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Best songs to sing in groups

Now, more than ever, it’s time to sing. We shall sing in our showers. We shall sing from our cars. We shall sing to our pets and to our friends — over Skype. And to our neighbors — from our balconies. You’re likely not too bad at it, right? What with all those late-night karaoke sessions with your inebriated co-workers. Maybe you’re even a professional musician, or a part-time rockstar in your local band.

Even if every time you sing, birds scatter and wine glasses shatter, the benefits of singing are very well documented. Scientists at the University of Frankfurt in Germany concluded in a study published in 2004 that singing improves your mood. It releases the same feel-good chemicals as sex and chocolate, something certain to ease the burden of being stuck inside for days on end. It builds community and widens your social circle of friends, or just the downstairs neighbor who joins in for the “na-na-nas” on “All The Small Things.” But most importantly, it gives you something to do during one of the most isolating times in modern history.

Now, regardless of your perceived skill level, it’s time to open the shutters and belt it out. It’s why countless videos are going viral of quarantined people joining together in song and dance from their balconies and rooftops. While the time may come where everyone has had enough of the impromptu jam sessions, that time has not yet arrived. So, as long as you’re not keeping people awake in the dead of night, here is our list of the best songs to sing while self-isolating.

And if you’re still not convinced to lend your voice, just clap along.

Love Shack by The B-52s

During these increasingly quarantined times, here’s hoping your home turns into one of these. Sing it loud and proud. But play it safe because the world may not need a post-virus baby boom.

I Won’t Back Down, by Tom Petty

The late, great Tom Petty probably wasn’t thinking of a pandemic when he wrote this song. But it’s appropriate, and it’ll feel damned good when you declare to the world (and the virus) that you won’t back down, that you’ll stand your ground, that you’ll keep this world from dragging you down. Metaphorically of course — now is not the time to stick it to the man by socializing in public.

Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen

Everyone’s favorite head-banging anthem was made extra-famous by Mike Myers and his crew in Wayne’s World. And even though what Freddie Mercury sings after “I see a little silhouetto of a man…” is gibberish, it’s one of the most fun songs to belt out with a group.

I Wanna Dance With Somebody by Whitney Houston

You wanna dance with somebody? You wanna feel the heat with somebody? Really, we get that you wanna dance with somebody. Just make sure it’s with somebody who loves you… and has been in quarantine with you.

Don’t Stand So Close To Me by The Police

Super good advice right now. Sting knows. Flatten the curve people, flatten the curve.

Photo: Impact Photography/Shutterstock

So Fresh, So Clean by Outkast

The Atlanta duo’s hit from 2000 is a go-to hip-hop karaoke song. In 2020, it’s now a perfect reminder to everyone around you that you’re “dressed so fresh and so clean” with your singing partner echoing, “so fresh and so clean.” Let’s keep it that way. Wash your hands, people!

Three Little Birds by Bob Marley & The Wailers

Released in 1977 on the Exodus album, this is one of Bob Marley’s most recognizable hits.

The song is often thought to be named “Don’t Worry About A Thing,” or “Every Little Thing Is Gonna Be Alright,” because these phrases are repeated in the chorus. Now you can step out onto your balcony and repeat them to your neighbors.

Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond

If you’ve been to a major sporting event, then you’ve likely sung along to this Neil Diamond classic already. For our present purposes, though, don’t take the pre-chorus literally, where Neil sings, “Hands, touchin’ hands, reachin’ out, touchin’ me, touchin’ youoooo…”

Stronger by Kelly Clarkson

You can be your neighborhood’s very own American Idol when you sing Kelly Clarkson’s 2011 smash hit. You’ll stand a little taller, you’ll come back swinging, you won’t be broken-hearted. You’ll actually be stronger.

Imagine by John Lennon

Lennon’s anthem is one of the best-selling and most beloved singles of all time. In it, the Beatles singer encourages us to imagine a world in harmony and at peace. Solid message during these trying times — that is, of course, unless you’re a rich, tone-deaf (literally) celebrity.

Eye of the Tiger by Survivor

If this anthem about being strong, rising up to the challenge of our rival, is good enough for Rocky, it’s good enough for you.

Good as Hell by Lizzo

Pandemic or not, belt out any Lizzo song and you’ll have the whole block bumpin’.

Rhythm of Love by Plain White T’s

This cheery acoustic ballad by Chicago pop-rockers Plain White T’s is ripe for a family singalong. It also contains good advice about how to stay healthy in these trying times. The band sings, “I love the view from up here [your balcony], warm sun and wind in my ear [sunlight and fresh air are good for you], we’ll watch the world from above [social distancing], as it turns to the rhythm of love [be kind to each other].”

Livin’ on a Prayer by Bon Jovi

This massive 1986 hit for Jon Bon Jovi and band is one of those inescapable songs. It’s a karaoke must, a song in which everyone tries (with varying amounts of success) to hit the high notes, a song that induces the general public into flash-mob, singalong hysteria, no matter where or when.

This Is How We Do It by Montell Jordan

Step 1: Open all your windows. Step 2: Invoke your best frat boy or sorority girl on spring break routine. Step 3: Throw your hands in the air. Step 4: Loudly sing, “This is how we do it…” Step 5: Notice how envious your neighbors across the street are because your quarantine party is lit compared to theirs.

It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) by R.E.M.

R.E.M.’s upbeat 1987 hit has been enjoying a resurgence due to COVID-19. Note. though, that Michael Stipe isn’t singing about the world ending outright — he’s singing about it ending as we know it. And more importantly, he feels fine about it. As should you. Also, best of luck nailing all the lyrics in all the verses!

Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey

Come on, you knew this song would be on the list. Because unless you live in a cave, and maybe even then, you’ve heard it plenty of times at graduations, weddings, bar mitzvahs, the 2005 World Series — it goes on and on and on and on. You’ve likely raised a beer to it, stood on a table singing at the top of your lungs to it, tried unsuccessfully to plug your ears to it as everyone around you belts out “just a small-town girl living in a lonely world,” or “she took the midnight train going anywhere,” or the inescapably catchy chorus and necessary motto for these strange times, “Don’t stop believin, hold on to that feeling.”

