Month: January 2018

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TO THE THINGS!

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1. SPOT MINI

The latest iteration of the robot dog from Boston Dynamic is MENTAL AND WHEN YOUR KIDS ARE YOUR AGE THEY’LL HAVE ALL ONE*

LOOK AT IT!

You can hit the image and it’ll open the 25 second YouTube video that goes shows just how darn realistic this thing is.

Boston Dynamics Spot Mini.

Coming to a vision of the future near you.

*And by ‘have one’ I mean, ‘will probably live in a neighbourhood where these things patrol the streets at night and act as a weird kind of security nightmare for would-be crims/dystopian governments wanting to keep its citizens in check. Maybe. 

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2. GEE DEE PEE AAAAARGH! 

If you keep reading about how huge GDPR (aka the General Data Protection Regulation) will be (and how it will massively impact your day-to-day business) and yet still have ZERO CLUE what the HELL it is and WHAT IN THE HEAVENS you should ACTUALLY BE DOING ABOUT IT.

Then please, worry no more.

Econsultancy has been looking at the whole thing from a marketer’s* perspective and has compiled a handy list of its blog posts to date on the topic as well as a bunch of training courses for you to go and have a look at.

It isn’t scary and, if you’re in marketing (hell, even if you’re not) you should read it. It WILL impact your business.

Off you pop.

*Note: ‘Marketers’ not ‘Marketeers’. We market stuff, we’re not running around with swords and muskets like some crass over-branded version of ourselves. Blergh. 

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3. HOW TO TAKE A PICTURE OF A STEALTH BOMBER OVER THE ROSE BOWL

The photo is not a fake.

And here’s how it was shot

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4. THE FALL OF TRAVIS

I’ve written about the absolute state that is Travis Kalanick (and Uber) several times before in this newsletter. It doesn’t matter if you’re super familiar with everything that happened or in actual fact have never paid any attention to any of it, this Bloomberg Business piece is a must-read.

Damming. Horrifying. Ridiculous. Peak BS.

#DeleteUber.

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5. GARY VAYNERCHUK IS TRYING TO KILL YOU

Jon Westenberg writes.

‘I can’t even express to you how unhealthy [the above] is likely to be.

If you work a full time job, and you get home from it and spend time with your family, and then work until 2 or 3 AM and then get up and do it again, you are going to have a nervous breakdown.

You are going to suffer. You are going to be exhausted. It’s going to severely impact the people around you in negative ways. It’s just not sustainable to live that kind of lifestyle, and the damage you will do to your relationships and your mental and emotional — let alone physical — health could last a lifetime.’

Westenberg is right.

And he speaks from experience too.

Sorry, Gary, I’m with Jon.

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PRE-BONUS ESSENTIAL READING: 

Only the essentials. 

• The Larry Nassar case has reached its conclusion. Judge Aquilina’s reading of Nassar’s pre-trial letter is essential viewing. 
• Wieden + Kennedy has allegedly dismissed its Chief Strategy Officer citing ‘Corrective Action‘. Not the first – and not the last. Time’s up. 
• The senior male talent at the BBC agree to reduce their salary to defuse gender pay gap. Pay the men less vs paying the women more – what?
• The female price of male pleasure – this is hard reading. But for love the of God, especially if you’re in possession of a Y Chromosome, read it.  

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THE BONUS SECTION OF BONUS-SHAPED BONUSES: 

Bon. Us. Good together - 

• Instagram tells everyone when you’re online, here’s how to hide it.
• Thanks for the link love, Caroline. I think you drove a ton of subscribers this week!
• Never get high on your own supply (also: why my children will never be on social media).
• ‘We feel like we’re at war with an algorithm and the only move is not to play‘.
• Here is a Super Nintendo Emulator built into your browser (thanks, Matt Muir, for ruining my productivity today).
• This is a punchy headline (but I love it – and the article).
• On my gamer list this week is INSIDE by Playdead. I just finished it and it is ace. If you game, download it and play it. It is beautiful.
• Writing a book? This is why you need an agent.
• PACIFIC RIM: UPRISING has a new trailer. BOOM CRASH ROBOTS.
• I love this Chinese ‘Karma’ meme videos.
• And finally, the best new Twitter account this week.

