Category: Snack Pantry
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2024 Evaluation: Item #2 → Earn
This post is continuing this series. Commitment #2: Earn → I need to generate income this year. Hopefully it will be independently, and ideally via Did You Do it Today? & Snack Pantry, but I’ll continue to be open to any interesting opportunity that comes my way. Grade = D– It was actually kinda dumb to have this as…
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Everest Drone
A high-def video taken by a drone of what it’s like to climb Mt. Everest starting from Base Camp → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pIyIMqwu0E Pretty cool video, but it’s not perfect — the timing is a little off, the camera work/editing near the summit can be improved, and I would have liked more annotations of the different sections…
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Deadly Men
Why men die earlier than women → https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/why-men-often-die-earlier-than-women-201602199137 “Men die earlier than women” is one of those things we all learn as a kid, and I always thought it was just a genetic thing. It turns out this is only partially true — it’s actually mainly behavioral, and this article does a nice job of…
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Olympic Feeding
What it takes to provide food for the Olympics → https://www.eater.com/24172073/paris-2024-olympics-athlete-food-summer-games With all the research & testing that has gone into figuring out what the best foods for athletes should be, the lowly banana remains the favorite, no matter where in the world people are from.
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Dentist Visits
You don’t really need to visit the dentist every 6 months → https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/05/do-you-need-a-dentist-visit-every-6-months-that-filling-the-data-is-weak/ The more you read about dentists, the more you realize that much of dental care isn’t based upon evidence. We assume that all medical professionals are all talented, but the reality is that they’re just human, so their skills probably conform to…
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Book Sales
Only 28 books out of the 300,000 titles sold in 2022 sold more than 500,000 copies → https://x.com/JasonColavito/status/1620151389363245057 And even worse news comes in his second post in the thread: “Past the top 100 books, the numbers are dire. The average book sells 200 copies. An average “bestseller” sells about 2,000 copies. Almost all significant…
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Coin Ridges
Why some coins have ridges on their edges → https://nowiknow.com/why-some-coins-have-ridges/ I can’t remember the last time I used paper cash, let alone a coin. It’s all how just numbers moving from one account to another to another.
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Chile Length
Why the country of Chile is so long → https://unchartedterritories.tomaspueyo.com/p/why-is-chile-so-long I think we all know Chile is really long, but I had no idea it would run from San Antonio to the far North of Canada. I’ve never felt a burning desire to visit there, but I now feel the urge to travel all of…
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GPS Explainer
How GPS works & what its future looks like → https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/07/02/world/gps-threats.html I thought most folks in the US would be off work today, but I’ve never seen more people working in our common areas. I guess they all get to work from home today. From all appearances, the work they’re actually doing is pure appearance.…
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Best Dogs
Ranking of the best supermarket hot dogs → https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2024/07/02/best-hot-dog-brands-taste-test/ Just got back from the market & this is clearly the start of hot dog season here in the US: Every brand was on sale, as were rolls, and everybody was buying them. Including me. Also: This is my third link in three days from The…
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Forecasting Accuracy
See how accurate the weather forecast normally is around the US → https://wapo.st/4eM3VuO I think weather forecasting has come so far, and am amazed how accurate they mostly are, sometimes even a week out. I still learned a lot from this article, though, and was surprised that the middle of the country is the hardest…
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Religious Map
US maps showing religions distributions → https://wapo.st/3VPcxbC I expected to see more religions, more diversity, on the main map — there’s essentially only five main groups. Later in the article you see maps showing all the smaller religions, and it’s there you realize how much smaller they really are, and how those populations tend to…
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Golf Tech
A great YouTube video that details how golf-watching tech currently works & what it enables in the future → https://youtu.be/MV1qaFv4VUg The stunning reveal in this video, one that I can’t stop thinking about, is that the shot tracer you see on the screen is all predictive. It’s not real, it’s merely a simulation based upon…
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Unsolved Mysteries
17 scientific mysteries that researchers still can’t solve → https://www.vox.com/unexplainable/24094267/17-scientific-mysteries-unsolved-dark-matter-life The scientific method has been so powerful at uncovering the world/universe we live, and how it works. But the emphasis should be on “method”, as discovering the truth is clearly sometimes a long, long slog, almost unending for some of the fundamental questions. Folks who…
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Avocado Country
Avocados are now a staple food in the US → https://tastecooking.com/the-united-states-of-avocado/ I know things change –I love that things change!– but it’s still crazy to me that a food I didn’t even know existed when I was growing up is now standard is most US homes, and eaten by pretty much everyone.
