May 2023
Hey all,
Welcome to another issue of The Dann Chronicles. This newsletter is to coming to about a week later than the usual date. This month has been jam packed, between the new job, travel, and just general life (and by "life" I obviously mean Zelda).
Thanks to my new job, I've been spending more time outdoors this year than I have in the past several years working from home. Without a daily commute, I had to actually find excuses to leave the apartment.
But this year is different. Not only am I commuting to the office, but I've been going in style: an electric scooter has been zipping me from Downtown Brooklyn to SoHo over the Manhattan Bridge. It's been wonderful (and yes, I wear a helmet).
So far, we've had a pretty mild start to summer. Let's see how long that lasts.
-Dann
🍦 We all s'cream
I have a new kitchen toy. I snagged the Ninja CREAMi Deluxe ice cream maker last time it was on sale, and it arrived last week.
If you haven't heard of this miraculous gadget, let me explain. Inside many professional kitchens you'll find a $6,500 Pacojet. First invented in 1988, it held the patent on reverse ice cream making (solid into ice cream, as opposed to the traditional liquid base churned to ice cream).
In 2017, the patent expired. Ninja swooped in and tried their hand at a cheaper consumer-level device. The result is the CREAMi.
I called it a "miraculous gadget" earlier, and that may be an understatement. It turned two containers of Chobani Banana Greek Yogurt, a touch of sugar free vanilla pudding mix, a splash of almond milk, and some peanut butter, into a Talenti-level dessert. No joke, same consistency, and flavor pop.
Having the power to make wickedly-good desserts, while carefully controlling the ingredients, is a super power. Bravo, Ninja.
🏡 WFH FTW or FTL?
With my new job, I'm back in the office five days a week. Not because it's required, but because I want to be there.
It's wonderful that we, as a society, have added locational flexibility to a wide-ranging number of careers post-COVID, but it's easy to focus on the positives of this new arrangement while glossing over the negative ramifications.
One of the greatest penalties, especially for young people, is less supervision (NYT gift article). This lack of instant face-to-face feedback now can result in big career consequences later.
I still see a lot of online hate for us back-to-the-office folks — like we're all out-of-touch boomers who don't understand the concept of work/life balance. But it's way more nuanced than that, and if you're choosing to work remote, it's important to seriously examine the cost of that decision. Maybe it's worth it for you. Maybe it's time for a change.
I think we should continue to have remote work be cool, while also making back-in-the-office cool, too. We can all be cool.
🎙 Mulaney's Private Parts
John Mulaney's new special Baby J is proof that you never really know what goes on in people's private lives. It's both an intimate and harrowing look at Mulaney's intervention and rehab, and our first real glimpse into how bad the seemingly clean-cut comedian has got it.
The standup special, like all feel-good stories, ends on a high note: the star is now clean post-rehab, thanks to the intervention of his friends. But the stories he tells, and the private stories that he only hints at, tell a different story. This is only the beginning of the road for Mulaney.
As a compliment to the new special, I really enjoyed his interview on the Theo Von podcast. The two discuss addiction in detail (each are now sober), and I found myself deeply empathizing, despite never having a crippling drug addiction myself.
🗡️ One game to Hyrule them all
I won't spend too much time talking about the new Zelda game Tears of the Kingdom, because if you know, you know.
I've been thoroughly enjoying (and lovingly? hating) the new game. The map is literally three times bigger than Breath of the Wild, and the all-new abilities (like Ultrahand, Ascend, and Recall) create an all-new game.
Just wanted to chime in and say the hype is real. If this game has been calling to you, go ahead and answer it.
🕵️♂️ Fake Plastic Juries
We (sort of) found out what would happen if The Truman Show existed in real life.
Ronald Gladden got selected to be a member of a jury. He then served on that jury. But the whole thing was fake. From the judge, to the case, to the fellow jury members.
Jury Duty (free to stream on Freevee) is a fun, light watch. Sort of a mix between The Office and The Rehearsal, but not quite as good as either.
I also think it's an interesting show because of the ethical implications. I'm not sure how the production company got his consent before filming, but I'm sure it was done in a legally defensible way. It's just strange to juxtapose that against Gladden's stories of paranoia lingering weeks after filming stopped.
But at least they didn't lock him in a room naked for over a year, right?
End note
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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 just reply to this email.
Also, if you find anything interesting, send it my way.
Thanks for reading. Until next time,
Dann
The Dann Chronicles: May 🌂