OMM – August 2024 – #3

~ a curated selection of discoveries ~

Aug 18, 2024

::: The Open :::

Dear Reader,

I hope you enjoy this weekly newsletter (published on Sundays).

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Thank you for reading and for your time.

With Gratitude,

~ Mark

Please Note:

This newsletter is typically too long to appear in its entirety in an email. Please click through to Substack to read in full.

::: OMM :::

I’m starting to officially accept submissions for this substack.

>>> Submit to OMM <<<

Please see the wide range of topics of interest. If you’re a regular reader, then you already have a pretty good idea.

The scope is not exclusively limited to topics listed.

I mention reviews, however, please note, those are going to be a tough sell. Overall, I’m more interested in criticism as opposed to reviews of individual poetry collections. Similarly, if you want to talk about a book of nonfiction you really enjoyed, try to couch that review in a personal essay on the subject matter.

::: ONE ART :::

26 Literary Journals with Fast Response Times (Authors Publish)

This list includes ONE ART.

>>> This Week! <<<

Short & Sweet: Writing the Short Poem
Instructor: Donna Hilbert
Date: Thursday, August 22, 2024
Time: 5:00-7:00pm (Pacific)
Price: $25 (payment options)

Contact Mark Danowsky directly @ oneartpoetry@gmail.com if you wish to attend.

Screw the Rules—Let’s Just Write

>>> Please use this link to buy tickets via Ticket Tailor <<<
Instructor: Kari Gunter-Seymour
Date: September 17, 2024
Time: 6:00-8:00pm (Eastern)
Price: $25 (payment options)

::: Podcasts :::

[[[crickets]]]

::: Music :::

If you haven’t seen Obama’s annual summer playlist it truly is “eclectic” (his words).

Once again, Obama reminds us he really is the coolest President in history.

Kanye West’s streak of 11 consecutive #1 albums on the Billboard 200 has ended.

Ye’s ‘Vultures 2’ debuted in the #2 spot behind Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’.

Basically, a reminder that Taylor has defeated Kanye in their longtime feud.

::: The Literary Community & Beyond :::

Obama released his Summer 2024 reading list and I was especially pleased to see Richard Reeves’ “Of Boys and Men” included. Also, Hanif Abdurraqib’s new book, ‘There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension’.

LitHub notes Obama is probably the best read President in American history.

‘Ten Ways I Found Homes for My Work (And Became a Better Writer)’

Good piece by Lori D’Angelo in LitMagNews.

James Crews has a new anthology forthcoming October 8, 2024!

Unlocking the Heart: Writing for Mindfulness, Courage, and Self-Compassion

A little preview on James’ substack.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org, Amazon, B&N

The Onion is resuming print publication (!!)

‘28 Literary Journals Focused on Limited Demographics’ (Authors Publish)

‘78 Opportunities for Historically Underrepresented Authors in August 2024’ (Authors Publish)

‘Conservative indie publishing boom turns to bust’ (Semafor)

This is satisfying… though they did still sell some books. Did buyers actually read the books is another question altogether.

“The publisher has brought in some real revenue selling high-priced Trump books as, essentially, collectors’ items. BookScan said it sold nearly 47,000 copies at $99 each, and 42,000 copies of Trump’s Our Journey Together at $74.99 per book. That’s a lot of money for a self-publisher, though it is nowhere close to the sales numbers of other recent presidential memoirs; Barack Obama’s post-White House memoir sold several million copies, while Michelle Obama’s book did even better.”

We can all agree it’s a little depressing that these “characters” are able to see even a few thousand books (for example, Marjorie Taylor Green) and meanwhile talented and well-liked humans struggle to sell 100 copies of a small press poetry collection. I realize we’re comparing apples to oranges here.

‘Thousands of Taylor Swift Fans Flood Museums In Vienna After Concerts Cancelled Due to Security Threats’ (ARTnews)

‘A Literary Road Trip Across America’ (LitHub)

‘Who's the Greatest Actor in Movie History? A Statistical Analysis’ (Stat Significant)

Mediocrity and perfectionism (Seth Godin)

“It’s surprising to realize that they’re the same.”

“They are both places to hide.”

Too true.

Rattle’s Poets Respond for Sunday, August 18, 2024.

“Why Wouldn’t Autonomous Cars Cry at Night?” by Ryan McCarty

Ryan McCarty: “I keep thinking about this story about a lot full of autonomous vehicles that ‘get confused’ at night and start wandering around beeping at each other. It immediately seemed like they were scared or lonely or just kind of riled up, exactly like we might be when left alone on those dark nights when a little of that other kind of darkness starts to creep in. And it made me wonder what we’re making or, for that matter, what we’ve already made.”

