Intermittently sharing what I find digging through the crates of life. Here’s the best and most interesting of what I came across the past couple weeks. ✌️
Event: Invisible Nation Screening in Washington, D.C.
My friend Vanessa Hope has an award-winning documentary that’s making the rounds on the film festival circuit called Invisible Nation. It’s about Tsai Ing-Wen’s tenure as Taiwan’s first female president.
As part of her tour, CFR is hosting a screening today/tonight (!), here:
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Center
555 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW,
Washington, DC 20001
Register for the event here: https://www.cfr.org/event/screening-and-discussion-invisible-nation
Event: The US Military-Industrial-University Complex and the War on Gaza
This is another event happening today, also in Washington! I was on a panel at the International Studies Association last week with one of the panelists for this event, Jacob Kripp, and he was a breath of fresh air.
Details here: https://hub.jhu.edu/events/2024/04/11/the-us-military-industrial-university-complex-and-the-war-on-gaza/
Reading Politics & Policy
Danny Bessner, “The Last Man: Larry David and the Final Season of Curb Your Enthusiasm,” The Nation
Nathaniel Sher, “China’s Economic Slowdown Is Strengthening Its Defense Industrial Base,” The National Interest
Spencer Ackerman, “Where Is America’s Rules-Based International Order Now?” New York Times (subscribe to Spencer’s newsletter!)
Angus Deacon, “Rethinking My Economics,” IMF Finance & Development Blog (the post is more radical than you think!)
Sean Case, “Henry Kissinger and the Angel of Applied History,” H-Diplo/RJISSF Commentary
Entertainment
Blank Check Podcast
I haven’t been able to watch much/any TV while traveling across America doing my book(s) tour, but my best friend on the road has been the Blank Check podcast, a show about movies and their directors. Funny, cozy, and an exploration of all the nitty gritty aspects of films that were part of your formative years—a walk down nostalgia lane in some ways.
Party & Bullshit
Over the past two weeks, I stepped up on the mic probably 20 times. In every instance, I had this classic track from Biggie bumping in the hours before when I was prepping. Throwback.
Travellin’ Man
I was literally a travellin’ man the past two weeks, and I had this song on repeat while I humped it from airport to airport. Also, MosDef/Yasiin Bey is one of the best to ever do it.
Thank you!