Your TL;DR Briefing on things worth tracking — and talking about over your next power lunch. *Wink.* This time the thing is absurd: Edelman profits on fossil fuel cash while representing U.N. climate talks in Brazil, as revealed in Clean Creatives' research into Big Oil in the creative industries.
The day after our resident street photographer landed in Portland, Oregon, the President of the United States declared it a "war zone," intending to send in troops following absurd occupations in D.C. and Chicago. But a long walk in Northeast revealed the vibe on the street was, well, not that.
This London Fashion Week has been a dazzling display of global design talent in the U.K. capital. Emerging designers turned heads. There was that upcycled parachute gown. And street style for days. But this recap is about an anxiety attack I had. Before the one show that, ultimately, gave me chills.
Between “The AI Con” book tour and marking three years of her “accidental” hit podcast, she still has time for Power Lunch. The director of research at DAIR — and ex-senior research scientist at Google — talks “AGI” silliness, the power of imagining possible futures and, of course, roller derby.
Your TL;DR Briefing on things worth tracking — and talking about over your next power lunch. *Wink.* This time the thing is the Back Indie Media Drive, Project C’s newsletter merger and the new new media ecosystem emerging beyond Substack’s walled garden.
My hand hurts. Ouch! I take a break to read research about handwriting’s much-publicized (alleged) death spiral. I then proceed to finish drafting the latest in the experimental BTS @ ESC series entirely with a pen — leaving you with something poetic to talk about at your next power lunch. *Wink*
She sold her first book on a lie. The lie? That she cared about tech burgers. Now, in the middle of a move back to New York City, a move off Substack, and her memoir, we set the table to discuss the mess of media work— covering everything from Carrie Bradshaw’s per word rates to martini tattoos.
Your TL;DR Briefing on things worth tracking — and talking about over your next power lunch. *Wink.* This time the thing is engagement casinos, attention slot machines and the fediverse rebels hustling for a social web no lone billionaire can own.
Silicon Valley’s sharpest critic, Paris Marx marks 5 years of Tech Won’t Save Us, telling ESC KEY .CO how he pushed through early anxiety to make the essential podcast on the subject. We set the table to discuss exiting U.S. tech, the state of criticism and one guest who made him a little nervous.
Last week, I got a creepy notification nudging me to follow an ex — on Substack. Then I realized how comprehensively the app had scraped my phone's contacts, a la the dark patterns of the monopoly-chasing social platforms that came before. My first question was, when had I ever consented to this?!
For her second graphic novel, “Simplicity,” this acclaimed cartoonist and a former editor at The Nib tried a new approach: save any idea that intuitively seemed to “fit.” She did that for more than a year. We set the table to talk her process, a literal vision and making trans culture right now.
For the latest in the experimental BTS @ ESC series, we mark our six-month anniversary by rounding up six books that got you talking. But this wouldn't be ESC KEY .CO unless we turned a listicle into an exploration of why book lists have such cultural power — and why lists will outlive the internet.
TL;DR Briefing
Your TL;DR Briefing on things worth tracking — and talking about over your next power lunch. *Wink.* This time the thing is the way climate change is tanking the world’s productivity, but venture capitalists would rather you not talk about actual productivity solutions.
TL;DR Briefing
Your TL;DR Briefing on things worth tracking — and talking about over your next power lunch. *Wink.* This time the thing is vastly improved GIF archaeology via the new GifCities search engine plus a short history of GeoCities cyber neighborhoods and the case for reclaiming the “netizen” label.
TL;DR Briefing
Your TL;DR Briefing on things worth tracking — and talking about over your next power lunch. *Wink.* This time the thing is post-rainbow capitalism and post-”sustainability,” and the big question we face: Where do we push it next?
BTS @ ESC
On Thursday, ESC KEY .CO brought our Clean Creatives reporting to life with a soft-launch event at Somerset House. We called out bullshit, mapped greenwashing tactics and took instant photos. Most importantly, we found our people. Turns out, community can be more than a buzzword.
World Wide Weird
Big agencies rake in cash from fossil fuel clients while brands delete climate and diversity commitments. But creativity can be a solution, too. The Clean Creatives movement’s playbook — plus a spoof wellness app called Oilwell that’s trolling an F-List PR firm — show workers some ways to push back.
TL;DR Briefing
In this extended briefing, “TL;DR” = “Totally Legit; Def. Read” because we review “The AI Con,” the spicy new book ready to rattle the broligarchy. Plus, the authors answer ESC KEY .CO’s questions about creative work — giving you something hot to talk about at your next power lunch, as ever. *Wink.*
Power Lunch
When it comes to the art of judging people, who is more qualified than prolific photographer and Portland In Color founder Celeste Noche? It’s not a rhetorical question. We set the table in the midst of decisions, an austere creative economy and bad “AI” imagery, asking, “How is this still OK?!”
TL;DR Briefing
Your TL;DR Briefing on things worth tracking — and talking about over your next power lunch. *Wink.* This time the thing is workplace “AI” coercion and workers required to pretend the bosses’ wet dreams are true (even when they’re clearly not).
Paywall Satire
Prompt engineering for writers! Tips on how to ensure your chatbot understands your very human voice! Plus, a bonus idea on how to use "Al" writing without anyone knowing so you can "quiet quit" your career and let this over-hyped tech take over your discipline! It's wildly helpful in 666 ways!
BTS @ ESC
This week the category is, reclaim your lunch! To mark ESC KEY .CO’s first Q1.3, we’re packaging nine crunchy-fresh ideas about our digital discontent into a big mental meal plan. But first, we present a monologue about the aspirational lunching lifestyle. It may be our most unhinged long-read yet.
TL;DR Briefing
Your TL;DR Briefing on things worth tracking — and talking about over your next power lunch. *Wink.* This time the thing is “The Right to Be Lazy,” a wildly timely 1883 book and the first selection for the new Public Domain Reading Club.
World Wide Weird
The inaugural selection in the Public Domain Reading Club: Marx's son-in-law's witty pamphlet on the paradox of technological advancement and automation: despite the promises otherwise, it never frees us from work. Presented in the original translation — once deemed too dangerous for U.S. mail.