The rainbow connection

Good morning Staker! Here’s what’s cookin’ today. Think you have a book in you? Here’s how to start; say hello to the latest super seed; and cats may be human whisperers.

Let’s get into it!

There are certainly several things that separate humans from animals, but one of the most profound differences is that we’re storytellers. Since humans learned how to communicate, they’ve been expressing truth through story, be it in drawings on cave walls, orally-passed on mythological tales, newspapers, or films.

Of course there’s also the most tried and true method of storytelling: the book. There are millions of them, and millions of people who aspire to write one. However, very few actually get around to doing so, and one reason is because they don’t have a clue where to start.

One thing almost all authors tell aspiring writers is they must read. Reading opens the mind up, both intellectually and creatively, and it helps one to understand what they like and actually may want to write themselves.

“Figure out who your influences are, what kind of books you want to be writing, what genre, what length, what kind of vibe,” said Jami Attenberg, bestselling author and founder of the annual writing project 1000 Words of Summer.

First, it was chia seeds. Then came the much-heralded flax seed. Now, it’s pumpkin’s turn.

Millions of people in Canada and the United States have high blood pressure, which often increase the likelihood of developing cardiovascular illness. Pumpkin seeds are packed with nutrients that are excellent for regulating blood pressure. making them a great option for a regular snack.

Whether they’re taken directly out of the pumpkin, roasted, or purchased in a bag from the grocery store, they’re loaded with magnesium, potassium, and arginine.

One ounce of pumpkin seeds contains 156 mg of magnesium, which is over a third of the recommended daily intake for an adult. Magnesium is known for opening and relaxing the blood vessels, which can in turn lower blood pressure.

Arginine is a nutrient that turns into nitric oxide when digested, which is also known for opening and relaxing the blood vessels, thereby regulating and possibly lowering blood pressure.

The average adult needs much more potassium than either magnesium or arginine, but pumpkin seeds are rich in it. 223 mg per ounce equates to 5% of the daily recommended intake for this compound, which is known for helping the kidneys to pass sodium, helping to relax tension in blood vessel walls.

A study published in iScience by researchers at Kyoto University found cat owners who spend more time with their furry friends tend to adopt more positive moods.

They recruited 29 cats and their 19 owners to observe each over the course of one month. They attached Bluetooth devices to the cats’ collars to track their proximity to their owners throughout each day, while also measuring each’s cortisol and oxytocin levels, which are hormones respectively associated with stress and social bonding.

The tracking beacons, hormonal analyses, and the questionnaires filled out each day by the human participants showed the more time they spent in the presence of their cats, the better their moods were. Cortisol levels were lower and oxytocin levels were higher when they spent more time together.

"I think many cat owners are familiar with the sense of comfort and peace they feel when their cat climbs onto their lap seeking affection, they start to pet it, and the cat begins purring contentedly," said corresponding author Saho Takagi.

"Our findings suggest that this feeling may be partly reflected in the hormonal connection between cats and their owners, particularly through oxytocin, a hormone involved in the formation of parent-child bonds and social relationships."

The Rolling Stones released Who You Callin’ Crazy yesterday, a surprise new single with no prior warning that’s set to appear on the recently-announced deluxe version of Foreign Tongues. The album was released earlier this year to widespread acclaim, and the deluxe version is due out Nov. 27.

The 27th studio album for the U.K. rock icons was potentially one of their best in decades. It was released just two years after Hackney Diamonds (a Grammy winner), making it their fastest follow-up since the early 1980s.

CLASH Magazine’s review of it at the time read as follows:

On this evidence, it seems the Glimmer Twins and their motley crew have uncovered a potent elixir, a rattling, gloriously unfettered rock ‘n’ roll document that shames bands a quarter of their age. ‘Foreign Tongues’ isn’t perfect, but it’s unquestionably a triumph.

Who You Callin’ Crazy seems a perfect fit for the triumphant record, featuring a sax solo by the legendary Courtney Pine. Its debut was preceded only by a voice note sent in to BBC Radio 2’s Vernon Kay by none other than Mick Jagger:

“Hi Vernon, it’s Mick here. I’m excited for you to press play for the first time on Who You Calling Crazy? on BBC Radio 2. It’s The Rolling Stones’ new single, so I hope you like it. Bye!”

BOO part 2 👻

Time to test your knowledge of scary movies,  with today’s trivia!