Five Things: Issue 110

The "Southern Special" is when someone wears a mask, but it isn't covering their nose

Wear those white jeans one last time

I hope everyone has had a safe and relaxing holiday weekend! I’m in Colorado with family and a couple friends, and approximately 9 Billion tourists, but it’s a great time.

September feels like a month of promise, it’s back to school time, seasons are changing, wearing a sweatshirt is looking like it might be a reasonable evening choice.

Eventually this sentence will be updated with helpful links, but I’m committed to a life of procrastination, so it’s just here for now.

---

Number One: Topo Chico with Lime

I don’t know if it’s “toe-poe” or “top-oh,” but I do know it’s my favorite bubbly drink right now, and adding a little lime adds more value than you think it will. Plus the glass bottle really elevates the experience.

---

Number Two: Powerpoint Activism

This was a fascinating read about the rise of activism on Instagram, which has been historically apolitical and shallow, and why it has quite a bit to do with the Insta carousel.

I was talking this week with a friend about how we’ve turned mask-wearing into a morality issue more than a public health issue, and I am every bit a part of the problem. And I think there can be sort of the same sentiment for social media use. Like if you’re not posting, then you don’t care, but also there’s something to be said for leveraging your networks for social good, and it’s all a jumble to think about.

---

Number Three: The Rise of the COVID Influencer

I am so morbidly fascinated by influencers and why they do the things they do, and this post about Brooklyn and Bailey, and how they have COVID, but it’s not Baylor’s fault really got my wheels turning. It’s so interesting to think about influencers for a particular school and how that all gets murky.

---

Number Four: If you find yourself asking “What the heck is QAnon?”

For awhile I’ve thought of QAnon as not my circus, not my clowns, but this week I decided to pay a little attention to the clowns, and I found the following resources helpful:

This article from the Atlantic

This interview with the writer of that article (hat tip to Madeline Francis)

This older, but still relevant ReplyAll episode

This episode of Rabbit Hole (sidebar, Rabbit Hole is worth the listen)

---

Number Five: I’ll Be Gone in the Dark and Instant Family

If you’re looking for a well-produced, but a little bit creepy mini-series I’ll Be Gone in the Dark on HBO is where it’s at.

If you’re looking for a surprising up-life, Instant Family with my man Mark Wahlberg really hit me in the feels.

---

As promised, here’s the link to Ticket to Ride.