Good morning and happy Humpday!

I guess you know you did a conference properly when you get home, and you have the flu.

Folks, ETH Denver had me down for the count for 3 days after the fact and I’m still not over whatever the hell I got out there. The week in Denver was phenomenal and we made a ton of connections and shook a bunch of hands, I’m looking forward to getting some of them on the podcast as guests!

Today will be a short one, I spent way too much time fighting with Adobe applications and my body from my bed today.

By the way, did you see BTC hit an ATH yesterday?

-Wally

Key Stories

Speedrun

• Macy’s chose a slow death

• On This Day

• We are in the foothills of a nasty tech battle

• Headline Palooza

• Decent Destination

Retail

Macy’s Is Living in The Past

Macy's big pivot to shrink their store size in the face of the online shopping juggernaut feels like a swing and a miss.

They're planning to shut down 150 of their massive stores by 2025, swapping them out for smaller, supposedly more intimate spots. But let's be real: when the convenience of Amazon's same-day delivery is just a click away, the lure of stepping into any Macy's, no matter how quaint, loses its shine.

The contrast couldn't be starker. Amazon is dishing out packages at breakneck speed, setting a standard that's hard to ignore. Meanwhile, Macy's and their retail brethren are stuck in the slow lane, with delivery times that can't hold a candle to the online giant's efficiency.

This strategy from Macy's raises some eyebrows. Doubling down on brick-and-mortar, even in a downsized format, feels a bit out of touch. It's not just about having the right items in stock anymore. Today's shopping game is all about speed and convenience—getting what you want without ever leaving your sofa.

As Macy's gambles on this new approach amidst a shaky commercial real estate scene, one can't help but wonder if they're reading the room right. Are smaller stores really the answer, or is this just a costly detour on the inevitable road to digital dominance? In the retail realm's cutthroat race, it's adapt or get left behind, and Macy's latest move has us all watching closely.

On This Day

1924: King Tut’s Tomb Unsealed

In 1924, the grand unveiling of King Tut's tomb cracked open more than just the final resting place of a young pharaoh; it might have unleashed every curse in the book. Opening ancient tombs is like the historical equivalent of reading a "do not open" sign and doing it anyway. Fast forward to now, and every time something bizarre happens, you've got to wonder if King Tut's just up there, shaking his golden scepter at us.

AI

What Goes Around Comes Around

Last week, we touched on Elon Musk's legal tangle with OpenAI, accusing them of straying from their nonprofit roots for profit, potentially jeopardizing humanity's well-being.

Well, strap in, because this drama just cranked up to soap opera levels. OpenAI clapped back with a set of emails from Musk himself, circa December 2018. And guess what? They show Elon not only knew about the pivot to profit but was all for it. He even pitched a Tesla-OpenAI supergroup to rival Google's AI prowess, signing off with some cryptic "fate of humanity" cliffhanger.

So, here we are, watching this heavyweight tech feud unfold, and it's getting messier by the minute. Did Elon really think an email like that wouldn't come back to haunt him? It's like he handed OpenAI the perfect ammo to shoot down his lawsuit, gift-wrapped with a bow on top.

This whole saga's turning into a classic case of tech titans clashing, with enough plot twists to keep us all hooked. But for Elon, this particular twist might just be a plot hole he can't charm his way out of. It's one thing to champion the moral high ground; it's another to have your past emails contradict your current crusade. As this battle rages on, one thing's clear: the only winners here are the popcorn vendors.

Headline Palooza

Decent Destinations

Machu Picchu, Andes Mountains, Peru

Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Incas, is like nature's version of a grand stage, set high in the Andes. Trekking here is a journey back in time with some incredible views. Just remember, the altitude might take your breath away before the views do, so pace yourself – those ancient Incas weren't messing around when they built this mountaintop masterpiece.