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Hello Holy Ghosts,
Don’t really have a whole lot to talk about this week. In the throes of locating a place to live. But sports have slowed down a bit so I’m able to watch some new shows. On HBO both Hacks (already done so you can binge it) and The White Lotus (only two eps out so far) are phenomenal. Both dark and humorous. Highly recommend.
Ok time for the usual linkies. Enjoy.
The Pandemic Has Transformed How We Think About Lunch
Just Give Me A Synopsis:
Lunch and lunch breaks have been an ever changing portion of our lives especially as the border between work life and personal life has faded. The pandemic is going to change protocols even further from how we prepare lunch, to startup perks of stocked kitchens to eating at a desk.
And A Quote From The Article Please:
Lunch—including what, when, where and how we eat it—reveals a lot about the values and priorities of our society and the factors shaping them. This became especially clear at the onset of the pandemic, when the world’s workforce abandoned the office and adopted remote work as the new norm.
And Tell Me Why I should Care:
As this article points out, many of us started out Covid trying to eat healthy at home and then many of us realized that damn it sucks and it is hard to work a full day from home and make things that aren't terrible for you but also don't taste like toenail clippings. I think traditional white collar and start ups would actually do well to institute a mandatory lunch break away from screens for employees. I used to eat lunch right at my desk and it is surely not healthy to never take brain breaks, so maybe some innovative company will do this. Promote team bonding and what not.
Learning To Love G.M.O.s
Just Give Me A Synopsis:
Are G.M.O.s really all that bad? Well that's something this piece sets out to discuss. Sure they started off really bad, basically as a tool for big AG to maximize profits while spraying way more chemicals and bullying farmers. But now G.M.O.s are much more bespoke and actually serving purposes to help people, rather than just improve the bottom line.
And A Quote From The Article Please:
In recent years, many environmental groups have also quietly walked back their opposition as evidence has mounted that existing G.M.O.s are both safe to eat and not inherently bad for the environment. The introduction of Bt corn, which contains a gene from Bacillus thuringiensis, a naturally insect-resistant bacterium that organic farmers routinely spray on crops, dropped the crop’s insecticide use by 35 percent. A pest-resistant Bt eggplant has become similarly popular in Bangladesh, where farmers have also embraced flood-tolerant “scuba rice,” a variety engineered to survive being submerged for up to 14 days rather than just three. Each year, Bangladesh and India lose roughly four million tons of rice to flooding — enough to feed 30 million people — and waste a corresponding volume of pesticides and herbicides, which then enter the groundwater.
And Tell Me Why I should Care:
This piece is a great example of how incredibly difficult it is to change public perception of widely accepted truths, even when there is a lot of evidence to suggest that maybe things aren't the way everyone thinks that they are. Sort of like when I was in middle school and everyone thought it was me who farted really loud that one day even though it wasn't and it took an entire semester of campaigning to convince everyone that I was not the one who dealt it. Unlike that fart, now there is real good that G.M.O.s can do, and yes they still need to be approached with great caution because there are a lot of unknowns, but we should at least give them a chance because they have the chance to do a lot of good.
Adopting Used To Be A Good Thing That Good People Could Do. These Days, You’re Probably Not Good Enough.
Just Give Me A Synopsis:
Over the past year and a half adopting a dog has become the hottest ticket in town, a hotter ticket even than the club at Harrah's Casino in Atlantic City when Pauly D. is DJing (I know from experience). Seemingly amazing candidates are turned away for various reasons, some of which seem to be a bit picky if I'm being honest.
And A Quote From The Article Please:
This has led to some hard feelings. Every once in a while, someone will complain on Twitter about being rejected by a rescue agency, and it will reliably set off a cascade of attacks on “entitled rich white millennials assuming they can have whatever they want,” followed by counter-attacks on those who “appoint themselves the holy sainted guardian of all animals.” Danielle was ultimately deemed unworthy, not even receiving a generic rejection letter over email. After all, there isn’t really that much incentive for the rescue agencies to be polite these days.
And Tell Me Why I should Care:
Times are changing. Used to be they would give away rescue dogs to just about anyone save for the guy who walks in to adopt wearing a Golden Retriever pelt like he's a damn viking. But now, now you have to prove how bad you want the dog and provide countless evidence for why you are worthy. Just another example of how the pandemic has really stratified things into haves and have nots, where a very small percentage of people are at the top and get their way while the rest of us suffer in our dogless pits of sorrow. On the other hand when I visited my parents the other week I saw the dog they were able to adopt at the very beginning of covid before it got real competitive, his name is Houdini and he's a very good boy.
