Alexandra Charitan

Jan 19

Jan 19 Happy Friday!

Things that happened recently:

Everyone is talking about Aziz Ansari this week—here are two good articles that I think do a good job of explaining why this story matters and why it's not just as simple as "she should've just left."

The flu is particularly nasty this year, and ever since reading this book about the 1918 pandemic I've been terrified of living through a similar situation. Apparently the flu shot is even less effective this year than in year's past, so be careful out there, wash your hands and don't be that jerk who comes into work sick and infects your coworkers!

I never thought it would happen, but the basket-shaped Longaberger Basket headquarters in Newark, Ohio has finally sold—and while the new owners will repurpose the inside, they intend to keep the iconic basket shape.

Things to do in New York this weekend:

Today is Edgar Allan Poe's birthday (happy 209th, Edgar!) and tomorrow the Bronx HIstorical Society will celebrate his life "with an illustrated presentation about his famous work experience living in the Bronx." The free event will be held at the Poe Visitor Center, located right next to Poe's cottage on Grand Concourse in the Bronx.

I've taken several tours at Green-Wood Cemetery and they're always excellent. This Saturday you can take a Dead Distillers Trolley Tour, and visit the Green-Wood residents with connections to whiskey distilling. The tour also includes a tour and tasting at Kings County Distillery in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. If you can't make the tour, you can read the book or read my review of it here.

Can you believe it's been an entire year since the Women's March? There are anniversary marches all over the country, and I'm planning to join the one here on Saturday.

Things I've discovered this week:

I caved and finally ordered this bathmat that I don't need but definitely wanted. It's backordered until February, but it will be a nice surprise whenever it shows up.

Like the rest of the Internet, I'm obsessed with the Google Arts and Culture app. I keep getting matched with pasty old Dutch women in bonnets and young men (pretty accurate, tbh) and I'm still laughing at this tweet.

I started reading From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death this week and my copy had a postcard slipped inside about the art exhibit, Icons in Ash (I bought my copy at a book signing event with the author at Green-Wood Cemetery). The New York exhibition unfortunately ended in May, but Heide Hatry's cremation portraits (using actual cremains to create a portrait of the deceased) are incredible.

So David and I are going to Florida on the 27th, but I thought it was this weekend until a few days ago, so I basically discovered an entire week in January that I didn't know existed. We never got to watching The Godfather parts 2 and 3 last weekend but it's supposed to be warmer this weekend so maybe that will have to wait until we feel like hibernating again. On Saturday I'm planning to join the Women's March here in the city (details above) and I'm looking forward to being able to shed a few layers since the high is supposed to hit 50 (a heat wave!). I hope you have a good weekend, wherever you're spending it!