“Discard the junk…you are far better off to read a much smaller amount of good material with care and thoughtfulness.”
– Barton Biggs

Food for Thought:

• NY Times – My Week Wearing an Apple Watch.  The early reviews are in! 
• The Atlantic –  How Monty Python and the Holy Grail Influenced Film by Satirizing It.  Forty years after its release, the film remains the gold standard for subversive comedy.
• WSJ – Peter Singer on the Ethics of Philanthropy.  Philosopher Peter Singer’s latest goal: Getting people to give away a third of their income.
• The Atlantic – What Happens When Students Boycott a Standardized Test? The movement to opt out of nationwide exams is gaining traction—and forcing policymakers to rethink the role of such assessments in public education.
• BF – The Death of the Funeral – Credit EW.  From 1960 to 2011, cremation rates increased from 4% to 42% – a staggering increase.  This piece looks at the cultural practices surrounding death, their historical roots in Christianity, and the implications of this shift in practice.
• MIT – Isaac Asimov Asks, “How Do People Get New Ideas?”  A previously unpublished piece on the process behind creativity.
• Slate – How to Watch the Masters.  An expert’s tips for enjoying golf on television.
• NYP – Netflix introduces the Netflix Watch.

Business/Economics/Investing:

• Bloomberg – Curtis Macnguyen Is a Former Hedge Fund Star. And That Is Not Acceptable
• Medium – What did Billion Dollar Companies Look Like at the Series A?
• Fortune – Phil Romano’s recipe for success. An interesting profile of the restaurateur behind Macaroni Grill.
• WSJ – Fidelity’s New Chief Confronts Market Shift.  Abigail Johnson must stem move away from mutual funds run by stock pickers.
• WSJ – Hit TV Shows Lose Luster as Cable Reruns.  Viewers move to streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, which also carry repeats of popular shows.
• WSJ – How to Ace an Earnings Conference Call.  For CFOs, rehearsal is key to staying composed while answering difficult questions.
• BusinessWeek – The Secret Sauce.  How Buffalo Wild Wings Turned the Sports Bar Into a $1.5 Billion Juggernaut.
• NYTimes – In Rise of Yik Yak App, Profits and Ethics Collide

Life/Culture/Art/Science:

• Wired – This Guy Says He Can Make 20-year Old Rum in 6 Days.
• WSJ – How Tiger Killed Tiger.  The 14-time major winner’s ascent back to the top is steeper due to the cadre of aspiring clones he spawned.
• BI – MACBOOK REVIEWS: It’s gorgeous but requires lots of compromises
• Bloomberg – Holy Cow! The Chicago Cubs Finally Have a Winning Business Plan.  The new strategy to end a century of futility? Run it like a modern baseball team
• WSJ – How the Authentic Taco Made a Gourmet Comeback.  Some of America’s top chefs are obsessing as never before over getting Mexican cooking right, and the taco is their primary proving ground. Here’s where to find some of the most legit iterations this side of Mexico City.
• BF – 41 Insanely Helpful Style Charts Every Woman Needs Right Now.  Up your style game — the easy way.