Tweezerman tweezers + preppers + the slap

Apr 3

May I recommend

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the hairs spring up where we don’t want them sprunged and this happens more and more as we get older.

I actually disagree with the thesis of this sketch, because I have no problem if a lady wants to rock a moustache, a gent wants to have the luxuriant ear fur of a fuzzy koala or if anyone wants to monobrow it up. In my youth I was more judgemental about people’s personal grooming, but now I have adopted a fuzz and let fuzz attitude. If people want to werewolf out, I say “Good job m’lady and brava m’gent!” At our core, we’re all just mammals, and let’s celebrate one another’s toe pelts, treasure trails or shoulder wavers.

Aesthetics aside, however, I will say that there is literally no pleasure as gloriously satisfying and as easily attainable as plucking a wiry little fucker from somewhere on your body. It is an easy win, and God help me, do we need those today.

Given how absolutely joyful it is to rip a hair out of some place, gaze lovingly at the root bulb if you manage that and then maybe even give it a little a stroke with your finger to see JUST HOW WIRY IT IS, it is best to have the right tool for the job. That tool is the Tweezerman tweezer.

Tweezerman Slant Tweezer - Reviews | MakeupAlley

They are sharp and angled the right way to clasp even the stubbiest, flimsiest or slipperiest of hairs. They have good handle-ability so that they don’t slip from your grasp as you twist, knee half up on the toilet seat, head leaning into the bathroom mirror, tracking down the little bastard who has been plaguing you since your 10 am section meeting.

You can buy these at the drugstore or Sephora’s but they can be pricey. Twenty-five bucks, yo! Instead, keep your eyes peeled for them in the Marshall’s or Winners’ beauty aisle. They are often sold there for a deeply discounted price. When they go on sale, buy many. Not only will you inevitably lose your pair, but you can also give them as wonderful, useful gifts.

Tell me your tweezing story in the comments below!

**PROGRAMMING NOTE: No newsletter next week! See you Easter weekend!

The world of “preppers” is changing

The schism breaking apart the prepper community

In the last year I’ve read two excellent books that feature survivalist prepping. Melissa Scholes Young’s THE HIVE is about a family of preppers and how they manage after the unexpected death of their father. Kim Hooper’s funny, touching WAYS THE WORLD COULD END (which I was lucky enough to read in advance of publication, but it’s out this spring- pre-order!) is about a single dad with Aspergers’s Syndrome and a deep interest in, well, the ways the world could end— trying to raise his teenage daughter.

There is something compelling about the idea of prepping for disaster and this article delves into the gender dynamics of it all.

It’s a fascinating question: Is the objective of prepping to create some kind of continuity with life as it is ordinarily lived, or to adjust (violently, if necessary) to a jagged new reality characterized via pared-down survival measures?

Four day work weeks

Are four day work weeks in our future?

I am very invested in this topic and definitely think that one way to accomplish this would be to cut down on the number of meetings.

One IRL example: Social media management company Buffer. Their four-day work weeks began as a one-month experiment in 2020, but quickly became the norm. Buffer cut down on meetings, streamlined project communication with tools like Threads, and adjusted project deadlines. Along the way, they hit a few bumps in the road with things like shifting schedules. But their system is still in place today.

The Slap

Four Opinion Writers on Will Smith’s Slap: There are no heroes in this story

Want a deep dive into the culture import of the Oscars slap? I’ve got you covered. I found it interesting to see the parallel Roxane Gay drew between the Supreme Court nomination process and what happened on the stage.

Roxane Gay: The primary takeaway for me was, indeed, to see a Black woman being defended, especially after a week of trials with Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, and really nobody standing up for her.

Writing update

My book came out! Yay. Unfortunately there were supply chain issues and the book itself was not actually “out” in time for my real-life Ottawa book launch or for people to order. Everything should be resolved now, and luckily, if there’s one thing we’ve all learned to do during These Trying Times, it’s to pivot.

You can still buy it - so get your order in at your favourite bookstore, if you haven’t already.

I’ve done a positive FLURRY of podcasts, and you can check them out here on my old website-eroni if you’re interested.

If you’re in Knowlton Quebec on April 30th, I will be Brome Lake Books at 2pm. Come and join us! Should be fun!

Also, I am INTO joining in book clubs, and am very happy to Zoom in. Send me an email if you want to make some magic happen. I’ve even got a list of bookclub questions for your bookclub. You can have those without even inviting me anywhere! If you want them, send me an email - I haven’t yet got organized to put them on my website.