#39 Weekend reads – two stories, one confusing, the other inspired

Two stories (or maybe themes) got my attention this last week. The first is the ramping up of climate crisis commentary, which now seems to be more broadly accepted as an issue we must deal with and now. My hope is returning.

President Biden wasted no time in moves towards accelerating climate initiatives in his first week in office, and overall, the tone of the communication feels like it’s finally going in the right direction.

There are still those fighting against the inevitable, to keep their businesses and industries going for as long as possible, which we saw coming out of Alberta, Canada this week. Make sure you read: Alberta Inquiry Paid $28K for a Report Smearing Hundreds of Climate Journalists. I get the need to protect business, including the employees who work for them, but these sort of antics must stop. We must work together. We must face up to the truth. This isn’t helping.

Everywhere we look, tipping points are being passed or coming close to crossing over. Once crossed, we can’t go back, so we must all do everything we can to ensure we do not cross any more tipping points.

The understanding of how these tipping points will impact us is still lacking, but let’s say we lose a type of forest in one part of the world. Imagine the significant change in global weather patterns this would cause globally and what that looks like?

This is a huge risk, because we build our homes for stable environments. A dramatic shift in weather patterns could be catastrophic because we aren’t building to withstand every type of weather, only the type we need to withstand. That’s been a certainty in the past, in the future…..? These sorts of activities are already happening. Do we want it to get worse?

The other story is GameStop. You can read more content in the business section below. Now this is one of those stories that made my head explode. I’m still not sure what’s happened, how or why, but the media coverage has been interesting.

It’s actually an opportunity to study opinions versus facts, and opinions are just that. Opinions. It doesn’t make them wrong, but in this case, it makes the story confusing. Who is the evil player in this story? Is it a David Vs Goliath story as has been portrayed? Or is it something totally different?

I’d appreciate any insight from my friends who get this industry and have dug deep into this story, but for the rest of us, it provides a classic lesson in the need to understand all sides BEFORE forming an opinion.

The angles to this story are too varied for all perspectives not to be considered. The conspiracy undertones are a huge part of the story too, and from all I’ve read, there’s enough evidence indicating perhaps it’s not the angle to take. Read wide, consider every angle, be open.

Friends content

What is this Foolish Careers thing? My friend Timi Siytangco has launched a new email newsletter called Foolish Careers. For those looking for inspiration to take a different path in life, this will be worth subscribing to.

DIGITAL 2021: GLOBAL OVERVIEW REPORT the annual digital report, lovnigly put together by Simon Kemp always lays out global digital trends. Worth a look for anyone wanting to understand this space.

11 emerge winners at awards celebrating spirit of innovation And congratulations to my friend Jerome Boyd Kirkup. A genius, his company, Hummingbird Bioscience, won the Spirit of Innovation Award in Singapore. Awesome result for someone committed to his craft.

Charity

Before you scroll, please, if you can donate, donate, donate!!! Some suggestions World Food Program., UN Refugee Program, PowerOf , Kiva.org, Soi Dog Foundation. If you can afford to be generous, now is the time to help your fellow human.

Content to read

And here’s the content I’ve been reading this last week. Scan the headlines, read the ones that jump out at you, read or watch them all. Knowledge is power, and global knowledge is even more powerful.

Climate Crisis / 6^th Mass Extinction

I’ve Said Goodbye to ‘Normal.’ You Should, Too. tks Denise Chai

Ikea says be frugal in apocalyptic ad promoting green living

Climate change: Biggest global poll supports ‘global emergency’

G.M. Announcement Shakes Up U.S. Automakers’ Transition to Electric Cars

New global program ‘1000 Cities Adapt Now’ at Climate Adaptation Summit 2021

Biden administration to unveil more climate policies, urges China to toughen emissions target

Remove carbon as you grow your business tks Tim Wade

Unpacking Biden’s New Environmental Executive Orders

Biden prioritizes climate change as national security concern, pauses oil drilling on public lands

Alberta Inquiry Paid $28K for a Report Smearing Hundreds of Climate Journalists

Mark Carney: Investing in net-zero climate solutions creates value and rewards

Heatwave sweeps Australian cities and raises bushfire danger

Visualized: A Global Risk Assessment of 2021 And Beyond

Death by 1,000 cuts: Are major insect losses imperilling life on Earth?

Amsterdam Is Embracing a Radical New Economic Theory to Help Save the Environment. Could It Also Replace Capitalism? tks Graham Harvey

John Kerry: UK climate summit is world’s ‘last best chance’

Split signals end for remnant of Antarctic iceberg A68a

COVID19

Millionaire couple steals Covid vaccine meant for indigenous community

Even with coronavirus vaccine distribution set to increase, upcoming months could be rough tks Angela Frechette

A Dying Teacher, Worrying Over Students to His Last Breaths

‘13,000 School Districts, 13,000 Approaches to Teaching During Covid’

Bill Gates: Future Pandemics Must Be Taken As Seriously As ‘The Threat Of War’

The Inequality Virus tks Andor Hampala

Thailand : WHO Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) Dashboard

China Deploys Anal Swab Tests To Detect High-Risk Covid-19 Cases

Best and Worst Places to Be in Covid: Vaccine Not Slowing Deaths tks Tobias Wilson

Netherlands shaken by third night of riots over Covid curfew

‘Pleasure ripped out’: the people suffering long-term loss of taste after Covid

Covid-19 could pose a “global threat” to male fertility tks Frank Roberts

Why are people still flying into the UK despite Covid-19 rules?

