OMM (On My Mind) – March 2024 - #3
~ 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
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::: Personal Notes :::
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Becky Tuch re-opened an important discussion: ‘Under what circumstances should editors retract published work?’
You can see my answer in the comments.
Also, Becky links to a previous discussion on ‘De-platforming. Let's talk about it.’
You can see my response in the comments there, too.
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Wednesday March 20, 2024 – 7pm EST - LIVE
Live at Fergie’s Pub,1214 Sansom Street and on zoom (registration link)
Join us for a reading by Poetry by the Sea poets!
“A lineup of poets who participate in the annual Poetry by the Sea Conference read from their work. Poetry by the Sea is a community of poets and educators committed to diversity, inclusiveness, and mutual respect in the pursuit of artistic excellence and creative growth. The yearly Conference, held in May, welcomes poets of all backgrounds in an environment that values and supports each person’s unique contribution and voice. Introduced by Anna M. Evans”
Readers: Anna M. Evans is president of the board of directors of Poetry by the Sea. With: Ned Balbo, Patricia Behrens, Mark Danowsky, Mia Grogan, Rick Mullin, Jane Satterfield, Louisa Schnaithmann, Judith Sornberger, Shannon Van Meter, Anton Yakovlev, David Katz
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::: Podcasts :::
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The Gray Area with Sean Illing – The denial of death
Real talk about mortality, what it means to be a human-animal, and how we create a world in order to distract ourselves from the inevitability of death.
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::: Music :::
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‘The Rise of the Reboot: Why We Can’t Escape Nostalgia’ (Catapult)
“I watched Cameron Crowe’s semi-autobiographical movie, Almost Famous, repeatedly. I couldn’t decide if I was more envious of the character Penny Lane—the leader of the young girls who followed their favorite bands and sometimes inspired their songs—or main character William (based on Crowe), who dropped out of high school to write about his favorite band for Rolling Stone and was mentored by seminal rock critic Lester Bangs. I silenced the voice that kept reminding me that my blackness might have limited either possibility.”
“A fan’s love isn’t’ articulated only by their singular admiration of a subject. It exists in tandem with others who share that adoration, compounding to form pockets of community. Fandoms and subcultures have always existed, but digitality ensures that no one is huddled in their corner alone. During a pandemic, joining with others has proved vital.”
“Perhaps, then, what makes When We Were Young more egregious is the manipulation of people’s yearning for community at a time when convening remains a safety and public health issue. Joy, a crucial tenet of nostalgia, is a sentiment that similarly gets used for profit. “Joy is an act of resistance,” taken from a Toi Derricotte poem and later used by collectives like the Resistance Revival Chorus, became a mobilizing declaration for black women asserting a right to happiness amid and in direct opposition to systems that thrive on our despair. But as with many well-known sayings and expressions of a politic, the expression has been co-opted for merchandising, appearing on bags, totes, and mugs readily found on Amazon. It has become a marker of individual expression, taken out of communal relation to instead prioritize capital gains.”
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‘STOP ME IF I’M TALKING TOO MUCH: On Music Criticism’ (WoD)
“While music reviews can leave a reader with an impression of a song or album that may influence their decision to further engage the artist, its sole purpose isn’t to assign good or bad. For that I suppose we could look to rating systems of stars, grades, and 0.0-10 scales that are often made outside the control of a writer. Though easily screenshotted and shared to convey a work’s general reception, rarely do these metrics reflect the writing’s examination beyond “stream or skip.””
::: The Literary Community & Beyond :::
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‘How a “Haiku Diary” Can Help Your Writing’ (Authors Publish)
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Lots of good ideas!
‘How and Where to Build Your Literary Community’ (Jane Friedman)
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‘HOW TO RECOGNIZE IMPERSONATION (AND OTHER) SCAMS’ (Writer Beware)
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Fun read featuring good lines.
‘Backing In (A Futile Attempt to Write a Hermit Crab Essay; I Think My Butt’s Too Big)’ (LitMagNews)
“Old souls are delightful when young, and their wisdom is cherished in age. But in between, they are annoying know-it-alls.”
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In Erika Dreifus’ ‘Finds for Writers’ this week, she addresses the fallout surrounding Guernica, links several articles on the subject, and contextualizes the bigger picture.
I continue to wish to believe that current instances antisemitism in the literary community is almost entirely accidental. I want to believe that, unlike MAGA Trump supporters, this is not an instance where people who secretly harbored antisemitic beliefs are opportunistically using the horrors of war as an excuse.
It’s important to point out that, although we do and must live in a global economy/society (isolationism really is not an option in modern times), Jewish people who live in the U.S. are not in the same position (or necessarily of the same mind) as longtime residents of Israel. I am not being an apologist here, to be clear.
The history of hatred for the Jewish people goes back and back and back… a long time. Jews have been a persistent scapegoat throughout history.
This is important. Let me say, people living in Gaza, those who identify as Palestinian, are having a terrible time. Life in Gaza has been a humanitarian crisis for more than a decade.
