Ten years after the pandemic, Lars Mensel has quit Spotify in favour of Qobuz, a French streaming service. He says that Spotify’s shift to include podcasts and audiobooks — which he has no interest in — pushed him to the brink of quitting. Qobuz doesn’t have Spotify’s recommendation algorithm, but Mensel made up for it by using a little hack: YouTube Music. Read full article here
Culture
The Priest in the Arena
The phrase “man in the arena” has been popularized in recent years, but a lesser known, more dangerous archetype is the “priest in the arena”. This figure is responsible for a process called theocratic capture, where an institution surrenders to a cult demanding unaccountable authority, fueled by claims to privileged knowledge. These cults often target powerful institutions and attempt to monopolize conversations with scaremongering tactics and hostile treatment of allies. It is important to identify and stop theocratic capture before it can gain control. Read full article here
Merv
May 29, 2023
