This week: Grappling with disconnected grief / The Kardashian legacy / Guys, cats and dating profiles / Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump / Regretting the success of the gender reveal party
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1. The Grief Americans No Longer Share
By Garrett M. Graff | The Atlantic | September 2020
“So why does the grief of 2020—when the coronavirus pandemic has actually filled hospitals in New York and in communities across the country—feel so different? Why does our country, so united after 9/11, feel so splintered now?”
Also see, from The Atlantic: The 9/11 Era Is Over
2. Will We Ever Admit That the Kardashians Changed the World?
By Kevin Fallon | The Daily Beast | September 2020
“What happens when the TV show that, for more than a decade, was proclaimed the death of culture, art, and civilized society as we know it … actually ends itself?”
3. We studied what happens when guys add their cats to their dating app profiles
By Lori Kogan and Shelly Volsche | The Conversation | September 2020
“Prior studies suggested that women do judge a potential male partner based on whether he has pets. While they favor men with dogs, the results showed that they also give men with cats an edge over non-pet owners. Because of this, we reasoned that men pictured with cats would probably be viewed as more attractive and desirable than men who didn’t pose with any animals.”
4. Here’s how Joe Biden would combat the pandemic if he wins the election
By Yasmeen Abutaleb and Laurie McGinley | The Washington Post | September 2020
“Joe Biden has created a war-cabinet-in-waiting on the coronavirus pandemic, with major figures from the Obama, Clinton and George H.W. Bush administrations drafting plans for distributing vaccines and personal protective gear, dramatically ramping up testing, reopening schools and addressing health-care disparities.”
5. Can I get the coronavirus from my pet?
Viral Questions :: Associated Press | April 2020
“There’s no evidence pets are spreading the virus to people.”
6. How Mitch McConnell Became Trump’s Enabler-in-Chief
By Jane Mayer | The New Yorker | April 2020
“The Senate Majority Leader’s refusal to rein in the President is looking riskier than ever.”
7. The Shape-Shifter
By Rachel Syme | The New York Times Magazine | October 2018
“Lady Gaga wants to wear every costume, live out every type of known stardom. A Star Is Born is just her latest reinvention.”
8. I started the ‘gender reveal party’ trend. And I regret it
By Jenna Karvunidis and Molly Langmuir | The Guardian | June 2020
“When I first saw that a gender-reveal party had caused a forest fire I cried because I felt responsible. But here’s the thing – when planes crash no one goes after the Wright brothers. … Now I think the whole thing is not great at all, though. The problem is they overemphasize one aspect of a person.”
9. At Least 37 Million People Have Been Displaced by America’s War on Terror
By John Ismay | On War :: The New York Times | September 2020
“A new report calculates the number of people who fled because of wars fought by the United States since Sept. 11, 2001.”
10. Tamarind delivers a double punch of sweet and sour
By Niki Segnit | 1843 :: The Economist | February / March 2020
“The ginger-coloured pods taste like the sweet of your dreams – until you notice the enamel-like seeds rattling around in your mouth”
Tell your friends!
stillness of heart 
This is really a terrific post. I followed your link for number 6, and was just, well… now I understand the underground so much more. Facts are vital, an even more so to know the history. Some political careers are far more frightening than the “dark web” (not first hand knowledge, but you get my drift) …. great compilation, thanks!
You always give me an interesting read. Thanks, Muriel