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THIS IS THE END. 

There’s a running joke among some of the folk I’ve worked longest with: ‘The many lives of James Whatley’ – they say. The work I’ve done, the odd semi-successful careers I’ve had. The places I’ve found myself in, and the people I’ve met – it’s all just chance, really.

Yes, a wink and a smile goes a long way but – in the end – it’s how you hold yourself when the going gets tough.

Be the grass. Not the stone. Flow with the weather. Don’t close up and go brittle. You could break. Sway.

This stuff takes practice.

This week’s advice for the weekend is to consider others. While I would never, ever counsel measuring yourself with someone else’s yardstick, you should always be mindful of the unseen battles that others are struggling with.

Literally, no one has roses all the time.

No one.

Be kind.

To yourself and each other.

Whatley out, x. 

Hola

Did you know, if you SUBSCRIBE to the Five things on Friday newsletter, you are 100% guaranteed to get MORE STUFF (eg: a proper intro and probably some more gifs) than reading it here on whatleydude.com.

So y’know, SUBSCRIBE TODAY.

And now, your things:

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1. THE BEST PARTY IDEA 

I love a party. I also love making party guests work. You can ask anyone that’s ever been to a party I’ve thrown (tie party, come as an effing hipster, Halloween, animals – you name it – but the rule is, if you don’t participate, just don’t come) – this is something I like to do.

So imagine my UTTER GLEE when I saw a tweet earlier this week talking about a party where EVERYONE HAD TO PREPARE A THREE MINUTE LECTURE ON SOMETHING THEY WERE PASSIONATE ABOUT.

This is a great idea. The rules are for the DTL party (Drink Talk Learn – obviously) are as follows (and are lifted kindly from the thread of above tweet):

So please, all of you, at once. Go away and do this. If you’re a subscriber to this and you consider us real-world friends (I’m looking at you, Robbie) then expect an invite to one of these by the summertime.

Drink. Talk. Learn.

I think that’s great advice to be taking into the New Year. Don’t you?

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2. MUMS NOT DADS 

A simple question: ‘Since becoming a parent, how do you do it all?’ – and yet, only asked of Mums. Not Dads. Parents, this one is for you.

‘As a mother and the founder and CEO of a digital health company, I frequently get asked about “work-life balance.” My husband, Lee Teslik, an executive at Google, who changes as many diapers as I do, has had a very different experience. We’ve never really talked about this dynamic before, so one recent Sunday afternoon while our son was napping, we tape-recorded a conversation about the subject. The following is an excerpt—with all expletives, politics, and tears edited out.’

Read the full conversation, via Quartz.

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3. DYING

Two things about death.

First, this website I found this week via the Warren Ellis newsletter (it is excellent – he is mental, and Morning Computer is probably my favourite thing of his but still, that newsletter be hiding real gems). This - A Course In Dying – is worth your time. A website specifically set up to encourage people to have more conversations about death and dying. We don’t do it until it’s upon us and, lo and behold, by then it is too late. Use A Course In Dying to build your own death awareness – and see where it takes you.

The second thing about dying – specifically, death – is written by Holly Butcher. 27 years old and no longer with us, Holly’s note about what matters and what doesn’t will move even the coldest heart. Read it. Use it.

I passed it to a loved one this week and they said upon reading that they would read it daily to help keep them sane and focused on the things that matter.

Maybe you might do the same.

Probably the most important read this week.

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4. ELLEN POMPEO, GREY FROM GREY’S ANATOMY, ON FINE FORM HERE

This is a great interview.

Read it.

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5. BROOKLYN LAGER: MAKING THE BRAND. 

I was adamant that I’d shared this story before. Turns out I haven’t (at least, I don’t think I have). Anyway, the point is – Brooklyn Lager has appeared out of relatively nowhere and can now be found pretty much everywhere. The logo, however, that CLASSIC logo – ain’t as classic as it looks. It was invented (of course it was) to make you think that it had been around for years.

Not a new trick, not by any stretch. But an enjoyable read all the same.