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Pet Ownership
Having a pet might not be the 100% positive thing you’ve been led to believe → https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/06/is-having-a-pet-good-for-you-the-fuzzy-science-of-pet-ownership/ In the end, I don’t think there’s strong/much evidence that owning a pet isn’t good for you. Rather, I liked this “debunking” article because it got into the details of how studies are funded & done, and that…
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Repair Shop
A short documentary about the LA county school district’s musical instrument repair shop → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xttrkgKXtZ4 This movie won an Oscar, and was on lots of “Best of” lists, so isn’t really under the radar. But it’s also a documentary, and a short one, so there’s still a chance some folks out there haven’t seen it.…
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Breath Work
Our breathing changes when we’re working on the computer → https://www.npr.org/2024/06/10/1247296780/screen-apnea-why-screens-cause-shallow-breathing We all think that breathing just happens without thinking. This is true, but that doesn’t always mean it’s good breathing, and you notice this once you start paying attention to it. I’ve read the book mentioned in this article, and it’s fascinating (eg. improper…
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Ouija Boards
A good explanation of what’s really going on with Ouija boards → https://www.vox.com/2016/10/29/13301590/how-ouija-boards-work-debunked-ideomotor-effect Folks don’t seem to talk about Ouija boards like they did back in the day (maybe kids still do?), but I couldn’t resist posting this debunking. I especially like it because it goes deep into what’s really going, even proposing that there…
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Warm Spice
The warmer the country, the spicier the food → https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/spiciest-food-in-world Having spent lots of time traveling in hot countries, I can confirm that eating spicy food there does actually help you cool you down. However, what they don’t tell you is that the cool-down isn’t necessarily comfortable: The reason you cool down is that the…
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Sunscreen Use
How to apply & use sunscreen correctly → https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240607-are-you-using-suncream-correctly Another post about sunscreen? Yep. Summer is here, and I’m terrified of getting too much sun, so I pay an unusual amount of attention to this topic. There are worse things to obsess over.
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Local Tourists
A heat map of where tourists go vs. where locals go here in DC → https://www.flickr.com/photos/walkingsf/4672195208/in/album-72157624209158632/ DC is a tourist town, so it’s no surprise that there’s such a dramatic difference between the stomping grounds of both groups. That said, we locals live directly next to the tourist areas, and if you click in, you’ll…
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Coffee Bank
Why banks are becoming like coffee shops → https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-06-10/chase-citibank-bofa-take-bank-branch-design-cues-from-starbucks-aesop At the same time, coffee shops seem to be becoming more like banks, where there is not much seating, so you’re merely there to stand in line to place your order, or just lingering to wait for your takeout drink.
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Tongue Taste
Your tongue is not divided into taste zones → https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/29/science/taste-buds-tongue-map.html I have anosmia, so this taste thing is now mostly foreign to me most of the time (I love Prednisone!), but I’m always looking for & interested in debunking beliefs lots of us have always had.
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Drake Equation
The equation that predicts the probability of alien life might need to be updated to include planetary plate tectonics → https://gizmodo.com/drake-equation-update-fermi-paradox-intelligent-life-1851503974 I specifically remember first learning about plate tectonics in science class back in the day. I also remember the teacher saying that the hypothesis was controversial and still needed more data to be proved…
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Orange History
A history of the word Orange → https://x.com/culturaltutor/status/1780394314616422657 Years ago I went to an improv show in New Zealand, and the cast asked for the crowd to yell out words to rhyme-riff on. My shout of “orange” rose above the other voices, drawing Kiwi glares from the stage. Follow the X account for other history…
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Deadly Selfies
Selfies are more deadly than sharks → https://www.euronews.com/travel/2024/01/16/selfies-are-more-lethal-than-shark-attacks-should-more-tourist-destinations-ban-them Just something to keep in mind as summer begins & we’re heading to the beach: The danger lies not in the ocean, but in your hand.
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Carrot Myth
WWII propaganda is what led us to believe that eating carrots helps you see better in the dark → https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/a-wwii-propaganda-campaign-popularized-the-myth-that-carrots-help-you-see-in-the-dark-28812484/ I love starting off the week with a good historical debunking. That said, do kids today still believe this? I feel like I haven’t heard anybody say this in years & years.
