I watched all of CHEER on Netflix this week and I loved it. I fuck hard with cheerleading stuff, but this six-episode documentary series is exceptional. It’s ultimately a show about trauma and found family and a very specific type of relentlessness, and I wept multiple times. Highly, highly recommend.

I also watched The First Wives’ Club, which I had actually never seen before! What a delight.

At Terri’s absolute insistence, I saw the new Oklahoma! It’s definitely exactly as horny as everyone said it was. I can’t really say whether I liked it or not. But Oklahoma!, as a musical, is too long and the music is not that great. Ultimately, I left feeling exactly like I did after seeing Uncut Gems: feeling like I neither liked it nor disliked it but glad I saw it; definitely recommending it to other people who are interested but not to everyone; thinking “How can something be both incredibly intense/chaotic but also boring?”; and desperate to read everything that has been written about it.

I listened to the D.C. snipers episode of You’re Wrong About, which is really worth your time. It’s completely devastating (and FYI, it deals heavily with domestic abuse) and also incredibly moving in parts. Like, I was crying in public listening to it. Be sure to listen all the way to the end.

And some lighter fare: I’m obsessed with this Family Feud moment, the best cover of “Before He Cheats”, and Puppy Dog (Bouncin' in the Box).

Have a great Sunday! ✨

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Just Good Shit: 01.05.20

Hi! Here’s what I was up to this week…

Reading

I read A Girl Returned, which was…fine. It’s a very quick read (just 160 pages) and it’s well written, but I found the overall subject matter kind of a bummer. It’s a good one to get from the library, I think.

Also:

Australia Is Committing Climate Suicide, The New York Times.
If you’re looking for ways to help, Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities and WIRES are two organizations that I donated to.

My Heart Broke. Now What?, ¡Hola Papi!.
I loved this.

The Hunt for Mexico’s Heirloom Beans, The New Yorker.

My favorite posts of the decade, Ask a Manager.

We Learned to Write the Way We Talk, The New York Times.

Embrace the Lasagna, Grub Street.

Eating

On Friday, my gf made Alison Roman’s new NYT recipe, Spicy White Bean Stew With Broccoli Rabe, and it’s good! I’m actually going to make it again tonight. I’m also back on my chickpea pasta bullshit.

NYC

I saw Jacqueline Novak’s excellent Get on Your Knees last night, which I highly, highly recommend. (It’s running through January 26.) Afterward, we had a drink at Cubbyhole, and then went to Don Angie and had the delicious lasagna for two. It was a great cozy date night, and I’m still thinking about how smart and funny the show was.

Have a great Sunday! ✨

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Just Good Shit: 12.29.19

Hi! Just a quick one for you tonight, as my family is in town visiting right now (and I…literally forgot today was Sunday because it’s Romjul). But I’ll be posting all of my favorite reads from this year tomorrow or Tuesday, if you’re interested in those! In the meantime, here’s what I was up to this week…

Reading

This week, I read Winter Storms and Winter Solstice, and really enjoyed them both. I’m very sad there are no more winter Elin books! Then I read Conversations with Friends which I was…extremely not a fan of. It was my least favorite book of 2019, as a matter of fact.

Also:

Where Rent Is $13,500, She Lives Off What’s Left at the Curb, The New York Times.

The Complicated, Problematic Influence of TripAdvisor Restaurant Reviews, Eater.

How Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ Finally Hit No. 1, The New York Times.

The golden age of kids’ YouTube is over. Good., Vox.

Why Carol Has One of the Most Vibrant Fandoms of Any Queer Film, them.

Girls adored ‘Little Women.’ Louisa May Alcott did not., Washington Post.

Lashes, Lashes, Lashes: What It Took to Give the ‘Bombshell’ Women the Fox Look, The New York Times.

Odd Job: the professional gift wrapper who’s having a “really lucrative” holiday season, Vox.

NYC

We saw Derren Brown’s Secret today — Terri nailed the mom in NYC rec yet again! The show is running through January 4, and it’s really delightful; I highly recommend getting tickets if you’re able to go this week! (P.S. Everyone told me to go in not knowing anything/very little about it, and I definitely think that’s the way to go.)

