Author Archives: Jason

About Jason

Jason R. Koepke is Founder and Data Strategist at GNT LLC, a risk-analysis and data strategy firm that provides analytical and technical services to the public and private sectors. His work and research has been featured in the academic, financial, and technical industries.

Things I Learned this Week

Among the things I learned this week:
* Belgium has the highest concentration of street lights in Europe and keeps most of them on at night. (Courtesy: Milan Schreuer/NYT)

* British Parliamentarian acts were, until only recently, recorded on parchment made out of calfskin. (Courtesy: Jenny Gross/WSJ)

* French Empire chandeliers are a devil to assemble. (Courtesy: Personal experience)

* Shelley Berman as someone other than Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Larry David’s father. (Courtesy: Peter Keepnews/NYT)

* The Venice Charter, which outlines how restoration of monuments and sites should be handled. (Courtesy: Benjamin Ramm/NYT)

Things I Learned this Week

Among the things I learned this week:
* There are less than 10 full-time classical critics on the staffs of US newspapers. (Courtesy: Alex Ross/New Yorker)

* Orson Welles was a fan of Taxi. (Courtesy: Boing Boing)

* A conversation between William F. Buckley and Grouch Marx is not nearly as interesting as expected. (Courtesy: Personal Experience)

Things I Learned this Week

Among the things I learned this week:
* Felled and properly laid trees can stop tanks. (Courtesy: War is Boring)

* Fake wine is a significant issue in the wine world. (Courtesy: Kate Krader/Bloomberg)

* Flying’s nine freedoms. (Courtesy: Paul McClean and Alex Barker/FT)

* Contrary to an earlier Things I Learned this Week post, Brazil does not ban coffee imports. (Courtesy: Joseph Leahy and Emiko Terazono/FT)