Newsletter: week of Nov. 25

Yesterday was Thanksgiving Day here in the US. At my family's house, that means eating a lot of turkey and playing board games, which this year included Incohearent, Ticket to Ride, and some Wavelength.

It was a tough day on the rails for me, with a third-place finish in Ticket to Ride.

In the spirit of giving thanks, I wanted to take a moment to thank you, Bud, for your continued support. The last few months have been incredible, and much of that wouldn't have been possible without you. Thank you <3

Now, onto all the things I read, watched, and listened to this week! As always, please feel free to add yours in the comments.

Things I read:

• More iPhone 17 "Air" rumors?

There are many good theories in this Reddit post, but before we even get to that, does anyone think this is real? And if it is, would you buy one? (I would not, out of fear that the first gen will, without a doubt, bend in my back pocket.)

• Bad influence

This was a fascinating read about two influencers in a legal battle over similar "clean girls" aesthetics and whether or not one has copied the other. In my favorite line from the piece, Mia writes, "If the argument is that Sheil is duplicating Gifford’s existence, there’s something to be said about the fact that the items both of them promote are also imitations of someone else’s work."

• A social media ban in Australia for children under 16

I feel lucky to have spent most of my childhood free of smartphones and social media. What a luxury to go through puberty without fearing everything we do could be posted online! But I also recognize that the internet can provide community and space for folks who can't readily find those things at home. It is a double-edged sword that makes regulation very tough, and it will be interesting to see if any other countries adopt similar regulations.

• The iPod shuffle will NOT receive Apple intelligence.

If only! 😂

Things I watched:

• How ‘Wicked’ Built Immersive Real-Life Sets

Nine million tulips! They planted NINE MILLION TULIPS, folks. This was such a cool look into just how much thought went into building the practical sets of Wicked.

• You Can Make a Netflix Style Doc About Literally Anything

Not much has changed for Netflix documentaries in the three years since this video came out, haha. But it if it ain't broke don't fix it.

• MOUNTAINS NOT FOR PROFIT

A great little doc about the few non-profit, locally owned ski mountains left in the US.

Things I listened to:

• Ed Sheeran - Plus Medley (2024 Acoustic Boat Sessions)

This made me realize just how many Ed Sheeran songs I know. It also made me wonder what cameras they rigged onto that boat and how many of them there were. I think I recognize a Sony A1 or A9 from one of the opening shots. 👀

• This week's low-key playlist I worked to

I spent much of this week writing a script about the Sony RX100 while listening to this playlist.

And some new-to-me artists like Beth Hart, Porches, and Candi Staton. How about you??

Alright folks! Cheers to the weekend. -Becca