Keeping Your Brain Distracted
Two new shows, a hefty but quick read, a Shiba Inu, and a climate change game.
Hello there,
Sorry it’s been awhile. I was traveling a bit for work in May, and then I got COVID, very likely on a plane where very few people except me were masked. (For those who may not know, a Trump-appointed judge who was rated “Not qualified” by the American Bar Association struck down the transportation mask mandate in April.) Let me tell you: finally getting COVID after being careful for so long — during a period when governments at all levels in the US have decided they no longer care about keeping people safe — was a real journey. And that also happened around the time of an avalanche of horrific news.
Anyway, it’s taken awhile to get better, but I’m feeling more human again, so here are some things that helped distract me over the last few weeks.
Watch
I’ve been watching I Love That For You (Showtime) and I find myself looking forward to it, even though I don’t love it. It’s kind of like eating cotton candy — it’s fun and sweet, but makes your teeth hurt. Some of it is very funny, and the actors are all great, though some of the awkward humor makes me cringe.
Lately I’ve been so angry about so much of the news, so it hasn’t necessarily been very healthy to watch, but We Own This City (HBO) is worth seeing, even if it will fill you with incandescent rage. It’s a true story based on a book about cops, corruption, and racism in Baltimore. It’s not as good as The Wire, but it’s a relatively short limited series and quick to get through.
Read
While I was sick, I burned through The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois, a wonderful, hefty novel following multiple generations of a family from Georgia. While devastating — it follows the killing and expulsion of Georgia’s indigenous tribes, slavery, and Jim Crow —it’s beautifully written and you’ll grow very attached to the characters. It’s also written in a way in which it flips between generations so it’s not completely depressing all the way through.
See all recommendations here.
Follow
There’s a Shiba Inu named Taiga in Japan whose owner runs an Instagram account, and most of the posts are Taiga’s humans petting him and him growling. That’s it. I cannot explain why I find it soothing, but I do.
Do
What would it really take to get the whole world to make major shifts to slow climate change? This game from the FT puts you in the driver’s seat and gives you insight into just how many different factors are involved. Normally I would find this depressing, but I thought it was really well-done and thought provoking, and you can go back and try different methods and approaches.
Until next time,
Rachel