::: Olympics Outshot ::::

Not super surprising— Simone Biles and Imane Khelif were the top searched athletes during the Summer Games (Google Analytics)

If you’ve been following the Imane Khelif story, you’ve seen the aftermath. Both Elon Musk and JK Rowling have been named in lawsuits for cyberbullying Khelif.

Will anything make people like Elon & JK STFU… probably not.

All five of the top searched athletes related to “world record” were men.

Top searched Summer Games sports:

1. Soccer

2. Basketball

3. Artistic gymnastics

4. Volleyball

5. Artistic swimming

“The Muffin Man” successfully called enough attention that people want that chocolate chip lava muffin recipe.

Plenty of evidence that people don’t know how scoring works in sports based on Google search info.

Understandable fascination about the Olympic Village. I believe I previously shared the amazing CBC News live tour with Heather Hiscox – but, ICYMI, this is very funny—and reinforces the classic expectations that Canadians are much friendlier than Americans.

“The US and China tied for the most gold medals at the Paris Olympics with 40 each. However, the US topped the medal count, thanks to 44 silver wins compared to China’s 27. The US’ domination at the Olympics is unsurprising, the Financial Times argued: High-income democracies usually top the medal counts because “being rich and democratic and well educated and good at sport are all generally part of the same thing.” It’s no coincidence, the FT wrote, that China only began dominating at the Olympics after its economy took off. Rich countries also record more women athlete wins because of “overall greater opportunities” afforded to them in society, Tufts University researchers wrote.” (Semafor)

India Dropped The Ball

“One of the most striking macro stories of the games is India’s relative underperformance.” (chartr)

“Despite a population of more than 1.4 billion, India won just 6 medals, with no gold medals, placing them 71st in the rankings. A country with phenomenal economic potential, which is increasingly being realized, many experts blame a chronic lack of investment in athletics and sports for the country’s underwhelming performance. Although, understandably, pouring money into elite sports is unlikely to be a vote-winning domestic policy when poverty and malnutrition remain all-too-common issues. Indeed, India’s GDP per capita remains around one-fifth of China’s.”

Some countries performed impressively well relative to their population size.

These include:

Grenada, Dominica, Saint Lucia, New Zealand, Bahrain, Jamaica, Cape Verde

BREAKING (AKA. breakdancing)

I was excited the Breaking (aka. breakdancing) was in the Olympics this year in Paris.

My understanding is that the next two Olympic schedules for 2028 and 2032 are already set (regarding events that will be included) and they are not planning to include Breaking.

I’m disappointed.

That being said, the scoring for Breaking clearly has been figured out yet…

It may have been a bad call starting with 1-on-1 dance-offs instead of having crew battles as a global introduction.

Red Bull has been a major sponsor for a while and hosted annual events.

If this is all new to you, Wikipedia can catch you up on the history of breakdancing.

Although 1984’s Breakin’ and Beat Street (also ’84) seem to get credited as the important easy breakdancing films. I really loved Wild Style (’83) which has more general coverage of hip-hop culture and centers on graffiti art.

A personal favorite (that many will understandably make fun of me about) is You Got Served (2004). The acting is admittedly… not good. (Omarion is the best actor.) The plot is…also…not good. (Though it does, at least, have some semblance of a narrative arc.) The dancing is AMAZING. If you enjoy a music-driven film with a seriously good soundtrack…

I’m reminded of a time when I briefly coveted the book ‘Graffiti World’, published in 2004, in a liminal space before everything started to revolve around social media.

For the Olympics, Snoop Dogg was given the informal title of “Ambassador of Happiness” which is basically the best job description I can possibly imagine.

::: Health & Wellness :::

WHO declares mpox a global emergency.

“Cheap, High-Tech 'Electric Bandage' Speeds Wound Healing” (US News & World Report)

‘A highly contagious seasonal respiratory virus is on the rise in the U.S.’ (WaPo)

“What is it? Parvovirus B19, which can cause “slapped cheek disease,” named for its face rash. The case surge is most pronounced among children ages 5 to 9, the CDC said yesterday.”

“Is it dangerous? It’s typically mild in children and healthy adults. But pregnant or immunocompromised people can be hit harder.”

‘An implantable sensor could reverse opioid overdoses’ (MIT)

“The new device, which can be implanted under the skin, rapidly releases naloxone when an overdose is detected.”

I realize this will be controversial. Some will say that it will deter people from actually getting the help they need.

I see opioid overdose prevention as akin to Housing First initiatives for homelessness. Maybe it’s an odd comparison to draw. The note I’m trying to hit being that you need to implement initial safeguards before you can expect someone to get back on their feet. Anything that is a harm reduction strategy I will likely be in favor of. After all, there is nothing we can do for a person who is no longer with us.

