Good morning, fam!
Looks like we made it back from Europe just in time for the entire continent to melt, although we’re not faring much better here.
If you can, keep your butts inside and enjoy some of the recs below. Lemme know if anything tickles your fancy over on Twitter.
Without further ado, load up your favorite HitClip, sneak some Dunkaroos, and let’s get into it.
Here’s what I have for you this morning:
About once a year, I reread one of my favorite books ever. The War of Art by Steven Pressfield1 is a much-needed kick in the pants for anyone who wants to become a creative professional. It’s a quick read that packs more oomph into every page than any other book I can think of.
I finished Ms. Marvel on Disney+ this week and whether you’re into Marvel shows or not, it’s 100% worth checking out. Iman Vellani plays Kamala Khan, a Muslim American teen growing up in Jersey City who copes with newfound super powers and honestly, this is some of the best casting I’ve seen in any Marvel property. Bonus: the art direction and animated flourishes give it one of the coolest vibes in TV right now.
During our weekly movie night, my friends and I finally gave The Northman a shot. Definitely a bit of a mind fuck. Think The Green Knight meets…well, vikings and then sprinkle in some mommy issues. The entire time, we were waiting for Nicole Kidman to turn to the camera and deliver her AMC theaters monologue.
Do you like cats?2 Are you a fan of dystopian, futuristic worlds without humans? Stray for PS5 finally came out and it’s the short escape we all need from the harsh hellscape that is the real world. I never knew being a cat could be so cathartic. It’s so realistic, real cats are getting into it.
New favorite snack alert! My wife made the mistake of bringing home these Bamba snacks from Trader Joe’s and I promptly tore through the entire bag. They’re like the regular Bamba puffed peanut and corn snacks, but they have HAZELNUT FILLING, which makes literally everything better.
During a night out, we went to Small Change (easily one of the best cocktail spots in St. Louis) and I tried their “Stars Into Obscurity” - think mezcal meets grapefruit Soju. They even put the Soju through a SodaStream!3
Remember when we all used to download music (and viruses) for free on our family’s PC? Well, here’s something I never thought I would say in 2022: LimeWire is back! Instead of sketchily copping the newest NSYNC track, you can now dive into the confusing world of music-based NFTs. I’ll take HitClips4 any day.
As a fan of hot takes, I couldn’t help but vote for my favorites in NYT’s “Summer’s Hottest Takes.” For example: “Seventy-eight degrees is actually the perfect summer temperature. It’s the perfect temperature, you bozos.” Wrong. Sixty-nine degrees (nice) inside is the perfect temperature. Year round. Come at me.
Anyone else get into pickleball during COVID? Could it really save America?
Have you ever found yourself wondering, “How the heck do you get into tech?”
You made it to the end! Here’s a little somethin’ somethin’.
Cheers,
Billy
You know, the guy that wrote The Legend of Bagger Vance.
The furry pets, not the nightmare-inducing movie based on the equally disturbing musical.
The Leo in me was very happy about this extra detail :)
Boom! Two HitClips references in one episode. You’re welcome.