What if...algorithm-free reco list, no. 3?
All the latest in “stuff you might like, but no worries if not!”
Hi!
Hope your weekend was filled with at least one (1) unit of joy. Here’s another batch of limited-quantity, affiliate-link-free obsessions.
Ted Chiang - Exhalation
I usually keep book stuff sequestered in its own little zone, but this one is worth an extra boost. You do not need to like sci-fi to like this. The themes are free will, choice, sentience, memory, faith, etc., and the general vibe is way more character- and emotion-driven than most speculative fiction. Every story is a banger in its own right, and I can’t stop thinking/talking about them.
Sniffing your local flora
Yeah, I know, no shit. Huge surprise that “stopping to smell the flowers” rules. But there’s something extra magical about sniffing on the flowers/plants you’re not sure about — the stuff that isn’t jasmine or lilac or honeysuckle. Sometimes the smell is “dirt,” but finding the varietals of “dirt smell” is still a worthwhile pursuit.
Mae Martin - Sap
Okay, I guess this is an algorithm reco because “Netflix,” but their algorithm is also fucked and will not stop trying to make the 84th season of You a thing. This is a shame because Feel Good was incredible, and Mae Martin is such a star! Their new special, Sap, is silly and sweet and prescient. I need you all to watch it so I can reference the final “sap” bit (which is damn near my exact life philosophy) without spoiling it.
Talking to your pharmacist
You know how in those only-in-America commercials for pharmaceuticals, they’ll say, “talk to your healthcare provider to see if Corpsera — which lists side effects such as eye-bleeding, memory loss, extreme constipation, and death — might be right for you?” Well, the other day, when I was picking up a medication, the pharmacist asked me a few questions, and I answered them honestly. We then talked for 15 minutes, and it was the clearest, realest, most informative interaction I have ever had with a medical professional.
Docent-led tours
I did not think I wanted a 45+ minute tour of Schindler House, which was almost entirely spent standing in the yard listening to a docent leap all over 50+ years of history and geography. I still don’t know if I would want it. But I learned more than I would have taught myself skimming through some placards, and I find it endlessly fascinating to think about how “genius” is perceived and spun by the kind of person who would volunteer to be a docent.
Trader Joe’s Trail Mix Crackers
These are a god-tier snack, which means they’re exactly the type of item Trader Joe’s will discontinue. I now buy them in multiples because I can’t get enough of the sweet-savory-somehow cheese-adjacent-without-being-cheese-y combo going on here. It works, trust me.
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The latest season of Love Is Blind, which I maintain is incredible as a therapeutic stimulus to discuss with your partner or anyone you’re in any kind of relationship with. A rich text!
A shit load of sitting and not really thinking while working on my little embroidery projects. Also, if you made it this far, I’ve soft-launched commissions. TBD if I push this more widely!