Bow ties, arguments, Def Jam, and more!
RWL #339
Happy Wednesday from the University of New Hampshire! This week the “Introduction to Sculpture” course did their “giant mask parade”. Daughter #3 is the one in the back row (arrow over her head). These projects are amazing - made entirely out of pieces of cardboard. You think of art courses as a way to relax, but these kids put in so much work to get these masks made. I am confident my daughter put in more hours for this course than any of her other courses this semester.
And speaking of the semester - we are in the last push. The last day of classes is May 8. It’s hard to believe we’re almost there.
Some great links this week, if I say so myself. I hope you enjoy them. I’ll be back Sunday with Issue #1 of Being in the World (BITW).
As usual, willing good for all of you!
**
Read
What: Henry the V 4.3, Bow Ties and Leader Orthopraxy
https://henryv43.com/2023/03/09/bow-ties-and-leader-orthopraxy/
Why: I knew Chuck Callahan when he was an Army colonel and chief of pediatrics at Tripler Army Medical Center. While he was chief, he ran a leadership book club that I was a part of for a few years. I always found him insightful. He’s been retired a while now, but he writes an occasional blog on leadership. I thought this one was fun. He talks about wearing bow ties as a physician-leader.
The tie is part of a larger set of lessons about professionalism that I have been learning throughout my health care career. A med school professor told me that he never wore blue jeans to the hospital because he didn’t want to create too casual an impression with patients. Since then, I haven’t either. I started wearing bow ties as a medical student when I decided on a career in pediatrics because I thought they were less likely to get urinated on than a neck tie.
I wear a suit and tie when I teach for similar reasons. I don’t worry (much) about getting urinated on by my “kids”. For me, it is less about what the kids think of me, and more about disciplining myself. Putting on the suit and tie reminds me of my responsibility.
**
What: Economic Innovation Group, Early Remote Work Impacts on Family Formation
https://eig.org/remote-work-family-formation/
Why: This report has lots of interesting graphs that show remote work is good for family formation, desire to have more children, and satisfaction. From the conclusion:
While remote work appears to have the biggest positive impact on older women who already have children, the clear positive impact on marriage rates suggests the potential for longer-run impacts—including changed fertility rates—on younger women. While the evidence is early and far from conclusive, we believe this research makes the case for the hypothesis that elevated levels of remote work during COVID made a positive contribution to the U.S. and potentially other developed countries’ fertility rates.
This is a quickie - you can mostly look at the pictures.
**
Watch
What: Bo Seo, Train for any argument with Harvard’s former debate coach (12 min)
Why: I am not a very good debater. Seo offers a four-part framework for keeping arguments civil. I am going to be sure to watch this video again. It’s worth your time, whether you think of yourself as a good debater or not.
**
Listen
What: After Hours, Primary Care Acquisitions and Wage Compression (37 min)
Why: Amazon is trying to figure out how to break into healthcare and actually bend the curve (meaning reduce the cost of care). It has now acquired a large primary care chain called One Medical, which appears to operate like a concierge practice where you pay a membership fee and then have 24/7 access. I haven’t looked at their offerings closely, but it is very interesting to see Amazon really getting into direct care.
**
What: Honestly with Bari Weiss, Rick Rubin Says Trust Your Gut, Not Your Audience
Why: I had only heard of Rick Rubin before he released his new book because Tyler Cowen had him on his podcast, but now he is on a book promotion tour of the pods and I have had a chance to listen to him be interviewed three or four more times. And you say, why are you listening to the same guy get interviewed three or four times? And I tell you, this guy is really interesting, especially if you have an interest in music or art. I had never heard of him, but I have been listening to the music he has influenced for most of my life. Here’s a snippet from the description:
Ever since Rubin created Def Jam Recordings from his college dorm room forty years ago and helped launch the global phenomenon that is hip hop, Rubin has produced some of the world’s most popular records. If you look at his discography, it’s almost unbelievable. Rubin works on up to ten records a year, and has become something of a high-priest of popular music.
He’s a white guy who helped popularize hip-hop, including producing Run DMC’s break-through Walk this Way
And the Beastie Boys License to Ill. But he has also worked with other huge names like Johny Cash, Justin Bieber, Slayer, Neil Young, Lady Gaga, The Dixie Chicks, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers to name a few.
On this pod, I particularly liked how he talked about finding a crossover sound, specifically to get Run DMC’s Walk this Way out. So much of creativity is just remixing. But to get an idea into the public conversation, you have to connect it to something the public already understands, which is why Walk this Way worked. It’s a really brilliant insight.
I am adding his book to my to-read pile.
(BTW - if you like what you read, would you click the little like button?)