016: Give Over | 13–19 April
Resistance training for bones, Australians representing at Coachella, human connection losing to AI in the funding race, Euphoria's return, and why democracy loses before the ballot is cast
This week, my extended family were visiting from Trafalgar, in rural Victoria, a couple of hours south-east of Melbourne. After trying to fight it for a bit, I accepted that I would not be getting much work done, and that was fine. We had some genuinely good family time around their adventures, and they got to escape the cold for a beautifully sunny week in the Sunshine State.
Here’s a photo with my cousin Lea, me, my sister Lou, and Lea’s daughter Mak (my cousin first removed?)
I’ve made enough progress with my physio to now attend only every two weeks. It feels like a kind of graduation, and I’m proud of myself for sticking with the stretch and strength routines, especially when all change has felt so incremental lately. I also had a lovely day in Petrie with Tane: long walks around the lake near The Mill Waterpark, and long chats on the oval.
A thread running through this week: what gets counted versus what actually counts. A week without thesis output can still be full. A startup built entirely around human connection that can’t find its long-term footing. And the women who quietly leave public life before a ballot is cast — that loss doesn’t show up on any metric either.
Here’s what I’ve been reading and listening to:
🧘🏻♀️ HEALTH, FITNESS, & LONGEVITY
The Proof’s Simon Hill interviewed Belinda Beck, who has researched bone health, resistance training, and ageing for over 20 years in her ONERO programme, which was derived from findings from the LIFTMOR randomised control trial.
Osteoporosis Exercise Scientist: The Lifting Protocol That Reduces Fractures by 78%
This discussion covers how progressive resistance training and impact loading exercise can improve bone mass, especially for those with osteopenia (me) and osteoporosis.
They discuss:
Whether exercise can truly increase bone density in people with osteoporosis
Why walking alone may not be enough to protect your bones
How heavy resistance training stimulates bone adaptation and strength
The limitations of DEXA scans, and what they miss about bone quality
Why menopause and declining oestrogen accelerate bone loss
Common myths, from weighted vests to “lifting light” advice
Let me know if you want access to any of the journal papers mentioned in the conversation.
$40 off for your first Soulara home delivery
I’ve been using a new plant-based food delivery service, Soulara. I made my first order a couple of weeks ago and re-ordered for the coming week. It’s helping me focus on eating higher-protein and varied meals. I am feeling time-poor and keep making the same things and not eating as much as I need to, especially with weight-based training and intermittent fasting. I particularly like the Asian-style meals. My only ethical quandary so far is the amount of plastic packaging (delivery is sans polystyrene).
If you want to check out Soulara (they deliver to major Australian cities, including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide. Check if they deliver to you), here’s a $40 off code when you use my unique referral code (I also get $20 per order)
🎤 LIVE MUSIC
This week, I mostly listened to a heap of music from (Californian festival) Coachella and (Seattle independent radio station) KEXP.
I didn’t get to watch any of the live streams of Coachella as my weekend was full, but here are some of my faves’ live videos:
Blondshell “Kiss City” (unfortunately, it looks like not many attended their show…)
Blood Orange “Champagne Coast” + “Jesus Freak Lighter”
Dijon WITH Mk.Gee and band on (one of my faves) “Talk Down”, “Kindalove”. Dijon also performed “Devotion” with Justin Bieber in his headliner set and Mk.gee also featured on “Daises” with Justin Bieber
Jane Remover “Music Baby (leroycella mix)”
Little Simz “free”
Ninajirachi “iPod Touch” - SO great to see Nina on a massive big stage and representing Australia’s girl EDM scene + her new feature with Porter Robinson “ID (WannaCry)”
Royel Otis “Oysters in my Pocket”, “Say Something”, and their new song “Sweet Hallelujah”
Sabrina Carpenter “Espresso”- pure joy from An Entertainer. Also featured Mauro van de Kerkhof (Troye Sivan’s choreographer and backup dancer), who is amazing, especially in “Sugar Talking” where it’s just the two of them on stage
Here’s a great write-up from Rolling Stone: Ninajirachi, Ecca Vandal & More Aussie Acts Take Over Coachella 2026
Live on KEXP:
♫ OTHER MUSIC
Bluebottle Kiss “Revenge is Slow” (2002 album) tour in May
The Music interviewed lead singer and guitarist, Jamie Hutchings, ‘A Weird, Weird Time’: Bluebottle Kiss Reflect On The Creation Of Fourth Album, ‘Revenge Is Slow
Little did they know that a chance meeting after a local gig would lead the then three-piece on a rollercoaster overseas adventure encompassing intrigue, misfortune, strong resolve and even more chance post-gig encounters on far-flung shores, which would not only come to help define the aesthetics of their next album Revenge Is Slow but reconfigure the very nature of the band itself.
See you at the Burleigh show on Friday the 29th, and the Brisbane show the night after!
Charley has a new album out: “The Chronicles of a Serial Idealist” (pop)
From The Music
Across the twelve tracks, Charley embraces the contradictions of someone who feels deeply and holds onto hope, even when past experience suggests you probably shouldn’t. This push and pull extends beyond the lyrics and is built into the overall sound, too. Upbeat, euphoric choruses sit alongside more restrained, reflective verses, creating a constant sense of movement from the highs to the lows.
(I didn’t know she was on The Voice Australia!)
Laufey - Madwoman
Memphis LK “Live at the Dojo”
One-take live set from Melbourne’s Memphis LK “reimaging the club atmosphere within the world of martial arts”
New song, “Some Kinda Heaven” was also released after her baby Xuri (I believe with Australian rapper Allday) a couple of months ago
I’m always trying to find a satisfying balance of melancholy and euphoria when I make music, I think because I drift between those two emotional states quite a lot. I think this song captures those conflicting feelings, knowing something’s maybe a bit toxic, but you ignore the signs because it feels so good in the moment.
MUNA - Wannabeher
I can’t wait for their upcoming album released in May!
🗳️ POLITICS
Some great news on the Fair Elections Campaign led by independents Zoe Daniel and Rex Patrick!
Victorian independent candidates win High Court battle over cap on political donations
From Zoe Daniel’s email:
Our case against the Federal Government focuses on the unfair design of donation and spending caps which allow the major parties to massively outspend independents and minor parties. Both cases, however, are based on the implied constitutional freedom of political communication, and go to the same core issue: governments should not be able to write election rules that entrench their own power and lock out competition.
Our legal team is now carefully reviewing the judgment to understand its implications. But what we know is that yesterday’s case shows that election laws which are unbalanced and privilege the major party incumbents are vulnerable to legal challenge. And it reinforces the importance of fighting for a fairer democracy, and holding governments to account.
When women are driven from public life, democracy pays the price
Licia Heath, CEO for Women for Election, discusses harrowing stories she heard at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women last week.
…across countries and political cultures, women described patterns of targeted, gendered abuse designed not just to wound, but to drive them out of public life. While the methods vary, the objective does not: silencing women already serving, deterring women considering a run, and narrowing who is willing to participate. Public life becomes too hostile, too punishing, too unsafe. Women for Election sees this at the earliest stage: capable women reconsidering office, recalculating the personal cost.
Why does this matter for all of society?
Representative democracy is at its strongest when institutions reflect the communities they serve. Better decisions are made when the widest possible range of experiences and perspectives are at the table. If talented women opt out before preselection, withdraw from campaigns, decline leadership, or leave office early, democracy loses before a ballot is cast.
This is not a partisan issue. The health of democracy is measured not just by whether free and fair elections are held, but by whether diverse people can participate without being systematically driven out.
Alison Pennington on the Grattan Institute’s “For the People” report: Democratic backsliding is downstream from backsliding living standards
Overall this report’s analysis and solutions foster the idea that our democracy is just a system to be better managed (presumably by people with the formal education and time to read these reports), or a market that just needs better information. Needless to say, people hate this sort of elitism. It reinforces their belief that the political system is managed by people who don’t understand their struggles, share their goals, or govern in their interests.
Angus Taylor and the Liberal Party’s moral decline
(ex-LNP Prime Minister of Australia) Paul Keating says Angus Taylor’s embrace of “values” politics marks a return to racism, abandoning the Liberal Party’s traditions in favour of base political appeal.
I’m not a fan of a lot of the things Paul Keating stands for, but my, this man has a way with words!
The blight of Pauline Hanson is that her dumb bigotry offers a fantasy. The fantasy that Australia in the modern age can return to a monoculture. A monoculture which fails to acknowledge or accept that a continent of our scale is able to turn its back on the multilateralism of neighbouring states or on the vitality of their societies. And, more than that, shun them while disparaging any contribution they may make or bring to us as migrants.
How dispiriting for the rest of us is Angus Taylor’s cowardice in not even attempting to stand and argue for principles that have been integral to Australia’s strength – principles his party has long championed.
🤝 RELATIONSHIPS
My mate Nik from NYC, Celebrity Relations Manager at Mercy for Animals, made this short, timely roadmap for peace to celebrate what would have been Ram Dass’ 95th birthday. You may have seen it on Instagram, where it’s gone viral.
How to Spot the Loveliest People in the World
💡 STARTUP SPACE
Rendr, the last-mile delivery startup, which “connects merchants with the best delivery partners… in real time” based on location and availability, has been acquired by Australia Post and other investors. Chemist Warehouse, Global Retail Brands, Hairhouse and Jaycar Electronics are already using this platform for delivery services. This move will mean Australia Post can offer “same-day delivery options to more Australian businesses” based on geographic coverage.
