Fire And Fury
Pick Of The Week – 13th August 2025
This newsletter is a curated cornucopia featuring some of the best of Medium and Substack, and the wider world, rumoured to exist outside of these platforms.
Please note that in view of the impact of AI on the writing community, Eco has a stringent “No AI-content” policy, and will seek to actively avoid any articles we consider to be partly or fully generated by AI, and not feature authors believed to be using it in this way again. We are fully committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. In support of our aims and objectives, 10% of earnings from this series will be donated to Greenpeace.🌈
This newsletter is currently published free on Substack, but if you would like to support us please do pay to subscribe.
Sponsors – a link to donors and paying Substack subscribers 🦄 will appear here:
Ecosia; The Environmental Transport Association; Mary Grindeland; Writer Chick With A Ukulele; Adéla Valčíková; Rob Moir
Pick of Medium – (advisory allergy note – may contain poetry)
Following the Los Angeles fires, in which she lost her home, Mary Cappelli seeks to channel her rage:
https://medium.com/bouncin-and-behavin-blogs/on-purposing-my-rage-e038c7a19029
Neela explores the future of work in the Brave New World of AI:
Adéla Valčíková explores the silence:
https://medium.com/no-instructions/silence-that-isnt-empty-7d6530970b6e
Adrienne Beaumont wants to save the world from her soapbox:
https://medium.com/the-challenged/i-want-to-save-the-earth-890e35228837
Karen Cherry reviews the future of Substack:
https://medium.com/@karen-cherry/substacks-dying-f0cd4fe4ddc5
Marya Khan finds courage:
https://medium.com/stories-hub-360/what-i-inherited-but-i-didnt-want-5956c6af6ee0
Lauren Jane calls time on Medium due to the lack of respect shown to writers:
https://medium.com/@laurendessoye.ld/im-afraid-the-time-has-come-cdbba26583a1
Dr. Salvio Pereira aims to stop the clock:
Adéla Valčíková recalls lost love:
https://medium.com/no-instructions/silence-that-isnt-empty-7d6530970b6e
Carlo Zeno gets to the point:
https://medium.com/all-about-m/the-mystery-of-the-exclamation-point-6bf563825ef0
Grace Kelly is feeling fearless:
https://medium.com/gracetakesnotes/a-guide-to-fearless-living-e4698b6dc692
Wrangler is concerned about AI bullying:
https://medium.com/@mike.besso/what-if-ai-learns-to-bully-06ce74ee042a
Pick of Substack:
Emaline Ashe suggests that Substack has become just another form of social media:
Robin Wilding is adulting:
Ben Ulansey explores whether AI can resolve the Middle East crisis:
https://www.thegenzreport.com/p/can-ai-solve-the-middle-east-crisis/
Bette A Ludwig explores progress and the gender imbalance in the use of AI:
Victor Kravchuk refuses to be quiet:
https://substack.com/home/post/p-165382525
Rui Alves reflects on Portugal’s changing climate:
https://substack.com/home/post/p-170157051
Yana Bostongirl considers how to deal with hostile comments:
Kay Flanagan remembers an Irish hero:
Marya Khan urges us not to compare:
https://medium.com/pen-with-paper/when-i-stopped-comparing-i-started-living-c564f178fc42
Susan Fourtané shares her tech update:
https://substack.com/@susanfourtane/p-169825705
Elizabeth Woods gets empathetic:
https://substack.com/home/post/p-170732929
Rob Moir recalls the sacredness of the Earth:
https://substack.com/home/post/p-170122934
One for the techies: an introduction to NotebookLM from AI Supremacy and Michael Spencer and Alex McFarland
https://substack.com/home/post/p-152557470
The wider world:
Climate change is threatening Alpine villages in a variety of ways:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/11/pralognan-alps-climate-crisis-melting-glacier
Some spring water is not what has been claimed, aside from the environmental damage of water in plastic bottles:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cyvn3qe0jpgo
Tyres intended for recycling are ending up in illegal and highly polluting furnaces:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj9wepemrj8o
The rise of “sponcon” – small-scale influencers promoting affiliate links to friends:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/aug/07/instagram-micro-influencers
Warming seas are changing the biodiversity of the UK’s waters:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c05enyryqvmo
Political News
China continues to pursue any dissent, even abroad:
AI News
People resisting the onslaught of AI are being referred to as “AI vegans” in this article!
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/aug/06/meet-the-ai-vegans
Anna Mackenzie recommends taking risks in the Brave New World of AI:
Entrepreneur’s Corner
Bin Jiang explains his punishing schedule:
Life Hack of the Week –
Kiran Bilal suggests how to loosen the grip of negative thinking:
https://substack.com/@kiranbilal1/note/p-167634530
Quote of the Week:
“There was no safety. There was no pride. All there was, was money. Everything became money, and money became everything. Money treated us as if we were things, and we died.” ― Terry Pratchett
Joke of the Week:
(Health warning – swallow coffee before reading)
I feel I’m getting old. I went to an antique auction yesterday and three people bid on me.
“What time is it?”
“Dunno, pass me that trombone” *blows trombone loudly*
Neighbour shouts: “Who’s playing that effing trombone at 2am?”
Today I saw an ad that said “radio for sale, $1, volume stuck on full”. I thought “I can’t turn that down.”
The difference between me and Superman is…… he has super vision. I require supervision.
Today I saw an ad that said: “Radio for sale, $1, volume stuck on full” I thought “I can’t turn that down”.
“You seem happier.”
“Thanks – I uploaded our whole argument into ChatGPT and it said I was right.”
A priest, a pastor, and a rabbit entered a clinic to donate blood. The nurse asked the rabbit: “What’s your blood type?” “I'm probably a typo” said the rabbit.”
I’m getting real success on eBay. I sold my homing pigeons four times.
Did you know?
Honoré de Balzac, the French novelist, reportedly drank up to 50 cups of coffee a day while working. He claimed the caffeine “chased away sleep” and produced a kind of “sparkling inspiration” in his mind. Eventually, he even started eating coffee grounds straight when brewing took too long.
Word of the Week:
eellogofusciouhipoppokunurious – this is an American slang word of 30 letters no less, meaning "very good". It can be found in “Wisen's Dictionary of American Slang”, printed in 1934. It appears to originate in the areas of Nebraska, Oregon, and Massachusetts. It was probably formed as a portmanteau, joining together two pre-existing words, though those must have been quite long words in their own right! A great word to drop into conversation if you can work out how to pronounce it.
Clip of the Week: Dragonflies swarm beach
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/c80xk751zdzo
As always, thank you for reading, and enjoy your day.
Editor’s comment: It is noted that the authors featured above have not consented in advance to their inclusion - I have assumed that authors appreciate a mention and sharing of your work – but if you do not wish to be featured, please let me know and apologies.
There was a fire behind my house last night. Along the path where I go running everyday. I had just written a short story about that area and then it was in flames. It is controlled now.
Speaking of fires, a friend based in Montenegro sent me a photo of fires there started by irresponsible humans in forests: cigarette buts and other stuff. It looked bad.