“What’s a smut peddler to do these days?” - The Verge
Very Online
The Power of Politeness | The Atlantic
8/7/25
The idea of Kindness being Punk, continuing to grow and get good traction. I love it!
When you become less polite, the alteration in your conduct can make you less happy, more depressed, and angrier about life.
(…) One study [allows] us to infer that you inherit some politeness from your parents partly through your genes, but more through how you were brought up. This also implies that you can become more polite with good influences and by cultivating positive habits.
Researchers (…) showed that being polite to others raises happiness and lowers anger. (…) Being impolite is more like scratching at your poison-ivy rash. Giving in to the urge makes things worse.
(…) I see politeness as today’s punk rock because it so transgresses the spirit of our times. And like punk rock, when you empower yourself with politeness, you feel exhilarated. It is the ultimate exercise in freedom: the freedom to be the person I want to be in the face of a cultural tyranny.
…because the American audience had not seen the original, they believed they were seeing something for the first time. Even though it already existed.
(…) To me, Baohaus and the gua bao was a vehicle to tell a story about where my family was from, but you could only say so much through a restaurant.
(…) if there’s one thing I learned the past decade it’s that perhaps the immigrant story was actually best told in a kitchen where the line is immediate, direct, and physically digestible.
Misogyny in women’s sports — like in society – is often subtle. However, in this instance, the message being sent by the people throwing these sex toys on the courts is loud and clear.
🎥 Dìdi (弟弟) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🛹
Wow this really took me back!
Ah yes the only civil war I’m happy to watch from the sidelines…
“The Politics of Fear” :
Trump was, from his formative years, a spoiled bully. (…) “Little Donny” was a pigtail puller, an unruly loudmouth who tormented his teachers and hurled insults and rocks at other kids.
🏀 🇫🇷 I know it’s just a test, but very much excited to see France 🇫🇷 play against Montenegro 🇲🇪 tonight and check out how this newlook team pairs together… 🏀 #FIBA #EuroBasket
🎥 Marvel’s Thunderbolts* | ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Aka “Thunderbobs: saved by the group hug!”
Lunch is the Thanksgiving of meals, neither underwhelming nor extra luxurious, adapting easily to various contingencies and configurations. It is what you make of it.
The EU sets up regulations pushing for transparency in online advertising. Next thing you know:
Meta will stop running political advertising in the EU from October, criticising “unworkable requirements” under a new European law designed to increase transparency in digital campaigning.
The sound you hear at a distance are the thousands of Zuck-pitched violins. Or as we say in France:
Spain strikes me as the neighbor buying the cheapest stuff possible, regardless of quality. From my experience, what I’ve seen and witnessed when working with Spanish people or companies — including locally— cheap price is the #1 criteria.
This is what happens when you compromise over quality.
2022-2025 RIP 🪦 👼 🌾 🍚
I swear if you want to be successful as the leader of a nation, just look at whatever this administration does and do the exact opposite
Updated my /now page :)
My wife has been sharing some of our most personal cultural stories over on her newsletter
In a world of food fads, this is why the real French baguette reigns supreme | @monocle.com 
🎥 Superman (2025) ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Sometimes all you need is a comic book-accurate version of a classic hero.
🎥🎸Simple Plan: The Kids in the Crowd ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A documentary on my favorite band? Sign me up!!!
The Jock/Goth/Prep/Nerd test…
🎥 F1: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Oh this was hella fun and so immersive in IMAX
Last week’s shenanigans
7/7/25
The end to another eventful week and weekend…
- Pics 1-6: Beating the heatwave during a team dinner at Uma Nota, a delicious Brazilian/Japanese fusion place. Passionfruit Ceviche was mindblowing
- Pics 7-10: home life
- Pics 11-13: Streem food market for Le Food Market’s 10-year anniversary
- Pics 14-17: running errands around Rive Gauche
- Pics: 18-19: the Olympic Vask is back this summer. Felt emotional, proud, and nostalgic walking past it!
- Pic 20: singin’ in the rain
- Pic 21: home
Happy Independence Day!
Massively excited for Pogba’s debut in the French league, playing for my childhood club later this year! #pogback
Monocle: "Could Europe be about to benefit from Trump’s US brain drain?"
7/3/25
…up to 75 per cent of US-based scientists say that they are considering leaving the country.
(…)
While the US shoots itself in the foot, Europe might receive a shot in the arm.
Obviously something’s that been on my mind and that we started seeing in 2016. Feels like this is about to become a much bigger topic this time around. I, for one, welcome the upcoming scientific refugees to our Old Continent…
Two things to note, however:
- We need to ensure that while we welcome scientists, there are still lots of refugees seeking asylum in our country, that don’t get the same red carpet treatment. The government’s shift to the right isn’t something I’ve particularly enjoyed and I’m hoping that we can keep them accountable with regards to ensuring we don’t just open our doors to researchers…
- It would be hypocritical to welcome research academics while also cutting funding for education — something needs to improve for our children and their teachers.
Coworkers went out and brought me a Viet Avocado Shake (Sinh To Bo) 😋🥑🥤#heatwave
A nice evening to catchup on Monocle’s latest issue, with a big section dedicated to the best cities for Quality of Life.
Especially delighted to see a quote from Jordane Giuly — with whom I worked during my Spendesk days— about how Paris has improved as a place for business, and especially for technology companies of all sizes. Even less surprising was seeing Lindsey’s name in a quote about how the city has changed over the years.
It’s something that I’ve noticed over the past decade, and part of the reason why I’ve been back living around Paris for the past 6 years. Great quality of life, great work life balance, and — unlike 10-15 years ago— much more welcoming to foreigners and non-francophone visitors than it’s ever been.
Respect the city and its inhabitants and it’ll pay dividends the next time you visit for pleasure or for business :)
📷 Micro.blog photo challenge
Day 23: fracture #mbjune 