Welcome to 5 Quick Things that I saw since last month that I thought were interesting enough to share with you. None of them are particularly timely so feel free to just enjoy 🙂

>Number One<

And Tomorrow And Tomorrow And Tomorrow

It scares me that all it takes for people to stop paying attention to a crisis is for someone to decide it’s over and everyone to stop thinking about it. Ed Yong had been doing fantastic reporting about the pandemic over the last nearly three years and he is taking some time off but first he wrote this absolutely fantastic article about how in the face of one of the most devastating world events of our ages, the US failed to react adequately and has now failed to be prepared for any other events. It’s not even shocking since in the face of many horrible, preventable, or mitigable issues we do nothing. Or less than nothing. It’s extremely disheartening.

>Number Two<

So I’ve Been Thinking About Cults…

Reading this interview on The Guardian led me to read this book about placebos. In all honesty this book did not change my life or my view of placebos. I read quite a lot of medical literature and have encountered the concept and studies enough to have plenty of my own ideas and conclusions about placebos but what it did do was pull together a lot of history that was missing for you and some possible ideas. It also really made me think about cults. I don’t have a full fleshed out idea of how placebo and bed manner in place of actual medicine and tangible change is like a cult but it is a seed inside my head.

>Number Three<

American Healthcare is Soup

You probably are already familiar with Brian David Gilbert a beloved internet Neil C. type who used to work at Polygon and makes fun, wacky songs and highly stylish and unhinged videos but he also made this video about healthcare terms in the US. It’s both a terrifying deep dive into a thing that everyone should be aware of and possibly one of the funniest arguments for literally any other system of healthcare than the one currently in service. As a person who spent 15 years dealing directly with the healthcare system due to medical issues and 10 years of that as a medical advocate, this is a must watch and a real reminder that while Gilbert does make the subject funny, these things, even with your full understanding destroys lives. The healthcare system needs serious reform.

>Number Four<

What’s With Those Stay At Home Girlfriend TikTok’s?

Oddly this article actually isn’t about the stay at home girlfriend TikTok’s that started to hit it big in the last few weeks but it is the precursor to them. This article goes on to detail all the fine points as to how being a tradwife/yearning for the 50s is not actually a good thing but even people who are already aware of those things do often yearn for a “simpler time.” I think good, solid reminders that there are valid reasons why you feel you want to be opted out of society in certain ways or why you want your life simplified can be really helpful. Considering how much the stay at home girlfriend trend on TikTok is blowing up though, I suppose it might have come to late.

>Number Five<

Cable Knitting is only 120 years Old

It’s sweater weather time baby and you know what that means, Chris Evans in a cable knit sweater in Knives Out. Joking! I recently found out that cable knitting is actually fairly modern and that most of the things we consider knit or crocheted in history are made from a few other different types of weaving, specially a lot of nalbinding, a thing I hadn’t heard of. I’ve never been a clothing maker but as a long time crocheter I thought knowing at least the basic history of crochet is a much learn for anyone who wants to know more about their favorite cozy fall passtime.

Alright folks that’s all she wrote, see you next month!