The days of this “Quarantine Life” are blending right into one another for me and it’s not doing a whole lot for my morale. So I am doing this looong “Not on Friday” version of Friday Favorites because what day is it, anyway? Does it matter? Hopefully this list of links and videos occupies you a bit; keeps you entertained. I have added a special Quarantine Life section as well, entitled “Take Advantage of This Time” because for many, this is a lot of downtime and I think it’s important to be productive, lest we let our brains turn to mush. Disclosure: Alcohol is medicinal right now so my brain may be mush already. *shrug*

WHAT I READ

• Filmmaker Christopher Nolan laments on the vitality of movie theaters after the pandemic.
• Phenomenal article from Politico on the global, economic ramifications of what’s going on right now.
• It’s not all Quarantine Life all the time, here. I also read this super interesting article about why we do not have – but need – female crash test dummies.

OTHER BLOGGERS & INFLUENCERS

• Mashable shared this great list of accounts to follow on Instagram that will bring a smile to your face.
• Wanna know if your toilet paper supply will last? This is an amusing calculator someone put up.
• A bevy of new podcasts have popped up in the last couple of weeks and Vulture put some of the good ones in this list.
• How much do I wanna make this baked potato soup? PRETTY BADLY. Also, this chocolate chip cookie cake. Because sprinkles.

EARLIER THIS WEEK

• I made a Quarantine themed playlist on Spotify. BECAUSE I HAVE NOTHING BUT TIME RIGHT NOW, GUYS.
• I’ve read a couple of Batman comics and am going to start working my way through this list, too, which my friend Ryan shared.
• Well, my puzzle-addiction has resurfaced. There is a 1000-piecer in progress on my dining room table right now. But I really wanna try this puzzle….

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS TIME

• First of all, The Sacramento Bee has assembled a STELLAR list of things to virtually-do right now, including Ivy League courses you can participate in for free online.
• Try a Netflix Party!!!
• Have you ever used Lynda? Lynda is not a person, it is a website jam-packed with online courses covering a ton of topics, now owned by LInkedIn. Sign up for 30 days, free, and learn some new stuff!
• Some fun, new groups have popped up on Facebook to make Quarantine Life more interesting. Check out this Karaoke group, for example, or this meal prep group.
• I am a little nutty so I made myself an Excel spreadsheet of movies, documentaries and TV shows I want to catch up on or watch anew during this time. So far, I’ve enjoyed “Hunters” on Amazon, “Tiger King” (of course) and “Love is Blind” on Netflix, among many others. In making the list, though, I get to check something off when I’ve completed it, making my streaming feel more productive than lethargic! Are you watching anything you would recommend I add to the spreadsheet? And if it helps, /Film has created an ongoing list of new movies being released to streaming platforms.

VIDEO SPOTLIGHT A silver lining, if you will, is all the creativity we are seeing from content creators right now. Some of my favorites:

• Living room concerts are IT, y’all. I’ve gotten to see some of my favorite artists perform in the most intimate of settings! Consequence of Sound is keeping a list of these updated. (You will also get a pop-up for their daily digest, “Quarantine and Chill” to sign up for!)
• John Krasinki’s “SGN” (Some Good News) broadcast.
• International treasure, Sir Patrick Stewart, is reading Shakespeare DAILY for us. Go. Enjoy. Bask in its warmth and creativity.
• If you are a Broadway lover, you MUST check out the “Stars in he House” series happening on the Actors Fund YouTube channel, twice daily.
• James Corden is having a great time messing with my emotions, like when he had Andrea Boceli on to serenade us with “‘Con te partirò” or the cast (past and current) of Dear Evan Hansen on to sing this song that ALWAYS KILLS ME! (And if you love this song, Hugh Jackman also sang it on Twitter for us.)
• The Backstreet Boys collaborated on “I Want it That Way” from their individual homes for the iHeart Radio special that aired Sunday night: