A brief note from your author

Follow Us Get the newsletter Good afternoon from Joshua Tree, and a happy Sunday to you, wherever you may be. I took last week and this week off to deal with a personal health matter. All is well in the grand scheme of things, but I am unofficially known as the concussion king of Bloomberg. Taking a break from screens has been a health necessity, but also great for my mental state of mind heading into the election. There has been no shortage of news during my break, and I've written a few pieces in my head that may or may not still be relevant by the time you are next reading me. I've included a few links below to stories, podcasts and books that have kept me occupied these past weeks. Hopefully some of them entertain or inform you as well. In the mean time, go Dodgers, and may we all survive Tuesday in one piece. -- Lucas Shaw Who Fixed the NBA? This podcast on disgraced referee Tim Donaghy and how the NBA may or may not influence the outcome of games is a must-listen for any basketball fan. (Thanks to my friend Leah for recommending it.) Virtual Influencers Make Real Money While Covid Locks Down Human Stars Thuy Ong writes about the rise of virtual influencers Lil Miquela and Seraphine, who are unaffected by the pandemic. How the Epoch Times Created a Giant Influence Machine Kevin Roose explores how a small news organization "affiliated with the secretive and relatively obscure Chinese spiritual movement Falun Gong" became "a leading purveyor of right-wing misinformation." "Strangers On a Train" If you want to escape reality this week for one reason or another, this Patricia Highsmith classic is a delightful audiobook. Why My Private, Eerie 'Tenet' Experience in Montana Gives Me Hope For Movie Theaters Long-time film critic Kenneth Turan rented out a movie theater in rural Montana to see Christopher Nolan's "Tenet." The experience convinced him that theaters, while troubled, aren't going anywhere. The Indestructible Beat of Soweto Rolling Stone's new list of the 500 best albums took some heat, but it is a great tool for finding new music. Well, old music that is new to you. This album has been on repeat for two weeks. Clayton Kershaw, At Last, Can Call Himself a World Series Champion You didn't think I'd let this go without a Dodgers link, did you?     Like the Screentime newsletter? Get unlimited access to Bloomberg.com, where you'll find trusted, data-based journalism in 120 countries around the world and expert analysis from exclusive daily newsletters. Before it's here, it's on the Bloomberg Terminal. Find out more about how the Terminal delivers information and analysis that financial professionals can't find anywhere else. Learn more.   You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Screentime newsletter. Unsubscribe | Bloomberg.com | Contact Us Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington, New York, NY, 10022