Eric Rothman

This is Ezra Klein expertly and precisely explaining how the business models of the news used to work, how they changed when the internet came around, and how it's all falling apart. Just wall-to-wall insight. We take it all for granted and it also seems completely obvious in retrospect. Him and PJ are also just charming and funny and fun to listen to.

This video changed my life. I’d spent my 20’s and 30’s being confused and burned out, and the ideas in here made it all clear to me, in an instant, why. There is life as an artist before this video, and life as an artist after. Thank you Van and Tom. 

Steve just kills from the first moment. He's original and unexpected and weird. It makes me so happy that people can be this funny.

Reminds me of Yuval Noah Harari’s, Sapiens, and his thesis about shared stories. Has the story of America been fractured into thousands of competing ones?

Also, I love the last sentence here, “…because you read this newsletter I’ve got your attention and we are a tiny polarized sub-group who know something others don’t, right?!” Phew, if that ain’t what makes a good newsletter!

There’s this whole thing about street photography where, if you want “authenticity” you’re supposed to steal shots, and just assault people with your camera. That always felt wrong and strange and uncomfortable to me, and this is just another reminder (a necessary reminder) that you can do things however you want. Do things the way you want to do them and the way that feels right to you. Don’t let some imaginary ruleset control you.

Also, the way Sara talks about hanging out with her friends—instead of going out to bars or partying or whatever people do on the weekends—just walking around with cameras to see what’s going on in the world. That sounds so fun to me. Why am I not doing that?