It’s time for another post about some of my favorite things I’ve watched, listened to, or read recently.
If you’re not interested in checking out my fantastic content recommendations but are yearning for something strictly finance-related, here’s a link to the main blog page where you can read past articles.
NOTE: The content is linked in the green titles.
More People Buy, Number Go Up by Nick Magguilli
It would appear like crypto is trying to make a comeback. The price of Bitcoin has skyrocketed over 50% since January and is up over 135% from this time last year. Who knows what will happen in the intervening days until this post is published, but as I’m writing Bitcoin is at an all-time high, passing its previous mark set at the end of 2021.
However, this rally feels a little different than the euphoric upswings of the past handful of years. I think Nick does a great job in this article of examining why this time is different.
“This rally is so different because no one is beating around the bush anymore. It’s not about technology. It’s not about use cases or improving the world. It’s just, ‘More people buy, number go up.’ The veil has been lifted and we all know it. It’s a momentum trade plain and simple. We turned a bunch of computers into a casino and then dressed it up as something else.
Why would someone do this knowing how bad things could turn out? Because many of them don’t have an easier way of becoming rich. It’s the same reason why people play the lottery. In both cases, there’s at least a chance that they can live the life of their dreams. Yes, the chance is very low (<1%), but it’s not 0%.”
Why Americans Suddenly Stopped Hanging Out by Derek Thompson
With the release of the new Apple Vision Pro earlier this year, I couldn’t help but feel a bit queasy about this new technology. As with almost everything Apple does, I’m sure it’s an awesome product and will have cool use cases, but envisioning a future where people walk with ski goggles all day feels dystopic to me.
We love our screens so much that we’ve decided the next step in our technological progression is to strap them to our faces?
On a related note, Derek Thompson recently posted a fascinating article about how Americans are spending less and less time together. And obviously, the first explanation is we’re spending more time with our screens.
“The hang-out depression is particularly bad for teenagers. According to the ATUS, teens and young adults saw by far the largest dip in socializing, especially since 2010. In fact, it is genuinely difficult to find any category of play that isn’t experiencing some kind of Mayday! Mayday! descent among this group. Teens are dating less, playing fewer youth sports, spending less time with their friends, and making fewer friends to begin with. In the late 1970s, more than half of 12th graders got together with their buddies almost every day. By 2017, only 28 percent did.”
The Future of Everything on The Bill Simmons Podcast
If you don’t want to read an article but prefer listening instead, Derek Thompson went on one of my favorite podcasts (The Bill Simmons Podcast) to talk about why Americans aren’t hanging out as well as the future of health, culture, tech, and sports. It’s a good listen.
We’re still not very far into 2024, but my favorite TV show I’ve watched this year is Mr. and Mrs. Smith on Amazon. Loosely based on the 2005 movie starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, this show is about two people who sign up to become secret agents for a mysterious organization. In the process, they must become married and carry out their missions together.
While the show is marketed as a spy-thriller, it’s really about the stresses and struggles of modern relationships. But yes the show also takes you to cool locations like Lake Como and the Dolomites as they’re fulfilling their missions. I had a blast watching each episode.
Not far behind Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and with a chance to take over the #1 spot, is the show I’m currently watching, Shōgun on FX. Set in Japan in the early 1600s, Shōgun follows John Blackthorne, a risk-taking English sailor who ends up shipwrecked in Japan; and Lord Toronaga, a powerful Japanese leader at odds with his political rivals.
If you like big, sweeping epics then this is the show for you. I’m only a couple of episodes in, but it shares a lot of traits with Game of Thrones.
The Dynasty: New England Patriots
Listen, I’m not a Patriots fan. I always root for the underdog and against evil empires like the New England Patriots. However, I’m a sucker for a good sports documentary and I enjoyed this one on Apple TV+.
If you do like the Patriots, this is a good watch to reminisce on the brilliance of the dynasty, but even if you’re a Patriots hater, there’s plenty of negative and controversial stuff in here that will make you happy as well. For me, it’s always interesting to see what it takes to be great at what you do.
Simply put, I love this movie. It’s the best thing I’ve watched this year. Probably the best movie I’ve seen in a few years. Go watch it on as big a screen as you can, you won’t regret it.
If you have any other content recommendations, feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an email. I’d love to hear them!
Thanks for reading!