Times "10 Ideas"

I try to keep up with current events same as you do I'm sure.  I go through "spurts".  Sometimes I'm very interested in what going on in the world today.  And sometimes I just can't take it anymore and like to hide with my eyes and ears covered and avoid all the crap that's out there.

The other day I grabbed some lunch (Trader Joe's snow peas...I need veggies in a bad way right now...come on garden!) and saw a Time magazine on the table and decided to thumb through it.





Time is not my favorite magazine.  I find the articles poorly written and while they to give you some information, the articles tend to fade away if you know what I mean.  You almost have to take the information they've given you and go research it again yourself because you know they haven't given you the full scoop.  (Just my humble opinion...)

Anyway, I poked through the magazine and actually took the time to read a few of the articles.  

1. Living Alone Is The New Norm
2. Your Head Is In The Cloud
3. Handprints, Not Footprints
4. The Rise Of The Nones
5. Food That Lasts Forever
6. Black Irony
7. High-Status Stress
8. Privacy In Public
9. Nature Is Over
10. Niche Aging


Now you have to subscribe to read Time magazine articles online.  I tried to find the Time articles at other sites (which you can sometimes do) so you could link to them.  No luck.  But that's OK.  You can go to the library and pick it up.  Or you can research even further and get better articles than the ones that Time teases you with.

The articles I found most interesting?

"Nature is Over" which discusses the idea that MAN is now controlling nature.  The term "Anthropocene  (New Man) Epoch" is tossed out there which is the theory that we have entered a new geological age.  The Economist has a good article explaining this a bit better than the Time article.  (But this really isn't anything new to us is it?)

"The Rise Of The Nones" which discusses the increase of Americans who are still spiritual but reject organized religion.  This is right up my alley.  I've felt this way for most of my life.  SM was raised Catholic and IMHO still carries around a lot of that "guilt" if he doesn't go to church.  I don't push him one way or the other and will attend Mass with him when he feels like going.  But I just don't feel connected.  I feel that most everyone there is just "going through the motions."  I realize that I'd likely feel differently if I found the right church.  But the last time I felt "connected" to a church was 25 years ago when SM and I attended a Catholic church whose priest gave outstanding sermons.  Once we moved away from the area we never found another church that grabbed us that way. 

So if the messenger can't deliver is the message still lost?  Not for me.  Not at all.  I found this blog post which asks some good questions.

"Food That Lasts Forever" which discusses Man's attempts to increase the shelf life of food.  It talks about the additives that we put in food to help things stay fresh.  (SM had bought some grapes at Trader Joes and the package said that the grapes had been sprayed with sulphur dioxide to "preserve freshness".  Ummm, I'm sensitive to sulphur, gives me tummy aches, so no grapes for me.  At least they bothered to label it!!!)  What I found interesting was that NASA is experimenting with non thermal high pressure techniques that kills bacteria.  I found this article that sites the Journal of Food abstract...this is WAY over my head to understand.  But interesting to think about.

"Niche Aging" which discusses the trend of older people who are retiring in communities with "like-minded" people.  Again, something that's right up my alley and I applaud these communities that are springing up, taking control and creating  their own system of caring for their elderly.  This AARP article discusses this trend very nicely. 

Anyway, I thought I'd share some of these with ya'll.  (Another slow news day I guess.  Won't you be happy when all I blog about is garden stuff?  Come on Spring!)