A semi-coherent collection of news, data, thoughts and opinions for your enjoyment, sharing or immediate deletion. Hopefully you find a few valuable nuggets inside that are worth your while...
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Thanks to those of you who have provided encouragement. and feedback on the dispatch concept. I will try to keep up a somewhat regular cadence as time allows and I am happy to hear that folks are seeing some utility from the effort. For those wondering, the motivation behind this is simply sharing information and staying connected with my personal and professional network in these crazy times. Content is chosen based on what I think is interesting, entertaining and relevant, and there is no commercial aspect to any of it.
The last thing I want is to be an annoyance...so please click the unsubscribe link at the bottom of this email if you don't want to receive any more of these messages.
Conversely, if you see value in this and want to share with friends/coworkers, please forward it on. Content ideas and suggestions on movies, books, and other ways to pass the time are also welcome, so please feel free to send them to me at:
[email protected]
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Have a great Friday!
John
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LIFE IN THE TIME OF COVID-19...
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The photo above was taken this morning, as my daughter "attended" an online refresher class for kids taking the AP test in May. This course is free, offered by a very entertaining Calculus BC teacher at Speedway High School in Indianapolis (Go Sparkplugs!!) Grace's regular school has also switched over to online learning, using a combination of technologies such as Zoom, Schoology, Google Docs, and more. What will be the lasting impact of this rapid and massive shift in the learning experience?
Consider this...there are 56.6 million kids in elementary, middle and high schools in the United States for the 2019-20 school year - the highest number ever and expected to continue growing through the next decade. Another 20 million students are enrolled in college and other post-secondary institutions. A HUGE number of these of kids (
and their parents) are having online education and distance learning demystified as part of the response to COVID-19. Our kids' school has switched to distance learning through end of April and has been teaching faculty, students and parents how these various platforms and applications work...an experience being repeated across the country. The net result is surely the biggest free marketing & promotion campaign ever seen by the distance learning segment, with 70M students and their parents gaining a clear understanding of the benefits, ease of use, and optionality that online education provides for school choice, quality of instruction, cost savings, customizability, etc.
Will this genie go back in the bottle post-lockdown? Definitely something to think about.
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Harvard Business Review has created a dedicated landing page as a repository of all their daily content on dealing with the Coronavirus crisis. It is worth a visit and possibly bookmarking as a reference point for tips and strategy advice. My favorite this week is the article on the power of rituals and their utility during times like this.
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Coronavirus
Find new ideas and classic advice on strategy, innovation and leadership, for global leaders from the world's best business and management experts.
Read more
hbr.org
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"What if we never return to normal?" That is the question that Nielsen is pondering in this article that includes new data from 11 Asian markets, which shows that the vast majority are indicating permanent shifts in their attitudes about eating habits. If these markets (which are ahead of the U.S. and Europe on the COVID-19 timeline) are bellwethers for trends here, we could be in for some radical shifts in the new normal that emerges later this year.
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Asian Consumers Are Rethinking How They Eat Post COVID-19
Consumers across Asia have signaled their eating habits may change permanently once the world moves beyond the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). In an exclusive Nielsen study of 11 Asian markets, only Japanese consumers say they are...
Read more
www.nielsen.com
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Local Company Protecting Surfaces up to 1 Year
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This WGN-TV piece showcases Chicago's Sterile Environments, a cleaning and disinfecting service that can chemically coat surfaces to keep them clean for up to a year. They have some interesting results from tests in the CTA and have been deployed at medical facilities and sports arenas.
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A sobering look at the economic impact of social distancing.
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To say that we have entered unchartered territory is an understatement. Since the U.S. started tracking unemployment filings 53 years ago, there has never been a week that came anywhere close to the record set in the third week of March, which was then shattered last week with a single-week total 10X the highest claims number ever.
Economists and epidemiologists will study the net impact of all this for years to come, with a debate already raging on whether the steps being taken to protect lives are too draconian and potentially more harmful in the long term than letting the pandemic play out with more traditional safeguards. No easy choices here.
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If you're looking for a more optimistic perspective on the economic benefits of social distancing, this interview with University of Chicago Professor Luigi Zingales may make you feel better. He claims that preventing the potential loss of U.S. lives is worth between $8 and $65 TRILLION in economic benefit.
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Should the U.S. keep the economy closed during...
One of the prominent economic debates to emerge during the coronavirus outbreak has been whether to continue with social distancing measures that are hurting the economy but are aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19. In the latest episode of...
Read more
news.uchicago.edu
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T-16 DAYS UNTIL
THE LAST DANCE!
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I am so excited about this documentary on the Jordan-era Bulls. Originally not scheduled for relase until June 23rd, ESPN is moving up the air date after thousands of fans pleaded with them on social media.
Click on the photo for a sneak peek!
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THINGS TO DO IN QUARANTINE...
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LIVENATION has launched a streaming music concert series called "Live from Home" with musical performances around the clock form a collection of global artists. It's a great way to see some intimate performances from your favorite artists and expand your horizons by being introduced to new talent.
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Live from Home
Just because we're keeping our distance doesn't mean the music has to stop. Join us daily for live streams from around the globe - follow artists live from their homes as they share music, stories, and more.
Read more
www.livenation.com
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Fancy a book? The Independent has compiled a list of 40 classics you should read before you die...no time like the present to knock a couple of the list!
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The 40 best books to read while you're self-isolating
Books, books, books. They will increase your lifespan, lower your stress and boost your intelligence. They will give you fuller, thicker hair. Whatever the breathless claims about reading, one thing is certain: losing yourself in a great novel is ...
Read more
www.independent.co.uk
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If your looking for additional suggestions, here a few personal recommendations...
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Still the best explanation I have ever read of how U.S. foreign policy plays out and how everyone from the CIA to McKinsey, Haliburton, and the World Bank play their part to sometimes devastating effect on developing economies.
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Short, sweet and inspiring story of persistence in the face of adversity and the innate desire of living things to be free.
Very quick read, but one that I find myself coming back to again and again.
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A primer on political philosophy hidden in a whimsical tale of rabbits seeking to survive a epic crisis. The story also underscores the value of heritage and the critical role each generation plays for those to come.
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The "One Month In" comparisons have started hitting social media, with folks posting comparisons of how they've changed in the past thirty days.
I appreciate Richard E. Grant going to the well with the reference to
Withnail & I
- a worthwhile stream if you enjoy dark comedies...I mean really dark.
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The March 1 / April 1 meme shows how coronavirus has...
Ah, memes. Our collective way of making sense of a senseless universe. And today - April Fools' Day, no less! - a particularly enjoyable meme has emerged to distract us, however briefly, from our coronavirus fears. Call it the March 1 / April 1...
Read more
www.nj.com
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