Have a great Sunday! 🌟

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Just Good Shit: 12.22.19

I truly cannot believe it’s almost Christmas, but here we are! Here’s what I had going on this week…

On the blog

I would lay down my life for this Hobonichi Techo planner

Writing

What Was the Worst Wellness Trend of the 2010s?

Reading

This week, I read Winter Street and I am now reading Winter Stroll, which are both from Elin Hildebrand’s four-part series of winter books, and honestly…these books fucking slap. They are just very chill and funny and juicy, and are quickly becoming some of my favorites of hers so far.

Also…

The Terror Queue, The Verge.

Stop Believing in Free Shipping, The Atlantic.

'We Are Treated As Disposable': Everlane's Customer-Service Employees Are Unionizing, VICE.

@Asher_Wolf on what’s going on with the fires in Australia right now.

Home Alone for Christmas? You're Not the Only One., Food52.
”A pleasure you suffer, an ailment you enjoy.”

Adam Sandler’s Everlasting Shtick, The New York Times Magazine.

The Improbable Insanity of “Cats”, The New Yorker.

Instagram says hiding ‘likes’ isn’t about making more money, Input.

The Year in Canine Curatives, Hazlitt.
I always love reading Hazlitt’s end of year essays.

My Friends Serve Underage Kids Alcohol. Should I Speak Up?, The New York Times.

The Curious Case of Chris Evans’s Sweater in “Knives Out”, The New Yorker.

The 2019 Hater’s Guide to the Williams-Sonoma Catalog, VICE.

Make Party Cocktails By the Pitcher Rather Than the Glass, Lifehacker.

The Decade in Internet Culture, in 34 Emblematic Posts, New York Magazine.
I fully lost my shit over “this bewildering TikTok.”

Watching

I’ve watched so many things in the past few weeks! I watched the first three episodes of The Morning Show, which is……..not good. (This review perfectly sums up my feelings on it.) I saw Uncut Gems, which is just so chaotic and extremely too much while also being weirdly boring, but I didn’t hate it either. (Kevin Garnett is great in it.) I watched Carol for the first time this weekend (though I’d read the book). And I saw Knives Out, which is fun, and a very good one to see if you’re with family/bored this week.

Have a great Sunday! 🎅

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Just Good Shit: 12.15.19

Happy Sunday! Here’s what I’ve got for you this week…

On the blog

Writing

What to Do When a Perfectly Lovely Friend Is Kind of the Worst Online

From the archives

Reading

The Age of Instagram Face, The New Yorker.

A Beginner's Guide to Hosting Family for the Holidays Without Melting Down, VICE.

Why Is It So Shocking That Someone Would Love a Fat Person?, Glamour.

How High Can High-Waisted Pants Go?, The New Yorker.

Add Bitters to Royal Icing for Better Christmas Cookies, Lifehacker.

“Attention undergrads: many of you have not yet gotten to know your neighborhood librarians,” Dr. Nedda Mehdizadeh on Twitter.

Before and After: This Rental Kitchen DIY Is the Best Thing on the Internet, Apartment Therapy.
This look so good!

Update: talking about my pregnancy at work when I’m placing the baby for adoption, Ask a Manager.
Cry warning.

TIL why it gets so quiet when it snows, Reddit.

Just Save Some Parties for January, The Cut.
This is absolutely correct.

NYC

On Friday night, some friends and I gathered together for a holiday dinner/drinks at Alameda, and then decided to go across the street to The Springs for more drinks. The Springs was…incredible. It was completely decked out for Christmas (lights everywhere, TVs playing yule logs over every booth) and everyone there was dressed to the theme. (Outfits ranged from festive sweaters to full on nativity scene costumes.) Te DJ was playing great music and everyone was dancing. It was such a good vibe, it felt like crashing someone’s excellent holiday party (and stumbling across it felt like Christmas/New York magic). Turns out, it’s their annual Ho Ho Holiday Lounge. If you are in the area and want a good festive time between now and January 1, I highly recommend it!