Covax: How will Covid vaccines be shared with poorer countries?

Pandemic could last 4 or 5 years: Lawrence Wong tks Karen Leong

New Zealand records first Covid community case in two months

Everyday Covid mistakes we are all still making

New Zealand, Vietnam top COVID performance ranking; U.S., UK languish tks David Lim

Police and protesters clash during Dutch curfew demo

Dr. Fauci Says Doing This After Getting Vaccinated Is a Huge Mistake

The Pandemic Has Erased Entire Categories of Friendship tks Tim Hamons

Covid linked to risk of mental illness and brain disorder, study suggests

Vancouver CEO and actress charged after sneaking into COVID-19 vaccine clinic in Yukon tks David Lim

Scientists liken long Covid symptoms to those of Ebola survivors

Thailand to warmly welcome inoculated travellers tks Caryl Mullings-McDonald

Dr. Deborah Birx on “Face the Nation” – tks Kimi Mc

Global Politics

Covid: Argentina imposes new tax on wealthiest

‘The perfect target’: Russia cultivated Trump as asset for 40 years – ex-KGB spy tks David Lim

India protest: Farmers breach Delhi’s Red Fort in huge tractor rally

Trump impeachment: Why convicting him just got a lot harder

Sikkim: Chinese and Indian troops ‘in new border clash’

Tucker Carlson Is Very Worried About Biden’s ‘War on White Supremacists’

January 5 Meeting at Trump International Hotel Could Hold the Key to the January 6 Insurrection

White House ‘monitoring’ GameStop share surge as US hedge fund pulls out

QAnon-promoting congresswoman claimed Stoneman Douglas massacre was ‘false flag’ operation

Arizona GOP censures Gov. Ducey, Jeff Flake, and Cindy McCain

‘Gondor has no king’: pro-Trump lawsuit cites Lord of the Rings tks Claude Calleja

Sarah Huckabee Sanders: The Trump defender enters political race

So Weird How Fox News Hosts Keep Defending QAnon

Extremists Emboldened by Capitol Attack Pose Rising Threat, Homeland Security Says

Donald Trump Is Out. Are We Ready to Talk About How He Got In? tks Cheryl Tan

‘We have no choice’ – Dominion CEO to Chris Cuomo on why the company is filing defamation lawsuits – tks Vicky Coburn

Business and Technology

Stocks Close Down 2% as GameStop Frenzy Continues

The Hedge Fund Genius Who Started GameStop’s 4,800% Rally Now Calls It “Unnatural, Insane, And Dangerous”

Digital 2021: Global Overview Report

Stop Scripting Your Speeches tks Simone de Haas

Airline executives say COVID-19 tests for passengers on US flights not feasible, fair, or needed: ‘It’s wholly impractical’

Connected Leadership : The Authoritative Platform for Understanding Modern Leadership in a Connected World tks Sarah Goodall

World economy in 2021: here’s who will win and who will lose

Move to EU to avoid Brexit costs, firms told tks Sandra Marichal

Cathay Pacific warns new Covid-19 quarantine for aircrew could slash passenger flights by two-thirds and cost company HK$400 million a month

Social issues (#BlackLivesMatter) and humanity

Biden allows US aid for abortion providers and expands Obamacare

Singapore boy held for Christchurch-inspired mosque attack plot

Sexual assault survivor and advocate Grace Tame named 2021 Australian of the Year tks Leah Hannah

Tithe money funded Hillsong pastors’ luxury lifestyles: former members

Keira Knightley: I won’t shoot any more sex scenes directed by men

German City Installs Ulmer Nests, Sleeping Pods For Homeless People

Poland enforces controversial near-total abortion ban

Social Media Finally Broke the Public Sphere

Former ABC journalist Kerry O’Brien rejects Australia Day honour in protest over Margaret Court award tks Phillipa Edwards

‘You Can’t Get More Aussie Than This!’ Says Man Wearing Flag Made In Guangdong Province

Women Are Sharing Their ‘I’m The Client, Not My Husband’ Stories And To Say I’m Fuming Would Be An Understatement tks Cheryl Tan

‘They said I wasn’t hot enough’: Carey Mulligan hits out again at magazine review

Award Winning short film I Fisherwoman and Tuk Tuk I Short Film – beautiful!!

Passion, humour, history

Edinburgh’s landmark department store Jenners to close after 183 years

Flaming Lips stage unique ‘space bubble’ concert in Oklahoma

Diamonds Aren’t Special and Neither Is Your Love tks Joyce Ano

Let me know what jumped out at you?

Cheers

Andrea

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