matt2 - Network

Please explain to me how banking high six figures every year letting out HMOs to councils is anything other than parasitical. One person’s...

Please explain to me how banking high six figures every year letting out HMOs to councils is anything other than parasitical.

One person’s “passive income” is another person’s “broken nation state” I suppose.

But hey, you can also say that the declining state of the public realm makes you want to move to Dubai full time where taxes are lower!!

The lack of self-awareness is really staggering.

Plastic-eating bacteria and fungi are a good bet. Highly likely to evolve. And likely to have all sorts of unintended consequences, like...

Plastic-eating bacteria and fungi are a good bet. Highly likely to evolve. And likely to have all sorts of unintended consequences, like faster degradation of long-life products. But a net gain. Decay is just a way of life.

The Overstory, by Richard Powers, must be the best book on environmentalism I’ve read for quite some time. It gave me to care even more...

The Overstory, by Richard Powers, must be the best book on environmentalism I’ve read for quite some time. It gave me to care even more about this natural world that we live in. And that’s no mean feat.

1994 Budapest Memorandum had Ukraine give up its nuclear weapons. Given what has transpired in Ukraine since, it will be widely seen as a...

1994 Budapest Memorandum had Ukraine give up its nuclear weapons. Given what has transpired in Ukraine since, it will be widely seen as a mistake. A world with nuclear weapons may be a less safe world since the chance of their use escalates, but to not have them when others do makes for a less safe country. Citizens are not wrong to fear that.

Bonfire of environmental protections to be enacted by Labour. Simply, neither mainstream party can be trusted when it comes to preserving...

Bonfire of environmental protections to be enacted by Labour. Simply, neither mainstream party can be trusted when it comes to preserving and enhancing natural habitats. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/apr/24/labour-nature-england-ecosystems-planning-bill-keir-starmer?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

At some point, it's just all about "fewer people and consuming less stuff" vs. "more growth of everything until it all...

At some point, it's just all about "fewer people and consuming less stuff" vs. "more growth of everything until it all breaks". The latter is winning. But I'm holding onto hope that the former is still possible.

The Overstory is a sensational novel. It made me feel deeply, ashamedly uneducated about the natural world. More than that, even. Depleted...

The Overstory is a sensational novel. It made me feel deeply, ashamedly uneducated about the natural world. More than that, even. Depleted and deficient in culture and understanding. It positions me as a lowly city-dweller, who knows so much about things of little consequence, and so little about great and significant truths of our connected life.

Not a Catholic, but there’s a twinge of sadness at the death of Pope Francis. He was a good man, I feel....

Not a Catholic, but there’s a twinge of sadness at the death of Pope Francis. He was a good man, I feel. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/21/pope-francis-dies?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Balancing rights is what civilised societies under rule of law do. The law is now clarified. I think this is a good thing. I'd love to...

Balancing rights is what civilised societies under rule of law do. The law is now clarified. I think this is a good thing. I'd love to think the world will move on from here, but I’m not expecting it. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/apr/20/the-supreme-court-has-carefully-ringfenced-protections-for-women-thats-all-we-wanted?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Quite often, there’s no optimisation that makes everyone happy. Sometimes, someone has to lose something for another to get something....

Quite often, there’s no optimisation that makes everyone happy. Sometimes, someone has to lose something for another to get something. Compassion for all involved — winners and losers — is where we need to aspire to be. At least, we’d be a kinder country if only we could cultivate this skill more widely…

There’s no justification for a 20% year on year rise in house insurance where I live. I’ll switch again, like I do every year to keep...

There’s no justification for a 20% year on year rise in house insurance where I live. I’ll switch again, like I do every year to keep costs down. It’s a complete PITA.

Blu-Ray physical games are little more than CD keys these days. The actual game is downloaded from servers. I still prefer physical copies...

Blu-Ray physical games are little more than CD keys these days. The actual game is downloaded from servers.

I still prefer physical copies but I think this will be the last #Xbox gen supporting physical media, for better or worse. What I’ll miss out on with all-digital really only amounts to

1. Resale value from selling games at trade-in shops
2. Ease of lending to friends
3. (Sometimes) better pricing

Significant pluses we’ll lose, but I don’t see a way around it.

Gigs are great, except people with phones who insist on using them during the gig, who deserve a three-month jail sentence.

Gigs are great, except people with phones who insist on using them during the gig, who deserve a three-month jail sentence.