20 Jan 25 Monday Briefing

Out of Egypt and into…

News Roundup

Americans grappling with TikTok’s ban find refuge in Xiaohongshu (I refuse to call it “RedNote”) and spark interesting questions about cross-cultural exchange which weren’t on my 2025 bingo card (build a brand without social media, anyone?), David Lynch sheds his mortal coil, a Gaza ceasefire actually takes effect after a three-hour delay, the world prepares for Trumpmuskovia, and Severance is baaaaaack baby!

Watch/Scroll

Rather niche, but this thread is full of information about the different fantasy genres in C-Dramas, for those who might be remotely interested.

I’ve recently got into Spengler’s theories of about the rise and fall of cultures, and I think you should, too.

Read

Women in Celtic Britain held way more power than previously thought, which has been my instinct all along.

How not to piss off your customers when they’ve embedded their your sonic ecosystem into their lives… à la Sonos.

Ponder

Keeping traditions alive in war is the kind of courage we don’t often see.

The grass is almost never greener on the other side, even if your current side is objectively a bit of a hellscape.