11 Things You Missed On The Internet | 01.10.24

Mark Zuckerberg, the rancher and cattleman

Mark Zuckerberg replied to my Instagram comment yesterday.

Maybe you caught it? He posted about how he’s attempting to raise some of the highest quality beef in the world at his Ko'olau Ranch on Kauai. Y’all read that right: Zuck is a rancher and cattleman now!

In his own words: “The cattle are wagyu and angus, and they'll grow up eating macadamia meal and drinking beer that we grow and produce here on the ranch. We want the whole process to be local and vertically integrated. Each cow eats 5,000-10,000 pounds of food each year, so that's a lot of acres of macadamia trees. My daughters help plant the mac trees and take care of our different animals. We're still early in the journey and it's fun improving on it every season. Of all my projects, this is the most delicious.”

I just happened to be on Instagram at the time. I came across it just moments after he shared it. As a red-blooded omnivore who loves steak, I found it instantly fascinating. It's not every day that we get a glimpse into the personal life of a tech leader who has fundamentally changed the way we communicate and connect. I DMed the Instagram URL to my business partner Cass in Slack and said “this is cool as hell.” He quickly turned it into a blog post on BroBible because, well, it’s cool as hell.

That's our mission here: To tell you about things that are cool as hell.

The thought of eating a Wagyu steak from Kauai, uniquely raised on a diet of macadamia nuts and beer, sparked my epicurean curiosity. I love munching on macadamia nuts. I have some wonderful memories of a trip to Hawaii with my grandparents, which turned into a week-long macadamia nut binge. We brought so many cans home as snacks for later enjoyment.

I’ve had plenty of grass-fed beef over the years, enjoyed with a beer. But the kind of exotic steer Zuck is talking about raising? I, like most people on this planet, have never experienced beef like that.

As a person who frequently thinks with his stomach before his head, I hit the DMs and asked the Facebook founder the first thing that popped into my mind:

What does it taste like?

Right on. I was so stoked that Zuck was gracious enough to answer. I bet those are some well-fed, happy cows. And as far as hobbies go, steers that drink beers is up there as an all-time great one.

I think it's pretty cool how Zuckerberg uses his own platforms to share his interests. It's this chill, lead-by-example approach, showing us the right way to use these digital social spaces. Like, do awesome stuff out there, :::gestures waving arms all around:::, in the real world, and then hit up Instagram to spread the word. That's key. Platforms like Instagram and Facebook? They're like the glue in our relationships and, on a bigger scale, in our connection with society. He avoids the drama and endless debates, just sharing what he's into, low-key yet in a way that’s true to himself, uber alles. That's the kind of vibe we need as we navigate the deeper waters of 2024.

I really can't see myself ever quitting social media, like some millennials and Gen-Zers are doing. It's not just crucial for my job, but it's also woven into how I stay connected with my loved ones. Posting and scrolling through updates, like those from my mom or sister, gives me a sense of closeness that I'd miss terribly. It feels special, even sacred, to simply drop a like on a family update while scrolling.

Sure, social media has its downsides, like cringe-worthy content and clout-seeking shenanigans. Sometimes the atmosphere gets too intense. All that stuff sucks. But that's just the digital reflection of real-life dynamics. Life has its seasons, after all. The occasional break from scrolling is certainly healthy, as is moderation. But if I left social media, I'd miss the daily glimpses into my family's life 3,000 miles away in Pennsylvania, just as I hope they’d miss mine from California. It’s just too precious of a bond to me, even those it’s just something that lives in the digital ether.

It's also fascinating to see public figures like Zuckerberg share their hobbies, then think about how they influence our own interests and behaviors.

I’m a perfect example.

With delicious smoked meats on my brain last night, my exchange with Zuckerberg inspired me to fire up my smoker on one of the coldest days of the year in Los Angeles and cook a delicious smoked Culver Farms duck dinner. I dipped it in Trader Joe’s Thai Sweet Ginger Sauce, with a side of macaroni and cheese out of a box that was in my kitchen cabinet for over a year.

January is all about that ‘trash panda’ gourmet life. And the duck, for what’s it’s worth, came out juicy and delicious.

Now, let's dive into the rest of the newsletter!

The Great Injustice of David Ayer – “I’m Still Paying For It Today” (Interview)

Legendary director David Ayer speaks with BroBible's Eric Italiano about his new film with Jason Statham The Beekeeper, his 2014 WWII Fury, and creating the chemistry of the cast, realizing Training Day would be iconic, the injustice he suffered while at DC, and more.

If you want to watch the video of the interview, head on over to our YouTube. Eric’s done an amazing job landing interviews with badass Hollywood talent and has some seriously exclusives coming down the pike. I feel a Training Day re-watch coming on soon… Didn't know you liked to get wet, dog.

Woman Sets Guinness World Record For ‘Loudest Nose Whistle’ In Weirdest Record We’ve Come Across

Pretty sure every thing I’ve whistled out my nose I’ve been concerned I was having a medical emergency. You have to see this. I can’t comprehend whistling a song without puckering up your lips, yet she’s able to do it perfectly. The pranks she had to pull on people in high school must have been epic.

