Tom Ruwitch
Before he landed in prison, a self-proclaimed nobleman in northern Italy built an amphitheater on a hillside outside Vicenza. Stone seating and steps, cement columns, plaster statues. Then he told everyone the ancient Greeks built it. He said he found it after a landslide. He claimed it dated to 393 AD. He spun a tale…
My wife’s great-great-grandfather was a college kid when he decided to overthrow the German government. In 1833, Adolph Wislizenus and a band of student revolutionaries stormed a castle in Frankfurt. The plan seemed solid. Sneak up on a few arsenals. Capture the soldiers. Take the guns. Hand them to the people. Watch the government fall.…
Fun fact about NBC: The National Broadcasting Company was created not because its founders thought “content” would make them rich. It was created to sell radios. One hundred years ago today — September 9, 1926 — RCA filed the paperwork to establish NBC. RCA was a radio manufacturer (The Radio Corporation of America). And it…
Laura Belgray told a story in one of her recent emails about a businessman who griped, “Nobody buys our stuff.” In her email, she describes how she asked if he’s tried email marketing. Then she drops this truth bomb: “(That’s what email is for: telling people what the f you’re selling.)” Chew on that for…
Worth Watching Every AI Model Explained in 20 Minutes New AI models drop what feels like every week, and it’s hard to keep track of which one does what. Tina Huang cuts through it. In about 20 minutes she runs through every major model in plain English and tells you what each one is actually…
While scrolling my feed recently, I came across this news I can’t use: “Moldy Foods You Can Still Eat (and Some You Can).” I skipped it. I suppose someone might find that useful. But I can’t imagine pulling some veggies from the fridge, spotting mold on them, and saying, “Reader’s Digest said this is edible…
Honey, I’m home! For the first time since May 15, 2025, I slept last night in my own bed, in my own house, on the street where I live. That house and that street were direct-hit by an EF-3 tornado on May 16, 2025. The tornado ripped the roof off the house. Shattered half the…
Now I know how Bill Murray’s character felt in Groundhog Day. I’m living the same nightmare, day after day after day. It started a few weeks ago, when I researched one of those AI assistants that you wear all day so you can record and organize everything you say. I didn’t get the gizmo, but…
It’s hard to go it alone. Everybody needs company sometimes. Somebody you can share a meal with. Converse. Compare notes. Two ways to do it. Way #1: Rent-a-Bro for a Few Rubles In Russia, you can hire someone to hang out with you. Nothing illegal. Just a dude who can prep the grill, cook some…
Recommended Listen Jerry Seinfeld: Systems, Routines & the Work Nobody Sees Waiting for inspiration to strike is the most expensive habit in creative work. Ask Jerry Seinfeld. In a long, wide-ranging sit-down with Tim Ferriss, one of the most successful comedians alive barely mentions talent. He talks about systems. Writing on a schedule whether the…