"Albert Einstein understood the power of images. Throughout his life he conjured simple scenes to illustrate complex ideas: a plummeting elevator, a train speeding through a lightning storm, a blind beetle creeping along a curved surface." Albert Einstein is synonymous with genius. He accurately predicted everything from gravitational waves to black holes. He knew his stuff when it came to topics such as space, time, gravity, and the universe. But he had a blind spot. He never even hinted at the fact that he would one day become an influencer and go viral. And when he did, the name-image-likeness dough started pouring in. "Potential licensors were told to submit proposals, which would then be assessed by unnamed arbitrators behind closed doors. An Einstein-branded diaper? No. An Einstein-branded calculator? Yes. Anyone who did not follow this process, or defied the university's decision, could be subject to legal action. Sellers of Einstein-themed T-shirts, Halloween costumes, coffee beans, SUV trucks and cosmetics found themselves in court. The university's targets ranged from hawkers of market-stall novelties to multinationals such as Coca-Cola, Apple and the Walt Disney Company, which in 2005 paid $2.66m for a 50-year licence to use the name 'Baby Einstein' on its line of infant toys." Who owns Einstein? The battle for the world's most famous face. Even if he had lived in a different era, I doubt Einstein was the type to share selfies or attempt to go viral on Facebook or Instagram. In his most famous photo, he was sticking his tongue out at reporters. (So I guess he would've been a pretty good fit for Twitter.)
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2
INSURRECTOR SET
During Tuesday's primaries, the insurrection was on the ballot. And, sadly, it won in some cases. Consider Doug Mastriano, who just picked up the nomination in Pennsylvania's GOP race for governor. "Mastriano backed baseless reviews of the election results in Pennsylvania, where Democrat Joe Biden won by nearly 100,000 votes. He organized buses to ferry Trump supporters to Washington for the 'Stop the Steal' rally that preceded the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection. And he says that if he's elected, he'll ferret out fraud partly by making every single voter in the state reregister." In other election news, Madison Cawthorn's horrible governance didn't doom him, but his talk of cocaine and orgies did. And the Dr Oz Pennsylvania senate primary is still too close to call. Here are six takeaways from the primaries.
+ Greg Sargent in WaPo: "Let's state this plainly: Pennsylvania Republicans just nominated a full-blown insurrectionist who intends to use the power of the office to ensure that, as long as he is governor, no Democratic presidential candidate wins his state again. Mastriano's victory also highlights another story that's bigger than this one contest: The role of Christian nationalism in fueling the growing insurrectionist streak on the right. This nexus underscores the danger this movement poses in a way that also demands more clarity about the worldview of candidates like Mastriano."
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3
TRUNK SHOW
"They found reactions that included touching and standing guard as well as nudging, kicking and shaking. In a few cases, females had even used their trunks to carry calves, or baby elephants, that had died." What we find when we really look at animal behavior. NYT (Gift Article): Elephants in Mourning Spotted on YouTube by Scientists.
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A SIMPLE FORMULA
"In February, an FDA investigation into infections in four infants, two of whom died, led to Abbott Nutrition's plant in Michigan, where traces of the bacteria Cronobacter sakazakii were found. This resulted in a recall of several of its brands while Abbott paused production." That pause was a really big deal since "just four companies produce ~90% of all US formula and, among them, Abbott is responsible for about half." Add to that the general supply chain woes, hoarding during the pandemic, and the 2022 baby boom (Quarantine and Chill), and you get the terrible formula shortage. The baby formula shortage, explained.
+ Longing for Relief: "It's the most succinct and dispassionate name for long Covid: U09.9 — a medical diagnostic code created last year to allow doctors to document post-Covid conditions. Now, a large new study has analyzed data from the first few months after the code took effect, and the results paint a sobering picture of long Covid's serious and ongoing impact on people's health and the American health care system." NYT: Over 75 Percent of Long Covid Patients Were Not Hospitalized for Initial Illness.
+ Tired of All the Wynning: "The Justice Department sued former longtime casino tycoon Steve Wynn on Tuesday to compel him to file as a foreign agent for allegedly lobbying former President Donald Trump on behalf of China in 2017, when he was Trump's hand-picked Republican National Committee finance chairman." (It was all just one giant nonstop crime.)
For the past decade, high speed connectivity has been a key requirement for most travelers. These days, a new batch of properties are doing everything they can to make sure guests use their vacation to disconnect. Are Technology-Free Hotels the Future of Hospitality?
+ Beers at the PGA Championship are so expensive that players are complaining on behalf of the fans. How expensive? $18 for a Michelob Ultra. Bababooey!
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