike, Shadow Inflation is a thing, Jack Ma appeared in Hong Kong, Eric Adams and cops might not see eye to eye much longer, our fish stick supply is in jeopardy, and 4.3 million Americans quit their jobs in August. It’s Wednesday, October 13th 2021, and this is your Tea. Today’s vibe is a weird one but the good ones usually are. Netsky, famed UK dnb innovator, strained Elon Musk attempting to be motivational through a fun vocoder, then served it up with some light and fluffy drum work.

Americans quit their jobs at a record pace in August (AP) 4.3 million people said fuck it in August. Given the plurality and volume of striking workers that the IATSE just joined, at some point the people who think you should work yourself to the bone for a pile of magic beans might want to wake up. No one is trying to die of Delta at their job so some CEO or founder can hit their “performance targets” anymore.

There Is Shadow Inflation Taking Place All Around US (NY Times) Paywalled, but the idea is important. It’s not just that prices are going up, it’s that what you get for your dollar is curtailed. Fewer services, less quality, smaller amounts, the opposite of price inflation, but still stings just as bad.

Pentagon Official Resigns Saying US Cybersecurity is No Match for China, Calling it ‘Kindergarten Level’ (SOFREP) & Mind the ‘Middle Powers’ Gap (DefenseOne) We might want to hire cybersecurity and hacking experts that actually looked at an illegal drug in their lifetime, because it seems like doing the opposite of that isn’t really working. Also, the article on the Middle Powers is an exceptional read and the theory discussed is one of the best tactics to prevent radicalization before it can start. Which parallels the apex of Pain arc in Naruto Shippuden quite nicely.

(Editor’s Note: We apologize for the moment of anime nerd, and now return you to our regularly scheduled programming.)

Russian elections once again had a suspiciously neat result (Economist) & Billionaire Alibaba founder Jack Ma reappears in Hong Kong (Reuters) When purists try to tell you that America is the same as Russia or China, this pair of stories does nicely.

Can Eric Adams Square His Pro-Police Image With Support For Community-Led Solutions to Violence? (The Trace) & Vice Hit With $300M Suit From Controversial Surveillance Company (Daily Beast) Does it mean we’ve got even most things right on this side of the planet? Absolutely not. In this case, there are solutions to gun violence that work, and solutions that cops like. The two are not always in sync.

Subway Gets $5 Million ‘Fake Tuna’ Lawsuit Thrown Out of Court (Law & Crime) & Customs dispute jeopardizes US fish stick, filet supply (AP) No one is allowed to make the South Park Kanye joke. Don’t make us tap the sign.

Train Service Halted After Teen Walks Track From Manhattan to Queens (NBC NY) New York City teens have never given any fucks, and we are heartened to see this trend continues into present day.

Nature Shows How This All Works (Collaborative Fund) While the entire article is great and should be consumed, it’s included for this line alone: “Small changes compounded for long periods of time are indistinguishable from magic.”

A ‘stunning’ discovery: Fragrant orchid found near Onondaga Lake, 350 miles from nearest known site (NYUp) Orchid growing at a Superfund site, hundreds of miles from where they are known to grow. Shine on you crazy diamond of a flower.

Time millionaires: meet the people pursuing the pleasure of leisure (Guardian) Fascinating discussion of a thing we’re seeing more and more of. Younger professionals with Above the API jobs, maximizing for time and leisure, not salary.

Poem of the Tea: Back to @poetryisnotaluxury for concise loveliness by June Jordan.

It can’t rain all the time.

Yours,