What era do you think you would have been best suited to live in and why?
Previous Question:
What era do you think you would have been best suited to live in and why?
[[Ed note: A lot of people, the majority in fact, said “now.” For good and interesting reasons, such as Nick’s below. For women, or people of color, this is the best era to live in — which says much more about how bad it’s been rather than how good it is. The real answer to this question, though, is “any era that would have let me see Brahms or Nina Simone perform in their prime. Anyway…]]
Nick answers: If I could pick an era in which to live, it would definitely have to be the era in which I am currently living. I might romanticize the past as much as anybody does, but as a Type 1 Diabetic, I know that medically, my body is really grateful for the medical advancements of recent decades. Additionally, as an openly gay man, I am grateful that I can share my home and my apartment with my boyfriend and not be ostracized by my community. I'd certainly love to see the 1920s, or the 1840s, or even the 1960s, but I know that the early 21st century is the era for me.
Nick’s Ask:
Where in the world is your favorite landscape?
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Bits and Pieces
From time to time, I’ll throw some updates, links, and other notes at the bottom of the newsletter.
Hey, there’s an election coming up here in the United States! I’ll be doing a bunch of podcasting and hosting video at FiveThirtyEight all that day and night and into the wee hours. So, your priorities: 1) Vote! 2) Come join us online.
Recent additions to the Perfect Songs Playlist:
“The Lengths” by Black Keys
“Sweet Wanomi” by Bill Withers
“Discotheque” by Sun June
As you may know, I’m one of those types who take Ultimate Frisbee way too seriously. For many years, I played and captained NYC’s top men’s team. I’m still very connected with the program, and just this year they won the freakin’ national championship. Here is a really lovely article about the culture of NYC frisbee and what makes it so special. I got a nice quote in there talking shit about Boston, too.