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PRE-BONUS ESSENTIAL READING: 

Only the essentials. 

• I quite like Daniel Radcliffe’s response to Johnny Depp’s casting in the next Fantastic Beasts movie. 
• This Eliza Dushku *on the set of TRUE LIES* story is awful. 
• Jeez, Sharon Stone.
• Aziz Ansari – so much to write and share. Babe.net. The email thing. Jezebel. Eesh. Instead, read this - from GQ – about consent, what it means, and why TIME’S UP isn’t just about women coming forward, it’s about men changing their/our behaviour.
• Bonus one for the boys – here’s THE ROCK TEST – this is great.

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THE BONUS SECTION OF BONUS-SHAPED BONUSES: 

This week, putting the onus into bonus.  

• This made me laugh perhaps more than it should’ve done.
• Wanna write about games/film/TV/music/Internet culture? WIRED is open for pitching.
• Hugo Rifkind’s conversation with a Nazi.
• Bill and Melinda Gates are paying off Nigeria’s $76m debt to Japan –incredible.
• Typography on the Subway.
• We need to talk about Diet Coke. (via Mark Ritson (register to read)).
• The ‘techlash‘.
• Whatsapp is finally launching Whatsapp for [small] businesses. Android only for now. Telling.
• In #OgilvyTrends2018, I wrote that Augmented Reality was A) a slow burn and B) finally getting real. Here’s something to support A – andhere’s something to support B.
• Another trend thing – Voice SEO. This is really interesting.
• The Hawaii missile alert set off a whole bunch of stuff. Also: this.

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LOOKS LIKE WE MADE IT. LOOK HOW FAR WE’VE COME, MY BABY. 

I’ve got a good feeling about 2018. I don’t know what it is – or where it’s come from. I know me better than I’ve ever known me before. And that’s a huge thing to be able to say. I’ll write about it soon – maybe in June – and tell you all about it.

Thank you for reading.

Thank you, to those of you that do, for writing.

Just… thank you.

My moral advice for the weekend ahead is to just say thank you.

Until next time, fam.

Whatley out, x. 

Howdy.

Did you know, if you SUBSCRIBE to the Five things on Friday newsletter, you are 100% guaranteed to get MORE STUFF (eg: a proper intro and probably some more gifs) than reading it here on whatleydude.com.

So y’know, SUBSCRIBE TODAY.

Shall we crack on?

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1. THE ONE QUESTION DEBATES

In London at the end of February? This might be of interest to you.

The consistently fantastic One Question is putting on an evening of debate next month that will take on the question ‘What does brand really mean?‘

Taking place at the rather lovely Soho Hotel, the evening is a slightly different take on its original concept with, instead of individual and multi-industry responses to the one question, a five-person debate focused in and round one industry. And for this first one, that industry is going to be Marketing and Advertising.

Reps from Pepsi and Sony are already confirmed for the panel with more being announced as we lead up to the event.

Tickets are £50 + VAT (before going up to £75 from Feb 1st onwards) – and are on sale NOW.

I’m going so fingers crossed I’ll see you there.

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2. YOU GOT NO FEMALE SPEAKERS? 

Rubbish!

Here’s 50 from The Dots and The Drum.

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3. ARTWORK PERSONALISATION AT NETFLIX

This is super interesting. Netflix has lifted the lid on how it ensures when recommendations are made, you get the right artwork that pushes you over the line.

There are many roads to Good Will Hunting but your jumping in point(s) may look very different, for example.

Covering off the what, the how, and the testing of both (and more) this is a really compelling and enjoyable read.

Good job, Netflix.

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4. THE STRANGE BRANDS IN YOUR INSTAGRAM FEED

It begins:

“It all started with an Instagram ad for a coat, the West Louis (TM) Business-Man Windproof Long Coat to be specific. It looked like a decent camel coat, not fancy but fine. And I’d been looking for one just that color, so when the ad touting the coat popped up and the price was in the double-digits, I figured: hey, a deal!”

