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Hello Cutie Patooties,
One of the best things I’ve seen on the internet lately is this beauty promoting that vax life. It is cheesy, yes, but it is also a masterclass in turning nostalgia into actionable messaging with some potency. Club banger 2021.
Also for a good laugh, read this short story excerpt from The Big Nap, part of Simon Rich’s new book. It’s about a two-year-old detective trying to solve the case of his little sister’s missing stuffed unicorn. It is clever and will have you thinking how much sense what he writes makes even though it is something you could never conceive. Without being sycophantic, Simon Rich is a genius and you should definitely read his stuff because it is hilarious.
Ok time for the usual linkies. Enjoy.
Help! How Do I Accept That I’m Burned Out?
Just Give Me A Synopsis:
Here is a help column from Wired discussing a lot of the misconceptions and pitfalls that come with the huge amount of internet things written about all aspects of burnout over the past year. It's a major problem no doubt. But there are also a lot of major problems with regard to how we talk and think about burnout as well.
And A Quote From The Article Please:
Being burned out is not some deranged badge of honor. That means you don’t need to earn it. But when people are told over and over again through dumb articles and even dumber tweets that burnout isn’t “real” or that it doesn’t apply to white-collar workers or that they’re too young to know what actual suffering is, they’re inclined to bottle up and delegitimize their feelings rather than take concrete steps to change their circumstances. And yes, of course the word has become a catchall that means wildly different things to different people, but that’s a feature, not a bug.
And Tell Me Why I should Care:
Yes that's right! One of the main stories this week is from a help column. We switch things up around here from time to time. But I think it is a really important thing to read about because there is no burnout monolith. There is no group of people that deserves to be burned out more than another. It is a personal thing that has many different inputs. And it is something that is boldly addressed in this column.
The Real Urban Jungle: How Ancient Societies Reimagined What Cities Could Be
Just Give Me A Synopsis:
A look back at many ancient societies such as the Mayans, the Angkor region, the Amazon and others. What many of them were able to do was absolutely remarkable considering there was no YouTube at the time to look up how to do those things which were being attempted. The levels of sophistication were insane.
And A Quote From The Article Please:
We also know that instead of indiscriminately planting in soils of all types, the Classic Maya actually followed rich veins of particularly productive soils, giving their field systems a winding appearance that snaked along rivers and up slopes. They even added special plants, like water lilies, to reservoirs. These plants are incredibly sensitive to water quality, only growing under clean conditions, and allowed people to monitor the buildup of stagnant water and thus guard against disease.
And Tell Me Why I should Care:
I'm including this because it is so incredibly interesting to me. I'm not even really all that into archaeology and anthropology either, but the ingenuity of ancient civilizations is really remarkable. We can also learn a thing or two (or an innumerable amount of things) about how to live with the land rather than trying to completely dominate it.
Not having the internet would def suck though, I'll say that. But I guess when you have hunting and gathering all day plus a human sacrifice to the gods to check out every night at 6pm there was still some decent entertainment.
Beware Of 'Shrinkflation,' Inflation's Devious Cousin
Just Give Me A Synopsis:
Be on the lookout for this. A lot of product manufacturers make more money not by raising costs, but by decreasing the size and volume of products they are selling: resulting in a higher per unit profit. You probably won't notice since the price is the same but it is making things more expensive.
And A Quote From The Article Please:
If consumers were the rational creatures depicted in classic economic theory, they would notice shrinkflation. They would keep their eyes on the price per Cocoa Puff and not fall for gimmicks in how companies package those Cocoa Puffs. A study by John T. Gourville and Jonathan J. Koehler analyzed data from the market for cereal and other sectors and found that consumers are much more gullible than classic theory predicts. They are more sensitive to changes in price than to changes in quantity. Companies, of course, have known this for years.
