TL
TR

Spoonful of Sugar – A Lil Sample

So you know what you’re signing up for

2/20/24

Last week, I walked amongst the stars by reading Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by the inimitable Neil deGrasse Tyson (did you know in addition to his doctorate from Columbia, Tyson has TWENTY-THREE honorary doctorates?). 

Some fun facts:

      • The latest estimates show the observable universe may contain a hundred billion galaxies. Not stars, not solar systems, but a hundred billion galaxies.

      • Dark energy makes up a bulk of the universe… and we know so little about it. The best theory is that it is a quantum effect where the vacuum of space, instead of being empty, is actually seething with particles and antimatter counterparts that pop in and out of existence. COOL!

      • Hydrogen makes up more than ⅔ of all atoms in the human body, and more than 90% of all atoms in the cosmos. Okay, Hydrogen!

      • Surface tension, the force that wants to make objects smaller in all directions, is queen. The one and only shape that has the smallest surface area for an enclosed volume is a sphere… which is why so many cosmic objects are spherical.

    Perhaps the most important part: “Ignorance is the natural state of mind for a research scientist. People who believe they are ignorant of nothing have neither looked for, nor stumbled upon, the boundary between what is known and unknown in the universe.”

    Bubble Gum:

      • What Remote-First Gen Zers Want at Work(Axios)
            1. Key Takeaway: Early career professionals are looking for mentorship and real connections on top of flexibility and work-life balance.
            2. Key Stat: 83% of Gen Z survey respondents said a workplace mentor is crucial for their career, but only about half of workers reported having one.

       

      Quote Qorner: “You are the source of all purity and all impurity.” – Buddha

      Music Musings: Found myself listening to some Taking Back Sunday this week. Also! Try some heart chakra frequency in the background when you’re trying to focus on something. This shit works!

      2/12/24

      I was at an open mic night recently and a particularly skilled poet referred to “kudzo” over and over in his piece, using it to describe how mental illness and addiction choked his family. I’d never heard of it so did some research when I got home.


      Kudzu is an invasive plant you’ve probably seen everywhere, which makes the poet’s metaphor so good. It’s incredibly hardy, fast-growing, and covers up everything in its path so it can hog all the sunlight. Not exactly a friendly neighbor. The best way to deal with kudzu (selfishness) is to keep it from spreading in the first place.


      © Katie Ashdown via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

      Bubble Gum:

         

          • The Downside of Having America’s Lowest Unemployment Rate (Axios)
                • Key Takeaway: While a low unemployment rate sounds great, the way unemployment is defined and measured can cover up a BIG part of the big picture – namely, thousands of workers who left the labor force when the pandemic hit and still haven’t returned.
                • Key Quote: “If you want a job, you can get one,” says Bill Tompkins, the head of an economic development firm in Montgomery County, where the jobless rate is among the lowest in the state. “Companies are accepting lower skill sets. In some cases, somebody is better than nobody.”

              •  

            • Favorite Lunar New Year Dishes (NPR)
                  • Key Takeaway: Get inspired and try cooking something new from this list – yum!
                  • Key Stat: More than a billion people celebrate the Lunar New Year – aka the first new moon of the lunar calendar – across the world. 

                •  

            Quote Qorner: “No mind in work, no work in mind,” – Chinese Zen master Te-Shan

            Music Musings: Y’all, why is 16 Carriages soooo pretty and Texas Hold ‘Em sooooo fun, but also new T-Pain!

             

            Quote Qorner: “You are the source of all purity and all impurity.” – Buddha

            Music Musings: Found myself listening to some Taking Back Sunday this week. Also! Try some heart chakra frequency in the background when you’re trying to focus on something. This shit works!

            2/12/24

            I was at an open mic night recently and a particularly skilled poet referred to “kudzo” over and over in his piece, using it to describe how mental illness and addiction choked his family. I’d never heard of it so did some research when I got home.


            Kudzu is an invasive plant you’ve probably seen everywhere, which makes the poet’s metaphor so good. It’s incredibly hardy, fast-growing, and covers up everything in its path so it can hog all the sunlight. Not exactly a friendly neighbor. The best way to deal with kudzu (selfishness) is to keep it from spreading in the first place.


            © Katie Ashdown via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

            Bubble Gum:

             

              • The Downside of Having America’s Lowest Unemployment Rate (Axios)
                  • Key Takeaway: While a low unemployment rate sounds great, the way unemployment is defined and measured can cover up a BIG part of the big picture – namely, thousands of workers who left the labor force when the pandemic hit and still haven’t returned.
                  • Key Quote: “If you want a job, you can get one,” says Bill Tompkins, the head of an economic development firm in Montgomery County, where the jobless rate is among the lowest in the state. “Companies are accepting lower skill sets. In some cases, somebody is better than nobody.”

                •  

              • Favorite Lunar New Year Dishes (NPR)
                  • Key Takeaway: Get inspired and try cooking something new from this list – yum!
                  • Key Stat: More than a billion people celebrate the Lunar New Year – aka the first new moon of the lunar calendar – across the world. 

                •  

            Quote Qorner: “No mind in work, no work in mind,” – Chinese Zen master Te-Shan

            Music Musings: Y’all, why is 16 Carriages soooo pretty and Texas Hold ‘Em sooooo fun, but also new T-Pain!

               

              Quote Qorner: “You are the source of all purity and all impurity.” – Buddha

              Music Musings: Found myself listening to some Taking Back Sunday this week. Also! Try some heart chakra frequency in the background when you’re trying to focus on something. This shit works!

              2/12/24

              I was at an open mic night recently and a particularly skilled poet referred to “kudzo” over and over in his piece, using it to describe how mental illness and addiction choked his family. I’d never heard of it so did some research when I got home.


              Kudzu is an invasive plant you’ve probably seen everywhere, which makes the poet’s metaphor so good. It’s incredibly hardy, fast-growing, and covers up everything in its path so it can hog all the sunlight. Not exactly a friendly neighbor. The best way to deal with kudzu (selfishness) is to keep it from spreading in the first place.


              © Katie Ashdown via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

              Bubble Gum:

               

                • The Downside of Having America’s Lowest Unemployment Rate (Axios)
                    • Key Takeaway: While a low unemployment rate sounds great, the way unemployment is defined and measured can cover up a BIG part of the big picture – namely, thousands of workers who left the labor force when the pandemic hit and still haven’t returned.
                    • Key Quote: “If you want a job, you can get one,” says Bill Tompkins, the head of an economic development firm in Montgomery County, where the jobless rate is among the lowest in the state. “Companies are accepting lower skill sets. In some cases, somebody is better than nobody.”

                  •  

                • Favorite Lunar New Year Dishes (NPR)
                    • Key Takeaway: Get inspired and try cooking something new from this list – yum!
                    • Key Stat: More than a billion people celebrate the Lunar New Year – aka the first new moon of the lunar calendar – across the world. 

                  •  

              Quote Qorner: “No mind in work, no work in mind,” – Chinese Zen master Te-Shan

              Music Musings: Y’all, why is 16 Carriages soooo pretty and Texas Hold ‘Em sooooo fun, but also new T-Pain!