Factual Dispatch #4 - Thanksgiving Week Gobble!

November 22, 2018

Factual Dispatch

Since we're all still semi-drunk on gravy, instead of the usual deep dive into a few topics, here are my favorite reads of the week to help you digest! Back to way too much info on things next week.

Yards After Contact (The Reformed Broker) - Josh Brown is one of maybe five people on the internet who I listen to when it comes to finance, stocks, and the markets. His writing about this year's softness, oscillating between obscure but relevant NFL minutiae and the continued lies being told by people who don't have their clients best interests in mind is tight, honest, and raw. (Also, don't miss his extraordinary piece from last January on immigrants and history for his Jewish, Irish, Asian & Italian friends.)How Private Lawsuits Could Save the Climate (Foreign Policy) - In the first case of its kind, a federation of West Coast fishermen are suing 30 energy companies, for ruining their fishing waters in the Pacific Ocean by burning fossil fuels and causing temperatures to rise. This bit stuck out:

In an odd twist, U.S. courts appear so taken aback by the breadth and potential of that litigation that all three levels of the judicial system—district, appellate,  and the Supreme Court—are simultaneously studying the merits of the case, which is highly unusual, Bookbinder said. The Supreme Court noted that the “suit is based on an assortment of unprecedented legal theories, such as a substantive due process right to certain climate conditions, and an equal protection right to live in the same climate as enjoyed by prior generations.

The Khashoggi's Death is the Crisis We  Have Been Waiting For (Scholar's Stage) - T. Greer is an interesting perspective that I've only recently come across, but with provocative, well-cited, and complex writing like this, I know I'm going to be a fan in about 48 seconds. "Never let a good crisis go to waste." is a maxim not just the bad guys can use to their advantage.

Ask A Fuck Up: Ashamed of Being Broke (The Outline) - Brandy Jensen is one of the most important voices on the internet right now, and not just because she can be loudly despondent or gloriously self-loathing when shit goes sideways. In addition to her exceptional one off pieces, she writes the only advice column I read regularly, and it's so good you should too.You Snooze, You Lose: Insurers Make The Old Adage Literally True (ProPublica) - Insurance companies are monitoring Sleep Apnea patients through their CPAP machines. I wish I was kidding.Raising Chicken Humanely Would Cost 1% More (Quartz) - Three researchers evaluated the cost of raising chickens in the "broiler chicken" industry, and deduced that for a 14% cost to producers, translating to ~1.2% price increase for shoppers, the industry wouldn't need to use inhumane breeds of birds that grow too fat to support their own weight.

One Expert's Opinion (Medium) - Jamie Catherwood stitches together an interesting narrative, in the same vein as the piece by Josh Brown. When you have solid fundamentals, the world is your oyster if you can just stick to your guns. When you are flying blind, the slightest misstep or fake news can lead to disaster.Enjoy the time off (if you get any) and try to relax (if you can). The Generic Wintertime Festival Season is upon us!T