Kutaa !

That's how you'd say "hello"in Greenland. Since it's a destination I hope to visit later in the year, it seemed like an appropriate greeting to start this newsletter. How are you doing this fine weekend? Let me know!

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In this week's email...

• Week in the Life - read on the blog
• Creative Update - S02E12 - Toxic traits & Optimisation rates
• Gadget - Phillips EasyTouch Steamer
• Read - Twenty Australian inventions that changed the world
• Watch - Antarctica Livecams & Timelapses
• Quote - excerpt from The Dark Forest

Week in the life

I never thought I'd say this after finishing school, but I love school holidays! Some of the regular surgeons I work with are away and I went out of my way to keep some of those sessions free. This means I've had little half days here and there the past week and it's been BLISSFUL. I was going to go have some more time off, but my friends that cover me when I'm on leave requested some help so I thought I'd reciprocate. Anyway, this week has made me realise I need to make 1 drastic change. More on all that over on the blog...

Creative update

S02E12 - Toxic traits & Optimisation rates

The latest episode of the randInt podcast is out! This is the first one we've done where the topic was purely because the listeners resonated so much with something from the previous episode, which was self-destructive habits or toxic traits!

We also had another voicemail which meant this episode also has some new ''Growing up Brown'' stories!

Gadgets/Tech

Phillips EasyTouch Steamer

Ok, so I went and got the deluxe version of this but how did I that this was an alternative to ironing?! If you listen to the latest episode of the podcast, ironing is one of those activities that I just don't enjoy but needs to be done. In my deep dive into avoiding it, I discovered that unless you need crisp lines (and I don't) then a steamer can do an awesome job.

Having used my one for 1 load, I can attest to the fact that it's life changing. The difference between the standard and the deluxe seems fairly minor, but I wanted the extra steam power and the ability to change the backboard into an ironing board.

Other gadgets

• Kaweco sport pen - My new favourite compact fountain pen of the last year
• 65W GaN Charger - Tiny charger for almost all your electronic devices!

Read

Twenty Australian inventions that changed the world

Many places overseas are seen as the hub of innovation and it seems like everything we use in modern life comes out from somewhere else. This short article explores somethings that were invented in Australia: a country that isn't as known for it's innovations.

If nothing else, I was just amazed to learn that Google Maps started life out here even if we seem to get the updates much later! 🤣

Watch

Antarctica Livecams & Timelapses

Ok I found this a little while ago but forgot to share, but how FREAKING COOL is this?! It's a live cam of ANTARCTICA!

Not only that, but the cameras auto-create a timelapse of the last little while so you can see the day, the night and even the aurora!

Makes me want to go back and finish my application to go there and work...

Quote I'm pondering

“Nothing serious?” Luo Ji opened his bloodshot eyes wide. “I’m madly in love with a fictional person from a novel of my own creation. I’ve been with her, I’ve traveled with her, and I’ve even broken up with my real-life girlfriend over her. Is that nothing serious to you?”

The doctor smiled tolerantly.

“Don’t you get it? I’ve given my most profound love to an illusion!”

“Are you under the impression that the object of everyone else’s love actually exists?”

– excerpt "The Dark Forest" - Cixin Liu

I'm currently reading the second book in the sci-fi trilogy that started with the Three-body problem and I didn't know which passage to chose in this little bit of the book. Part of the reason why this bit made me pause and think was the it was just not something I expected in a sci-fi trilogy: the dissection of human romance and what it actually means.

I think that as a genre, it has a bit of a stigma and it broadly doesn't appeal to a wide range of the population because it's seen to be nerdy and not applicable in the day to day. I think the genre takes place in fantastical locations/times or using fancy technology to stretch what we have in the modern day to the extreme and explore what happens.

The other thing I noticed is the fact that this part made me notice it at all. I think there's been similar concepts in other books I've read but at that point in my life, I didn't really register any of this. Now as a married man, I think I notice a bit more. I wonder how many books and articles will seem totally different if I went back and re-read it?

Food for thought...

Anyway, that's all for this week! Have a great week ahead!

- Raffy

PS - What was your favourite part of the email this week? Do you like/dislike the subtle changes this year? Let me know with 1 click! I read the survey every week (& keep tweaking things with your feedback!)

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