Slow Cycling & The Roaring Lion
Riding for pleasure, comfort, and connection with nature. Also, the story of a stolen Churchill portrait.
Featured Articles
The Art of Taking It Slow
The New Yorker • 16 Sep 2024 • ~6500 words • Archive Link
While most cyclists prioritize speed and competition, bicycle designer Grant Petersen champions a different approach to cycling. This piece takes you into Petersen's philosophy of riding for pleasure, comfort, and connection with nature, showcasing how his beautiful, low-key bikes have created a dedicated following. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the competitive culture of cycling, this article might just inspire you to slow down and enjoy the ride.
Petersen believes that the bike industry’s focus on racing—along with “competition and a pervasive addiction to technology”—has had a poisonous influence on cycling culture. He dislikes the widespread marketing to recreational riders of spandex kits, squirty energy gels, and workout apps such as Strava. He thinks that low, curved handlebars contort riders into an unnatural position; that bicycles made of carbon fibre and aluminum have safety issues; and that stretchy synthetics have nothing on seersucker and wool.
The Strange Theft of a Priceless Churchill Portrait
The Walrus • 13 Sep 2024 • ~6200 words • Archive Link
The article is about the mysterious theft and recovery of a priceless portrait of Winston Churchill, known as "The Roaring Lion", stolen from the Fairmont Château Laurier hotel in Ottawa, Canada in 2022. It delves into the details of the theft, the police investigation, and the eventual recovery of the portrait from an art collector in Italy. In the meantime, it also explores the history and significance of Karsh's famous portrait and the hotel's connection to the photographer.
. . . he noticed that the lock he’d used to secure the portrait to the wall back in 1998 had been completely removed. He looked closely at the wooden frame. It seemed flimsier than what he remembered. Finally, he understood that the Churchill in his hands was not what he seemed.
Recommended Articles
Can This Psychedelic Help Cure Opioid Addiction?
Reason.com • 15 Sep 2024 • ~5600 words
Bryan Hubbard, head of Kentucky's Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission, is on a quest to explore the potential of ibogaine, a psychedelic drug, in treating opioid addiction. This piece dives into his journey, the challenges he faces, and the hope he holds for transforming addiction treatment in a state grappling with the opioid crisis. It's an interesting look at the intersection of politics, addiction, and the search for innovative solutions.
Hubbard has become a hero in the psychedelics community. He has attended dinners held in his honor where he was likely the only Republican in the room, and he has been a key guest at exclusive meetings with wealthy figures funding the movement to legitimize mind-altering drugs.
Trees for the Ages: The Wisdom of Greece’s Olive Growers
Atmos • 16 Sep 2024 • ~2350 words
In the heart of Greece, olive trees are more than just crops; they are a vital part of family history and culture, and this piece explores how climate change is threatening the future of these ancient groves. It delves into the personal stories of Greek olive growers, their connection to the land, and the challenges they face in adapting to increasingly extreme weather patterns that are impacting olive production. The article also examines the broader implications of losing these iconic olive trees, which are not just a vital economic resource but also a fundamental part of Greek identity and heritage.
For many Greek families, the olive tree is considered kin—and cultivating oil is a way of reinforcing bonds between people. I know this to be true from my own family, who have long tended the land in the foothills of Thrace. Recently, my uncle Akis took over my great-grandfather’s plot. “I’ve made a new water-supply network to make sure my [olive trees] are fed,” he told me over the phone. “We need to care for them, and they will care for us in return.”
An olive oil war rages between Italy and Spain
Voxeurop • 16 Sep 2024 • ~2350 words • Archive Link
The article discusses the ongoing "olive oil war" between Italy and Spain, the two largest producers and exporters of olive oil in the world. It examines how Spain has overtaken Italy in global export markets despite Italy's historical dominance in the industry and explores the complex dynamics of the olive oil trade between the two countries. The article also delves into the challenges faced by the Spanish olive oil sector, such as the need to improve quality and marketing and the potential impact of climate change on olive production in the region.
