DISCLAIMER: YOU’RE NOT HALLUCINATING. I’M POSTING THIS LATE. LOL

October wasn’t as busy as I thought it would be. Perhaps, I was used to being so busy that having sufficient downtime felt a bit alien to me. It didn’t excuse me from not learning anything new, however. I attended Forefront: The 2020 National Conference on Digital Marketing sponsored by the telco.

Also, my Scholastic copy of the Harry Potter bookset came to our doorstep during the third week and I couldn’t have been more excited. When asked why I had to buy another copy when I already had the ebook compilation and the 15th-anniversary edition hardcopy, I said the first US cover edition was different. I find comfort that no matter where I am, whether my SO’s house or my parents’ house or even when I’m in transit, I have a Harry Potter book. I took photos of course but whether I’m uploading them in my blog is another question.

To the articles, shall we?

Mars opposition 2020: See the Red Planet loom large (Astronomy Magazine)

I pointed Mars to my husband a couple of weeks ago when we were watching the night sky. I only claimed it was since it appeared so red and huge compared to the rest of the stars without actually knowing it was indeed the red planet.

Menstrual cups ‘as reliable as tampons’ (BBC)

I’ve switched from my regular pads to menstrual cups after a month of consideration. Doing the math with how many pads I use when I have my period has sold me this idea. Imagine having a period ten times a year, three to four days a month, using 2 to three pads a day. Multiply that by the number of years I expect to have my period- that is the amount of unrecyclable trash I would contribute to the world of the next generation should I continue patronizing menstrual pads. There definitely is a learning curve- I can’t instantaneously say I’m already a pro.

Nobel Prize in Chemistry Awarded to First All-Female Team for CRISPR Gene Editing (Time)

While I was reading this article, I remembered a scene from Iron Man 3:

It is immensely valuable that women of science earn the recognition they deserve. More than this, the bigger impact on the future of human beings, male or female of whatever gender they choose, is what matters to me. That today’s terminal illnesses will be curable in the succeeding years is something to look forward to.

Does burnout recovery always require radical change? (BBC)

The article provides a perspective on the causes of burnout and the probable reasons why a number of people can’t recover from it. Althought radical change isn’t encouraged, I consider a conscious decision to recover from it is necessary. It is easier said than done but admitting that one is under continuous pressure and is willing to relieve himself or herself from this pressure are babysteps to recovery. It turns out that the environment one is in has a shared responsibility to alleviate this condition but until that time companies change how they treat employees, one can always turn to hobbies.

Am I a Reader? (BookRiot)

It is interesting to know that until now, a number of people still have a backward attitude to reading and what it entails to be a reader when information is accessible by typing carefully chosen keywords and hitting ‘search.’ Limiting the choices of reading materials to classics ensures stagnation of one’s knowledge– readers won’t be able to move on from the past, can’t have time to read works from the present, and won’t appreciate emerging literature. Preference always comes into play.

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Just like that, we are about to welcome 2021 in two months. Have you been able to reach your target reading goal this year?