Bella Ciao by Manu Pilas

In honor of all the Italians that started the balcony singing movement, we leave you with this classic Italian resistance song. Learn it, sing it, feel the solidarity.

To listen to these and more of the best balcony songs to sing while self-isolating, check Matador’s QUARANTINE BALCONY SINGALONG SONGS playlist on Spotify.

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The post The time to sing from our balconies is upon us. These are the songs to sing. appeared first on Matador Network.

Best constellations to see in spring

Given its diameter of over 100,000 light-years across and the more than 100 billion stars calling it home, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the vastness of the Milky Way. Humanity’s knowledge of our galaxy’s formation is as ever-evolving as the galaxy itself, but we do know one thing for sure — it’s a hell of a lot of fun to look up at the sky on a clear night.

Throwing a towel down in the yard and gazing upward is one of the few out-of-the-house things we can do to quell our wanderlust in the depths of the coronavirus pandemic, particularly while still following the principles of social distancing (assuming your yard or the local park has enough space to put six feet between you and any passersby).

There are 88 marked constellations viewable at different points of the year, some far easier to identify than others. The following are the easiest to view during spring in the Northern Hemisphere — and you should be able to identify each with nothing more than a notebook, a pen, and one clear night of searching. If nothing else, laying in the grass and staring at these constellations is a reminder that there’s more out there than our currently isolated state.

Why constellations are brighter at certain times

Constellations move, ever so slowly, to the west as each year progresses. As the earth orbits the sun. You’re looking into space from a different direction at different points throughout the year, while the stars themselves remain in their place. Therefore, what you see in spring is different than those constellations viewable at other points throughout the year.

How to locate a specific constellation

Viewing directions for constellations tend to be extremely confusing to most who aren’t astronomers. This is because those directions were written by said astronomers, the few who understand the terminology used in their field, which reads to the rest of us like a science textbook that’s three grades too advanced. Before heading out to stare at the stars, understand these common terms and wayfinding directions used in constellation mapping.

Square degrees: The easiest way to see the curvature of the earth is to look at the sky on a clear night. The star pattern seems to rise from one direction, crest, and then descend in the other, no matter which way you’re standing. This is the easiest way to understand square degrees, which refers to specific parts within a sphere, as opposed to degrees within a flat circle (as you might measure with a protractor). Square degrees note the exact amount of space a constellation occupies in the spherical sky, similar to how you might describe the size of your home in square feet or square meters. They are written as square degrees or X deg2.

Latitude: In astronomy, latitude is the same as if looking at a map and is used to note the latitudes between which a certain constellation is visible. For example, if a constellation is noted as being visible between +90° and -20°, that means that you’ll be able to see it on a clear night as long as you are located between those two latitudes.

Tips for optimized stargazing

Photo: Maria_Janus/Shutterstock

Light is not your friend. There’s a reason why you’ve never been invited to a stargazing party at that fancy rooftop bar in downtown Manhattan — it’s a lot harder to see stars when you’re surrounded by light pollution. Finding constellations is a lot like playing connect the dots, and the darker the area around you, the more of those dots you’ll actually be able to see.
But binoculars and telescopes are. Once you’ve identified a constellation, zoom in on it with a pair of binoculars or a household telescope to really get the image of what it’s supposed to resemble.
Sketch each constellation as you identify it. Much as writing something down helps you remember it later, sketching a constellation will help you identify it quicker the next time.
Read up on the mythology behind the constellations. Many constellations, including Ursa Major and others viewable this spring, are noted in such literary heavyweights as The Bible and Homer’s The Odyssey and are also prominent throughout Greek and Roman mythology. To learn about their backstory, The Book of Constellations by Robin Kerrod is a great place to start. Online, Constellation Guide offers overviews of the mythology behind each constellation.
Have a Bloody Mary. Lycopene, found in abundance in tomato juice, is known to ward off night blindness. It’s worth a shot, at least.

Brightest constellations in the Northern Hemisphere this spring

Editor’s note: Photos of constellations are artistic renderings and not a realistic depiction of the night sky.

Boötes

Photo: Pike-28/Shutterstock

Boötes is located in the third quadrant of the Northern Hemisphere and takes up 907 square degrees. The name itself is ancient Greek for “the ox herder,” and Space.com notes that the constellations tends to resemble itself as herding of The Big Dipper, though you may find that to be a bit of a stretch. Either way, Boötes is easy to spot because it contains the third-brightest star in the sky, known as Arcturus, and is visible from spring through summer.

Leo

Photo: Pike-28/Shutterstock

Leo the Lion occupies 947 square degrees and of all spring constellations is the one that most easily resembles what it’s supposed to look like. It’s located adjacent to Cancer, Hydra, and Ursa Major, making it even easier to spot if you’ve already located one of the others. Look north of Hydra for Leo’s shining star, Regulus, which marks the front paw of the lion, and then look north to connect the dots from there. You can see it between the latitudes of +90° and -65°.

Cancer

Photo: Pike-28/Shutterstock

Cancer loosely resembles a crab, as its name means in Latin, high in the northern sky. It’s among the smaller of spring’s major constellations at just 506 square degrees, and it dims as the spring moves on — its best viewing season, according to Space.com, is March between +90° and -60° in latitude. To find it, look directly east of Leo to a rather dense-looking collection of stars centered around two brighter stars — Asellus Borealis (northern) and Asellus Australis (southern) — that are almost directly on top of one another.

Hydra

Photo: Pike-28/Shutterstock

Despite being the largest constellation, it’s tough to make out Hydra the first time because this constellation is a long, meandering line of stars stretching across 1,303 square degrees between +54° and -83° in latitude. Its name makes perfect sense — meaning “the watersnake” in ancient Greek — as it slithers its way through the night sky south of Virgo and southwest of Cancer. Hydra’s head is just below Cancer, in fact, as if the watersnake were about to conclude its dinner hunt on the neighboring star formation but never quite got around to making the final pounce.

