Too much good stuff in this 40th edition of Extras! In this issue: Andrew Sullivan explains how our country is close to tyranny, Merel Kindt cures our bad memories, Melissa Harris-Perry celebrates African American women, Geri Taylor lets us experience with her the first years of Alzheimer’s, Kevin Hall uncovers why it’s hard to lose weight, and Angelenos like writing notes on your car. Please enjoy!
America is a Breeding Ground for Tyranny
Wow, from Andrew Sullivan — this article is about Plato, how tyranny follows democracy, Eric Hoffer’s ingredients for mass movements, and exactly how scary Donald Trump is. He writes, “Trump is not just a wacky politician of the far right, or a riveting television spectacle, or a Twitter phenom and bizarre working-class hero. He is not just another candidate to be parsed and analyzed by TV pundits in the same breath as all the others. In terms of our liberal democracy and constitutional order, Trump is an extinction-level event.”
Bad memories — particularly traumatic ones — can be “neutralized” by re-experiencing them and then taking some propranolol, a drug used for heart disease. Prof. Merel Kindt believes that our brain “reconsolidates” memories every time they’re retrieved. This means if we think differently about what’s happened to us (and take a pill), we can cure our fears.
Pizza (here uncooked) is a very great thing.
Fraying at the Edges: Her Fight to Live With Alzheimer’s
Geri Taylor, a 72-year-old woman who has Alzheimer’s disease, says, “If you continue to think of who you were right up until the time you got Alzheimer’s, you will experience frustration, decline, failure, a lesser self.” Ms. Taylor courageously lets us into her world, how she copes day to day.
Now editor-at-large for Elle magazine, Melissa Harris-Perry writes convincingly about how despite the challenges that African American women have faced over generations, “black girl magic” is always more powerful than oppression.
Lake Merced (as usual), all the time.
After ‘The Biggest Loser,’ Their Bodies Fought to Regain Weight
“The Biggest Loser” is a great show, until you find out that contestants gain all their weight back (and more). A study helps explain why so many people fail to keep off the weight they lose. (Our bodies fight back.)
People in Los Angeles like their cars. They also like writing notes on other people’s cars. Check out these “parking letters” — you’ll enjoy the humor, passive-aggressiveness, and outright snark.
How many articles did you click on? If you like, email me with your number. (Don’t feel bad if you’re just a blurb-reader. :) ) Thank you for reading Iserotope Extras, and I’ll see you next week!