An irregular hodgepodge of links gathered together … Omnium Gatherum for May 16, 2021

Here’s a variety of notable things I’ve recently found that you may also be interested in checking out:

• “Imperialism: A Syllabus” Also “Settler colonialism and Israel” and “Return” by Jonathan Korman.
• More on this: “7 People Charged After Mummy Of Spiritual Leader Found In Home. The body of Amy Carlson, leader of a spiritual group called Love Has Won, was found decorated with Christmas lights and glitter in a southern Colorado home.”
• More about this: “Greek man obsessed with Boleksine House on the shores of Loch Ness promises never to go there again.” Also “Man obsessed with former Highland home of occultist jailed.”
• “An Artist Standing Outside an Either/Or World” About L. Brandon Krall: Sui Generis–alphabet paintings and other objects at Steven Harvey Fine Art Projects, New York, through May 29, 2021.
• “Rethinking Aleister Crowley and Thelema: New Perspectives” by Manon Hedenborg White, from 2021, Aries: Journal for the Study of Western Esotericism.
• “A Nightmare Creatures Reboot Would Be Perfect For Bloodborne Fans. Bloodborne news is scarce these days, but a resurrection of Nightmare Creatures could provide fans with the Gothic horror they desire.”—”Nightmare Creatures leans into its inspirations, coming from the esoteric and satanic studies of real-life mystics like Aleister Crowley (which series main villain Adam Crowley is clearly based on) and Madame Blavatsky who lived during the setting of the game.”
• “Diverse artists are creating bold visions of the tarot.”
• “I Thought I Was Possessed By The Devil. The Truth Shook My Deepest Beliefs. All of my praying and self-exorcisms couldn’t save me from what was really happening.”—”I was diagnosed with epilepsy that I was told was perhaps caused by some trauma my brain suffered during birth. It turned out the devil wasn’t taking control of my mind ― my mind was flipping out on its own. There wasn’t anything the least bit spiritual or metaphysical about it.”
• The Collected Works of Frater Achad. Volume 1: The Major Works, edited and with an introduction by Henrik Bogdan, from Starfire Publishing UK, due Autumn 2021—”The Collected Works of Frater Achad, collected and edited by Henrik Bogdan, is a sympathetic presentation of Achad’s rich body of work across several volumes. The first volume, currently in preparation and set for publication in Autumn 2021, collects together what are widely considered to be the three Major Works.” It will apparently have Hermetic Library Figure Frater Achad / Charles Stansfeld Jones works Q.B.L., or the Bride’s Reception, The Egyptian Revival, or The Ever-Coming Son in the Light of the Tarot and The Anatomy of the Body of God, so, you know, you can read them now, if you head to the library.
• Introduction to Magic, Volume III: Realizations of the Absolute Individual [Amazon, Bookshop, Publisher] by Julius Evola and The UR Group, translated by Hermetic Library Fellow Joscelyn Godwin, book 3 of the Introduction to Magic series, due July 2021—”Authentic initiatic practices, rituals, and wisdom collected by the UR Group. Explores esoteric practices for individual development, handed down from a primordial tradition and discernable in alchemy, Hermetism, religious doctrines, Tantra, Taoism, Buddhism, Vedanta, and the pagan mysteries of the West. Reveals the ultimate magical goal of the “Absolute Individual,” the immortal and divine potential that requires rare gifts and extraordinary efforts for its realization. The “Gruppo di UR” was a group of Italian esotericists who collaborated for three brief years, from 1927 to 1929. The purpose of this group was to study and practice ancient rituals and procedures they gleaned from the mystery traditions of the world, both East and West, in order to attain a state of superhuman consciousness and power that would allow them to act magically on the world. They produced a monthly journal containing techniques for spiritual realization, accounts of personal experiences, translations and commentaries on ancient texts, and original essays on esoteric topics. The prime movers of the group were Arturo Reghini (1878-1946), a Pythagorean mathematician and reviver of a spiritual Freemasonry, and Julius Evola (1898-1974), then a young philosopher with a mastery of the esoteric doctrines of East and West. Many years later, Evola gathered the UR Group essays into three volumes, giving them their final form in 1971. This volume, the third in the series, complements the first two, yet they are not strictly sequential, and their contents can be read in any order. Volume III, more than the others, bears the personal stamp of Julius Evola. In its pages you’ll discover that the “magic” of the UR Group has nothing to do with sorcery or superstition. It was their term for an active and affirmative attitude toward individual development handed down from a “primordial tradition” and discernable in alchemy, Hermetism, esoteric religious doctrines, indigenous practices, Tantra, Taoism, Buddhism, Vedanta, and the pagan mysteries of the West. Its goal was the “Absolute Individual,” the immortal and divine potential that requires rare gifts and extraordinary efforts for its realization. However, there is incalculable value in this volume even for the less heroic. By studying the practices and realizations within, the reader will be liberated from conventional dogmas–religious, political, scientific, and psychological–and see with the clearer eye of realization.”
