The Breads Roundup No. 103
Mozambican Seiges, Fast Fashion and Lehman Bros.
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Hello Collectors of Tropical Fish,
Haaaay! It feels like it has been years doesn’t it? In a modern world, where constant content production is the norm, it has been that. However, in practice it ain’t been more than two months. Time flies like a Rolex on an albatross.
I haven’t been around because I actually got a real job and have had less spare time to read super long articles and write about them for y’all. I really miss doing it. But I also like to get paid human money. And I also like sleep. So you understand my conundrum. It’s been an interesting experiment in time management that I have been failing miserably mostly because my attention span has become that of a goldfish. But I’m trying to be better. And I’m still going to do The Breads don’t worry! The emails may be slightly less consistent (but that’s fine, nobody can be mad about getting less email) and slightly less robust. But it will persist!
What’s good with y’all? What is going on in your lives. Please tell me. Anybody been watching anything good? Reading anything good? Going anywhere cool? Bought anything they absolutely love recently?
Two requests:
I’m going to a wedding in Europe next week. Might fuck around and drink some espresso and absolutely crack myself the heck out (I don’t drink coffee usually). The wedding is in Bratislava (I see you locking it down Tina!) and I’m also going to Budapest and Vienna on the trip. If y’all have any recs please send them my way. Restaurants, bars, museums, cool shops, random sites, awesome people… I’m all ears. The weirder and less touristy the better.
Also, any actors in here? My best friend and script writing partner and I recently completed a rough draft of a semi-autobiographical script about when he visited me in Mexico City immediately preceding Covid. It’s not about the pandemic don’t worry. We want to do a table read over zoom with some actors so we can see how things are flowing. Holler at me if you’re interested/know someone and we can discuss.
Ok missed y’all. Here’s some articles I’ve read since we last talked that I really loved. Most of them are long form. Figured I’d break out the big sexy pieces for y’all.
Inside The Siege Of The Amarula
This is one of the most impressive pieces of journalism I’ve read in quite some time. It’s incredibly thorough despite the absurd number of moving pieces there were in the story and how drastic of situation it was. Amarula is a lodge in Northern Mozambique where large oil reserves were found, which of course meant the oil companies threw a ton of money there to develop the oil sites (and ruin the planet) and sent in tons of contractors. Simultaneously there were islamist rebels rampaging through the area resulting in a stand-off of contractors and Mozambicans barricaded inside Amarula. There are beheadings, there are Eastern European mercenaries, there are innocent people. It has it all. Unless you’re a speed reader you’ll need to carve out a few hours to read it, but it is well worth it.
Fast, Cheap, And Out Of Control: Inside Shein’s Sudden Rise
Shein is a huge brand out of China, in case you haven't already heard of it (pronounced SHE-in). They are fast-fashion gone full Hulk mode. This piece is an investigation into how the brand came to be so huge (Gen Z loves them in the US) and how innovative, but problematic, they are. This brand taps into humans at our most lizard-brained. Endless options for minuscule prices, human rights and environmental concerns be damned! I mostly put this article in here because ethics in fashion really interest me and I think are very important to be aware of when it comes to our consumption habits. And I think a brand like Shein, which is the fast fashion that we're used to (H&M, Zara, Uniqlo) to the eleventh power, can serve to illustrate just how fucked up it all is and may be a wake up call to folks to think more about their consumption habits.
The Last Of Lehman Brothers
When you're a giant multi-billion dollar bank you can't just close shit down and then, as the New Yorkers say, forget about it. You have debts to settle and people to pay and bonds to do bond things with. So in the aftermath a few people stay on to help sort it all out. This is their story.
Why Hot Ones Is Such A Draw For Major Celebs
A little case study on why the greatest internet talk show, Hot Ones, is so damn good and why so many big time celebs want to go on it and risk shitting their pants. It’s all about being relatable and vulnerable which is where the genius of the show comes as it has almost become a rite of passage for celebs to prove themselves. Great show and great example of content that just makes sense, but also differs from the direction that so much other internet content has gone. Long live Sean Evans!
Cooking On The Frontlines With Chef José Andrés
Speaking of celebs and food, Jose Andres is a modern day super human who runs a restaurant empire and still finds time to feed those affected by some of the worst disasters across the globe. Great profile of him right here from GQ.
Albania: The Dark Shadow Of Tradition And Blood Feuds
This is an old article (from 2016) that I stumbled upon but it is a deep cultural cut that is mad interesting and also terrifying. Blood feuds in Albania give a family the right to kill a member of another family that has committed murder against them. However, one rule is that blood feud killings can not occur in the home, so it has led to countless people becoming hermits to prevent their own murder. Seems the government has tried to do a good deal to end this ancient practice, but it hasn’t gone anywhere.
The Oral History Of LeBron James’ Unforgettable (And Prohibited) Workout With The Cavaliers
I'm from Cleveland and I remember the day the Cavs won the number one pick in the lottery and everyone in the city lost their damn minds because we were going to get LeBron. Well he lived up to the hype he showed in 11th grade playing against pros.
The ‘E-Pimps’ Of OnlyFans
Horrifyingly but not unexpectedly there are full-on management agencies who handle everything for OnlyFans creators from managing social media profiles to actually messaging with patrons. I found this quote from the article about these management companies particularly enlightening: “But all of them take advantage of the same raw materials: the endless reproducibility of digital images; the widespread global availability of cheap English-speaking labor; and the world’s unquenchable desire for companionship.” So if you’re chatting it up on OnlyFans and think you’re talking to the person whose profile it is, just know there is a good chance you might be chatting with Jake from State Farm in a pair of khakis.
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That’s all I got. Missed y’all.
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