all the difference in the world is just a call away
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Hello humans, dogs, cats, and creatures of Earth and beyond!
I've been toying with the idea of expanding the content of the Weekly Quick Pick Mix, turning it into more of a weekly newsletter. Beyond the virtual mixtape, I'll be including what I've been reading, seeing, and thinking about.
Maybe.
Let's see how this goes. First, your tunes:
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I suppose this is no longer a Weekly Quick Pick Mix, so perhaps I need to come up with a new name for this thing. Thoughts? Suggestions? Come on, people, we're brainstorming here. There are no bad ideas. Just ones that should be returned to the dark caves from which they emerged or possibly sent into the eternal flames of the burning sun.
What's going on in my world? We continue to operate in an uncomfortable straddle between COVID-life, whatever post-pandemic life will look like, and the continued rush of society/workplaces/our inner selves to go back to what "normal" used to be.
As if the old normal is something we should strive for.
I've had numerous discussions with those close to me about how our emergence from the year+ of COVID-19 should be as new selves, as a new society.
I'm not talking about perfecting that sour dough bread (though, please, feel free) and I'm not talking about finally learning to knit or launching that side hustle, though, those are also valid.
What I'm really getting at is that we've all sat in grief, loss, despair, and uncertainty for a year. We were forced to pause. And as we click that "resume" button, we should individually and collectively be focusing on what it is that truly matters.
I'll give you my theory: what really matters has little to do with money or productivity.
We get one life, my friends.
So let's not get back to "normal" any time soon.
We've seen some of the worst of that normal in the past two weeks, with the police killing of Daunte Wright, the ongoing trial for the police murder of George Floyd, and the continued aggressive tactics by police against protestors.
It's difficult to know what to say at this point. We should all be out there working to change the way our society functions. If you're not helping, I'd ask you why. Your time, your energy, your voice, and your dollars are all tools in this fight. And fight we must. #BlackLivesMatter
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Reads of the Week:
There's something incredibly important and disturbing about this quote:
"At about 11:30 p.m., Brooklyn Center police declared the crowd an unlawful assembly and said anyone who remained at the scene — including journalists — would be arrested."
If you've never considered or researched where the idea of "race" came from, I highly recommend you do so. This interview touches on the subject. I also highly recommend the podcast "Seeing White" by Scene On Radio, which does an amazing job of exploring the
subject.
A fascinating journey.
On a lighter note, an piece on musician Jason Isbell by Charlie Zallian, who (along with the rest of the band, Chung Antique) was one of my earliest podcast interviews.
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Other Links, Thoughts, & Scattered Items:
After Data Breach Exposes 530 Million, Facebook Says It Will Not Notify Users
A reminder that you should use a strong two-factor system, unique and strong passwords, and you should keep an eye out for data breaches.
NPR's Planet Money has a short audio-piece about McDonald's, the minimum wage and the effects of raising the rate. Code Switch did another McDonald's related piece, a podcast discussing the links between capitalism and working for justice. I just couldn't escape those Golden Arches this week.
For my fellow writers out there: Ten Rewriting Strategies from ISA
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Take care, all. Here's to life!
WQPM playlists are a collection of ten songs I've been listening to this week, crossing genre, era, and taste. No themes here, just the tunes I've been sticking in my ears lately. The newest Weekly Quick Pick Mix is available on Spotify and Apple Music.