links week thirteen
Ah, I’ve returned to the Americas. This week, Japan started quarantining as well, so I just missed the cutoff there and was largely able to enjoy wandering around like usual. I still tried to socially distance while I was in Tokyo and Osaka however, and I even blogged about it in five parts. Overall, it was a strange trip, but a fun one. I hope I get to travel back to Japan again in November after the quarantine ends.
I hope you’ve been enjoying your time at home, with your loved ones and pets, or if you’re still going in to work, thank you for helping take care of the rest of us. I went grocery shopping today, and everyone was thanking the employees for their service the whole time, which was nice to hear. I sincerely hope this whole thing leads us to believing in socialized medicine for everyone, because this most certainly won’t be the only medical crisis we face in the next 50 years. Hopefully if you’re reading this, you also agree.
- Now that you’re stuck at home, maybe you can try cutting your own hair. My entire childhood included haircuts from my dad in the garage with one of these. I hated the sound of the shopvac, but I suppose it saved us money as a family. We were definitely style innovators in the 90s.
- Jenny wrote this essay before the quarantine, but it’s certainly more true now than ever that we’re unable to be self-reliant. We’re all in this together, it turns out.
- I write most things these days on an iPad, and the new 2020 iPad Pros just launched. Whether I’m traveling, or sitting at home with my iPad plugged in to a monitor, it’s an amazing computer. With the launch of iOS 13.4, Apple reinvented the mouse cursor in a whole new, fun way.
- While I’m at home, I’m rediscovering some nerdy teen hobbies, like Gunpla. Despite a #gunpla channel at work, I’d resisted the siren song of plastic models until I faced the prospect of months alone at my apartment. I’m kind of excited to have some time to really devote to reading and making tiny robots.
- I’ve got a big queue of books to get through, and this week I’m enjoying the sci-fi tale of a lesbian tech CEO which I’m reading along with my book club. It’s a fun romp through space with a strange cast of characters.
- Finally, do you miss folks laughing at your jokes at work? No fear! You can summon laughter at will with this button. There’s also an instant rap air horn, naturally.
It’s scary out there, so I hope you’re staying safe and managed to find some toilet paper amidst the bizarre hoarding. It’s too bad more bathrooms here don’t have washlets. Maybe you’re watching Tiger King, hoping more films go straight to Netflix or Apple TV, or just collecting as many bells as you can to pay off that bastard Tom Nook—however you spend your week, keep washing your hands, and checking in with your loved ones. See you next week, space cowgirls~