• The Gnome Grimoire, The Gnome Manuscript – Part Two: Magical Workings with Nature Spirits by Wilmar Taal—”The Gnome Manuscript by J.H.W. Eldermans has been a mystery for many years. The drawings and sketches of pentacles, talismans and amulets, ritual garments and tools and methods of magic, all graced by his graceful handwriting, have been a magnet to students of the occult, but the many texts in Dutch made it difficult to understand these writings. Wilmar Taal has taken on the task of categorizing, translating and commenting on this manuscript and the second instalment of The Gnome Manuscript will take you into the world of working magic with the little people… Being the largest part of the trilogy, The Gnome Grimoire will not only bring you the well known Solomonic magic concerning gnomes, but also open the doors to the grey circuit, the circles of unknown witches and magisters who share their knowledge of gnome magic, and for the first time translated into English. It will enable the practitioner to prepare foods that gnomes are attracted to, to build contraptions that enables you to see gnomes roaming free in the fields or to gain the aid of a gnome during the search for hidden treasure. The Gnome Grimoire is your go-to book concerning the magic with gnomes, at least Dutch gnomes… The book is profusely illustrated throughout with over 360 drawings, talismans and examples of handwritten text by Eldermans.” Preceded by The Gnome Manuscript Part One: Origins, Habit and Culture.
• Lilith, Gender and Demonology by Stephanie Spoto, now available for pre-order at Atramentous Press. “Stephanie Spoto’s study of Lilith examines the feminine demonic. She succinctly demonstrates that the demonisation of the female is embedded in how we perceive and apprehend demonic icons such as Lilith. This is a study that goes back to the early modern period populated by such great ‘men’ as John Dee, Milton, and Shakespeare. For each applied and negotiated their understanding of threat by projecting their current fears onto and into aspects of such entities as Hecate and Lilith. While topics surrounding the destabilisation of societal equilibrium have always been present, Spoto shows that during the 16th and 17th century a projected impression of presences concerned with engaging with the demonic were being studied and practised. Fears over heresy, uncertainty, loss, treason, even sexual appetite threatened the continued aggrandisement of a patriarchal society, in accordance with this much was being done by magicians to usurp the feminine. It should therefore come as no surprise to learn that Stephanie Spoto successfully presents evidence which shows that rather than shunning Lilith, authors of the time were openly communicating and negotiating their sense of an existential reality and crisis via the demoness. Lilith, Gender, and Demonology is a book for these times that we are currently living through. There is no denying the book has relevance for those interested in gender studies and the ongoing dialogue over maintaining strict dichotomous renderings of identity. And even though the study is quite obviously embedded by its historical context, the themes, along with the notion of metaphysical relations reveal the kernel to our contemporary occult studies. From the inclusion of the reappropriated Goddess found among various witchcraft movements, to the demonology that continues to be practised by occultists, the topic of Lilith continues to be a salient one. Beyond Hebraic studies, there is little that is truly known about Lilith other that what has been conjectured. Lilith, Gender, and Demonology corrects this shortfall in part by simply being a devastatingly good read, however, it is more than this, Spoto shares the knowledge uncovered by having accessed collections rarely seen by most. Consequently, Lilith, Gender, and Demonology is a highly informative work which has a definite application for practitioners and would be practitioners when it comes to dynamics and the comprehending of the experiential. This has left me in no doubt that Spoto’s work is destined to become one of the most important books to have been published on Lilith.”
