Breakfast Notes #64(Heritage, LKY, Intel)

Hello friends,

Here is the 64th serving of the Breakfast Notes.

Insightful Links Of The Week

• American Heritage Dictionary. Don’t go to Google for definitions. Most of the time, their explanation feels bland, sterile and unnecessarily longer. Cut the clutter and try the American Heritage Dictionary. Don't believe me? Try the taste test below.
• Lee Kuan Yew’s View on Europe. Lee Kuan Yew is Singapore’s founding Father. He was best known for his clear-eyed and rational analysis of geopolitics. I still believe that too many people focus on his strong-style leadership and neglect his political acumen that enabled Singapore to become impressive on the international stage. Speaking in 2012, LKY pointed out that,  “European leaders - including David Cameron, Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel - have separately declared that multiculturalism has failed in their countries. In other words, the Turks who have settled in Germany have not become Germans, nor have the Algerians and Tunisians in France become French. Increasingly, Europe sees these people as indigestible.” People dismissed his statement as a politically incorrect rambling of a bygone era. But, in 2023 - LKY’s analysis seems clairvoyant.
• The Disruption of Intel. When Intel refused to produce chips for Apple’s iPhone, they signed their death/ obsolescence wish. It forced Apple into chip production and essentially gave Apple every incentive to begin its break-up with Intel. This was their playbook- “Apple’s initial foray into chips didn’t produce anything that special in terms of silicon. But it didn’t need to — people were happy just to have a computer they could keep in their pocket. Apple has gone on to sell a lot of iPhones, and all those sales have funded a lot of R&D. The silicon inside them has kept improving, and improving, and improving.”
• The Artist And The Machine. Here is a crash course of the history of art, technology and human thought. A history of the relationship between art, technology, and human thought. With technology, we had new ways to see and thus, new ways to create, interpret and value art. In today’s age of iterative AI and digital tools, perhaps what we will value most will be - provenance. The closest analogue would be fine dining. We would care as much about how the art/food was prepared to the same extent as its taste.

Taste-Test Now!

Define the word, ‘encourage’.

• A provides three definitions - 1) To inspire with hope, courage, or confidence, 2) To give support to; foster: policies designed to encourage private investment. 3) To stimulate; spur: burning the field to encourage new plant growth. B provided three definitions as well
• B provides three definitions - 1) give support, confidence, or hope to (someone), 2) persuade (someone) to do or continue to do something by giving support and advice 3) stimulate the development of (an activity, state, or belief).

Which is The American Heritage Dictionary and which is Google?

Visualization Of The Week

This painting is considered one of Rembrandt's masterpieces and is prominently displayed at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

What's so impressive?

The painting was done with oil on canvas.

Yet, it is known for its dynamic composition, use of light and shadow, and individualized portrayals of the figures in the painting.

Most of us can barely take that good a photo but this man drew it.

Answer:

A is American Heritage Dictionary and B is in Google.

May The Sun Shine Upon Your Face,

Keith