Hi All,
Welcome to the Weekly Rapport. A weekly guide of things I’m reading, doing, and experimenting with during this boring-ass quarantine. Enjoy.
Quote of the Day
If everything seems under control, you’re not going fast enough.
-Mario Andretti
What I’m Reading
Educated by Tara Westover
Wow, I think this is my favorite book I’ve read so far this year. It came out in 2018 but I finally came around to reading it (I actually listened to the Audible version). It’s incredible. The story is written by Tara Westover, who grew up in the Idaho mountains to parents who didn’t believe in government, public school or hospitals. Through tireless working in the fields, beatings from her siblings, and psychological harassment, she found a way to educate herself and make it to college. It’s an ubelievable story of personal strife and triumph. It was on the reading lists of the Obamas, Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates – if you prefer your recommendations from people with some more clout…
Adrenaline by Jeff Abbott
Once again needing to get my fictional badbass fix, I checked out Adrenaline which is a story about Sam Capra, CIA analyst turned rogue hunter (real original…). His pregnant wife (again, how original) is kidnapped right as his office building explodes and it’s his job to find her (God, I am such a sucker for these recycled plots). But it’s a lot more complicated than that. Did his wife set him up? This was a really good easy-read thriller that I thoroughtly enjoyed and flew through in no time.
What I’m Watching
I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t think Taylor Kitsch was a great actor prior to this. I know he was great as Tim Riggins in Friday Night Lights, but he didn’t really have to act much – it was moreso just embodying a cool dude – like Ryan Gosling in some of his movies (although he is also a great actor). I’m always skeptical of ridiculously good looking actors. Did they just get famous because they’re good looking? Zac Efron took me a while to see, but I think he’s earned his chops.
Regardless, Waco is one of those stories that, if you were born in the 90’s, you’ve kind of heard of it, but when it comes down to detail you really don’t know what happened. Some sort of religious stand off? It’s the same sort of vague memory I have of things like the unibomber or Timothy McVeigh. But now there are so many documentaries and Netflix specials about these types of things that they’re once again common knowledge.
This story is absolutely insane from every angle. From the lead up of ATF/FBI fumbles like Ruby Ridge, to the hostage negotiation tactics, to the personalities of the people in the Branch Dividians – it remains on of most tragic days in American history.
This 6-part docuseries is amazing not only at telling the story, but of depicting the people and the decisions behind the raid, the rationale, and the state of hostage situations among government agencies. I’ve also heard the real documentary is amazing, which is on my list to watch next.
Great Reads Across the Internet
- Cool Architecture [Curbed]: Japanese Home Has a Giant Hole in the Living Room – by Design
- Bill Gates’ Vision for Life Beyond the Coronavirus [Vox]: Just a very well-thought out clear answer on the many questions you may have. If you can’t watch the news anymore like me, turn to long form interviews and articles from the experts.
Song of the Week
I’ve been watching too many TikTok videos all week but this song gets me moving
-KB