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Hey, Claire. I was reading John Gray's latest (https://unherd.com/2020/01/the-rise-of-identitarian-liberalism/), and I wondered what your perspective is on the mania for woke/identity politics, especially from your experience living abroad. Is this a peculiarly American phenomenon, or is it equally prevalent among affluent European twenty-somethings as well? Is it just a passing trend, a cyclical annoyance, or do you think it signifies something deeper about liberalism in general?

On a different note, did you ever get the exercise ball you wanted? I fully support you using my subscription to fund the purchase if need be. After years of exercise at home, I finally joined a gym for the first time at the age of 46, and I'm kicking myself for not having done it sooner, so I'd be honored to support a fellow Gen-Xer in the fight against personal entropy.

My wife would like to contribute a bit to this comment, so I'll pass the laptop to her now:

1. Does this mean we don't get the unabridged essay for the sociology and economics of press-on nails? Because I'm totally here for that.

2. Is there a procrastination group I can join? I'm tops at the whole 'research in lieu of work' thing. I want to find a safe and supportive space for this tendency. Also, did you know that someone has done a lot of research on the best height for the heels of weightlifting shoes based on your height, grip, and femur ratios? I can send you links if you'd like.

3. Top beauty hack: John Frieda Clear Shine Gloss. Basically a hair serum that makes your hair as soft and shiny as a freshly bathed golden retriever. Don't tell your friends you use it, just roll up on their frizzy winter hair and pretend you woke up looking like this.

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Jan 26, 2020Liked by Claire Berlinski

Some miscelleneous thoughts. Because I'm procrastinating....

The thing that's wasting my time is football. Or, rather, withdrawal from it. The season has reached the stage where I hafta wait two whole weeks for a single game. And then it's all over. Total, complete, frozen turkey withdrawal. No more football after the Super Bowl for *months*. It's gonna be a long, cold summer. Under the boardwalk, down by the sea just doesn't cut it.

And editing a story. Talk about boring. Jeez. I already know how it comes out.

Oh, and looking for answers to questions about journalism ethics....

For true procrastination, though, take up the trumpet. Here's an example of what you could spend your time doing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk6kmnnzCfI Or, if you want a real challenge, get your own guitar--a real one--and learn flamenco: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c7JHsDyv2w

"AOC has been criticized for many things, but never for looking ratty."

Well, of course not. Conservatives aren't sexist. Besides, calling Ocasio-Cortez ratty-looking would insult innocent rats. And Bernie.

Oh, and what kind of cheap wine gets served in plastic cups--the kind sold in wax-lined cardboard boxes? Certainly not anything from the Mosel Valley or Tauber Valley. (And: the best looking stick-on nails I saw in this whole piece were those on the finger tips in that image of the cheap vino in the plastic cup.)

Eric Hines

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I'm trying to figure out how I can turn my answer to this into "an honest morning's work," but I just don't see the opening here. What kind of cheap wine gets served in plastic cups? Well, the cheap kind, I guess.

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Or maybe in a week's time you could do a piece on the Super Bowl. Ease the misery of some of your faithful readers.

Eric Hines

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In the States, any wine served from a screw-cap bottle matches well.

Or some Mad Dog 20/20, or Boone's Farm. Something you might still get from Great Britain after Brexit finally goes through would be Buckfast Tonic.

For the connoisseur, maybe some good, ol' Franzia. For a (smallish) step up, some Carlo Rossi jug wine (not to be confused with down home jug whiskey fresh from the still, aging in the bottle).

Or [gasp] cold duck.

Maybe you could do a piece on the wines of France compared with the wines of Germany.

Eric Hines

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Jan 26, 2020Liked by Claire Berlinski

Hi Claire, thank you so much for this installment of your newsletter: I opened it hoping to procrastinate from a bit of work I really need to get done this afternoon, and was unexpectedly delighted by the discussion of press-on nails. I am of the perhaps very narrow demographic of man that has no particular inhibitions about wearing painted nails, but is incredibly shy about actually ever going to the nail salon. Perhaps this is the solution I need to finally live my manicured dream?

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Thank you so much for giving me a task with which to start my day! Yes, you're in a very narrow demographic: I've never before encountered a man with no inhibitions about wearing painted nails but a shyness about nail salons. What's your manicure vision? Is it something subtle and natural-looking, or are you eager to sport sparkly talons? I'll steer you in the right direction.

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I'm not looking for anything too outrageous. I'm thinking a splash of color and perhaps a little sparkle. Something that can complete a weekend look, but not be too outrageous for the (admittedly very open-minded) office. I am even open to the one-sparkly-nail idea!

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