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2.1.2019
the shortest month
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I do, in theory, support self-improvement.
But I'm not much for New Year's resolutions (they're usually too big and fail), Sober January (who can get through -28° temperatures without a glass of something brown?), or Lent (it’s the agnosticism, I guess).
The Winter Blues seem to come for everyone, however, and I am a staunch proponent of abstinence-occasionally education. So February has become my challenge month each year (yes, because it's the shortest one).
On the chopping block this time around: video games and television—which I hope will create more space for reading, sweating, and designing.
Do you practice a winter challenge? If so, what is it this year?
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Before we get into the more trivial links, a serious note. This week, actor Jussie Smollett reported that he was the target of a vicious, racist, homophobic attack in my hometown. This newsletter takes its name from the three basic needs (and fits superficially with each section: shelter at home, shelter on the road, shelter at work, etc). But physical and emotional shelter are far more important than lifestyle trends—and this assault is simply a higher-profile version of similar crimes against the LGBTQ community and people of color across the globe.
If you'd like to provide shelter for those in need, here are some places you can:
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My take: If you're a young journalism student, the question is when—not if—you'll move to New York and climb the ladder. My path took me to Chicago instead (and then around North America). In an alternate universe, perhaps there is a young me who chose differently. And in another alternate universe still, perhaps there's an old me who's taking that shot later in life.
Best line: “When you’re used to doing a lot of different things and you retire, suburbia doesn’t work anymore,” Mr. Chaleff, now 77, explained. “I like being with people and being active. And I hate driving for everything, which is what you have to do in Westchester. If I wanted to see an art movie, I had to drive halfway across the county.”
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My take: Here's the rebuttal—and the path that is likelier to match up to my real life.
Best line: "When I lived in New York, I constructed an elaborate protective system. I knew which path to take to the subway where there was less garbage on the streets to smell, and I knew what time to go to the bagel shop to avoid the rush, and I knew which bar to go to where I wouldn’t feel like I could have been everyone’s (extremely young, like I had them as a teenager, obviously) mother."
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My take: I just submitted a piece to my editor about how Lonely Planet collaborates on its Best in Travel list each year, and I came across a trend report about travelers picking destiantions based on their ancestry. Have you dabbled in genetic testing services like 23 And Me? Would you take a trip based on the results?
Best line: "This very personal journey could find you on a ferry to a remote Scottish island in search of a long-lost relative, or standing in front of your great grandmother’s childhood home in the centre of New York City."
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My take: Florence Knoll Bassett died last week. As a female in an industry dominated by men, her accomplishments were many—so let's take a moment to look back.
Best line: Though she worked over a half century ago, many of the issues of Knoll’s time—from gender parity to the design of the modern workplace—are still under discussion in 2019.
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My take: My family mocked me mercilessly when I unwrapped this ice mold at Christmas. "Who would spend $45 to get clear ice?" those Philistines asked. (Not this guy, apparently, which is why it was on my gift list.) But that was before I knew how well this puppy worked—and as our recent dinner guest Annie Dimond remarked, clear ice is just better.
But it's surprisingly difficult to get clear ice at home. Unless you have one of these.
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