⛅ Some songs just make you smile
Also 3d-printing gone wild, diamonds AREN'T forever, and silence
Changing things up just slightly this week. Driving home from Florida after a mini-vaca with the girlfriend, and I didn’t have time to pull together a whole story. Instead, here are 5 things I deeply enjoyed this past week.
1. The Chicken Wing Beat
My girlfriend’s kid introduced me to this song this weekend, and I can’t get it out of my damn head. I might be a little late to the party, but it’s catchy and I enjoyed it.
2. 3D-printing gone wild
Think shark fins, elephant ivory, rhino horns, and pangolin scales are expensive on the black market? They’re nothing compared to the rosewood tree 🌲, which is perpetually the most illegally trafficked item dirty money can buy. In fact, the market is worth more than all 4 of the others combined.
And no, this isn’t just due to the recent lumbar shortage caused by the pandemic. This is much bigger than that. The hunt for this rare wood causes great danger to the forest and its inhabitants where it’s found, which is why it’s awesome that we can now 3D-print rosewood replicas from wood waste instead.
3. 💎Diamonds aren’t forever?
Science is really killing it this week.
The other week, Pandora, the world’s largest jeweler, announced that they’re no longer selling mined-from-the-earth diamonds, and instead they’re switching to exclusively laboratory-made. This is a smart move, considering lab-made diamonds are:
MUCH less expensive
Safer to create
Better for the environment
Alexander Lacik, Pandora's chief executive, told reporters that the change was part of a greater sustainability effort, which may be true, but I think it’s just because the younger generation is sick of paying obnoxious prices for a symbol of love.
4. The ship has officially set sail
Ok so, last week I lied…sorta.
Onboarding week for the Ship 30 for 30 program (where I write and publish 30 essays in 30 days) was last week, which meant I didn’t actually start shipping out essays on Monday like I said. Instead, I spent the week meeting a bunch of other writers and learning about the tools I’d be using throughout the program.
The real journey started yesterday, and I’ve already published my first two essays. If you’re interested in hopping along for the ride, you can follow along with me here on Twitter 🚢.
5. Quote to think about
When you have something to say, silence is a lie. — Jordan Peterson
That’s all for this week’s newsletter. Hope you enjoyed it!
Best,
Jason Gutierrez
P.S. Follow me on Twitter for tips and advice on writing, self-improvement, entrepreneurship, and more!