Virgo

Photo: Pike-28/Shutterstock

Virgo looks like a man lying on his back, in between and just below Boötes and Leo. Its brightest star, Spica, serves as the left hand at the bottom of the constellation, with Porrima to the northwest being the shoulder and the right hand extending northward to the star Vindemiatrix. Look east to see the three stars that form the border of Virgo’s head, and west to see the torso and legs. Virgo is the second-largest constellation, occupying 1,295 square degrees, and is visible further south than the other spring leaders — you’ll see it between the latitudes of +80° and -80°.

Ursa Major

Photo: Pike-28/Shutterstock

“The Great Bear,” as Ursa Major means in Latin, contains a number of major stars including Dubhe along the bear’s upper back, Muscida to the east at the top of its head, and Alkaid representing the tip of its tail on the far west, just east of the Boötes constellation. Ursa Major is 1,280 square degrees in size and viewable between the latitudes +90° and -30°. The Owl Nebula lies within it, and if you were to visualize the entire body of the bear, so does The Big Dipper.


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The post These constellations are in full force this spring. Here’s when to watch them. appeared first on Matador Network.

Types of mole in Oaxaca

Mole is one of Mexico’s most complex and historic sauces. The name comes from the Nahuatl word molli, and it refers to a category of viscous sauces (salsas espesas) that can have more than 30 ingredients. In Oaxaca, known as the Land of Seven Moles, these sauces range in flavor, color, and popularity, but they all inspire (in the eater) a passionate allegiance to undermine the minimalist cooking movement.

Mole can be spread over pretty much anything, but one of the most traditional uses is to put it over turkey. Just like the mole itself, the turkey has extra layers of complexity. Fourteen days before slaughter, the turkey is gradually fed almonds — this gives the meat a nutty flavor. It’s up for debate if this was ever a part of the original mole-making process, but at the very least, it shows the time, energy, and thought that goes into making this fantastically complex dish.

Aurelia, a chef in Oaxaca, tells me that people associate mole with an intricate dish, a Berlioz-like symphony, that brings together over 30 ingredients to create something unified and harmonious. She speaks while gesturing toward her table, which is robust and runs the length of her kitchen. The mole-making process begins in the market, but the table is at the heart of a mole. Aurelia thinks about moles as the sum of their parts, and uses a taxonomy of ingredients, which she classifies based on processes.

While each mole is made slightly different depending on who is making it, which part of the country you’re in, and what ingredients are available, Aurelia walked me through the basics of Oaxaca’s seven most famous moles and the chilies that define each.

Mole negro

Chilies: chilhuacle negro, chilhuacle rojo, chili mulato, and pasilla Oaxaqueño

Thirty ingredients take over the surface of Aurelia’s table when she makes mole negro, the most elaborate, intimate, and time-intensive of all the moles. She groups spices next to piles of nuts; sweet ingredients near acidic ones; chilies commingle near the chocolate; and bread, tortillas, and animal crackers find comfort near one another.

Cynosure ingredients differ from mole to mole, but in Aurelia’s kitchen, there is a constant: Aurelia saves the center of her table for the most idolized ingredients. With mole negro, chocolate and carbonized chilies are at the center, both of which are pre-Hispanic relics that give the mole its signature deep color.

Mole negro is historically served with guajolote (turkey). Today, this velvety sauce more commonly blankets chicken and is served with tortillas.

Mole rojo

Chiles: chili ancho and chili guajillo

Photo: John Copland/Shutterstock

Aurelia explains that with mole rojo — the spiciest of the seven moles — chilies and sesame seeds are awarded the venerated spot at the center of her table with roughly 20 other ingredients strewn around them. Unlike the chilies in mole negro, chili ancho and chili guajillo are lightly toasted, which preserves their red color.

The sea of brick red is served with pork and speckled with toasted sesame seeds, which, like properly used truffles, can elevate the gustatory sparkle of a bite.

“With mole, knowing how to wield a tortilla, how to fold it or wrap it, is the most important part of the mole eating process,” Aurelia says. “The malleability of the tortilla allows the gourmand to meticulously swab out the mole trapped in the porous earthenware dish.”

Mole coloradito

Chiles: chili ancho and chili chilcostle

With mole coloradito — the sweetest of the moles — bananas, raisins, and cinnamon are the central ingredients along with the chocolate and chili ancho toward the center of the table. The creamy consistency of mole coloradito is often found coating the outside of enchiladas served for lunch in markets.

Mole amarillo

Chiles: yellow chilhuacle and chili guajillo

When Aurelia prepares mole amarillo, she fans out the large heart-shaped hoja santa (Mexican pepperleaf) leaves on the table next to the chili guajillo. Imagining the forest green of the hoja santa next to the deep maroon of the chilies, one begins to understand how mole amarillo gets its color, which is more orange-brown than it is yellow.

This stirringly earthy mole often makes its way out of restaurants and homes and into the streets. Food vendors generously pour mole amarillo over shredded chicken sparsely placed on elongated corn tortillas, then baptize it with flecks of cilantro before folding the tortilla over itself to create an empanada.

Mole manchamantel

Chiles: chili ancho

When preparing mole manchamantel, Aurelia places fresh pineapple and sweet plantains at the center of the table, where these ingredients await patiently until the mole is done cooking. The fruit is delicately placed, like precious jewels, over the mole-covered chicken. The saccharine bursts of flavor from the chunks of pineapple and sweet plantain balance the sharp taste of chili ancho.

Mole chichilo

Chiles: chili chilhuacle negro, chili pasilla, and chili mulato

Aurelia explains that mole chichilo is the rarest and most difficult of the moles to find in Oaxaca. This is due to the prized chilhuacle negro chili used to make it, which is difficult to find outside of Oaxaca.

Avocado leaves, chilhuacle negro chili, and tortillas are the centerpiece of the table when making this mole, but not until the chili and tortillas are charred and their ashes gathered. The ineffable flavor of this mole comes from the process of removing the ashes from the carbonized chili and tortillas and then soaking them in water to remove any bitterness.

