OMM (On My Mind) – November 2023 – #4

~ findings & research ~

::: The Open :::

Dear Reader,

If there’s anything in particular you’d like me to write about, please reach out and let me know.

A current goal is to “Pick my battles wisely and with intention” insofar as what I decide to write about. Otherwise, I end up going down all sorts of rabbit holes that I’m not sure are of great interest to readers.

This is the kind of thing I’m keeping in mind while coming up with, writing, and sharing posts. I want to provide worthwhile content and not junk that no one is really interested in. Please help guide the process by providing thoughtful and constructive feedback.

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

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::: Coming Soon :::

New ‘On Your Mind’ posts in conversation with poets and writers.

If you’d like to write about what’s On Your Mind, please reach out and we’ll discuss.

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::: Weekly Podcast Recommendations :::

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Planet Money – Economic Fact in Literary Fiction

Can’t recommend this enough. A truly wonderful episode. Made me re-think my relationship with novels (or, at least, novels of a certain kind).

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Hidden Brain – Healing 2.0: Life After Loss

A tough listen. In this episode, we revisit a conversation with Lucy Hone. “Lucy shares the techniques she learned to cope after a devastating loss in her own life.”

Addresses grief, loss, and rethinking/debunking the long-held concept of “The Five Stages of Grief”. My grief experiences have also not aligned with the 5-stage model so I’m very much on board.

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::: Music :::

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André 3000… released a new album…

Quickly determined this is unlistenable.

What's your take?

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Listened to a lot of Maggie Rogers this past week.

Had a throwback evening listening to tracks off early Death Cab for Cutie albums.

Regulars On Rotation: Arlo Parks, Caroline Polachek, boygenius (and individual members), Omar Apollo, Clairo, Japanese Breakfast, The Weather Station, Tegan and Sara, The 1975, Taylor Swift…

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Can’t stop thinking about Max Martin.

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::: The Arts & The Literary World:::

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“I see a postman everywhere”: Elizabeth Bishop’s Postcards, an Exhibition at the Vassar College Libraries (On The Seawall)

“Postcards generally seem to have been Bishop’s shorthand for negotiating “betweenness,” keeping in touch with others and, we suspect in reading this volume, keeping track of herself as her coordinates shifted across countries, companions, and continents.”

“Writing letters, not telephoning, is, or was, a bit like getting dressed up and going to the symphony concert instead of sitting at home in pajamas and listening to it on the radio: no matter how illiterate, ignorant, or inarticulate, once one takes pen in hand, one has to make an effort; certain formalities are to be observed, unless one was either eccentric or a literary genius.”

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‘Hallucinate is Cambridge Dictionary AI-inspired word of 2023’ (BBC)

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In Praise of Mystery: A Poem for Europa by U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón

Sign the message… get on board! (NASA)

Your name will fly on the Europa Clipper spacecraft as it travels 1.8 billion miles on its voyage to Jupiter’s moon Europa.

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‘How to Cure a Reading Slump’ (Book Riot)

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‘Is Self-Publishing or Traditional Publishing More Profitable?’ (Forbes)

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‘12 Book Marketing Mistakes to Banish in 2023’ (Reedsy)

I found this very insightful.

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NPR’s ‘Best Books’ (aka. ‘Books We Love’) 2023 list.

I have different picks from this year and that seems positive.

I think it’s best that we’re all reading differently.

If we’re all reading the same materials, our thinking is going to be too aligned, too homogenous.

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‘Two New Solicitation Bewares: DiscoverPublishers.com and Reseller Ventures’ (Writer Beware)

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::: Health & Wellness :::

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‘Measles deaths jumped over 40% between 2021 and 2022, CDC reports’ (Live Science)

Get vaccinated, people. FFS.

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"Cutting back salt intake by one teaspoon a day resulted in a decline in blood pressure comparable to taking blood pressure medication, according to a study." (NPR)

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Tai Chi Can Add “Extra Years” of Healthy Cognitive Function to Your Life, Study Finds

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‘Psychosis and psychedelics’ (Aeon)

“A number of trials have looked at the potential of giving trial participants psilocybin or ketamine along with therapy, in hopes of improving their experiences of treatment-resistant depression. Others are looking into the potential of ibogaine to help those with substance use issues, or of psilocybin for smoking cessation. Still others are considering whether microdosing might promote creativity or whether psychedelic-assisted therapy can help those suffering as a result of racial trauma.”

“Psychosis often brings to mind delusions and hallucinations, characterised as symptoms that ought to be reduced at all costs. In contrast, the hallucinations induced by psychedelics may be seen as a way to access remarkable, life-changing experiences.”

