The most startling early account of the pace and ferocity of the multiple, massive LA fires was likely the description of the evacuees who had to abandon their cars and escape on foot. Those vehicles would soon be bulldozed off the road to make way for first responders who faced a daunting and Dantean scene created by a perfectly terrible storm of wildfire conditions. Those searing scenes were quickly dwarfed by images the damage done by several fires burning through heavily populated areas such as Pacific Palisades. In the air, winds prevented fire-fighting planes from joining the fight. On the ground, hydrants lost pressure due to the intense demand. The region hasn't gotten rain yet this year and the Santa Ana winds whipped to hurricane-level force; the combination of which has created some of the most sweeping California wildfires in recent memory. The LA County Fire Department 'was prepared for one or two major brush fires, but not four,' the county’s fire chief said. The new normal Californians feared the most is here—and zero percent contained. Here's the latest from CNN, The Guardian, and LA Times. 2Table for OneYes, we may be experiencing what many have called an epidemic of loneliness. But even if you're not lonely, there's a decent chance you're alone a lot more than you used to be. You can see the trend everywhere from restaurants to movie theaters to that indentation in your recliner. Derek Thompson in The Atlantic(Gift Article): The Anti-Social Century. "The individual preference for solitude, scaled up across society and exercised repeatedly over time, is rewiring America’s civic and psychic identity. And the consequences are far-reaching—for our happiness, our communities, our politics, and even our understanding of reality." 3Meta's Morphosis"I don’t have access to Zuckerberg’s brain, so I can’t know the precise reasons for his reversal. Has he been genuinely red-pilled by UFC founder (and new Meta board member) Dana White and his jiu-jitsu friends? Is he jealous of Musk, who seems to be having a good time palling around with Trump and turning X into 4chan? Is he simply an opportunist cozying up to the incoming administration? Or is he terrified that Trump—who not long ago threatened to send him to jail—will follow through on his promises of retribution against tech executives who don’t bend to his whims? Is this indeed just an opportunity for Meta to get back to its relatively unmoderated roots? My money is that Zuckerberg’s new posture...is motivated by all of the above." Charlie Warzel on Mark Zuckerberg's war with himself. We’re All Trying to Find the Guy Who Did This. 4Squeeze My LemonWhen life gives you lemons, the old adage suggests you make lemonade. But what happens when life gives you 1.6 million pounds of lemons? Apparently, you let the robots do the work. Bloomberg (Gift Article): Chick-fil-A’s Lemon-Squeezing Robots Are Saving 10,000 Hours of Work. "The lemonade factory shows how restaurants are using automation to improve efficiency and wring more sales out of their stores as competition intensifies for diners and labor. Nearly half of quick-service chains say they’re understaffed." 5Extra, ExtraDaniel's Boon: While I'm mourning the LA fires today, I'm also celebrating the inauguration of my friend, the most-excellent Daniel Lurie, who has just been sworn in as the new Mayor of San Francisco. He's a great guy and he's set to lead a great city. Daniel, an inauguration and an appearance in NextDraft on the same day is heady stuff. Thanks for giving me at least one inauguration to celebrate this year. 6Bottom of the NewsCES is happening and that means some cool new tech is being announced. And some weird new tech. For example: This tiny robot cat will blow on your coffee to cool it off. + Scheduling note: I’ll be off tomorrow. See you Friday.
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