Microwaving Books and Protests
Worried about catching Corona from a library book? You're skating on the irrational, but regardless, don't put the book in the microwave. The radio frequency identification (RFID) tag will catch fire. The public library will then fine you. A library patron near me figured this out.
I'm publishing a series of essays on existentialism at Medium. It'll probably be a ten-part series. The first essay: The Revolt Against Essence. Attentive readers of TDE will notice themes and passages.
An eight-year-old girl is shot and killed during a BLM protest in Atlanta. Now the Mayor says that it's time for people to “clear out of that area” where Rayshard Brooks was shot. “This discussion, this mediation, and ”¦ it's over. At a point where an 8-year-old baby is killed, the discussions have ended.” Good for her. But is it really that simple? Protests terminated by fiat? Why wasn't the fiat issued before the girl was killed? Sure, I guess it's because it took the death of a little girl to give the fiat conclusive power, but it still seems a little "off," almost like the Mayor was okay with the protests up until them. Of course, I'm assuming she was okay with the protests and didn't discourage them, which gives her a slice of blame for this girl's death. They should have been "over" as soon as the first violent criminal act erupted from them.
I don't know whether to scoff or to try it out: Forest Bathing for Immune Support.
Forest bathing, also known as shinrin-yoku, is the ancient practice of visiting a forest and breathing in its air. A Japanese nature therapy practice used as a natural remedy for stress relief and mental fatigue, forest bathing has received much scientific attention in recent years, with many studies exploring the physiological and psychological benefits of spending time in nature.
Of course, in Michigan, the mosquitoes kill any stress relief from walking in the woods, so I'd have to take that into consideration. Also, I live in a semi-rural area (a cornfield starts just a 100 feet from my back property line), so I suspect (hope) I get a little forest bathing every evening when I'm out back, at least when contrasted with a dude in Tokyo. I would note, however, that, regardless, an aimless stroll in nature . . . no podcast playing in your ears, no serious exercise component . . . seems like a good idea.