“In turn, these different responses engender different beliefs and expectations in the public. Funny stories of teenagers having a bad trip make it all the more acceptable for us to laugh at and with those who have taken magic mushrooms. Stories of police shooting a person in the midst of a mental health crisis make it more likely that we will fear those we believe are experiencing psychosis. In reality, individuals diagnosed with a mental disorder are much more likely to be victims of a violent crime than responsible for one.”

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‘Say Goodbye to Those Absurd Side-Effects Readouts in Drug Commercials’ (Gizmodo)

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::: Small Explorations & Deep Dives :::

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‘Richest 1% account for more carbon emissions than poorest 66%, report says’ (Guardian)

“The report finds that it would take about 1,500 years for someone in the bottom 99% to produce as much carbon as the richest billionaires do in a year.”

Wealthy people live their lives… The rest of us are expected to rein in our comparatively peasant-like existences.

This should come as no surprise. I’m saying you have no personal responsibly… however, as I’ve been saying for years… it’s not your typical everyday person who is singlehandedly destroying the planet. Yes, we can all do our fair share to not be terrible consumers and otherwise first-world monsters. (Also, don’t forget that corporations are major culprits in the climate crisis.)

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[from] The Washington Post:

“Climate activists have proposed higher taxes on carbon-emitting activities like private jet travel to help cut emissions and fund renewable energy.”

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Bernie Sanders has a solid point arguing— billionaires should not exist.

This level of wealth disparity is reprehensible.

We should all get a little credit for not resorting to this classic scenario from The Simpsons.

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Like all rules, there are exceptions. Buffet doesn't think billionaires are a great idea (to the best of my knowledge) but he's very responsible about being one. (Yahoo Finance)

This is respectable given how money often changes people in unfortunate ways.

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Heather Cox Richardson from Letters from an American (substack) – November 21, 2023:

Union president Shawn Fain told Rachel Maddow of MSNBC, “It’s a sign of the times…. In the last 40 years…working class people went backwards continually…. There’s this massive chasm between the billionaire class and the working class and…when those things get out of balance, we need to turn it upside down. When 26 billionaires have as much wealth as half of humanity, that’s a crisis….” 

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It’s ok that you wanted to spend a few more minutes in the shower.

Think about how much water is wasted when a fire hydrant is opened up.

Think about how much water is wasted when a water main breaks.

Systemic issues are what we need to focus on.

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That being said… water is a serious problem. Water as commodity may cause future wars.

But…

We could try to avoid terrible outcomes:

‘It Could Only Cost 1% of GDP to Solve Global Water Crises (World Resources Institute)

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“Median household income in the U.S. stands at about $74,000 annually, but respondents told Empower that they'd need to earn roughly $284,000 each year to achieve happiness.” (CBS News)

Notably, millennials seem to believe they require the most money in order to achieve happiness. I suspect this is due to a life lived in precarity. Gen Z has certainly been living in precarity as well. Gen Z; however, did not enter the job market during The Great Recession. This may be a defining difference.

Here is where we take time for an important reminder about the state of wealth in America. The majority of Americans still live paycheck to paycheck and would struggle to put together a mere $400 for an emergency expense.

“According to the survey, 67% of respondents said being able to pay their bills on time would increase their happiness. In addition, more than half of the poll's participants said having no debt and being able to afford luxurious items without worry would boost their moods, while 45% believe owning a home would make them happier.”

One could argue that “owning a house” is a “grass is always greener” belief. But, we know that’s historically not true. Because we have a complicated (and dysfunctional) system in America, owning a house has long been (and remains) one of the most common assets that can help provide financial security, build wealth, and, notably, help build generational wealth. Lots of jokes about millennials never owning homes… and yet the data (as of recently) suggests millennials have come up on the home ownership front. I would add a caveat suggesting certain groups of millennials. The usual marginalized groups are almost certainly in the usual situation of being left behind as the system does them no favors.

Depending on your personal life experience, homeownership can feel like an asset or a high risk investment. Apartment living, on the other hand, offers flexibility. It’s been argued for a while that young professionals simply prefer this ability to move to new cities as they pivot from job to job. As geriatric millennials are now about 40ish… many have families and roots and older parents and likely do not want to keep moving around. I suspect this is partly when there has been an influx of housing purchases even in spite of data showing this is historically the worst time to buy vs. rent.

Your thoughts?

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“About 15% of working Americans make at least $100,000 of income per year as of the 2021 American Community Survey. As you’d expect, many who fall in that 15% spent more years in school and spend more hours at work.” (Flowing Data)

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Good Samaritan Crowned Hero, Recognized with Statue. (Good News Network)

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“For me, philosophy isn’t just an abstract exercise. I live out my worldview, and so I find it unsettling when I don’t know what my worldview is.”

