Vlog 017 - Ninjas in Paris
The second instalment of the Parisian Vlogs:
Trevor Noah's evolving Daily Show
Back in 2015, I wrote (in French) about how excited I was about Trevor Noah's Daily Show. I had seen enough episodes of the iconic Jon Steward show to know that it was something I liked, but not enough to be an unconditional fan angered at the new host. And I noticed that some of the people I followed were getting involved.
Fast-forward to 2016, where after a couple of months after the hype, critics have gone against Noah for being too soft, too different, too stale, compared to the previous version of the show. Keeping in mind that it took Jon Steward 18 years to improve his formula, I found the criticism of Noah to be a bit harsh.
That being said, I was delighted to hear some buzz today about a recent episode from yesterday.
Or as The Atlantic puts it:
The Daily Show host was measured, respectful, and challenging in his 26-minute conversation with TheBlaze pundit Tomi Lahren.
I personally had no idea of knowing who she was.
Tomi Lahren, the 24-year-old host of Tomi on the conservative cable network TheBlaze, feels like a pundit created by a computer algorithm, someone who primarily exists to say something provocative enough to jump to the top of a Facebook feed.
She’s called the Black Lives Matter movement “the new KKK,” partly blamed the 2015 Chattanooga shootings on President Obama’s “Muslim sensitivity,” and declared Colin Kaepernick a “whiny, indulgent, attention-seeking cry-baby.”
At a time when such charged political rhetoric feels increasingly like the norm, Lahren stands at one end of a widening gulf—which made her appearance on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Wednesday night all the more fascinating.
Sounds delightful doesn't she?
I personally thought Noah did a great job at interviewing Tomi Lahren, as he took it with a calm and opened mind, trying to understand his interviewee’s perspective and calmly calling hypocrisy and bullshit without going into caricature.
I think this is important: he's trying to rebute the fake news and false facts one by one.
You can see the look on his face when he really wants to interrupt Lahren, but stops himself out of respect for his job and his guest. You gotta respect that!
Diplomatic, but challenging, this is what I'll be looking forward to watching from Noah!
I'll leave the final thoughts from the piece over on The Atlantic:
If Noah was looking for a specific episode that would help him break out in his crowded field, he may have finally found it.
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NYTimes: A World of Trouble for Donald Trump
Today, the entire editorial board at the NYTimes got together to discuss the global issues affected by a Trump presidency, in a very comprehensive manner.
There is still little sign that Mr. Trump, who has declined daily briefings by the intelligence agencies, understands these threats and how to deal with them.
On Nuclear Weapons:
Since World War II, the United States has sought to prevent nuclear war and the expansion of nuclear arsenals. It would be catastrophic if a nuclear weapon is used during Mr. Trump’s presidency or if his stance encouraged more countries to acquire such arms.
Regarding NATO and global world alliances meant to keep peace throughout the world:
His fondness for strongmen like Mr. Putin and President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, whom he called “a fantastic guy,” suggests indifference if not disdain for efforts to promote human rights and democracy. He has displayed no concern for Russian expansionism in Ukraine.
The entire article is summed up nicely:
The world has long relied on the United States to be the steady hand. The challenges will be more complex than Mr. Trump ever imagined. There is little reason to believe that he will provide strong leadership on these fronts, but every reason to hope that he does.
Also worth checking out:
“The Array of Conflicts of Interest Facing the Trump Presidency”
TibzLetter — Getting Worried… and Political!
Every couple of weeks, I share personal updates to my subscribers over email. Here’s the latest issue of my “TibzLetter”.
After last week’s updates on updates on updates, I just wanted a very quick update with you wonderful people:
- First to talk about France, and a tiny teeny bit of politics... because France’s Presidential Elections are now the most important elections in the world.
Yes, you read it right. In case you didn’t know, after a disastrous election results over Brexit in the U.K. and Trump in the US, France is up next.
Luckily my friend Liam just published this great piece. In just a few words, he sums up:
- Why France and the election matter at a global level.