• Ancient Astrology in Theory and Practice. A Manual of Traditional Techniques. Volume Two: Delineating Planetary Meaning by Demetra George, now available for pre-order. “DEVELOPED UNDER THE SHADOWS of the Egyptian temples, Hellenistic astrology is an ancient form of divination inherited from Mesopotamian wisdom traditions. Distilled in Græco-Roman antiquity, and refined in the fires of philosophy and astronomy, it forms the bedrock of traditional western astrology (while also bearing profound similarities to Jyotish or Vedic astrology). Drawing on a body of Greek texts that have remained largely untranslated for almost two-thousand years, Demetra George brings the contemporary practice of astrology back to its ancient roots. Scholar, translator, and practitioner, her work reveals the potent cosmological veins that bear the lifeblood of traditional astrology. Ancient Astrology in Theory and Practice is, in essence, a training manual for the study and practice of Hellenistic astrology. In two volumes, it provides the complete foundations and detailed dynamics of ancient chart-reading techniques. Each volume and each technique is richly illustrated with diagrams, example charts, and practical exercises. Volume 2: Delineating Planetary Meaning. If the planets are the essential forces ruling life in the sublunary world, the houses are the principles that bring them down to earth and ground them in our everyday reality. Volume two begins by exploring the ancient house system—the twelve topics or places of life—in order to provide a synthesis of planet-based and house-based approaches to distilling meaning from a chart. It then explores the different systems for delineating the rulers and lords of the nativity as a whole. Like the helmsman’s rudder that steers the vessel through the waters of existence, the masters and lords of the nativity provide the overarching principles that guide the native’s path through life.” Preceded by Ancient Astrology in Theory and Practice. A Manual of Traditional Techniques, Volume One: Assessing Planetary Condition.
• An American Covenant: A Story of Women, Mysticism, and the Making of Modern America [Amazon, Bookshop, Local Library] by Lucile Scott, introduced by Joey Soloway—”A history of mystic resistance and liberation and of five women who transcended the expected to transform America. For centuries, women who emerge as mystic leaders have played vital roles in American culture. For just as long, they’ve been subjugated and ridiculed. Today, women and others across the nation are once again turning to their mystic powers to #HexThePatriarchy and help fight the forces that seem bent on relegating them to second-class citizenry. Amid this tumult, Lucile Scott looks to the past and the stories of five women over three centuries to form an ancestral spiritual coven: Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans; Cora L. V. Scott, nineteenth-century Spiritualist superstar; Helena Blavatsky, mother of Theosophy; Zsuzsanna Budapest, feminist witch and founder of Dianic Wicca; and Marianne Williamson, presidential candidate and preacher of the New Age Gospel of Love. Each, in their own ways, defied masculine preconceptions about power. A scathing queer feminist history and a personal quest for transcendence, An American Covenant opens our eyes to the paths forged by women who inspired the nation in their own times—and who will no longer be forgotten or silenced in ours.”
• The Album of Dr. Moreau [Amazon, Bookshop, Publisher] by Daryl Gregory, due May 18—”Daryl Gregory’s The Album of Dr. Moreau combines the science fiction premise of the famous novel by H. G. Wells with the panache of a classic murder mystery and the spectacle of a beloved boy band. It’s 2001, and the WyldBoyZ are the world’s hottest boy band, and definitely the world’s only genetically engineered human-animal hybrid vocal group. When their producer, Dr. M, is found murdered in his hotel room, the “boyz” become the prime suspects. Was it Bobby the ocelot (“the cute one”), Matt the megabat (“the funny one”), Tim the Pangolin (“the shy one”), Devin the bonobo (“the romantic one”), or Tusk the elephant (“the smart one”)? Las Vegas Detective Luce Delgado has only twenty-four hours to solve a case that goes all the way back to the secret science barge where the WyldBoyZ’ journey first began—a place they used to call home.”
