What's IN/OUT this week

Dave doesn’t want me to buy the art pictured below, and you will probably agree that he is wrong. If it wasn’t $300+ I would disregard his opinion and hang it above our bed.

IN: Gatekeeping. An annual, neighborhood-wide garage sale was held last weekend. I’ve known about it for years (haven’t attended, for whatever reasons), but I noticed announcements for it overwhelmed my Instagram feed, and many of my friends voiced their plans to attend. Great for the sellers, I hope, but it did get me thinking of all the times I've seen places I love get a little too much exposure online. To the influencers blasting information under the title of “the city’s best-kept secret:” I will wreck you if you post from my favorite dive bar. OUT: Talking (let’s bring it back). A recent study found that people spoke 388 fewer words in 2019 than they did in 2005 — or a 28% reduction. “This loss of words reflects real spoken conversations, big ones and small ones, that we stopped having with others,” the authors wrote. Let’s all chat more. Hell, yesterday morning I had a Good Idea In The Shower (GIITS)™ and immediately called my friend Jessica to hash it out. We chatted for half an hour while I sat wrapped in my towel. Sharing (your thoughts) is caring.

IN: Landmansplained. My pal Keren Landman launched her newsletter and it is fantastic. She’s a journalist, epidemiologist, and physician (brag) who writes about public health, medical misinformation, and more — but she’s also funny and conversational and exactly who you want explaining ebola and cruise ship virus outbreaks to you. Subscribe!! OUT: Mansplaining (AI edition). It has been a real joy to watch rightfully upset college graduates boo commencement speakers who sing the praises of AI — maybe the purest definition of “know your audience.” In China, where AI is taking off like crazy, youth unemployment sits at 17%, so of course grads are a bit wary of the technology that is largely affecting entry-level jobs. Speakers are better off reading from the No. 1 book for graduates and calling it a day.

IN: The dog beach. Even after a three-mile run, a couple of hours on a bar patio, and the two-mile walk to the beach, Dottie dug deep and managed to be one of the most maniacal dogs there. It was her very first visit! She drank 20 gallons of Lake Michigan and pooped directly in the water. OUT: Lilacs. Although let me say this: The extension of lilac season this year — due to cooler spring temps — was pretty sensational. Sad to see them go, but I am elated that we’re onto PEONIE SEASON!!!!!! This is a very important time for me (cc: Dave), especially as someone who relates deeply to their whole overly dramatic, heavy-headed thing.

IN: Hosting someone else’s party. I played host for my dear friend Anna’s birthday get-together, and this is my New York Times Letter of Recommendation pitch: You fill your home with someone else’s guest list, spend time with folks you maybe only know tangentially or are just meeting for the first time, and it’s all completely low stakes because it’s not really your party. OUT: Party hosting (tech bro edition). A venture capital firm has begun offering “etiquette class” for young tech founders to learn skills like wine pairings, hosting, and fundraising. It’s intended to provide them with the soft skills required for winning people over — you know, things that technology cannot help them with. One 23-year-old attendee told The Wall Street Journal, “We can’t be weird forever.” You can, actually. Just… not like that.

Tell me what you hated this week!