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Shade Map
Interactive map that allows you to simulate the standard shade create by the sun → https://shademap.app/ Map + web app + playing with time = Rabbit hole of fun
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Pink Noise
Pink noise might be better for you to sleep to than white noise → https://wapo.st/3R5t4GT It sure is for me. I started listening to night noise back in the day by falling asleep to a cooling fan every night. Now I need it, especially living in a noisy part of DC. I’ve tried all the…
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Country Sizes
A map that shows the real, non-distorted size of every country → https://truesizeofcountries.com/ The US & Canada definitely aren’t as big as we think they are, but, most of all, we see that f’in Russia isn’t nearly as big as we usually see it in the awful Mercator projection. Advice: Researching other projections is a…
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Sunscreen Ingredients
Europeans have better sunscreens because of better ingredients because of better regulations → https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/sunscreen-united-states-fda-ingredients-rcna153526 I’m terrified of the sun & skin cancer, so have put sunscreen on my face daily for many years. I was only able to do this because I found a cream that protects well & is easy to apply. That last…
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Kevin Kelly
Polyglot Kevin Kelley drops another of his yearly advice lists → https://kk.org/thetechnium/101-additional-advices/ I posted about a previous one over at Snack Pantry (RIP…for now…). And he now also has a whole book of this type of advice.
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Geography Terms
Fantastic visual that shows you what each geographical term means → https://x.com/Rainmaker1973/status/1790418213261431203 Pretty sure we’ve all heard every one of these terms. And, in the moment, you thought you knew what it meant. But, if you’re like me, you probably didn’t 100% know it. Here’s our chance to get to that 100%.
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Human Cockroaches
An explainer of why cockroaches only exist & survive because of humans → https://wapo.st/3UQ3Flt We like to think that cockroaches will outlast humans, but the truth is they’re only here because of us. They need us as much as a past startup I worked for needed me — I was the official office cockroach stomper,…
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Why Gold?
A podcast that details the very specific, elemental reason that gold has been the most important of store of value over the ages → https://open.spotify.com/episode/40dZ47qEYyK8ddcHKb8lG4?si=vuxjXE3wRWOBp8ppmJz_Aw Plant Money is one of my favorite podcasts, and I learned a bunch in this episode. Turns out gold is the only real possible element that can be used &…
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X Twitter
The Twitter URL is now X.com → https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/17/23829098/twitter-x-com-url-links-switch Obviously you know Twitter, and that they’ve changed their name to X. But several times I’ve said that I won’t start calling it X until they change their URL. Welp, they did, so hello X 👋 Want to receive an instant, daily, or weekly email for all…
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Why Inflation
An explainer video on why governments like to keep some inflation → https://www.vox.com/videos/2024/5/15/24156392/inflation-high-prices-deflation This does a good job of detailing all the logic & cycles built into how nations deal with inflation. There’s clearly some bias –Econ is a form of applied politics, so of course that bleeds into the story– but not enough to…
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Killer Worms
For years, the US & Panama have been at war keeping flesh-eating worms out of North America → https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2020/05/flesh-eating-worms-disease-containment-america-panama/611026/ I feel like this is one of those stories you don’t have to be convinced to read — the title & subject alone sell it. Two fun facts related to article:
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Texas Trash
The origin story for “Don’t Mess with Texas” isn’t what you think it is → https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/trashy-beginnings-dont-mess-texas-180962490/ I like Texas, and have spent lots of time there, but their self-love is as big as the state. I’ve known the truth about this slogan for years, and have tried to explain it to folks. But they just…
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Historical Words
An educational Twitter thread that gives the history & historical context of twelve English words/phrases we use all the time → https://twitter.com/culturaltutor/status/1789714370173215196 This was written by The Cultural Tutor, a great account to follow
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Bidet Converts
The pandemic converted folks into bidet users → https://wapo.st/3QFaZis It makes me happy that The Washington Post keeps posting articles about bidets, and even happier that they use such fun photos/GIFs for them. What makes me happiest, however, are bidets. You see, I am one of pandemic converts. After tiring of buying one precious roll…
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Titanium Spork
This titanium spork is the only eating utensil you’ll ever need → https://www.amazon.com/Snow-Peak-Titanium-Spork-Anodized/dp/B000AR2N76/ref=sr_1_10 I love sporks. Proof: So, just stop with your judgement, click the Amazon link above, buy one, and then send me a message in a few weeks about how it changed your life.
