Oxford's word of the year is brain rot
and that low key checks out
Hi my darlings!!! I’m back!! I have literally nothing exciting to report on except for that I am sleeping way too much for a normal living woman at the moment and need to get my shit together. So I guess I’m trying to have a productive working week and also I’m getting back on my cute green bike, so hopefully you’ll notice me be a bit more active in all senses of the word!!
It’s really warm at the moment here in NZ which means I am swimming and sunning and drinking as silly szn feels like it’s very much commencing. Hope you’re looking after yourself wherever you are in the world!!
I love u xxx
⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ IN THE NEWS⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖
Pardon Me! Joe Biden Pardon’s his son Hunter
Yesterday President Joe Biden made headlines by pardoning his son, Hunter Biden, for federal gun charges, and I’m not gonna lie, I was so shook to see how chill the SYSCA comment section was about it:
This pardon comes just before Hunter’s sentencing on December 12 for lying on a gun-purchase form in 2018, where he falsely claimed he wasn’t using drugs.
In his statement, Biden explained that the case against Hunter was unusually harsh - most people in similar situations don’t face felony charges unless their actions involve serious crimes, like using the gun in a crime or buying multiple weapons illegally. Biden argued that his son was treated unfairly and that the case was politically motivated, pushed by his opponents in Congress to damage his presidency.
This pardon also arrives ahead of Hunter’s sentencing in another case, where he pleaded guilty to federal tax evasion. For Joe Biden, the decision reflects his belief that his son’s legal battles have been exaggerated for political gain.
I’m obsessed with Latiyah Takimoana
Ok, so TikTok actually did a GOOD thing for me by serving up this video of the lil powerhouse that is Latiyah Takimoana performing at the 2024 Te Tai Tokerau Kapa Haka Regionals, so naturally I had to share it with the SYSCAhood:
And then so many people in the comments were mentioning a video where she finds out that the Māori queen knows who she is and it’s EVERYTHING:
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And I just feel like in a world where there is so much bad shit to be thinking about and talking about all the time, little videos like this never fail to move me, and hopefully do the same for you xxxx
☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★ ON THE WEB ☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★
Oxford’s word of the year is ‘brain rot’
Ah yes, my favourite time of year, when we all get to see how cooked our society has become based on Big Dictionary’s Word Of The Year competitions.
This year, Oxford has gone for ‘brain rot’ which it defines as:
‘(n.) Supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as a result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging. Also: something characterized as likely to lead to such deterioration.’
The shortlist this year also included:
demure
dynamic pricing
lore
romantasy
slop
And honestly if ‘demure’ had won I think that would have been too much for me.
Anyway, I’ve made today’s mundane poll reflect this, so let me know what YOU would have chosen xxxx
So many of us have grown up having everything available and accessible to us all the time - which is AMAZING for so many reasons, but there is a cost to free things - even if you can’t see it.
In a world that feels more mystifying by the day, where journalists are constantly being laid off, and misinformation spreads faster than a leaked Harry Styles song, finding media that you trust, understand and actually want to read is so important.
I know you value what I do - so many of you email me saying how much you love the newsletter, thanking me for explaining topics you might not have heard of, and telling me how much it means to you that you’ve got a friend on the other side of this thing (🥺🥺🥺) If you believe in paying for the media (or the person???) you love, then please consider becoming a supporter.
(◔_◔)✓✘ TODAY’S MUNDANE POLL (◔_◔)✓✘
What do you think the word of the year should have been?
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If you are sleeping a lot, it means you need rest. Normalize taking care of yourself. 💜
Brain rot is perfect for word of the year. We have been on our screens much more this past decade. We a slowly seeing the consequences of it with people believing false information. And we as a society have become more isolated and lonelier than ever. Connection is healthy for your brain. Which is why our brains are rotting because we are just alone in our house scrolling too much information on our phones.