Very thought-provoking article.

‘How the seasons screw with your moral compass” (VOX)

I’m reminded of the many factors in life that play into our choices and biases.

“Research also shows that people who more strongly endorse binding values tend to be more punitive toward norm violators. So, conceivably, there could be some seasonal variation in legal decision-making.”

Studies have shown, for example, that you don’t want to stand before a judge just before lunchtime, as the judge may be irritable/“hangry” and just want to get the case over with. We know it shouldn’t be this way but humans gonna human. We just can’t get away from our biology sometimes.

I try to remind myself and others… basically all the time… that at the end of the day we are simply fancy monkeys.

This is intriguing:

“One more wrinkle: the findings are not generalizable to every country. Although the authors found a similar seasonal cycle in moral values in the US, Canada, and Australia, they did not find it in the United Kingdom, and they don’t know why.” It could be related to the age of an empire, I suppose?

Yoga may be even better for your headspace than [Westerners] previously thought.

“The practice of breathing, mindfulness and postures is linked to improved cognition — and may benefit people at risk for cognitive decline, a recent study found.” (WaPo)

“Yoga may sharpen the mind by honing our ability to regulate stress and use our brain’s resources efficiently.”

::: Small Explorations & Deep Dives :::

A look back at this global risk report released in January 2024. (World Economic Forum)

8 months later, what’s changed?

The report considers a 2-year forecast and a 10-year prediction.

It’s not super uplifting.

Joyce Vance sharing some wisdom about the history of gun laws in America.

“The labor force is expected to increase by 8.9 million, or 5.5 percent, from 2020 to 2030. The labor force of people ages 16 to 24 is projected to shrink by 7.5 percent from 2020 to 2030. Among people age 75 and older, the labor force is expected to grow by 96.5 percent over the next decade.”

“Two decades ago, nearly 10 percent of 55-year-olds were retired. Today it’s 5 percent. The share of retirees at age 59 has fallen from 20 percent to 10 percent, while at the traditional retirement age of 65, less than half of Americans are now retired, against 58 percent in 2000.” (Center for Workforce Inclusion, published June 2023, data from 2022)

“The resilience of the US consumer is at the heart of recent concerns over a potential downturn since consumer spending drives 70% of the US economy.” (Morning Brew)

‘What lies beneath: the growing threat to the hidden network of cables that power the internet’ (Guardian)

“Contemporary life is really inseparable from an operational internet.”

“Our voices are literally at the bottom of the ocean.”

“Global conflicts have also been shown to have unintended, disruptive effects on internet cable systems.”

“The targeting of internet cables is a weapon that Russia has long held in its arsenal of hybrid warfare. When Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, Moscow severed the main cable connection to the peninsula, gaining control of its internet infrastructure, enabling the Kremlin to spread disinformation.”

“The data bears this out, showing that sharks, anchors and fishing pose a greater threat to the global internet infrastructure than Russian spies.”

Global Inequality: “So you see that some parts of the world have a high level of connectivity … and diversity in terms of having multiple routes in case there’s a break.”

“Musk is not interviewing Trump. He is using his $44 billion purchase of Twitter to create the most expensive political ad of all time.” (Popular Information)

Higher Ed continues to reorient post-pandemic (and in general) as admission rates continue to drop. They’re cutting majors and programs… a big question being which programs and are they sensible choices.

‘Why Do People Love Purple So Much?’ (Zillennial Zine)

As an adult, purple (in its various shades) is my favorite color. Although green (like in nature) is hard to argue with. As a child, I preferred blue. I believe statistically blue tends to be an overall favorite for the majority of Americans. We know people like red for a range of reasons.

Purple is great.

Do I look good in purple clothing? Debatable.

Does that stop me from wearing purple? Absolutely not.

‘Will Kamala Harris’ short run kill the ‘permanent campaign’?’ (Semafor)

This would be a BIG accomplishment.

‘Online sports betting hurts consumers’ (Slow Boring)

“Among states with access to online betting, the likelihood of filing for bankruptcy increases by 25-30% after three to four years.”

Love mushrooms?

Well, you may or may not be obliged to love the ‘Mushroom Color Atlas’

Avon, known MLM, files for bankruptcy.

A slow crash and burn has been well-earned.

