How is everyone’s weekend going? I spent the day Saturday at the Wisconsin State Fair just outside of Milwaukee (brats, pig races and cream puffs…where else on earth can a person experience all three in the same place?) The fair was the third large scale event I’ve attended in the past week.
First, Lollapalooza in Chicago last Saturday (July 31). Then a Milwaukee Brewers baseball game at their stadium, Miller Park on Wednesday, and finally the state fair.
What did all three have in common? Aside from the vaccine card check sham at Lolla (which I wrote about earlier in the week), every experience has been as it was pre-Covid. Huge crowds, lots of traffic, expensive concessions (it’s impossible to find a canned drink for less than $8) and…no restrictions.
And it’s been glorious. I hope all of you are having the same experiences this summer.
Let’s proceed with the Six.
Vaccine Success, Media Misery: Is Good News Taboo?
Remember the old phrase about television news, “if it bleeds it leads?” It appears we are in era where this worldview is shared by everyone. The constant drumbeat of negative headlines is pervasive in our culture as we sit here in mid-summer 2021. Matt Taibbi, who publishes the excellent TK News newsletter, takes a stab at the commodification of bad news and how good news (like the fact the COVID-19 vaccine is working) gets buried and flushed away.
Reporter’s Daily Clashes with Biden Press Secretary Must Watch Theater.
I’m old enough to remember when Helen Thomas, the ageless white house correspondent, would always get the first question at White House press briefings. The president at the time, whether it be JFK or Barack Obama, would always respectfully yield to Thomas and call her by her first name. Those times are long gone. We witnessed the elevated conflict during Trump’s presidency, and now, with Biden (although not nearly as contentious.) The Washington Post takes a look at the daily quarrel sessions between Fox News reporter Peter Doocy and Biden press secretary, Jen Psaki. A good read.
What is The Net Worth Of Alabama Football Coach Nick Saban?
Earlier this week, Alabama football coach Nick Saban agreed to a new contract at Alabama. Saban, who turns 70 later this year, reportedly signed an eight-year contract worth $84 million. If there’s any coach in sports, college or professional, worth that money it’s probably Saban. But the author of the story, Joe Pompliano of the newsletter Huddle Up argues how Saban remains underpaid. One stat from the article that stands out—when Saban was hired in 2007, the University of Alabama had an enrollment of around 25,000. That number has now increased to 40,000. The “Saban effect” has impacted Alabama well beyond the football field.
The 8 Simple Rules Of Coffee Shop Etiquette.
We’ve all spent time in a busy Starbucks, late for work or an appointment, and feeling that slow burn of annoyance at the customers in front of us. Does anyone just order coffee anymore? is a frequent question I mutter under my breath while waiting my turn in line or at the drive thru. If we are ticked off, imagine a barista? They have to take the full brunt of a customer’s often-ridiculous demands. Business Insider polled a bunch of coffee shop workers which produced answers on the best practices for etiquette when stopping by your neighborhood Starbucks or Java house.
Smell Me Later: The Weird Science Of How Smell Attracts.
All this time, people in search of their soulmates were perhaps doing it wrong: swiping instead of...wiping—to be precise, wiping one’s post-workout perspiration onto a cotton pad. Welcome to the world of smell-dating, where participants engage in high-intensity exercise so their perspiration-drenched cotton pads can be collected and placed in anonymous containers. And then… well, everyone lines up to sniff the smelly samples for their potential soulmates. A fun, breezy read from The Walrus.
Anaconda On The Loose In Florida. For The Second Time.
I don’t understand the mentality of people who choose to own pet snakes. But they exist. In Florida (of course Florida) an 11-foot yellow Anaconda snake managed to claw out of the owner’s home and has not been found (I’m sure the neighbors are thrilled!) This pesky reptile has done this before, escaping from the owner’s home. It slithered out into the wild four years ago. Check out the video just below the story’s headline…that’s one long, slippery snake.
Have a great rest of your weekend everybody. Thanks for reading as always.
Have a suggestion for the Sunday Six? Send email to jon@jonjkerr.com