Have a great Sunday! ✨

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Just Good Shit: 12.08.19

Hi, friends! Here’s what I was up to this week…

On the blog

Two more gift guides still to come this week!

Reading

So, my gf and I both finished The Song of Achilles this weekend and…did not love it? I had heard nothing but good things about it, and it’s a great premise, but I just couldn’t get into it. There was so much war, and the main characters just didn’t have developed personalities. I really liked Circe so I had high hopes, but this one felt less like a reimagining of a myth and more like homework. (It honestly just felt…very straight.) But, again, I’d heard rave reviews from everyone else who read it, so YMMV!

Also:

Emotional Baggage: Inside the Toxic Work Environment at Away, The Verge.

Pinterest and The Knot Pledge to Stop Promoting Plantation Weddings, The New York Times.

In Defense of Just Eating Your Dang Thanksgiving Dinner at Luby’s, Texas Monthly.
This is so good.

How to Go Home for the Holidays When Your Family Is a Bit Much, VICE.

My home is unsafe for me to explore my gender. What do I do?, Asking Bear.

Practicing Abundance in Daily Life, No. 17.
This is Christian, which is not personally my jam, but I still liked it.

Work should be over when it gets dark, The Outline.

My Wife’s Enemies Are Now My Enemies, Too, The Cut.

The best office holiday party date story of all time, Ask a Manager.

I’m Upset: Do not give me ketchup packets, The Outline.
I love condiments and also this take!

Living

I watched this YouTube tutorial before putting lights on my Christmas tree and it was really helpful! Speaking of Christmas lights, I’ve been on a mission to find the best twinkle lights to leave up on your home year-round for like a year now, and I can report that Target’s Wondershop White Satin G40 Indoor/Outdoor Globe Lights are perfect. They give off an an incredibly dreamy candle-like glow, and cost $10 a box.

Laughing, Loving

“POV: you’re a close friend venting to me about a situation where you were entirely in the wrong.”

“Aaron earned an iron urn.”

And this lesbian meme/viral moment of the year thread.

Have a great Sunday! 🎄

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Just Good Shit: 12.01.19

Friends, I have…an intense shopping hangover right now. Like, I bought the J. Crew glitter booties and a Christmas tree and also a new phone. Here’s what else I had going on…

Reading

I…don’t have any links to share tonight?! I was out and about all week, and made an effort to not be on my phone during my time off. But I did blast through Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson, which was a true delight. I had a couple minor questions/quibbles with it, but overall, I enjoyed reading it so much. Now I’m about two-thirds of the way done with Song of Achilles.

T-givs

Thanksgiving was really lovely this year! I spent it in Brooklyn with my girlfriend and it was incredibly cozy from T to B. On Wednesday night, we had drinks and burgers with a friend at Alameda. On Thursday, we went out and about in the morning, and then watched every single Thanksgiving episode of Friends. This turned out to be the perfect mellow activity. I’ve probably only seen 10 episodes of Friends in my entire life, so it was genuinely novel and fun for me. It felt like a more intentional version of the traditional holiday activity of scrolling through your phone while “watching” whatever channel a family member puts on.

Meanwhile, we cooked a really delicious feast! The main course was the Spiced and Braised Short Ribs with Creamy Potatoes from Nothing Fancy which was…so goddamn good. It’s a great recipe to have going in the background while you lounge and watch an old sitcom. It was just such a good, chill day, and I felt very grateful.

Have a great Sunday! 🛍

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Just Good Shit: 11.24.19

Hello! Here’s what I was up to this week…

On the blog

Editing

How to Support Your Partner of Color at Your White Family's Holiday Gathering

Winter Has Surprised Me for the Last Time

Reading

This week I read In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado, which I loved.

Also:

What It Means to Name a Forgotten Murder Victim, The Atlantic.

Here’s Why I Stopped Making ‘Healthy Swaps’ at Thanksgiving, SELF.

#1237: “What to do about deliberately bad gifts?” A post about letting go of some etiquette rules when they no longer serve you., Captain Awkward.

Sisqo Told Us the Origin Story for His Timeless Masterpiece, 'Thong Song', VICE.

