Just Good Shit: 03.06.22

Hello!

I’m back in Brooklyn after a trip to the Catskills last week. My girlfriend and I stayed in a rental with a fireplace and hot tub, and that is…pretty much all we did! Woke up and soaked…did sunny midday soaks…soaked in the evening…took out the binoculars to peep birds while soaking…looked at snow and trees and stars while soaking… truly the best way to do nature! (I was also moved to re-read this extremely soothing and delightful 2016 NYT Magazine article about Iceland’s public baths.)

We also knit by the fire, worked on a puzzle, made ziti, got takeout from Phoenicia Diner, drove to Ashokan Reservoir, and made a stop at Woodbury Commons. On Friday, we went birding in Prospect Park, which was…incredible?! We saw so many birds, including cardinals, blue jays, downy woodpeckers, a shitload of robins, and, right before we left, a throuple of wood ducks. (Next on my to-do list: Getting my nice camera repaired so I can properly capture them.) It was a really lovely time, and I’m just so glad we got to take this trip.

Here’s what else I’ve been up to…

Reading

Right now we are just trying to survive, Welcome to Hell World.

Texas’s Attorney General Is Laying the Groundwork to Separate Trans Kids From Their Families, The New Republic.

Who Should Be Allowed to Transition?, NYT.
Related: “cis people also get gender-affirming procedures but just don’t call it that.”

So, Just Making Sure That We Agree: It's OK To Seize Oligarchs' Stuff Now, Forever Wars.

Justice According to Letitia James, NY Mag.

If you’ve rented a car from Hertz, there could be a warrant out for your arrest, Yahoo.
I hate Hertz. Hate!!!

The Endless Cycle of Opinion Havers, Men Yell at Me.

The Euphoria Problem, All in Her Head.

Paul Farmer Invented a New Way of Caring for One Another, The Atlantic.
“We must all care for one another—anything less is morally unacceptable.” I confess I didn’t know who Paul Farmer was before reading this obituary, but I still found it incredibly moving and inspiring.

A gripping yarn: inside the Knitting.com drama, Input.

Listening to

We started listening to Slate’s Decoder Ring podcast last week in the Catskills and it’s so good!! Think You’re Wrong About meets This American Life. I think we’ve listened to about 10 eps so far, and every one has been a banger. It’s hard to pick a fave but I really liked “Truck Nutz” and “Gender Reveal Parties.”

Have a good one! ✨

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Just Good Shit: 02.21.22

I wasn’t feeling well over this three-day weekend, so I spent most of it knitting and watching Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 4, which, combined with Season 3, is truly some of the best television — and certainly the best reality television — I’ve ever seen. The drama feels real, the brawls feel earned, and every goddamn line is a banger. I thought Succession was the best example of modern-day Shakespeare, but RHONJ certainly feels like one of his lesser-known plays. Season 3 opens with a brawl at christening (!!), where there’s ~150 guests and a prominently-displayed oil painting of the baby (Joey — there are so many baby Joeys) wearing a tiny newsboy cap. The whole two-season arc is pure camp and I’m fully obsessed.

Here’s what else I got up to this week…

Reading

The Millions of People Stuck in Pandemic Limbo, The Atlantic.

The Moral Danger of Declaring the Pandemic Over Too Soon, NYT. (gift link)

“The lesson of the AIDS pandemic is that it’s easy to leave people behind, even if it is at the cost of our collective peril.”

27 Years in Solitary Confinement, Then Another Plea for Help in Texas, NYT. (gift link)

We are deeply and profoundly sorry: For decades, The Baltimore Sun promoted policies that oppressed Black Marylanders; we are working to make amends, Baltimore Sun.

The Crankification Engine, Gawker.

How Bosco Sticks Became the Secret Weapon of Midwestern Cafeterias, Eater.

Have a great week! 🍝

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Just Good Shit: 02.13.22

I’ve been having such a cozy and relaxing Valentine’s Day weekend, I’m not ready for it to be over! Here, in no particular order, are the corny/on-theme activities we’ve gotten up to:

• Wearing pink, lavender, and/or red loungewear all weekend

• Buying roses from the grocery store

• Making boxed brownies, then topping with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup (very chain restaurant molten lava)

• Playing a little flower card game

• Listening to Slut Pop, the new Kim Petras album

• Watching Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 3 (thanks to a rec on the podcast from Caroline Moss), which is truly incredible television

• Eating bread and brie plus strawberries with chocolate and whipped cream and, later, hot chocolate

• Doing red/pink mani-pedis in bed

• Making Don Angie pinwheel lasagna (from the frozen extras we made for New Year’s)

Here’s what else I had going on this week…

My shit

• Valentine’s Day gifts to self

Reading

What Do Masks Do to Kids?, The New Republic.