• Tweet—”According to a new book, the innovations that have saved the most lives were built on networks of support and inspiration, and spread by social movements. Almost none came from profit-seeking companies.” Also “We’ve Had Great Success Extending Life. What About Ending It? Now that human beings are surviving longer than ever before, many have another goal: a good death.”—”Yet he cautions that it’s shortsighted to think of these advancements in terms of a few brilliant geniuses having eureka moments. Instead, the innovations that have saved the most lives are the product of piecemeal improvements, built on networks of support and inspiration, and spread by social movements. Most were not blockbuster therapies or expensive medicines but unsexy, low-tech ideas, like water chlorination or better techniques for treating dehydration. Almost none, he points out, came from profit-seeking companies. And many were just advancements in basic bureaucracy—the creation of public institutions that could systematically track health data, require that drugs be tested and regulated, or enforce simple safety measures.” About Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer [Amazon, Bookshop, Publisher, Local Library] by Steven Johnson—”As featured in The New York Times Magazine, and on an upcoming PBS documentary series: the surprising and important story of how humans gained what amounts to an extra life, from the bestselling author of How We Got to Now and Where Good Ideas Come From. As a species we have doubled our life expectancy in just one hundred years. All the advances of modern life–the medical breakthroughs, the public health institutions, the rising standards of living–have given us each about twenty thousand extra days on average. There are few measures of human progress more astonishing than our increased longevity. This book is Steven Johnson’s attempt to understand where that progress came from. How many of those extra twenty thousand days came from vaccines, or the decrease in famines, or seatbelts? What are the forces that now keep us alive longer? Behind each breakthrough lies an inspiring story of cooperative innovation, of brilliant thinkers bolstered by strong systems of public support and collaborative networks. But it is not enough simply to remind ourselves that progress is possible. How do we avoid decreases in life expectancy as our public health systems face unprecedented challenges? What current technologies or interventions that could reduce the impact of future crises are we somehow ignoring? A study in how meaningful change happens in society, Extra Life is an ode to the enduring power of common goals and public resources. The most fundamental progress we have experienced over the past few centuries has not come from big corporations or start-ups. It has come, instead, from activists struggling for reform; from university-based and publicly funded scientists sharing their findings open-source-style; and from nonprofit agencies spreading new innovations around the world.”
• “Why Are Creepy Children So Compelling?” By A J Gnuse, author of Girl in the Walls [Amazon, Bookshop, Publisher, Local Library]—”A mesmerizing and suspenseful coming-of-age novel about an orphan hiding within the walls of her former family home–and about what it means to be truly seen after becoming lost in life. Eventually, every hidden thing is found. Elise knows every inch of the house. She knows which boards will creak. She knows where the gaps are in the walls. She knows which parts can take her in, hide her away. It’s home, after all. The home her parents made for her, before they were taken from her in a car crash. And home is where you stay, no matter what. Eddie is a teenager trying to forget about the girl he sometimes sees out of the corner of his eye. But when his hotheaded older brother senses her, too, they are faced with the question of how to get rid of someone they aren’t sure even exists. And as they try to cast her out, they unwittingly bring an unexpected and far more real threat to their doorstep. Written with grace and enormous heart, Girl in the Walls is a novel about carrying on through grief, forging unconventional friendships, and realizing, little by little, that we don’t need to fear what we do not understand.”
• “Seeing Through the Eye of Others.” About Cyclopedia Exotica [Amazon, Bookshop, Publisher, Local Library] by Aminder Dhaliwal—”Following the critical and popular success of Woman World―the hit Instagram comic which appeared on 25 best of the year lists―Aminder Dhaliwal returns with Cyclopedia Exotica. Also serialized on instagram to her 250,000 followers, this graphic novel showcases Dhaliwal’s quick wit and astute socio-cultural criticism. Doctor’s office waiting rooms, commercials, dog parks, and dating app screenshots capture the experiences and interior lives of the cyclops community; a largely immigrant population displaying physical differences from the majority. Whether they’re artists, parents, or yoga students, the cyclops have it tough: they face microaggressions and overt xenophobia on a daily basis. However, they are bent on finding love, cultivating community, and navigating life alongside the two-eyed majority with patience and the occasional bout of rage. Cyclopedia Exotica is a triumph of hilarious candor.”
• “Poetry That Targets Compliance as Complicity.” About Artifice in the Calm Damages [Amazon, Bookshop, Publisher, Local Library] by Andrew Levy.
• Banksy Graffitied Walls And Wasn’t Sorry [Amazon, Bookshop, Publisher, Local Library] by Fausto Gilberti—”A clever, quirky biography of a leading contemporary artist, for children. Banksy is a world-famous graffiti artist who secretly spray paints pictures on streets and walls while no one is watching! His works are often about politics, war, and other important things, but he also likes to paint rats. Rats scurry around and hide, often creating a bit of a stir, just like he does! Millions of people know his work but no one really knows who Bansky is — his true identity is a secret. Fausto Gilberti brings life, intrigue, and whimsy to the mysterious story of one of the most important contemporary artists of our time. Ages 4-7.”