Civilians living in places are not to blame for their circumstances. Lots of people who live in countries do not agree with the stances of their leaders. Citizens do not deserve to suffer for the choices of their leadership. War is terrible and we know it. There are no real winners in war.
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Erik Hoel responds to the Guernica situation…
Hoel notes, “In one way, it appropriately fit the theme—Guernica is the name of a Picasso painting depicting the Nazi bombing of a Spanish town.”
“But there seems to be some issues of reading comprehension: it’s quite clear that the line from the neighbor is supposed to make us wince, not nod in happy agreement.”
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::: Health & Wellness :::
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‘Flying Dutchman recognised as longest-surviving heart transplant patient’ (Reuters)
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‘Swapping red meat for plant-based protein boosts longevity and climate health’ (NPR)
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The Lancet has been running a series on menopause that has sparked controversy. (The Lancet)
"Last week, The Lancet published a conversation-sparking editorial arguing that “commercial companies and individuals with vested interests have over-medicalized menopause”. The oversimplified idea of menopause as a health problem to be solved by hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is not based on evidence, argued a series of papers and perspectives in the journal. “Menopause does not herald the start of a period of decay and decline but is a developmental life stage,” says the editorial."
“In UnHerd, physician Margaret McCartney and health journalist Deborah Cohen dig into the evidence for the benefits of HRT and the therapy’s cultural and historical context. “There was a time when women were expected to shut up and put up” with symptoms such as hot flashes, they write. Now, in some ways, the pendulum has swung too far in the other direction, says public health researcher Brooke Nickel, who studies the language used to sell HRT products to women. “They’re really spinning that feminist narrative around,” she says. “If you don’t do something, you’re not taking control of your body or you’re being oppressed by other people.””
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‘After Four Years, 59% in U.S. Say COVID-19 Pandemic Is Over’ (Gallup)
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‘Blood test shows 83% accuracy for detecting colorectal cancer in trial’ (UPI)
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::: Small Explorations & Deep Dives :::
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An example of religious faiths interacting and, at the very least, showing tolerance, dating back to the 11th century.
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'Places across the U.S. are testing no-strings cash as part of the social safety net' (NPR)
This isn’t new but I’m delighted they are continuing these tests. Why? Because, especially in the age of AI, we badly need a UBI-related system (guaranteed income) rolled out and the sooner the better. I understand the position from the other side. I’m also not anti-work. This isn’t about “handouts”. It’s about providing people with personal dignity, the most basic sense of economic stability in their lives, and the ability to choose (at least in some capacities) the direction of their own lives which (in many cases) is hardly a choice when you’re in a scarcity mindset because you need a steady paycheck just to get by in the day to day.
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Here's a deep dive on UBI / Guaranteed Income framed in a historical context.
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I’ve seen a few articles talking about new construction American homes are getting smaller. While I know this is about money, overall, I hope it’s a trend that will stick.
What’s sad about these new homes? The Washington Post notes, “Major home builders are prioritizing narrower houses with fewer doors, windows and cabinets.” Unfortunately, they’re cutting back on the good stuff. What is a house without windows? It’s hardly a rhetorical question. The answer: a prison or a casino. What is a poet without a window? Ok, that’s a bit of a metaphor.
So far, the shrinkage (much like shrinkflation at the grocery store) is reducing house sizes by about 4%. On the plus size, it’s possible this will allow for starter home for the large number of us who are wondering if we’re going to have to be “forever renters” simply by default.
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‘Why more people are buying houses with their friends’ (Axios)
“Buying with a friend is one way to make this wild market more manageable.”
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There’s a piece in The Washington Post highlighting the most physically demanding jobs in America. My instant response is— clearly, these are the people who should be paid the most.
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"France is hoping for 20 gold medals at the 2024 games, although its ambitions would no doubt be set higher if going on strike was an Olympic sport." (Semafor)
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On Euthanasia
“French President Emmanuel Macron will introduce a bill that would allow doctors to help terminally ill people end their own lives at home. Most French people support assisted dying, but the practice is illegal at present, although withholding life support is permitted. Terminally ill French patients who wish to die must travel abroad, perhaps to neighboring Switzerland and Belgium. Catholic groups oppose the practice. Macron said would-be recipients of prescribed life-ending drugs would have to reconfirm their decision after 48 hours and a medical team could approve or reject it, and that patients suffering from psychiatric or neurodegenerative conditions, as well as minors, would not be eligible.” (Semafor)
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In violin news…
“An iconic violin first played in the 1700s received a detailed X-ray scan to help experts determine how it produces such an explosive sound. “Il Cannone,” which means “the cannon,” was owned by Italian virtuoso Niccolo Paganini, and is occasionally taken out for the world’s best violin players. The X-ray scan will allow researchers to zoom in down to a millionth of a meter, and researchers hope to analyze what causes the violin’s exceptional sound quality. The procedure will primarily be used to identify flaws for conservation purposes, AFP reported. A precious-instruments curator in Genoa urged “extreme caution” in any restoration, so that “just like the picture of Dorian Gray, it stays fresh as a rose.”” (Semafor)
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Air fryers are in. The price of air fryers is up.
