Hey everyone,
Sorry for being a couple days late with this edition! I hope you’ve all been able to enjoy the warmer weather, a little sunshine, and maybe even take a day off here and there.
You deserve it.
Here are your April links:
Anthony Bourdain - A new posthumous travel guide has been built from notes the legendary chef and TV host left behind. Also worth a look: Bourdain on his favorite restuarant in LA, In N’ Out.
Broken - This artist makes intricate portraits by smashing glass with a hammer.
Canal - A game where you can steer your own ship through the Suez Canal. Not so easy now, is it?!
Dolly - “I am not the only Black woman with a Dolly Parton love story in my hero narrative, not by a long shot.”
Eco-Friendly - One company will help you build a deck using boards made of thousands of plastic bags.
Fix It - I’ve been following the “right to repair” debate for a while, and this NYT opinion nails it. You should have the option to repair things you use often, especially things like your cell phone.
Garden - A man planted a garden in a bottle and hasn’t watered it in 40 years. It’s flourishing.
Heartwarming - “We found a baby on the subway. Now he’s our son.”
Illustrations - Stunning children’s book illustrations from the early 20th century.
Juan - My favorite poem from Juan Ramón Jiménez.
Kentucky Derby - “Medina Spirit” won this year’s derby against horses with names like “Known Agenda” and “Bourbonic.” Ever wonder why racehorses have such strange names?
Languishing - “It wasn’t depression… We just felt somewhat joyless and aimless. It turns out there’s a name for that.” (NYT, possible paywall)
Muon Particle - This particle is breaking the laws of physics and mystifying scientists. Some believe it can help unlock mysteries of the universe.
New Life - Watch a salamander grow from a single cell. Breathtaking!
Open Source Museum - 3-D print your own Michelangelo or make a copy of Nerfertiti’s head. All of these 3-D scans are free to download.
Parks - A very compelling argument for why US National Parks should be returned to Native American tribes. (The Atlantic, possible paywall)
Q & A - This is a short interview with a reporter who is leaving the field of journalism. I had to stop and re-read several paragraphs because they made me say “Of course! How come I never saw it that way?”
Recognition - President Biden becomes the first US president to officially recognize atrocities against Armenians as genocide.
Secrets - This desk has 105 secret compartments, and in this video, the desk is practically spitting out hidden drawers. Can you believe it was built 180 years ago?
TP - Here’s something I didn’t know: Most toilet paper and paper towels source their wood from old growth forest. A startup called Cloud Paper is out to change that.
Unsolicited - 99 pieces of good advice, like “People can’t remember more than 3 points from a speech” and “Don’t let your email inbox become your to-do list.”
Vouw - The “slow tech” studio has developed a friendly streetlamp that bends down to greet people when approached.
Water - For one month, this photographer decided to begin every day with a swim in the sea. The result is stunning and profound.
X - Birds can sleep while flying. I repeat: Birds can sleep while flying.
You Can Help - With COVID-19 infections and deaths skyrocketing in India, here are several organizations that are working to provide relief: CARE, UNICEF, PATH.
Zero Return - When P&G turned off $200 million of digital ad spending, they saw no change in business outcomes. And they’re not the only ones. How is that possible? Do digital ads just…not work?
Special thanks to Karyn, Jenna, and Scott for their recommendations!
Have a suggestion for the next issue? Reach out to me by replying to this email. And if you enjoyed this edition, go ahead and forward it to a friend and tap the heart at the top of the page.
See you in a month,
-Brady