Monday’s here again; we can’t stop it, so we might as well roll with it. Below, we’ve collected some of our favorite reads, resources and laugh factories to help you get through it—today, this week and beyond.
Last week’s guide
RECOMMENDED READING
Roommates or Partner Getting on Your Nerves? Read This
Anna Goldfarb | New York Times
With most of the country under lockdown, many of us are suddenly spending our entire day with the people we live with — meaning tensions can be running hotter than normal. While a small transgression, like an interruption during a work call, may not be a big deal on its own, in the pressure cooker of lockdown it can go from a minor annoyance to the source of real strife. And if social media posts are any indication, jigsaw puzzles are the new Ikea furniture: the truest test of a couple’s stress levels.
The science of making bread
Maddie Sofia | NPR
Social distancing has some of us taking up bread baking for the first time, including host Maddie Sofia. Chemist and baker Patricia Christie explains the science of making bread, including a few tips for when things go wrong with your bread dough. And she offers some advice for first-time bakers everywhere.
NB: This is recommended listening rather than recommended reading.
All the Ways I Failed at Self-Improvement
Molly Young | The Cut
First there were memes about ways to stay productive during a quarantine (do YouTube yoga, bake, organize your closet). Then came a wave of memes defiantly rejecting the idea of productivity; memes that said it was okay not to do YouTube yoga or bake. But where in this nuanced dialectic are the memes for people who try their best to be productive and are remarkably unsuccessful?
School Counselors Have A Message For Kids: ‘It’s OK To Not Be OK’
Cory Turner | NPR
The high school senior sitting across from Franciene Sabens was in tears over the abrupt amputation of her social life and turmoil at home. Because of the coronavirus, there will be no prom, no traditional send-off or ceremony for the graduates of Carbondale Community High School in Carbondale, Ill. And Sabens, one of the school’s counselors, could not give the girl the one thing Sabens’ gut told her the teen needed most.
“I want to hug them all, but I really wanted to hug that one,” Sabens remembers.
RESOURCES
If You’re Running During Quarantine And Wondering How To Stay Safe And Healthy, These Tips Might Help
Brianna Sacks | Buzzfeed
I put together some tips for running in the time of quarantine to ensure you are safe, respect other people around you, and try and feel a little more at ease. And although I am far from an expert, I have learned a lot about perseverance, endurance, and listening to your body, through injuries, tears, race wins, many sufferfests, ultra-running adventures, coaches, and friends.
How to Cut Your Hair at Home
Louryn Stramp | Wired
So, your hair is getting long and all of the salons are closed because of a global pandemic. It may be time to cut your own hair at home. Stylists will advise you to avoid getting too overzealous with your scissors, but sometimes you’re left with no choice. Cutting your hair is more complicated than it looks and this guide is not a one-size-fits-all, but it should help you at least figure out the basics on where to start.
Comic: Fake News Can Be Deadly. Here’s How To Spot It.
Connie Hanzhang Jin, Miles Parks | NPR
Health officials right now aren’t just having to battle an illness with no known cure or vaccine. They’re having to fight back against Internet trolls and conspiracy theorists. The World Health Organization has labeled the current moment an “infodemic.”
Helen, Help Me: How Will I Know When It’s Time to Eat the Emergency Beans?
Helen Rosner | The New Yorker
While cooking in quarantine, learn how to embrace canned sardines and anchovies, how to expand your spice horizons, and when to start raiding the freezer.
MOMENTS OF LEVITY
1. Is there anything funnier than seeing a weenie dog running?
here’s a happy sausage to brighten your day
(otistheogsausage IG) pic.twitter.com/eueb7M8c4l— Humor And Animals (@humorandanimals) April 15, 2020
2. This one goes out to those who really, really love Fox and the Hound.
Ok are you ready for a cuteness overload…My daughter discovered that we have a family of Foxes living under our garden shed. This is some of the first video footage taken last week. I would say these are about a month old, eyes open and able to forage for themselves. 😊 pic.twitter.com/kRtROj6htb
— Chris Skaife (@ravenmaster1) April 19, 2020
3. Not the COVID news you were looking for—but the corvid news you need.
FUN FACT: apparently, ravens have 17 pinion feathers while a crow only has 16, so really the difference between a crow and a raven is a matter of a pinion
— Jes Layton (@AGeekwithaHat) April 14, 2020
4. There’s nowhere like here.
Driving around New Orleans during the #coronavirus pandemic, when streets are relatively quiet, you still come across moments like this. Blaine Kern Studios transferring Shrek on the back of a trailer through downtown N.O. Photo by Chris Granger #neworleans #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/w33soNBkg3
— Chris Granger (@chris_granger) April 15, 2020
