The Buzz Cut : Marie Kondo and Netflix Want to Help You Declutter Your Life
Plus, why are we even surprised by Louis C.K.’s douchebaggery anymore?
In The Buzz Cut, we bring you a round-up of all the weird, controversial, and wonderful stories we’ve been reading all week.
The minimalist Japanese author, Marie Kondo, is here to help you start 2019 right, by decluttering your house (and mind). Her technique involves picking up each of your possessions and asking whether they spark joy — if they don’t, you must throw them away. Or you could just watch her help other people on her new Netflix show, Tidying Up With Marie Kondo.
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A leaked tape from a Louis CK set in 2018 has the disgraced comedian making offensive jokes about the Parkland school shooting survivors, gender-neutral kids, and why he still hasn’t been forgiven for his predatory behavior. How does that Maya Angelou quote go again? “When someone shows you who they are, believe them.” We know who Louis C.K. is.
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Doulas play the role of cultural interpreters as well as midwives in Sweden, helping pregnant immigrant women bridge the obstacles of language and culture when dealing with their medical providers.
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As China’s Chang’e-4 probe makes history as the first lunar exploration to land on the far side, Tim Jonze takes a look at artists’ fascination with the dark side of the moon, from Pink Floyd’s most famous album to Jed Mercurio’s 2007 Soviet spy novel, Ascent.
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UK pop star Ellie Goulding gets personal about her new album, and how she juggles being an artist and an activist for climate change. “Often I really need to just write a bloody good pop song after meeting climate scientists, or going to the climate assembly in Kenya last year,” she says.
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Mary Kom is here to inspire you some more in the new year, with an op-ed that explores what we can do to encourage more women across all spheres, especially in sports, and how we need to develop their potential further.
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Humidity levels and hexagonal water molecules make for some of the prettiest patterns in nature. Learn exactly how snowflakes form and why no two snowflakes are ever alike.
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With a cultural push in the U.S. for strict abortion laws, a fetus is arguably being given more rights than the woman carrying it, with mothers being found guilty of manslaughter (even for miscarriages).
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Estrogen and its role in women’s mental health has long since been ignored by medical professionals and the purview of the DSM (that annual telephone directory-like compilation of mental disorders). But the hormone might actually be the key to understanding women’s mental health.
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Jennifer Chong Schneider asks why online dating is so very racist, and why her Asian identity is such a fetish. But it turns out, she’s never dated someone of her own ethnicity either. While we’re on the subject, here’s a primer about the difference between dating preferences and actual discrimination.
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Ariana Grande’s New Year’s insta story read “here are some of my favourite 2018 memories :)” followed by three dark, blank screens. The pop singer has good reasons for her darkly funny take on the past year, that’s been particularly hard on her. But through mental health issues, public break-ups, and deaths, Grande has maintained a positive outlook inspiring fans with her fortitude and resilience.