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Hello Flagrant Foulers,
Don’t ever leave me please.
I’m watching Hubie Halloween right now per the suggestion of a friend named Nathaniel and I’m greatly regretting it. He told me to watch it and then said “I once taught children. I was fired.” Immediately afterwards. So now I’m doubly regretting it. But I’m following through like the champion that I am, despite the fact that Adam Sandler’s performance is borderline offensive in this movie. I’ll report back next week how fucked up this thing ended up being.
Ok time for the usual linkies. Enjoy.
The Ship That Became A Bomb
Just Give Me A Synopsis:
This is one of my favorite reads of the year so far. It is an equally fascinating and terrifying story. A giant (and full) oil tanker has been stranded in geopolitical purgatory for many years off the coast of Yemen. Because of the political upheaval there the ship has fallen into disarray and could literally explode, sink or leak oil (or all three) at any time, which would spell disaster in varying capacities for Yemen and the surrounding countries. Also if you aren’t sure exactly what has been going on in Yemen (one of the biggest humanitarian crises in the world) for the past decade, this is a good crash course.
And A Quote From The Article Please:
A fire or an explosion on the Safer could pollute the air for up to eight million Yemenis, and would complicate the delivery of foreign aid to the western coast. A spill would be even more calamitous. Yemen’s Red Sea fishing industry has already been ravaged by the war. An oil slick would knock it out entirely. A big spill would also block the port of Hodeidah, which is some thirty miles southeast of the tanker. Two-thirds of Yemen’s food arrives through the port. In every projection presented to the U.K. government, Hodeidah remained closed for weeks; in the worst case, it did not reopen for six months. The United Nations, whose mission to Yemen is overstretched and underfunded, has no contingency plan to accommodate a shutdown of the Hodeidah port.
And Tell Me Why I should Care:
If for no other selfish reason than this article is full of information that is super interesting (aside from the abject terror of this situation). At an empathetic level you should care because lots of people could die or be hurt. Otherwise you should care about this because it is a stark example of how dangerous decaying industry and infrastructure, especially as it relates to the fossil fuel industry, can end up being. This is obviously a very unique situation but it is nevertheless an evergreen example of how something (in this case a giant boat of oil) can quickly become a huge humanitarian, environmental and/or commercial issue when governments don’t function how they are supposed to. In another world something like (far less severe versions happen all the time) could happen just as easily in places like The United States or the UK.
I’m A Life Coach, You’re A Life Coach: The Rise Of An Unregulated Industry
Just Give Me A Synopsis:
A look at the practice of life coaching which is essentially unlicensed and unregulated therapy. This article does a good job of mostly looking at both sides of the situation as there are many people who are genuinely helped, but others who aren’t and are often financially exploited. This is all primarily done through the lens of reporting on Brooke Castillo and her Life Coaching School which is meant to train others to become life coaches and thus find happiness and riches.
And A Quote From The Article Please:
The Life Coach School caters to the idea that anyone who works hard can build a thriving career as a life coach. Last year, with more people than ever anxious, indoors and online because of the pandemic, the company made $37m in gross revenue. As employees left their jobs in droves, seeking better working conditions and more fulfilling careers, LCS trained a record number of aspiring life coaches. “Our enrollments went way up,” Castillo told me. “People that had been on the fence about changing their lives, this was a good catalyst for so many of them.”
And Tell Me Why I should Care:
Life coaching is an industry that uses our deepest desires and fears to convince a lot of people to spend large amounts of money. I am not here to universally criticize the practice of life coaching because I think there are plenty of people who have had legitimate benefits as a result. However, there are countless more people who wind up somewhere between a pyramid scheme and a cult and you and yours should take heed of this lest you be tempted by the siren song of self actualization and manifestation and what not. Again, it has its place, just be careful, before you wind up $50k in debt.
The Nasty Logistics of Returning Your Too-Small Pants
Just Give Me A Synopsis:
Returning things, known as ‘negative logistics’ is a process that has not been perfected in the least. It’s all kind of a crap shoot when you return things you bought on the internet. Some of it gets trashed, some of it gets broken down for parts and very little of it actually gets resold. It is a far more complicated process than you think.
And A Quote From The Article Please:
The process of getting unwanted items back from consumers and figuring out what to do with them is time- and labor-intensive, and often kind of gross. Online returns are collected one by one from parcel carriers, brick-and-mortar stores, a growing number of third-party services, and sometimes directly from customers’ homes. Workers at sorting facilities open boxes and try to determine whether the thing in front of them is what’s on the packing list—to discern the difference between the various car parts sold on Amazon, or the zillion black polyester dresses available to order from H&M. They also need to figure out whether it’s been used or worn, if it works, if it’s clean, and if it or any of its components are economically and physically salvageable.
And Tell Me Why I should Care:
It’s important to know the inner workings of things we all use so much. So while you don’t know exactly how each company you buy from across the internet will treat your returns, you do know that the outcome of returning 6 of the 7 different sized beanies (which you’ll wear completely above your ears like a heathen, no doubt!) you bought probably won’t have a positive effect on the world. This is a great read if you take umbrage with how modern consumerism works, and also a great read if you think the system works perfectly (which, how?).
Articles That Have Gone Viral Recently
Who Is the Bad Art Friend?
A gripping tale of absolute ass-hatery from a few writers. One an obnoxious old white lady writer who donated a kidney and wanted everyone in the world to praise her for it, the other a writer who claimed to be a friend but actually was just stealing the woman’s story for an award winning short story she writes, then lies about it. Then it all blows up and becomes one of the dumbest legal battles of our time. A great read about hubris, need for attention and the truth!True Romance: Megan Fox And Machine Gun Kelly Are Hollywood’s Hottest New Power Couple
The latest from the weirdest new celeb couple in the game (who also look like they could be brother and sister). This particular quote is driving the Twittersphere wild and has already launched a thousand memes: “‘I just remember this tall, blond, ghostly creature and I looked up and I was like, “You smell like weed.” He looked down at me and he was like, “I am weed.” Then, I swear to God, he disappeared like a ninja in a smoke bomb.’”
And then of course this beauty: “‘Even our first kiss, she wouldn’t kiss me. We just put our lips right in front of each other and breathed each other’s breath and then she just left.’”The Human Neck Is A Mistake Of Evolution
See a lot of people talking about how stupid the human body is. And that’s because, well, it is.
Other Interesting Things You May Or May Not Care About
Graphic Designer Rodrigo Corral Explains How He Comes Up With Iconic Book-Jacket Art
The man has done some pretty iconic covers: The Rachel Cusk trilogy, A Million Little Pieces, The Fault in our Stars and lots and lots more. A short excerpt of a podcast (and the option to listen to the whole thing) are in this piece.The Act Of Smelling
To be honest I’m not entirely sure what this article is supposed to be, but it is kind of an artful take on the science behind some very well known and influential scent profiles.Inside LeBron James’ Massive New Building At Nike’s HQ
If you were curious what The King’s new 750,000 square foot center at Nike was looking like.Let’s Make A Deal: Entrepreneur Wants To Trade Buran Shuttle For A Skull
A Kazakh businessman got a hold of an old soviet space shuttle and now is holding it hostage from the Russian government. However, there is one thing that will get him to give it up: the skull of the last Kazakh Khan, a man named Kenesary Kasymov, which happens to be in Russia’s possession.The World’s Only Teal McDonald’s Arches
They exist in Sedona, Arizona and are only that way because it was the one stipulation the town had for allowing the fry giants to build there.
Let’s Just Looks At Art Because Reading Sucks
Lists Are What The Internet Was Made For!
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