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Beethoven’s Lead
Beethoven’s deafness & ailments were likely caused by lead → https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/06/health/beethoven-deaf-lead-hair.html I love that science can detect this after so many years (and that scientists are still trying to learn more about Beethoven’s issues & death). The article also gives lots of good little info nuggets about his 9th Symphony, including: “He set the poem…
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Persistent Superstition
Some potential reasons why humans are, still, superstitious → https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-are-we-still-superstitious/ In a world where 84% of people are, still, religious, I’m not surprised that superstition remains. I’m also not surprised that it’s somewhat related to our old friend, Placebo. Science can advance as much as it wants, but it will never fully defeat the human…
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Continental Divide
Short animation that explains why 80% of US folks live in the Eastern half of the country → https://twitter.com/Rainmaker1973/status/1787467244554834373 Geographical determinism will forever be fascinating, and this animation does a great job showing how it’s impacted settlement in the US.
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Greek Music
Musicians perform how they think music sounded in ancient Greece, and scholars discuss how they came up with it → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hOK7bU0S1Y I have no real opinions on this other than I think it’s amazing when people care about stuff like this, and then put in the hard work to figure things out. Humans are amazing.
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Leonardo Book
A great biography of Leonardo de Vinci, written by Walter Isaacson → https://www.amazon.com/Leonardo-Vinci-Walter-Isaacson/dp/1501139150/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0 It took me 6 on-and-off years to read this book, but I finally finished it today. It’s not a page turner, nor the greatest book I’ve ever read, but the entire time I was reading it I was saying to myself “I’m…
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Iodized Salt
Most salt in the US has iodine added to it because of geographical-based deficiencies → https://wapo.st/4aXfBZz I’ve heard of the “rust belt” in the US, but never the “goiter belt”. Also the following quote could have only come from world before the industrialization and globalization of food & trade: “the soil there didn’t have much…
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Instapot Lentils
Easiest, fastest recipe & way to make lentils using an Instant Pot → https://eyeintim.com/lentils/ LOL, this is my recipe. Yep, I can’t smell & thus can’t really taste, but I “invented” a recipe. I looked up the Instapot timing for lentils, but I’m the mayor of its flavor town. You’ve been warned.
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Bad Sofas
The reason so many of the new-type couches are so uncomfortable → https://www.dwell.com/article/dtc-sofa-crisis-32304b9e My fancy apartment building has the most uncomfortable couches throughout all the common areas. They look amazing, and that’s all they do — to sit in them is to not want to sit in them. So, I was hoping this article would…
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Burrito Rolling
Quick video on how to properly roll up a burrito → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAbpVXEUt_c Two key moves in here: (1) Fold the top & bottom over first; (2) That tuck I know this is dumb, but I just watched it for the first time today, and thus learned the proper technique for the first time. This means…
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Fear Science
An article on the science of “fear”, including identifying the only two innate human fears → https://www.cnn.com/2015/10/29/health/science-of-fear/index.html I mean, it’s crazy to think we might only have been born with two fears. That means that pretty much everything we’re afraid is learned, and just in our heads. This sorta aligns with my belief that fear…
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Spelling Bee
The history of the spelling bee in the US → https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/history-spelling-bee-180971916 That these exist might be the long term effect of the Puritans & bible is pretty amazing. Also amazing, and of course it’s true, but there wasn’t set spelling for words prior to the first dictionary coming out in the 17th century. Turns out…
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Recycling Guide
A helpful, picture-based guide to what trash can be recycled → https://www.arlingtonmagazine.com/recycling-guide-arlington-fairfax-mclean-falls-church-virginia/ This is for Arlington, Virginia, but much of it applies to anywhere in the US. That said, I don’t think I realized that glass isn’t really recycled along with other stuff anymore, in some places. I sure hope my (continuing) ignorance doesn’t mean…
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Suno Songs
Instantly create amazing original songs using AI → https://suno.com/ Even if your eyes roll back whenever you’re triggered with another “Amazing AI” proclamation, you have to give this site a try. It’s truly astonishing how good the song are that it creates, both musically & lyrically. All you do is give a simple prompt, and…
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Food Origins
A map of where the world’s 151 staple crops originated → https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/food-origins-map Like it or not, you’re a globalist. Bon appetite!
