strong feelings about the olympics
love 'em
I don’t remember ever not loving the Olympics. From my brief figure skating phase (they said jump with both legs off the ice at the same time and I said pass) when I became obsessed with Sarah Hughes to watching the Athens opening ceremony in the lodge at camp in 2004, taking campers into the counselor lounge to watch archery on a non-flatscreen TV in 2016 and discovering that I weirdly love watching cross country skiing and the biathlon—the Olympics always brings something new and amazing.
Some highlights so far include: Ilona Maher of the US Women’s Rugby Team on BMI (hint: it’s stupid), the internet’s new boyfriend Stephen Nedoroscik of pommel horse excellence (pommel horses are SO weird), Frederick Richard’s insanely perfect high bar routine, Colin Jost in Tahiti (still unclear if it’s a joke) and everything Snoop Dogg and/or FLAVA FLAV.
Though BMIs are, yes, stupid, The AP still put out a chart that tells you what Olympic sport your body is best suited for based on your height and weight. After you find out you aren’t fit to be a rhythmic gymnast, take this quiz on how fast various Olympic projectiles travel in flight.
The Olympics are also a great reason to have the TV on all the time, something I don’t actually need an excuse to do. But it’s the set it and forget it kind of watching where the greatness comes to you instead of you seeking it out. So whether you’re streaming Peacock at 4 am or waiting for prime time highlights, I hope you watch a sport you're unfamiliar with and fall in love with an athlete five minutes after seeing them for the first time.
Other things I’ve felt strongly about:
Nicole Richie as a comic actress (RIP Nikki Fre$h)
I aspire to be like this super-regular at EJ’s
Love ballet, love sneakers, hate the combo
Tried to go to this insane buffet in France but it was booked up for six months!
Trader Joe’s “innovations” may be hiding a more sinister background
I hate the hypocrisy around jewelry in men’s and women’s sports
Apparently in Australia they call “dump and stir” recipe shows “chop and chat”
An insanely amazing piece asking the age old question, “Is a hot dog a sandwich?” (no) and why it matters
If I can turn serious for a moment—and this is very serious—the reason that this is genuinely important, and not just a parlor game, is that people sometimes put a lot of faith in dictionary definitions. In particular, courts use old dictionaries to try to determine what words meant at a time when laws were written. But that is very much not how dictionaries should be used. If it's this hard to determine what a "sandwich" is, what are we supposed to do about words like genocide, or to bear arms? Or woman in reference to a trans woman? People literally die because dictionaries are misused.
Why aren’t you watching Girls5Eva? Paula Pell is a comedy queen
The last of the menu hotlines
The Effect by Lucy Prebble (Succession and I Hate Suzie writer, among other things) was one of the best plays I’ve ever seen
Obsessed with both Ellie the Elephant of the Liberty and the Knicks City Dancers
An interview with the designer of Paul Giamatti’s lazy eye in The Holdovers
Literally just found out Jordan Chiles is named after Michael Jordan and has 100+ pairs of sneakers
Lobsters
And here’s some *work* links:
One-Pan Lemon Pepper Salmon with Gnocchi (SO good)
One Bottle, Endless Possibilities (cocktail quiz!)
Hope you are also watching the women’s gymnastics right now!