We’re thinking of everyone affected by the Colorado Springs shooting this week, and John Paul Brammer’s beautifully written rumination on the trauma that comes from the invasion of safe, queer spaces is incredibly important reading (“The rest of the world doesn’t disappear in the gay bar. It laps at the front door like waves against the ribs of a ship. It isn’t a universe unto itself where we get to live unencumbered by the lives we left propped up against the wall outside.”)
An excellent argument in favour of eating more meals alone
Time Magazine has released its list of the 10 best albums of 2022 and we’re wondering whether we listened to enough music this year because we’ve heard of like, three of them
There’s been massive drama involving bears, bondage and Balenciaga this week and we have so many questions about how this campaign got signed offFor better or worse, it’s Christmas gift guide season. Here are ideas for the person who has everything, a bunch of products that Hunter Harris swears by, a comprehensive list from The Strategist that touches all bases but is slightly overwhelming, a very pink and cosy gift guide from the team at Frankie, ideas for the man in your life who needs sprucing up, ideas for the man in your life who has better taste than you, what to get your Secret Santa, gifts for mum she’ll actually like, gifts for dad that aren't socks or jocks, for your friends who have immaculate houses, for anyone who loves to entertain, and you bet we’ve signed up for the Highly Enthused newsletter to get their gift guide that’s dropping this Sunday
Is self help doing you more harm than good? This article makes the argument that focusing on your community instead of yourself might be the real path to a better life
The New York Times visited two cities already transformed by climate change (Kuwait City and Basra in Iraq) and the resulting look at how people survive in extreme heat is equal parts impressive (the reporting; the survival techniques) and terrifying (is this our future?
)In tech news: Not even Elon knows what turning Twitter Blue back on might look like, employees in the factories that produce iPhones are protesting and it’s bad news if you were planning to upgrade soon, there’s a new web browser in town, lab-grown meat had a massive win, Spotify audiobooks are being rolled out in Australia, here’s a list of some prominent banned Twitter accounts that came back this week, and if you keep hearing about FTX and SBF and wondering WTF everyone is talking about, here’s an excellent rundown of the latest spectacular crypto crash
It’s okay to feel sad about Twitter while also enjoying watching everyone panic-tweet their drafts (hats off to you Tampax)
How and when to say no when you're asked to take on extra work
The late Joan Didion’s possessions were auctioned off this week in aid of Parkinson’s research and reading this first-hand account by the writer Erin Somers is the next best thing to being there in person (“The blank notebooks I spoke to Thomas about went for $9,000. A kind of ugly rattan chair went for $28,000. Maybe the funniest was Lot 50, a bunch of seashells and pebbles — literal rocks, from the ground. For rocks from the ground and shells from the sea, an anonymous bidder paid $7,000.”)
You don’t have to perform holiday cheer, despite what society tells us
Oh so *this* is why beauty YouTube failed
Anndddd in important TikTok news: Much-needed validation to end your week, girls when they have to show a photo of their new guy, these White Lotus season 2 episode recaps are so spot-on, be gentle with people who don’t have kids this festive season, hope this email finds you well, one month of listening to Midnights, we’re really hoping these “unique” kids names are satire and controversial hot food takes
