The Weekender, July 2, 2020

Hi! 

As I mentioned yesterday, I’m taking a three-day weekend — the 4th of July is Saturday (although maybe today should be the holiday?), so tomorrow’s a day off for me. So, yes, it’s Thursday, and today’s email is a Weekender. 

Earlier this week, my 2019 fundraising campaign on behalf of charity: water closed. My original goal was to raise $4,200. And I’m thrilled to share that you all, collectively, beat that — by a LOT. The grand total…

$11,634.42 

Wow! Thank you so much for helping me support such an important cause.

According to charity: water, an estimated 290 people will receive access to clean water, on an on-going basis, as a result of your collective generosity. Water is life, so it’s not a reach to say that we’ve helped save dozens or hundreds of lives. In a moment where the world seems to be lacking enough empathy to make it through a week, this effort has been truly inspiring.

I’ll do another fundraiser on my birthday come December, but if you have ideas in the interim for non-fundraising ways that the Now I Know community can help make the world a better place, please reply to this email with your suggestions.

The Now I Know Week in Review

Monday: Lithuania’s Long, Strange Trip to Barcelona: Basketball meets Jerry Garcia.

Tuesday: When It’s OK to Lose Your Head. It’s actually about worms.

Wednesday: Foul Tip. The story of one of baseball’s most infamous cards.

And some other things you should check out:

Some long reads for the weekend.

1) “Marathon Man” (New Yorker, 40 minutes, July 2012). For many, long-distance running is a hobby. For one, cheating at long-distance running is a better hobby.

2) “A Brief History of the Lawn Chair” (Valet Magazine, 6 minutes, June 2020). Via reader John G., who sends in lots of great longreads (or shorter ones in this case), comes this perfect example of how even the most mundane things may have a fascinating history.

3) “The Most Amazing Bowling Story Ever” (D Magazine, 18 minutes, July 2012). There’s a slight chance I’ve shared this before; if so, sorry about that. I may have shared the best profile of a bowler, ever (here, as a pdf) though.

Have a great long weekend!

Dan