Addition by subtraction

It’s Thursday, National Beer Day. (We all put the yeast in!)

Russian aggression isn’t just an abstract notion in Estonia. Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has some strategic—and tactical—advice for the West.

When US companies failed to detect and remove Russian malware from their networks, the government got a warrant and did it themselves. This is modern preemptive cyberwar.

George Grella reviews Philip Glass‘s 13th Symphony, performed this week in a world premier by the Canadian National Arts Centre Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. It’s great to have another Glass symphony and nice to see him take the stage after the performance.

Richard Davey is being introduced to New Yorkers at a time when subway crime is a big concern. It doesn’t sound like he’ll get much of a honeymoon period. The Post has already nicknamed him the new ‘Train Daddy.’ (His predecessor, the old ‘Train Daddy’, lasted only 25 months in the job.)

And a $20 dollar bill with a banana sticker on it? How did that happen?

He said, she said, he said

Tuesday. The day after Monday.

This is worth reading. It’s depressing… but it’s worth reading.

First the Globe refused to comment on allegations of misleading scientists quoted in a story sponsored by Phillip Morris. But then, after having time to get their defenses together, the paper retorted and now the scientists at the center of the story are unavailable for comment. Welcome to the era of sponsored content and post-journalistic journalism.

Francisco González, founding member of Los Lobos, has died.

The Cybertruck may be history but the DeLorean is rising from the ashes.

And Holi is always great for colorful photos. Taylor Coester doesn’t disappoint.

War is hell

Monday. Today’s word is salient.

Running a national government with absolutely no experience is easy. It’s just like running a social media company. You bring in the best people. In both cases the results will speak for themselves.

Images from Bucha, taken by a Washington Post photographer on the ground. Staggering.

Erica Pandey writes about crypto, which might seem very faddish these days but is not merely a flash in the pan. “Some of the world’s smartest young minds aren’t going to law school or Goldman Sachs — they’re going into crypto.”

Today’s Apple seems to be firing on all cylinders and decimating competitors. Neil Cybart considers why.

And maybe we can learn a thing or two from people who think that nothing is true. (But I doubt it.)

Cannon fodder

Good morning. Thursday, March 31. Out like a lamb.

Shocker: the latest North Korean missile test might have been a fake.

Tomorrow is conscript day in Russia. Unwelcome news for many families. Over a hundred thousand young people will be inducted into the Russian military whether they like it or not. It also marks the end of the term for existing conscripts but it’s unclear if they will be released as fighting continues.

As someone who is retired, coffee is no longer just a work drug for me. It’s something to savor and enjoy. Tim Carman is encouraging everyone to approach coffee that way.

Tunisia‘s constitution is only a few years old but the country is slipping back into autocracy. The president dissolved parliament and has called for a new(er) constitution.

And there’s an updated message going out from Earth to the aliens, wherever they are. And no, it’s not asking them to dig up dirt on Biden.

No comment

Monday. It’s a birthday for Maxim Gorky, Dan Dennett and Lady Gaga.

The big news at the Oscars was a slap.

Coleman Herman reports on a story about local scientists who felt they were misled by the Globe on their participation in a sponsored story paid for by tobacco company Phillip Morris. Sophisticated readers can easily spot these ads masquerading as legitimate reporting but you would have to assume that people fall for the trap, otherwise why are companies paying for them. Herman adds that the Globe did not respond to requests for comments.

More peace talks are scheduled for this week. There’s already an argument about what day they will start. Next they’ll have to agree to the shape of the table.

President Biden wants to distance himself from those who want to defund the police. His 2023 budget plan is a good start in that direction.

And Ted Widmer profiles Stu Sutcliffe, the Beatle that never got to Get Back.

Undone on a coin-flip

Today is Sunday, World Paella Day!

Here’s a primer on the Oscars (something I would need) from Australia.

The Times has a long but insightful story on the evolution of Putin. Worth the read. Also, David Remnick dissects Putin’s obsession with Russian national identity.

The Globe’s Danny McDonald talks to City Council President Ed Flynn. Flynn is a genuinely nice guy and more importantly for the city, a heads-down, low key, hard working, dedicated public servant with a humility rare in public figures.

Farah Stockman looks at the human side of the war, with a connection to Massachusetts. The Grid provides some recent photos from Ukraine.

And how deep is the ocean… how high is the sky?

Franchised fiasco

Saturday. It was worth the wait for the weekend.

In today’s Boston ‘Metro’ news, a musician from Los Angles died— in South America. I don’t know why the Globe even bothers to organize their news by sections.

The Washington Post covers the de-globalization of Russia as Western brands flee the country. There’s a new codicil to the Thomas Friedman rule that countries with McDonalds don’t attack each other: When they do, the McDonalds’ have to close. As far as coffee goes, Starbucks has suspended all operations in Russia. But as of today, Dunkin’s is still serving up Moscow mocha-chinos.

Mike Evans writes about the appeal of the Leica M9, one of my all time favorite cameras.

During the Iraq war priceless antiquities were lost. In Ukraine a different set of cultural artifacts were destroyed. A smaller tragedy maybe, but still a tragedy.

And here’s William Shatner‘s all time favorite album playlist. It’s a trip down memory lane.

The biggest loser

Friday. This is good.

The Massachusetts Senate has rejected suspending the gas tax. Neighboring Connecticut, on the other hand, suspended its gas tax from April 1st to June 30, as well as fares on public buses statewide.

Boston is shrinking or, more accurately, Suffolk County is getting smaller. People are moving out of the city to places like the Cape, although Massachusetts as a whole lost population. Counties in New York and Los Angles also shrank during the pandemic. Where did everybody go? Looks like they’ve all gone to The Villages. Here’s a map.

Here’s how to outsmart your smartphone’s smart camera.

People think Biden isn’t being tough enough on Russia. For what it’s worth, I think he’s doing exactly the right things given the circumstances. As Lawrence Freedman writes, “students of international relations, especially those who adopt a ‘realist’ approach, warn that the understandable desire to see Ukraine win, and moral outrage over Putin’s actions, might interfere with the cool judgements necessary when faced with such a deadly conflict, one with potential repercussions that go well beyond the belligerents.”

And this kid can spell better than you (or me.) Voilià.