• “How to Educate an American Citizen.” About How to Educate an American: The Conservative Vision for America’s Schools [Amazon, Bookshop, Publisher, Local Library] edited by Michael J Petrilli and Chester E Finn Jr. And How to Educate a Citizen: The Power of Shared Knowledge to Unify a Nation [Amazon, Bookshop, Publisher, Local Library] by E D Hirsch Jr. And Higher Expectations: Can Colleges Teach Students What They Need to Know in the 21st Century? [Amazon, Bookshop, Publisher, Local Library] by Derek Bok.
• “Early Medieval English literature was a sordid swamp of wanton plagiarism!”
• “It’s worth studying sci-fi’s false predictions for our terrible dystopian futures. The 1972 population-anxiety movie Z.P.G. shows why.”
• “‘The Prisoner’ And HP Lovecraft: Did Rover Arise From a Bloom of Shoggoths?“—”In this work, we will first compare some elements in HP Lovecraft and Patrick McGoohan’s lives. Second, we will isolate components of each man’s creative endeavors, Lovecraft’s Shoggoths & McGoohan’s Rover, and discuss the similarities and distinctions between the two fictional beasts.”
• From the Red Fluid from Dark Sarcophagus dept: “Apparently the Brontës all died so early because they spent their lives drinking graveyard water.”—”Then there was the graveyard—which sat on a hill, right in front of the parsonage where the Brontës lived—which Babbage found to be overstuffed, badly laid out, and poorly oxygenated, so much so that the decomposing material from the graves had filtered into the town’s water supply. The long-term exposure to harmful bacteria would have made the Brontës weaker, shorter, and more susceptible to other diseases.”
• “Weird dreams train us for the unexpected, says new theory. AI inspires hypothesis that sleeping human brain might try to break its overfamiliarity with daily data.”
• “The Bizarre History of Head Transplants. How a scientist’s daring experiments pushed the limits of medicine.”
• “China has landed on Mars. Confirmed by Chinese state media.” Previously “China plans to attempt an ambitious Mars landing as early as Friday, dropping both a lander and a rover to the red planet.”
• “What Created This Enormous Spiral in the Martian North Pole? Wind. and Time.”
• “‘Mysterious dark deposit’ suggests Mars volcanoes could still be active. A volcanically active area “could have provided favorable conditions for microbial life fairly recently,” one scientist says.”—”Mars was once a hot spot for volcanic activity — around 3 billion to 4 billion years ago. A team of scientists now suspects Mars could still be volcanically active, after spotting what may be evidence of a recent eruption dating to within the last 50,000 years. The discovery could have implications for finding signs of microbial life on the planet.”
• “Scientists Are Close to Finally Solving the Three-Body Problem. Astronomers have been stumped for centuries.”
• “Using Light to Control Cells Holds Promise across the Body. Optogenetics could aid vision, blood glucose, and more.”
• Watch “How Humans Caused Our Own Allergies.”—”Sniffling. Sneezing. Runny eyes. Springtime brings a rush of seasonal allergies that plague us – but historically, allergies were mild – if they existed at all. In fact, allergies became a force to be reckoned with only in the 1970s. Cheddar explains how we’re to blame for our own allergies.”
• Breatharianism has changed over the years. “Breathing Through the Rectum Saves Oxygen-Starved Mice and Pigs.”
• As above, so below the ocean. “Freshly Made Plutonium From Outer Space Found On Ocean Floor.”
• “Man Who Is Paralyzed Communicates By Imagining Handwriting.”—”An experimental device that turns thoughts into text has allowed a man who was left paralyzed by an accident to construct sentences swiftly on a computer screen. The man was able to type with 95% accuracy just by imagining he was handwriting letters on a sheet of paper, a team reported Wednesday in the journal Nature.”
• “‘Holy Grail’ Battery Breakthrough Sees Scientists Solve 40-Year Problem. Lithium-metal batteries hold far more energy and charge in a fraction of the time compared to those used in smartphones and electric cars.”
• “Cerne Giant in Dorset dates from Anglo-Saxon times, analysis suggests. Sand samples examined by National Trust experts indicate hillside chalk figure was created in the 10th century.”
• “Podcast: Proof that Nabateans’ trade empire collapsed due to ancient epidemic.”
• “Flying at Speeds up to Mach 17 Could Become Reality with UCF’s Developing Propulsion System. The UCF-developed propulsion system could allow for flight speeds of Mach 6 to 17 (more than 4,600 to 13,000 miles per hour) and would have applications in air and space travel.”
