Weekend Reads 27.9.24

October is almost here!

Hello from Austin, TX! I’m here for a work retreat, and before all the work things kicked off I went to Rainey Street to see how much of a favorite neighborhood was still recognizable amidst the.constant.construction. Would you like to see a few photos?

Rainey Street used to be full of houses like this one, all outfitted to accommodate a lively restaurant or bar. So many have been bulldozed, but some remain!

Another classic Rainey Street house / bar. I think this one used to be my favorite bourbon bar. RIP, best Old Fashioned I ever had.

In case anyone is looking for Halloween decor inspiration.

Obvs had to get BBQ before a few days of conference food.

Leaf peeping season is upon us, so without further ado may I present to you this year’s fall foliage prediction map. Looks like Mainers might be enjoying peak season this weekend!

“A quarter of all lies are told by just 1 percent of the population.” Yet again, Rob Henderson shares a fascinating snapshot from what he’s reading via his X account.

Does anyone else email themselves loads of articles to hang onto just in case (not sure what, exactly)? Well, I sure do. I dug through some of those articles and found this one from a 2019 issue of Wired about wealth. I think the author points the finger at the wrong villain. Wealth is not what makes people today so rotten – it’s comfort that doing that. Allow me to share a very long excerpt from the article to illustrate my point; it is the craving for comfort that can consistently hollow out a person.

“The Spanish word aislar means both “to insulate” and “to isolate,” which is what most of us do when we get more money. We buy a car so we can stop taking the bus. We move out of the apartment with all those noisy neighbors into a house behind a wall. We stay in expensive, quiet hotels rather than the funky guest houses we used to frequent. We use money to insulate ourselves from the risk, noise, inconvenience. But the insulation comes at the price of isolation. Our comfort requires that we cut ourselves off from chance encounters, new music, unfamiliar laughter, fresh air, and random interaction with strangers. Researchers have concluded again and again that the single most reliable predictor of happiness is feeling embedded in a community. In the 1920s, around 5 percent of Americans lived alone. Today, more than a quarter do—the highest levels ever, according to the Census Bureau. Meanwhile, the use of antidepressants has increased over 400 percent in just the past twenty years and abuse of pain medication is a growing epidemic. Correlation doesn’t prove causation, but those trends aren’t unrelated. Maybe it’s time to ask some impertinent questions about formerly unquestionable aspirations, such as comfort, wealth, and power.”

Advice for a happy life.

This difference in clothing marketed to boys versus girls was eye opening. 

How NASA will destroy the International Space Station.

I’ve been seeing this salad dressing – available from Walmart of all places – all over social media.

Anytime I use a semicolon correctly, I feel as though I should give myself a gold star. This book review about the oh-so-intimidating semicolon was a surprisingly fun read.

Take good care this weekend!