In 2023, Italy accounted for only 22% of Spain's olive oil sales, a figure that was unthinkable a decade ago, when it still accounted for 47%. The commercial chain has shortened and cheap bulk sales via Italy are giving way to packaged oil of good quality and value.
If you liked either of the articles above or want to dive further into the world of olive oil, check out our weekend special on olive oil from earlier this summer:
The Slow Scroll
Kids who migration left behind: The challenging rescue of children who have been victims of violence in Mexico
EL PAÍS English • 15 Sep 2024 • ~2500 words
Clemente's journey from Mexico to the Bronx reveals the harsh realities faced by children left behind in Mexico who become victims of violence, often due to their parents migrating to the United States. It highlights the stories of several individuals and the work of organizations like PUCOMIT that are helping to bring these children to safety in the U.S.
Clemente’s father sold her for food when she was 12 years old to another family from the municipality of Xalpatlahuac, in the Mexican state of Guerrero. She was only allowed to return home on the day her father died, after getting permission to attend his funeral. Now, in a room in her new apartment in the Bronx, the only photo that hangs on the wall is that of her dad, an older man in a sombrero and plaid shirt who Clemente says she understands, despite everything.
The Worst Magazine In America
Current Affairs • 13 Sep 2024 • ~11830 words
This piece takes a critical look at The Atlantic, questioning its role as a purveyor of serious ideas and challenging the validity of its arguments. By dissecting specific articles and the magazine's broader editorial choices, the author tries to reveal a pattern of sloppy reasoning and ideological bias. I will not stop reading The Atlantic (or recommending it here) anytime soon, but maybe this is a good reminder to approach things we read with a critical eye, questioning sources and considering potential biases before accepting their claims as fact.
My basic criticism is that while it presents itself as a magazine of ideas—which makes readers feel as if they are engaging intelligently with important issues—it in fact covers those issues in such a superficial and slipshod way that people are liable to be left with a worse understanding of the issue than when they went in, though they may be wrongly convinced that they have learned something.
People-watching in Port Moresby
Inside Story • 13 Sep 2024 • ~4850 words
This piece provides an insider's perspective on the geopolitical dynamics and development challenges in Papua New Guinea's capital city. It explores the complex web of international relations and local politics that shape the city, while also delving into its history and the lives of the people who inhabit it.
Nowadays, the largest city in the Pacific Islands is the setting for a much larger plotline, a new cold war tussle between China and the United States for presence, influence and the favour of a local political elite enjoying its moment in the sun. Australia is paying ever more attention to its former possession, too, as are French energy company executives.
Why NASA is sticking with Boeing
The Verge • 12 Sep 2024 • ~2850 words • Archive Link
NASA's decision to stick with Boeing amid ongoing challenges with the Starliner program raises some eyebrows. While public sentiment may be shifting against Boeing, the agency maintains its confidence in the partnership, emphasizing the importance of having multiple providers for crew transport to the ISS. This article explores the complexities behind NASA's support for Boeing and the implications for the future of space travel.
NASA is walking a difficult line, dealing with a tight budget while trying to push through expensive and ambitious plans to return to the Moon. It must maintain positive relationships with both of the companies it relies on for transport to the ISS, while still promoting an image of innovation and careful spending to the public and staying out of the increasingly negative news stories about the current state of Boeing and its relationship with SpaceX.
The Parasites of Malibu
The Cut • 13 Sep 2024 • ~4750 words • Archive Link
The article is about Anthony Flores and Anna Moore, a couple who scammed Dr. Mark Sawusch, a wealthy ophthalmologist, out of $2.7 million. It explores how Flores and Moore insinuated themselves into Sawusch's life after meeting him, and the methods they used to gain control over his finances and manipulate his mental health before his death. The article raises questions about the nature of their relationship with Sawusch and whether it was truly a "symbiotic, mutually beneficial" arrangement, as Flores' lawyer claimed.
As far as anyone seems to know, the meeting at Kippy’s happened entirely by chance . . . A week later, Flores texted Sawusch to offer his and Moore’s help: “Our desire is to add ease and flow to your life and be of great service.” Sawusch responded, calling the couple “the BEST friends I have ever met in my entire life.” They moved from their apartment into his Malibu beach house that same day. In a few months, the doctor would be dead.
