Welcome to week 16 of Internet of Literal Things. The weird, wacky, wonderful, and wild of the world wide web seems to be several-too-many “w’s” and a perfect place for me to start. I’m Sara Nason, a fellow person on the internet, who happens to have many hours on hand to read random articles that are tucked into multiple crevices in my phone.
While still in the enormous heat of my Southern hometown(s) — plural for the accompanying places I’ve half-lived all my life — I thought my days of attracting mosquitoes were long-gone. In New York, I seem to be even more allergic to the bugs there, which has prompted occasional UrgentCare visits with a ridiculous bill attached to it. In the South, however, my bug bites are remedied by Aloe Vera, but only if I pay attention to the fact I’ve been bitten, and apply a ton of goo immediately. Otherwise, it’s just misery for days.
Which leads me to my next point: my tarot reading this week (yes, laugh with me, my fellow Millennials) warned me extensively about self-sabotage in the near future and in the next six months. I’m working on it… I guess, especially in terms of life and business choices, as I attempt to stay more open to new opportunities as well as preventing myself from hiding in the cozy hobbit hole of my apartment. But needless to say, I’m focused on becoming more ~with nature~ which means accepting the bug bites and wearing layers and layers of non-micro-particle Zinc Oxide sunscreen to keep both my skin and the ocean healthy. In this week’s newsletter, which has a lot to do with Climate Change and Southern-college rock, you’ll find some interesting reads that span from the prison currency of ramen noodles to several Hootie & the Blowfish links to a great video explanation of why I get nosebleeds when I have allergies every year (not quite an explainer about my situation in particular, but more why our allergies get worse every year).
So, strangers of the internet, here we go. Bug Bite Central for the Internet of Literal Things #16.
(While we’re at it, become a paying subscriber for $5 a month to support all of the links that bring this W-focused newsletter your way every Sunday.)
What I’m Reading
PepsiCo moves its plastic water bottles to aluminum (PepsiCo)
The new prison currency of ramen noodles (CBS News)
Why does ramen rule the prison economy? (The Hustle)
Spotify shuts down direct music uploading for indie artists (AltPress)
The facts of Climate Change (NASA)
The difference between reporting on policy and politics (Christopher Wink)
What, exactly, do we mean by ‘democracy’ anyway? (NY Times)
Enslaved people lived here. These museums want you to know (NY Times)
Living alone is a revolutionary act (ZORA)
The art of learning, in and in spite of school (EdSurge)
How to read more books in a year (Open Culture)
3.5% of a population can change the world (BBC)
Women front, center, and in NYC Parks (City Lab)
What I’m Visually Experiencing
Why your allergies get worse every year (VOX)
When white supremacists overthrew the Wilmington NC govt (VOX)
What I’m Listening To
The perils of following your career passion (TED)
The unexpectedly deep musical roots of Hootie & the Blowfish (NY Times)
Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 (Spotify)
Hootie & the Blowfish (Spotify)
🏆 A Photo of An #UglyDogs Related Thing On The Internet 🥇
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