- What the political system and landscape look like at the moment.
- What can be done by our community of business/tech/startup people, to ensure a better election.
As for me, I’m planning to join a political movement, as hinted at previously and am considering making a donation have decided to make a donation to a political party for the first time in my lifetime. It’s important, and similarly to ditching New Balance, one should always put his money where his/her mouth is: VOTE WITH YOUR WALLET Y’ALL!
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A blurry picture from a great night out with Elodie, one of my best friends since I was 15! We went out for dinner and then wine: Beaujolais Nouveau![/caption]
I did promise more updates:
- First of all, I've moved the blog over to Wordpress, and it's now available via the usual URL: TIBZ.co although technically, this redirects to the new and funkier tibz.blog. I'm slowly getting more active there, so be sure to follow (using the buttons on the right handside...)
- After the stress and emotions of the past weeks, I've published a brand new music mix to dance to, cook to, vibe to, and turn up to. It's available here!
- And finally, I've made some progress on the next few Vlogs from the Parisian trip! More over there!
…and that’s it for today folks!
As always, thanks for reading and sharing your feedback!
—Tibz
“Why Paris Needs You — & You Need Paris — Right Now”
From my friend Lindsey, an American friend who’s my go-to for new food/coffee/drinks places to go to in Paris. She’s a regular NYTimes contributor, and has written this piece for Refinery29. In it, she discusses why now more than ever is the best time to visit Paris, with a nod to last year’s devastating attacks.
Ultimately, the best way for any of us to move on and honor the victims was to keep living out our lives in concert halls, restaurants, bars, and public spaces, and not immure ourselves in our homes in grief.
This brings to mind a piece from The Times about the infamous Parisian Resilience. I’ll leave you with a second quote.
We’ve all seen the articles exhorting us to travel abroad now, more than ever. They remind us that the probability of being harmed in a terrorist attack pales in comparison to the general risks in everyday life.
By the way, Lindsey is also working on a book about Paris, in English, which I can only recommend. To learn more about her, please pay her a visit over on her blog.
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PS: In a future post, someone remind me to tell the story of how I met with Lindsey. It involves cookies.
NYTimes: A Love Letter to Drinking in Bars
Ignore the health warnings, the sage advice, the calorie counters, the sleep addicts: Every great bar is a breath of paradise, and the best ones know, in their gleaming surfaces, what Proust meant when he said that the true paradises are the paradises we have lost.
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Common x NPR's Tiny Desk (at the White House Library)
I’ve had this as a draft for a couple of weeks, but considering certain recent events, I feel we could all use some good vibes right about now…
Captain Fantastic Review | Movie - Empire
One of the best movies I’ve ever seen. There was simply so much heart in this film, and I feel like everyone absolutely should see it at some point!
“It’s a fairly simple plot but Matt Ross’ debut film is so dense with metaphor that you can read it on any of a number of levels.”
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9 Tips to disconnect and recharge for remote workers
Really grateful that I got to collaborate on this article with Remotive, the community of remote workers that I’ve been a part of for many months, now!
This article is all about how remote workers disconnect or recharge their batteries when working remotely. Some great insights from 9 different people, myself included.
My answer:
I’m lucky enough to be a remote freelancer living in the South of France (insert cliche of the sun, the beach, and a colourful cocktail!) So there are a lot of perks that come with that. In addition, I’m living in the center of a medium-sized city: another perk that directly leads to my happy lifestyle of being able to walk around the city with my computer in my bag and working from a cafe a few times a week.How to Disconnect:
My way of disconnecting is simple: whenever I feel like I need to take a break from work, I make a note of the advancement of the project I’m on, and leave with my keys, wallet and phone. Sometimes, it’s a short break to grab a coffee and come back, sometimes it’ll be meeting with a friend or running a couple of errands.
Even a small break helps me reorganise my thoughts, plan ahead on the next client work to be done, or simply helps me to take a breather from a busy day.
