PicoBlog

Issue No. 22 It would be pretty low-brow if I began with a picture of someone shaving with a razor, wouldn’t it? We’re better than that, aren’t we? I thought so. I had reason to look up Occam’s razor the other day. Searching it brought up a list of other philosophical razors, and so I thought it would be interesting to see what some of those are about and how useful they are for thinking about things in everyday life.

Hey, How are you doing? I hope you’ve had a great weekend and I wish you a really super week ahead. Remember that we all have a purpose in this world. Sometimes more than one. Live it and enjoy your journey. Stay Jiggy. Stay safe. Want to receive notifications via WhatsApp when I send these letters out? Share your phone number here Got a musing you think I should explore in my letters?

TW: institutionalisation, violence and racism Ogres and I have a lot in common: we like peace and quiet and routine, we hate noise, having our space invaded and our things touched, we enjoy a small number of reliable foods that we can eat over and over again, we’re happiest spending lots time alone and need very limited time in the company of others. Moreover, I actively aspire to the ogre lifestyle.

I’ve been purging books lately. Like many of you, I possess an extraordinary number of books. My book shelves are overflowing, and I’ve felt an urgent need to make room for new books, ones that better reflect where I am right now. Would you believe that I still own 10 books about baby sleep? (My 12.5 year old son didn’t sleep for the first year of his life, and in my early days of blogging about motherhood, these soul-crushing sleep struggles were one of my primary writing topics.

I love how many grief books exist right now. From the heart-wrenchingly honest to the humorous, it feels like there’s something for everyone. But the problem with having so many lovely books, is it often leads to overwhelm, leaving us wondering: where do we possibly begin? So let’s talk about it. What are your favorite grief books and why? Did a book make you feel seen? Did it help you move forward after loss?

Hello Beautifuls, It started with a video of a young Dutch woman, Emma Kok, singing in French. I don't speak French. At all. I understand moi and the occasional word that sounds like its Spanish or English equivalent, but other than that, I got nothing. That's part of the magic of her performance. It was truly an act of the Universe wanting me to listen, because the recording starts out in Dutch, which I understand even less than French, then moves into a story about Emma's brother and then finally a story about Emma.

(Jennie of Blackpink, in The Idol. Photo credit: HBO) As Everything Everywhere All At Once heads to the Oscars this weekend with the most nominations — and possibly wins — it will mark a huge victory for Asian representation in Hollywood. After all, it’s a remarkable achievement for an ambitious indie film to premiere at South by Southwest Festival last March, then make its way to film’s biggest night a year later.

Good morning to the smartest, most creative email list in the whole world! This week’s newsletter is coming at you one day early, so you know what that means: That’s right, tomorrow I announce an upcoming webinar that will dive deep into the topic that every single writer always asks me about. Make sure you’re subscribed to this newsletter so you receive it in your inbox the second it goes live.

Wanna make cannabis ice cream? Sip on homemade infused mocktails, fruit juice, and tea. How about spreading a layer of infused strawberry jam on a thick slice of weed-infused bread?  Sounds like a fantasy land but I promise you, it’s real and 100% possible. From butter, coconut oil, MCT oil, avocado oil, honey, sesame oil, milk, cream, and alcohol tinctures, there’s a myriad of options that cannabis can infuse into to create delicious homemade edibles.