And Tell Me Why I should Care:
Brands are very sneaky. This is to be expected of course. And even if your cereal is decreased from 19.3oz to 18.1oz, not seemingly that much, that stuff will add up! Depending how much of a cereal glutton you are that can translate to a lot of missed ounces of sweet, sweet super unhealthy cereal every year.
Weird Internet Resource Of The Week
Human Hotel is by all means a terrible name for a company because it sounds like a really weird, really bad horror film. But it is not that. It is a competitor to Airbnb that focuses on the human and networking side of renting a room from someone. You can rent rooms from people who have similar interests or professions to you in order to make some new friends while also staying in a new place with someone (hopefully) cool enough to show you around. I haven’t done this before so can’t speak to how great it is, but it seems like a great concept and a wonderful way to foster community.
Other Interesting Things You May Or May Not Care About
How A Lizard’s Venom Inspired The Promising Weight Loss Drug Wegovy
Literally anything that can kill via chemical means has use to the medical community. So many medications have been derived from animal or plant toxins. And yes while that spider is very icky, it may save your life 30 years down the road when compounds in its venom can help prevent blood clots. Long live the Gila Monster!Leonardo Da Vinci Project Finds 14 Living Descendants
Leonardo never married or had children, but it turns out he HAD 22 HALF BROTHERS which good lord them ancient Da Vinci's was f*ckin! A regular renaissance era Nick Cannon! But anyways they have tracked these distant relatives down in hopes their DNA can give researchers a better sense of who Da Vinci was.Sixty Years Of Climate Change Warnings: The Signs That Were Missed (And Ignored)
I was going to make this one of the main stories. But sheesh is it depressing. Not that that should be a deterrent, because it is really important to read. So I guess I'm just a coward in not sharing this more prominently. Trying to keep the people rosy-eyed. But read this for real. It outlines how humanity has just consistently shrugged off climate change issues for a variety of reasons, usually, as you may have guessed, to deal with money and power.A Brief History of Musicians In Pro Wrestling
We talk about all kinds of important history in this newsletter. It does not only apply to politicians and wars!Polaroid As A Popular Medium For Fine Art Nude Photography Today (NSFW)
The title kind of says it all. Don’t worry there is nothing raunchy in here. Maybe a simple, tasteful nipple from time to time.
Damn These People Are Way Cooler Than I’ll Ever Be
Jennifer Coolidge Will See You Now
From Stiffler's mom to a devoted dog owner to the one teaching Elle Woods how to get a man, Coolidge has been all over Hollywood for the past few decades, it's time she got the recognition she deserves.Tim Robinson Is Sorry For Yelling
An in depth profile of the guy behind last years breakout sketch show I Think You Should Leave which had critics going wild. He's a really interesting guy. Also I'm still fully of the opinion his show with best friend Sam Richardson, Detroiters, is one of the most under-appreciated comedies of the last decade. Go watch it.The Subversive Joy Of Lil Nas X’s Gay Pop Stardom
I've included stuff about him in here before because I think he is the perfect evolution of the modern rock/pop star. Not giving a sh*t what people think and also being way smarter than everyone else when it comes to branding himself and communicating with his fans (and haters). Few people are better internet trolls than him. He is a genius.The Biologist Who Fell 10,000 Feet To Earth
The terrifying story of a young girl who crash landed in the Peruvian amazon and somehow survived and then followed in her parents' footsteps to become a very important biologist.Gerald Stratford Knows How To Garden
This dude is probs a top ten favorite follow on twitter. He's this old British bloke with trembling hands who teaches the internet about farming and gardening. It's one of the last wholesome places left on the web with his followers regularly leaving overly encouraging replies to his tweets. I've wanted to do an article about him for a while, but this will have to do in the meantime.
Let’s Just Looks At Art Because Reading Sucks
This Semi-Circular Weekend Home In Japan Blurs The Line Between Contemporary And Rustic
Maureen Drennan’s Atmospheric Photography Is A Sincere Portrayal Of Mental Health And Isolation
Lists Are What The Internet Was Made For!
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