478: Austin, the GPT-4 CEO, and 30 feet of snow
Skipped issue last week due to the craziness of SXSW in Austin.
Was good to see the city again after the pandemic though. It’s changed drastically since I was last there in 2014. And so has SXSW - either I’m jaded or the event has degraded greatly towards corporate noise over indie signal - probably both.
This has become the most gentrified city I’ve ever seen. South Congress, East Sixth, and Rainey Streets all bulge with giant condos and bougie retail built mere years ago. The ‘Keep Austin Weird’ vibe is still alive, but pushed further south to Lamar and 1st avenue. I suppose allowing rapid development is still better than blocking it like we do in CA, but it is sad to see the soul-less downstream effects of the pure money drives.
I can see why the coastal elites move here. Warm weather, no income tax, cheaper rent, and a friendly townie vibe all make for easier living than where they come from. The downgrade in size, optionality, and industry is palpable though, and definitely crosses it off my personal living list for the near future.
Billboards here advertise podcasts and restaurants, not movies or apps. :P
My favorite spots were the spa/float/IV infusion place Kuya, and the delicious Ayurvedic eatery and village at Casa De Luz. I heard good things about Burner event venues High Brow Low Brow, Indra’s Awarehouse, and the West China Tea House.
Tech
Matt Levine of Bloomberg has a comprehensive take on the aftershocks of the SVB collapse that helps explain what still might come as a result.
OpenAI’s GPT-4 is out and smarter than ever. This guy asked it to run a business for him, and does whatever it says. So far he’s got an affiliate marketing shop, logo, and $10k of rando investor money who want in on the scheme - but no revenue, lol.
History
This Native vanlifer asks for the National Parks to be given back to the Natives, arguing that they can steward the lands better, as they had since time inmemorial. Plus she challenges our notion of ‘untouched wilderness’, as it was still touched and tended by humans, simply in different ways.
I’m intrigued by this as a possible step in the #Landback movement, for these are likely the least developed parts of the nation, and thus not defensible by the white man’s argument of property investment meanwhile. Obviously many more questions to resolve fist.
Fun
Before Austin I was snowboarding in Tahoe during the largest snowfall in 50 years. We’re talking 20-30 foot snowbanks towering over every road, and trapping a dozen cars from our little caravan less than a mile from the house.
Peep this news coverage to see more crazy footage of the most snow I’ve ever seen.
I consider myself a meme connoisseur, and this account run by a PDX graphic designer in his spare time is one of the most consistent and prolific I have ever seen.
Hot takes on things you’ve experienced!