PicoBlog

One of my favorite things about the Internet is the way subject-matter experts leave comments that open windows into worlds you'd otherwise never experience. Reddit in particular branded itself as a reliable source of information from industry insiders with IAmA, a popular mid-2010s series of posts wherein plumbers, pilots, deep-sea welders, and the details of every other odd profession under the sun were laid bare by insiders.  For the past 6 years on Reddit, it’s been a regular occurrence to find yourself reading a comment from an expert discussing Hollywood makeup, lava-lamp-generated encryption, or heavy equipment operation… when their story suddenly derails into a familiar phrase: “in nineteen ninety eight when the undertaker threw mankind off hеll in a cell, and plummeted sixteen feet through an announcer's table.

Of the many forms of workplace abuse, the smear campaign is among the most insidious and potentially damaging. I know because I experienced it myself. Someone who pretended to be my friend engaged in a 2-year long smear campaign behind my back. By the time I realized what was happening, it was too late. He succeeded. (And because I signed a legal agreement, I cannot share the details.) I have spoken to numerous other women, especially founders, who have experienced smear campaigns as well.

Most subscription strategies have a pretty straightforward value proposition: in exchange for a monthly payment, the subscriber gains access to premium content that’s locked behind some kind of paywall. But what if you want to keep all your best content in front of the paywall? What could you still offer to your audience to make a monthly subscription payment worth the price of admission? Thousands of content creators have turned to a platform called Subtext, which allows them to exchange text messages with their fans.

I’ve been listening to A LOT of T. Swift recently. But not for the reasons you might think.  Sure, it’s basically impossible NOT to come across Taylor’s music these days. Also, my wife is a big-time Swiftie, and has been for years, so I’m no stranger to her discography. But the reason I’ve been listening to Swift’s music is because, over the past few months, I’ve become increasingly obsessed with music theory.

One of my earliest experiences of eating out somewhere relatively “notable” in Paris left me surprised and, admittedly, a bit confused. It was at Bouillon Chartier, a Belle-Epoque/turn-of-the-20thC restaurant that displayed all the period’s characteristic grandeur: a dining room so enormous and high-ceilinged that you could probably use it as a makeshift theatre or concert hall? Check. Painstaking mahogany carvings, brass panelling, mirrored walls that magnify the enormity of the space?

A Note To Readers: This is part 1 of a new two-part chapter in my book about the ideas, conditions, and movements that fed the FTX catastrophe. While the below is an extended preview, full access to these chapters is restricted to premium subscribers to Dark Markets. Please consider subscribing to support continued work on this book. Soon, paid subscribers will also receive premium additional content from the Dark Markets Podcast.

One of the best insights Patrick Trousdale had when growing his finance newsletter The Daily Upside was that he didn’t need to go it alone. With his deep background in the finance industry, he knew he could create a high quality editorial product, and he also knew he’d have a much easier time growing it if he teamed up with an outlet that had an already-existing audience. That’s how he ended up partnering with The Motley Fool, a venerable media brand that was looking to diversify its portfolio.

Thanks for checking out our newsletter. Ball Through The Ages is a newsletter and a podcast covering sports history with a focus on College Football, the NBA, and women’s basketball. Subscribe FOR FREE to get all of our newsletters and podcasts into your inbox by hitting the button below. On June 26, 2003, Lebron James strode across the NBA Draft stage and shook David Stern’s hand as the number one overall pick.

After years of work on my latest book, Be A Revolution, I faced the final editing decision that every author hates – the major cut. Interviewing over 30 movement workers for my book, carefully putting together each section, each chapter so that it all flowed together, the months of painstaking editing. I was told that my book was too long. We are in the social media age, I was informed. Once a book gets over 400 pages, people only pretend to read the book.