David Lidsky's Blog, page 208

Crypto prices jump after Trump announces a new strategic government reserve

Trump said that his administration is working toward creating a ‘crypto strategic reserve’ that will include lesser-known cryptocurrencies XRP, Solana, and Cardano.

Cryptocurrency prices jumped after President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement he wants the U.S. government to purchase and hold a variety of digital assets in a strategic reserve fund, an announcement that highlights Trump’s growing attempts to use volatile cryptocurrency prices as a barometer of his public support.

Adrien Brody’s record-breaking Oscar speech was a case study in entitlement

By demanding preferential treatment, taking up valuable time, and misreading the room, Brody put on a master class in how not to behave at work.

There’s more to winning than just winning. The way someone handles their tremendous success, after all, can transform a winner back into a loser—something Adrien Brody proved last night with a rambling, rule-defiant acceptance speech that managed to snatch reputational defeat from the jaws of career victory. With many of his peers gathered under one roof, and the whole world watching, he put on a masterclass in how not to behave at work.

How and when to use voice AI like Letterly and Oasis

Because typing isn’t always the best way to get your thoughts down.

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Inside Disney’s stunning six-brand Oscars advertising stunt

Carnival Cruise Line, Kiehl’s, L’Oréal Paris, MNTN, and Samsung all drop spots during the Oscars to celebrate stunt performers in film.

In the business world, advertisers are the stunt performers. Our fragmented media and pop cultural landscape has forced brands to really push stunts into the weird and wonderful. Whether it’s Snoop threatening to give up smoking, Ben Affleck working a Dunkin’ drive-thru, or a devil baby terrorizing the streets of New York. Meanwhile in Hollywood, the stunt performers are the ones who actually pull off the death-defying action that can make us gasp. They’re a breath of IRL fresh air in a world blanketed by visual-effects technology. 

This documentary follows Amazon workers as they unionized. But when no one would distribute the film, the story became even bigger

‘Union’ didn’t get an Oscar nomination, but one of its producers says its distribution journey is just getting started.

“It’s an honor just to be nominated” may be a cliché, but it’s still true that landing an Oscar nomination brings prestige, attention, and lots of awards-season press coverage. But for Union, a documentary that follows the historic efforts of a group of Amazon warehouse workers as they launch—and win—the first-ever union campaign at the retail giant, there’s a story in the fact that it wasn’t nominated. 

Oscars 2025: Nominees, predictions, and how to watch the Academy Awards live, including free options

With plenty of controversy and shifting odds over the past few weeks, Hollywood’s biggest night shouldn’t be boring. Here’s how to catch the action.

Despite a traumatic beginning of the year from the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires, Los Angeles is ready to celebrate one of its largest exports: movies.

Everything you need to know about the Oscars’ AI controversy

Several films nominated for Academy Awards this year used AI for various reasons, sparking different responses. Here’s what to know about them before the March 2 award show.

Sometimes, authenticity can be a film’s most special effect.

Housing market map: How much home insurance is expected to rise by 2055

Home insurance premiums are projected to rise by 634% in Orleans Parish and 590% in Miami-Dade County between 2025 and 2055.

Want more housing market stories from Lance Lambert’s ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter.

Why your Gen Z employees are unhappy—and what you can do about it

It’s easy for leaders to brand Gen Z workers as entitled. But it’s worth moving past lazy tropes to understand what this generation is actually asking for.

Gen Z workers have been branded as demanding, unmotivated, and even entitled—a word that was used not too long ago to describe millennials. In an Intelligent.com survey last fall, 60% of employers said they had fired Gen Z workers not long after hiring them, and one in six managers said they were hesitant to hire recent college graduates.

Social Security explained: Are your benefits safe from DOGE?

As Social Security approaches its 90th birthday, the author of a book on the subject explains why the program is not as vulnerable as you may fear.

Like most Americans, I took Social Security for granted for most of my life. Until about 10 years ago, I carried a vague idea that the program had been promised to Moses on Mount Sinai (whaddya mean Grandpa didn’t have a Social Security number until he was 27?). Combined with that assumption was my hazy belief that its benefits would dry up by the time I reached my sixties.