Career Mistakes, Yo ‘mom’s Jokes and the Unusual Story of Bananas

The insults we throw talk about us, the amazing and unusual history of bananas and banana flavors, some master ramen tips and more – all at Lifehacker Brain Buffet this week!

Welcome to Lifehacker’s Monday Brain Buffet , a new series where we collect interesting, informative and thought-provoking podcasts, interviews, articles and other media that will teach you new things, inspire you and hopefully start your week with the right way. sole.

What did you save on before, until you tried quality, and now you can’t come back?

This Quora thread started with a great question, and the answers are amazing. We’ve talked a lot about the benefits of choosing quality products over cheap ones – not only because cheap things are too expensive, but also because you can do better. But pursuing quality doesn’t always mean making smart buying decisions. Sometimes you end up trying something great on a whim, or to splurge, or as a gift, and once you’re hooked, that’s it.

Here’s a great example, from headphones to laptops to mattresses and clothes:

Custom made shirts. When you see yourself in well-chosen clothes, you wonder how you have ever worn clothes that were not created especially for you.

It shouldn’t break your budget either. Most of us have too many items of clothing. Buy fewer items and then spend more on the ones you bought.

Once you have tried on clothes specially designed for your unique body shape, you can no longer go back to the mediocre items that are already sold as standard.

The best part of this answer is that you don’t even need to buy specially tailored shirts for this effect – you can just find a good tailor or seamstress who can change any outfit to flatter you – and trust us, it doesn’t. expensive as you think, and there is probably someone in your community who is interested in this business. For more, including some great answers about headphones and food, read the entire thread. [ via Quora ]

The strange and unusual history of banana flavoring in food

Did you know that the bananas that we eat today are absolutely not the bananas that our grandparents and great-grandfathers probably ate? It is true – the cultivar most commonly sold in the Western world today is the Cavendish banana , but until the mid-20th century the Gros Michel banana reigned supreme, until the mushroom destroyed bananas, which nearly wiped out the cultivation of some bananas. ” the most popular landings.

But what does banana flavor have to do with it? Well, the banana flavor we know in foods, baked goods, desserts and candy, depending on the product, is a flavor that was designed and inspired by how those old school bananas tasted, not what we associate with banana flavor today. It’s an insane, long and bizarre story of food science, history and, unfortunately, history slowly repeating itself as what happened to the noble Gros-Michel seems to be repeating itself with the Cavendishes. Learn the whole story at Lucky Peach and go for a walk. [ via Lucky Peach ]

What can we learn from insults (and a lot of jokes about your mom)

Inthis week’sepisode of Surprisingly Cool, you may be surprised to learn that we can learn a lot about ourselves and our cultures from the insults we do to each other, seriously or as a joke. From comedy numbers and sitcoms to street slang and schoolyard ridicule, from disses to clicks and burns and everything in between.

In fact, presenters Rachel Ward and Adam McKay immerse themselves in a culture of fighting, dueling, and other abusive “competition” where language bends and forms and legends are born, including urban legends that extend far beyond the streets and schoolyards where they originated. … They draw a line between playful, energetic insults and insults, which are directly related to asserting power or domination over someone else, the line between fun and funny and downright evil, and when that line is crossed. It’s incredible – and fun – to listen to. [ viaGimlet Media ]

What was your biggest career mistake?

There is another Quora thread on our list this week, but it is easy to scroll through and important to read and understand. Some of the answers are rather hesitant, such as, “I didn’t focus as hard as I should,” but others are very helpful, such as, “I wasted on my skills, and there was enough thought experience to move me up the career ladder:”

For maybe the first 7-8 years of my career, I would say that I was working with a fixed mindset where I relied on my innate talent to carry me. I consider this to be my biggest career mistake as I believe it led to self-confidence problems that limited my ability to dream big and stretch myself. Recently, I have begun to learn and more and more to change my thinking towards the growth mindset. I believe this has made me more efficient in my work and a happier and more curious person.

There are other winners, including one who went to graduate school aimlessly in the hope that they would increase their earning potential and get a great job, and someone who let their shyness get in the way of their great relationship. There is another story of passive aggressiveness that taught one man everything he needed to know about the food industry and another who made the mistake of thinking of his colleagues as friends without actually being that close. Read more. [ via Quora ]

Why do people believe in bullshit

Whether it’s material that sounds deep but doesn’t really sound, or controversial statements during a highly controversial political season that seems to last forever and ever, people can and do fall for bullshit. Maybe you even fell for this nonsense yourself. This rundown from DNews explains why we are so vulnerable to misinformation when presented in a pretty way, and how easy it is for us to actually make sure that what seems deep is deep, even if it’s completely meaningless. [ via DNews ]

The correct way to eat ramen is from the ramen master Ivan Orkin

Ivan Orkin, aka Ivan Ramen, is a man who has studied ramen for decades, has opened ramen stores in New York and Tokyo (successful in both cases), and by the way, he is a great Instagram follower . In this video from Bon Appetit, he shows you the “right” way to eat ramen – or at least the differences between the way we eat ramen here in the states and the way we eat it, well, where it was invented.

However, no one expects you to eat a plate of ramen in four minutes, as he explains to some people, but there is every reason to really enjoy and savor your food, don’t try to make it too serious a matter, and of course, eat these noodles without biting into small pieces. [ viaBon Appetit ]

Everyone this week! If you have thought-provoking stories, interesting podcasts, eye-opening videos, or anything else that you think is perfect for Brain Buffet, share it with us! Send it to me by email , leave it as a comment below, or send it in any way convenient for you.

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