Gregory Han

In all my years working in print publishing, the toy industry, automotive, and online media, I can only remember a single instance when HR ever showed up on the employee’s behalf—and only because there was a real threat of litigation against the company.

Big tech following the oily footsteps of neocons a generation prior.

Support this freelance nature and design loving writer by pre-ordering the 2nd book I co-authored with my wife (ideally with our other Pocket Nature Mushroom Hunting guide for a mycelium-connected pairing.) * Altadena permeates the pages.

Pre-order: www.chroniclebooks.com/collections/...

Shame on us for waiting till this weekend to visit the Lummis House. We’ll have to revisit Heritage Square soon inspired by all of the ornate Queen Anne architecture sprinkled across Montecito Heights and Lincoln Heights.

My latest for Dwell begins with our personal tale during the Eaton Fire to set the table in discussion of the future of mid-century architecture as urban wildfires threatens its legacy as an idealized lifestyle.

Read more: www.dwell.com/article/midc...

We’re all just chasing our own tails in the attempt to figure WTF is going on in this world.

2/ This week you will read many confused economists and political pundits who won’t understand how the tariffs make economic sense.

That’s because they don’t. They aren’t designed as economic policy. The tariffs are simply a new, super dangerous political tool.

A beautiful memorial to those who plant for the future, understanding a tree’s roots are interwoven with our own hopes and memories.

www.nowness.asia/series/portr...

A pleasant surprise today discovering the second book Emily and I co-authored now has an official cover alongside an availability date: August 19,2025.

I’ll share a link once Bookshop has a pre-order page ready, in hopes of promoting sales via independent local bookstores.

And imagine how much worse this would be if the United States permitted Chinese EVs to sell here. It's like we're in park or even in reverse, while China's automotive industry continues to propel ahead with neck whipping speed.

Dedicating the first upload to the two girls I love the most.

Depressing that CA cost of living is even higher and we're neither remote nor ocean bound.

Jackdaws, Freeways and Aztecs No. 174

“I guess every place was another country once. And will be again.”

I think about this in the context of epochs, where this planet will belong to an entirely new web of ecosystems thousands of years from now, erased of all traces of our imprint, gloriously ignorant of our ignorance.

Woman Arrested for Squashing a Bun at Lawson Store A woman was arrested last week for allegedly squashing a bun at a Lawson convenience store in Fukuoka Prefecture.

I wish our worst and most noteworthy news story was something like this rather than the 💩show that unfolded in the WH today.

And who else remembers the squeezing shopper scene in Tampopo? 🙋🏻‍♂️

...as important as who we connect with. A few senior neighbors I know IRL told me after connecting them with others via FB and text threads, "I never knew these people before, but I'm thankful I know them now to help stayed informed." Because we're all navigating our own ignorance now.

TBH a privatized and for-profit platform isn't what I want in place to keep us safe and informed. But Facebook's wide net cast across the Forgotten Generation, Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and even to a mostly silent Gen Z branch saved lives before and after, underlining how we keep connected is...

...especially older residents whose only social media account might be Facebook. In practice the platform returned to resemble it's pre uber-monetized and algorithmically dictated state, dissolving those universally hated layers back into a community platform...

Prior to the fire I was itching to cut ties with Facebook (admittedly holding onto Instagram despite its Yuckerberg ties). But it's undeniable the platform has proved valuable and integral in keeping a wide swath of the Altadena community informed and connected during and after the disaster...

YouTube video by caltech Environmental Impacts of Fires at the Wildland-Urban Interface

Of all the online presentations and talk I’ve sat in on, this CalTech hosted webinar was the most informative, sharing data and advice most analogous to what we’ve experienced here in the LA basin.

youtu.be/VBg7wBCoSW8

We're a nation where we aren't allowed the freedom to die, but welcome people to die while striving to survive.

One neighbor shared he was quoted $52k for remediation, including $1,000 to clean an empty $100 IKEA bookshelf. Numerous low end quotes are in the $30k range, forcing some folks to go at it themselves without training and understanding formal safety protocols.

All for going after price gougers in the LA rental market, but I'd also like to see efforts to curtail the exorbitant prices being quoted by home remediation services treating smoke, soot, and ash intrusion.

There are a many animals suffering fatigue, harm by smoke exposure, and from the effects of habitat loss due to the urban fires. It’s not advisable to leave food out, but fresh water can help them on their way to migrate to safer areas.

Calls for South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol to step down after martial law chaos – live Yoon completes dramatic U-turn by lifting martial law hours after announcing it, after unanimous vote from MPs against the measure and widespread outcry

I wish I could say America would respond similarly across the political spectrum recognizing the harm of a despot, but the cult of personality here doesn’t bode well when similar measures are taken here.

Heads up: Autumn in Southern California is reaching/at its peak right now up in Angeles Forest. Still hoping for some rain to awaken the mycelium.