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Pathless Path
A great book about living a non-standard life → https://pathlesspath.com/ Turns out I’m not the only one who has asked “isn’t there another way?” when thinking about work life. Paul Millerd not only thought it, he did something about it. He was recently a guest on one of my fave podcasts, How I Write, so…
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Notejoy Joy
Notejoy is a perfectly minimalist note-taking app/web app that rapidly syncs across all your devices & entry points → https://notejoy.com/ Yes, there are a bazillion note-taking & writing apps out there, and you’re probably already using several of them. As am I. But Notejoy is the one that I keep coming back to, and the…
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Don’t Rinse
You’re not supposed to rinse your mouth after you brush your teeth → https://wapo.st/43ZTUW0 I like when we learn this stuff we were all ignorant of. However, that’s the most insidious thing about ignorance — what other basic things are we all messing up right now without knowing it‽ Speaking of that word, I wish…
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Style Lessons
A fashion guy gives style lessons using George Costanza for his examples → https://twitter.com/dieworkwear/status/1776110738295415190 I don’t care much about fashion at all, but Derek Guy writes in such a interesting, engaging way that I can’t help but read all his posts, especially his threads. He’s so good at them, using lots of pics, historical narratives,…
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Eclipse Tourism
US Cities that saw just the biggest tourism increases because of the recent eclipse → https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2024-04-11/the-us-cities-that-saw-the-biggest-solar-eclipse-tourism-boost-citylab-daily The Rust Belt should organize eclipses much more often. Also interesting to think about how important the weather forecast was in feeding into this, and just how good weather forecasting has become. Early on, most folks read about/knew who…
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YouTube Rules
YouTube is the US’s most popular social media site, music destination, and one of the country’s largest cable TV providers → https://wapo.st/4aAohoE Everybody with kids knows their kids log tons of time on YouTube, but I don’t think they understand how big & important YouTube really is to ALL people. I’d say 80% of my…
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Checked Bag$
Why airlines charge so much for checked bags → https://theconversation.com/why-do-airlines-charge-so-much-for-checked-bags-this-obscure-rule-helps-explain-why-225857 I finished doing my taxes today (yep, you still gotta pay taxes, even when you haven’t had a standard, paying job in 15+ months), so this is a great, bitter day to post this article. Economists will tell you incentives are everything, and the US…
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SpaceX Launches
Animated video of all the SpaceX launches from Cape Canaveral since 2010 → https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1777386291258183708 Since today is Eclipse day here in the US, figured it was a good day for some other space content. I had no idea that there were so many SpaceX launches happening. Seems like we hear about some of them from…
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Eclipse Path
An in-depth, map-based look at the areas & terrain the solar eclipse totality will be following across the US on Monday 8-Apr-2024 → https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/interactive/2024/map-totality-solar-eclipse-locations/ Most of the US won’t actually be able to see the total eclipse, so this scroll-through article is perhaps a better way to experience it.
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Tipping History
A podcast about the history of tipping in the US → https://www.npr.org/2024/04/04/1198908679/the-land-of-the-fee-throwback-04-04-2024 This podcast starts in Europe in the 17th century and doesn’t let up until the present day, where we find ourselves still trying to figure out how to pay some service workers. It’s especially confusing here in DC, but at least it’s trying…
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Show Maps
Heat maps for different TV show viewership around the US → https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/1bu6laf/where_tv_shows_are_more_popular_in_the_us/ Pretty cool what this shows about the demographics of both the shows AND the regions. It also seems to show that the US has geographic memory, much as in other parts of the world.
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AllTrails App
A good summary article on the great AllTrails hiking app → https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/31/style/alltrails.html I’ve used the AllTrails app many, many times, and can vouch for how great it is for both planning, and for when you’re actually on the trail. If you hike lots in remote areas, it’s also worth it to pay for AllTrails+ so…
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Swearing Trends
This history & current state of profanity → https://www.vox.com/culture/24098830/holy-shit-brief-history-profanity-melissa-mohr-what-the-f-benjamin-bergen-praise-michael-adams I don’t think I swear that much, and I definitely still notice when I do. I don’t think I’ll ever change much in either of these regards. I also don’t think I’ve noticed my friends & colleagues swearing more than they used to. So, I’m going…
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Red Bull
A history of Red Bull & the Red Bull Vodka drink → https://www.esquire.com/food-drink/drinks/a60309606/red-bull-vodka Cheers!
