Sunday Sparklies
Vaccines, diamonds, bellies, and complaints
I’ll start with something a little more serious than sparkly. The above image is from last November, from the US Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Scientific American magazine recently published this and other charts from the ACIP with vaccine recommendations for ages birth through 6, 7 through 18, and 19 and older. So you would have them for reference, as, now that RFK-Jr is in charge, and has already purged that related group, as well as much of the related data, I’m sure these recommendations will be changed. Look for them to be tempered with alternate facts to show people ‘the other side’, backed by ‘common sense science’.
Be-jewelled
In the ‘without a clue’ department - A British woman was in the habit of taking home jewelry from the high-end shop she worked in. She was caught out when she went on vacation and posted selfies to her friends, “without a care in the world, dripping in diamonds, thinking she had deceived everybody,” as the police stated. She had $170,000 in diamonds, gold, and silver. She exchanged it for 28 months in prison.
Belly Fat
It’s more of a guy thing, visceral fat, spread throughout the abdomen. According to this article, it can add to insulin resistance, elevated cardiovascular risk, and maybe even cognitive impairment. But what to do?
7 Cheeses that Dietitians Say Support Belly Fat Loss - Some cheeses are relatively low in saturated fats, and are strong enough in flavour that a little goes a long way. Such as cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, Mozzarella cheese, Feta cheese, Ricotta, Swiss cheese, or goat cheese.
Spinach - Rich in carotenoids and fibre - so maybe it can help. At least it won’t make it worse.
Another solution? Lose some weight. Good article from the Mayo Clinic, summarizes some more risks, and offers some more solutions.
Please Hold
The city of Ottawa has compiled a playlist featuring 25 local artists. These are used to play when somebody calls the city and is placed on hold. Such a nice idea.
Deliberate Call Drops - Here’s a good article from The Atlantic about call centre techniques. Companies do want to promote customer service as a feature, either to solve a problem or get a refund. But those calls and repairs or returns are expensive. One way to decrease them is to improve the quality of the product. Another way is to simply make the whole process more difficult, introducing what is referred to as ‘sludge’ into it. Long wait queues, then front-end agents working to rote from a rigid and impersonal script, layers of support to battle through, sometimes leading you into a dead-end line, and occasionally a dropped call. Dropped either via delibeeatly using a cheaper carrier, with crappy offshore connections, or via agents that are just encouraged/allowed to drop an overly long or complex call. shoddy All to encourage you to say ‘fuck it’ and give up. Check out the National Customer Rage Survey.
Entertainment
A look at June’s videos and movies for me. I’ll add some print consumption too.
Ongoing (some)
The Gilded Age - It’s 1882, and the Gilded Age is in full swing. Set in an opulent New York, sort of a Downton Abbey meets Dallas. Lots of intrigue, but romance and humour too. Season 2 ended favourably in my eyes. Season 3 has started, one week at a time, and is even better. 8/10.
Murderbot - It’s a good book, but the series is doled out at 20 minutes a week. Finally, at episode 8 of 10. Still a 7/10 rating
Altered Carbon - After 250 years on ice, a prisoner returns to life in a new body with one chance to win his freedom: by solving a mind-bending murder. The book was good. This is good too, but too long? Need to make a choice here - so many shows so little time. 7/10 so far.
I read a few printed sources for news, as in printed on paper and mailed to me. I’m trying to shift from the constant distraction of Breaking News to news that is broken down for me. Broken down as in collated and assessed, with analysis and context added, by various trusted pundits and news groups. Trusted as in relatively free from bias, and sitting centre/left of centre. I get the Economist weekly, with Saturday’s publication reaching me the middle of the next week. I do enjoy the coverage, but it’s physically hard to read. The font is OK, but the line spacing is just that little bit too close. I’ll let it lapse and stick to the digital version. Foreign Affairs is published monthly, featuring longer articles with a more readable spacing and a similar font choice. I’ve added the Atlantic now, for another monthly with coverage I enjoy. Nicely typeset. BTW - the above all have good podcasts.
Done
Kleo - After the fall of the Berlin Wall, a former East German spy resolves to find out who betrayed her and why — and use her lethal skills to exact revenge. German, with subtitles. Two seasons - 8/10.
M3GAN - An interesting sci-fi thriller about a doll robot built as a companion and protector that gets a little too protective. Meh - 5/10. I believe there is a version 2 out now as well.
The Newsroom - Aeries from 2012. I had never finished it before, so I rewatched it. Very well written and acted, and fitting for the times, what with the legacy vs “new news” media conflicts, and US political corruption. 9/10
Jungle Cruise - Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt. Light entertainment - The Rock plays the same character well. 7/10
The Last Duel - Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer. Good, but I watched it mostly for Jodie, she’s the new Meryl Streep. 7/10
Animal Kingdom - Ellen Barkin and others - A West Coast matriarch in a crime family. Soap opera with drugs and hayhem. I made it through Season 2, and found it entertaining but boring. Dropped it, as I will never last through Season 6. 6/10 and sliding
The Accountant - Ben Affleck. A cute movie. 7/10 I think there’s a part 2, also.
Dr. Who - Seasons 14 and 15. I’m all caught up. Now we wait to see what Disney does next with it. 8/10