“Trump gave a speech in Asheville, North Carolina, that was supposed to be about the economy. Before he could appear, Trump had to pay the city $82,247.60 in advance, with city officials apparently concerned about the candidate’s habit of skipping out on costs associated with his rallies.” (Letters from an American)

‘The paradox of lottery thinking’ (Seth Godin)

“What could we do if we spent the next four years on it? We could write and publish a symphony, start a reasonably successful small business, make a substantial contribution to our community, improve our physical health, engage more deeply with family and friends, learn to juggle or play the piano.”

‘Classes across the country help seniors interact with a world altered by AI’ (AP)

‘Has your paper been used to train an AI model? Almost certainly’ (Nature)

‘AI Nationalism’ (NYT)

“The urgency is understandable. A.I. is improving quickly. It could soon reshape the global economy, automate jobs, turbocharge scientific research and even change how wars are waged. World leaders want companies in their country to control A.I. — and they want to benefit from its power. They fear that if they do not build powerful A.I. at home, they will be left dependent on a foreign country’s creations.”

“So A.I. nationalism — the idea that a country must develop its own tech to serve its own interests — is spreading. Countries have enacted new laws and regulations. They’ve formed new alliances. The United States, perhaps the best positioned in the global A.I. race, is using trade policy to cut off China from key microchips. In France, the president has heaped praise upon a startup focused on chatbots and other tools that excel in French and other non-English languages. And in Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is pouring billions into A.I. development and striking deals with companies like Amazon, I.B.M. and Microsoft to make his country a major new hub.”

So reckless. The fact that the U.S. is in any way helping Saudi Arabia compete… with the potential for them to reshape the globe in their view. Terrifying.

"One of Israel’s biggest remaining goals — the return of the roughly 115 living and dead hostages still held in Gaza after being seized in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks — cannot be achieved militarily, according to current and former U.S. and Israeli officials." (NYT)

‘US-Russian woman jailed for 12 years for $51 charity gift’ (BBC)

‘Disney says man can't sue over wife's death because he agreed to Disney+ terms of service’ (NBC News)

Harris Economic Plans

“Harris would ask Congress to give first-time homeowners up to $25,000 toward their down payments — a plan that her campaign said could help more than 4 million first-time buyers. That is more generous than a plan Biden announced in this year’s State of the Union address that would have given first-time homebuyers a $10,000 tax credit, and help about 400,000 first-generation homebuyers with down-payment assistance.” (NPR)

“When it comes to grocery prices, Harris will call for a federal ban on price gouging in the food sector.”

The Most Dangerous Game?

‘Wizz Air launches $550 ‘all you can fly’ annual subscription pass’ (CNBC)

The last wild red wolves are in North Carolina. Local efforts continue attempts to save them. (WaPo)

“When we persuade ourselves that the hard part is also the important part, there’s a small chance we have found the truth, but it’s likely we’re setting a trap that will keep us stuck.” (Seth Godin)

History of the burrito, anyone?

“One theory holds that a man named Juan Mendez boosted the dish’s popularity by selling burritos (which literally translate to “little donkeys”) in Juárez, Chihuahua from a mule-drawn cart during the Mexican revolution. The first burrito cookbook recipe found by Gustavo Arellano—one of the best-informed writers on the subject—goes back to 1934, and describes a simple tortilla stuffed with chicharrones (fried pork belly, more or less).”

“Some say the name comes from burritos’ resemblance to a donkey’s ears and to the packs the animals carried. That implies burritos were the first food-truck meal, back when mobile eating meant getting your wares from literal horse-powered vehicles.”

‘The Taliban said women could study — three years on they still can’t’ (Nature)

“There is little evidence that any hoped-for talks between the Taliban and the international community on getting girls back into education are taking place. Women are also prohibited from certain jobs, going to gyms or hair salons, walking in parks or traveling without a male relative.”

“An entire generation’s talent is at risk of being lost.”

“Stopping women from working, including some 2,500 female academics, cost the national economy the equivalent of up to US$1 billion in 2022, the UNDP report adds. Researchers and activists are calling the Taliban’s exclusion of women and girls from public life ‘gender apartheid’.”

“The restrictions are taking a heavy toll on women’s and girls’ mental health. One practitioner in Afghanistan told UN officials that 90% of students, young women and girls suffer from poor mental health.”

‘One-quarter of unresponsive people with brain injuries are conscious’ (Nature)

Terrifying. Raises many ethical questions.

“Knowing that someone is conscious can change how families and medical teams make decisions about life support and treatment.”

In the not too distant future, it sounds like Californians will be able to “carry” their driver’s license in their digital wallet. I’ve wondered why this has taken so long… maybe it’s because if you get pulled over you don’t want to have to hand your phone to an officer? I wouldn’t stop carrying mine anyhow… I’m just surprised it’s taken this long for states to start adopting/adapting to the tech advancements. Legislating takes time, I suppose.