OMM (On My Mind) – December 2023 – #1
~ findings & research ~
::: The Open :::
Dear Reader,
I hope you enjoy this weekly newsletter (published on Sundays).
If you’re a subscriber, please consider reaching out to a friend you think may enjoy this newsletter and encourage them to sign up.
If you can, please consider signing up as a Paid Subscriber. I’ll be just as happy if you donate to ONE ART: a journal of poetry.
Thank you for reading and for your time.
With Gratitude,
Mark
::: Weekly Podcast Recommendations :::
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CW: Grief/loss, Loss of a parent
Hidden Brain – Healing 2.0: Disrupting Death
This is a hard (but worthwhile listen). I rarely am inclined to give content warnings but this episode feels like it needs it.
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The Gray Area – Late-stage liberalism
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New Podcast Recommendation: Fried – The Burnout podcast (with Cait Donovan)
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::: Music :::
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‘Taylor Swift is Spotify’s most-streamed artist of 2023, ending Bad Bunny's 3-year reign [of terror]’ (AP News)
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::: The Arts & The Literary World:::
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‘The Creator of Chill Subs Doesn't Submit to Literary Magazines’ (Chill Subs)
Sure there are jokes + this is very insightful about how lit mag submission guidelines are often not writer-friendly. I have an essay in-progress on the subject.
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After 151, Popular Science magazine will no longer publish in print.
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Where to Publish Flash Nonfiction (Brevity)
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Seeing a lot of talk about book jackets spoiling reads. Apparently, we should not look at book jackets. Further, they should be banned.
I’m not sure it’s such a big deal… but shadowy areas of the internet seem to insist.
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::: Health & Wellness :::
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‘New CDC life expectancy data shows painfully slow rebound from covid’ (The Washington Post)
The United States alone has had 1.1+ million deaths that are considered Covid-19-related deaths. Globally, we talking almost 7 million deaths. Our brains are not designed to conceptualize numbers (read: losses) of this magnitude. It literally boggles the mind. (WHO)
This should come as no surprise.
We, as a society, are still processing mass public grief, as well as our own private grief(s).
It’s going to take time.
As they say, we do not move on so much as we find ways to move forward.
2023 is the first “non-pandemic” year, at least in some respects, since 2019.
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‘Biodegradable, Single-Use “Tab Soap” Could Make Hand-Washing More Accessible Worldwide’ (Nice News)
This is a clever solution.
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::: Small Explorations & Deep Dives :::
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I’m supposed to be in the age group that is “the most happy”. Oof.
59% of Americans say money can buy happiness. Well, that might be a partial explanation.
Statistically, my group (compared to other generations) think you need more money to live a good life. I blame The Great Recession.
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‘30 Useful Principles (Autumn 2023): Ideas to help you make sense of the world’ (Gurwinder’s substack)
“Without trust, more data doesn’t make us more informed but more confused.”
“[…] if you can’t read or write well, you won’t think well.”
“The culture war is essentially just each side sneering at the other side's lunatics.”
“A big cause of immorality is self-righteous morality.”
“Cancellation is moral quarantine.”
“Many of us are so eager to avoid ourselves that we’d rather do something harmful than do nothing at all.”
“The best way to be less of an idiot is to treat yourself like one.”
“Each generation tries to make life better for the next, but this deprives future generations of the ordeals needed to build character.”
Please Note: I don’t agree with everything Gurwinder says. I don’t agree with his political or social positions, in instances I’ve come across often enough.
For example, here, in #21 Substitution Hypothesis— We begin speaking in terms that sound relatively wise: “We’re wired for faith, so as we kill the old gods, we create new ones to replace them.” … and then… he goes off the rails in a direction that doesn’t seem entirely related. I don’t know why we’re suddenly talking about “wokeness”, white privilege as “Original Sin”, or DEI initiatives.
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In #27 Agenda-Setting Theory, I believe there is a point to be made here but the subtext is distrust of mass media. Sure, there are problems with mass media, and yes, not all “news” is necessarily urgent or recent. Still, we need these organizations because if we lose them then Breitbart’s of the world win.
Part of what I’m trying to do, here, in these weekly newsletters, is aggregate news that is not simply for the purpose of amusement/entertainment and is relevant to our daily lives. I want people to think and observe, to reflect and consider, to pay attention and formulate thoughtful positions on matters of import.