Boston University epidemiologist Dr. Eleanor Murray speaks on COVID-19 and endemicity Part 1 and Part 2, WSWS.

Stop Calling Them ‘Accidents’, NYT. (gift link)

Artificial snow is nothing like the real stuff, Vox.

How to win an Oscar, Vox.
This is a fascinating breakdown of what an “Oscars campaign” actually entails.

Was It Me? Or My Teeth?, NYT. (gift link)

'Goodnight Moon' and the Queer Love Story of the Great Green Room, Lambda Literary.

Have a good week! 💘

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Just Good Shit: 02.06.21

Hi and happy February! This week, I finished knitting this mallard duck (pattern from DotPebblesknits on Etsy), watched biathlon (extremely underrated Olympic sport imo), and listened to the newest Serial podcast (which I thought was very well done). Here’s what else I had going on…

Reading

Why Wishful Thinking on Covid Remains As Dangerous as Ever, The Nation.

The American sickness, Indignity.
I also paid $6 to subscribe to this newsletter/access this related article (about masking in schools), and it was extremely worth it.

Working parents with little kids: how can your coworkers help you?, Ask a Manager.

What Scares the World’s Most Daring Olympians, NYT.
Loved this package.

Fuck Noom, Lifehacker.

Why Spotify Will Win, Slate.

To Find the History of African American Women, Look to Their Handiwork, The Atlantic.
Related: I just bought this book.

Sex With An X: The Perils Of Performative Spelling, Autostraddle.

Glorified Electric Golf Carts For All, VICE.

One Good Thing: A soothing tabletop game about birds, Vox.

How the Sausage Gets Made: Inside Hollywood's Prosthetic Penis Craze, Thrillist.

Have a nice week! 🦆

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Just Good Shit: 01.30.22

Image: Kiyana Salkeld / Just Good Shit

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

My shit

There’s a new ep of Oh, I Like That, and Sally and I were guests on Caroline Moss’s podcast Gee Thanks, Just Bought It.

Reading

When Omicron Isn’t So Mild, NYT. (gift link)

The Big-Name Journalists Who Are Trying to “Both Sides” Covid, The New Republic.

You Are Not Entitled To Our Deaths: COVID, Abled Supremacy & Interdependence, Leaving Evidence.
“Abled culture teaches abled people to be entitled. You are entitled to never have to learn anything about disability and ableism. You are entitled to get to move through the world, and through our movements, with little-to-no understanding or political analysis about disability, even as you pontificate about every other system of oppression and violence. Abled culture in our movements mean that we will say, ‘we must center those who are most impacted,’ all day every day, but then not include disabled, especially those who are high risk, in the center during a global pandemic. Abled entitlement means that you will still continue to plan your vacation abroad, even amidst the Delta surge; you will still post pictures from your giant family holiday gathering amidst the Omicron surge.”

We're All Trying to Find the Guy Policing Our Behavior, Alex Pareene.
“I find the tenor of discussion around Covid-19 restrictions genuinely bewildering. There basically aren’t any. The United States is powering through the Omicron wave with its usual enforced individualism. The hard restrictions on our activities are, for the most part, not mandated or enforced by the state, acting at the behest of liberals who refuse to go back to normal because they are addicted to panic and quarantine; the limits are imposed by the virus that isn’t going away.”

The Bogus Claim That School Closures Will Doom Democrats, The New Republic.

The New Face of “No Promo Homo” Laws, Slate.

‘Jeopardy!’ Hasn’t Had a Player Like Amy Schneider, NYT.

Watching

On an absolute impulse, I decided to check out the Saved by the Bell reboot on Peacock. I had super low expectations and was…delightfully surprised?! I have seen every episode of the original many, many times over, and my girlfriend had never seen it; we both really liked the reboot. All the references to the original feel more like Easter eggs than anything else, and it’s not overly nostalgic. (It’s also addressing race and class considerably better than And Just Like That…not that it’s so hard, but still.) And it’s just bizarro and silly and made us laugh out loud a bunch. A perfect little pick-me-up In These Times.

Cooking

We’re having a beany one: bean and cheese burritos, roasted tomato and white bean stew, and cheesy white bean and tomato bake (all from NYT Cooking).

