Links

"It’s all in how you perceive it. You’re in control. You can dispense with misperception at will, like rounding the point. Serenity, total calm, safe anchorage." - Marcus Aurelius (Meditations)

Berkshire Aims for Fast Regulatory Action on Oncor Deal [H/T Linc] ($) (LINK)

Berkshire Hathaway Energy Co. is racing to get Texas regulators to sign off on its takeover of Oncor in an effort to outpace Elliott Management Corp., a hedge fund with its own designs on the energy-grid business. 

Warren Buffett uses this simple psychological trick to be persuasive and so can you, says influence expert [H/T Daniel] (LINK)

Bob Cialdini dissects what the "Oracle of Omaha" does that makes us want to believe in him.

Herb Allen’s Sun Valley Retreat: General Lori Robinson Gets Five Stars From Attendees [H/T Linc] (LINK)

The other session that had people talking was this morning’s session where well-known hedge fund manager Stanley Druckenmiller and Baupost Group’s Seth Klarman (also a hedge fund manager) told the executives that many people confuse the performance of the stock market with the health of our economy, but that is not necessarily a great indicator.

Bank for International Settlements: 87th Annual Report [H/T Barry Ritholtz] (LINK)

Related video: Claudio Borio: How much do we really know about inflation?

The Dark Side of Globalization: An Update on Country Risk! - Aswath Damodaran (LINK)

Publishers and the Pursuit of the Past - by Ben Thompson (LINK)

A Man in a Hurry: Claude Shannon’s New York Years [H/T The Browser] (LINK)

By day, Claude Shannon labored on top-secret war projects at Bell Labs. By night, he worked out the details of information theory

A Conversation with Malcolm Gladwell: Revisiting Brown v. Board [H/T The Browser] (LINK)

Revisionist History podcast: The Prime Minister and the Prof (LINK)

How does friendship influence political power? The story of Winston Churchill’s close friend and confidant — an eccentric scientist named Frederick Lindemann — whose connection to Churchill altered the course of British policy in World War II. And not in a good way.

Ravens Can Plan for the Future - by Ed Yong (LINK)