Happy Thursday.
To be ITK, know this:
BC is the most unaffordable province for housing in Canada, census data: CBC reports the province also has the highest number of renter households; high costs affecting a wide demographic, advocate says.
Read this: US looks to claim victory in Pacific Islands influence battle with China: Palau, Micronesia, and Marshall Islands are set to renew diplomatic agreements with the US by year-end. Politico
+ A Biden administration diplomatic push in the South Pacific is poised to mark a win in efforts to counter growing Chinese influence in the region.
+ The State Department is close to renewing strategic partnership agreements with the Pacific Island nations of Palau, Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands.
+ The renewal of those agreements, called Compacts of Free Association, will effectively firewall those three countries from a relentless drive by Beijing to displace the U.S. as the region’s dominant superpower.
+ Biden On China: “We do not seek conflict. We do not seek a Cold War.”
Read this: Detroit is once again betting on the car industry to rescue it: But the Motor City’s health will depend on more than motor cars. Economist
Read this: LinkedIn’s future is a joke: The professional network has more than 850 million users but a dearth of non-cringey content — a huge content arbitrage opportunity versus other social platforms. Trung Phan
What I learned: You can be an NYC developer who submits dubious documents to regulators and be a fabulist when dealing with bankers, but if you become POTUS who then becomes a complete jerk and clown show, NY will review your business model and then press a civil case.
Read this: Is anything cool anymore? Chatting with W. David Marx, whose new book Status and Culture explains why coolness is such a tricky concept these days. Cam Wolf
+ “Nothing is great because everything is good,” W. David Marx writes in his new book Status and Culture.
+ Marx cautions against interpreting this lack of cool as a lack of innovation. New things are being invented all the time—they just don’t fit into reliable narrative structures
+ Marx also cites the rise of poptimism, which treats popular culture with the same weight as less-mainstream endeavors, as one reason nothing feels very cool.
+ The cool is still out there, as long as you know what to look for. “Every youth generation,” Marx said, “feels like their culture is the coolest.”
Read this: Why Charles is the king of Savile Row: His Majesty is flying the flag for timeless British tailoring. Alec Marsh
+ "Perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that we’ve got probably the best-dressed head of state in the world."
+ "Similarly a suit from the likes of M&S or Moss Bros is to elite tailoring what a McDonald’s Happy Meal is to gastronomy."
Lucas Museum delays opening to 2025, ‘all areas of construction’ moving forward: LAT reports the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art has pushed its 2023 opening by two years due to supply chain issues that have made the procuring of certain construction materials difficult.
MLive: Mackinac Island’s beloved Brigadoon is back from the ashes after devastating fire
Back in my salad days, I worked one summer on Mackinac Island.
I passed this cottage many times and was enamored.
Also, it was the first time I had encountered the word "Brigadoon."
As I researched the name, the meaning, and the history, I became even more enamored.
Brigadoon.
A place that is idyllic, unaffected by time, or remote from reality.
Amazing.
So impacted by the name, I held onto it for decades until the time was right to launch Brigadoon.
Like most new ventures, there have been ups and downs.
Victory and loss.
Smiles and tears.
The cottage of Brigadoon knows this as well.
On May 30, 2021, a fierce fire left Brigadoon the cottage severely and visibly damaged.
News of the fire spread across the island, then across the Great Lakes, and then across the world.
To see images of the cottage engulfed in flames on an island of beauty and tranquility was jarring.
But like all great stories of a hero, a challenge has been met and a future opportunity secured.
Successfully the cottage has been restored to full glory.
"Sixteen months after a devastating fire ripped through the top floor of Mackinac Island's iconic Brigadoon cottage, the rebuild, and renovation of this historic Queen Anne is complete. Its owners announced the milestone this week in a love letter of sorts to the legions of workers and well-wishers who have seen them through this monumental project."
You can read the full news clip here.
I hope you experience this island, this cottage, and this remoteness for yourself one day.
Brigadoon the cottage on Mackinac Island is not an easy place to visit.
Planning and multiple forms of transportation are required.
But a place that is idyllic, unaffected by time, or remote from reality should require a bit of grit and determination.
Dreadful: AFC Richmond, the fictional club from "Ted Lasso," will be a playable team in "FIFA 23," and Ted will be available to use in career mode.
F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix set for November 18, 2023.
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
Caracal produces ITK Daily.
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Clients are Chief Communications Officers with global responsibility who rely on Caracal for help navigating today's interconnected business environment with political intelligence, research, strategic planning, public affairs, and communications.
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