Have a good night! ❄️

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Just Good Shit: 01.23.22

Hi, pals! This was a chill and cozy week, made better by the fact that it started with a Monday holiday. We made Parmesan chickpea soup (so easy), listened to JP Brammer’s audiobook (even better than the book, which I also loved), and watched the Beanie Mania documentary on HBO Max (absolutely delightful). I also got a ton of yarn and started working on my first big project of the year: a mallard duck!

Here’s what else I had going on…

Writing

• One year of knitting

Reading

The world has moved on from Colleyville. American Jews can’t., Vox.

When My Mom Got Covid, I Went Searching for Pfizer’s Pills, NYT. (gift link)

Will Omicron Leave Most of Us Immune?, The Atlantic.

In Arkansas, Trans Teens Await an Uncertain Future, NYT. (gift link)

How Politics Tested Ravelry and the Crafting Community, The New Yorker.
This article has an audio option, and I highly recommend listening vs. reading if you’re able to — it’s like a perfect, fascinating podcast episode. (Bonus: Pair with the new knitting episode of Normal Gossip.)

The secret MVP of sports? The port-a-potty, ESPN.

Will Heated Gloves Help Me Stay Warm This Winter?, Wirecutter.
As someone with Reynaud’s who is perpetually on the hunt for good gloves, this article felt meant for me personally.

Wordle’s Creator Thinks He Knows Why the Game Has Gone So Viral, Slate.

Have a good night! 🌬

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Just Good Shit: 01.16.22

Image: Kiyana Salkeld / Just Good Shit

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

Reading

Back To Normal Isn’t Enough, Defector.

What to do if you've got covid, Calm Covid.
Really enjoying this newsletter!

Calling Omicron ‘Mild’ Is Wishful Thinking, The Atlantic.

The Real Reason Americans Aren’t Isolating, The Atlantic.

One-Way Masking Works, The Atlantic.

The Agony of Parents With Kids Under 5, Slate.

I’m a Longtime Union Organizer. But I Had Never Seen Anything Like This., NYT. (gift link)

Kyrsten Sinema’s opposition to filibuster reform rests on a myth, Vox.

Hanya’s Boys, Vulture.

6 Ways Fitness Instructors Can Check Their Anti-Fat Bias, SELF.

A Survival Expert Breaks Down the Yellowjackets’ Best and Worst Decisions, Vulture.

Colors: Where did they go? An investigation., Vox.

A Rio Grande Valley Woman Just Broke the U.S. Record for Most Birds Spotted in a Year, Texas Monthly.

They bought a blender. Three weeks later, their cats continue to hold it hostage., Washington Post.

Watching & listening to

Yellowjackets. Drag Race Season 14. “For the Birds,” a very good Radiolab episode. (It really picks up in the second act.) The excellent Holly Madison episode of Power. And a segment from an old episode of Bitch Sesh, in which the hosts read aloud a series of dramatic and chaotic (real-life!) emails from a group of very intense parents planning a teacher appreciation luncheon. (It starts around 11:14 and ends at 36:00 and I’ve listened to it three times in the past week. I just put it on again.)

Have a good week! ✨

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Just Good Shit: 01.09.22

My girlfriend & Chuck having a cozy one

Hello and happy (?????) new year! I had a lovely holiday and then spent this week feeling really crappy due to cold/allergy-like symptoms that are not covid (according to one negative PCR and five negative rapid tests). I’m very bummed, as January is one of my favorite months and I feel very motivated to organize, decorate, and hunker down with some new hobbies. We had big plans to go to Prospect Park this weekend and look at birds, and instead I spent the weekend on the couch taking Sudafed.

Here’s what else I’ve had going on…

Writing

• You might get a breakthrough case of Covid-19 this winter. Here’s how to prepare.

• The best things I read in 2021

• My knitting notebook

Reading

America Quits the Fight Against Covid, The New Republic.

Who Gets the Blame When Schools Shut Down, The New Yorker.

Omicron Is Our Past Pandemic Mistakes on Fast-Forward, The Atlantic.

“If you're going to trust anyone to know the real cost of #COVID19 in terms of deaths, trust life insurance companies.”

Seriously, Upgrade Your Face Mask, NY Mag.
I really like the Harley N95, available from Bona Fide Mask (currently $45 for a box of 20).

Don’t Be Too Cavalier About Omicron — Long Covid Is Still a Real Risk, Rolling Stone.

How to Stay Safe if You’re Trapped in Your Car During a Snowstorm, NYT.

Shoe Obsession for the Ages: Prince’s Killer Collection of Custom Heels, Now on View, NYT.

The 2021 Audubon Photography Awards: Top 100, Audubon.

