When small towns get connected, the new twenty dollar bill, and 4-20.
“My mind is a muddle of thoughts that resist organization. I returned here, to my place of origin, with a question that now seems unanswerable. How does technology change us?” All of us of a certain age reflect on how different it was growing up in a pre-Internet world. And those differences are especially poignant for those who grew up in small, remote towns. The town where Rex Sorgatz grew up was really small, really remote, and often really cold. In this excellent piece, he returns to a home once isolated, now connected. There’s no place like home. Not even home.
Change for a Twenty
First they were going to drop Hamilton from the $10 bill and replace him with a woman. Then the musical stormed Broadway, and Hamilton’s spot was protected. Now, the Treasury Department has announced a new plan. In the biggest upgrade since the iPhone came out, Harriet Tubman will replace Andrew Jackson on the twenty. (Just to troll the Treasury Dept, Lin Manuel Miranda should announce Jackson, the Musical.)
+ But the news is not all positive. We won’t see those new bills until 2030 (by then it might be better to have your face on a Bitcoin). Here’s more of what you should know about the new bill.
Still Here
“My own sense is that the Taliban leaders who planned the attack aren’t especially concerned about the deaths of a handful, or even dozens, of ordinary Afghans, as long as the assault helps make their larger point.” Dexter Filkins on the brutal bombing in Afghanistan which hammers home two unsettling points. The government is not able to protect its people. And the Taliban played the long game and is still around and looking to gain a broader foothold.
Let’s Not Use Labels
They didn’t graduate from college. They aren’t living in a city. And they hate that name you’ve been using for them. (And some of them don’t even have beards.) The Atlantic’s Derek Thompson with an interesting look at the media’s big city bias and what the average 29 year-old really looks like.
Frontrunners Not Frontin’
“It may well turn out that the 2016 general-election campaign began in midtown Manhattan on Tuesday night.” Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump both won big in New York, and made it a lot more likely that they’ll be facing off in the general election.
+ Where did Trump’s support come from in his latest win? Pretty much everywhere.
Get Higher Baby
When I was in junior high, my child psychology appointments started at exactly 4:20. And my high school is where they came up with the term 4-20. So I am uniquely qualified to author these ten quick thoughts about pot.
+ Geneticists set out to build a better weed. (Then Doritos better set out to build a bigger bag.)
+ The world’s fastest stoner.
+ A dating site reports that pot users are twice as likely to report multiple orgasms. (And their partners are three times as likely to have to repeat the phrase, “Dude, wake up.)
Don’t Call Me Water
“These charges are only the beginning, and there will be more to come. That, I can guarantee you.” Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuett has brought criminal charges against three officials connected to the Flint water scandal.
You Like Da Juice?
“People are interested in this so-called detoxification, but when I ask them what they are trying to get rid of, they aren’t really sure.” Yes, you’ve got some toxins in your body. No, juice will not get rid of them. From the NYT: “To say that drinking juice detoxifies the body isn’t quite the same as claiming leeches suck out poisons, but it’s fairly close.” (Trust me on this. You want to get the artisanal leeches.)
To Life
“I was at the beach, and I saw all these leathernecked, tanned people in their 90s and 100s who looked nine months pregnant and were smoking cigarettes.” A cardiologist is looking for the keys to health in an Italian town where people tend to live a really long time (and have fun doing it).
Bottom of the News
In a story that serves as a nearly perfect metaphor for our times, a castaway on a deserted island was rescued by a passing reality TV crew. Thankfully, he was voted off the island.
+ FOMO and trigger warnings are among this year’s additions to Merriam-Webster.
+ “Evil, degrading, addictive, harmful.” Utah has officially labeled adult content as a public health hazard.
