Set The Bar Low
Pick Of The Week – 25th 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)
As Medium earnings trend towards zero, Carlo Zeno sets the bar low:
https://medium.com/all-about-m/the-new-olympics-5809ae9b5b90
Mary Cappelli explores the response to rough sleeping and mental health:
https://medium.com/policy-panorama/the-u-s-mental-health-model-delay-deny-repeat-fe85b17e4d88
Robin Wilding comments on social awkwardness:
https://medium.com/@robin_wilding/youre-not-awkward-the-world-is-8b51bbac7bea
Rishita Sharma considers AI-lationships:
https://medium.com/activated-thinker/are-you-secretly-in-an-ai-lationship-06e67d67b3f6
Iqra Arshad craves connection:
https://medium.com/write-a-catalyst/why-do-we-crave-connection-5bce38957c2f
Carol F exposes the reality of freelancing:
Shanti CK experiences a moment of kindness:
https://medium.com/@chelliahshanti/a-moment-of-kindness-shifted-my-whole-day-b49ae654a261
Adela Valcikova presses delete:
https://medium.com/no-instructions/press-delete-a70099ba40a5
Sriram Yaladandi explains the problems editors have with AI-written text:
Pallvi gets a caffeine boost:
https://medium.com/the-writing-manual/i-got-my-first-two-supporters-on-buymeacoffee-ef5fe5204de7
Susie Kearley considers chatbot delusions:
https://susiekearley.medium.com/my-chatbot-is-conscious-b16012e402f5
Here, Susie highlights the financial and ecological disaster caused by the UK’s high-speed rail project (HS2):
https://medium.com/seroxcats-salon/hs2-the-high-speed-rail-destroying-my-neighbourhood-8a3b6ba0d6a3
Medium’s CEO belatedly enquires how the platform should treat AI. Just don’t expect to get paid.
Tip of the week –
Jody Shapiro suggests a golden rule of writing for payment:
Pick of Substack:
An interview with Substack’s founders:
https://substack.com/home/post/p-171426504
Kay Flanagan explores the Irish potato famine and modern parallels:
Lauren Jane ponders the existence of Karma:
Adela Valcikova considers how our view of the world changes over time:
Melissa Corrigan turns to religion:
Bin Jiang reflects on money matters:
https://thebinjiang.substack.com/p/why-money-is-important-to-a-writer/comments
Peter Murphy shares some Turkish survival tips:
Mymy Khan finds the right meds:
Carlo Zeno shifts perspective:
The wider world:
A new project aims to introduce bee highways as pathways for pollinators:
The rise in carbon dioxide emissions could be leading us to another mass extinction event:
Life Hack of the Week –
Write daily urges, Madison Clarke:
Quote of the Week:
“Let the world burn through you. Throw the prism light, white hot, on paper.”
—Ray Bradbury
Joke of the Week:
(Health warning – swallow coffee before reading)
If anyone wants to sponsor me, I’ll be running a 0.002k this weekend to raise awareness for laziness.
I changed the voice on my GPS to Bono’s – now the streets have no names and I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.
I’m thinking of taking up coin collecting – the change will do me good.
Did you know?
Carol F opens a window on a taxing subject:
https://medium.com/@carol.finch1/one-minute-facts-the-window-tax-698b28c9d08a
Word of the Week: concatenate
concatenate – a verb meaning to link things together in a chain or series.
Clip of the Week:
Solar-powered cars start epic race in Australia:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/ckgd7r2mrl2o
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.
Thank you for sharing this round up with us
Love this round-up, John.
Thank you for putting these together.
I hope you have a good week ahead.