OMM (On My Mind) – January 2024 – #5
~ a curated selection of discoveries ~
::: 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
::: Personal Notes :::
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Just released ONE ART’s Most-Read Poets of 2023!
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Ongoing: Poems of the Week
Last week’s Poems of the Week
A [Selected] Reflection on My Work
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A short poem of mine was published in Red Eft Review.
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::: Podcasts :::
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Another great discussion with Kyle Chayka, the author of Filterworld. (Fresh Air)
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Hidden Brain – Finding Focus
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The Gray Area – A pro-worker work ethic
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::: Music :::
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‘Inside Pitchfork's absorption into GQ: When 'music media' becomes 'men's media,' what's lost?’ (AP News)
Pitchfork def started as a boy's club so this sounds a bit dramatic… though, I can see it easily taking a worrisome turn.
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::: The Literary Community & Beyond :::
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I highly recommend Mary Ann Samyn’s poetry + her new substack ‘Cake & Poetry’
This post ‘Beginnings and Beginners’ is a good place to begin.
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Ok, so, TikTok (BookTok) is getting some people to read… one of the many questions that remains is whether they are reading to read or are they reading to tell others they are reading. “Doin’ it for the tok” does not equal a voracious reader. (Guardian)
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‘New Philly poet laureate crowned’ (Billy Penn)
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Obituary for Thomas J. Quinlan
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‘Rain Poetry’ (PA Humanities)
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‘Sharon Stone, artist’ (CBS News)
“Everybody told me to stay in my lane, and my lanes started to just get so narrow," she said. "I don't think I'm just an actress, or a writer, or a painter. I think I'm just an artist.”
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Neat silhouettes. (The Public Domain Review)
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::: Health & Wellness :::
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Many more people are willing to get a flu shot compared to a covid booster. (Stat News)
I think you already know many of the reasons why.
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Looks like we’ll be hearing more about the Portfolio Diet.
Note: This Harvard article is postdated 2/1/24.
A few quick searches and you’ll discover articles talking up the “Portfolio Diet” as a plant-based diet (which you can integrate slowly into your regular lifestyle). This “diet” does not appear to be fad-based. Evidently, it’s an overview of how to eat better to improve your cardiovascular health and lower cholesterol. Some articles indicate a belief that certain individuals will be able to go without statins if they adjust to a more plant-centered diet.
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‘Higher vehicle hoods significantly increase pedestrian deaths, study finds’ (Ars Technica)
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‘How does chronic stress harm the gut? New clues emerge’ (Nature)
Based on my personal experience of starting taking PPIs (protein pump inhibitors) such as Prilosec… and then not being able to get off them to this day… I surmise that yes, in fact, there is a correlation. Of course, I’m just one person and a myriad of factors have contributed to my personal circumstances.
As an aside, there’s mixed data on the dangers of long-term use of PPIs—if they appear to be working. As a general rule, you’re not supposed to take these types of medications for long periods of time. Previously, a recommended course of Prilosec was limited to two weeks.
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‘World’s First Human Bladder Transplant Could “Revolutionize” Treatment for Those With “Debilitating” Conditions’ (Nice News)
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‘These All-Terrain Wheelchairs Are Making Nature More Accessible (and Enjoyable) for Those With Mobility Issues’ (Nice New)
This makes me happy.
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‘Cameroon starts world-first malaria mass vaccine rollout’ (BBC)
“Every year 600,000 people die of malaria in Africa, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).”
“Children under five make up at least 80% of those deaths.”
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::: Small Explorations & Deep Dives :::
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‘Who Pays?’ (Seth Godin)
“But new tech is rarely cheaper, easier and more convenient. And new tech that involves energy almost never is.”
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‘Scientists put forward a new theory for why dogs wag their tails.’ (The Washington Post)
“What is it? Humans tended to choose animals with waggly tails when they welcomed dog ancestors into their lives tens of thousands of years ago, a new study said.”
“What it means: The findings could flip the long-held belief that dogs wag their tails because they’re happy. Instead, it may be because tail-wags made humans happy.”
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“Single women own more homes than single men — and overall homeownership is now majority female.” (Axios)
“Sixty years ago, women couldn't even get a credit card or a mortgage without a male cosigner. Now, the share of single women homeowners eclipses that of single men.”
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The U.S. has an ethics problem. Or, at least, in terms of optics. (Gallup)
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‘Stanford's Tara VanDerveer becomes winningest coach in college basketball, passing Mike Krzyzewski’ (AP News)
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‘Bear and Salmon Pictured Together in Canada’s Best Nature Photos 2023’ (PetaPixel)
Because Canada.
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Relationships strengthening practices vary by cultural background…
Enter: Husband throwing.
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‘Teen Who Was Told He’d Never Walk with Cerebral Palsy Just Took 1st Place in Bodybuilding Competition’ (Good News Network)
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‘The Countries Most Addicted To Screen Time, Mapped’ (digg)
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Oh no, someone save Princeton (Baby Center)
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Ongoing concerns about dollar stores.
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Putin would like Alaska.
Recall Trump wanted Greenland. Apparently he thought “trading” Puerto Rico was an option.
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Menu trends. (The New York Times)
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‘Will Ferrell Made a Documentary About Taking a Road Trip With His Trans Bestie’ (them)
This sounds like a great documentary and I’m very much looking forward to seeing it.
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TED on Sleep. (TED)
Some people just not 6-hours. It's not good to get too concerned— you'll literally lose sleep over it. 1/5 of Americans use sleep trackers and that's a little frightening.
Are you an adult who sleeps well? Give the rest of us some sensible advice.
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Yelp’s Top 100 US Restaurants 2024 (Yelp)
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PIZZA around The World. If this isn’t good clickbait then, frankly, I don’t know what is.
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‘A New Tallest Building in America Has Been Proposed — and It Isn’t in New York or Chicago’ (People)
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‘Strangers 'scarf bomb' city amid freezing temperatures’ (Good Morning America)
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As of 2022 estimated census data, there were 333 cities in the U.S. with over 100,000 people.
Based on unsubstantiated reflections, the cities with the highest populations receive the most attention insofar as news, tourism.
There’s a shift in the ~ 500,000 population range.
Population density has a bit of say.
Small cities are, in fact, popular kids.
Also, don’t be boring. As the old adage goes.
Tons of neat little towns with under 10,000 residents have lots going down.
You can support their local businesses and see something that is less seen by tourists.
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::: Google Search Trends :::
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“Coffee” reached an all-time high in searches.
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People are very concerned about budgeting.
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People continue to struggle with American tipping culture.
They don’t know when to tip or how much to tip.
People particularly worry about this with regards to takeout, cashier POS transactions, if there’s already a service charge, drive thru, self checkout (!?)... the list goes on.
People also don’t know the “new normal” when it comes to tipping percentage. I recommend 22-25%.
A classic “complaint”. Among the most popular searches…
“Why do I have to tip for…” “For people just doing their jobs?” Nice. Real nice.
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People aren’t sure how much protein you need to consume daily.
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“Rent has never been less affordable.” (The Washington Post)
“Half of American renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing, a new study found. That’s a key benchmark for affordability.”
“Rent remains the nation’s main driver of inflation. Other causes of rising prices have improved, but rent is still taking up a bigger share of people’s budgets.”
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::: News of the Weird :::
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“This is like when the velociraptors tested the fence in Jurassic Park. He knows he can break containment now.” (Billy Penn)
Ok, and this is simply—very cute.
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Terrifying…
‘Social media videos of 'gatorcicles' draw big numbers as experts say the reptiles are alive and well’ (NBC News)