I love a good list but what we need right now is an anti-list.
No more curation.
Down with algorithms telling me more things I will like. The problem isn’t finding things I like. The problem is the infinite neverendingness of the suggestions.
You certainly don’t need someone else in your inbox with 5 article suggestions for your reading pleasure. Do you have an abundance of attention without anywhere, anywhere at all, to put it?
Of course not because you, like me, have the content buffet always at your fingertips.
So here’s an anti-list. These are things I paid attention to this week and now you don’t have to. Let’s check them off the list for all of us.
How much fiber the average adult should be eating
28 to 35 grams per day. Now you know. You don’t need to read more about it. It’s not that complicated. Also, you’re probably not eating that much fiber. Here’s a cheat sheet for eating more fiber: beans, greens, seeds, and berries. If you’re going to supplement, ditch the metamucil (wheat germ) and go for psyllium husk instead.
How many people ride Amtrak
31 million annually, as of 2015. Do you need to know this? No. You don’t. You can forget it now. You don’t ever have to think about it again.
How to read a book
I’m in a book club in which we’re reading a book about how to read a book. It's hyperspecific meta-nerding out about books and I love it. You don’t have to love it. You don’t have to do this. There are probably too many of us doing this already.
Do we really need to have fruit flies? Couldn’t we eliminate them globally and be okay?
No. We really can’t. They’re important to the ecosystem. All types of flies are important. Fruit flies in particular also make a lot of genetic research possible. Do you need to know this? No. Do you need to learn more about it? Absolutely not. Carry on.
The best spot cleaner for carpet
It’s this one: Woolite Triple Action Foam with StainLift Technology.
These four books:
Keep Moving by Maggie Smith, The Practice by Seth Godin, Glade by James Bradley, and Ada’s Room by Sharon Dodua Otoo.I didn’t read these books. But I started reading them and decided not to keep reading them. Nothing bad, they’re perfectly fine, just not for me. So I’m not going to read them. You don’t have to read them either.
What’s a good $30 whiskey I haven’t tried?
This one: Rolling Standard by Union Horse Distilling Company. It’s nice. It’s $30. You’re not gonna go crazy but you’re gonna like it.
What’s for dinner?
Pork butt or loin. We’re making carnitas. Either cut is fine, the butt (technically shoulder) has a bit more fat. Not a big deal. Trim the fat. Put it in the slow cooker. Mix up some honey and soy sauce and lime juice and cumin and chili powder and garlic and pour it all over. Cook till tender, shred it with a fork, serve it tortillas and cilantro lime coleslaw. Maybe some black beans. Or you can just get takeout. That’s fine too.Is this mushroom herbal tea really good for me and should I drink it instead of that
secondthird cup of coffee?Yes.
Am I going to drink it?
No. It tastes like mushrooms, you idiot. Drink the coffee.
Okay now we can all move on, what a relief.
