Sent as a newsletter June 19, 2023. Not on my list? Join here.
👋 Hi friends,
Welcome to the latest edition of Newley’s Notes, a weekly newsletter containing my recent Wall Street Journal stories, must-read links on tech and life, and funny dog videos.
Image of the week, above:
A Hong Kong vanity plate for the finance buffs and economic historians out there: September 15, 2008.
Yes, that’s the day Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy.
My WSJ latest:
I’ve had a couple of stories out since my last dispatch, both touching on Hong Kong and big tech.
The first, earlier this month: 32 YouTube Videos Cited as Court Is Asked to Ban ‘Glory to Hong Kong’ Protest Anthem <– Free link
The lede:
Government officials in the financial center are seeking a court order to block the dissemination online of a popular pro-democracy song, the first major legal challenge to U.S. tech companies such as Google over politically sensitive content on their platforms.
And the second, out last week: American Tech Giants Are Slowly Cutting Off Hong Kong Internet Users. <– Free link
It began:
Bit by bit, American tech giants are shutting out users in Hong Kong, where moves by authorities to thwart online dissent are shifting the target from individuals to platforms such as Google’s YouTube.
As they say: watch this space.
Here are 10 items worth your time this week:
1) 🗞 How a graduate student at the College of Charleston discovered the largest known slave auction in the U.S.
2) 🪐 One of Saturn’s moons contains all of the elements needed for life.
3) 🏃♂️ More and more research shows that, even compared to other lifestyle factors, ample exercise is the key to longevity.
4) 📹 A profile of YouTuber Mr. Beast – real name: Jimmy Donaldson – whose philanthropic stunts have gained him more than 150 million subscribers.
5) 🗣 South Florida is home to a new dialect of English.
6) 🧼 A look at the company culture and corporate performance of Dr. Bronner’s, which clocked $170 million in revenue last year.
7) ⭐ Dozens of the world’s most popular self-help books, boiled down to 11 core teachings.
8) 💧 Big rain + big snowfall this year = amazing waterfalls in Yosemite.
9) 📖 RIP, Cormac McCarthy.
10) ⚽ Here is a lovely story about an over–80 soccer league in Tokyo.
•••
🦴 Dog-related video of the week:
“He’ll keep doing this until you give him belly rubs.”
•••
💡 Quote of the week:
“People who think they have writer’s block don’t have writer’s block. They have fear of bad writing. If you show me all your bad writing, sooner or later you’re going to have to show me some good writing.” – Seth Godin
•••
👊 Fist bump from Hong Kong,
Newley