It’s long past time once again for news and views that you can peruse. It’s another edition of your Weekly Reader!
Got a hot blog post you want to share? Found a great editorial from your local newspaper? Came across something you wanted to share? Just drop by the comments and leave us a link!
The Feds Want to Know What the McFuck Is Going On With the McFlurry Machines (from Gizmodo): “To backtrack a bit, McFlurry machines—manufactured by a brand called Taylor—are notoriously fussy. They have to be able to withstand both the cold temperatures needed to keep the ice cream frozen and the heating cycles that blast them during the cleaning process. Despite the fact that they account for about 60% of sales of desserts at McDonald’s in the U.S., according to a consumer survey by research firm Technomic Inc., they’re also not intuitive at all and packed with what some have interpreted as deliberately janky code, which is why some franchise owners have such a difficult time getting them back up and running again.”
Air conditioning is one of the greatest inventions of the 20th Century. It’s also killing the 21st (from Tech Crunch): “When did indoor air become cold and clean?”
“Air conditioning is one of those inventions that have become so ubiquitous that many in the developed world don’t even realize that less than a century ago, it didn’t exist. Indeed, it wasn’t so long ago that the air inside our buildings and the air outside of them were one and the same, with occupants powerless against their environment.”
Cult recovery experts explain how to “deprogram” QAnon adherents (from Vice): “Still, there are a lot of similarities between QAnon followers and cultists. So while there’s a definitional debate around what QAnon is (and certainly some would argue it is a cult), there is a consensus that it’s destructive to many people’s lives. Once people get so far into it, they’re living a life that’s no longer grounded in reality and that can be destructive to themselves and the people around them.”
Remington Subpoenas Report Cards of 5 Children Killed in Sandy Hook Shooting (from Vice): “Gun company Remington has subpoenaed the report cards, attendance records, and disciplinary records of five kindergarten and first grade students murdered in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, according to new court filings in a civil lawsuit filed against the company. “
Restaurants are desperate to hire. My coworkers aren’t ready to come back. (from the Washington Post): “I tried to quit my job three times in the past year. It’s a part-time second gig at a pizza place in downtown Los Angeles that I picked up last summer, when hours at my other job at a Vietnamese restaurant were cut and the first round of federal unemployment benefits was about to run out. I put in my two weeks’ notice in November, after shifts at my usual position became available again. The owners kept asking me back, though, and I kept accepting — on my terms. I want to work only on Tuesdays? They can accommodate. I’m going out of town for three weeks? No problem. It feels like I’m doing them a favor every time I show up. And in a way, I am.”
That’s all for this week. But I’ll be back next week with more information to stuff into your brain holes. Until then, have a great rest of your week, stay safe and see you soon!
Iacon East 