Most people I know have put on a little weight as they hit middle age. And of course that's understandabe since their metabolism slows down. (Insert screech sound here.) "Everyone knows conventional wisdom about metabolism: People put pounds on year after year from their 20s onward because their metabolisms slow down, especially around middle age. Women have slower metabolisms than men. That's why they have a harder time controlling their weight. Menopause only makes things worse, slowing women's metabolisms even more. All wrong, according to a paper published Thursday." Gina Kolata in the NYT (gift article for ND readers): What We Think We Know About Metabolism May Be Wrong. (My personal experience mirrors this new science. I spent my childhood shopping in the husky section and have maintained a fairly steady state.)
2
DON'T LET THE HORROR HIT YOU ON THE WAY OUT
There's broad agreement that it was past time for America to end its forever-seeming war in Afghanistan. And the end, no matter what, wasn't going to be pretty. But it's a lot uglier than it had to be, and the country's rapid slide into Taliban hands is challenging Biden's empathetic brand. "Once U.S. and NATO troops pulled out entirely, the collapse was inevitable. Still, many are startled, and not without reason ... When the Taliban's assaults first began in late June, U.S. intelligence analysts worried that the Taliban might take over in six to 12 months; now they're saying it could happen in 90 days. That estimate too may prove overly optimistic." Fred Kaplan in Slate: The only thing surprising about the Taliban's rapid advance is that anyone is surprised.
What to Scream: For those who missed the big announcement, I wrote a book called Please Scream Inside Your Heart. After I wrote the book, I challenged Sean Martell and Bryan Bell to design the best book landing page of all time. And they did. Please order the book today, and if you've got a second, share this page with a few (or few thousand) friends. The early orders often determine a book's success. And the reputation of the NextDraft community is at stake. I really appreciate the support. (Those who were among the first hundred purchasers and won free t-shirts will be notified as soon as I stop refreshing my sales stats page.)
+ What to Hear: The album was completed a decade or more ago. The songs are as fresh (topically and sonically) as if they were written last week. Prince's Welcome to America is finally out.
+ What to Read: "Such a problem might appear to be a simple one. People were growing coffee in a place where everyone seemed to agree they shouldn't be. The forest was already well recognized as important, worth saving, formally protected. How hard could it really be, then, to do something about this?" Short answer? Hard. NYT Mag: How Your Cup of Coffee Is Clearing the Jungle. (Maybe it's time to switch back to cocaine.)
4
THE AMAZING RACE RACE
America's demographics are changing. (That's what drives the gerrymandering and the voting rights attacks and so much more about today's politics.) WaPo has a tool (free for ND readers) in which you can see how the racial makeup of where you live has changed since 1990.
5
NOT GOING ANYWHERE FOR AWHILE?
"In simple terms, many people who caught the original virus didn't pass it to anyone, but most people who catch Delta create clusters of infection. That partly explains why cases have risen so explosively. It also means that the virus will almost certainly be a permanent part of our lives, even as vaccines blunt its ability to cause death and severe disease." The excellent Ed Yong in The Atlantic: How the Pandemic Now Ends.
People love to argue that climate change isn't the only thing behind massive fires. And they're right. There are other factors, including Gary Maynard. "Firefighters battling the Dixie Fire have also been facing a second enemy: a serial arsonist who went on a spree of setting fires in July and August — and who sought to trap fire crews with his fires, according to agents from the U.S. Forest Service. They allege former college professor Gary Maynard is the culprit, citing their tracking of his movements and other evidence. 'Where Maynard went, fires started. Not just once, but over and over again.'"
"I opened the door and, it's funny, the first thing I did was throw the stuff I bought on the passenger seat. And then I proceeded to punch the guy. After the first punch he said, 'OK, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.' I was able to get some knees on him, as he was exiting out." Pro-tip: Don't steal cars from UFC fighters. (I've never gotten any knees on anyone...)
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This may not come as a huge shock to you. If you live in a wildfire-prone region or much of the mainland U.S., you’ve likely already personally felt the effects of climate change just this week. And if you’re in a low-income neighborhood and/or a community of color, it’s quite possible you’ve felt the impact even more.
These are hard, scary things, friends.
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This report presents a change-the-channel, “please, can we talk about anything else,” keeps you up all night thinking about disaster-type situation. But being afraid doesn’t mean you should turn away, and fear doesn’t have to take away your agency.
The silver lining of this report is that scientists say it’s not too late to save ourselves from the most dire impacts of climate change if we make “unprecedented, transformational change” — and while climate change is global, solutions are local. That means leaning in: we have to start talking about it, and we have to start moving.
Shannon Wright for NPR
How to get the conversation started
In our interview with Death, Sex & Money host Anna Sale, she discussed the value of talking about hard things. Among a great many other pearls of wisdom, Sale shared a principle she learned from community organizer Karena Montag:expect and accept a lack of closure. That is, you shouldn’t wait until you have everything figured out to have that conversation you’ve been sitting on, or to take some action in your home or in your neighborhood.
Instead, meet the problem or the person where they’re at and “stop pretending we’re not all going through hard things,” says Sale. Acknowledging reality and just trying to make an effort — if not a solution — can make things a little less lonely for everyone.
Tomorrow is neither promised nor certain so let’s — all of us together — just try.
— Andee Tagle, Life Kit producer
📢Special announcement! (This just in: we're on the radio!!)
Today is the launch of our radio show with our pals over at Code Switch! Make sure to tune into your local radio station to hear more of the Life Kit content you love. Don’t hear us on-air? You can find your local station here and request that we get added to your regular programming!
Thanks for sticking with us! Watch this space for next week's episodes on:
👁️Kids & Body Image I 💰 Financial Intimacy I 👪 Step Parenting
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