OMM (On My Mind) – October 2023 -- #2
~ findings & research ~
::: The Open :::
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Let’s take a moment for a fun trifecta of sorts.
Pitchfork’s review of Drake’s obviously terrible poetry “book”
Drake’s new album… which features more people and a production team larger than any contemporary writer can dream of.
The modern classic video of DJ Khaled, seemingly in his PJs, trying to comprehend the, uh, “art object” let’s say, that Drake’s publicity team must have sent him.
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::: Podcasts :::
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Forgetting if I’ve already mentioned how much I found value in this episode of The Gray Area in which Sean Illing interviews Christine Emba. (Vox)
Emba calls attention to how Republicans are all too willing to tell boys/men how they should be whereas Democrats tend to sorta just shrug their shoulders. It’s a problem.
Here’s a recording of an interview with Richard Reeves, author of ‘Of Boys and Men’ that I recently attended. Notably, Reeves’ book was assigned summer reading for teachers at The Haverford School (an all boys school).
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Intelligence Squared – The New Science Behind Tackling Depression
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On Being with Krista Tippett – Interview with Baratunde Thurston – How to Be a Social Creative
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Recent episodes of The Poetry Space_ with Katie Dozier & Timothy Green
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::: Music :::
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How you may grow closer or away from music you once hear near and dear. (NPR)
“Fandom, of course, is a parasocial relationship, with one side receiving or rejecting what the other is offering. That doesn't mean the bonds don't feel real, that it doesn't smart when a connection that felt crucial starts to snap.”
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boygenius – The Rest EP
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::: The Natural World :::
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Cat wins prize… for being folded into a sofa. (CNN)
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Marine Biologist’s Photo of a Golden Horseshoe Crab Wins Wildlife Photography Awards
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Lahaina’s Famous Banyan Tree Shows Signs of Life, is Sprouting New Leaves
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::: The Arts & The Literary World:::
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Poet Laureate Ada Limón just won a MacArthur! So excited!!!
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‘Dear journals: stop hoarding our papers’
Not just the literary community is up in arms over long delays in submission responses. (Nature)
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New (and not so new) words added to the dictionary. (Merriam-Webster)
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Spotlight on Philly poetry events (Billy Penn)
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Country Highway, a print-only newspaper is calling itself “America’s only newspaper”
“Our newspaper comes out six times a year and will be delivered to your home in a transparent envelope. Once the paper is removed, you can hold it in your hands, fold it into quarters, and read it on your porch on a sunny afternoon accompanied by your favorite cup of coffee, cigarette, or can of beer.
What you can’t do is find our stories on the Internet. You can only get them by subscription, or by purchasing individual copies from our network of bookstores and record shops at the price of $8.50 per issue.”
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May 14, 2024
Miranda July is coming out with her first novel in about a decade. (Vogue)
I’m a fan of her work although, historically, it has always messed with my head.
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Two-part advice for authors. (Seth Godin)
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Not to be over dramatic but a bit of sad news that some Wyeth paintings (3 by Jamie, 1 by N.C.) were destroyed in a fire in Maine (The New York Times)
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The Zillennial Zine on boygenius book recommendations
(A more in-depth list is available via LitHub)
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“The arts have another problem. Unlike hierarchies in sport, which are steep but fiercely meritocratic, luck plays a rather large part.” (Guardian)
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::: Small Explorations & Deep Dives :::
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Similar problems across the pond…
“The 30% of the population who crazily think they may be liable to inheritance tax (the actual number is 4%) need to be assured there is no risk.” (Guardian)
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“Living on $9 a day” (Billy Penn)
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‘Sustainable nonprofit grocer founded by Penn alumni to break ground in Cobbs Creek’ (The Daily Pennsylvanian)
“TCG’s storefront design will help achieve this goal with its twofold set-up. One area will be dedicated to the nonprofit grocery section, stocked with typical supermarket offerings as well as pre-prepared meal kits where every step is taken care of except the physical heating of the dish. A distinct, second premise at the rear of the building will boast a fully equipped commercial kitchen, where customers can trade their meal kits for one that is hot and ready to eat.”
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‘Why your $7 latte is $7’ (Vox)
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‘The Flu Vaccine Works--In a Way Most People Don't Appreciate’ (Scientific American)
I get a flu shot ever year since forever. There appears to be a general misunderstanding as to why it’s a good idea to get a flu shot. Seems like folks are frustrated that you can get a flu shot and still get a case of the flu. This is true because influenza (flu) is a family of strains of flu and every year scientists try to determine the best cocktail to fight off the current dominant strains. In turn, the flu vaccine is only 40-60% effective. The part that is overlooked, and is extremely important, is that by getting a flu shot you reduce the likelihood of having severe flu symptoms if you do come down with a case of the flu. As discussed in this article, getting a flu shot means you’re much more likely to have a mild case. This really matters in the flu world of “mild vs. wild” as influenza is not to be taken lightly and can, especially for older adults, be deadly.