“Several weeks later, the coat showed up in a black plastic bag emblazoned with the markings of China Post, that nation’s postal service. I tore it open and pulled out the coat. The material has the softness of a Las Vegas carpet and the rich sheen of a velour jumpsuit. The fabric is so synthetic, it could probably be refined into bunker fuel for a ship. It was, technically, the item I ordered, only shabbier than I expected in every aspect.”

This isn’t the first time I’ve heard of such a story but it is the first time I’d read about it happening via The Atlantic.

And of course, The Atlantic keeps digging.

Savvy salesfolk picking goods from supplier they’ll never know, to ship products they’ll never touch, to consumers they’ll never meet.

It’s a huge market apparently.

Go see.

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5. THE FACEBOOK NEWSFEED APOCALYPSE

Even if you only barely touch the digital marketing industry, you must – I’m hoping – be aware of the most recent announcement from old Zuckerface himself regarding Facebook’s next evolutionary step in what it will and will not shove into its users’ eyeballs.

The full update is available for your perusal (of course) however the main things to take away are:

1. If you’re a crap publisher/content creator who specialises in creating cruddy content that does stuff like ‘Like if you agree, comment if you don’t’ – your days are numbered.
2. If you’re a crap publisher/content creator who makes/publishes stuff that people just don’t enjoy, talk about, or interact with – your days are numbered.
3. Organic reach is actually over (it’s OK, we’ve only been saying this since 2014).
4. Facebook is still hawking LIVE – this is hilarious.
5. If you keep tabs on your month-on-month numbers and you see a dip this year. It ain’t you, it’s Facebook.

The whole thing is worth a read and you should really read up on it – even if it isn’t something you touch day to day (LIES), at least have a basic understanding of how the platform that you spend your life consuming actually works.

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PRE-BONUS ESSENTIAL READING: 

Only the essentials. 

• This is a good story about how someone got called out for behaviour. That someone then apologised. Properly. Then how the accuser accepted that apology. Definitely, listen to the show mentioned. I did. Made me think.
• Justin Baldoni’s TED Talk on ‘Why I’m done trying to be man enough‘ is also worth your time. Stick with it.
• CES has a diversity problem. It’s past time to fix it.
• I would really like Oprah’s acceptance speech to my alarm clock every morning.

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THE BONUS SECTION OF BONUS-SHAPED BONUSES: 

B O N U S. I said B O N U S.

• You knew this already but – and as if it needed confirming - the President of the USA is a racist.
• There is a GIF.
• My friend Chris worked on this awesome Taco Bell activation. Nice work, Chris.
• News UK has uncovered around $1m worth of lost revenue through fake ad inventory. This is cray.
• How to have a good debate in a meeting.
• Unplug. Seriously. Unplug. 

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YAY! YOU MADE IT! CHECK YOU OUT! YOU SEXY MOFO. DAYAM. WOO. 

And here we are, once more, at the end of another Five things on Friday. This time, on an actual Friday.

Trebles all round.

I’m going to end this week’s edition with the best three words I learnt in 2017. Those three words are: ‘And that’s OK’. Try it next time someone is telling you that so and so is angry about this, or someone else is having an ansty opinion about that, or even if someone close to you is having a hard time and getting upset… Y’know what, you’re upset – and that’s OK. That person is angry, and that’s OK. That person wants to say something that means something to themselves – and that’s OK. Accept it. Live in it. Breathe it in, breathe with it – and let it out. You might not like it at first…

And that’s OK.

Until next time, fam.

Whatley out, x. 

Howdy.

Did you know, if you SUBSCRIBE to the Five things on Friday newsletter, you are 100% guaranteed to get MORE STUFF (eg: a proper intro and probably some more gifs) than reading it here on whatleydude.com.

So y’know, SUBSCRIBE TODAY.

ONWARDS!

For now, here’s a taster of what you would find within.

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1. RUSSELL HOWARD + JOHN OLIVER 

I had no idea these two were mates.

And, because they are, this chat between the two is really great watching.

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2. OOO AHH, OGILVY TRENDS WEBINAR

Remember that Ogilvy Key Digitial Trends document I was wanging on about last year? Well, with around 90k views and counting, my esteemed friend and ex-colleague, Marshall Manson and I are getting together on Jan 11th for a couple of free webinars that YOU dear reader can join (hopefully covering enough timezones that mean no matter where you are, there’ll be an option for you).