• “Scientists find mechanism that eliminates senescent cells. Discovery points to potential immune therapy for chronic disease and fibrosis.”
• “Fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks—but there’s a catch. Here’s what you need to know about the new CDC mask guidelines.” Also, “Bill Maher Is Fully Vaccinated And Has Tested Positive For Covid-19 Coronavirus.” Also “Maybe We Need Masks Indoors Just a Bit Longer. The C.D.C. could have waited until we had managed to further reduce the spread of Covid-19.”
• “University of Miami researchers report COVID-19 found in penile tissue could contribute to ED. First to demonstrate COVID-19 present in penis tissue long after COVID-19 recovery.” Also “COVID-19 can infect penis tissue and could lead to erectile dysfunction – study. A co-author of the study says this was “yet another reason that we should all do our best to avoid COVID-19.” Also tweet—”Narrator: By 3pm that day, Covid-19 had been cured.”
• More on this, or, in other words: “Suck less, people”: “Instead Of Returning The Dog You Adopted During Lockdown, Do This. Some shelters say people are returning their ‘COVID pets’ as they go back to work. Here are more compassionate things to do before considering that option.”
• “It’s not a ‘labor shortage.’ It’s a great reassessment of work in America. Hiring was much weaker than expected in April. Wall Street thinks it’s a blip, but there could be much deeper rethinking of what jobs are needed and what workers want to do on a daily basis.”
• “Kroger CEO Cut Workers’ COVID-19 Hazard Pay, Grabbed Record $22.4 Million Package Himself. Now Kroger is closing stores where communities are requiring hazard pay.”
• “The twisted psychology of browser tabs—and why we can’t get rid of them. New research proves that it’s not just you: Browser tabs are scientifically terrible.”
• “How the Personal Computer Broke the Human Body. Decades before ‘Zoom fatigue’ broke our spirits, the so-called computer revolution brought with it a world of pain previously unknown to humankind.”
• Um, not now injectable microchips, we’ve already got people paranoid about that! “Tiny, Wireless, Injectable Chips Use Ultrasound to Monitor Body Processes. Columbia Engineers develop the smallest single-chip system that is a complete functioning electronic circuit; implantable chips visible only in a microscope point the way to developing chips that can be injected into the body with a hypodermic needle to monitor medical conditions.”
• “Just 12 People Are Behind Most Vaccine Hoaxes On Social Media, Research Shows.”
• “The Rise of the Thielists. Has the Republican Party found its post-Trump ideology?”
• “The Toxic Blight of Fox News. Thinking behind the tweets.”
• :Nothing Works Any More. When we get ripped off by con artists, in most cases we no longer have any recourse. It’s the result of disastrous political choices.”
• “The Women Who Enabled Jeffrey Epstein. From schedulers to socialites, they helped keep the late financier’s sex trafficking scheme operating, or helped rehabilitate him after he faced jail time. Now some say they’re victims.”
• “A Gay Man Says He Was Tormented at Liberty University. Now He’s Suing. Lucas Wilson is not just taking on the one-time home of Jerry Falwell, but the Education Department for enabling the university.”
• “Why Millennials Can’t Grow Up. Today’s economic conditions are not just holding Millennials back. They are stratifying them, leading to unequal experiences within the generation as well as between it and other cohorts.” Also tweet—”Millennials hold 4.8% of all wealth. There are now 40-year-old Millennials. At the same age, Gen X had 9% of wealth. Boomers had 21%. The largest generation in history did what the system told them to do and became the most-educated in history. Now they’re the poorest in history.” And tweet—”out of curiosity I ran the numbers and Mark Zuckerberg single-handedly has 2% of all Millennial wealth” Also “Charting The Growing Generational Wealth Gap.” Also “#5 Mark Zuckerberg.”
• “5 Happiness Hacks That Take 5 Minutes Or Less. Feeling stressed or down? These science-backed tips will boost your mood quickly.”—”1. Tackle your hardest task. … 2. Take 10 deep breaths. … 3. Listen to a happy song. (Bonus points for dancing!) … 4. For a few minutes, focus on the people who’ve got your back. … 5. Do something kind for someone. (Or just think kind thoughts!)”
• “The Clock-Out Cure For those who can afford it, quitting has become the ultimate form of self-care.”
