Breakfast Notes #79 (Hublot, Insanity, Yunnan, Wick)

Good morning my curious friends,

I send you Breakfast Notes every Friday because I want to share links that get your mind thinking during the weekend.

I want to give you something that's actually worth your scroll and attention.

Here is the 79th serving of the Breakfast Notes.

Insightful Links Of The Week

• A Study of Hublot. Follow Sarah Miller as she goes behind the scenes to observe up close how Hublot watches are created. If you thought Donald Trump was polarizing, watch how the 'over-the-topness' of Hublot can cause such a division amongst watch snobs. Everyone loves a Rolex but those who love Hublot, love it intensely. Sarah keenly observed that Hublot is in fact pursuing creative expressions through watches. They just want to make unique and artistic watches that draw hardcore fans. You might not like a Hublot, but you will love the spirit it comes to represent.
• The Insanity of Einstein. For a man who developed the theory of relativity, he alienated his closest living relative, his wife. The man tried to make his wife, Mileva his personal maid and even asked her to renounce all personal relations with him 'insofar as they are not completely necessary for social reasons'. It is a reminder to never make an idol out of a hero. Admire, study and learn from the greats. But, never worship them.
• The Serenity of Yunnan. Dan Wang is a prolific writer who publishes an annual letter that can pass off as a pamphlet. As COVID-19 raged on in China, he retreated to Yunnan. He noted that 'Yunnan has been a distinguished refuge for peoples tired of the state.'  Citing James C. Scott's The Art of Not Being Governed, he noted that people tend to be safer from state surveillance when they retreat to the mountains. Of all its oddities, Yunnan has mountains in spades. Incidentally, my grandfather was from Yunnan and only migrated to Beijing for my grandmother. This theory explains his anti-establishment streak and preference to meander through life. This piece serves as a reminder to explore the feel and spirit of the places we find ourselves in.
• The Scene That Made John Wick. John Wick is a straight-up killer. He is a man that mafia bosses send to kill the bogeyman. That's the character we have come to know in 2023. But, how do you introduce such a badass character? Inversion. It is the scary, Russian mobster antagonist who is horrified of John Wick and tries to prevent him from going on a rampage. Watch the insightful analysis in this fifteen minute YouTube video.

Visualization Of The Week

Lee Kuan Yew shooting what seems like a SAW (Section Assault Weapon) with a drum magazine.

For a man who was 63 at this time, he sure looks pretty fit and gungho enough to go around shooting guns.

If a senior citizen can go for live firing exercises, you too, can do great things.

Thanks for reading and may the sun shine upon your face,

Keith