8am – 9am GMT, register here.
4pm – 5pm GMT, register here.

If you want to join the webinar, you must must must register. To manage expectations and stuff, what you’ll see is the same old deck linked above (except in a higher res and the occasional gif) with the added bonus of being able to hear Marshall and I chat about the thinking behind it all. Oh, and you can ask questions using the webinar interface as well as on the hashtag, #OgilvyTrends2018.

See you there!

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3. YOU SHOULD ALL BUY THE POLPO COOKBOOK

A couple of weeks before Christmas the lovely folk at Google invited me and a few other agency people to a lunch at Polpo at the Ape & Bird. The goody bag at the end of said meal contained this beauty:

It has sat on my kitchen side for the best part of a month until, this weekend – in fact, yesterday – I decided to open it and start seeing what I could make.

AND HOLY HELL WOW WHAT AMAZINGNESS LIES WITHIN.

LOOK!

More photos.

The main thing to take away from this is that the dishes made (also made a chili prawn thing but I ate them all before I remembered to take any photos – oops) were just so darn easy. Literally spent less than 20mins on the pea/prawn thing. AND IT WAS SO GOOD.

Anyway, I managed to get through this whole thing without telling you how much I am a fan of Polpo (and have been for years) and that Russell Norman is a top bloke too.

So yeah - buy the book.

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4. THE SECTION OF MY 2017 BESTS

When I started drafting this section I had a great vision of writing a huge list of all my 2017 bests.

My plan was to start off with the always fantastic Hype Machine Zeitgeist playlist (maybe put this on before clicking the next link) but then I tweeted most of it. So instead of doing that, here’s that list, but with added context:

BEST MOVIE – BLADERUNNER 2049

I saw this at the IMAX in Stockholm with a couple of pals and it just completely and utterly blew me away. I think it’s probably going to be the only Blu-ray I buy this year purely because, when I watch it again, I want it to be as pure and as perfect as it was when I first saw it. And pumped through the surround sound so loud that the neighbours complain.

This film was BEAUTIFUL to look at, INCREDIBLE to listen to, and SUBLIME to experience. If you disagree, tell me. But don’t expect a reasoned response back.

BEST VIDEO GAME - HELLBLADE: SENUA’S SACRIFICE

I’ve covered this in previous editions (for most detail, see item 2 on issue #241). Hellblade is a PHENOMENAL game, with a strong female lead, great design choices, and above all, a deft grasp and representation of the mental illness its protagonist suffers from.

Honourable mentions to Horizon Zero Dawn (wow) and a late contender, Mario Odyssey (just pure fun).

BEST SONG – BEAR CLAWS, THE ACADEMIC

This song first came into my head after I featured it in a FToF a while back for having a super music video that took advantage of the delay feature on Facebook Live. You remember it. Anyway, it became my most played song on Spotify. Meaning, by default, it was my best song.

BEST STREAMED THING ON TV

1. THE OA
2. 13 REASONS WHYY
3. STAR TREK: DISCOVERY

A bunch of people I told about The OA told me it was pretentious guff and that I had no idea what the hell I was talking about. To those people, I say you know nothing. I thought it was courageous, unique, and compelling.

13 Reasons Why I saw at an interesting time in my life and it utterly destroyed me at the end. Please watch it.

Star Trek: Discovery isn’t really Star Trek but nor is it not Star Trek like Nu-Trek, it’s something different – and it’s actually great.

BEST REAL THING ON TV – WOULD I LIE TO YOU

Consistently the funniest thing on TV, Would I Lie To You (or ‘WILTY’) never fails to amuse. It is quintessentially British and relies on wit, wordplay, and absurdity to keep it moving. Three things that I adore.

If you’re not watching it, you’re missing out.

BEST NEWSLETTER – WEB CURIOS

Matt Muir is a great wordsmith. Counter that with a healthy disdain for all things ‘advermarketingpr’, as he calls it, and you have about 1/6 of what makes up one of the best things I read every week.

