Day: November 18, 2020
China’s new wolf warrior diplomacy is a Maoist resurrection | The Scotfree
Dads, Commit to Your Family at Home and at Work
Habit Books: The 21 Best Books on Building Better Habits
Random Phrase of the day
Don’t Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch
Meaning: Do not rely on something you are not sure of.
Truth or Dare
- TRUTH
Have you ever been caught copying someone else’s work? - DARE
Take ear wax out of your ear and taste it.
would you rather…
Would you rather wake up 3 hours earlier than normal or sleep 3 hours later than normal
word of the day…
WORD OF THE DAY |
Terraqueous ter-AY-kwee-əs Part of speech: adjectiveOrigin: Latin, mid 17th century |
1Consisting or formed of land and water. |
Examples of Terraqueous in a sentence “The terraqueous landscaping gave the garden an otherworldly atmosphere. ” “She had to step very carefully while navigating the terraqueous path.” |
NEVER HAVE I EVER…
Never have I ever caught something on fire while cooking.
WRITING PROMPT
Silly Sports
‘Characters taking a sport much too seriously.
RANDOM FACT
Liège, Belgium tried to use 37 cats to deliver mail in the 1870’s. Most of the cats took up to a day to deliver the mail, and the service was short lived.
RANDOM QUESTION
What is the best random act of kindness you’ve ever witnessed?
RANDOM QUESTION
What types of things do you doodle?
W.O.T.D.
WORD OF THE DAY |
Matronymic ma-trə-NIM-ik Part of speech: adjective Origin: Latin, late 18th century |
1Denoting or relating to a name derived from the name of a mother or female ancestor. |
Examples of Matronymic in a sentence “By tracing her matronymic heritage, she was able to find the grandmother she was named after.” “She used her matronymic last name instead of her married one.” |
Mike Rowe: Learning from dirty jobs | TED Talk
IFTF Newsletter
Signals from the Future
🌬 AI can tell if you’ve got COVID by your cough
Designed by MIT, a new tool uses neural networks to listen for changes to a person’s cough that indicate if they’re infected—even if they have no other symptoms. The automated world is here to help.
💣 Statistic predicts growing U.S. political violence
Wage stagnation, national debt, competition between elites, government distrust, and more: researchers have developed a political stress indicator to explain how inequality leads to political instability. UBI, anyone?
🎨 San Francisco to pay artists a $1k-per-month stipend
The six-month pilot program will launch early next year for 130 artists, and the money can be spent on anything, from food to rent to art supplies. It’s all part of creating a more equitable future.
🏦 Digital bank to serve Black and Latinx consumers
Traditional banks too often reject low-income applicants or charge non-White customers more for financial services. So rapper Michael “Killer Mike” Render decided to start Greenwood.
👮🏻♂️ Activists using FRT to ID police
For years, cops have relied on facial recognition technology to identify civilians. In Portland, Oregon, and other cities, the tables are turning. Shouldn’t AI solutions be for everyone?
Tiny parasite-like robots are the future of pain relief
Oregon decriminalizes drugs: Here are 3 metrics other states will track
F.Q.T.D.
“People say that life is the thing, but I prefer reading.” via Funny Quote of the Day https://ift.tt/2L6bQGx |
From Seth Godin’s Newsletter
“Until further notice”
Of course, every rule, every announcement and every policy is in place until further notice.
We say it as a form of throat clearing. A way to make the announcement seem more official and specific. We repeat the redundant as a form of gift wrap, a way to be sure that it feels both urgent and impersonal.
“May I have your attention please” is another wasted phrase that is actually self-cancelling on inspection. In this case, it acknowledges that attention is being taken, whether you want to loan it out or not.
This patina of bureaucratic civility exists to let the bureaucrat off the hook. But it also is a signal to the listener that an official is speaking up. We should use it (or not use it) with full knowledge of the signal we’re sending.
It’s the seat belt training video, the do not remove tag on our mattress, the ‘your call is important’ filler on hold and the ritual of singing a not-very-good song to people we care about every single year.
If you look around the built world, you’ll find these tropes and filigrees just about everywhere. As media changes, we strip away the old ones and invent new ones to fill their spot. Use them (or not) as a way of sending a message of awareness and authority.
Get medieval on your haters: lessons from Beowulf and Chaucer | Psyche Ideas
Prospicience W.O.T.D.
WORD OF THE DAY |
pros-PIH-shee-ensPart of speech: ProspicienceOrigin: Latin, late 15th century |
1The action of looking forward. | 2Foresight. |
Examples of Prospicience in a sentence “The inventor had the prospicience that his creations would change the world someday.” “Grandma has an almost uncanny sense of prospicience with her weather predictions.” |
Did you know…
Did you know…
… that today is National Take a Hike Day? This day is to encourage you to get out into the great outdoors and hit the trails. Hiking can make you feel more connected to the natural world and allow you to forget the problems of modern society — if only for a few hours. So, head on out and take a hike!
~~~
Today’s Inspirational Quote:
“The adventure of life is to learn. The purpose of life is to grow. The nature of life is to change. The challenge of life is to overcome. The essence of life is to care. The opportunity of like is to serve. The secret of life is to dare. The spice of life is to befriend. The beauty of life is to give.”
— William Arthur Ward
18. World Antimicrobial Awareness Week – 18-24 November
18. World Antimicrobial Awareness Week – 18-24 November

This event aims to increase awareness of global antimicrobial resistance and encourage best practices among the public, health workers, and policymakers to prevent its reemergence.
Content marketing ideas:
- Listicle idea: X Ways to stay healthy so that you can rely less on antibiotics
- Infographic idea: X Important medicines/vaccines to take before you turn 20
- Video idea: What is herd immunity and does it really work?
- Podcast idea: What happens if you develop an immunity to medicines?