Update: it is still cold. And snowy. And the sun still sets at 4:30 pm. UGH.
I realized this week that I only listen to Radiohead when I am cold and sad. Nothing against the band any other time of year, but I definitely gravitate toward their music when things feel slower and bluer (I’m listening to OK Computer as I write this).
Here’s the graph I drew to display this Very Scientific trend:
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I drank a lot of cinnamon tea this week, which led me to the discovery that not all cinnamon is created equal. Apparently there are hundreds of varieties, but they typically fall into two major types, Ceylon and Cassia. There’s a pretty dense history behind the different varieties, though, if you care to learn more.
Cassia is usually the sweeter one you can buy in ground cinnamon jars at the grocery store. Ceylon is a bit more subtle and sometimes known to cinnamon snobs as “true”cinnamon. I found out this week that the cinnamon sticks I was using to make tea were of the Ceylon variety, while the ground cinnamon I have in my cupboard was Cassia (look on the packages of the stuff you have at home; sometimes it will clarify in the small print which one you’re using).
I also found out that cinnamon isn’t always good for you, either. Apparently, if you eat too much Cassia, it can cause a compound called coumarin to build up, which could lead to liver damage, cancer, etc.
But there are also lots of studies about cinnamon’s health benefits as well, so I’ll take the bad with the good. A little coumarin isn’t gonna stop me from dumping copious amounts of ground Cassia into my oatmeal every day. Screw you, liver damage and cancer. It’s like what the kids say: live fast, die young, eat cinnamony oatmeal, amirite?
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Speaking of cancer, there are actually some kinds that are contagious. Now, before you go grab your Hazmat suit, read this: the cancers I’m talking about here are only transmissible between non-human animals.
Specifically, Tasmanian devils. The poor marsupials are subjects to a condition called Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD), which has ravaged the species for so long that there’s literally an Australian government program established to try and save them. It’s at the point where DFTD is so widespread, it’s threatening the species with extinction.
The pics are really gross, but if you’re curious, here’s what DFTD does to Tasmanian devils. It ravages their faces with bloody welts and sores, which often times never heal. And a similar transmissible cancer can manifest in dog genitals, known as CTVT, or Canine Transmissible Venereal Tumors. Fair warning to the squeamish, these pics are pretty gross, too.
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Ok, let’s switch gears and get away from the gross stuff. Check out this super futuristic keyboard that allows you to tap anywhere to type:
It seems like a bit of a work in progress, since this Verge review in 2018 noted that it’s not all that accurate and can be a bit clunky. Still, if I had $149.99 laying around, I’d probably be a dumbass and buy one anyway.
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I was thinking a lot about sleep this week because I’ve been having a lot of trouble getting out of bed on time. There’s this myth that women need more sleep than men bc they use their brains more, but it turns out that’s bunk. This Snopes article sets it straight.
I’m always a sucker for a good women’s health myth. Another one of my favs I stumbled upon this week is that women retain DNA from every man they sleep with, which is also false. Thanks, Snopes!
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Want some nightmare fuel? I found out this week that a rat king is NOT this:
But instead, is THIS:
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH (Pic credit: Wikimedia Commons)
It’s literally a bunch of rats that get tangled by their tails and eventually die bc they can’t move. I’m just gonna leave this link here and go now bc it makes me sick thinking about it.
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Title ticker (or, what I read this week):
Why Poetry by Matthew Zapruder
Notes From the Underground: Zines and the Politics of Alternative Culture by Stephen Duncombe
Scott Pilgrim books 1 & 2 by Bryan Lee O’Malley
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Songs of the week:
“Do The Astral Plane” - Flying Lotus
“Oom Sha La La” - Haley Heynderickx
“Electioneering” - Radiohead
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See you next Thursday, suckers!