November Week 3

MUSIC RESET
The Grammy’s aren’t doing themselves any favors

The Grammy Awards, known for their “disconnect with music fans”, unveiled their 2024 nominations, stirring up once again a fresh wave of controversy. The headliner? A gender pendulum swing with women dominating major categories (Ok this is a good sign). SZA leads with nine nods, while Phoebe Bridgers and Victoria Monét aren't far behind. A refreshing shift after former Grammys CEO Neil Portnow's "step up" comment about women last year.

Yet, as they seem to get that right, Latin artists find themselves backseated. Karol G’s “Mañana Será Bonito” gets a nod but not in any major category. Meanwhile, Peso Pluma's absence in the best new artist category get a major eye roll 🙄. It’s like they’re totally oblivious to the Latin music surge witnessed last year.

In the Rap categories. Travis Scott's “Utopia” thought to be a major stand out snags, gets just one nomination. Big names like Gunna and DJ Khaled are absolute no-shows. Killer Mike, who’s been vocal about his Grammy disdain, gets three nods. Coi Leray earns her first nod, while Ice Spice nets four, including best new artist.

Country predictions crumble. Lainey Wilson and Jelly Roll fall short, sparking more debate about snubs.

In pop's dance category, fairness finally emerges. Kylie Minogue, Troye Sivan, and Lana Del Rey find well-deserved nods. The Grammys seem to get it right here, but the question still remains: Why do the Grammy’s always shoot themselves on the foot?

Despite their 2023 viewership bounce, the Grammy Awards seem to be missing the mark once again in 2024. Notably absent is Morgan Wallen, one of the most successful artists of 2023. Drake, who now doesn’t even bothers to submit his releases anymore, contributes to the less-than-impressive lineup.

In 2023, 12.4 million Americans tuned in to the Grammy Awards, marking a decent jump from the anemic 2022 8.9 million viewers, but still representing the third-smallest TV audience in the show’s history.

The Grammy’s are not doing themselves any favors with this year’s snubs, leaving everyone questioning if the awards really do reflect the pulse of the music industry.

They might want to get off their high horse and start paying attention to what music fans are actually vibing to, before their audience vanishes completely. 👻📉🤷🏻

CRYPTO RESET
Is BlackRock About To Send Crypto To The Moon In 2024?

BlackRock, the colossal asset manager, is expanding its crypto commitment beyond Bitcoin. Already making waves with its Bitcoin Spot ETF, now it wants to launch a Spot ETF tied to Ethereum (ETH).

The news led to a surge in ETH's price, reaching around $2,100, showing the market's response to BlackRock's move. This move, indicates a broader strategy towards crypto for BlackRock. It wants to provide investors with easy-to-trade crypto products. The iShares Ethereum Trust, is the registered corporate entity in Delaware linked to this initiative, and it falls under BlackRock's ETF division.

Coinbase is slated to be the custodian for the ether held in the proposed ETF, with an unnamed third party managing the cash. BlackRock, headed by Larry Fink, has not only shifted from his initial skepticism, but is now becoming a vocal supporter of crypto.

In the crypto community, BlackRock's decision to extend its ETF ambitions beyond Bitcoin into Ethereum might be seen as a nod to other Layer 1 protocols such as Solana, Cardano, and beyond. If this move indicates a broader interest in diverse blockchain ecosystems, BlackRock could be positioning itself to catalyze a moonshot across the entire crypto industry.

The inclusion of Ethereum in its ETF plans hints at a recognition of the expanding landscape of blockchain technologies, suggesting that BlackRock may be preparing to ride a wave of innovation that reaches beyond Bitcoin. As the crypto space continues to evolve, BlackRock's endorsement of Ethereum might signal a transformative phase for the this industry, setting the stage for a level of growth we could not even imagine just a few short years ago.

2024 may be the turning point for crypto and usher in those face melting gains for crypto hodlers!
💰💰💰🚀🌝😎

TECH RESET
Is The AI Singularity Closer Than We Think? 🌐🤖

Ok prepare your mental seat belts—according to Ben Goertzel, the head of SingularityNET, the much-discussed AI singularity could become a reality in the next three to eight years. So what exactly is this singularity, and why should it be on our radar?

The singularity is that hypothetical point where artificial general intelligence (AGI) reaches a stage where it surpasses human intelligence. In simple terms, it's AI evolving from a well-behaved assistant to a self-thinking super intelligent beign. Goertzel, who has a Ph.D. from Temple University and an impressive tech background, envisions AGI stepping into the limelight sooner than many predictions dare to suggest.

The momentum toward AGI isn’t just a whim; it's a full-fledged sprint. Major players like Meta and OpenAI are throwing their weight (and considerable resources) into AGI research. Elon Musk's xAI is also in the mix, racing toward a future where AI matches and, perhaps, exceeds human capabilities.

So, why should we take this forecast seriously? According to Goertzel, the burgeoning interest in AGI is creating a cultural shift. More resources, both monetary and human, are flooding into AGI development. The lure of cutting-edge technology is attracting brilliant minds like moths to a digital flame.

While we can’t foresee the future, it should cause some pause to hear people like Ben Goertzel speaking is such terms. Everyone seems to be enamored with these new and amazing AI chat bots that frankly make our life easier and more efficient. Rightfully so, but it seems that the majority of people have this idea that AI is 30 plus years away from these outlandish claims.

The cause for concern is that the highly intelligent humans amongst us are pointing to the concept of exponentiality, which us mere mortals can’t seem to wrap our coconut heads around. Exponential growth is a very difficult concept to grasp as we are not wired to think like that. We think linearly.

So here goes my best effort to explain it:

Exponential growth occurs when a quantity increases at a fixed percentage rate over a specific period. The intriguing aspect is that the middle point of this growth isn't halfway through as we would assume; instead, it's typically around the 98-99% mark. Example, picture folding a standard sheet of paper: if you fold it once, you have two layers; fold it again, and you get four layers. If you continue this process, after just 42 folds, you'd reach a thickness equal the distance to the moon 238,855 miles.

This showcases exponential growth – a seemingly modest start rapidly escalates to astonishing proportions. It's a reminder that in exponential processes, the early stages may appear gradual, but the real explosion happens in the latter part, emphasizing the amazing significance of that last percentage of growth.

So…….. right now the seas are calm, but as we propel closer to Mr. Goertzel’s 8 year mark, the growth will be astounding!!! 😳🚀🤖

DISCLAIMER:
This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions or investments. Please be careful and do your own research.