Dec 27

Dec 27 Weekly Roundup #54: Christmas and NYE!

I don’t know if I’ve ever made this clear before, but the articles I include in each roundup are only the ones I loved or found most thought-provoking. If I included every single article I actually read, I honestly wouldn’t get any work done. However, on that note, if you ever have any questions on how I find the articles I read, let’s chat and I can talk to you about my subscriptions!

On a more exciting note, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!! To those of you who celebrate Christmas, I wish you a wonderful, love-filled day, hopefully spent with family, chosen or biological. For those of you who don’t, again, I won’t pretend to know what I’m talking about, but, more generally, I wish the same to you and, to everyone, I hope you have a WONDERFUL end of the year! I won’t be posting for the week between Christmas and New Years because I’ll be spending it with my family and hopefully lessening my screen time. So, on that note, see you in 2019!! 🎉❤️

Reading

Nine Perfect Strangers, Liane Moriarty. Y’all…read Big Little Lies or The Husband’s Secret instead.

A dying man bought 14 years worth of Christmas gifts for his 2-year-old neighbor, The Washington Post. My coworker actually got mad at me for sending this to her because it tugs at your heartstrings, and then rips them out completely. Let’s all get to know our neighbors better! 😭

Rising Instagram Stars Are Posting Fake Sponsored Content, The Atlantic. I get why they start out doing this, but what is your end game? Ultimately, you’re showing brands that you post this supposed spon con for free, so why would they pay you? Not to mention, the over-saturation of these posts, which means everyone will be paid less in the long run and this may not actually be a job you can rely on alone in the future.

7 Wonders: Best Albums of 2018, Wonderland. 1975, Arctic Monkeys? Sure. Shawn Mendes…mmm…you’d have to really convince me on that one. And it seems it’s time to finally give Troye Sivan a listen.

Inside the Markle Family Breakdown, Vanity Fair. Woof. This girl cannot catch a break.

Amber Heard: I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture’s wrath. That has to change. The Washington Post. This was a strength-filled essay. To continue to fight back against those speaking hate against you, it’s a really tough thing to do. Amber Heard is still doing it, months, even years later. And with calm, collected strength and truth.

This Is the 1 Skincare Product Everyone Should Use in 2019, PopSugar. I’ll save you the time—it’s retinol. Look out for my piece on Sunday Riley’s newest retinol release soon!

Big in Japan, The New York Times. I used to hate Kit Kats and now I have no recollection as to why, but these days I’m all for them. I already wanted to go to Tokyo and now I for sure want to go just so I can see all these different flavors. I don’t even have to try them, I just want to see all my options! I mean, green tea? Totally. But plum wine? Okinawan sweet potato?? Wasabi?? Sake?? I don’t even know what an adzuki bean is, but that’s an option. What are these flavors?? I need to go to a Kit Kat Chocolatory store.

CBD is everywhere. But is it a scam? Vox. I hope not considering I’m such a fan of some CBD beauty products…but, turns out this article was actually more about food and drink. And it still does seem to have some effect, “CBD stimulates CB1 [a receptor in the brain] very lightly, causing some effects that seem downright opposed to those of THC including relief from anxiety, stress, and hyper-excitability.” Though the article talks about it having an inverted bell curve of effectiveness, according to a study. For instance, 100 mg and 900 mg didn’t seem to do anything, but 300 mg had a measurable calming effect.

What If Women Built The World? Refinery29. This article was genius. It was a really interesting way of looking at the world, none of which I had actually considered before. I mean, I just took the fact that bar stools suck and I can’t have an actual conversation when out for granted. And I had no idea female dummies weren’t even used in crash tests until 2003. That’s absurd. Can we make all these changes, stat? 🙏🏼

My Life Cleanse: One Month Inside L.A.'s Cult of Betterness, GQ. My favorite quote: “Self-help has become a habit in America, but it's pathological in Southern California.” And this is why cults are born.

Highest-Paid YouTube Stars 2018: Markiplier, Jake Paul, PewDiePie And More, Forbes. This just prompted the biggest eye roll from yours truly. I mean, the Paul brothers (yeah…both of them)? An anti-Semitic gamer (yeah, yeah, he “apologized,” please)? Jeffree Star (so many, many issues)? Oh, and let’s not forget the 7-YEAR-OLD “TOY REVIEWER.” Clearly I don’t get YouTube. I will be the first to admit that, but also, this is really what people are watching??

Everything You Know About Obesity is Wrong, Highline. “…weight and health are not perfect synonyms.” We need to change the conversation around weight and how we treat people who are overweight. EIGHTY PERCENT of our country’s adult population is overweight or obese. This is something that is not changing any time soon, so we need to stop being cruel to people who need help. The medical community, in particular. Stop bullying people who need education and attention.

Worst Roommate Ever, Intelligencer. What a NIGHTMARE. I mean, really. What a crazy, fucked-up, heinous, cruel person.

Hunting the Con Queen of Hollywood: Who's the "Crazy Evil Genius" Behind a Global Racket? The Hollywood Reporter. This is horrifying. One victim starting cutting back on sleep just in case the imposter called and was questioning every inflection of his voice or changes in speech pattern. This woman got into her victims’ heads, really deep, and completely messed with them. My heart goes out to them, and the people being impersonated.

From Mayo To Nightlife: Everything Millennials Were Accused Of Killing In 2018, Refinery29. These are mostly food-related, and to nearly everything on this list, I say, “Good riddance.” I mean, American cheese, mayo and canned tuna are all processed and disgusting. Sorry we like fresh, good food. Baby Boomers can keep their nasty tuna salad sandwiches.

Woody Allen's Secret Teen Lover Speaks: Sex, Power and a Conflicted Muse Who Inspired 'Manhattan,' The Hollywood Reporter. I do not understand Woody Allen’s appeal…he was gross at 41, he’s definitely gross now. Also, the supposed fact that she doesn’t want to “indict” him is such a cop out. She just wants to tell her story, but not make it seem like she’s mad at him.

The First ‘Where’d You Go, Bernadette’ Trailer Is Here & Bravo Cate Blanchett, PureWow. I LOVE THIS BOOK AND DID NOT KNOW THIS WAS BEING MADE, WHAT?!

Listening

My Mind Makes Noises, Pale Waves. I checked out the albums on the Wonderland article above, and this one really stuck with me. I’ve listened to them before, but hadn’t heard their whole recent album. Highly recommend!

Watching

A Christmas Prince, Netflix. Finally jumped on this bandwagon. I downloaded this movie to watch on the plane, and you better believe I’ll be watching the sequel on the plane ride back. This was a typically cheesy holiday movie, but I love Rose McIver and I loved that she made fun of herself and this movie on Instagram. Gotta keep yourself in check, people!