Day pass

September 2, 2021

Listen: Boomerang by Yebba

Would you believe a song called “Boomerang” is about Karma? Oh, you WOULD? Let’s talk about the writer, then. Yebba, for everyone who never learned her name, is the one who did the background vocals on Chance The Rapper’s “Same Drugs.” She also won a Grammy for singing on PJ Morton’s “How Deep Is Your Love.” But everyone will know Yebba for her solo work soon, since her debut album is coming out next week. Enjoy this spunky single in the meantime (produced by Mark Ronson— star power coming at you from every angle).

Got your day pass?

I feel like in the old days (by which I mean, the ’90s), every other PSA was like, “get outside, you video-game-playing bum, enjoy the great outdoors!” Now, practically anywhere you go, you need a reservation to go on a hike. It makes sense— we have to restrict access to keep the earth from eroding too quickly underneath our feet. But it’s not just the trails that have too many humans. Just ask Venice, which is so overcrowded even during Delta days that they’re instating a day trip fee. I don’t quite understand how these stories paired with climate change don’t add up to a louder conversation about overpopulation. (Probably because it freaks the economists out.)

Surge price everything

Of course, there have never not been too many people in New York City, and now that the Millennial Lifestyle Subsidy is officially ded and Uber is charging what it actually costs to operate, people are flocking back to old-school taxis. According to data from the app that lets you call taxis as if they’re Ubers (which surely contributes to this shift), taxi rides increased to the tune of 150% between April and July. That’s maximum whiplash for minimum car crash right there.

Surge upstate

For takes on taxis as well as teeming trails, you might consult Human, a creative agency that, according to Curbed, has moved its Manhattan headquarters to a motel they bought The Catskills. A closer look at the story reveals that actually it’s just the agency’s owners who moved to the motel; everyone else works remotely and occasionally shows up to help out, which still sounds pretty good? One of you must know someone who works there— tell us how it’s really going.

An upgrade to your remote life $

Whether you’re upstate, in your office, or living some sort of influencer life, I bet you’re doing some kind of live-streaming. If so, you should know about Stream Club, a platform that helps you design, produce, and broadcast a designer-quality livestream with next to no effort. Their tools help you design your backdrop in just a few minutes with fun backgrounds, gifs and stickers— and the service lets you stream to YouTube, Twitch, FB Live, and more all at once. It’s easy and fun, and more importantly, makes you look very aesthetically skillful, even if you are very not. Get a leg up on this whole internet thing and check out Stream Club here.

If you’re catching the vibe that I just read Braiding Sweetgrass,* your vibe receptors are functioning correctly.

Margot

 

*I’m also recommending it to everyone obviously and as a general rule, lady friends are more receptive than my dudes. I think this is related to the title, and also to the matriarchy of it all. Fellow readers, can you confirm?

$ = sponsored