• “Claiming the Summit Without Reaching the Top. Only 44 people are said to have reached the summit of all 14 of the world’s highest mountains. Now, researchers are questioning whether any of them have really done it.”—”By asking a simple-sounding question — What is the summit? — the researchers are raising doubts about past accomplishments and raising standards for future ones. Maybe they are making us all reconsider just what it means to reach the top.”
• If it’s from A24, it’s gonna get strange. “Apple Original Films & A24 Partner On Awards Season Joel Coen-Directed Frances McDormand-Denzel Washington Drama ‘The Tragedy Of Macbeth’”
• Watch Saint Maud, official Trailer, from A24. “YOUR SAVIOR IS COMING. From writer/director Rose Glass and starring Morfydd Clark and Jennifer Ehle. SAINT MAUD — Spring 2020.” Now on Hulu and Amazon.
• “Dungeons & Dragons has its own version of the Slender Man now. Beware the Bagman.”
• “The Apple Designer You’ve Never Heard of Is Making Noise. Plus: The iPod’s cultural importance, the fate of Loon’s balloons, and the price of an SNL appearance.”
• Doctor Who is a lot different than I remember. “A Doctor Who Convinced People in a Bar to Get the Vaccine for Free Beer on What They’re Telling Her. She found something different than skepticism.”
• “‘Fuck This Court’: We Obtained Larry Flynt’s FBI File and It’s Pretty Wild. The 322-page file contains a litany of events from John DeLorean’s cocaine bust to an alleged effort by Flynt to blow himself up in front of the Supreme Court.”
• Blue for boys proven harmful. For the record, I’ve never, to my recollection, ever had navy blue sheets. “Boys, You Need to Burn Your Navy Blue Bed Sheets. How navy blue sheets became a clear signifier of a certain type of behavior.”
• “Fun fact: Courtney Love read Sylvia Plath’s “Daddy” for her Mickey Mouse Club audition.”—”If you’re thinking to yourself, Courtney Love, at any age, seems like she’d be an odd fit for a cheery, sanitized, kids TV show, well, you would be extremely correct. How do I know this? Well, according to this 2006 interview, the then-preteen Love chose a rather unusual piece to perform at her Disney audition: Sylvia Plath’s ‘Daddy.'” Also “Daddy” by Sylvia Plath—”There’s a stake in your fat black heart / And the villagers never liked you. / They are dancing and stamping on you. / They always knew it was you. / Daddy, daddy, you bastard, I’m through.”
• “Why We Speak More Weirdly at Home. When people share a space, their collective experience can sprout its own vocabulary, known as a familect.”
• “Planes Can Plant 1 Billion Trees a Year With Seed Bombs.”—”Can nature win the war on climate change? Maybe with a little help from humanity. Using old reconditioned military planes, we can plant one billion trees a year. The planes will ‘tree bomb’ deteriorated forests that have been devastated by commercial logging. The proposed program uses some of that fastest growing trees in the world, which grow over 10 feet per year. These trees can fully counter the negative effects of de-forestation within a few years.”
• Tweet—”Your values do not exist in isolation, nor do they arise in you from nowhere. You are an entangled, enmeshed thing. But you can change. And you can, to an extent, direct that change. You are influenced, but you are also among those influences. Accept that, & be responsible for it.”
• YEET! “Badass Cat Leaps From 5th Floor Of Burning Building, Struts Off Like A Boss. OK, so perhaps there’s something to that whole nine lives thing after all.”
• AR/VR for cats: “Scientists Have Studied the Mysterious Behavior of Cats Sitting on Squares. Cats love sitting on any square object, as if drawn by some primordial instinct. A new study shows that the square can even be an optical illusion.”
• I visited the USS Enterprise a number of times at the Air and Space Museum. “Star Wars X-Wing at the Smithsonian. Udvar-Hazy visitors can watch conservators give the film prop a careful exam before it goes on view in 2022.”

What have you been seeing around and thinking about lately? What have you seen that caught your eye? Thinking about something lately, or reading something interesting, or have a project you’re working on? Participate by tagging @[email protected] in the ‘verse with what you’ve got to share. Like, boost, or comment posts by that account to help curate the best stuff for everyone.

This post was possible because of support from generous ongoing Patrons. Patrons get access to Omnium Gatherum immediately. On the blog, this will be exclusive to Patrons for one year, after which I’ll make it publicly available to everyone so they can see what they’ve been missing.