Lack of adversity is an interesting concept that I’ve noted is coming up often in interdisciplinary discussions (philosophy/psychology and beyond). An example is the children of wealthy people (the ones who do all the polluting – see above) sometimes feel aimless and lack ambition. Everything has been handed to them. They have little to worry about. Must be nice. Jabs aside, it’s not a desirable outcome.

I must hear this utilitarian discussion at least once a month:

“A classic argument against crude forms of utilitarianism imagines a doctor who could save the lives of five patients by killing one patient and harvesting their organs.”

The framework I’m used to is quickly established and dismissed. It’s an unethical decision. It’s not a trolley car problem. It’s not a Peter Singer ethical conundrum. It’s fairly straightforward.

Here, it’s an interesting twist considering if a higher power (“designer”) should have a laissez-faire approach.

“[…] even if God has some good purpose in mind for allowing natural disasters, it would infringe the rights to health and security of the individuals impacted by such disasters.”

This is thought-provoking:

“I think a better option is a limited designer who has made the best universe they are able to make. Perhaps the designer of our universe would have loved to create intelligent life in an instant, avoiding all the misery of natural selection, but their only option was to create a universe from a singularity, with the right physics, so that it will eventually evolve intelligent life. Maybe our limited designer feels awful about how messy such a process inevitably is, but it was that or nothing.” (my emphasis added)

Then the essay takes another leap of faith towards “cosmopsychism”.

The Universe has its own goals? Is this… Hitchhiker’s Guide?

It’s getting too smart for the room (me).

Readers, help me out here.

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I like this, which is part of the outshot:

“I take a middle way between these two extremes. I think human life can be very meaningful even if there is no cosmic purpose, so long as we engage in meaningful activities, such as kindness, creativity and the pursuit of knowledge. But, if there is cosmic purpose, then life is potentially more meaningful. We want our lives to make a difference. If we can contribute, even in some tiny way, to the good purposes of the whole of reality, this is about as big a difference as we can imagine making.”

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Also… I can’t not weigh in on this…

“I don’t know whether human beings will be able to deal with climate change; in fact, a dispassionate assessment of the evidence makes it more likely perhaps that we won’t.”

Glass half full – as a self-proclaimed hopeful nihilist… I’d argue that, in fact, humans have shown throughout history that no one should underestimate our ingenuity. What we manage is staggering. People alive not long ago would be mind-blown by how far we’ve come. I’d hazard we have a good probability of being able to mitigate the climate crisis.

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‘The Biggest Questions: What is death?’ (MIT Technology Review)

The more scientists can learn about the mechanisms behind the dying process, the greater the chances of developing “more systematic rescue efforts,” Borjigin says. In best-case scenarios, she adds, this line of study could have “the potential to rewrite medical practices and save a lot of people.”

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“Walmart's physical footprint is unmatched, with enough floor space in stores in the US alone to fit some 12,500 football fields.” (Chartr)

“[…] were it a sovereign nation, Walmart’s revenue would be enough to rank around 27th in the world”

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Where are all the Millennials going? (digg)

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“Part of the attraction of right-wing figures is they offer easy solutions to the complicated issues of the modern world. Argentina has inflation over 140%, and 40% of its people live in poverty. Yesterday, voters elected as president far-right libertarian Javier Milei, who is known as “El Loco” (The Madman). Milei wants to legalize the sale of organs, denies climate change, and wielded a chainsaw on the campaign trail to show he would cut down the state and “exterminate” inflation. Both Trump and Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro, two far-right former presidents who launched attacks against their own governments, congratulated him.” – Heather Cox Richardson, 11/20/23 (substack)

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‘The lion, the wig and the warrior. Who is Javier Milei, Argentina's president-elect?’ (AP News)

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‘Viral bookshelf hack is creating luxury closets on a budget’ (Upworthy)

This could go way beyond lux closets—

Lots of flash furniture (which has many eco downsides, unfortunately) could be repurposed.

Speaking of furniture hacks, I recently stumbled upon a concept of using crates (or related) and stacking them on their side to create— makeshift bookshelves.

Sure, my closet could use a makeover... but more bookshelf space is a priority. Otherwise, we land in the current situation of many surfaces covered with stacks of texts. And I have been banned from acquiring any more tray tables. Clearly, system improvements are needed!

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‘Teen breaks Jenga world record, inspiring Hallmark movie’ (Upworthy)

“For me, it’s an engineering challenge, and using them really taps into my creativity!”

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‘Neuroscientists May Have Discovered Where in the Brain We Get Hangry’ (Newsweek)

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‘Measuring Trends in Americans' Personal Values’ (Gallup)

“Over time, Americans have become less likely to value religion and have become less patriotic than in the past while becoming more likely to value money.”

