Freaky Friday, we bring stories of Jack White's Autopsy Table, the rebirth of Notre Dame, and productivity tips from the Father of Productivity, Benjamin Franklin.  A quick financial report on satellite radio, music, and words to finish the day and start the weekend!

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The world watched four years ago when the nearly century-old Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris caught fire.  Watching the footage of a landmark, an architectural wonder, and a holy place burn was complex.  Set to re-open before the end of 2024, CBS has a story about how the craftspeople have rebuilt the Cathedral.  The wood has been sourced from oak trees at least 100 years old, and even some of the woodworking uses the ancient techniques used to build the original in the 12th century. 

The iconic spire atop the Cathedral is being built at a separate site in Briey, France, and carpenters and craftsmen have rebuilt the spire to the original design.  The dress rehearsal was completed last month, and the design/build teams will do the same when they install the spire next year.

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We have written about Sahil Bloom and his respect for Benjamin Franklin.  Today we bring a larger piece with analysis and thoughts in Bloom's words.

The iconic picture of Franklin's Day Planner is all over the Internet.  Bloom breaks the page down further and recaps the important questions Franklin asks daily.  Starting each day by asking, "What good shall I do this day?" and finishing with a quick recap question, "What good have I done this day?" is an excellent way to work through a day.  The blocks Bloom highlights are remarkable based on the systems that have been developed based on the same process Franklin wrote about 250 years ago.

Architectural Digest digs for deals at artist and musician Jack White's garage sale.  White’s record label Third Man Records, is clearing out the abundance of items in the warehouse, and AD has a take on a few of the items that caught their fancy.  The story is written by Rachel Davies and includes several items every music lover would, ah question?

Items ranging from a mechanical fortune teller and a candlepin bowling ball return make the list.  Dig a little deeper, and you will see that the Standard Enameled Cast Iron Autopsy Table went for $925 during the auction.

Digital Music News has a small story about one of the first commercial streamers and the heir apparent to AM/FM radio.  SiriusXM Radio, the combination of the first two satellite radio stations, reported a loss of 500,000 subscribers over the last 2 years - second-quarter revenue remains at 34 million, the average of the last 9 quarters.

Before Streaming, satellite radio was a great alternative to CDs and radio stations with ads.  Satellite radio offered hundreds of channels and categories and made the service available for cars and, in some cases, portable radios.  The variety and volume of music was a good product, priced with every other service around $20 per month.  Along came the iPhone in the 00s, and with the power of the smartphone, several music streaming services, most of which can be streamed on your phone and listened to through a cord in your car.  Where is the benefit now?

As an early adopter of the satellite radio game, I had it in my car and several portable satellite radios.  I happily pay for multiple music services; I'd rather pay for music than cable TV.  I still have a SiriusXM radio in one of my cars, but I renegotiate the rate every year to $70 per year, and I justify the cost by the ease of use.  It's easier to have the radio play than to plug my phone in and decide which music streaming service to start with.  Apple Car Play is making that process even more accessible, and according to SiriusXM CEO Jennifer Witz, they are looking to break with customers like me who threaten to quit unless they get a better deal.  As a 20-year customer who started when it was just XM Radio, I’ll tell Ms. Witz the same thing I told Verizon after 23 years… I’m out.

Obscurity Knocks - The Trashcan Sinatras.

Click on the Apple Music image to listen to the song on Apple Music or on the Spotify Image to listen to Spotify.

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Thank you for spending a few minutes with us. Here’s one for the road!

With A Shout newsletter is written by Johnny Christian with the support of a thousand idea bits and the help of many people.

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