Facts, Not Vibes, Make a Convincing Argument
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If you learn one thing from this newsletter, let it be this: Vibes are NOT facts! You’d be forgiven for thinking they are, given our current state of affairs and society’s unending love for memes. But here at Bloomberg — a media company that doubles as a financial software data company — people who use vibe shifts alone to make an argument aren’t gonna pass the smell test. Three examples from today:
Anyway, it’d be real neat if someone made this into a bumper sticker: Vibes Are Cool, But Facts Rule.
The other day, my desk neighbor Christina Sterbenz told me that we need to be gatekeeping more often. And you know what? I wholeheartedly agree with her. A bakery I frequent in New York City — no, you haven’t earned the name! — often has a line out the door, but the tourists always order the TikTok-famous baked goods, not realizing the true gems of the place are the limited-edition items. Like this tomato focaccia sandwich that honestly changed my life:
Which brings me to Howard Chua-Eoan, who says “too many of us seem to have the same bucket list: Climb Mount Everest; see the Mona Lisa; visit Versailles; circumambulate Stonehenge; sashay after geisha in Kyoto; float through Venice; ogle the Crown Jewels. The lack of originality has led to the overcrowding of these fabled sites — and a lot of grumbling from the locals. It’s also put many of the objects and sites at risk: Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece at the Louvre has been assaulted several times. Stonehenge was spray painted by climate activists. Kyoto’s elegantly kimonoed geisha have been harassed by amateur paparazzi dressed in dungarees.”
In an effort to remedy this, Howard offers up his own bucket list: Skip the Mona Lisa, see Lady with an Ermine, another Leonardo Da Vinci masterpiece. Instead of Versailles, check out the royal palace of Caserta, about a 40-minute drive outside Naples. Kyoto is cool, but Chengdu — the capital of China’s Sichuan province — is about 1,000 years older AND has giant pandas.
Also, I’d argue that not all bucket lists need to include elaborate, international travel plans. Mine, for instance, involves a tiramisu drawer and a strawberry sculpture — things I can do in my own kitchen. Maybe yours involves acquiring a certain seasonal tomato sandwich. Just a guess!
I swear, the DNC hasn’t been this much of a party since the days of Obamacore. Vice President Kamala Harris is bringing back the tan suit, of all things. Her supporters are rocking Nancy Pelosi “Godmother” pins. Young Sheldon and the Bushwick delegation are in attendance. Joe Biden is cracking jokes. AOC is doing heart hands after calling Trump a “two-bit union buster.” Tim Walz is galavanting around in Hokas. His kids are giving him bunny ears. The Wifi is good. And everyone (save for Kathy Hochul, maybe) is gearing up for a fight.
Appetizer Quote: “Where Trump’s mind is solipsistic, Harris’ worldview is open. Where he wants to retreat into isolationism, she intends to keep leading. Where his instinct is to go it alone (wasting America’s strength along the way), hers is to look for partners to share the burden, the better to conserve American might.” — Andreas Kluth, Harris and Walz Can Bring Worldliness to Chicago — and the World
Entrée Chart: This morning, Bloomberg News’ Amanda Gordon reported that women made up 60% of Democratic donors in July, when the campaign raised $310 million. “Harris could inspire more women to give — and, importantly, at higher rates — than in any federal election yet,” Amanda writes. While that’s certainly welcome news, Francis Wilkinson says a portion of women increasingly feel ostracized by the party. “It wasn’t long ago that about one-third of Democrats described themselves as pro-life,” he writes. But is there a place for anti-abortion Democrats in 2024? Francis joined Democrats for Life of America for a discussion to find out.
Dessert Photo: I really have no words for Nancy Pelosi’s embrace of Jack Schlossberg! But it’s amazing.
It’s one business heir versus another in the battle to take control of Paramount Global. — Chris Hughes
Why is Keir Starmer needlessly antagonizing such an important voting bloc? — Adrian Wooldridge
Thailand is in the middle of yet another political crisis. Citizens deserve better. — Karishma Vaswani
Asia’s richest man is using Shein to shake up India’s fast-fashion industry. — Andy Mukherjee
There’s no need to rush to build Indonesia’s jungle metropolis of Nusantara. — Daniel Moss
Africa needs more than an independent agency to fix its credit rating problem. — Ken Opalo
Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover was terrible for banks.
“Call Her Daddy” has a $100 million SiriusXM deal.
A luxury yacht sunk off the coast of Sicily.
Fewer teens want to get their driver’s license.
The best unsalted butter.
Creators aren’t editing anymore.
Beyoncé launched a whiskey brand.
Who gets the airline miles in the divorce?
Notes: Please send SirDavis and feedback to Jessica Karl at [email protected].
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