Elf on a Shelf
Request: Recent Christmas tradition for some families with young children. You keep a toy elf in your home who keeps an eye on your children’s behavior & reports back to Santa.
Culture
speed limits
request: for the highest good?
Grim Reaper
Priority request: The infamous, scythe wielding personification of death. More specifically, the fear of death, which is a significant spiritual hurdle for everyone. The grim reaper is also sometimes depicted as benign or neutral, a mere messenger
death anniversary
Request: A custom in some parts of the world. Generically, is conducting some sort of ritual, visiting the grave or just praying and reflecting an integrous thing to do, or does it indicate that there is an attachment?
trigger warning
a statement at the start of a piece of writing, video, etc. that warns readers or viewers that it contains material that may upset them, especially by reminding them of a trauma or bad experience -- oxfordlearnersdictionary.com
Eric Weinstein
Priority request. hedge fund director and podcast host. He was the joint managing director for Thiel Capital from 2013 until 2022. He has a PhD in mathematical physics from Harvard -- wikipedia
sky burial
A funeral practice in which a human corpse is placed on a mountaintop to decompose while exposed to the elements or to be eaten by scavenging animals, especially carrion birds -- wikipedia
Jordanetics: A Journey Into the Mind of Humanity's Greatest Thinker
"He is Father Figure, Philosopher-King, and Prophet to the millions of young men who are his most fervent fans and followers" -- amazon
legalization of prostitution
In countries that legalize prostitution, it is no longer prohibited, and there is legislation to control and regulate it. The extent and type of legislation varies from country to country and may be regulated by work permits, licensing or tolerance zones -- wikipedia
Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Culture
Priority request. "These communities and other nomadic groups... share a number of characteristics in common: the importance of family and/or community networks; the nomadic way of life, a tendency toward self-employment" -- travellermovement.org.uk
Percent of school shootings attributable to anti-depressant side-effects
According to multiple sources, there is no evidence of a direct link between school shootings and antidepressants. However, studies suggest that a minority of school shooters were prescribed medication prior to committing their crimes -- usatoday.com
creating a "smokefree generation"
Request: Prohibiting sale of tobacco products for people born after a certain date. Is the net effect positive or not? Example: New Zealand's Smokefree Environments Bill was passed on 13 December 2022, which will ban the sale of tobacco to anyone born after 1 January 2009.
statement: porn undermines love
The bumper sticker slogan "Porn kills Love" is at 200. The verb "kill" brings it down in calibration. The verb "undermines" is a more telling variation on the theme.
MeToo movement
social movement and awareness campaign against sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and rape culture, in which people publicize their experiences of sexual abuse or sexual harassment -- wikipedia
Labor Day
created by labor activists in the late 19th century and became a federal (US) holiday in 1894 -- history.com