These days, despite the heavy load of work to wrap up before the end of the year, it’s rare that I spend my entire day indoor. And if and when I do, my Fitbit is always there to shame me into talking a walk during the day or after my work is done.
Recharge:
When it comes to recharging, nothing is obviously as efficient as taking a proper vacation. To each his own: some of us want to spend time with friends, or discover a new city and culture. And some of us prefer to be outdoors, or in remote places where they can completely disconnect from their day-to-day lives.
But even if a vacation is not available for a few more weeks or months, I find working in a different environnement (or even better, a different city to be very beneficial.)
For me, it’s usually a week-long break in Paris where I’m going to catch up with friends during my off-time, but also work in cafes and coworking spaces during the week. I’ve actually met some members of the Remotive community like this, IRL / AFK after months of chatting online.
I guess in conclusion, I’d add that we are an incredibly fortunate bunch, at the forefront of “the future of work”: we’re location independent, employees and freelancers and can work at any hour of the day and from anywhere. It doesn’t get any better than that.
And while it’s great to set some sort of routine, it’s also worth trying something new with the free schedule that you now possess.
Read the entire article: [≠]
I just wanna see the light
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Panic at the Disco x The Weeknd x Daft Punk - Starboy (Cover)
Vlog 016: Walking in Paris
VLOG 016 IS OUT — the first part of my Parisian Trip! (Why the hell is there no Eiffel Tower emoji?!)
Love & Beats | Vol 03: “What I wish the DJ played last time I went to a club”
The third instalment of my “Love & Beats” series.
This one is much longer, clocking in at 1:56:03, and filled with music that inspires me, ranging from chill downtempo, all the way to loud bass-heavy trap and future beats.
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Aftermath
Along with a few (predominantly) American friends ranging from minorities to women, the first few days post-US election have been terrifying. From early reports of hate-crimes rising in the US to personal friends being insulted, there’s a lot of sad news coming from across the Atlantic.
Here’s my good friend Ashley:
In the days after the American election, I was threatened online again, a very chipper man on the internet threatening to rape me while telling someone else to grab my pussy. I didn't cry then. I shook with impotent rage, but tears never came. Not for that incident, anyway.I don’t tell these stories for pity. When I told them before, shared them after they happened, it wasn’t for pity. It was to let all the white people I know, the large, mostly conservative family that I have that see me only on Facebook, and the many conservative people in my rural Ohio hometown, it was for them to see. I told those stories so they would KNOW that something was happening to me too- a boring ass white girl that they supposedly care about. Someone relatively high on the totem pole.
Another incident you might have heard, this time from Manik (remember Manik, from my podcast?)
This was so outrageous it made it to a collection about the hate crimes committed on Day one:
Stay safe out there!
🇫🇷🇮🇹🇲🇨🚗💁🏻♂️💁🏼 Vlog 015 - Mission Accomplished!
Two weeks, I hosted my good friend Marisa, from California! Brace yourselves for Adventures across the French Riviera! youtube.com/watch
From my good friend Andrew, who also happens to be amongst the smartest men in the room, on a regular basis:
Make no mistake, this will have a profound impact on our future and our history. The deep, sinking anxiety that I've felt over the last 24 hours is something I never want to feel again, but it's merited. This is a key moment.The feeling has nothing to do with liberal vs conservative. It has everything to do with right vs wrong. I can’t support what he stands for - racism, sexism, division - and I won’t. That’s a binary thing. This is not policy, it never has been. It’s person.
I’m sad that we’re so divided. There’s a real issue deep within the country that allowed him to rise, not unlike what we’ve seen in the history books. It’s on all of us to fix this, in whatever way we can. And that needs to start now. We can’t let the progress that generations before us worked so hard for, fought for, died for - vanish.
This morning I woke up compelled to public service and politics, and I hope you did too.
If you need motivation, look at the photo below. Look at the race of the crowd. I’m fortunate, I’m a straight white male. Imagine how it feels to wake up this morning as a minority, a woman, a homosexual. The battle against hate starts now, again. I’m not a democrat and I’m not a republican. This is not party lines.