Looking for the mysterious photographer who snapped occupied Paris and mocked the Nazis
Le Monde.fr • 9 Sep 2024 • ~3200 words • Archive Link
The article is about the discovery of a photo album containing 377 photographs of Paris during the Nazi occupation from 1940-1942, when outdoor photography was banned. The anonymous photographer who took these unapproved and often mocking pictures of the German occupiers is the focus of an investigation that has lasted four years, as the article explores the identity and motivations of this mysterious "Parisian stroller."
Photographs of occupied Paris do exist, of course, but most of the ones we usually see were taken by either German soldiers or French professionals with ties to the collaborationist press. The photos in this album have a very different, more natural tone. They document a moment in history, day by day, with commentary. The images and words were challenges to the occupier. And they were a mystery: At this stage, it was impossible to identify the photographer.
Wrecked rain gauges. Whistleblowers. Million-dollar payouts and manhunts. Then a Colorado crop fraud got really crazy.
The Colorado Sun • 8 Sep 2024 • ~4700 words • Archive Link
This piece details how a couple of ranchers in Colorado allegedly conspired to tamper with rain gauges in order to claim millions of dollars in crop insurance payouts falsely, the subsequent investigation, criminal charges, and the legal aftermath that followed. The article explores the broader context of government subsidies and crop insurance programs that can incentivize such fraudulent behavior.
When the Pueblo weather office finally got a phone call from crop insurance fraud investigators at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, local director Jennifer Stark felt her bewilderment give way to a gutted sense of betrayal . . . Local farmers, authorities came to believe, were systematically destroying vital weather data in order to falsely claim millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded crop insurance, for a drought they made up.
18.5 Million Acres of Public Land Are on the Line in Utah in a New Lawsuit
Outside Online • 16 Sep 2024 • ~2450 words
This piece discusses a lawsuit filed by the state of Utah that aims to transfer 18.5 million acres of federal public land within the state to Utah's control. It examines the potential consequences of this lawsuit, including the possible loss of access to popular outdoor recreation areas and the risk of the land being exploited for commercial interests rather than managed for public use.
Politicians in Utah have a long history of trying to sell off your public land to benefit the oil, gas, and other extractive industries that fund their campaigns. This time they’re trying to do it with a lawsuit designed to go straight to the Supreme Court. That lawsuit argues that all Bureau of Land Management acres within the state’s borders should be transferred to Utah’s control . . . If they succeed, the public could lose access to millions of acres that we use to pursue our favorite outdoor activities, wildlife could lose its habitat, and the environment could suffer.
Brazil wants to be a climate champion and an oil giant. Can it be both?
Financial Times • 16 Sep 2024 • ~2700 words • Archive Link
Brazilian President Lula da Silva is navigating a tricky path as he aims to position the country as a leader in climate action while ramping up oil production. This article explores the tensions between Lula's environmental ambitions and the economic pressures to tap into Brazil's oil wealth. As Brazil prepares to host the next UN climate conference, the stakes are high in balancing these competing goals.
Yet while Lula has staked his international reputation on the environment, at home he needs to deliver on pledges to alleviate poverty. Many in his Workers’ party (PT) and beyond view Brazil’s oil riches as a key ingredient for national development.
The Jackpot Generation
Macleans.ca • 12 Sep 2024 • ~4850 words • Archive Link
As Canada experiences a historic wealth transfer, with nearly $1 trillion shifting from baby boomers to millennials, this article delves into the implications of an inheritance-based economy. It raises important questions about economic mobility and inequality, exploring how this unprecedented transfer of wealth could reshape the financial landscape and deepen existing divides.
I call this status fog: how hard it is to know where anyone stands financially, or to recognize what real achievement looks like, when invisible wealth is altering one’s place in society. The markers of a comfortable middle-class life—being able to afford a family vacation or buy a home—appear to exist, but do they actually? It sounds like a tree-falls-in-the-forest-type koan: if the family lounging poolside on their vacay couldn’t pay to be there themselves, is there even a middle class?
