A return to normal
Tippets by Taps #155: Biden, Browsing Netflix, Michael Scott and social class, chicken, and more. Enjoy!
Happy Sunday! I hope the weekend brought some relaxation, rejuvenation, and exhalation. A warm welcome to the new Tippets readers who are getting this for the first time! If you're reading this, not yet subscribed, and looking to receiving Tippets alongside the other similarly curious, intelligent people who've already subscribed, click below! 😄
Also, a big thank you to everyone who sent me book recommendations following the My Year in Books: 2020 issue. I have added A Problem From Hell by Samantha Power, Educated by Tara Westover, A Theory of Justice by John Rawls, and Draft No. 4 by John McPhee to my list. Please keep them coming (especially your favorite fiction reads)!
On Wednesday, January 20th, 2021 the United States inaugurated its 46th President. Despite the abnormal circumstances surrounding the peaceful transition of power - COVID-19, the horrific events of January 6th, the previous President not in attendance for the first time in 150 years after disputing the election results - there was an incredible feeling of ‘normal’ that exuded from the event. A President’s schedule that reflected the stature of the office. A President taking the oath on a bible of significant personal meaning. A President’s speech aiming to unify rather than divide, talking about how America will “lead not by the example of our power but by the power of our example." A great, global exhalation after four years that have been anything but normal.
The star of the show was undoubtedly Amanda Gorman. The youngest person to ever deliver a poem at an inauguration, at 22 years young she demonstrated poise, grace, and wisdom well beyond her years. I’m including the video below because it is certainly worth watching. If you’ve already seen it, it’s worth watching again. The full text is here.
Gorman’s selection speaks volumes about the incoming President. He certainly knew his words, while inspiring in their own right, would not be the highlight of the event. Instead, and in stark contrast to the previous office holder, he let the promise put forth by a future generation shine as the day’s brightest star. Normal.
And with a great meme to boot.
Other Tippets from around the web:
Netflix confirms Shuffle Play feature will officially launch this year
There are two questions in the Taparia household that cause the most stress. The first: What do you want to order for dinner? The second: What should we watch? At this point, our evenings usually end with us scrolling for 15 minutes trying to find a show or a movie that suits the mood, only to inevitably realize it’s gotten too late for us to really watch anything so we might as well just get some sleep, particularly given the newborn will likely wake up very shortly. Thankfully, Netflix may be answering the second.
Netflix’s COO and chief product officer Greg Peters said the feature is designed for users to “indicate to us that they just want to skip browsing entirely, click one button and we’ll pick a title for them just to instantly play.”
This cannot come soon enough.
Side note: I highly recommend the new Netflix show, Lupin. It’s just the right amount of drama and excitement without being too stressful. There aren’t enough episodes for it to be a guilty pleasure, but it’s a fun one.
McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, Popeyes and Other Chains Bite Into the Fervor for Chicken Sandwiches
With the fast-food hype machine focused on burger substitutes made by the likes of Impossible Foods, Beyond Meat, and others, the original burger substitute - chicken - is having a cluck-aissance of its own. Chicken overtook beef as the "most-consumed meat per capita in 1992", but last year took it to a whole other level. Over 200 different chicken sandwiches were promoted by top restaurants and fast-food chains in 2020, up a whopping 22% year over year. Considered a healthier sandwich than a burger (and yes, a burger is a sandwich, don’t @ me), chicken sandos have also proven more profitable. This has restaurants spending upwards of $3,000 per store to buy special equipment specifically to make these tasty bites. For all you poultry lovers out there, expect to see more restaurants double down on the bird. Just maybe avoid getting the Double Down yourself…
The Michael Scott Theory of Social Class
Alex Danco is a writer you need to know (and I strongly encourage you to sign up for his newsletter). I found his latest essay, “The Michael Scott Theory of Social Class”. The basic premise: The higher you ascend the ladder of the Educated Gentry class, the more you become Michael Scott from The Office. A funny and thought-provoking read, this one is well worth your time.
A Few Thoughts on Writing
I’m a big fan of Morgan Housel, clearly evidenced by the number of times I have brought his work to you in Tippets (his book, The Psychology of Money, was my first one of the year). He published some thoughts on writing last week that I thought were particularly appropriate for anyone who writes anything (yes, that includes you).
If you have an idea but think “someone has already written that” just remember there are 1,010 published biographies of Winston Churchill.
Good ideas can’t be scheduled.
Most good writing is a byproduct of good reading.
Quote I’m thinking about:
“When day comes we step out of the shade,
aflame and unafraid
The new dawn blooms as we free it
For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it”
- Amanda Gorman
If you have feedback on anything mentioned above or have interesting links/papers/books that you think would be worth sharing in future issues of Tippets, please reach out! Click the feedback link below, reply to this email, or DM me on Twitter at @taps.