Wednesday, March 23rd, 2016

1

Doctor 2.0

Some of us get very anxious when it comes to discussing embarrassing or unusual symptoms with our doctors. On the other hand, no one gets embarrassed in front of Google, or hides symptoms from WebMD, or tries to tweak the measurements collected by our wearables (although I once tried to juice my fitness numbers by attaching a FitBit to my cat). As NYT Magazine's Jenna Wortham explains: "Most of us are willing to be much more honest with our phones than with professionals, or even with our spouses and partners ... which is why researchers are leaping at the chance to work with the oceans of data we are generating." Indeed, we're more honest with our phones than with our doctors. I'm pretty honest with my doctor, but I try to save the really weird stuff for my readers.

2

The Twilight Zona

Frontrunners Clinton and Trump both had decent Tuesdays in Arizona. But things didn't go as well in Idaho and Utah. So the story's plot hasn't changed much. And neither has its potential length.

+ "Given the limitations of statistical analysis, political science and traditional reporting, I reasoned that a hybrid approach using all three could help answer the prevailing question in American politics: Why Donald Trump?" FiveThirtyEight's Clare Malone tackles the question of the year: Why Donald Trump? (Earlier this week, I gave my take on that topic: The three kinds of Trump voters.)

+ Jeb Bush just endorsed Ted Cruz.

+ As if things hadn't gotten weird enough, last night, Ted Cruz and Donald Trump got into a Twitter beef over their wives. Which prompted Ted Cruz to lift a line from Michael Douglas in The American President.

+ Tired of all the negativity? Well, then take solace in the fact that Donald loves a lot of things. (A lot.)

3

City of Brotherly Hate

Two brothers have been identified as the Brussels suicide bombers. It appears as if the attack was tied to recent law enforcement raids in the city and "a sense that the noose was tightening." And one of the bombers had been "caught" in Turkey last year. Here's the latest from The Guardian.

+ "When we have to contact these people or send our guys over to talk to them, we're essentially talking with people who are -- I'm just going to put it bluntly -- children. They are not pro-active, they don't know what's going on. They're in such denial. It's such a frightening thing to admit their country is being taken over." The Daily Beast on the major concerns about Belgian security forces. And from Slate: It's no mystery why ISIS picked Brussels as a base.

+ One of the Americans who was injured at the Brussels airport was also a block away from the Boston Marathon bombing.

4

Into the Thick of It

"Built on arid, rocky ground at an elevation of more than four thousand feet, they can, in twenty-four hours, collect up to seventeen gallons of water ... per square yard of netting." Water is becoming a rare commodity as populations increase in particularly rain-free regions. From The New Yorker's Paul Toutonghi: Could harvesting fog help solve the world's water crisis?

+ Quartz: The promise of ocean wave power has enticed, and eluded, engineers for 40 years.

5

Me, Live

On Friday at 10am (pt), I'm going to be a guest on Product Hunt Live where I'll be taking questions via chat (which definitely shows my best side). I'll be talking news, media and probably a little angel investing too. Sign up here if you'd like to come along for the ride.

6

Steph Infection

"The pitch meeting, according to Steph's father Dell, who was present, kicked off with one Nike official accidentally addressing Stephen as Steph-on." In recent years, there has been no more valuable deal in the sports world than Under Armour's signing of Steph Curry. And as ESPN's Ethan Sherwood Strauss explains, you won't believe how Nike lost him. Nike shouldn't feel bad. NBA defenses lose him every night.

+ How -- aside from winning all the time -- the Warriors convinced big colleges that small ball works. (They definitely convinced every player on my son's fourth grade team that shooting 3-pointers is more fun than layups or defense.)

7

The Truth Hurts (and Helps)

"She was so wrong. Depression lies. I have to tell the truth." When her sister killed herself, Eleni Pinnow wanted to make it very clear in the obituary and everywhere else that her sister died from depression and suicide. Here, she explains why: "I told the truth in my sister's obituary, so that others might choose to live."

8

Hogan’s Anti-hero

"It turns out this case was never about the sex on the tape Gawker received, but about racist language on another, unpublished tape that threatened Hogan's reputation and career." After Hulk Hogan's massive court win, Gawker publisher Nick Denton shares his side of the story and explains why he's quite sure that the decision will be overturned on appeal. This is very interesting and Denton's probably right. But I still wish they hadn't posted the video.

9

Comedy Decentralized

"In a pattern familiar to all kinds of media, the era of huge mass-market tentpoles has given way to a seemingly limitless number of outlets -- some well known, others almost secret-­society-like in their nicheness -- in which performers can reach audiences directly." Wired's Brian Raftery on how HBO's Silicon Valley represents a new comedy revolution. Getting a show used to mean you made it. Now it means it's time to really get to work.

10

Bottom of the News

Deorick Williams got a text message announcing that someone's baby had just been born. It didn't take him long to figure out (and report back) that the happy couple had texted the wrong person. In a remarkable move, he still went to the hospital to congratulate the new parents.

+ Researchers have found that participating in a drum circle can have mental health benefits. (Being a nonparticipant who is anywhere near a drum circle can have the opposite effect.)

+ InFocus: The winners of the Smithsonian Magazine's 2015 photo contest.

+ Update: Seattle's ManInTree has come down. Social media will have to find a new distraction.