LA fires and Zuck
Hey friends,
I’ve been gripped by the news coverage of the LA fires.
Five devastating wind-fed fires have killed at least 16 people and swept through 39,000 acres in the greater Los Angeles area, destroying entire communities and more than 12,000 structures. At least another 13 people are missing. 153,000 LA residents were under evacuation orders overnight.
While stories of lost celebrity homes take up the headlines, entire black neighbourhoods are being burnt to the ground, and prisoners are drafted into the fire fighting efforts. It’s wild stuff.
I’ve recently been thinking a lot about how lucky we over here in New Zealand—in so many ways. There are terrible things going on across the world which we never even hear about, let alone experience ourselves.
While every single item people own, except for the clothes they’re wearing, is being burned away from existence, I’m here, chilling out and listening to a podcast. How lucky are we!
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta (Facebook, Instagram, etc) went on Joe Rogan’s podcast this week. I enjoy these long-form interviews, especially with public figures who you don’t often get to hear speak candidly.
Mark went on the podcast just after announcing controversial changes at Meta, including getting rid of fact checkers (leading to more harmful content appearing on the platforms) and ending diversity, equity, and inclusion internal initiatives.
Generally, those on the political left are annoyed, while those on the right seem pretty happy with the shift towards freedom of speech and reversing the wokeness.
Mark knows he’s going to be on the wrong side of about 50% of the population no matter what. So, doing traditional media interview? Bad idea. He will be grilled and challenged on every statement, and only have a short amount of time to explain himself.
Instead, he chats with a big media personality, who’s a friend, someone who shares a similar worldview, and let’s him really explain himself without interruptions. For almost three hours. Smart PR move.
Anyway, let’s try to appreciate how fortunate we are this week (like being able to relax over a podcast).
Have a great week,
Ben x
p.s. The five organs your body can live without.
Three great quotes from author James Clear
"Savor the little victories as much as you criticize the little mistakes."
"At any moment, you are one good choice away from a meaningfully better life."
"Your habits are often a byproduct of convenience. Humans are wired to seek the path of least resistance, which means the most convenient option is often the one that wins. Make good choices more convenient and bad choices less so. Behavior will improve naturally."
Source: James Clear’s 3-2-1 newsletter.
One question I want to consider more
Are you aware of the finite, impermanent nature of your time?
Source: Sahil Bloom, surfaced in Ali Abdaal’s newsletter.
Things worth sharing
📰 Article - Introducing Generation Beta, the children born starting in 2025. Gen Alpha is so last year. The newest generation, born from 2025 to 2039, are projected to reach 2.1 billion people by 2035. Many Gen Beta members will live into the 22nd century—babies born in 2025 will be 76 years old when the year 2101 comes around. Gen Beta will be defined by unpredictable technological advancements and climate crises. While members of Gen Alpha have become acquainted with smart technology and artificial intelligence, Gen Beta will experience AI and automation in every aspect of life.
📺 Video - AI Podcast Hosts Discover They’re AI, Not Human. I love listening to the short podcasts produced by Google’s NotebookLM AI tool. You give it some documents, and it spits out a 5-10 minute discussion between two people on the context. It’s incredible—it sounds so real. Some have tried to break it, like in this clip where AI hosts discover they are not human. Freaky.
🎙️ Podcast - Three Rules by Matt D’Avella. I’ve been enjoying the 15 minute long episodes of Three Rules, where each guests shares three things they live by. Really interesting format. It’s great for when you don’t have much time but don’t want to waste it.
🎬 Documentary - Leaving Neverland. A really compelling two-part documentary about the alleged abuse from Michael Jackson. Extremely well made and gripping. Although, I’ve gone down a rabbit hole and am not sure what to believe! Did he do it?
📰 News - Global temperature rise breached 1.5 degrees Celsius for first time in 2024. Last year was Earth's hottest year on record since preindustrial times, with global temperatures temporarily surpassing a critical 1.5 degrees Celsius warming threshold set in a 2015 internationally agreed-upon pact. Uh oh.