Weird Internet Resource Of The Week
Sort of a resource. But solely for joy. It’s a Twitter account known as 80s Footballers Aging Badly and what they do is post photos of footballers (soccer players) from the 80s looking way older than they should for their age. They just kicked off their second annual bracket and it is really a joy. You’re supposed to basically vote for who looks the worst for their age. You will not believe how old some of these 25 year olds look. It will make you feel good about yourself.
Luxurious Things And What Not
A Couple Accidentally Grew The ‘World’s Most Expensive Mango’
It comes from Japan, which is not surprising at all because that place is the expensive fruit capital of the world. It is now being grown in India because this specific breed of mango is able to thrive in the tropics of southern part of the country.This New $350 Million Luxury Train Will Change How We Travel
Yes this is exactly what you're thinking, it is a real life Snowpiercer. Except in this case the Earth isn't completely ruined yet I think.The Tokyo Toilet Project
The Japanese are really into their toilets apparently because, as this site tells it, really cool commodes are shining beacons to the Japanese’s commitment to hospitality. So they commissioned 16 different creators to design super dope toilets in and around Shibuya. I also just wanted to let you know I resisted the temptation to make like 50 dookie puns while writing this, so you're welcome.A Brief History Of Grills In Hip-Hop
I think we've all put tin foil over our teeth at some point or another in our lives. This is the history to why you did that at one time like an idiot.I Signed Up To Write College Essays For Rich Kids. I Found Cheating Is More Complicated Than I Thought.
An anonymous writer desperate for work decides to give black market essay writing a try. He has a lot of rich kids, but way more just struggling to make things work between working, taking care of kids and more. Cheating, but kind of cheating for good.
Other Interesting Things You May Or May Not Care About
Why Do I Get Anxious When I Have A Hangover?
This guy right here knows what I’m talking about! Now that you're older, or at least if you're like me, you will have hangovers that last anywhere from a day to a work week and will have some underlying level of anxiety that just sucks the life out of you. Beware young subscribers who think you will be able to drink like this forever! You won't. It will catch up to you.Before Fixing The Planet, We Have To Fix Everyday Things
Electronic waste is becoming a huuuuge problem because we need the new gaming graphics or selfie capabilities or better heating microwaves (side note why is there no microwave but for making things cold quickly?!) But we need to find some middle ground between reusing (we don't really want to still be using a Nokia) and nonstop buying the newest version of every electronic every year it comes out.Capturing The Capital Of Ghanaian Boxing
A really impressive photo essay on Jonestown, the boxing capital of Ghana, a place that has produced a handful of world champions and olympic medalists.How The 'Photo Dump' Took Over Instagram
When the world was ruled by mundanity over the past year (aside from you know, all the terribleness) social media had to adapt, especially the likes of Instagram which is all about showing off how cool the things you do are. So instead people started curating vibes from small moments in their lives.Three Women Discovered They Were Dating The Same Man. They Dumped Him And Went On A Months-Long Road Trip Together.
Speaking of dumps. A traveling sisterhood of women whose pants will no longer be of concern to one skeezy dude.
Brands I Quite Like
There are so many brands out there that are not cool or unique that I thought I would highlight new brands that I think are in fact doing dope things and are worth knowing about. This is not sponsored or full of affiliate links.
Not gonna lie I just stumbled across this website today (well, by the time you read this it will be yesterday) and thought it was rad. If you want to live your life and decorate your crib as if your Great Aunt Eunis did a bunch of mushrooms and made you a quilt as a housewarming gift, this is the place to go. A lot of these are improve quilts, meaning they are made on the go (not that once a quarter they put on a shitty show that you have to attend because you are friends with them). There are not prices on the site, you have to inquire within to get those, so these could be ludicrously expensive. But they are all handmade and cool so you should check em out.
Let’s Just Looks At Art Because Reading Sucks
Blood, Sweat, And Tears: The Astonishing Labor Of Tree Planters In Canada
Vivid Botanicals Bloom From The Coats of Charismatic Cats In Watercolor Works By Hiroki Takeda
Lists Are What The Internet Was Made For!
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