Mole chichilo is the least sweet of the moles and leaves an anise-licorice flavor that lingers on the back of one’s tongue.

Mole verde

Chiles: none

Photo: JuanSalvador/Shutterstock

The focus of mole verde is on pumpkin seeds and the jagged, pungent leaves of the epazote herb. Of the seven moles, mole verde is the only one that does not contain dried chilis. It’s often found covering pork and seafood.

Moles carry the passion and affection that each cook imparts to the dish. “I watched my mother prepare mole,” Aurelia says, “but my mole will never taste like hers.” When I ask why, she smiles and says, “some things can’t be taught, they come from the heart and from patience, perhaps it is because it took my mother four days to make mole negro, while it only takes me two, or maybe it’s because I listen to my favorite music when making mole and my mother made hers in silence.”


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Distilleries making hand sanitizer

Craft distillers may well prove to be the Henry Fords of the COVID-era.

Much like Ford famously repurposed his auto plants to make thousands of airplanes needed during World War II, craft distilleries are repurposing their stills to help fight the spread of the coronavirus.

When people bought the country out of hand sanitizer — an alcohol-based product — last week, distilleries from Oregon to Alabama to Canada realized this was an opportunity to use their facilities for the greater good. That is, if you didn’t already consider gin production “the greater good.”

“It sounded like the general public were having a hard time finding hand sanitizer, so were first responders and essential services,” says Peter Hunt, the president and master distiller at Victoria Distillers in British Columbia. “It wasn’t something I’d thought about prior to last week, but with store shelves becoming empty of sanitizers I thought maybe there was something we could do.”

Distillers weren’t alone in thinking they might be able to use their facilities to make sanitizer. The Food and Drug Administration released guidelines on Monday for distilleries to make the stuff, prompting many of them into action.

“I did the hardest thing I’ve done in 32 years on this planet and put 96 people out of work,” says Jason Barrett, president and master distiller of Black Button Distilling in Rochester, New York. “I felt obligated to get them back to work as soon as possible, and by Monday morning, I found the FDA guidance to the industry on how to make sanitizer. So I immediately started sourcing and talking to staff about our equipment’s compatibility.”

In just a few days, Barrett and his team had figured out how to take a supply of vodka they’d made around Christmas time for summer release and turn it into hand sanitizer. While it took 15 months for Black Button to develop its initial supply chain, Barrett was able to develop this one in just four days. He will release his first bottles to hospitals and nursing homes this week.

Turning grain spirits into hand sanitizer isn’t as simple as taking that bottle of charcoal-filtered vodka on the bottom of your bar and adding some glycerin. It’s actually a fairly complicated chemical process that you need the appropriate equipment to do, and craft distillers are especially up to the task.

Photo: Cooperstown Distillery/Black Button Distilling/Facebook

For those who weren’t listening during their last distillery tour, alcohol distillation is the process of separating alcohol from water by heating it, collecting the evaporation, and cooling it to condense it back into a liquid.

Different types of alcohol evaporate at different temperatures. The first alcohols to come off — methanols — generally taste like nail polish remover and are discarded by distillers. These are known as “heads.” The stuff that evaporates in the middle — ethanol — is known as the “hearts,” and is what you find in commercial spirits. The last stuff to boil — fusel alcohols — are also not particularly tasty, and are known as “tails.” You’ll find occasional whiskeys that use these to add complex flavors, but generally, the tails are discarded too.

Even though heads and tails are typically tossed as waste, some distilleries have found them useful in the production of hand sanitizer.

“In production of our gin we have a relatively high amount of alcohol waste we just dispose of, because we’re so selective about what we use,” Hunt says. “I figured with all this alcohol going around we could fill a gap, fill a need.”

He says Victoria Distillers was usually discarding about 50 liters of alcohol a day, all at about 90-percent alcohol — well over the 60 percent guideline for hand sanitizer. So they mixed it with distilled water and vegetable glycerin, to make sure the alcohol doesn’t evaporate before it has a chance to sanitize. Add in some orange botanicals, and you have one of the nicer-smelling hand sanitizers on the market.

Photo: Victoria Distillers

Other distilleries shy away from using heads and tails, like Black Button. At Cooperstown Distillery, owner Eugene Mara used an experimental batch of corn vodka to create his distillery’s sanitizer.

“We really didn’t have enough heads to make enough (sanitizer),” Mara says. “So we’re using some of that and our neutral spirits that we make vodka from. We did some experiments with corn vodka a while ago and we had about 30 gallons we were wondering what to do with. So this is the perfect opportunity to utilize it.”

The small distillers’ spirit of experimentation is why craft distilleries, even more than the big brands, are so well-equipped to answer the call for hand sanitizer. Though LVMH recently announced it would be making hand sanitizer, small distilleries are used to creating things they never have before, and can adapt faster than larger operations.

“Large companies, they don’t respond to spikes in demand as quickly as a local company like us can do,” says Victoria’s Hunt. “It’s pretty cool to see distilleries across Canada and the US coming up with different recipes in different bottles, it’s pretty cool to see all these distilleries producing products that are in demand.”

These three are far from the only local distilleries making hand sanitizer. Mara said he got the idea after reading a story about Shine Distillery and Grill in Portland, Oregon, making sanitizer. John Emerald Distillery in Alabama began production this week. Dozens of other distilleries in New York state and nationwide have gotten in on it too.

Thus far, the largest problem distillers have found is sourcing the bottles. Black Button is distributing its sanitizer in 750-milliliter liquor bottles to hospitals, nursing homes, and first responders until it can source enough plastic bottles. Victoria partnered with a local natural products maker, which had extra bottles after it moved away from using plastic containers.

Currently, most distilleries are focusing their distribution on those who need it most: medical facilities, first responders, nursing homes, and others on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19, as well as the immunocompromised (i.e., not hand-sanitizer hoarders). Though Mara said Cooperstown would be handing out sanitizer to the general public, it has received calls about it from as far away as Connecticut and Vermont.