A very well deserved second place to Jed Hallam and the ESSENTIAL music newsletter, Love Will Save The Day. I listen most weeks and I am never disappointed.

I could link you but if you read this often you’re probably subscribed already and if you’re not, well, you know how to use Google.

….

On that note, I am tired. It is late. And I need to get this finished. The rest of the list is here – any questions, email me.

Ha.
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5. THIS WEEK, IN INDUSTRY LAND

Here’s a bunch of links to do with the work I do. All are interesting. Some more so than others.

• ‘Diageo halts Snapchat advertising over age concerns‘ – was the headline. But, to be fair, the real headline should read ‘Diageo halts Snapchat advertising after realising it couldn’t get away with it for much longer as the ASA had started paying attention and we all know Snapchat is a) for the kids and b) fairly light when it comes to audience data.
• BBH on EXCELLENT form here: ‘Have we lost the ability to make what we make interesting?‘
• On a related note, the Chinese shoe company hair-on-Instagram trick is as genius as it is telling of the disease that has gripped digital marketing.
• Speaking of awful digital marketing, this piece ‘Towards a bra-free Instagram experience‘ is gut-wrenching. Glad the campaign for real beauty is had such a long-lasting impact, you guys. Side note: when I get time, I’m adding ALL of this is Instagram Ads Are Awful.
• The ASA is investigating the tea-bagging tweet from Poundland. There’s a line I never thought I’d write. I started forming an opinion about this when it first happened, and then I thought ‘Y’know what, they’re in it for the angry tweets – I can’t be bothered’. Reading that headline, above, though, did remind me that the ASA is mainly utterly useless when it comes to social media advertising. Will it be April when we find out that the ASA thinks the tweet should be deleted, do you think? Sigh.
• Not quite industry-related but still something that I think belongs in this section: Mark Zuckerberg has said that his ‘thing’ for 2018 is to ‘fix’ Facebook. There are a few things here. First: if Facebook needs fixing – and if Mark Zuckerberg SAYS that Facebook needs fixing – then Facebook is BROKEN. This is a BIG DEAL. Second, previous ‘things’ from MZ have been stuff like ‘meet more people’ and ‘build an AI assistant for my home’. Like, a side-project or something. One can’t help but wonder ‘Dude, if your SIDE PROJECT is fixing Facebook, then what in the actual hell is your day to day?!’. AMIRITE?
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PRE-BONUS ESSENTIAL READING: 

Only the essentials. 

• Rose McGowan is about to tell her story.
• We need to reckon with the President’s Misconduct. 

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THE BONUS SECTION OF BONUS-SHAPED BONUSES: 

Bo-nus, ba-ba-ba-ba-bo-nus.

• No, Google’s Pixel Buds won’t change the world.
• 2017 we fought for democracy, now what?
• Nine things I don’t miss about Alcohol Addiction.
• The Marvel Cinematic Universe, in chronological order.
• A great list of amazing women speakers.
• Buying a new 4K TV in the sales and considering what size you should get? This is worth a read.
• I really enjoyed this NYT Jordan Peele profile.
• I forget that Christopher Reeve and Robin Williams were best mates.This reminded me.
• Can I get the completely real rules for Countdown?Love this. 
• When you put YouTube Kids next to Nickelodeon like this, suddenly the disparity is HUGE.
• The FT wrote about Jack Dorsey at the end of 2016. Kinda still rings true.

Last thing: in the final edition of last year, I told you about a play that my friends Emma and David were trying to crowdfund. Well, with no thanks to me (I forgot to link the damn thing) they’ve funded! So please do support them and go see the show. It’s on until the end of Jan. So y’know, do a nice thing.  

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YOU ARE NOW AT THE END AND MAY SOON CLOSE YOUR EYES TO SLIP INTO THE EXISTENTIAL DREAD OF CONSIDERING WHAT 2018 MIGHT BRING TO YOUR LIFE. 

Thanks for reading, gang. A bit of a hodge-potch this week (it’s my first week back on the horse – give me a break).

Hi to all the newbies etc. I hope you all have a productive and awesome week.

See you next Friday. Ish.

Whatley out x.