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Intermittent Fasting
A podcast that dives into the claimed benefits of Intermittent Fasting → https://gimletmedia.com/shows/science-vs/6nh3vl4a/intermittent-fasting-hungry-for-facts I’ve actually been doing intermittent fasting for a couple of years now, but cringe at the name. I just call it “skip breakfast”. My main rule is that I don’t eat anything until noon. Sure, I get hungry in the morning, but…
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Chasing Productivity
An article that examines our current obsession with productivity → https://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/a60268078/productivity-journey-review I admit it: I’m constantly thinking about productivity, and have read many of the books out there. I think it’s one of the costs of trying to build my own tiny business. But I also don’t particularly mind that I’m chasing it, and there’s…
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State Names
A map of the US showing what each State’s name translates to in the language it came from → https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/american-state-names-translation-map One of the things you quickly realize when researching the history of US place names is how many of them were influenced by what American Indians called them. Which makes it even sadder that they…
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Pop Bubblewrap
“Pop” bubblewrap bubbles until they’re too tiny to see → https://brainteaser.top/bubblespop.html A perfect, mindless, tactile activity for a Monday
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Dune Soundtrack
A podcast that goes deep into how Hans Zimmer creates music for movies, with a specific emphasis on Dune → https://www.20k.org/episodes/hans-zimmers-remote-control An amazing amount of work goes into making movie soundtracks, and Hans Zimmer seems to raise the bar even higher. I first started liking his work with the stuff he wrote for The Rain…
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Chinese Restaurants
US immigration law is behind why there are so many Chinese food restaurants in the US → https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/02/22/467113401/lo-mein-loophole-how-u-s-immigration-law-fueled-a-chinese-restaurant-boom My post about Thai restaurants got me thinking about all the Chinese ones, and turns out there’s an interesting story there as well. One of my favorite things to learn about is unintended consequences (I even have…
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Coinbase Crypto
Coinbase is a great site to use if you’re interested in purchasing bitcoin, ethereum, or any other crypto → https://www.coinbase.com The site is easy to get started on, and then easy to use thereafter. It also does a nice job showing your stats & visuals about how your portfolio is doing. You can even learn…
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Thai Restaurants
The Thai government is behind why there are so many Thai food restaurants in the US → https://www.vice.com/en/article/paxadz/the-surprising-reason-that-there-are-so-many-thai-restaurants-in-america Culinary Diplomacy is a thing. Related: Pad Thai was invented by the government to do exactly what it did. Supply-induced demand is a thing! You can read a much deeper take on this topic, and Thailand, in…
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Pub Concepts
“Authentic” Irish Pubs can be be easily planned, purchased, and assembled for you, and Guinness is behind it → https://irishpubconcept.com/about/overview/ Here’s where you can begin shopping for that pub concept you’ve always wanted.
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Pub Names
Why so many Irish Pubs seem to have similar names → https://wapo.st/3TzoGBA This article could really just be a social media post with “The tradition of Irish pubs including surnames can be traced back to, well, Ireland. An 1872 law required all pubs to display the owner’s name above the door.” Still an interesting read,…
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Changed Names
Family names were not changed at Ellis Island → https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2024/01/no-ones-name-was-changed-at-ellis-island.html I was listening to an episode of one of my favorite podcasts today and a discussion of this came up. It turns out that we all believed that family names were changed because some of the family members used to actually say this. They figured…
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App Monetization
A new report shows that most subscription mobile apps don’t make money → https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/12/most-subscription-mobile-apps-dont-make-money-new-report-shows/ “Seeing the actual monetization figures could be a shock to those who think they have what it takes to beat the odds.” Yep. Yep, indeed.
