January 2021
Hey all,
Happy new year! How’s your outlook for 2021 looking?
I’ve got a snowflake in the subject of the email, but it looks like that’s only wishful thinking for now. It’s now been five years since we had a proper snow storm here in New York City (endless plowing, snow piles that last for weeks) and I’m ready. Although now that we’re subtropical, I have me doubts.
Aaaanyway. One of my goals with this newsletter was to connect with people that I haven’t connected with in a while. If you’re reading this, I’d love to hear from you. What are you up to these days? How are you staying connected socially through all this? Me, I started a newsletter, among other things.
Reply to this email and let me know what’s up. Or enjoy it in silence. Whatever works for you!
Have a great week.
-Dann
Leaving it all behind
💊 Notorious “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli was in the news again just last week for being denied early prison release for a second time. But now, whenever I hear his name, I just think of this haunting profile of an ex-Bloomberg journalist that left her husband and job after falling in love with the subject of her reporting: Shkreli himself.
Feels complicated, man
🐸 Matt Furie, the creator of Pepe the Frog, had no idea that his creation was submerged in water, let alone water that was rapidly coming to a boil. What started as a trippy comic warped as it was hijacked by hate groups until it became the very symbol of hate. Do check out the documentary Feels Good Man if you haven’t yet. It’s a complicated story (with lots of potential for cringe since it’s an internet-first story) but wonderfully told.
I just picked up his new book Mindviscosity, and it’s enthralling. It feels good to be helping this artist re-claim his creation, man.
Cut my life into pieces
🎤 This 26-minute oral history of Papa Roach’s Last Resort held my attention way more than I expected.
The ol’ switcharoo
🎞 Sometimes a movie picks you up by the throat and throws you around the room. One such film is Come to Daddy, which I’d been sleeping on but finally watched this past month. It’s very much up my alley. If you like dark, deeply disturbing comedies, you might like it, too.
Proper munch
🍿 Speaking of movies, I miss going to the movies. It’s about more than just watching a film. It’s the ritual of picking a showtime, buying a ticket, and filing into the theater. Of watching trailers with a room packed with people and chowing down on popcorn.
Speaking of popcorn (btw I’m thinking of re-naming this newsletter to Dann’s Popcorn Monthly), I just found out that you can make movie theater popcorn at home. All it takes is a dash of the secret ingredient flavacol mixed with a bit of coconut oil. Pro-tip: you just need 1/8th teaspoon for one serving of popcorn, which is much less than the directions on the carton.
End note
If you've enjoyed this, I'd love it if you shared it with a friend. You can send them here to sign up.
I'll be sending out these emails once per month, and I'm happy you're along for the ride. I'm trying to make it one of the best things that arrives in your inbox each month, so thoughts and feedback are always appreciated. You can always just reply to this email.
Also, if you find anything interesting this week, send it my way.
Thanks for reading. Until next time,
Dann