The Lines To Ski At Whistler Looked Like Hell On Earth Last Weekend

Not going to lie, I’m feeling pretty antsy about getting out on my new skis and using my Ikon Pass. Apparently so do many, many others are just like me, even though it’s been a pretty ho-hum winter for snowfall so far on the West Coast. I have a couple ski trips coming up and I’m nervous as hell that this hellish lift line at Whistler is what lift lines everywhere are going to look like. Not really a big fan of my blissful day in the mountains feeling like Disneyland, you know?

There are worse things to complain about, I guess. I’m convinenced the record-breaking amount of snow we got last year in California and elsewhere across the American West really spoiled us skiiers and messed with our expectations. Mother Nature very rarely runs it back, you know?

First Comprehensive Study Of Mountain Lions In California Brings Back Worrying Population Results

Scientists at the California Mountain Lion Project have just completed ” the first comprehensive estimate of mountain lions in California,” as reported by the LA Times, and what they found is the actual number of cougars living in California is close to half than previously thought. Instead of the 4,000-6,000 previous estimate, this comprehensive field study determined there are between 3,200 and 4,500 mountain lions in California.

As an Angeleno, this majorly bums me out. California messed up big time back in the day when thinking about its public lands and how to keep parts of the state wild. Hopefully, over the generations, the population bounces back as we think a little more wisely about preservation and resource management. Mountain lions are simple too amazing, as creatures, to not save.

Olivia Dunne’s Sister Vlogs How Many Beers She Can Put Away At LSU’s First Meet

Gassing beers at a gymnastics meet on a Friday night looks lit af. Is that what the college kids still say these days? “Lit”? “Lit af?” IDK, I’m old.

Oilers Go Viral After Having Players’ Dogs Race Each Other On The Ice During Skills Competition

Another reason why ice hockey is the most fun sport in existence. I hope every NHL team starts doing a Ruff Ruff Relay and then I hope players start traveling with their dogs to have them compete against other teams in the Ruff Ruff Relay. Hockey is the best when the whole experience is a circus on ice.

Caitlin Clark Is Getting Her Own Cereal In ‘Genius’ Endorsement Deal

These novelty, limited edition cereals have been around for a couple years now since we live in the “anything’s possible” era of capitalism. Hy-Vee, the company that makes these cereals, did a similar play with Patrick Maholmes and Travis Kelce. But what I really like about Caitlin Clark’s cereal is the name: Crunch Time. How did someone not think of a cereal in the ‘90s called Crunch Time? It’s just way too good of a name. Bonus… all proceeds from sales of the cereal are going to her foundation.

The Top 20 Most Astounding Sports Memorabilia Sales by Goldin Auctions That Aren’t Trading Cards

How about a listicle about the sports memorabilia gold rush? I wrote this one and it’s about some of the astronomical auctions they’ve organized over sports history artifacts, including Michael Jordan’s Dream Team jersey and Aaron Judge’s 62nd homerun ball.

CFP Rules Force Michigan Sportscaster To Use Laughably Crude Drawings To Recap National Championship

This is amazing. I would watch broadcat news on TV way more often if they did more out-of-the-box stuff like this. Those drawings are hilarious.

Here’s The Brutal Workout Routine And Diet Plan Brad Pitt Used To Get Ripped For ‘Fight Club’

This is an old post from 2017, but recently found it in our archives and thought to myself, “Wow. This is a great post. We really brought our A game on this one.” Good stuff, Doug. I vaguely recall someone trying to go viral for following this shortly after it dropped. Consider it your midweek signal to ramp up that intensity.

Alarming Number Of Gen Z’s Are Bringing Their Parents With Them To Job Interviews

I just want to know why parents would agree to this? Isn’t it part of being a parent to know when to push the out of the nest?

Watch Wednesday

Videos! Videos! Videos! You deserve some time-killers.

  • Phish played Gamehendge in its entirety, as an elaborate Broadway production, for the first time since 1994 on New Year’s Eve at Madison Square Garden. Historic! I’m a little bummed I wasn’t there for it, as it’s the ultimate black swan event in the Phish canon. But I’m very excited for all the folks in MSG who got to experience it. Truly a religious experience that will likely never happen again if you follow the band. Phish just released a full two-hour long video of the Gamehende performance on YouTube. Relive it and read the book, Lizards and all.

  • Surfing the "swell of the decade" on Madeira island in Portugal on YouTube. Holy crap those are some monsters.

  • Did you know there’s a right way to ski moguals? Nice edit from Stubai, Austria on YouTube.

  • Speaking of snow…. Here’s a documentary on the world’s biggest snowblowers, over on YouTube.

  • Eli Roth talks through his boxing workout routine and gives a tour of his house over on YouTube.

  • A guy in Alasaka shows you how to camp under the snow in a winter survival shelter on YouTube. Note to self: Try not to get stuck in six feet of snow.

Congrats on making it to Wednesday. Hump day! Nothing but downhill on skis from here. Speaking of which, I’m heading up to Big Bear on Friday for a little warm up session on my new sticks before trips to Mammoth and Colorado. I can’t wait. Don’t worry, the newsletter will still arrive piping hot to your inbox on Friday morning.

Thanks again for reading. If you have any feedback about the newsletter or have something you’d like to tell me, email me at [email protected]. Suggestions? How can I make this better? What would you like to see more of about BroBible or behind the scenes or whatever?

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