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“Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year for 2023 is authentic” (Merriam-Webster)
I’m sticking with my personal choice: precarity
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I’m a geriatric millennial and I’ve been using 2023’s “Most-Used Slang Words”…for years… so... I don’t know how to feel about this or what to say in my own defense.
As well we know by now, these words all arrive from AAVE.
I will say, my approved words include: “oof”, “sus”, and “boujee” (my preferred spelling).
If you’re a white Gen Zer reading this, I would argue you really shouldn’t be appropriating “finna” like that.
“Simp” has a problematic history. It’s a lowkey slur, situationally.
That reminds me, the children have tried to steal “lowkey” from me and I take it as a personal affront.
“Salty” is something my generation of white boys said 25 years ago… so… I guess it’s back.
I’ll give the youth: “Extra” (which the got me using…lousy children), “shook”, NPC (funny), “mid” (also they’re messing with my initials), begrudgingly… “bet”
Words I don’t want to hear: “yeet” (I mean… seriously.) and “bussin” (I can’t take this one seriously)
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Gen Alpha thinks everyone is old. (Upworthy)
Anyways, bet.
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Changes… as viewed through the world of bowling.
“After World War II, machines took over. Even as automated pinsetters evolved over the years, they remained Rube Goldberg devices, made of gears, levers and spinning mechanisms that needed lots of electricity, full-time mechanics and expensive replacement parts.”
“None of this mattered during flush times. In the 1960s, the U.S. had about 11,500 bowling alleys, or “houses,” according to industry reports. Such establishments were referred to as “the poor man’s country club.”
“European bowling alleys have used string pinsetters for decades because they require less energy and maintenance. All you need is someone at the front counter to run back when the strings tangle.”
Apparently, you don’t get the feel of the pin splash that makes a strike satisfying.
Americans don’t feel good or “trust” this “string” method.
There is a sort of “arcade” feel to this that so-called “bowling purists” are not a fan of.
My take: Some bowling alleys (and places where American pro bowlers like to play) should keep the old method and simply charge more. Consider raising membership fees that would offset the cost of keeping these “Rube Goldberg devices” in working order. Meanwhile, the places where teenagers go to for midnight bowling can change to the “string method” since the kids really aren’t going to care at all. Plus, you normalize the new system for a younger generation.
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‘Toy companies aim more products at older adults’ (AP News)
This makes a lot of sense. (Serious.)
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Did you know that since 2017, K-Pop has been more popular than R&B in the U.S.?
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‘No Room to Grow’
“We have to find ways to feed the growing population without clearing more land.” (AP News)
Visual + easy to read look at “how we have changed the planet to feed ourselves – and why we can't keep doing it the same way in the future”
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New pyramid claims to be oldest pyramid. (Nature)
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Allegedly The “Best” Universities in America. (Visual Capitalist)
Frankly, I have my doubts as I did not attend any of these institutions.
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‘Eddie Izzard returns to New York for a version of Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' with just one actor onstage’ (AP News)
I’d love to see this. It’s a feat that’s impressive to imagine pulling off. But if anyone can do it…
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My personal push to get Americans to standardize tipping 22-25% is… not catching on quickly. (Pew Research)
“A majority of Americans say they would tip 15% or less for an average meal at a sit-down restaurant. Nearly six-in-ten (57%) say this, including 2% who say they wouldn’t leave any tip. Only a quarter of people say they’d tip 20% or more.”
By now, people are well aware that those who work in the service industry essentially live on tips. Their hourly pay is negligible. This doesn’t speak well for American generosity.
Why are you asking to be served if you cannot properly compensate the person you are asking to serve you?
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‘Visualizing the Top Energy Priorities of Major Countries’ (Visual Capitalist)
Extra points go to Malaysia, Belgium, and South Korea for their contributions in the “Other” category. Unfortunately, nobody is perfect in these situations and countries don’t make all the right choices across the board.
Just watched an older Bourdain episode where he travels to UAE… and learned about Ski Dubai — which is an insane thing to exist. Apparently, they are working on decreasing the carbon footprint but…my goodness…a ski resort…in the desert…is this required?
