The Apple employees’ complaint letter is also a road map for reopening offices
Quartz
Tim Cook sent employees an email indicating everyone should come back to the office in early September at least three days a week (Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays). The group response from a large number of employees? “Yeah, we kind of like working from home…” Yes, it’s just one company, but as the title suggests, it may be indicative of folks being less than enthusiastic about returning to office life.

How the World Ran Out of Everything
New York Times
The auto industry is struggling with a shortage of computer chips. We all know about the Great TP Shortage Of 2020™. And don’t get me started on lumber prices… So, what gives? Why did we run out of everything?

Can You Say It in Mutsun?
Peninsula Open Space Trust
This is a little piece I think points to a bigger, more hopeful trend. The folks at the Peninsula Open Space Trust asked Natalie Pineida from the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band to provide the Mutsun words for common California trees, including their pronunciation. It’s a small step towards acknowledging the native people who lived on this land before us, and small steps matter. It doesn’t reverse the terrible things we did to them, but it acknowledges that they are still present, still relevant.

Anatomy of a Hoax
The Paris Review
After the death of Eric Carle, the writer and illustrator of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, many people circulated a story he told about an argument he had with his publisher about whether the caterpillar should “suffer an episode of nausea” after overeating. The problem is, there never was an argument and Eric Carle never said such a thing.

2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 Goes Nuclear
Car and Driver
Okay, I love me a Jeep Wrangler, but the point of this link isn’t the car being reviewed. Okay… it’s not just the car being reviewed (I mean, it’s kind of awesome even though I wouldn’t want such a monster!), rather, it’s the writing. I have a few “journo-crushes” and Ezra Dyer is definitely one of them. 

The Linda Lindas Are More Than Just a Viral Punk Band
Pitchfork
If you don’t know who or what the title above is referring to, just stop and go watch this clip. My friend, Mark, introduced first pointed me to the Linda Lindas. They’re fantastic, inspirational, and will make you smile. I love when something comes around that makes you unequivocally say, “The kids are alright.” The Linda Lindas make me excited for the future of music.

My Conversation With Haruki Murakami Never Really Ends
InsideHook
Haruki Murakami writes stories that are as mind-bending as they are sublime and sometimes nakedly brutal. But they resonate and are truly books you finish a different person than you started. I can’t say that about many authors. This “interview” is arguably the most Murakami interview I’ve ever read. Even if you haven’t read Murakami, check out this interview and you find yourself checking out his work.

The Story Behind Mariah Carey’s Secret ’90s Alt-Rock Album
Pitchfork
Mariah Carey made a secret punky, alt-rock album in the 90’s – by day she and her team would work on what would eventually be the mega-hit album “Daydream” but at night they switched the reels and went off the cuff. Unfortunately, the powers that be found out and released the record with her friend doing the vocals. Will the Mariah Carey-vocal version ever see the light of day? We can hope! The songs are silly, but it’d be fascinating to hear what she’d sound like on them!!

Rutherford Falls
Peacock
I genuinely feel like this is the best show that no one is talking about. Or at least not enough people are talking about. Part of that I think is because it’s on Peacock which I don’t think gets much traction compared to the other streaming services. However, they do have a free (ad supported) tier. But, I’m telling you, it’s worth wrestling with a peacock. Ed Helms plays the history-obsessed descendant of the town’s namesake family who takes issue with talks to move the statue of his ancestor from its traditional place (in the middle of a road). Add in the Native American tribe that doesn’t believe the Rutherford’s kept their side of the treaty for the town back in the day… Did I mention the it’s the most Native American’s in any major writer’s room? Please, go wrestle the peacock and watch Rutherford Falls!

Harry Styles covers Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer” on Howard Stern 
YouTube
This is one I noted down last year and never made it to a list, but it’s still great. I love Harry Styles, and this is a pretty straight-forward cover of “Sledgehammer,” but a) it’s a great song – it still, as the kids say, slaps. b) The band is tight and the whole thing will make you smile.

TikTok
Look, you either know it or are actively ignoring it. Either way, here’s five creators who I encourage you to check out because their content is really worth your time: 
@steveioe – An ER doc who provides unvarnished opinions/advice and drops a lot of MF-bombs. 
@mndiaye_97 – Always fascinating animal facts and the most entertaining way to keep up on wildlife beefs (who knew anteaters and leopards hated each other so much?!)
@propstohistory – Provides great stories about the history of famous props from movies. 
@celinaspookyboo – Started following her because of her astonishing sleepwalking videos, but she’s so much more than that. Really inspirational. And funny as hell.
@straw_hat_goofy – Insightful takes on movies and comics. His series of videos during Marvel’s Falcon and the Winter Soldier were spot on.

Freud 8″ x 20T Box Joint Cutter Set
I bought a Dewalt DW745 table saw a number of years ago. We took a long time to become friends, but now we’re close. One problem that I knew ahead of time from reviews was that the arbor on that saw is too short to take a dado stack. I didn’t think that would be much of a problem simply because I’ve never had a table saw before. But it became an issue as I got more acquainted with the saw and my projects got more ambitious. From one of the questions on Amazon someone recommended this Freud box joint cutter set. It allows you to cut either 1/4 or 3/8 inch dados depending on how the two blades are installed. It’s not as good as a full dado stack – having to do two cuts for a 3/4″ dado is certainly annoying. But it’s a lot better than having to make a dozen cuts with just the blade. 
Dewalt has discontinued the DW745 and replaced it with the DWE7485 (which has cool handles!!). It looks like it’s got the same short arbor, so the Freud blade set would likely still work.

Lite Brite Nation
YouTube
I’ve been following Kevin and Brittany Williams on YouTube for years. Primarily, they’re 4-wheelers with their massively modified Jeep JL, AKA “Stepchild”. But beyond that, they do drifting, they competed and finished this year’s King of the Hammers race, and they just have an enormous amount of fun. Honestly, just watching them be themselves goofing around is worth a watch. After living out of their Jeep (and truck) for the last few years, they just this week announced they bought a property in southern Utah. It’s an exciting new chapter for them and I’m glad they’re taking all of us along!

Alltrails 
I’ve mentioned elsewhere how much I’ve enjoyed hiking more over the last year. One of the apps I’ve found helpful has been Alltrails.com. Sometimes the interface can be a little frustrating, but the ability to find local hikes with up to date reviews as well as distance and elevation changes has been great. 

Campendium
Can you tell I’m planning for a trip coming up? Campendium is geared more towards RVers, but RVers who are looking to boondock – that is, set up in primitive campgrounds where there may not be running water or facilities. In a nice RV the lack of amenities may not be as big a deal as when you’re piitching a tent, but that’s just the kind of off-the-beaten-path kind of camping I love. Like Alltrails, reviews help a lot when you’re evaluating whether you want to head down five miles of washboard road for a free BLM (Bureau of Land Management, that is) camping spot.