“We never realized the desperation in people’s lives right now,” Mara says. “But the reception makes it all worthwhile.”

Distillers have no timeline on how long they’ll be in the sanitizer business, just as nobody has any clear timeline how long our lives will be drastically changed. But for now, these small businesses are doing a huge part to make life a little easier for all of us. They may not be making airplanes, but they are making a difference.


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New York Public Library free books

To keep readers satiated throughout the coronavirus crisis that has closed all of its branches, the New York Public Library has an app that allows anyone with a NYC library card to check out books in its collection. Over 300,000 books are available via the library’s app, and it’s accessible for anyone with an iOS or Android device.

The app, called SimplyE, will allow you to read books on your phone or tablet. But just because the reading is virtual doesn’t mean you won’t still have to wait in line. Due to high demand, you’ll still have to queue up for some of the most popular books and new bestsellers.

In addition to electronically reading your favorite books, you’ll also have access to the library’s other resources. Over 800,000 digital historic prints, photographs, maps, and manuscripts will be available via the app.

Just keep in mind, you will only be allowed to check out three books at a time.

And if you don’t have a library card yet, you can apply for one through SimplyE.


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Toilet paper shortage

American derrieres are spoiled for choice. Supermarkets across the country shelve a comical number of toilet-paper products, inundating shoppers with more deals on two-ply than any consumer actually needs. On a typical day, the biggest dilemma shoppers face when it comes to the fluffy stuff is whether to swear allegiance to Charmin or Cottonelle.

Anyone who’s been to the supermarket lately knows that the toilet-paper aisle is decidedly not typical, however. Across the United States, and around the world, shelves once puffy with toilet-roll clouds are now post-pandemic deserts where loofahs might roll by like tumbleweeds.

The joke, now, is that there’s no one to blame for the Great Toilet Paper Shortage of 2020 but ourselves. It’s not the coronavirus that’s causing the suddenly empty shelves but a Black Friday-like fever.

As more drastic measures are being enforced to curb the coronavirus outbreak, people are panic-stockpiling emergency items in anticipation of quarantine: canned goods, disinfectants, and, inexplicably, toilet paper. Yet unlike hand sanitizer and surgical masks, where the demand is overwhelming the supply in part from a spike in use, the coronavirus has not impacted the toilet-paper pipeline, a fact manufacturers have tried explaining to the public.

Put simply: The same amount of Angel Soft is hitting the shelves, and our toilet bowls, as always. Were this buying frenzy to end, everybody’s business could get back to business as usual.

There is the question, however, of whether or not it should.

Americans are the most prodigious consumers of toilet paper in the world. A joint report published by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Stand.earth in February 2019 cites the US as using 9.2 billion pounds of toilet paper annually, or approximately 28 pounds per person. That’s roughly 56 rolls of total paper each per year, or a little over one roll a week.

That may seem like surprisingly little in light of the recent hoarding trend, which has caused shoppers to frantically snatch 30-packs to sustain them for a few weeks or months. But the figure’s impact on the environment is anything but negligible.

The majority of the toilet paper sold in the US is made of wood pulp sourced from North American forests, particularly Canada’s boreal forest, which has been called the “Amazon of the North.” Mass toilet-paper production is devastating not only to the trees it sacrifices but also to the area’s wildlife and indigenous communities.

If we’re facing a toilet-paper crisis, it’s an ecological one, not an issue of access.

Yet, as you stare down your last few sheets of Charmin Ultra, life as you knew it flipped upside down, it’s understandable if you’re more concerned with your next bathroom visit than Canada’s boreal forest. Relax. Of all the challenges the coronavirus pandemic has created, a lack of available toilet paper is low on the list.

The world went round for ages without toilet paper. The idea to use paper for post-elimination cleanup came out of China, with one of the earliest recorded references to toilet-paper use dating back to the sixth-century writings of a man named Yan Zhitui. Before that, people used whatever materials they had on hand, from leaves and clay to rags and lace. Medieval Romans took another approach: sharing implements known as “gompf sticks” with salt-water-soaked sponges on one end.

Over time, the toilet-paper trend spread. In the US, it became common to use the soft pages of The Old Farmer’s Almanac or a Sears catalog. Toilet paper first became commercially available in the US in 1857, shortly after indoor plumbing and flush toilets grew in popularity. Originally viewed as a luxury item, it became a household staple after Zeth Wheeler patented the idea in 1871. Then, a few decades later in 1928, the Hoberg Paper Company launched Charmin, touting its softness as a selling point and planting the seeds for today’s billion-dollar bathroom industry.

Toilet paper didn’t catch on everywhere. It became standard in cold countries where the water gets uncomfortably icy. But in warmer climates, particularly South Asian and Muslim-majority nations in the Middle East and North Africa, the soap-and-water method is status quo.

In India alone, the vast majority of the more-than-one-billion-person population, roughly a seventh of the global population, goes paperless. There, as elsewhere in the world, it’s customary to reserve your right hand for eating and your left for cleaning up after yourself.

Customs vary by culture. Long-handled plastic buckets called tabos, which aid in both washing after toilet use and showering, are must-have bathroom accessories in the Philippines. Many European homes, notably in Italy and Portugal, are outfitted with bidets, an 18th-century French invention that can be used in addition to, or in place of, toilet paper. Their popularity is growing in North and South America, the Middle East, and parts of Asia. High-tech bidet-like toilets are particularly common in Japan.

And they’re helping people save money, and the environment, with every flush.

Of course, none of that addresses the simple fact that some lifelong toilet-paper users will find the idea of going without it, well, yucky.

The feeling is mutual. Though Americans may be put off by the prospect of using their hands down there, water-washers express concerns about the cleanliness of using only dry paper. If any other body part was to come in contact with feces, they argue, few among us would merely wipe it with a tissue and call it a day.

With the coronavirus putting stress on our health, well-being, and routines as is, there’s no reason to let it impact our private time on the porcelain throne, too.

