It wasn't easy running a small retail business during the pandemic. Everything that was challenging the big players was even more challenging for mom and pop. Sadly, the same trend is holding as we move from the hardships of the quarantine to the impediments of the great global supply chain backup. There's a line of containerships waiting to come to port and the big retailers are getting first dibs. WaPo (Gift Article): In the supply chain battle of 2021, small businesses are losing out to Walmart and Amazon. "Small retailers and manufacturers, already crushed by large national brands during the pandemic, are being disproportionately walloped by delays, shortages and other supply chain disruptions ahead of the holidays." (Try to give some love to your local retailers. It's the little things...)

"In the beginning, God did not create a sushi company. The sushi came later. So did the unraveling of a controversial religion and the lawsuit for control of its mysterious assets." Daniel Fromson with a visual story to explain what your nigiri has to do with the Rev. Sun Myung Moon. NYT Magazine (Gift Article): The Untold Story of Sushi in America. (I think I'd have less indigestion of some stories remained untold.)

The investigation into, and fallout from, the tragic deaths at the Astroworld Festival continue. Travis Scott and Drake are being sued for negligence and "encouragement of violence" that killed at least 8 people.

+ NPR: Houston's police chief says he personally warned Travis Scott about safety concerns.

+ We know there was bad planning and poor crowded control. What we don't know is why the concert continued despite desperate pleas for help from the crowd.

If you hear jackhammering in the background, it's because, after years of rumors and promises, Infrastructure Week is finally a go. We're actually going to be shoveling something other than bullshit. As the bipartisan infrastructure bill passes, here's what's next for Biden's economic plans.

+ The Conversation: Congress passes $1T infrastructure bill – but how does the government go about spending that much money? (I'm guessing like my daughter at Brandy Melville...)

"The restrictions, among the most severe in U.S. history, kept families apart, including spouses who have not been able to hug in months, grandparents whose grandchildren doubled in age since they last saw them, and uncles and aunts who have not met nieces and nephews who are now toddlers." Grandparents await hugs, spouses reunite as US borders open.

"The real difference, then, between a ton of organic soybeans and a ton of conventional soybeans is the story you can tell about them. The test, at the point of sale, is merely a question: Was this grown organically? That's not like asking if a cup of coffee is decaffeinated. It's more like buying sports memorabilia—is this really the ball?—or like trying to establish if a used car has had more than a single, careful owner." Ian Parker in The New Yorker: The Great Organic-Food Fraud.

"The island's divisions have crept into Mr. Ibanez's daily work, forcing him to go on capture missions in the dark of night to avoid the small number of animal rights activists who have taken to heckling him and scaring away the strays." NYT: On Tiny Guam, It's One Dogcatcher vs. 30,000 Strays. (For those scoring at home, 30,000 strays equals roughly two beagles.)

"When you're getting chemotherapy, you're already in a crap mood. When you're looking at a mob of people assembled because another person's chemo has failed, it does nothing for the attitude. The fact of that person being Farrah Fawcett made it that much grimmer." Caitlin Flanagan in The Atlantic: The Cancer Celebrities. Why I love Farrah Fawcett and hate Sheryl Crow.

"The complainant was behind the vehicle and noticed a female passenger in the vehicle making hand gestures that are known on the social media platform 'Tik Tok' to represent violence at home -- I need help -- domestic violence." Missing teen rescued after making a hand gesture she learned from TikTok. (That thing where you're suddenly telling your kids to pay more attention when they're TikToking.)

"Digital fashion makes everything traditional fashion does—shirts, dresses, pants, hats, shoes, and accessories—but none of it is tangible. Instead, customers "wear" digital clothing through augmented reality and digitally altered photos." People Are Buying Digital Clothes Because That's a Thing Now. (I'm ahead of the game. I just launched a startup that sells digital detergent.)

+ He always wanted a Ph.D. in physics. He finally earned it at 89.

+ McConnell says Trump wrote foreword to his memoir. Trump says he didn't. (It's almost like you can't trust that guy to have your back...)