The fountain of youth costs $2 million per year
Here's the best things I found on the internet this week!
Hey friends,
Big week for me this week, putting out three different stories (which you’ll see in the first bullet point below!), and officially transitioning from the title of “assistant editor” to “general assignment reporter” for Forbes. As I log on to Twitter every day and see more and more layoffs — including at WaPo’s Launcher, a publication near and dear to my heart — I realize I’m incredibly fortunate.
Of course, you all aren’t here for my sentimental ramblings. You’re here for another batch of “conversation starters,” the very best, most interesting and most entertaining content on the internet from this past week. Let’s get to it!
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.
Three stories from me! First, a profile of the Twitch streamer “Nickmercs,” who made $15 million last year and has ambitions for much, much more. Then some news from one of his contemporaries “SypherPK,” who used his streaming fortune to self-fund a company. Lastly, did you know that over half of the QBs to play in the AFC/NFC Championship Games in the past decade were on contracts under $6 million? It’s not an anomaly, it’s a secret to success.
The story everyone was talking about this week, from Bloomberg. A rich software engineer is spending $2 million per year to try to make his body 18 again. And doctors are saying he’s reverse-aged by more than five years already. Welcome to the outer edges of medical science and bio-hacking.
You can’t script sports…but this is pretty darn close. This year’s “Super Bowl of surfing” was won by an ON-DUTY lifeguard who competed during breaks from his job. And the event is named after the most famous surfer lifeguard of all time. It’s poetic perfection on nearly every level.
The Iowa State Fair has a “husband calling competition.” With spectators! It’s as hilarious as you’re guessing it would be.
This edition of The Long Read of the Week focuses on the latest unexpected culture war: Sleepovers have suddenly gotten very complicated, and perhaps even a little controversial? It’s a microcosm of how American parenting styles have changed drastically in just the time since I was asking my parents to stay the night with a friend.
You’ve never seen a more Dad Move than this dad who prepares and distributes a printed list of conversation topics for his friends at the local bar every week. Topics include “Bud vs. Bud Light,” “new trolling motor and locator,” and “general discussion.” “Please do be on time,” he pleads, “as you see we have a great deal to get through.”
My homie (and newsletter subscriber!) Doug Greenberg wrote a story for Front Office Sports about the manager of a top-flight French soccer club, who got into coaching via the video game ‘Football Manager.’ He doesn’t even have the proper liscensing yet so his club gets fined $27,000 every game. But he just managed a draw against global powerhouse PSG.
“Tiny homes” are often mentioned as a potential solution for homelessness. But Vice asks, are these sheds solving the homelessness crisis or creating making it worse?
I can’t decide if this is creepy, disturbing, or miraculous. But in YouTube gazillionaire Mr. Beast’s latest video, he literally “cures” 1000 peoples’ blindness.
Thanks for reading and sharing! We’ll be back to chat movies on Friday. See ya then!