While we’re talking about the UAE — ICYMI — they have a notable fleet of police vehicles.
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‘Scientists find that coin tosses aren't 50/50.’ (Upworthy)
What if the coin has a big bust that makes it essentially a pop-out?
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The Blue Zone Problem
I hear more and more about “Blue Zones” and I feel this is misguided. We’re focusing too much energy on the Fountain of Youth (as a twisted concept)… Why put so much energy into helping people squeeze a bit more life at the end when so many people die unreasonably young?
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‘Damaged sheet music was discovered at Auschwitz. A composer got to work.’ (The Washington Post)
A composition just played in public for the first time.
Direct Quote:
“Futile Regrets,” as the composition was titled, unfolded like the pages of a tragic novel. The violin strings reverberated with the weight of unspeakable sorrows. With each note, the instruments conjured the cold, unforgiving realities of the barbed wire and watchtowers that once imprisoned its anonymous composer at Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Very disturbing quote:
“Although music was used for exploitation, it also served as a way for prisoners to express the pain and terror they faced.”
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Cruel and Unsurprising:
‘Jailed Russians Forced To Listen to Bon Jovi, Moby Songs on Repeat’ (Newsweek)
“and even AC/DC's "Thunderstruck””
“Newsweek contacted Bon Jovi and Moby's representatives by email for comment.”
I mean, of course, do your journalistic due diligence and reach out for comment… but seriously… what are they going to say? “Thanks for the 8-cents I get for each stream?”
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‘The ‘Airbnb Alternative’ Black Market’ (Curbed)
NYC-focus.
This is wild.
Is this happening elsewhere around the country?
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‘The Soul Train Awards Renamed a Gendered Award to Honor Janelle Monáe’ (Them)
Got me thinking that there are a lot of awards out there that are gendered…
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George Santos was the 6th person to be expelled from the U.S. House of Representatives… so, who were the five before him? (Axios)
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“Trump seems to be trying to get out from under the legal cases against him by threatening participants in the legal system and by delaying the trials until next year’s election. It is his position that if he wins the presidency in 2024, Trump’s lawyer told a judge in Georgia today, Trump cannot be tried as part of the racketeering case of those who tried to overturn the 2020 election until at least 2029.”
“Judge Tanya Chutkan wrote that being president “does not confer a lifelong ‘get-out-of-jail-free’ pass.” Trump’s “four-year service as Commander in Chief did not bestow on him the divine right of kings to evade the criminal accountability that governs his fellow citizens,” she added.” (Heather Cox Richardson’s substack)
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Russia's Supreme Court declared the international LGBTQ+ rights movement an extremist organization.
It remains unclear how the ruling will be enforced; however, Russia's antiextremism laws are punishable by up to 12 years in prison.
In response, many independent Russian media organizations displayed the LGBTQ+ flag on their social media.
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::: News of The Weird :::
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“What kind of music did pilgrims listen to” was the top trending “Thanksgiving music” search in the past week (Google Trends)
People are strange. Why did people collectively decide to google this??
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‘ALERT: Baby Taken In Car Theft Found At Philly Wine Store – Thu 09:05:52AM’ (Patch)
This isn’t funny.
However, it is an example of one of those headlines that can be read multiple ways.
In this case… after going through a traumatic experience, that baby need a drink.
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‘12-year-old steals forklift, leads police on slow-speed chase in Michigan’ (6ABC)
"Dashcam footage shows the boy knocking into parked cars while going about 20 miles per hour."
— Special Thanks to Louisa Schnaithmann for calling my attention to this article.
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‘It's usually a bad thing to land in a mound of fire ants at 80 mph.’ (Upworthy)
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::: Google Trending Searches This Past Week :::
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There are jump in the number of searches asking “Is eggnog good for you?”
You don’t have to be a doctor to answer this one.
The answer is… No.
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After the Koch Bros. endorsement, people are much more interested in Nikki Haley’s policy positions.
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There is an increasingly interest in hiking and I’m delighted to hear this. Apparently, recent searches exceeded those in 2020 during the peak of the pandemic. Hiking is clearly an activity that gained traction (bad pun intended) and has stuck around as society transitions away from pandemic-oriented focus.
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"The poor man's country club"? I know some fictional bowlers who would probably agree...