The Killing Field

Things We Google, Stop Making Cents

Even in the burgeoning era of ChatGPT, we still Google a lot of things. And it probably shouldn't surprise any observers of human behavior that one of questions most often enter into the search field is how to kill stuff. WaPo (Gift Article) "combed Google Trends and pulled down hundreds of files on two decades of U.S. search habits, seeking an unfiltered glimpse into what Americans are trying to kill." As you might imagine, insects of all types feature prominently on our kill list. And it gets darker from there. Here’s what Americans want to kill, according to Google. "A deep dive into Google Search data led us on a somewhat disturbing journey into the American psyche." You know I'm working hard to avoid the day-before presidential debate hype and "analysis" if I'm willing to escape it by way of the American psyche... Thankfully, not all our kill searches are that disturbing. "A great many Americans, especially in rural areas, want to know 'how to kill time.'" With this article, you've got your first 7-8 minutes covered.

+ For something a little less deadly, here are the 20 most-Googled text abbreviations.

2

Affinity and Beyond

As the cesspool that is social media becomes darker and more hateful, many people are looking to get their online social networking fix on hobby apps that connect people through their favorite activities from biking to watching movies (sadly, my favorite activity is social networking in the cesspool). For some, these affinity-related apps aren't just replacing former town squares like Twitter, they're replacing dating apps. The Guardian: Goodbye Tinder, hello Strava: have ‘hobby’ apps become the new social networks?

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Stop Making Cents

"I was disappointed to learn, recently, that the United States has created for itself a logistical problem so stupendously stupid, one cannot help wondering if it is wise to continue to allow this nation to supervise the design of its own holiday postage stamps, let alone preside over the administration of an extensive Interstate highway system or nuclear arsenal. It’s the dumbest thing I ever heard. I have come to think of it as the Perpetual Penny Paradox." Caity Weaver gives you her two cents on the topic in NYT Magazine (Gift Article): America Must Free Itself from the Tyranny of the Penny. "A conservative estimate holds that there are 240 billion pennies lying around the United States — about 724 for every man, woman and child there residing, and enough to hand two pennies to every bewildered human born since the dawn of man."

+ Adding to that penny for your thoughts, allow me to drop this dime. "Three sisters from Ohio who inherited a dime kept in a bank vault for more than 40 years knew it had some value. But they had no idea just how much until just a few years ago. The extraordinarily rare coin, struck by the U.S. Mint in San Francisco in 1975, could bring more than $500,000."

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Give the People What They Want?

While you're counting your pennies, OnlyFans creators are counting your cash. In the last fiscal year, "OnlyFans creators earned total payouts of $5.32 billion ... a mean average of nearly $1,300 per creator and a year-over-year increase of 19%." I wonder what the attraction could be? "P-rn-friendly creator platform OnlyFans reported record revenue and profits — as the number of creators increased 29%, to 4.12 million."

5

Extra, Extra

Breaking Bad: "The speed with which Trump has settled back into easy dominance of his party has been both remarkable and entirely foreseeable—foreseen, in fact, by Trump himself. Because if there’s been one recurring lesson of the Trump-era GOP, it’s this: Never underestimate the durability of a demagogue with a captive base, a desperate will to keep going, and—perhaps most of all—a feeble and terrified opposition of spineless ciphers ('weak like a baby')" Mark Leibovich in The Atlantic (Gift Article): Hypocrisy, Spinelessness, and the Triumph of Donald Trump. "He said Republican politicians would be easy to break. He was right." Sadly, even the ones who don't break bend a hell of a lot. W won't endorse either candidate in 2024.

+ Roe Column: It will likely be a big topic in Tuesday's debate. It may be the decisive topic in November's election. NYT (Gift Article): Abortion on the Ballot. "The 10 measures that would let voters decide abortion policy in their states." Meanwhile, Ken Paxton continues to pitch himself as the new showrunner for The Handmaid's Tale. Texas sues to stop a rule that shields the medical records of women who seek abortions elsewhere.

+ Making a Predator: "The Post’s examination showed how Discord, which is popular with gamers, allowed a child shunned by peers in the real world to easily develop a following online by creating private spaces dedicated to his perverse interests and to attract both victims and like-minded predators from around the globe." WaPo: On social media, a bullied teen found fame among child predators worldwide.

+ Hill's Street Blues: "I do want to use this platform to say, 'What if I wasn't Tyreek Hill?' Worst-case scenario, you know?" Tyreek Hill 'still trying' to process pregame detainment by police.

+ Royal Pain: "My path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes." Kate says she has completed chemotherapy treatment.

+ Country Club: Beyoncé said her country album was "born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed." The CMAs still didn't welcome her. Beyoncé shut out of Country Music Award nominations.

+ You Are the Apple of My Ear: Apple shared the latest on its new products including the updated iPhone and Apple Watch. Here's an overview. Maybe the most interesting update is that AirPods will soon double as hearing aids and can be used for hearing protection as well.

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Bottom of the News

"You’re playing football in the mud, so you’ve got to have a smile on your face. It’s just a different game in the mud. It doesn’t matter how good you are on grass. That doesn’t matter in the mud." Joy in Mud Bowl: Football tournament celebrates 50 years of messy fun.