Good morning and happy Friday!

Every day that goes by I find more evidence that we are living in a simulation that is breaking.

The head of AI Responsibility at Google is Jen Gennai.

And in the next Act, someone named Abe Washington will run for president and the U.S. will fight a second Civil War because a robot takes control of the West and attempts to secede.

Have a great Friday! (reading the rest of the newsletter has been proven* to increase the likelihood of a great Friday)

-Wally 

*No one has ever said it made their Friday worse

Key Stories

Speedrun

• Back to the Moon!

• On This Day

• Mix of Mixes - Jams for your weekend endeavors

• Headline Palooza

• Decent Destination

• Reddit is going… public?!

Space

Moon Landings: Not Just for NASA Anymore

So here we are, officially in the age where private companies are landing spacecrafts on the damn moon.

Intuitive Machines just pulled off what used to be a NASA exclusive (though, in conjunction with NASA), and they did it with style, targeting the lunar south pole because apparently, the moon is now prime real estate.

And about those chickpeas grown in lunar soil by Texas A&M students – that's not old news, it's a glimpse into what future lunar farming looks like. We're talking about actual food growth on the moon, which is pretty wild when you think about it.

But this leap towards the stars makes you wonder, what's the rush? With all the unsolved puzzles and untapped potential here on Earth, diving headfirst into lunar colonization feels like we're skipping a few steps. We're out here planning lunar bases when we haven't even mastered our own planet yet. According to the Kardashev scale, we're still a Type 0 civilization, struggling to fully harness the energy of Earth, let alone manage its natural disasters.

Intuitive Machines' moon landing is a big deal, no doubt. It's a testament to human ingenuity and the boundless possibilities of private enterprise in space exploration. But it also shines a spotlight on our earthly shortcomings.

As we chart this new territory, driven by visionaries and private capital, it's a thrilling time to be alive for space enthusiasts. But let's not forget the work that needs to be done at home. Maybe, just maybe, the innovations and discoveries from these lunar adventures can help us solve some of Earth's more pressing issues. Here's to hoping the moon can teach us a thing or two about taking care of our own backyard.

On This Day

1826: Remember the Alamo

On February 23, 1836, the Siege of the Alamo commenced, marking a critical juncture in the Texas Revolution. Defenders, including legends like Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie, held out against General Santa Anna's forces for 13 days. This stand at a small mission in San Antonio became a symbol of resilience and the rallying cry "Remember the Alamo!" spurred the eventual victory for Texas independence.

Decent Music

Mix of Mixes

Weekly list of DJ Mixes (this week available on Apple Music) as compiled by MacEwen Patterson

I pick DJ sets at random and jot down the ones that move me. Maybe they’ll move you too.

Little Fritter: Under Construction in LA (DJ Mix) - This blew my mind. These sets are dynamite and I need to learn more about this artist. I was camping and listening to this at the campfire on mushrooms. Ultimate!

Boiler Room: Louise Chen in London, Mar 22, 2023 (DJ Mix) - Just nasty, funky, grimy, acid house to make your body move. She kills it.

Martin Garrix Presents IDEM at RAI Amsterdam, Oct 20, 2023 (DJ Mix) - I wasn’t familiar with his catalog and now, after three hours, I feel like I get it. Lush strings, throbbing baselines, tweaky techy effects and catchy vocals. Solid, high-energy set.

‎The KLF Essentials - Playlist - Apple Music - Not technically a DJ mix but an historic collection of seminal dance music from this enigmatic duo. Their album “Chill Out” isn’t available on this platform but it’s a mix worth adding to your collection.

‎Early Hours (DJ Mix) - Album by Air - Apple Music - Another in the Early Hours series, this leans heavily into the influences of French band, Air. A more cerebral, less rhythmic journey than others in the series, it provides a rare and delicious history lesson.

Got a mix you think I should hear? Shout out.

MacEwen Patterson DJ’d clubs in Mexico City, San Diego, Phoenix, Tucson, Dallas, Orlando, Miami, New York, Detroit, Chicago, Portland, San Francisco, and Tahiti as well as weekly residencies in Los Angeles from 1996-2001. He is launching a weekly mixshow on Decent Media in the coming months. Watch this space for updates.

Headline Palooza

Decent Destinations

Iguazu Falls, Brazil-Argentina

Iguazu Falls, straddling the border between Argentina and Brazil, offers a breathtaking spectacle unlike any other. This natural wonder, consisting of over 250 cascades, creates a panorama of roaring water and misty rainbows. Visitors can explore various trails and viewpoints, feeling the spray and hearing the thunderous sound of water, truly immersing themselves in the power and beauty of nature.

Finance

Reddit’s IPO: Trading Memes for Shares

Hold up, the internet's favorite chaos factory, Reddit, is stepping into Wall Street with an IPO?

That's right, the same place where you can spiral down a rabbit hole of conspiracies and 3 AM existential debates is about to rub shoulders with Wall Street's finest. It's sort of like watching your wild college buddy get married and have kids – you're proud, but also a bit stunned that he even pulled it off at all.

Reddit's cashing in over $230 million by selling our meme-fueled banter and endless debates to AI companies. It's a strange thought, right? Our online rants and raves are training the next wave of AI.

And let's not breeze past Sam Altman's piece of the pie. The OpenAI wiz holding an 8% stake in Reddit is like a nod of approval from one of Silicon Valley's sharpest minds. If Altman's betting on Reddit, maybe there's something to this after all.

But let's get real for a second. The idea of Reddit's wild west being a playground for AI training is a bit of a head-scratcher. Sure, there's gold in those hills of data, but it's mixed in with a lot of... Let's call it "creative expression."

Reddit flipping the script and turning their data into a treasure chest for AI companies is pretty savvy. In a world where AI's hungrier for data than ever, Reddit's sitting on a gold mine that will continue to replenish itself.

So, as Reddit gets ready to don its suit and tie for the stock market, it's a moment that's equal parts surreal and fascinating. Even the most unexpected players can find themselves at the center of the tech universe.