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Nocebo Effects
A Nocebo is the opposite of a Placebo → https://quillette.com/2024/03/11/the-placebo-effects-evil-twin The most powerful drug or treatment ever invented is the Placebo, so to learn of its evil twin was a thrill. Expectations in humans are some of the greatest moments we have, so of course there is a dark side to them. Time-traveling can be…
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Circle Slash
The history of the red circle with a slash ‘Do Not’ symbol → https://tedium.co/2024/03/09/red-circle-slash-no-symbol-history What a journey we’re taken on here: The League of Nations; who invented stoplights; World War II; Ghostbusters. The article also triggered a memory for me: When I was traveling in Europe last year, I finally realized that all the Stop…
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Daylight Savings
Daylight savings time is worse for your body than standard time → https://wapo.st/4375XjW I think I read every article they throw at me during these switch-over times a year, but this animation/interactive article is the best way I’ve seen to get the info across. I had no idea the proposed move to always daylight time…
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World Sport
A map showing the most popular sport in each country → https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/18u3if8/most_popular_sport_in_the_world/ Not too many surprises here (though, “archery”?) It’s clear that if you’re going to invent a new sport, I’d suggest it contain the word “football”.
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Healthy Sitting
You don’t have to do much to counteract the effects of sitting for long periods → https://arnoldspumpclub.com/blogs/newsletter/stay-healthy-sit-day Don’t laugh at who’s site this is — he’s/it’s actually pretty great. It’s super positive, and full of helpful info & advice. Subscribing to his daily newsletter is worth the added Inbox clutter. That said, all health, nutrition,…
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Paris Invader
Paris has their own Banksy-like guerilla artist, Invader → https://apnews.com/article/paris-olympics-invader-street-art-banksy-f6c2821e22d33bfdd9f86f378dc82d8c One year ago today I was actually wrapping up a week in Paris. On one of my first days there I took a group walking/metro tour of the city, and the guide pointed out an Invader 👾 to us, but didn’t really explain the whole…
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Unneeded Stretching
Stretching science shows that stretching has almost no measurable benefits → https://www.painscience.com/articles/stretching.php Well, this is surprising, no? Almost as surprising is that the author himself still stretches. This is a supremely comprehensive article, so I’m inclined to believe the premise, even though is seems almost too contrary. One of the cool things about running a…
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Map Secrets
Those rascally Swiss map makers have slipped some Easter eggs into their maps over the years → https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/swiss-map-secrets Although probably easier to create, I imagine our move to online maps has probably increased the ability of the un-fun bosses to catch hijinx like this before they get published, which is just shame.
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Leap Day
An animation that clearly explains the need for Leap Day → https://twitter.com/physicsJ/status/1225386964049788928 There are always lots of Leap Year explainers around the end of Feb but, wow, there are tons when it’s actually a Leap Year. I think I’ve read them all, and have two clear takeaways: 1- The above animation is all you need…
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Miracle Chips
An interactive article that shows you how microchips are made & just how small they are → https://ig.ft.com/microchips/ Look, I know this article, like chips, is dense. I had to read a few sections a few times to understand them. You can still learn lots just by scrolling through the whole thing. Do that, though,…
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Longer Life
Live a longer life by following these “Power 9” rules → https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/blue-zones-power-9 If you’re human, and on the internet, I’m sure you’ve consumed many, many things that tell you how live a longer and/or better life (including from me, last week!) Yes, this is yet another. But I also think it’s a good distillation of…
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Seat Contraception
Car seat requirements prevent deaths AND births → https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3665046 I’d like to see if the data changes when the users have a larger car, eg. an SUV. Also, it’s crazy that car seat laws “prevented only 57 car crash fatalities of children nationwide in 2017”.
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Moist Hate
The science behind why people hate the word Moist → https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/64984/science-behind-why-people-hate-word-moist I agree with the hate for this word. Also terrible: Slacks & Fanny. My favorite word is Subtle — I mean, how great is that is has the subtly silent b in it‽
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Unexpectedly Eponymous
Things that you had no idea were named after people → https://notes.rolandcrosby.com/posts/unexpectedly-eponymous Part of why I like this is that it’s just a 2020 blog post from some random guy on the internet. Sounds familiar. Also, he didn’t really try to make it look great, but it’s very functional: Sparse with words, but rich with…
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Surnames Map
A map of the most popular last name in every country → https://www.netcredit.com/blog/most-common-name-country/ This is endlessly fascinating, and not just because it’s a map. I especially like the Key/colors that detail the origin category for each name — so many questions! (also interesting this map/page was created by a bank that seems to now be…
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Live Longer
A podcast with longevity guru Bryan Johnson where he details his five disciplines for living longer → https://fs.blog/knowledge-project-podcast/bryan-johnson/ Bryan got lots of press last year for seemingly being a freak for all the anti-aging protocols he follows, including transfusions of his son’s blood. And, while there is definite strangeness to his behavior, there’s some data…
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