“The fear that propelled Donald Trump requires no logic”
By Maajid Nawaz, whom I’ve seen give a talk at TEDx Brighton:
Only a new commitment to the universality of human rights and human dignity can lift us out of this current quagmire. But that will require foot soldiers of peace who preach what we have in common rather than how we are different; what we have gained, rather than what we have lost; and what we seek to achieve rather than what we have failed to accomplish.
Let that sink in: this post was written by a Muslim on an Israeli site – gives you an idea of the gravity of the situation!
Adding Maajid’s talk from back when I first discovered him!
An American Tragedy - The New Yorker
The election of Donald Trump to the Presidency is nothing less than a tragedy for the American republic, a tragedy for the Constitution, and a triumph for the forces, at home and abroad, of nativism, authoritarianism, misogyny, and racism.
Trump is vulgarity unbounded, a knowledge-free national leader who will not only set markets tumbling but will strike fear into the hearts of the vulnerable, the weak, and, above all, the many varieties of Other whom he has so deeply insulted.
Fascism is not our future—it cannot be; we cannot allow it to be so—but this is surely the way fascism can begin.
Let's talk about Basic Universal Income.
The fact that the linked post’s title is about both Elon Musk and Basic Income is likely a big clickbait.
In an interview with CNBC on Friday, Musk said that he believes the solution to taking care of human workers who are displaced by robots and software is creating a (presumably government-backed) universal basic income for all.
I’ve been posting about this every now and then, mostly on Facebook to discuss it with my private circle of friends, but it looks like it’s really time to get our governments to experiment with this.
And Josh nailed it, by the way:
“If all you can do is shout "they took our jobs!" then you probably think universal basic income is a communist plot to take over the country by paying migrants to move here.”
That’s not what this is about. It’s about resource redistribution in a not-so-distant world where the majority of labour (whether physical, digital, and just about anything in between)is accomplished by automated machines.
Also: make sure to check out this collection of articles, curated by Josh!
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Incoming Tranmission #7: Life in Transit
Hey everyone!
It’s been nearly a week since my last edition of the Incoming Transmission Series. I was actually overdue to write about my latest news and projects, as well as finishing to upload my blogging archive, but I got swamped with work1 so I thought I’d send you a quick one from the plane, until you get more news.
I’m writing this on the plane, on my way Up North.2
I’ll be spending the next two weeks across both sides of the family and 10 days living & working in Paris in between. In all honesty I could use this time and change of pace.
The past few weeks and months have been pretty eventful to say the least. Between a fading relationship, slowly ending after 3.2 years, and big plans for the next 12 months, it looks like the end of the year is going to be busy.
I’ll be gone away from home until the 13th of November. Then, I’ll have four weeks to move from the lovely flat I’ve lived in since last year in October and back to my parents' house.
I’ve always dreaded moving back to my parents' place. As a working millennial, even a couple of weeks there feel like I’ve failed along the way, somehow.3 But this is an integral part of my big 2017 master plan, and doing so will save me about 4000€ in about 3-4 months. Money well saved: just you wait and see.
We’ll be traveling between mid-December to early January across South-East Asia4 (I’m incredibly grateful to be able to take this trip back to the roots, and with the family.)5
After this Winter break, I’ll be back to work in January, with later another work-and-play trip to London in February, just around my birthday. In late March I’ll be attending a business event on behalf of a client, in Switzerland. A first for me. I told you it’d be a busy one.
But perhaps more exciting is what is going to come from April onwards, something to be discussed in the coming months.
- in the best of ways, mind you! ↩
- When you come from the French Riviera, anything above Lyon is considered North. ↩
- Please understand that this is a part of my personal pride. It's not a judgment on other millenis, far from that actually. I'd actually consider this a smart move if it's temporary and until you get out there in the world with a job. ↩
- Bless Up! ↩
- Obviously, the local experience and trips taken with my family tend to differ from other adventures I'd have being alone or with friends. Still looking forward to this though, duh! ↩