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‘Lyme disease vaccines are back, one in trials from Pfizer and another in early tests at Penn. But will people get them?’ (Philadelphia Inquirer)
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‘This octopus-inspired patch could deliver drugs like Ozempic through your cheek’ (Nature)
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Retirement ages across the globe. (Visual Capitalist)
Who remembers that joke from The Simpsons about “Ret-irony”?
Will millennials own a home before retirement? Not for me to say.
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People can do better, do good, not be greedy. It’s a pleasure to hear when not only is the effort made but the results are positive.
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“Asking judges to determine whether any 18th-century laws resemble modern-day gun regulations is a bit like asking how James Madison would have regulated smartphones.” (Vox)
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Support for Third U.S. Political Party Up to 63% (Gallup)
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WHO endorses second malaria vaccine for global use
The shot was at least 75% effective in preventing the disease in trials and costs around 70% less per dose than the current vaccine (Nature)
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Michael Jordan just became the first athlete to be listed on the Forbes 400 list of America’s wealthiest people.
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This should come as no surprise to anyone whose spent time in Chicago in recent years.
‘Chicago named ‘Best Big City in the US' by Condé Nast Traveler for 7th consecutive year’ (NBC)
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What makes a cat person? A dog person? A cat + dog person? A turn-my-whole-house-into-a-zoo person? (Guardian)
There’s good advice in here for you and your animal companions.
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More reasons why we shouldn’t judge folks too hard for their lifestyle choices.
As I’ve long suspected, in spite of being vegetarian for 14 years, my body is likely not well adapted for this. It’s never been easy. (NPR)
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This is real.
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‘Retired Couple Books 51 Back-To-Back Cruises Because It’s Cheaper Than a Retirement Home’ (MMM)
Great if you can afford this. A clever life hack.
For the rest of seniors, it’s a stark reminder that our system is broken.
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Gender Gap in Black Adults' Perceptions of Local Policing (Gallup)
“Black Americans’ perceptions of policing in their communities remain significantly less positive than White Americans’. However, not all Black Americans view local policing in the same way. Black women report substantially less positive attitudes than Black men across four key measures of attitudes toward policing.”
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Etrog
“Producing renewable energy on their 100 acres (40ha) of agrivoltaic farmland around Italy not only gives the Lancellottas an alternative income to agriculture by generating enough clean electricity for 16,000 families, but it also improves their fruits. According to the entrepreneur, the cover provided by the panels reduces the citruses' water needs by 70%. The fruits are larger, a better colour and have fewer defects from exposure to the elements. They also carry a higher concentration of essential oils in their rind.” (BBC)
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RBG commemorated on USPS stamp (USA Today)
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‘Police Name Suspect in the Murder of Gay Philadelphia Journalist Josh Kruger’ (them)
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‘The Case/Deaton study on life expectancy in the US misses the true causes’ (Vox)
Attention here to looking at life expectancy for those who do not complete high school (or earn a GED) vs. college grads as opposed to the more typical metrics associated with looking at high school grads vs. college grads.
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Inventions that transformed our lives… are not all a net positive.
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‘How a Big Pharma Company Stalled a Potentially Lifesaving Vaccine in Pursuit of Bigger Profits’ (ProPublica)
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As is often the case, so much comes down to class. (Guardian)
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Emerson’s ‘Representative Men’ right here… practicing what you preach.
Charles “Chuck” Feeney:
“I cannot think of a more personally rewarding and appropriate use of wealth than to give while one is living — to personally devote oneself to meaningful efforts to improve the human condition,” Feeney wrote in his pledge letter. (CNN)
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‘Addiction to ultra-processed food affects 14% of adults, global study shows’
We kinda already had an inkling…but it’s useful when science comes to town and helps back up the hearsay and personal theories with actual evidence.
“Behaviours around ultra-processed food may meet the criteria for diagnosis of substance use disorder in some people. (Guardian)
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Pumpkin weighing about the same as a hatchback breaks world record. (AP news)
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‘U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Platforms Anti-Trans Talking Points in a Speech to Tories’ (them)
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Most popular Halloween candy by state. (Food & Wine)
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‘U.S. Teens Spend Average 4.8 Hours on Social Media Per Day’ (Gallup)
Am I doing much better? Hard to say…
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‘Winner of $1.7B Powerball jackpot could take home lowest lump sum in 20 years at 44% payout’ (NY Post)
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Findings about hybrid work in 2023.
74% of millennials have at least one other job.
“1 in 4 workers (25%) would be willing to sacrifice 15% of their annual salary for flexible working hours”
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The Most Iconic Dessert from Every Decade (Taste of Home)
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Temu is shady. So is Wish. So is Shein.
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Apparently, nearly 90% of Gen Z has an iPhone. (Business Insider)
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‘Basic income is less radical than you think’ (Vox)
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Beware of misinformation.
‘Don’t believe everything you see and hear about Israel and Palestine’ (Vox)
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Thanks for this one, Mark. I just discovered The Poetry Space and watched Episode 37 Bad Poems thanks to this issue of OMM. A valuable addition to my poetry explorations, thanks to you.