SC Weekly – January 2025 – #1

~ a curated selection of discoveries ~

Jan 05, 2025

::: The Open :::

Dear Reader,

Happy New Year!

I hope you enjoy this weekly newsletter (published on Sundays).

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With Gratitude,

~ Mark

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::: Personal Notes :::

OMM has rebranded as Stay Curious in 2025.

Today!

Sunday, January 5 — 4pm (Eastern)
Featured Poets: Ona Gritz, Heather Swan, Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
Tickets available here (Free or Donation)

::: Podcasts :::

‘New Media and How Emerging Voices Are Shaping What We Know’ (Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams)

Important message about local news reporting and the value of these on the ground watchdogs.

A reminder that authenticity is what people want to see and hear across social media and in podcasts. The Youth (Gen Z & Alpha) have a fine-tuned BS detector and can spot fakes easier than Millennials on up.

Empowering takeaway about not listening to the haters. We all have agency and at least a small audience and we have the power to change minds.

Heather Cox Richardson reminds us that in the current era, Trump 2.0, staying silent is not an option. First, you must protect your own safety. With that being clear, it's important to take reasonable opportunities to tell those close to you if they are parroting falsehoods. We cannot stand idly by faced with misinformation and disinformation.

This episode was released in January 2024…

Wondering if Luigi Mangione is a Prof G fan ...

‘SAPIENS author Yuval Noah Harari - Humanity in the Age of AI’ (How To Academy Podcast)

Important reminder of how valuable curation has been historically… and much, much more.

For example, a realistic theory for how an AI agent given personhood could easily find a way to become the richest citizen and then lobby for more AI rights. This could lead to an AI ruling class. Not the Terminator vision of a robot takeover but a takeover, nonetheless.

‘Plotting Our Way Forward by Looking Back at History (with Heather Cox Richardson)’ (Assembly Required with Stacy Abrams)

Just after the election, Richardson didn’t blink. She was ready to report that we’d seen this before and provides tips for how to mobilize in the face of tyranny.

Episode Description: “Stacey speaks with historian Heather Cox Richardson to see what history can teach us about moving forward after Trump’s reelection. They discuss strategies for countering disinformation, how Democratic leaders are preparing to use states’ rights to their advantage to challenge Trump’s federal overreach, and how the era following William McKinley’s presidency can be a guide for progressives. Then, Stacey answers questions from the audience on how to get involved in politics, and how to respond to community in this post-election environment.”

“Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign was perhaps the most pro-tariff of any candidate since William McKinley.” (Vox)

::: Music :::

~ Upcoming Releases ~

FKA twigs: Eusexua

The Weeknd: Hurry Up Tomorrow

Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory: Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory

Been in a bit of a music slump…

Though, I’m pleased to report that I just found a band with a new album I really like.

Sunday (1994). Like a lo-fi Sabrina Carpenter with British shoegaze and dreampop influences (think: The Cure, The Smiths, Ride, My Bloody Valentine, Cocteau Twins as well as Japanese Breakfast, The Radio Dept.) Tell me what you hear.

They’re flying under the radar at the moment.

Here’s a Rolling Stone (UK) article about the trio.

::: The Literary Community & Beyond :::

What Is The Stafford Challenge?

“Short Answer: The Stafford Challenge is a commitment to writing a poem every day for a year, starting January 17, 2025, inspired by the legendary poet William Stafford, who made it a practice to craft a daily poem.”

‘The Key Book Publishing Paths: 2025–2026’ (Jane Friedman)

Happy Public Domain Day!

Kinda freaking me out that these can be messed with now... specifically Faulkner.

I should note, Faulkner played a big role in my undergrad thesis so I have a bit of an attachment. A positive aspect to a text entering the public domain is that it should be very easy to obtain an inexpensive copy for interested readers.

::: Health & Wellness :::

How to Prevent Norovirus (CDC)

It’s making rounds.

Sources, such as Vox, are indicating an unsettling potentiality that “Bird Flu” (H1N1) becomes a pandemic in 2025. WHO would have to declare it officially. “Unofficially”, this may still be a very serious concern.

‘Scientists Are Racing to Develop a New Bird Flu Vaccine’ (TIME)

As of right now, the have not been many cases in which the virus made the jump to humans.

Still… ‘California declares first statewide emergency over bird flu’ (Politico)

Part of the concern is that if the virus mutates, even just slightly, it can become highly spreadable from person to person.

Worthy of staying aware in case this turns into something more urgent. Right now, don’t panic.

When a vaccine is made available, and recommended, I’d consider getting one. Just saying.

Why Do Some People Always Wake Up At 3am Or 4am?

Not just some. 1 in 3.

Stress is part of the answer.

“And stress isn’t the only factor that can jolt us awake at 3 am. Erratic schedules; doomscrolling; even a lack of fresh air can muddy our sleep hygiene enough to wake us up in the night.”

Also… “You might think of the body’s sleep cycles as being just a repeating pattern, but in fact, we spend different lengths of time in each stage as the night goes on.”

Possible interventions: “Keeping a notepad by the bedside and writing out everything on your to-do list, as well as any other worries or stressors circulating in your mind, has been shown to help.” Some research has shown that “spending five minutes before bed compiling a list of future tasks made a significant difference” and “should apply to nighttime waking too.”

::: Small Explorations & Deep Dives :::

Turns out that an uneventful life might fly by even faster.

Sigh, frustrating to hear. Though it seems about right…

You were planning to retire in South Dakota, yeah?

‘Today’s Republican Party desperately needs an Eisenhower’ (The Hill)

Note: This article is from January 2024. Last year, not this year. Holds up.

A good pitch for what a better GOP would look like in the future. We can't play this game without viable parties. Maybe even... three of them?

‘The Simpsons May Actually Be Living in A ‘Palace’…

This isn’t a new insight. It remains true though.

Ironic that it’s serious commentary from a humor website? I guess not in an age where entertainment is the most palatable storytelling currency… which isn’t really new either.

Good food for thought.

‘25 Useful Ideas for 2025’ (Gurwinder)

Consistent Recommendations:

Heather Cox Richardson’s Letters from an American – daily news with historical context

ONE ART: a journal of poetry – daily poems

Verse Daily – daily poems

Poetry Town – daily poems

Chill Subs – down to earth submissions resource

** Want to subscribe? Get a discount using this ONE ART exclusive affiliate link.

Becky Tuch’s LitMagNews – literary community news & essential resource

Trish Hopkinson – resource for the literary community

Erika Dreifus – resource for the literary community