At the very least, the Great Toilet Paper Shortage of 2020 is a reminder to stay reasonable, and neighborly, in times of crisis. It might also be an opportunity for Americans to consider their consumption. Whether or not you’re willing to go sans paper altogether, consider the ways in which you can improve your ecological buttprint, as it were.

Start by buying recycled, or alternative, toilet paper when it becomes available again. The Environmental Protection Agency has endorsed Green Seal. The 2019 “Issue with Tissue” report gave A grades to Green Forest, 365 Everyday Value 100% Recycled, Earth First, Natural Value, Seventh General, and Trader Joe’s Bath Tissue.

Look into companies like Who Gives A Crap, an environmentally-friendly-toilet-paper delivery service that donates 50 percent of its profits to helping build toilets for those without access. Invest in a bidet attachment for your toilet.

Or go on and buy a $4 perineal bottle. Your plumbing, planet, and posterior will probably thank you.


More like this: Buying masks when you’re not sick is doing more harm than good

The post Millions of people opt to go without toilet paper. Maybe you should too. appeared first on Matador Network.

Happy, positive books to read

Netflix parties and virtual pasta-making classes are not the only ways to pass the time while you’re stuck at home, doing your part to flatten the curve and tackle the coronavirus health crisis. There are plenty of books out there to keep boredom at bay and to inject a dose of hope, humor, and joy into those long and anxiety-filled days. So stay away from the screens and dive into the following good reads to be transported to a place where COVID-19 does not exist and to keep your spirits up.

1. Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

Photo: Little, Brown and Company

Bernadette Fox, an offbeat but brilliant architect turned recluse is on the verge of a mental breakdown. And after her daughter Bee asks for a trip to Antarctica as a reward for her excellent school work, Bernadette’s regular eccentric behavior tailspins. After she is held responsible for a disastrous (but hilarious) school event at her neighbor’s house, she disappears without a word, leaving her husband and daughter looking desperately for her. The author, Maria Semple, a television writer for Arrested Development, crafted this story with humor, suspenseful secrecy, and an unexpected ending that is sure to leave readers stunned. Note that the recent film adaptation of the novel does not follow the exact storyline — certainly not the ending.

2. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Photo: Penguin Random House

That Gail Honeyman has managed to make the story of a psychologically and physically abused young woman the funniest non-fiction book of the past couple of years is nothing short of astounding. Honeyman’s main character and narrator Eleanor Oliphant has a tragic past that has rendered her so introverted, socially awkward, and matter-of-fact that she is unknowingly hilarious and incredibly lovable. As she discovers what friendship and kindness can bring to her life, Eleanor opens the readers’ eyes on the little things that make life wonderful and worth living. A film adaptation by Reese Witherspoon is in the works.

3. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sadaris

Photo: Hachette

David Sedaris is as much a humorist as he is a writer and every single one of his autobiographical books — even the ones that deal with the death by suicide of his sister — are incredibly funny. But travelers stuck at home will particularly enjoy Me Talk Pretty One Day, in which Sedaris recounts his move from New York City to Paris. The tales of his deranged French teacher and his astute and acerbic observations of life in France compared to life in the US will have cabin-fever sufferers laugh out loud and forget all about the current state of affairs. We recommend you get the audio version of this book, read by Sedaris himself — nothing compares to his deadpan, sarcastic voice.

4. Grayson by Lynne Cox

Photo: Penguin Random House

The true story of long-distance swimmer Lynne Cox’s encounter with a baby whale is one that will warm your heart and fill you with hope. While she was only 17 and training in California, Cox, one of the best open-water swimmers in the world, found herself followed by a whale calf who had lost his mother. Her attempt at finding the cetacean’s mother took her to the very edge of her physical capacities as she stayed and swam in cold water for several hours, but the story, as hair-raising as it is beautiful, is one of perseverance, respect, and amazing connection between animal and human.

5. Comfort Me with Apples by Ruth Reichel

Photo: Penguin Random House

Former New York Times restaurant critic Ruth Reichel is the epitome of a charming, engaging narrator. As she chronicles her culinary adventures from China and Paris, her warmth and friendly demeanor invites readers to enjoy the journey alongside her. Reichel has a singular talent for making readers feel equally welcome at exclusive dinners and in her own home and kitchen. Her career path is certainly fascinating but it’s her voice that makes this book such a winner — both intimate and gregarious, Reichel is a worthy companion as she details her passion for food.

6. The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery

Photo: Simon & Schuster

In this scientific memoir about her attempts to bond with octopuses living at New England Aquarium, Sy Montgomery explores the meaning of a soul. Montgomery delves into the research behind consciousness and asks readers to expand their understanding of who humans have decided has it. Her compassionate, curious voice coupled with the truly astonishing peek into the minds of these hyper-intelligent cephalopods make this book a revelation. Montgomery’s message is that we should all try to have more empathy for all creatures, honoring not just the lives of people but of the strange and beautiful animals with whom we share this planet.

7. A Room with a View by E.M. Forster

Photo: Penguin Random House

This classic 20th-century romantic novel follows the adventures of Lucy Honeychurch. While touring Italy with her over-protective chaperone, she meets and falls in love with George Emerson. Pressured to abide by the strict conventions of Edwardian social etiquette, she promises to keep her triste a secret. But fate can’t keep the two apart, and when she encounters him again in England a comedy of errors and a very revealing walk in the woods draws the couple closer together. Forester’s treatise on the importance of independence, free thinking, and marrying for love is the perfect companion for a day alone.

8. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Photo: Pan Macmillan

This classic sci-fi romp is at times darkly comical but at its core, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy argues that joy, friendship, and hope transcend species and galaxies. Arthur Dent’s adventures with his pal Ford (an alien from somewhere in the vicinity of Betelgeuse) include a tour of a factory that makes custom-built planets, a ride in a spaceship that defies the laws of physics, and the third-worst poetry in the universe. Adams’ storytelling is transportative and wonderfully strange, a technicolor journey into the farthest reaches of the imagination.

9. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

Photo: Macmillan Publishers

Dodie Smith is probably best known for writing The One Hundred and One Dalmatians, but her story of the eccentric and artistically-minded Mortmain family, who live in poverty in a castle in rural England, is her best work. Cassandra, the family’s youngest daughter, “captures” her perceptions of the world in her journal while living alongside her part-time nudist stepmother, Topaz, and her sister Rose, who at least at first, longs for nothing more than wealth. When an American family moves in next door, becoming Mortmain’s landlords, the sisters discover that happiness looks nothing like they thought it would. Smith’s coming-of-age tale will take readers back to that critical moment when we leave childhood behind and decide what kind of adult we want to be.


More like this: 20 books we can’t wait to read in 2020

The post Cheerful books that will bring you joy during this isolating, scary time appeared first on Matador Network.

TV medical dramas donating supplies

Hospitals have been facing a shortage of medical supplies to treat COVID-19 patients, and thankfully help came this week, albeit from an unlikely source. Television medical dramas like The Resident, Grey’s Anatomy, The Good Doctor, and Station 19 have been donating the medical supplies used in their productions to hospitals and fire stations.

In a statement, showrunner Krista Vernoff said, “At Station 19, we were lucky enough to have about 300 of the coveted N95 masks, which we donated to our local fire station. They were tremendously grateful. At Grey’s Anatomy, we have a backstock of gowns and gloves which we are donating as well. We are all overwhelmed with gratitude for our healthcare workers during this incredibly difficult time, and in addition to these donations, we are doing our part to help them by staying home.”

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A post shared by Ontario Fire Department (@ontariofiredept) on Mar 18, 2020 at 12:08pm PDT

According to a spokesperson, The Good Doctor will be donating masks and other medical supplies to facilities in Vancouver. Similarly, The Resident has donated masks, gloves, and gowns to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, where the show is filmed.

Dr. Karen Law, a doctor at Grady Memorial Hospital, wrote in an Instagram post, “To the entire team @theresidentonfox, thank you for this incredibly generous donation of #PPE from your set, including gowns, masks, gloves, and all the things our healthcare workers need to provide safe care for our community during #COVID19. Yesterday, I had a serious discussion with the residents about how, though supplies are low, a magical shipment of masks is unlikely to arrive. And yet, a magical shipment of masks DID arrive, in the form of this very generous gesture. This kind of community support means so much to our #frontlineproviders who are making many sacrifices to staff our hospitals and care for our community.”


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The post TV medical dramas are donating their supplies to hospitals appeared first on Matador Network.

Charities aiding hospitality workers

For many people around the country, this COVID-19 era is dark times. Restaurants and bars nationwide have laid off hourly employees. Hotels, airlines, buses, and other travel-related fields are surely not far behind. And only time will tell how far-reaching this month’s economic consequences may be.

Organizations all over the nation are trying to help people who have lost their jobs or are otherwise struggling financially, and all are accepting donations. That means you, assuming you’re cash-secure, can give assistance to your service industry friends. And if you find yourself in a difficult situation, you can find a resource that may be able to help below.

We’ll update this list as new organizations and relief programs emerge.

USBG Bartender Emergency Assistance

The United States Bartenders Guild has launched one of the biggest relief campaigns in the nation through its Bartender Emergency Assistance Program. It will pay grants to bartenders and their families who have experienced a sudden and unexpected loss of income. It’s already received half a million dollars from Jameson and another $1,00,000 from the drinks conglomerate Diageo.

IGC Hospitality’s Family Meal

The hospitality group behind New York City favorites Cleo, Parker & Quinn, David Burke’s The Woodpecker, and others is launching a program to provide daily meals to affected service industry workers. Named after the fabled pre-shift feast, the program will allow people to send in a daily order form for the meal — posted at @igchospitality’s Instagram — and then pick it up at Parker & Quinn. You can donate to the program through a GoFundMe page here.

Dining Bond Initiative

Kind of like a cross between a savings bond and Groupon, this site launched by New York-based Hall PR and HP-PR allows you to go online and buy a restaurant gift card at a reduced rate, redeemable long after the crisis is over. So, essentially, you can buy $100 worth of gift card for $75 now, though terms vary by restaurant. The site has a map listing restaurants nationwide.

Skrewball Whiskey

The San Diego-based whiskey company is collecting money to compile care packages for hospitality workers through its cleverly named Skrew COVID-19 program. For every Instagram share of the program, it’ll also donate $1 to the USBG Bartender Emergency Assistance Program, if you care to do a little extra to donate to that campaign.

Restaurant Workers Community Foundation

The RWCF has started an emergency relief fund serving a threefold approach: Donating money to economically impacted workers, establishing zero-interest loans to small businesses so they can continue to pay their employees during the crisis, and directing money to other organizations working directly with those most affected.

Death and Company

The renowned New York/LA/Denver cocktail bar has launched a relief fund for its furloughed employees. The company is continuing health-care coverage for its team through April 30 but is looking to raise money for them through a GoFundMe campaign and has received a matching pledge through one of its investors for up to $10,000.

One Fair Wage

The organization devoted to fighting sub-minimum wages among service industry workers has begun its own emergency relief fund that aims to raise $213,000 for cash-strapped employees in reference to the $2.13 an hour base wage they make in many cities. The organization assists workers in 11 states but is open to donations from anywhere.

Giving Kitchen

This charity, founded in 2012 to help Atlanta-area chef Ryan Hiddinger fight late-stage lung cancer, helps hospitality employees who find themselves unable to work through its Pass the Hat campaign. Currently, donations to the campaign will be used to help those now jobless due to restaurant closures.

Culture Crusaders

This Miami-based lifestyle publication has developed a small business resource center where small businesses in Miami and everywhere else can go to find links to government assistance, charitable organizations, and other helping hands. It has also developed a program to match donors with individuals in need through a manual application program.


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The post How you can help hospitality workers affected by COVID-19 appeared first on Matador Network.

