Weekend coffee #158.

Some start to 2021, eh? And we thought 2020 was a lot. Wednesday night, I turned on the actual TV in hopes of finding solace in dulcet tones of Alex Trebek’s voice, only to see one of the categories was “Your Government at Work.” That quickly spiraled into me obsessively watching the news until I finally passed out sometime after the Senate reconvened (which, to be fair, was only like 8 p.m.) While I was still conscious, Savannah Guthrie compared the attack on the Capitol to 9/11. I find we try to draw this parallel a lot in the U.S. Everything that happens is either the “worst thing since 9/11” or the “worst it’s been since 2008” (the other favorite touchstone).

Except that this time, I actually felt what Guthrie was saying. We were watching a totally senseless act in real-time. Yes, the scale was completely different, but the anxiety of seeing it unfold matched. And even though accountability remains to be seen (as the rats flee the sinking ship), something has shifted. Let’s hope for the better?

Otherwise, here’s what else is happening:

• The Whole Story in a Single Photo

• How to Get More From Your Pandemic Bubble

• I Binge-Watched Top Chef and Learned 5 Things about Feedback

• Google Workers Publicly Launch Union

• Bean Dad Is Twitter’s Final Form

• Tips for a Better Life

• Lemony Shrimp & White Bean Stew

• Currently watching: Got a free year of AppleTV! Where to start? Ted Lasso? Dickinson?

• Currently reading: Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide

That’s all for now. Until next time - thanks for following along and be well.

Image by @powwpic.