One of the issues with the mass investment in AI is that if you are NOT AI, your funding might be dropped. One example is Spoony:
A truly promising community platform for neurodivergent, chronically ill, and disabled people, Spoony received funding from Antler Australia in August 2024 with a promising blend of social connection and health management. They hit strong early milestones: a beta launch with 1200 users and 26,000 more on their waitlist. The beta testing also reported a 25% decrease in loneliness.
Co-founder Nicholas Carlton shared on LinkedIn that they decided not to move toward the more tech-heavy space of a digital health company, beyond their original “human connection platform” and said the following:
In 2025, over 60% of all VC investments went to AI companies. We are not an AI company. Our business is human connection, and that’s not a hot category right now.
It’s truly sad that a company with a real chance to impact lives is not able to “find its commercial footing” due to its original aims and true values. This will not be the last. That’s the part that stings.
🤖 TECHNOLOGY & AI
Moving on to more AI,
Meta’s Superintelligence Lab unveils its first public model, Muse Spark
Similarly to Twitter/X’s AI Grok, Muse Spark will integrate with content posted across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Threads, and WhatsApp (and AI glasses!) to “link to public posts related to a location or trending topic”, and expand to recommend content woven directly into your answers, with credit back to the content creators (ha!)
How are employed American adults using AI at work? Check out Rising AI Adoption Spurs Workforce Changes where employees report productivity gains with AI but not fundamental shifts in how work gets done. Which tracks — better scaffolding doesn't change what you're actually building. (Discussed in last week’s newsletter)
👨🏼💻 TECHNOLOGY & SOCIETY
Following up on Clavicular and Looksmaxxing from my 5th edition in January, see this Australian 60 Minutes segment featuring Clav (US), an Australian, and an English guy. More examples of grifters online taking advantage of young men who have trauma, body dysmorphia, and toxic algorithms saying they should be doing this stuff!
Unlike the videos from months ago, it seems like all the drugs, controversy, and negativity may have taken a toll on him.
A few days after this interview, he overdosed on a weird drug concoction in a club in Miami, while one of his mates (another looksmaxxer from Australia) seemed somewhat concerned, he also just offered him Adderall (an ADHD drug). He’s okay, for now, and might be reconsidering some of his antics:
I ain’t going to be doing any more substances for a little while, hopefully forever… I think I have to figure something else out. I have to figure out a new method. Either practice mogging sober or just find a new form of content. I don’t know.
Note: “mogging” means “outshining” someone, and comes from the manosphere term, AMOG, aka “Alpha Male of the Group”.
Everyone is Lying to You for Money documentary
I can’t wait for the upcoming documentary, “Everyone is Lying to you for Money” with actor Ben McKenzie, who has a degree in economics (check out the book!), about the “volatile world of cryptocurrency”, which he started investigating when COVID was on. Check out this interview:
📺 TV SERIES
The ending of The Capture S3 was great! Another thoroughly enjoyable season and maybe another season?
I’m also really enjoying Imperfect Women (after a slow start)
The Audacity
8 episodes
AMC + 🏴☠
A dark comedy looking at the tech bros in Silicon Valley and the people that exist around their gigantic egos and delusions. I’m hoping the third episode grips me a bit more than the first two.
Big Mood Season 2
Free on Tubi
Short and sharp episodes about best friends. Should you still be friends when bipolar gets in the way? The first two episodes are not the best start, but I will give it more of a go, especially for Nicola Coughlan.
Euphoria is back with Season 3!
8 episodes
HBO (Max) + 🏴☠
This series is way beyond a high school drama now. It's been six years since the first season, and the cast has done a lot since then. It’s the first episode, setting the scene for what’s to come. I can feel some of the tension building already, and hope it’s a great end to a series I have enjoyed in the past.
Here’s a pretty brutal takedown of Sam Levinson’s writing from Roxanne Hadadi at Vulture (Remove Paywall)
It’s a shock moment in a season full of them, most of which reduce characters to bodies for debasement and scintillation rather than means of storytelling… And just like Rue’s transformation into an AR-15 salesperson, so much of this early phase of Euphoria’s return feels completely airless. As Euphoria’s creator, writer, and director, Sam Levinson wants to craft a show about the pervasiveness of fentanyl, the dangers of addiction, and the lawlessness of the American West. Instead, what he’s made — yet again — is a cannily shot phantasmagoria that’s as beautifully lit as it is emotionally hollow.
Love Island Beyond the Villa S2
8 episodes
Peacock + 🏴☠
The first two episodes were okay. Same issues with the same people creating drama. Always fascinating on the show — and now after — to see how the relationship dynamics play out IRL: there are the (literal) winners and their friends, and everyone else struggling to get even a part of their success.
Margo’s Got Money Troubles
8 episodes
iTV + 🏴☠
The first three episodes are out now, and it’s a fun premise based on a book of a young single mother making money online.
I’m grateful for a week that didn’t produce much on paper and was full anyway: family time, random conversations with various people, positive physio momentum, and quality time spent with Tane in the outdoors in the sun.