Listening to

I listened to several very good episodes of You’re Wrong About this week, including “The Challenger Disaster” (one of my favorites of the series), “Enron,” “The 2000 Election,” and “The Duke Lacrosse Rape Case.”

And I couldn’t stop bopping to this Nicki Minaj x Animal Crossing mashup!

Have a great Sunday! 🦃

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Just Good Shit: 11.17.19

I’m normally a very resolute “I don’t recognize the existence of Christmas until after Thanksgiving” person…but this year, for whatever reason, I’m ready to skip ahead. I think it’s because Thanksgiving feels late this year (even though it always feels early when it’s not November 28th or later) and because I don’t have any big plans for that week. And because my body is calling out for twinkle lights and cozy blankets. Like, let’s just get on with it!!!

Anyway, here’s what I was up to this week…

On the blog

Cozy potluck ideas

Editing

Reading

What the battle over a 7-year-old trans girl could mean for families nationwide, Vox.

Suzy Batiz’s Empire of Odor, The New Yorker.

How to Make a Website, The Atlantic.
I love WikiHow and its incredibly wholesome/earnest approach to service content, so I really enjoyed this.

One of the most famous incidents of campus outrage was totally misrepresented, Vox.

Robyn Crawford Opens up to Lena Waithe About Her Relationship With Whitney Houston, Oprah.

The New Power Lunch Is Sweetgreen, Eater.

How foil balloons went from Instagram bait to every party in America, The Goods / Vox.

Apple Gives Up On Its Worst Design Mistake Ever: The Butterfly Keyboard, VICE.

Alison Roman Cooks Thanksgiving in a (Very) Small Kitchen, The New York Times.
This post is threatening to change my mind about Thanksgiving! I really want to try this stuffing. Also, it’s just a fun/voicey/servicey read.

Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I Started Cooking, A Cup of Jo.

I’m a Normal Person and I Buy My Instagram Followers, The Cut.

How To Name a Lesbian or Bisexual TV Character, Autostraddle.

Watching & listening to

I’ve started watching Twin Peaks, which I’ve never seen. I’m really enjoying it so far — it’s so mellow and the cozy mountain vibe is very much my shit. I also listened to some very good You’re Wrong About eps this week: Marcia Clark, Anita Hill, and “A Dingo’s Got My Baby.”

Shoe news

My beloved Tessa Clogs are now available in two new colors: honey and golden tan. I’ve ordered the honey and am very excited for them to arrive!

My girlfriend and I saw the J. Crew Sadie glitter boot online earlier this fall and were very into them, but then they suddenly disappeared entirely. After a lot of searching, she eventually found a new pair at a deep discount on Poshmark. I was (and am) jealous because even though they aren’t my typical style, they are so goddamn cute in person. Anyway, now they are back in stock at J. Crew! They are perfect for holiday parties, winter brides, and really anyone who wants to look like a winter witch.

Have a great Sunday! 🍁

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Just Good Shit: 11.10.19

Hi! Just a short one for you tonight — I was sick with terrible allergies this week, and then was out of town in the Catskills this weekend. Here’s what else I was up to…

Elsewhere

How to Say No During Wedding Season, The New York Times.
My first NYT byline!

Why Being Organized Was The Best Thing I Did For My Life, BuzzFeed Nifty.
(Adaptation of this essay.)

Reading

Managing Your Friendships, With Software, The Atlantic.
I’m all for using apps or spreadsheets to remember your friends’ birthdays and such, but this just seems like software bros discovering emotional labor for the first time and feeling the need to “disrupt” that (for profit!!).

The Death of the Rude Press, The New Republic.

What Happened to Deadspin, According to the People Who Were There, Slate.

Should I Fake My Astrology Sign to Be More Employable?, Out.

Eating

My girlfriend made olive oil roasted chicken with caramelized carrots from NYT Cooking this week, which was delicious. One caveat: the cooking temperature/time listed…didn’t work. (It seems like that was the case for several commenters, too.) We made a second batch the next night and baked everything at 350 for an hour, and then turned it to 400 for another 25 minutes or so, and that was perfect. (I also recommend adding potatoes to the pot!)

Have a great Sunday! 🌲

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