Job advice, an A.I. demon, and Crocs made out of sushi
These are the best things I found on the internet this week!
Good morning newsletter fam,
‘Twas the day after the Emmys and all through the house, Lily James’ red carpet look got me so excited I needed to be doused.
Elsewhere on the internet, this week’s collection of the best, most interesting and most entertaining content might be one of the strongest I’ve put together in the nine months I’ve been doing this. I’d encourage you to set aside some time to read and watch and listen to all this stuff. It’s enough “conversation starters” for a year! Enjoy.
What’s the coolest story or thing you found on the internet this week? Reply to this email and shoot me a link. Would love to hear from you.
The internet had a heyday with the death of Queen Elizabeth this past week, producing everything from loving tributes, smart analysis of her impact on world history, and hilariously irreverent jokes. But my favorite piece of content was this funny and heartfelt story told by the queen’s bodyguard about the time she met a pair of hikers who didn’t recognize her.
The chess world is crazy. World champion chess player Magnus Carlsen withdrew from a high stakes tournament for the first time in his career after losing to a 19-year-old American who he suspects was cheating. The teenager was banned from Chess.com and uninvited from their global championships, but he maintains he is innocent. Is it a witch hunt, or righteous crusade? And how the heck do you cheat in a live chess tournament?
Speaking of British monarchs, this week’s Long Read of the Week: Did King Arthur really exist? The ancient king is one of the most legendary figures in human history…or was it fantasy? This Smithsonian Magazine piece investigates the truth behind Arthur, Excaliber, Camelot, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin, the knights of the round table, and the rest of the legend.
Maybe you’ve heard about the behind-the-scenes drama surrounding the new movie starring Olivia Wilde, Harry Styles and Florence Pugh. If not, here’s a hilarious if slightly incoherent recap of one woman trying to explain the Don’t Worry Darling controversy to her boyfriend.
It’s kind of wild that in 2022 everyone is still totally cool with the price discrimination and haggling that takes place when buying a car. In a world of direct to consumer alternatives, NPR writes about the rising stakes (and prices) at car dealerships, or “stealerships,” as demand remains sky high.
Yep, they really did it. They made Crocs out of sushi. “Shoeshi.”
Last week I mentioned the AI technology that won an art contest. It’s no real surprise that less than a week later, internet users have “discovered” a recurring “demon” in the AI software, which “spawned” when they asked the program to produce “-1” (or the opposite of) Marlon Brando.
Francis Tiafoe isn’t just the first Black American male tennis player to make it to the semifinals of the U.S. Open in 50 years — Tiafoe is the living embodiment of the American dream. He picked up the sport at a tennis center where his immigrant father was a janitor, at times sleeping in a broom closet. But the New Yorker argues his success has now made him more than a “great story.”
Last year, El Salvador made headlines (if not history) by accepting Bitcoin as a form of national currency. A year later, as the cryptocurrency market has tanked, “no one really talks about Bitcoin here anymore.” Fortune has the fascinating story of the failed experiment.
On the internet, you’ll find a million worthless pieces of “career advice.” These five points from The Atlantic’s Derek Thompson might be the most tangible and realistic job advice I’ve ever come across.
Thanks for reading and sharing! I’ll be back to talk movies on Friday, see you then!