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Trying all the Mountain Dew flavors
For a long time, Mountain Dew was my vice. The green, sugary, citrus fizz delivered the caffeine kick I needed at lunch, or sometimes breakfast. I’d probably only sampled three or four from the growing endless line of flavors, some of which are regional or business exclusives.
Geraldine DeRuiter, aka The Everywhereist, tried 21 Mountain Dew Flavors.
Mtn Dew has a following so devoted it makes Catholicism seem like a casual hobby. Fans of the drink post photos of their collections online, bottles and cans in a Lisa Frank array of hues. I stare at a picture taken in someone’s wood paneled basement, in a subreddit specifically for Mtn Dew enthusiasts (because the internet, for all its faults, has guaranteed us this: no matter how esoteric our passions, we need never feel alone). Meticulously arranged, some have been custom made, because the beverages in question are only available in fountain drinks. Other fans weigh in, inquiring where to purchase rarer bottles. I try to understand what would propel someone to buy a stale, questionably-stored bottle of Mtn Dew from eBay.
Three weeks later, I’m doing it myself.
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The Legacy of Hokusai’s Great Wave
The Legacy of Hokusai’s Great Wave
Of course, the Great Wave was made to be reproduced. It has never had a definitive form. Hokusai’s original brush drawing would have been destroyed when the printers cut the woodblocks in 1831, and though no one knows exactly how many impressions from the original blocks still exist, it’s thought to be about 100. No two prints could ever have been the same. Variation was built into its creation – yet somehow, despite or perhaps because of all the variations, the design itself retains, whatever its context, a sort of universal meaningfulness.
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Gulf of Whatever
Back in those innocent days before everyone used Google maps to get somewhere, we would print out all the pages from MapQuest. It was revolutionary, not needing to chart your own path from a foldable map you could never refold or barely read. Maybe this was where we lost our way down the path of ease and convenience. Alas Google (Waze) and Apple now lead us to our destinations.
But MapQuest still exists, and let the world know in a simple and defiant act of satire–Name Your Own Gulf. Go ahead, give it a name you prefer, since that’s how things are these days.
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MGM now owns James Bond
For the last six months, I’ve been going through the James Bond movies in order. I’m about halfway through and it’s fun watching them as time capsules to the eras that they were made. Amazon now has full control as to what they’ll pack into future installments.
The common refrain regarding this move is how will Amazon screw this up. Dilute Bond with so many poor quality spin offs like Disney did to Marvel and Star Wars? Or crank out shoddy movies to cash in on the name?
John Gruber probably had the most astute takeaway:
Amazon taking control of James Bond is like McDonald’s taking over a great steakhouse chain like Del Frisco’s.
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Luddite teens
It sounds like a hipster indie band, but Luddite Teenagers are meeting up to emphasize connections without the distraction of technology.
“Our club promotes conscious consumption of technology,” she said. “We’re for human connection. I’m one of the first members of the original Luddite Club in Brooklyn. Now I’m trying to start it in Philly.”
She pulled out a flip phone, mystifying her recruit.
“We use these,” she said. “This has been the most freeing experience of my life.”
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Mirrors, how do they work?
Apparently there was a whole thing on TikTok about mirrors being able to see behind a piece of paper. People emphatically stating mirrors can’t when its a little more nuanced. Mirrors break our brains.
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Beware of the SAVE Act
The SAVE Act Would Disenfranchise Millions of Citizens
The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act has been reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. This legislation would require all Americans to prove their citizenship status by presenting documentation—in person—when registering to vote or updating their voter registration information. Specifically, the legislation would require the vast majority of Americans to rely on a passport or birth certificate to prove their citizenship. While this may sound easy for many Americans, the reality is that more than 140 million American citizens do not possess a passport and as many as 69 million women who have taken their spouse’s name do not have a birth certificate matching their legal name.
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Dog college
Dog college sounds fun.
“The most important thing is they’re doing what they love,” says Ruth Desiderio, the center’s volunteer and outreach coordinator leading the public tour I’ve joined in on. The dogs, she explains, indicate their interests and aptitude through apparent eagerness and ambivalence, and are allowed to proceed accordingly. If a dog relishes the challenge of sniffing out a hidden human, but reacts with fear to loud, sudden banging sounds–perhaps they’re destined for wilderness over urban search and rescue. If they love to smell and be rewarded, but crave routine, then a long-term post in the lab could be the perfect fit.
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Ross Chastain wall ride
Nascar season started last weekend so let’s rewatch one of last year’s memorable moments–Ross Chastain using the wall to slingshot his car across the finish line. Unsurprisingly, Nascar banned the maneuver.
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XOXO 2024 Festival
XOXO Festival is a one of a kind art, media, and technology conference in Portland. Its speakers are well known in various online and offline circles, and the talks inspire a liveliness and curiosity.
One talk, by Cabel Sasser, from the 2024 XOXO iteration tells about a painting in a McDonalds that leads to a discovery of a prolific, unknown talent.
