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midweek reads
Need a 10-minute break? Step into the Reading Room...
Want to take a few minutes out to catch up with some interesting reads? We promise you’ll be out in 10 minutes or so…
WE KNOW HOW it is. You need to take a few minutes to yourself, and you want something interesting to watch, read, or flick through.
That’s where the Reading Room comes in. Five varied reads that don’t take much more than 10 minutes each to enjoy.
Your toughest decision should be: which one do I pick first?
Lionel Messi was bound to be disappointed after Argentina lost out on the World Cup trophy to Germany. Terrance Ross looks at what the loss means to the stellar player [The Atlantic - 4 mins]
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Talented Cork-based photographer Marcin Lewandowski has been busy putting together short photo documentaries. His latest one is on Cahirmee Horse Fair – and is a really interesting look into what goes on there. You might also enjoy his portraits or racing photos while you’re on his site. [Marcin Lewandowski]
A woman writes about obtaining a termination for medical reasons after she and her husband were told their unborn child was incompatible with life. It’s a heartwrenching column that received an outpouring of support from commenters. [TheJournal.ie]
We passed the 12 week mark and a full scan was planned at 13-and-a-half weeks. Blood was taken, our history of health was recorded and the last step was to see our gynecologist for a scan and make a plan for the rest of the pregnancy. I hopped onto the bed excitedly but somewhat apprehensively, as all couples going for scans can relate to. We never knew that we were about to face the worst experience of our lives.
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Ever wondered why milk out of a carton tastes different than milk out of a plastic bottle? This article on packaging and how it affects the taste of food is really interesting. [The Guardian - 5 mins]
Are bathrooms the greatest ‘invention’ of the modern age, or a total disaster? Lloyd Alter argues the latter, using a potted (sorry) history of the loo to prove his point. [The Guardian - 9 mins]
But it became incredibly convenient to just to wash the poop away. Except now there was more faecal effluence than anyone knew what to do with, overflowing the cesspits and flowing into the gutters and sewers originally designed for rainwater that all led to the Thames. The result was even more cholera and disease.
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