Entertainment

I’ve been watching Yellowjackets, How To with John Wilson, and Selling Tampa; knitting; watching Rajiv Surendra DIY videos on YouTube (start with his house tour); listening to Like a Virgin; and playing Parks (a Christmas gift from my gf — it’s so gentle and nice).

Have a good week! 🌨️

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Just Good Shit: 12.20.21

Hi! This week’s post is late because I was watching Season 2 of 12 Dates of Christmas on HBO Max, a reality TV dating show that also happens to be my new favorite Christmas movie. It’s really light and fun, provides so much ridiculous Christmas/winter eye candy, and is very gay! (The first episode is available on YouTube if you don’t have HBO Max.) Watching it offered a much-needed respite from the terrible news and absolutely rotten vibe of this week.

Here’s what else I have for you…

My shit

• You might get a breakthrough case of Covid-19 this winter. Here’s how to prepare.

• Making the Yuletide Extremely Gay feat. Aubrey Gordon (new podcast ep)

And a couple of things from the archives that might be useful at this exact moment: Guidance for safer vaxxed gatherings (from September, so please err on the side of even more cautious/conservative), how to tell your family you aren’t coming home for the holidays this year, and what to do if you think your cousins might give grandma COVID this holiday (if you’re once again arguing with family, this time about things like taking rapid tests or canceling entirely).

Reading

I Canceled My Birthday Party Because of Omicron, The Atlantic.
“It is easy to despair, but we cannot afford the luxury of nihilism. ... The infectious nature of a virus means that a tiny bad decision can cause exponential harm, but also that a tiny wise decision can do exponential good.” This whole essay is so good.

What if the Flu isn’t “just the Flu?”, The Air Letter.
This is a sobering read. (Also: Please get your flu shot!)

I’m Staying Home for the Holidays Again This Year. Here’s Why., Self.

Why Can’t America Get Rapid Tests Right?, Slate.

The Abortion I Didn’t Have, NYT.

Please Stop Saying ‘Happy Holidays’ When You Mean ‘Merry Christmas’, Hey Alma.

Retailers say thefts are at crisis level. The numbers say otherwise, LA Times.

A parent and daughter battle over an elaborate Lego creation, The Washington Post.
“I am trying to be encouraging here, but I am incensed that you’re going to war with her joy, security and well-being over carpet-cleaning.”

What worries me about making a family into a brand, Mothers Under the Influence.

Ask a Cardiologist: Should Carrie Have Called 911?, Vulture.

Have a cozy and safe one. 🛷

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Just Good Shit: 12.12.21

Safely celebrating a winter birthday during a pandemic is not the easiest thing to do, but I’m pleased to say I made it work on Friday night for my girlfriend’s 30th! After I found out the hot tub boat I had been banking on left for Florida in November, I did a lot of research and eventually came across CityWell, which is basically an indoor/outdoor spa situation that you can book for private parties of up to 10 people. We utilized the outdoor aspect and had access to saunas, a hot tub, and a fire pit, which turned out to be a great jumping-off point for a “winter yeehaw” party. (Turns out, when you type “cowgirl bachelorette” into Etsy, you find a lot of good party stuff. Also, the airbrushed custom sweatshirts our guy Stephen at FreshAirShirts made were truly a work of art.) I also booked Miss Malice, a fantastic local drag performer, as a surprise. It was just a really special night all-around, and, in a huge surprise to me personally, I am pleased to announce that “I love hot tubs” is my new personality!

Now that the party is over (though not her official birthday — that’s on Wednesday), I’m excited to turn my focus to Christmas and New Year’s!

L train ornament from Craftspring

Speaking of, this list could use a 2021 update with some new items but I still love everything on it: Just a bunch of Christmas shit I’m into right now.

Here’s what else I had going on this week…

Reading

The Pandemic of the Vaccinated Is Here, The Atlantic.

Omicron won’t keep us from ending the pandemic. We’re doing that ourselves., Washington Post.

Dr. Michael Osterholm on why he predicts Omicron will beat out Delta in weeks., NY Mag.

When Couples Don’t Agree on the Vaccine, Men Yell at Me.

Who the pandemic’s next phase will hurt the most, Vox.

The other abortion battle, Dispatches and Notes.

The Supreme Court’s New Religious Liberty Case Could Destroy Public Education, Slate.

Law & Order Taught Americans to Root for the Police, Teen Vogue.

As a Black Man in America, I Feel Death Looming Every Day, NYT.
(gift link)

Long hours make bad neighbors, Vox.

Have a good night! 🤠

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