March 2020: Best of the Internet
Source: Gabriel Garcia Marengo for Unsplash
Hey all you cool cats and kittens, are you tired of this joke yet?
I keep seeing articles and social media posts about how to “make the most” of your self-quarantine, and I am here to tell you that you don’t need to make the most of a global pandemic. You don’t have to make the most of anything if you don’t want to, as long as you stay tf home.
Allow me to illustrate: my self-care routine has basically been reduced to the weekly steam facial that I accidentally give myself while straining pasta in a colander over the sink. OK fine, it’s more like three times per week. So far I have learned a lot about myself in near-total isolation:
I am a terrible plant mom and someone should call social services on me.
Most of the things I’m worried about are things completely out of my control.
I have almost memorized season 5 of The Office.
I am, at all times, just waiting to eat my next meal.
So far I have binge-watched Tiger King, Sex and the City (the entire series of 6 seasons), On My Block and Jane the Virgin. I’ve finished a 1500 piece puzzle, attempted to express my thoughts in a journal and scoured every corner of the internet for a distraction from this chaos. AKA I’m desperately in need of more ways to keep myself entertained, so please throw any recommendations my way. I’ll start, with everything I consumed this month:
What to Read
How to Work from Home Most Chaotically
If you’re also tired of hearing mental health advice that includes ‘get dressed like you’re going to work,’ this article is for you. First of all, I work for a tech company, so I’m wearing leggings whether or not I’m at the office. Second, anyone who believes/spouts this advice has never been mentally ill or struggled with executive functions. Do what works for you, that’s all.
Why All the Warby Parker Clones are Imploding
This was published before the economy itself imploded, but still a fascinating take on your favorite direct-to-consumer brand that isn’t Warby Parker (side note, this is where I get my glasses and I cannot say ENOUGH good things about their customer service). For writing enthusiasts, a very good use of “quixotic” is buried here, waiting to be discovered.
I’ve consumed an ungodly amount of news about this crisis, and reader, this is the most compelling thing I’ve come across. Like if I could get each of you to just read one (1) thing about Covid-19, it is this article, excerpted here:
The U.S. has fewer hospital beds per capita than Italy. A study released by a team at Imperial College London concluded that if the pandemic is left unchecked, those beds will all be full by late April. By the end of June, for every available critical-care bed, there will be roughly 15 COVID-19 patients in need of one. By the end of the summer, the pandemic will have directly killed 2.2 million Americans, notwithstanding those who will indirectly die as hospitals are unable to care for the usual slew of heart attacks, strokes, and car accidents. This is the worst-case scenario.
Just Give In to Alison Roman Already
While staying home, I’ve mostly been cooking through Nothing Fancy and feeling like a culinary tour-de-force. Brown butter turmeric rice with toasted almonds, wine braised artichokes and charred lamb shoulders, what more do you need me to say? Follow her on Instagram for advice on her recipes, and order her cookbook from a local bookstore. You won’t regret it!
What to Do that Isn’t a Push-Up Challenge
Tip Your Bartenders, Virtually. If you’re in DC, use this spreadsheet to find venmo handles for your fav servers and restaurants. If you live elsewhere, use this master list of tip jars. Also a random one I found for Charlotte!
Take Yale’s Happiness Course for Free. Discover what really makes humans happy, measure your baseline happiness and learn how to create better expectations for your life.
Calculate How Long Your Toilet Paper Will Last, and realize there’s no reason to hoard it.
17 Ways to Feel Good at Home Right Now, just in case you’re running out of ideas.
Where to Subscribe for More Good Reads
A Friday morning newsletter full of recommendations for spending a cozy night in, including books, recipes, housewares and smart reads for the homebody in everyone. Their latest project is stayhometakecare.com, which is a social distancing care package of recs for — you guessed it — staying home, and taking care, with articles like “Processing Guilt (and Canceled Life Events) in the Time of Coronavirus.” For every new subscriber, GNI will donate $1 towards World Central Kitchen and Crisis Text Line, up to $1500. Subscribe here!
Reporter Lyz Lenz periodically sends essays that didn’t make it into her published works about weird things her sources say to her over the phone or via text.
Buzzfeed writer Delia Cai sends a daily link to the best lil corner of the internet for anyone attune to news + entertainment media. Today she tackled the Cuomo thirst.
A weekly newsletter that starts with a Q&A from The Times’ most hip reporters, and includes a roundup of the most relevant reads from NYT.