Five Bullets 4.26.24
Earth Day, Mark Guiliana, Dictionaries & more
Good Morning & Happy Friday!
I hope you are all enjoying the early spring weather (if you’re in the northeast). The weather here in New York City this week has been superb - crisp, clear air, blue skies, and lots of sun.
We’ve nearly reached the end of another month! What have you been working on this month? What are you planning for May?
This week’s Five Bullets:
Earth Day: Monday was the 54th anniversary of Earth Day which is held every year to demonstrate support and raise awareness for the health of our planet. 20 million people participated nationwide for the first Earth Day on April 22nd, 1970. In New York City, Mayor John Lindsey closed Fifth Avenue to traffic and one million people gathered from Union Square to Central Park.
In 2023 governments spent $2.44 trillion on military spending and the cost to the climate amounts to nearly 6% of global carbon emissions.
Music: Drummer Mark Guiliana has a solo album coming out in July. Recorded at Studio 606 (Foo Fighters HQ) the album will feature Guiliana performing solo on drums, percussion and more. I’ve always found Guiliana’s drumming very musical as well as technically inventive and I’m really looking forward to this record. Check out his albums Beat Music and Jersey.
NYC: This week marked the 60th anniversary of the 1964 World’s Fair at Flushing-Meadows Corona Park in Queens. In previous newsletters, we’ve covered the New York State Pavilion and the Underground World Home. Check out this NYC Transit Authority jingle letting people know they can ride the subway to the fair.
Podcasts: Austin Kleon spoke with two of his favorite book and film critics. Ryan Holiday and Evelyn McDonnell discussed Joan Didion’s legacy. Serial Season 4 covers the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay.
Words: You Should Create Your Own Personal Dictionary. Inspired by this Parker Settecase video, I’ve started a personal dictionary so I can write down words I’ve looked up and actually remember them! I make notes of words I’m not familiar with while reading so I can look up the definitions later in my dictionary. This method helps retain the new word and I can review words I’ve looked up before.
Do you have a favorite word you’ve learned this year?? Mine is bumbershoot, which is an umbrella ☂️
Bumbershoot! Is that a British- English word?
Hmm so many! Insalubrious is a good one, meaning ‘not conducive to health’.