Bird wife – 24/7 French funk radio – Mind-body separation
...and other recs this week!
Kia ora, welcome to this week’s newsletter.
And, if you live in Auckland, welcome to level three step one aka the outdoor catch-up era. This plus daylight saving the other week no doubt equals many barbecues being fired up across the nation, which brings me seamlessly to talking about... vegetarian sausages. Which ones are the nice ones again? Luckily we conducted a comprehensive and mostly very fun blind taste test to answer this very question back in March. Have a read before you hit the supermarket this summer so you don’t accidentally buy one of the gross ones.
–Cal
This week’s new podcasts
On the final Business is Boring [Apple | Spotify] (for now), Simon Pound spoke with Boring Oat Milk founder Morgan Maw about getting a NZ-made oat milk onto shelves.
On When the Facts Change [Apple | Spotify], Bernard Hickey spoke with Kiwibank CEO Steve Jurkovich and B Corp ambassador Tim Jones about B Corp certification and why more and more companies are doing it.
On The Fold [Apple | Spotify], Duncan Greive spoke with The Spinoff’s creative director and cartooning legend Toby Morris about his new book Dad Man Walking and comics journalism.
The Gone By Lunchtime [Apple | Spotify] crew returned to assess the various (and already probably out of date) opposition Covid plans and pathways.
And The Real Pod [Apple | Spotify] continues to dive into the new season of Celebrity Treasure Island and deliver all the usual Real News, Real Life and other bits and pieces.
Subscribe and listen now wherever you get your podcasts!
Chelsea Jade on FIRST
What hasn’t Chelsea Jade done in the name of art? “I've gripped a block of ice in the freezing cold for an entire day; I've been on stilts, which I don't know how to do; I've had a high-powered fan blown into my face,” she says listing just some of the highlights. Then there’s her “creepy” childhood hobby – find out what it was in this week’s FIRST!
Extremely Online: How do I get out of this free trial?
Have you ever signed up for a free trial and then checked a month later to see that you’d been automatically charged the day it expired? Or struggled to close an ad because the x button is too hard to see? These techniques are called ‘Dark Patterns’, and they’re designed to trick us into doing things we wouldn’t usually do. Find out more in this week’s episode of Extremely Online, from the team at Shit You Should Care About.
Chris and Walnut
Before we go any further you simply must read this tweet about a man (Chris) and his bird wife (Walnut).
Canal Funk
Charlotte says: “I recommend this French radio station, Canal Funk, which you can stream live from Paris. It's endless funk, R&B and house disco which is the perfect accoutrement to never-ending dinners and Friday night living room dance parties with your bubble. It was a random find in our flat at the start of lockdown and we've never stopped being charmed by the idea that while we're dancing to an absolute bop like this in our tiny little flat at 11pm, someone, probably named Aurélie or Édouard, is listening while grabbing a croissant for lunch (they would call it déjeuner fyi). Among the endless bad news, there's something comforting about the linearity of radio, especially one like this with no adverts – it's just continuous happy times. Dance through the pain 🥲”
Professional Musicians React
Te Aihe says: “Ignore the clickbaity name – Professional Musicians React is in fact an insightful and slick YouTube series created by the creative geniuses behind Scary Pockets, Pomplamoose and (bizarrely) Patreon. Each episode features a different selection of professionally-musical guests who collectively listen to, and expertly break down, a song or album. Give episode one a hoon and maybe like me you’ll discover a newfound appreciation for Olivia Rodrigo.”
Loose Balls
Duncan says: “I’ve been reading Loose Balls, an oral history of the American Basketball Association. It’s over 30 years old, and honestly not the most crafted book there’s ever been. But I’ve always been curious about the ABA because of its audacity – starting a sports league is inherently a hugely risky business – and because it had a culture of relentless innovation, and it really delivers on comic detail. The league popularised the three point shot, pioneered the dunk contest, took players the NBA had banned and made them stars and kinda trolled the NBA by doing weird / annoying things like stealing all its refs. But it was mainly endearingly ramshackle, its players flying 4-5 economy class legs to play in deserted arenas, and never had a good TV deal. Which makes its ultimate triumph – merging with the NBA, winning when it got there and bringing in the modern kinetic playing style – all the more satisfying.”
@doobydobap
Alyssa says: “I recommend following Korean food influencer @doobydobap on Instagram or TikTok – her recipes are sooooo good, I love the late night snack ones she does. I think she’s trending too, I’ve seen a few friends share her recipes.”
Lighting a candle
Sam says: “Guaranteed to improve your day anywhere from 5-10% – especially if you live in an apartment or somewhere that doesn’t have a huge outdoor area – is a simple scented candle! It’s a nice way to make a space that’s been your cage for eight weeks feel just a little bit different. I can especially recommend Samāori’s coconut latte candle, Living Light’s Black Iris or if you can spend a pretty penny, Curionoir’s Irtiu Nefertiti candle.”
Separating mind from body
Bel says: “I’d like to recommend separating mind from body. Sometimes, when it all gets too much, you can lie down on the floor, close your eyes and summon the best last memory you had to pretend you’re still living it. Possible both stationary and moving, it’s proven to be a good technique to employ at anxious supermarkets and when standing at the kitchen bench with all the ingredients laid out wondering what the hell to cook.”
That’s all for this week! Please reply to get in touch and share with anyone else who might like to subscribe too. See you next Wednesday 👋