What I Wrote Last Week

Investing is mind-blowingly hard

Business

Exclusive: US ordered TSMC to halt shipments to China of chips used in AI applications. I am absolutely supportive of the US government’s efforts in preserving its advantage in such a strategically critical field and curbing China’s ambition.

Local impact: The multimillion-dollar payoff to hosting an F1 Grand Prix

Why Are Cities Still Spending Big on Convention Centers? An interesting article on the dilemma that cities are facing in the convention center business. Many of them have to endure the short-term pain for a chance at landing the biggest events and reaping the downstream rewards. But is it sustainable?

Other Stuff I Find Interesting

The Best Ways to Cool a Home—Without Turning on the AC. Utility bills are rising, forcing homeowners to think of ways to cool and warm their homes naturally.

Homeowners’ Dues Are Rising—and Harder to Avoid. I have seen more evidence on the damages caused by HOA than on its benefits. As insurance, home prices and mortgage rates are sky high, it’s unfathomable that homeowners have to wrestle with another expense that, if unpaid, can result in a loss of home.

A good thread on the Segovia Aqueduct, arguably one of the most impressive, if not the most, architecture accomplishments of the Roman

Three-Quarters of U.S. Adults Are Now Overweight or Obese. “Almost half of all U.S. teens and young adults — ages 15 to 24 — now are either overweight or obese, compared with 29 percent in 1990.” As a soon-to-be parent, I am really concerned about my future’s child health and diet. We visited a lot of daycare facilities and almost all of them fed children unhealthy food.

Stats

“30% of federal student loan borrowers have gone without food or medicine, CFPB finds”

4.2% of the US households (5.6 million households) did not have a checking/savings account at a bank in 2023

23% of the world’s fresh water – more than every American great lake combined – is in lake Baikal