Vibe Popes [#129]
Making it through the holidays one kid recital at a time. And some notes on Deck the Balls, my ball-forward potluck.
Hallo!
This year, to save me from tears, I brought back a potluck I used to throw in DC called Deck The Balls. Everyone has to bring only ball-shaped foods. Guests get CREATIVE. We had rice balls, meatballs, cake balls, chicken pot pie shaped into balls, croquettes, arancini, pomelos, donut holes … the list goes on. And then there’s balloting and prizes in three categories. Our categories this time were Best Salty Balls, Best Sweet Balls, and Balls I Just Liked Licking.
(In the 2012 edition of the party, my friend Patrick won “Most Creative Balls” for making a giant Rice Krispie treat ball with sprinkles in it and called it “Terry Schiavo’s Brain”, which is a very 2012 cringe-joke. Apologies to all.)
We had a … ball. Ninety people fit in my backyard somehow. And Rob’s band played with podcast sweetheart Sam Sanders on saxophone. This got me thinking about one of my great joys, which is bringing my friends together. I want my tombstone to read, “All her friends became friends.”
Reading
It turns out that if you are like me and enjoy bringing disparate friend groups together, you should do it more often. Vox makes a case for inviting everyone to everything. And The Atlantic gives the work of hosting and connecting people a title: Vibe Pope, “a nondenominational title for those who unite people under the divine light of a good time.”
Over to not-good-times: The war in Gaza has claimed the lives of thousands, including scores of journalists. A Trump dictatorship is increasingly inevitable. Kohl’s thieves want to be charged with a misdemeanor and not a felony because the items they stole were on sale.
Watch and/or Listen
Vox Explained’s episode on parking was illuminating and interesting
Long drives this holiday break? Check out some of Vogue’s Best Podcasts of 2023. There are a lot of Best Of lists and this one I most agreed with, I think.
I haven’t watched SNL in a long time but damn, this Weekend Update segment where Colin Jost and Michael Che write jokes for the other person to read had me snort-laughing. They added another layer by having an esteemed black woman researcher sit beside Jost to endure his jokes … SO GOOD.
Sorry, one more must-watch. The Ron DeSantis AI inner monologue:
I will do one more wrap-up Hu’s Letter before the end of the year, but if you miss it, I want you to know how much I’ve enjoyed continuing this correspondence this year and welcome all the new subscribers to my random and sometimes wacky world. If you have comments, quips, questions, write me back or leave a comment, I always love hearing from readers.
And if you haven’t bought enough books yet this holiday season, consider supporting Flawless, available in all formats!
Here’s to surviving the holidays,
E
I love Deck the Balls! Also can I quote your tombstone on mine? :)
Thanks for all that you share.
Happy Holidaze!