How to staycation at home

We’d love for everyone to be able to travel as much as they possibly can, but sometimes, life (or a nasty respiratory disease) gets in the way, and your two weeks of paid time off cannot be spent sunbathing in Tahiti. Some people may not have the luxury of rescheduling their days to later in the year, or those days rolling over into the next year. Although it can feel like a waste of a much-anticipated break, staying at home during your annual vacation might be just what you need to get your life in order.

In 2019, for the second year in a row, my thoroughly planned trip to the Arctic was canceled. The first year, I decided to cancel my vacation time and work as usual. What I thought was a wise decision turned out to be an exhausting mistake — the combination of the disappointment, the frenzy of canceling everything, and the lack of rest that I needed did a number on my well-being. So, the second time around, I decided to just keep my scheduled time off.

Out of the four weeks of vacation I had booked, I used two of them to stay at home and do the things that needed to be done: a ton of paperwork. I had a few years of taxes to claim (don’t judge), and I needed to get an immigration application done. Those were huge anxiety-inducing preoccupations in my life, and if I could take care of them in the two weeks I had, I could finally sleep at night. And I did. At the end of the two weeks, I had sent everything that needed to be sent and ended up believing that the cancellation was a godsend.

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Tackle the paperwork

Doing paperwork in the evening after a full day’s work sucks. Doing paperwork on the weekend when you’re supposed to take it easy sucks even more. Paperwork is boring and stressful, but if you have a couple of weeks of free time ahead of you, tackling a mountain of visa bills, receipts, and bank statements can be done a little at a time, with tea breaks and walks in between, and does not feel as daunting.

Start with getting organized. Dig out all the binders, plastic sleeves, and sticky labels you can find and file away. Once the paperwork is organized and easy to find, it won’t be such a drag to get things done regularly — half the pain of paperwork is locating the things we need when we need them.

Once your stuff is tidy, tackle one topic at a time: If you’ve been thinking that your bank fees are too high but have not had the time to look into it, do it now. If your passport expires in the next six months, it may be time to get the forms for a renewal. If you’ve been wanting to switch all your paper bills to digital format, get on it. Getting all these mundane tasks done will give you a sense of achievement and make you feel proud of yourself.

And if you have not filed your taxes, now is the time to do it. The relief that comes with having them sent way before the deadline has no match. Once you’ve hit the send button or dropped it off at the post office, celebrate with a much-deserved tipple — you’re not working tomorrow, so you can go to town.

Get started on a workout or wellness routine

Finding time for fitness when you have a busy work schedule can be difficult, especially if you’re the type of person who does not get easily motivated or if you have a family that needs caring for.

Take advantage of being at home and schedule-free to test online workout programs like YogaGlo for unlimited yoga, meditation, and pilates, or Sweat for a more intense workout. Find out what you like by testing a few classes regularly during your vacation — the benefits you’ll gain during that time will make it easier to keep up the habit when you resume work.

If you prefer to exercise outside the house (and are able to), use your free time to find out about the gyms near you and the classes they offer. If something sounds interesting to you, test it out. Trying out a new fitness class at lunchtime or between work and supper is never ideal to start a routine and can be intimidating; instead, do it when you have ample time to prepare and recover, so you’ll know what you need for the classes when you go back to work. Giving the gym a try when you’re relaxed and open to new activities might lead to a passion for Zumba, an obsession with spin class, or even an interest in aquafit. Once you’ve found out what you like and have tested it a couple of times, it’ll be easier to stick to it in the long run.

Create a budget

Everyone should have a budget. Whether you’ve got money coming out the yin-yang or you’re struggling to make ends meet, budgeting is an essential part of living a more relaxed life. Nobody likes to sit down and look in detail at their finances because it’s time-consuming and can lead to a lot of anxiety, but when you have the bandwidth and have eliminated the stress of work, dive into the numbers because it will change your life for the better.

An Excel sheet is probably best, but if you’re more into old-fashioned methods, a notebook, pencil, and calculator will do the trick just fine. All you need to do is to grab your visa bills and bank statements and compare the income to the spendings. Categorize your spendings into essentials like groceries, rent, student loans, etc. and the non-essentials like eating out, clothing, and spa treatments. Taking half a day out of your vacation to look at your finances and create a budget is eye-opening and a great way to adopt a more reasonable spending regimen that’ll help you save money and pay off your debts faster. And more money put aside and fewer debts mean you can travel more in the future, so get budgeting.

Tidy up your online presence

We’d rather you stayed away from the screen during your time off, but because our phones, laptops, and tablets are such a large part of our life, it may just be impossible to do so when staying at home. That said, there’s a way to be online and be productive. If you’ve been wanting to get your online presence tidier and more secure, your time at home might provide a great opportunity to do it. A few of the things you can tackle are:

Get yourself a password manager system and change all the passwords on your important accounts to make them safer.
Update your security questions for your online banking and emails. Lie when answering them so that nobody will ever figure them out.
Dive into your personal inbox and trash the useless emails you’ve been hoarding since 2009.
Unsubscribe from all the businesses that send you emails that you don’t care one bit about.
Really look into the privacy settings of your social media accounts and make sure they are up to your expectations.
Take the time to actually delete all those embarrassing posts from high school.
Update your Linkedin account. You never know when a headhunter will stumble upon your profile and offer you your dream job.

Kick clutter in the rear

Nobody’s got the time to go full Marie Kondo when they work eight or more hours a day. But if you know you’re collecting things you don’t need, and you are seeing your living space being reduced by the amount of stuff you stock in your home, use your couple of weeks of vacation to sort it all out.

Going room by room is easier than trying to tackle the whole house at once, so get started with the areas you know hide the most stuff and start to make choices. By now, you know what the rule is: Keep only the things you need and the things that make you happy — repurpose, donate, recycle, or sell the rest.

Decluttering will eventually lead to cleaning and tidying up, and there’s no better feeling than having improved a space that needed it badly. Not only will the feeling of accomplishment be immense, but starting work again and coming home to a clean and tidy house will allow you to relax when you truly need it.


More like this: How to stay in shape at home when the gym is closed

The post A stay-at-home vacation is actually the best way to sort out your life appeared first on Matador Network.