Kilby Girl, Incest, Rofhiwa, Electrical Brain Stimulation, and Korean Popcorn Cauliflower
I asked my 19YO daughter to send me a theme song, and she gave me Kilby Girl by the Backseat Lovers. Though the lyrics make me wish I could remember the days when I could guiltlessly "waste all afternoon," it's a snappy little tune; and I didn't mind having it in my head today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTwVce9eWb4
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Several news stories that have particularly affected me today:
1. I heard on NPR that "one in 10 French people say they have been the victim of incest, a proportion that has increased over time as more people have felt emboldened to come forward.” God help the victims who are stuck in quarantine with their abusers until the worst of the Covid pandemic is over.
From The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/18/world/europe/duhamel-france-incest.html
From Newsweek: https://www.newsweek.com/metooinceste-french-incest-survivors-political-scientist-abuse-case-1562338
2. I also read that a shortage of semiconductors is expected to cause bottlenecks in the auto supply chain until 2021, with the expectation that “the required additional volumes will only be available in six to nine months.” Of course computers, smart phones and tablets also use semiconductors. It's a perfect example of how damage to one cog can damage the entire economic engine. At the very least, I'd consider buying semiconductor stock and selling stock in automobile companies in the short term (if I owned any).
From the Financial Times: https://www.ft.com/content/e264fd41-7ee9-4fba-be3c-21446298efd9
3. Thousands of Veterans have been improperly denied benefits during the COVID pandemic. This is beyond sad, particularly for an administration that beats its chest with love for the military.
4. On the local front, I'm looking forward to the opening of Rofhiwa, a Black-owned bookstore located in East Durham (on the corner of Driver and Angier). Owner Beh Mahkubele says that Rofhiwa will focus on Black culture and literature. The business has received over $40,000 from 1,032 community backers via Kickstarter, which is already something to be proud of: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2025896590/rofhiwa-book-cafe-a-book-and-coffee-spot-for-east-durham
From WRAL: https://www.wral.com/new-durham-bookshop-focuses-on-uplifting-black-culture-and-literature/19390236/
5. I was particularly intrigued by a story today about the successful use of personalized brain stimulation in treating severe depression and obsessive compulsive disorder. My late father received much more brutally administered electroconvulsive therapy when I was a child, and my Chemistry Ph.D. studies involved implanting electrodes and monitoring neurotransmitter changes in brain tissue (note: I was Melissa Bunin back then), so you can see why this news interests me. Here's the (fascinating) NPR story: https://www.npr.org/2021/01/18/958120738/researches-show-efficacy-of-personalized-brain-stimulation-in-psychiatric-treatm.
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On a lighter note, I made the following "Korean-Style Popcorn Cauliflower" recipe for dinner, and it was a big hit with the boys; so I thought I'd share it with those of you who *like spicy food*. Note that I substituted regular old chili sauce for the gochujang that the recipe calls for, and all was well: https://www.purewow.com/recipes/korean-style-popcorn-cauliflower.
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If you missed my post yesterday, you can read it by clicking this link: http://www.melissarooneywriting.com/blog/2021/01/17-jan-2021-6-days-off-facebook-peter-gabriel-and-watched-pots/.
