Another sign we've gone back to the 90s
Beanless coffee and banana wine.
Hello,
I went to see The Grapes of Wrath at the National Theatre on Tuesday. I’m always a bit sceptical about the theatre because it feels like an impractical way of conveying drama when film exists. It’s a bit like classical music, it's good and stuff but once you’ve listened to Hendrix or heard Insomnia by Faithless going off in a club, it’s hard to go back.
It was however both really ‘well done’ (meaning they made the most of a stage and fire safety regulations instead of having literally the whole world to film something) and pretty darn moving. As a story about immigration, it is as relevant now as it was 85 years ago. It’s of course easy to make everything, including migration, about numbers, particularly when you spend a lot of your time doing business-y stuff.
Numbers are a method of interpreting the world and important but human experience is what sits at the centre of everything. Non-fiction might sharpen our minds, but fiction talks to our hearts. I’m all for a Nassim Nicholas Taleb book, I really am, but sometimes you’ve got to look through the other end of the telescope.
Play nicely,
Hugo
Head of Amateur Dramatics
The Business of Stuff
Reminder!
22nd September will see the second prize draw for The Business of Stuff referral competition. All you have to do is get one person to sign up using the link below and both of you could win a month of free coffees. This will be distributed via a gift card for your favourite coffee outlet. Good luck!
The Stuff
Beanless coffee doesn’t seem that appealing ☕ - a bit like a loveless marriage, or trouserless cricket, the thought of ‘beanless coffee’ doesn’t really inspire much excitement. Companies like Atomo are on a mission to make it possible however, as coffee farming isn’t great on the deforestation. Ingredients include: date seeds, ramón seeds, sunflower seed extract, fructose, pea protein, millet, lemon, guava, fenugreek seeds, caffeine and baking soda. Maybe, just maybe.
Pakistani startup scene destabilised by national firewall 🧱 - it was put in place allegedly to protect the country from cyber attacks but the suspicion is that it was put in to snoop on citizens. The upshot has been that internet speeds are 40% slower and foreign investors have been scared off, making life very difficult for technology companies.
Automated supermarkets in Germany are letting workers rest 🛒 - well workers have been resting on Sundays since 1956 when a law was put in place that means basically all shops have to shut. There are now an increasing number of automated supermarkets opening, meaning people can get their groceries on Sunday.
Some mayors are planning a cheaper version of HS2 🚂 - the line will run between Birmingham and Manchester to provide some much needed capacity. It is estimated that it will cost 60-75^% less due to a lower speed, UK-standard cross sections and by building on the existing network. Currently there is a huge amount of pressure on the West Coast Mainline and M6 which will lead to slower growth if more capacity isn’t opened up.
OpenAI release new model focussing on reasoning 🤖 - the current set of models are good at pretending to be logical but there isn’t really concrete reasoning underpinning it. OpenAI are adding GPT-o1 into the mix which is a new type of model that is a bit more self-reflective.
Microsoft laying off staff from gaming as Activision is integrated 🕹️ - the tech company is letting 650 people go as it consolidates its acquisition. Most of the cuts are coming from corporate functions which as you’d expect have a fair amount of duplication post-merger.
Banana wine has been a big hit for a Malawian farmer 🍌 - Emily Nkhana used to just chuck away over-ripe bananas but discovered she could turn it into a decent wine. Clearly we’re talking more dessert wine than Claret. Its popularity is growing and it is now a fairly standard sight at markets across Malawi.
Nokia denies looking to replace CEO 📉 - a report by the FT claimed that falling sales at the telephone equipment manufacturer had led the board to look for new leadership.It has struggled since it sold its mobile business in 2013 but Nokia has denied they are looking to replace Pekka Lundmark who has been CEO since 2020.
US publishers have their eye on the Telegraph 📰 - the owner of The New York Sun is considering a bid which would mean former prorpieter , Conrad Black being back involved in the paper he had a stake in. Earlier this week The Spectator, also owned by Telegraph Media Group, was sold to Paul Marshall, owner of GBNews for £100m. They just need to get rid of the paper and everyone can go to the beach.
Britishcore is trending on TikTok 🇬🇧 - another sign we have gone back to the 90s, what with all the reunions and changing of the guard from the Tories to Labour. It seems Cool Britannia is back as #britishcore is trending on TikTok, promoting everything from sausage rolls to lip syncing the opening bit of Trainspotting.
Quote of the week
“There ain't no sin and there ain't no virtue. There's just stuff people do.” - John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath