Published inRooted·3 days agoMember-onlyThis Little-Known Scientific Secret of Matching Food and Wine Will Change the Way You Eat and Drink ForeverIt’s not about flavors, it’s about knowing how your brain interprets basic tastes — Lemony-flavored wines pair with lemony dishes, right? And you need a full-flavored red to “stand up” to a full-flavored dish, correct? Nope. Wine and food pairing may seem like an art thanks to all those verbose TV sommeliers matching every little nuanced flavor in a dish to a wine but…Science7 min readScience7 min read
Published inMind Cafe·5 days agoMember-onlyI Became a Wine Pro, a Writer, and a Full-Time Traveler but I Don’t Know What the Heck I’m Doing with Any of ItI do it anyway. As should you. — There are few times in my life I shout about my achievements. My self-confidence usually lies somewhere below the center of the earth thanks to a lifetime of my insecurities being misunderstood as either weird-ass bravado or just plain weird. But there is one thing I know I excel at. …Advice5 min readAdvice5 min read
Published inRooted·5 days agoMember-onlyBritain’s Insane Rising Cost of Food Isn’t (Just) an Inflation Problem, It’s a Cultural OneA whole nation has been gaslighted — Every time I return to the UK from spending time in Europe, I’m shocked by the price of food. I’m shocked at how cheap it is. And every day I hear about how inflation is hitting British supermarket shoppers hard. This is a difficult article to write but I think…Politics6 min readPolitics6 min read
Published inRooted·May 25Member-only5 Universally Accepted Ideas About Wine That Are Dead WrongThey’re stopping you from living your best wine-life — There’s a running joke among my wine trade friends that if there is a widely accepted idea about wine, the opposite is probably true. As a Somm, this saddens me because it’s these “truths” that: a) stops you from enjoying wine as much as you could b) gives license to…Wine6 min readWine6 min read
Published inMind Cafe·May 24Member-onlyThe Way You Use AI Says a Lot About How Much Respect You Have for Your Fellow HumansDefending ChatGPT is all well and good until you think it’s superior to people — It’s another day so naturally there’s another story about how AI is being used to replace humans. This time, British Telecom has vowed to slash its workforce by 40% before the end of the decade by relying more heavily on AI and digitization. Yeah, well done guys, you’re about to…AI5 min readAI5 min read
Published inCity Life·May 19Member-only5 Big Glaring Advantages to City Living That City Haters Seldom Realize ExistOr conveniently forget when they argue with you — City dwellers are completely misunderstood. If you live in a city, you’ll probably know how this goes. Some family member or acquaintance discovers where you live and will proceed to tell you in minute detail about why you’re wrong to live there. And certainly why you’re wrong to love living…Cities5 min readCities5 min read
May 18Member-onlyAs a Child-Free Woman, Am I Allowed to Be Mediocre?Or must I achieve something big to fill that child-shaped hole? — This morning I stared down at the proof that, for the twelfth month in a row, I am not pregnant. Honestly, I’m beginning to give up on this trying-to-have-a-child lark. Lord knows it’s equally emotionally draining and annoying. I’m tired of it taking over my brain and my life. As…Children5 min readChildren5 min read
Published inMind Cafe·May 17Member-onlyEmbrace the Japanese Concept of “Ma” To Be More Creative, Less Over-Burdened, and More at PeaceMa kicks efficiency culture in the balls — When it comes to sitting still, I can’t do it. If I have a moment of quiet, it needs to be filled. Every idle walk has to count towards my daily steps. Every book or article I read has to have the potential to inspire an article of my own. …Japan6 min readJapan6 min read
Published inMaking of a Millionaire·May 16Member-onlyIf You’re a Low to Middle-Income Earner, Working Remotely Whilst Traveling Could Soon Be Closed to YouPrice hikes and government policies are hindering those who could benefit from the lifestyle the most — If I asked you who would benefit a local community abroad the most — an artist on €30k a year or a software developer on €150k — which one would you choose? Yeah, I’d say the artist too. Soz, software developer. It’s a shame, therefore, that that artist will unlikely…Travel6 min readTravel6 min read
Published inMind Cafe·May 15Member-onlyYou Can Stop Worrying About AI by Doing Literally Anything Other than Staring at a ScreenAI is not as big a thing — yet — as online discourse will have you believe — It’ll be a surprise to no one to discover that when it comes to AI, I am firmly in the skeptic camp. Which probably means I’ll be first in line to have my organs harvested when our robot overlords realize The Matrix was a good idea. I jest…sort of. But…AI6 min readAI6 min read
