🗣️ Newsletter feedback
My friend
was one of the sources of inspiration when I first tried this whole weekly newsletter business on Substack back in June. A couple of weeks ago, as we rode our bikes through the misty redwoods of the Santa Cruz mountains, we offered each other feedback about our respective newsletters. Jamie pointed out that my Substack started out as a newsletter, but quickly evolved into a weekly essay. So which is it, an essay series or a newsletter?Good point! So I’m changing things up. Each week I’ll continue to send out a short newsletter with the usual sections. When I do publish an essay on Substack, as I did yesterday, I won’t spam your inboxes. Instead, I’ll include a brief excerpt as you’ll find below. Finally, since most of you listen to the audio version I’ve set up a podcast feed that you can subscribe to via Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
📝 Essay: Could Kristen Bell, Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos end global hunger?
Like most essays I write, this one was inspired by an eye-roll 🙄 when I discovered that Kristen Bell launched a granola bar company called “This Saves Lives.” I’m desperate to replace the story of Westerners “saving lives” with a new story of investing in equitable growth. Here’s an excerpt and a link to the audio version on Spotify:
I had the disorienting experience this week of seeing two radically different sides of Kenya within just a couple of days. First, I watched the opening night of Wakanda Forever surrounded by the Gen Z children of Kenya’s elite. Then, I traveled to Turkana County, which borders South Sudan and is the site of a years-long drought and hunger crisis. Both glimpses of Kenya are true. Nairobi is studded with Wakanda-like, glistening skyscrapers and impressive infrastructure. Kenya’s GDP per capita has more than quadrupled over the past 20 years. Everywhere you look, young people in the latest fashion are snapping selfies in front of luxury cars. At the same time, some Kenyan children are still dying from malnutrition while inequality has widened. With rose-tinted glasses, Nairobi looks a lot like Wakanda. But take them off, and it’s more like the Capitol of Panem from The Hunger Games.
So, why are children still dying of hunger in Turkana when Kenya’s GDP per capita has quadrupled over the last twenty years?
🤣 You can be anything
Once Twitter opened up the blue check mark to everyone, there were some hilarious impersonations that you’ve likely seen.
Way before Twitter impersonation became its own genre, standup comedian Ben Palmer was at the cutting edge. After I first came across this video via
, I shared it with a friend, who said “we need way more multimedia standup.” I agree.🚴 The rise of Kenyan cycling
Until recently, Kenya did not have much of a cycling scene compared to the likes of South Africa, Ghana, and Rwanda. (Sure, one of the fastest cyclists of all time was born here, but he never represented Kenyan cycling.) That’s starting to change, and fast. You may have seen Kenya’s Team Amani featured in a recent Meta advertisement promoting virtual reality:
First of all, let me say that however popular Zwift has become, no cyclist wants to wear a heavy headset while sweating on a trainer! Second, it’s heartbreaking that Team Amani’s captain, Sule Kangani who is featured heavily in the ad, died a few months ago in a freak accident during a bike race in Vermont.
Last weekend I went for a long ride with Bobby Joseph, an up-and-coming local pro who was mentored by Sule. On Sunday, Bobby is one of the favorites to win the 80km Grand Nairobi Bike Race — and he’ll be riding Sule’s old bike. As he wrote on Instagram:
Come Sunday the 20th of November, I will be racing with this Giant TCR 1. This is the same bike that my fallen brother @sulekangangi used to ride. To say that I am honored to race on this bike is an understatement. I can't think of a better way to honor our fallen GIANT, hero, brother, father, friend, and legend. His spirit, his passion, his entire being continues to live within all of us that he influenced. I am doing this for you Sule!
Best of luck on Sunday, Bobby! And hope to see you at the Migration Gravel Race in June!
🧰 A useful tool
Whenever I travel, I always use Google Maps offline download feature, which will ensure that you’re never lost even without reliable internet. As a bonus, it saves battery life.
👏 Kudos
Happy 33rd birthday to my favorite sister: queen of the greasy spoon diner, part-time diva, OG bohemian, and source of constant inspiration.
🚍 Empathy training for bus drivers
Finally, I loved this viral tweet showing Mexican bus drivers undergoing mandatory training to understand what it’s like to be a cyclist next to a passing bus. Here is a training program I’d like to see everywhere!
Have a great weekend!
David