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“About 17.4% of Philly residents have a disability, compared with 14.6% across the state, according to 2022 Census data." (Inquirer)

& yet the operating budget is only $318,000?

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‘This World-Famous Bonsai Tree Is Almost 400 Years Old and Survived Hiroshima’ (Nice News)

30 years…

Frankly, in the context of history, a rather quick forgiveness. As discussed with a friend recently, it's stories like this that should give us hope that Gaza and The Middle East can, in fact, make significant changes at a more rapid pace than we might expect.

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What’s a Living Wage these days, anyway?

“For an adult supporting one child in Cook County, Illinois, which covers Chicago, the state's minimum wage is $13 an hour, but that worker would need to earn $37.60 to make what MIT considers a "living wage" to pay for things like food, housing and child care.” (Reuters)

MIT’s Living Wage Calculator can tell you based on your location.

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‘Cheaper red wines might give you fewer headaches, a new study found.’ (The Washington Post)

“Why? They have less quercetin, a compound found in grape skins that protects them from sunlight. Grapes for cheaper red wines are often grown in shadier conditions.”

“What it does: Quercetin interferes with the way your body breaks down alcohol, leading to headaches.”

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Lessons in Gratitude

‘Health benefits of being thankful’ (UCLA Health)

‘How Gratitude Changes You and Your Brain’ (Greater Good Magazine)

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‘New Hampshire man died with a big secret, leaving his town millions’ (AP News)

Highly recommend reading the story. This guy’s life sounds a bit sad but, at the same time, there’s this sense that he’s fulfilled enough with what he has. Sure, he was clearly a bit of an eccentric person—but what a gesture to leave as your legacy!

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‘Crypto Misfortune: European Central Bank Chief's Son Hit By 60% Investment Loss’ (Bitcoinist.com)

Must have been a fun parent-child conversation.

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‘Cashless Sucks’ (aeon)

It seems interesting that at the same time there’s a push towards digital currencies (like Bitcoin) that there would be a sense of being less interested in cash. But, this isn’t the case. Transfers on Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies on the blockchain have a digital fingerprint and timestamp. It’s not actually anonymous at all if people who know what they’re doing know what they’re looking for. Cash, on the other hand, remains fairly anonymous. Sure, if you take out large sums of money from the bank all at once someone can ask questions later.

This is different from apps like PayPal/Venmo/CashApp which were able to provide transfers that semi-unregulated for a number of years… but soon the IRS will get serious about “their cut”.

The implication that Bitcoin and crypto is used to fund terrorism and other illicit and nefarious behaviors is a false flag. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule. The same has previously been said about cash… and yet, we don’t hear much about that lately.

Businesses are now in a position to place surcharges on credit card (and related) purchases of 3-4% (should be more) and not accept credit card payments for under $10 purchases (should be $15-20). It’s not helping businesses. We, The People, Have been convinced we’re better off “getting the points” on our credit cards.

A return to cash as normative for engaging with small businesses is something I’d personally love to see.

Too many people saying (as a brag?), “I never carry any cash.” Not to be overly conspiratorial but someone wants it to be this way. It’s not entirely an accident this ended up becoming the norm.

There’s a photo of a leaflet in this aeon article that I pretty much agree with. I’m not saying use cash simply to dodge paying The Man. Surveillance is no joke. Data collection is worth a lot of money to companies. Freedom is indeed at stake.

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::: News of The Weird :::

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‘McDonald’s and Crocs are releasing a line of $75 shoes inspired by Grimace and the Hamburglar’ (CNBC)

Boycott?

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Group sex at a Taco Bell holiday party? (Guardian)

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::: Google Trending Searches This Past Week :::

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The Holiday Season impact:

Breakout searches for “side job”

Ditto: “Extra money” (annual peak in searches)

Ditto: “Pay raise” (ATH)

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‘Wages are rising. Jobs are plentiful. Nobody’s happy.’ (Vox)

It’s an easy time to feel poor even if you’re not by the number…

If you actually are poor (according to the numbers) it’s far worse.

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‘More Than 300 Trans and Gender-Diverse People Were Killed in 2023, Per New Report’ (them)

Worse. The numbers are always going to be an underestimate.

The number of people who are marginalized, stigmatized, Othered, scapegoated or otherwise under attack in our society is increasingly as a result of current socio-political and geopolitical reasons. We need to re-learn how to be decent to our neighbors and people we encounter in day to day life.

We are failing each other and it's unacceptable.

The history books are going to say these were extremely dark times if we don't change our ways.

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‘The Pope Ate Pasta Alongside Trans Women at the Vatican This Weekend’ (them)

Good. People should be able to sit at a table and share a meal. This is not difficult. Right?

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