Modest Operations | Newsletter Volume 20

I'm writing this from The High Line Hotel here in New York City, where we've spent the last few days for a combination of work and family reasons.

As I've often said to friends, I think I have more fun visiting than I ever did when I actually lived here. We have a complicated relationship for sure, but it's a place that holds a special place in my heart.

Have a great week,

This Week's Links A list of things I've been reading & thinking about.* "Not too many of the people buying a nylon 'mini military chest rig' from Alyx know the people who actually use military chest rigs." - From Grunt Style to “Warcore,” Civilians Are Embracing Military Fashion (Troy Patterson for The New Yorker) * "One of the main reasons why Union is so special is that it romanticizes clothes. No one can make a T-shirt seem more important" - Meet the Coolest Family in Streetwear (Mark Anthony Green for GQ) * "Action addiction is an advanced sort of laziness. It keeps us busily occupied with tasks. The busier we keep ourselves, the more we avoid being confronted with questions of life and death." - Are You Addicted to Doing? (Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline Carter for Mindful) * "The analytics suggest a high likelihood that you’re aware there is an app named TikTok, and a similarly high likelihood that you’re not totally sure what it’s all about" - How TikTok Is Rewriting the World (John Herrman for The New York Times) * "This kind of manufactured backlash is all part of Barstool’s business plan. It IS the business plan. It’s a bunch of shitheels claiming it’s them against the world, when the world is in fact set up to aid them in their shitheelery." - Stop Enabling Barstool's Shit (Drew Magary for Deadspin) * "These elites turned out to be terrible stewards of innovation. Over and over again, it was mid-level workers, compliance officers, and outsiders who uncovered the Theranos deception—only to be overruled and second guessed by those at the top." - What the Theranos Documentary Misses (Avi Asher-Schapiro for The New Republic)