Actually Good #4
Revenge of the Good
Hi there and welcome back to Actually Good, where I list some things that are, you know, actually good.
Apple Music
After about a decade, I have at last abandoned the haunted pirate ship that is Spotify and instead boarded the sleek luxury yacht of Apple Music. I changed teams for a few reasons: Spotify’s all-in embrace of AI over actual people, the sudden appearance of sponsored music on the home page, the absurd royalties and pay for artists, cosmetic and navigational changes that make things just a little worse every time, and an abysmal 2024 Wrapped. I accidentally tapped the AI DJ once and when it said my name I wanted to explode my phone as quickly as possible.
I’m still getting used to Apple Music’s bizarre queuing system, and I take issue with the way your Album Library works with Liked songs. But I do really really like that you can add things to both the top and the bottom of the queue! The little blurbs they sometimes have for albums are nice. And the ability to go back and find songs you just played??? Spotify could never. It’s simple and clean and the sound quality is actually a little better I think. It’s also a bit nostalgic for me, since I used to delve into iTunes on our old family Mac computer. If you’re on the fence about Spotify, let this be a glaring neon sign to make the switch to something else.
Trader Joe’s Canvas Bag
This thing is the ultimate grocery tote. Too often tote bags have these weird short straps that you’re forced to just carry by hand, which can be painful if you have to walk back from the grocery store. But this bad boy fits a crazy amount of groceries and has these straps that are long enough to sling over your shoulder and thick enough not to cut into your skin. Plus the little pocket on the outside? Come on now.
Butter Keeper
One of the things I am fundamentally not good at is spreading butter. This object makes such a difference for morning toast, which I have most every day, so over time it’s a big life improvement. No more spreading cold butter and ruining the bread! Thank you to our dear friend Katie for gifting us this one for Christmas. (Note from M: you must use salted butter in a butter keeper, otherwise it won’t last. This is news to me.)
Funnel
Okay this is more a specific pain remedy but I’m hoping to reach some others out there whose main drinking vessel is something with a smaller mouth (mine is the bkr bottle, mentioned in AG #1). For literal years I struggled with getting the water into the mouth of the bottle, often spilling a little each time, filling my day with tiny frustrations. Then it struck me: why not use our funnel? Now I keep it handy next to the fridge, and I no longer have to worry. There is a better world out there, people!
Canopy Humidifier
I get the feeling Canopy is kind of #influencer core but it really has greatly improved how I feel when I wake up! Especially when the air in general is very dry or when it’s allergy season. Canopy’s whole thing is that it’s easy to clean and maintain—I don’t have experience with other humidifiers, but I can say that this one is indeed easy to work with. They do charge a lot for filter replacements but we found some dupes for cheap.
Et Cetera:
M and I are watching season two of Severance right now and I can say: it’s good! But it is reaching a point where there are many mysteries going on at once, and since we didn’t rewatch season one I occasionally feel confused at who people are. I also have a problem with how they reveal things to us, the viewers. Let’s take Lost for example: it’s another show with countless mysteries that accumulate faster than they’re solved, but you’re on the same page as the main characters most of the time—you know only what they know and have seen only what they’ve seen. This is why season one of Severance was so effective.
But with this season of Severance, you get the sense that anything can be revealed at any time, and the reason we don’t know the big mysteries is because the writers determined that it’s not time yet. It also glosses over other logistical mysteries for the sake of spectacle and advancing the plot, I guess. (For those who know, I’m talking about the ORTBO, like what happened immediately after the end of episode 4? They just act as if everyone was teleported or something.)
All that to say it’s still cool and unique and looks amazing, and I respect it for doubling down on being wacky. Even if that includes Adam Scott’s haircuts.
Anyways, hope everyone is well.