Jan 8

Jan 8 Weekly Roundup #10: Digital and tell-alls

This one was a while coming. With the holidays, coming back to work and settling into a normal routine, I admittedly let myself slide on this roundup. But, hey, new year, and if not new me, I will at least not stress myself out about it. New resolution started. Read on for some of the biggest stories of the last couple weeks, as well as some more lighthearted pieces.

Reading

The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, Lisa See. I love this author so I've been looking forward to reading this book forever.

How a researcher hacked his own computer and found 'worst' chip flaw, Reuters. Hope y'all all updated...

Donald Trump Didn’t Want to Be President, New York Magazine. Excerpt from Michael Wolff’s book Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, which I cannot wait to read.

The 7 Most Shocking Details from Michael Wolff's Bombshell Trump Book, Vanity Fair. If you didn't want to read the whole excerpt for some reason.

Instagram Is Now a Dating Platform, Too. Here’s How to Navigate It, The New York Times.

Why Teens Aren’t Partying Anymore, Wired. I am SO glad I grew up before the internet really became huge. I still played outside as a kid and our school didn't allow kids to have Facebook until we hit high school. And by "school," I mean the students...if you got a Facebook before you hit ninth grade, no one would be your friend. Sounds so silly, but I'm so thankful for it because I would hate to have random pictures of myself as a twelve year old posing with my friends on the internet. I've seen what kids put on Instagram, and I'm glad I never had the choice. I was in college before Instagram got big and I've had to delete regrettable pictures from then, I can't imagine what younger kids think is appropriate. Not to mention, the constant comparisons to others' curated lives would be devastating on already vulnerable self-esteems. I'm not seeing a future for Project X-type movies. And the lack of socializing is just sad. My best memories in high school and college are the days and nights spent with my friends. I can't imagine having technology replace that.

Trump Disbands Commission on Voter Fraud, New York Times.

How the Russia Inquiry Began: A Campaign Aide, Drinks and Talk of Political Dirt, New York Times.

Don’t keep cell phones next to your body, California Health Department warns, TechCrunch. Still not sure if the nightstand counts as too close...asking for a friend.

When a first-grader’s wrong answer was better than the right one, The Washington Post. If you need a little pick-me-up.

D-backs draftee Pavin Smith surprises parents with mortgage payoff, ESPN. THE. SWEETEST.

The Most Awesome Codebreaker in World War II Was a Woman, Wired.

The Real Celebrity Stories Behind ‘Molly’s Game,' The Ringer. Ok, I hadn't even heard of this movie until four days ago and now I'm dying to see it. Also, I'm now scared of Tobey Maguire, which I'd never thought possible before...

Jordan Peele's X-Ray Vision, The New York Times. If y'all haven't seen Get Out yet, first of all, what have you been doing?? Second, go! Now! Run to your nearest streaming site! But also, this is a fascinating profile.

The Logan Paul Video Should Be a Reckoning For YouTube, Wired. The fact that kids like this make millions of dollars off of VLOGS...I just can't fathom it...it blows my mind.

The holidays were 'a big win' for struggling retailers as sales soared, Business Insider. My credit card does not agree.

Ancient Penguins Were Giant Waddling Predators, New York Times. Really interesting read about penguins' giant ancestors.

Jenna Fischer: The First Time I Was Paid to Act, The New York Times. Pam and Jim forever.

Listening

NF. You've probably now heard this American rapper's song "Let You Down" on the radio, if not, definitely look it up. I've been watching this artist for about a year now. He was at Firefly last summer and I "discovered" him when checking out all the artists on the lineup (gotta know everyone by festival time, am I right?). I'm not a super big rap fan, more an indie gal, but this guy's voice and melodic beats really drew me in. His song "Outcast" is especially reminiscent of Eminem and I'm a big fan of "You're Special." I'm excited he's finally getting more well-known and have already listened to his entire Perception album more than a few times.

Watching

Superstore, NBC. I've been bingeing this show about Walmart-esque Cloud 9 lately and I. Love. It. It's a sarcastic, light-hearted show following the employees of Cloud 9, mostly in store, and the surprisingly non-cliché, will they, won't they storyline between Amy (America Ferrera) and Jonah (Ben Feldman, anyone watch Drop Dead Diva??). I'm obsessed with Garrett and Cheyenne, Mateo's sassy one-liners are perfect and Dina...well, Dina is just...Dina. Watch and you'll get it. So go get Hulu if you haven't already, the entire show is on there, and binge, my loves, BIIINGE!!