The Sunday Digest 182
"It's like a mighty melody that rings down from the sky."
Welcome to The Sunday Digest — a free Sunday newsletter featuring long (and some short) reads, original columns, things I’ve saved over the last week, relaxing playlists, episodes releases, exclusive product drops, and more. Yes, you can reply to this email. I’d love to hear from you.
Sunday Read: The Case for Telling Total Strangers to Shut Up
by August Thompson for The New York Times
We all stood with anticipation for what was coming next. Las Vegas’s Sphere is a venue that you can’t help but remember vividly. Given that it was the first night of the Dead and Company residency, it was even more of a night that I knew I’d remember vividly.
As Bob Weir took the stage for the final portion of the show, there was something going on in the row in front of us. I tried to block it out until I couldn’t. The people in front of us decided to invite a few more people to their row whether they’d fit or not. While they weren’t crowding me directly, I could still tell that others were quite annoyed. But then, her voice made everyone annoyed.
“This show has been soooooooo sick.”
“My dad was actually at one of the original Acid Tests.”
“The screen is sooooooo cool.”
Her voice was like nails on a chalkboard. Not just because she was talking during an intimate portion of the show, but also because… well, she just had a terrible-sounding voice. While I’ve gotten good at tuning out talkers (or “chompers” in that community), it was the first time I just wanted to scream, “Can you shut up?”
Luckily, someone else did before I could. Here’s an excerpt from today’s read:
Shushing was once commonplace, if a little snooty and silly. Now, however, a phone-addicted culture has made us all seemingly oblivious to just how annoying we are in public. Our ways of being annoying have worsened: People take pictures at the cinema, flash on; they watch entire movies on the train without headphones. As selfishness is normalized, calling people out for their bad behavior has become more fraught.
Read in full here through my gift link.
Also read:
The Sunday Haiku: “Short week, short week, short week.”
A slow Sunday off
and a short week coming up
so I can’t complain.
New Episode › Retail Therapy 155: Sustainable Tanning
Everlane gets acquired by the least likely company to acquire them, Timothee Chalamet gets a babygirl-esque makeover, an NYC blunt rotation, whether fake tans are a status symbol or not, dirty martini sours, Deck Shoe Summer, wishlist items, and more.
Listen to Retail Therapy on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and anywhere else podcasts are found. You can also follow Retail Therapy on Substack.
Things I Saved This Week
Background Noise: Waking Up Above Port de Sóller
A quiet morning watching boats go in and out of Port de Sóller at Jumeirah Mallorca. For more views from hotel rooms, check out the playlist on our YouTube.
My Sunday To-Do List
Despite the long weekend, it doesn’t feel like one because I need to pack for some travel tomorrow.
I was sick all week, so it’s probably time I do some straightening up around the house so we don’t return to a messy house.
Today reeks of me ordering a club sandwich from the deli near my house.
I recently got a new needle for my record player that sounds so crispy. Some spins may be in mix.
While I intend to have a low-key Sunday, I hope your Sunday feeds whatever your soul needs.
— Will