The Monday Mix (07/02/2022)
Hey friends,
The days are getting longer and the nights shorter, which is great news. Just a shame the weather here in the UK is as wet and windy as usual.
I spent part of the weekend watching rugby in the pub, and it hammered home how enjoyable it is being around other people in a fun environment. It almost felt a little surreal to be crammed into small pubs watching live sport after the past two years, but it was a nice reminder of what normal feels like.
Hopefully, the worst is over and this can become the norm once more. Here’s what I want to share this week.
Super Enzymes Eat Plastic
Plastic pollution is a massive problem and something I’m passionate about. Every day when I go for a walk or cycle to the gym, I see plastic everywhere. This is especially the case when I cycle by the canal in my city. The amount of plastic in the water is terrifying.
This article gives me hope a radical solution might be found in nature. Super enzymes that can break down plastic and stop it from polluting our natural environments. This is one part of the solution, the other one should be the reduction of plastic in supply chains. Something which hopefully gains traction in the years ahead.
Putin and His Motives
This is another brilliant article by Anne Applebaum that everyone should read. The ongoing events in Ukraine should worry anyone that lives in Europe or loves the continent. What’s unfolding there is potentially the biggest armed crisis since the end of the Second World War.
Applebaum’s article looks at the motives behind Putin’s actions and it’s surprising they have to be stated. This is a man who disdains democracy, wants to overturn the post Second World War order, as well as deny the sovereignty of another country, all because it’s increasingly looking to the west instead of the east. Failure to stand up to Putin will have long-term repercussions. Whether Russia does invade Ukraine or not, greater action on tackling Russia’s transgressions is imperative.
Joe Rogan and Spotify
This is one of the most interesting takes on the Joe Rogan and Spotify situation. As bad as the publicity has been for both parties, the old saying that there’s no such thing as bad publicity does seem to ring true here. Both Rogan and Spotify are all over the news.
Rogan is now familiar to more people than he ever was before and more people are now aware of Spotify. The same applies to Neil Young, who is probably now more popular than at any point in the last twenty years. Whatever happens, there’s no doubt they’re now more familiar than they were before.
Book I’m reading - Lives of The Stoics by Ryan Holiday
I’m not into the whole stoicism fad that’s arisen in the past few years. I think it has some good things to say about how to live your life, but it’s not a credo to base your life around. However, if you want a look into the ancient figures of stoicism, and how they lived, this book is great. You’ll learn a lot about a bygone age and many figures who aren’t as well known as they should be.
Quote I’m pondering: “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.” – Albert Einstein
That’s all for this week.
Until next time,
Tom