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7.6%
“LGBTQ+ identification in the U.S. continues to inch up, with 7.6% of all U.S. adults, and more than one in five Gen Z adults, identifying this way.” (Gallup)
Notable that 1 in 5 Gen Z adults identify as being on the queer spectrum.
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‘Home From Home: The Bar Trend Redefining Shanghai Nightlife’ (Sixth Tone)
An interesting read. Sounds like something Americans would be into. We’re not so different after all, yeah?
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‘Thousands protest after a 200-person mob chased a trans couple out of a film festival’ (LGBTQ Nation)
In all seriousness, what is happening people… this is like grabbing pitchforks to go after Dracula!
I often think about how “tolerance” is not enough. Tolerance, after all, is NOT acceptable. But you know what, tolerance will have to be good enough for the immediate future. It seems like that’s all we can hope for in these divisive and hate-filled times.
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“The hearing was covered live on various television channels, and the Democrats used that media time to show videos of Trump slurring his words, forgetting names, and speaking in word salad, getting their own sound bites to voters. They got Hur to spell out the clear contrast between Trump’s theft of documents and Biden’s cooperation with the government.”
“Conservative lawyer George Conway wrote on social media: “I think Biden’s State of the Union address last week and Hur’s immolation today will go down in political history as Reagan’s ‘I am not going to exploit…my opponent’s youth and inexperience’ moment…only on steroids.” Conway was referring to Reagan’s response in a 1984 presidential debate to a question about his own age; Reagan’s opponent, Walter Mondale, later said he knew Reagan’s answer was the moment he had lost not only the debate but probably the election.”
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‘The U.S. prison population is rapidly graying. Prisons aren't built for what's coming’ (NPR)
We knew this was coming and we better do something humane about it.
I’ll spare my usual rant on the Prison Industrial Complex.
IYKYK.
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“Next time you aren’t sure your business idea is radical or innovative enough: Liquid Death is worth more than $1 billion and they just sell canned water.” (Chartr)
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Special Thanks to my Dad for sharing this:
‘Why do people find birdsong relaxing?’
“Birdsong is relaxing because of how our brains are wired.”
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‘Paul Alexander, a man who used an iron lung for seven decades, has died.’ (The Washington Post’
An Iron Lung & Alexander’s experience = “A 600-pound chamber that uses air pressure to allow patients to breath after paralysis of their chest muscles from polio. Alexander began using one in 1952, at age 6.”
“Alexander taught himself to breathe independently for hours at a time, wrote a memoir, became a lawyer and gained a TikTok following. He died this week at 78.”
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Spring is starting early in most places across the U.S.
Apparently, this has been a trend that began around 1981.
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‘How Americans View the Situation at the U.S.-Mexico Border, Its Causes and Consequences’ (Pew Research)
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Naming matters in all walks of life.
‘Naming is part of marketing’ (Seth Godin)
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‘Cannabis Excise Sales Tax’ (U.S. Census Bureau)
Note: those numbers are in thousands …
So… Colorado got on board early – check out their revenue
Dear States that Need Funding – West Virginia & Mississippi, I’m looking at you …
Legalize weed and tax it. (I don’t even smoke weed and I’m saying this.)
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‘Common Age Differences, Married Couples’ (Flowing Data)
Societal norms and expectations. No real surprises.
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Seth Godin on Questioning “The Why” of AI
What will AI be useful for? Why are we doing this? Are there more benefits than detractors?
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::: Google Search Trends :::
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A spike in searches for “breast cancer symptoms” which may be related to Olivia Munn’s brave/scary/important sharing (on Instagram) about her deeply upsetting recent experiences.
AP News shares some information about breast cancer screenings.
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Most searched Myers-Briggs types
past year, US
1. INFJ
2. INFP
3. INTJ
4. INTP
5. ENFP
Ha! That is so INFJ. (Admittedly, I’ve taken this test a number of times and I, with one exception, always get INFJ.)
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Most searched personality tests
past year, US
1. Myers–Briggs Type Indicator
2. Enneagram of Personality
3. Big Five personality traits
4. Human Design
5. DISC assessment
Do any of these tests actually indicate anything?
No, not really.
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::: News of the Weird :::
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Should we ban TikTok?
‘Why $2.99 Trader Joe’s mini tote bags are selling for hundreds and taking over TikTok’ (NBC News)
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‘Rats are high on marijuana evidence at an infested police building, New Orleans chief says’ (AP News)
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::: Questions :::
A company that claims to sell quality cricket powder (a high-protein, sustainable food source that, as a vegetarian, I don’t really see a problem with)
Wondering how the EA (Effective Altruism) community is feeling about this?
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Great stuff of the week. Re the Haiku Diary: I’ve been writing a couplet every day this year. I wanted to focus on short forms and it’s a great way to capture moments I might forget about otherwise.