Happy Fri-Yay! Reader,

Welcome to the 4x Friday, four of the coolest things I've found, learned, or experienced this past week.

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What I watched

​I watched 151 celebrity house tours and they’re full of lies(00:20:22). That's not something I did. It's the title of a YouTube video I watched (thanks, Garrett, for passing it along). The video is by Kendra Gaylord, who talks about architecture in pop culture and how it connects to the places we live. She hosts a podcast called Someone Lived Here, where she goes to historic house museums and tells their stories. Anyway, about the title, Kendra admits, "Did I say lies? I meant limes (and lies)." She watched every Architectural Digest Open Door celebrity house tour and reported on the trends she discovered. Particularly the one about the celebrities' motives for being on the show.

What I read

When I'm home, I take Willa, the Wonder Wiener(dog), for a walk three times a day. Usually, the walk lasts at least 15 minutes, occasionally as long as 30. I've tracked our steps. At the end of the day, we've only walked about a mile. A dachshund has very short legs, after all. In runner terms, we do 55-minute miles. According to James Serpell, professor emeritus of animal behavior and welfare at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, a walk is as much a mental exercise as it is a physical one. I should never rush the walk. I find it to be a great time to listen to an audiobook or a podcast and return phone messages. Willa sniffs.

What I listened to

Speaking of podcasts, I listened to a three-part series on Napoleon on How To Take Over the World this week. I learned he wasn't French. Napoleon was Corsican, and shortly before his birth, the French acquired the island, and he grew up hating them. Another one of my favorite stories was how he, upon claiming the emperorship, coronated himself. The Pope had Traditionally crowned French kings in Reims cathedral, but Napoleon imposed his style by organizing the event at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. One of the three episodes is a review of Riley Scott's movie. I haven't seen it yet. Netflix is still charging to watch. Now I want to because the podcaster, Ben Wilson, criticizes the director for portraying Napoleon in a passive, totally fictitious way. However, my wife hates it when I point out the inaccuracies of Hollywood. For example, based on Philidelphia's geographical layout, Rocky Balboa runs 30+ miles in the Rocky II "Fly Now" training montage.

What I'm pondering

I spoke this week with the CEO of a large architectural/engineering firm, who mentioned having experienced a client using AI to take meeting notes. That led to a short discussion about the ethical use of AI assistants in meetings. Are there privacy, consent, and security implications? Should they be guided by the principles of transparency, accountability, and respect for human dignity? I closed by asking why their team wasn't already using AI to take meeting notes.

Have a triumphant week!

PS - It's time to start thinking about this year's International Builder's Show in Las Vegas. If you're interested, I have free expo passes, and I'm throwing a Viva Las Pizza Party (February 27). Check them both out at AIBD.org/pizza-party.

PPS - Be a helper and a hero by allowing others to become #BetterEveryDay. Please pass on this exclusive link and encourage them to sign up for a free daily mentoring video by Darren Hardy.

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Generative AI assisted in writing and editing this email's content. If you find a mistake, don't blame the technology. Sometimes, I ignore its suggestions.