Weekend Reading

  • The Drug of Choice for the Age of Kale
    The day after Apollo 14 landed on the moon, Dennis and Terence McKenna began a trek through the Amazon with four friends who considered themselves, as Terence wrote in his book “True Hallucinations,” “refugees from a society that we thought was poisoned by its own self-hatred”.
    Proof the human beings will always want to try new things, and we are suckers for being ‘in the know’ about ‘the next big thing’.
  • What Makes Stephen King’s It a Horror Story for the Ages
    I wasn’t much older than the adolescent heroes of the Loser’s Club the first time I picked up Stephen King’s It.
    I’m a big fan of Mr. King but will confess that I started It but didn’t finish it. Might be time to pick it up again (prior to the movie coming out).
  • ‘I’m a non-binary 10-year-old’
    Leo is 10 years old. For most of his life he’s lived as a girl, but this summer he began to speak openly about his sense that this didn’t feel quite right.
    This kind of thing needs to stop being a story, alas I think we are quite far from that being the case. More power to Leo.
  • A Shocking Amount of E-Waste Recycling Is a Complete Sham
    Until recently, I had never really thought about what happens to my old electronics. I took them to a community e-waste recycling drive, or dropped my old phone in a box somewhere, and I assumed my stuff was recycled.
    I shudder to think how much of my e-waste falls into this, most of it I’d imagine. Humans are the worst.
  • The Secret Lab Where Nike Invented the Power-Lacing Shoe of Our Dreams
    The Sneaker should come alive.
    You only really need the headline for this one. And yes, it is exactly the Back to the Future sneakers! WANT WANT WANT (Humans really are the worst, I do not need this shit!)
  • The average person is better off without a fitness wearable, weight loss study finds
    This year alone, 19 million people are scheduled to buy fitness wearables with a simple mission in mind: Get fit. But these purchases may have zero effect when it comes to weight loss, based on new research from the University of Pittsburgh.
    But does ‘get fit’ = ‘weight loss’? I’m having pizza tonight as part of this experiment.
  • Does quitting social media make you happier? Yes, say young people doing it
    Teenagers and young adults switching off from Facebook and other social apps reveal how the change has affected their lives Our love of social media seems to have grown and grown in the past decade, but recent studies show the tide may be turning for some platforms.
    Note: Blogs are not considered part of social media (subtext: please keep reading!).
  • Can Carrots Improve Your Eyesight? Let’s Dissect This Food Myth
    You probably grew up hearing that eating carrots could help your eyesight—even make you see in the dark. That would be nice, except it’s not entirely true (unless you have one helluva vitamin deficiency).
    Nation removes carrots from diet. Next week, a study suggests eating carrots can help with your hearing.
  • Leo the Silent Raver tells Glasgow Live why he’ll never stop dancing
    He’s a familiar face to many who live, work or simply shop in Glasgow. Always dressed in bright clothing and with a smile on his face, Leo Mushet is the Silent Raver and can be spotted showing off his dance moves in the city centre.
    Never judge a book by its neon day-glo cover or dodgy dance moves.