Whoa! What a week.

Snowstorms, blackouts, violent crime sprees from one end of the country to the other. It’s mind-boggling what’s happening in America.

The only way I know to get through times like this is to hunker down and focus on things that I can control and that interest me, inspire me, and are forward-looking enough to get me beyond the turmoil of the day. Oh, and stuff that makes me laugh. Big shout out to my friends Dean Churack and Cynthia Nelson for that hysterical Zoom Meetings Are Just Modern Seances cartoon. Cracked me up.

And on that note, scroll down for this week’s Top 10.

1. vaccine passports: “confirmd” app now used at Scottsdale golf club to track employee COVID history (Source: AZFamily)

A new app launched earlier this month by Scottsdale-based business, ConfirmD, tracks your COVID and vaccine status.

• The app shows your COVID test history, antibody status, and vaccine record right on your phone.
• Besides Scottsdale’s Silverado Golf Club (which piloted the app), businesses at Sky Harbor Airport are using it, and a major airline is currently looking at signing on as well.

2. 2021 Travel Trends and Predictions (Source: Expedia)

Excellent report (link here) with 10 key findings including who will be the first to travel (married couples and city dwellers), top destinations (Cancun is #1 – hello Ted Cruz 👋 – but cities including New York are back in the top 10), types of vacations (cruises are major), plus more. GREAT insights – worth checking out if travel and hospitality are your thing.

3. ‘Immersive Van Gogh’ exhibit: now in Chicago, LA up next (Source: Time Out Chi/ LA)

Starry Night and The Bedroom in Arles just opened in Chicago at the Germania Club Building in Old Town. This high-tech exhibition produced by Lighthouse Immersive and Impact Museums consists of 50 digital projectors that cover 35-foot walls with animated versions of Van Gogh’s work. It’s accompanied by a score that blends electronic and classical compositions. Prior to Chicago, the show was in Toronto and San Francisco.

Major Trend: next-generation museum experiences

• They have been on my radar since 2016 but really started popping in 2019.
• SuperReal by Moment Factory took over Cipriani downtown in August 2019.
• In September 2019, Artechouse opened in NYC with digital works by the master of the genre, Refik Anadol.
• Mid-2020, Pace Gallery announced they were launching their SuperBlue Experiential Art Center in Miami. Groundbreaking work with a groundbreaking new compensation system for artists (#8 in this link).
• All of this goes hand-in-hand with the CryptoArt/NFT/metaverse developments I wrote about last week.

4. Tony Baker’s Animal Voiceovers on Instagram are AWESOME – follow him, you’ll thank me!

Tony Baker‘s animal voiceovers CRACK ME UP. Follow him on Instagram – and turn up the sound on any of the animal posts (I especially love the baby bear one and the dog out in the snow by the door). Unfortunately, I can’t embed IG videos on the blog. Also big shout out to Erik Griffin (Riffin with Griffin) for putting Tony Baker on my radar.

5. KRISPY KREME MARS DOughNUT to CELEBRATe NASA’S ROVER LANDING. available one day onlY (FEB 18)

This limited-edition Mars doughnut is such a great concept. Unfortunately, it was probably a bust because of the weather in most parts of the country. I had even planned to trudge over to my local Krispy Kreme to check it out but it was snowing and sleeting in NYC.

6. Everyone’s jumping on THE BIRRIA TACO bandwagon

I had never heard of birria until last week but it’s booming from Denver, to Boise to NYC. And according to the NY Times, it’s huge on TikTok (of course). And for those not aware, the meat used in birria has traditionally been goat but now, more often, it is beef. And totally randomly, at Ludlow House last night, one of the staff was telling us how much she loves birria and how during the pandemic she learnt to cook it!

• In NYC, per Eater: The fad began in 2019 with the appearance of Birria-Landia, a truck that pulled up on Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights. It was an instant hit with long lines even in the middle of winter.

• In Denver, Westword wrote: The latest food trend is a style of birria that originated in Tijuana, Mexico; found fame on the streets of LA and has since spread all over the U.S. It’s a big hit on the food truck circuit with Kiké’s Red Tacos making birria de res a specialty.

• Boise, as I’ve written previously, is a hub of foodie culture. Of course, Birria is on an increasing number of menus there as well.

7. Vegan is off the charts — with some surprising fans

• Rabbi Yanklowitz has been vegan for 10 years and has authored two books on the subject, The Jewish Vegan (2015) and Jewish Veganism and Vegetarianism: Studies and New Directions (2019).
• He’s also a co-founder of the Synagogue Vegan Challenge which offers animal-free alternatives to traditional meat-based Jewish foods. The challenge was launched in 2017 and gives grants to synagogues nationwide to develop vegan education programs and promote plant-based meals. That includes vegan versions of traditional dairy- and meat-based Jewish dishes.
• It’s co-sponsored by Jewish animal advocacy group SHAMAYIM, founded in 2012 by Rabbi Yanklowitz along with actress Mayim Bialik, and rapper Matisyahu. Source: Phoenix New Times

Asheville ranked No. 1 in the nation as best vegan-friendly small city (Source: Spectrum/PETA)

• PETA cited more than 100 vegan-friendly restaurants in Asheville, including Plant (pic below).

Nestle launches vegan KitKat bar (Source: KSL.com)

• Nestle Switzerland announced that the KitKat V will be launched later this year in “several countries across the globe.”
• No dates given on when it will be available in the States.
• It will be available in Britain, where the KitKat was originally developed — and where the research on the vegan version was done — but not in the U.S. where the KitKat is produced under a licensing agreement with Hershey’s.

8. Streetwear Line ‘Paisa Boys’ Brought OXXO to L.A. for a Day! (And I want one of these amazing t-shirts)

A street fashion pop-up in MidCity inspired by a quintessential Mexican convenience store selling L.A. foo-designed clothes of the highest quality might be the most peak L.A. moment in 2021 yet.  

L.A.Taco Feb 16, 2021

• Paisa Boys launched in 2017 with one-off releases of T-shirts, hoodies, and sweatpants that celebrate L.A.-Mexico motifs. Many are inspired by the decals that proudly ride on the back of pickup trucks all over southern California. Other designs feature political imagery having to do with immigration. 

9. “DROPS” ARE NOT usually MY THING BUT I WILL BE FIRST IN LINE for this!

My favorite footwear – for over a decade – has been the classic Vans slip-on, in black. I’ve never had a desire to deviate or upgrade until I saw this collaboration with Japanese brand, Porter. Super cool! I will be at the Vault by Vans store on the Bowery tomorrow, February 20 and hopefully snag a pair of the slip-ons and perhaps one of the wallets as well.

10. It’s a toss-up: do I write about Cuomo, the raptor or raptors in the wild?

Although I eagerly fangirled our governor (along with every other female and the entire liberal media), I also found his rapacious and aggressive governing style a MAJOR TURNOFF. I first wrote about the nursing home scandal back in April 2020 – #10 in this blog post) but his superfans pooh-poohed it and the story fizzled out until now. The tide has turned! Bottom line, I’d rather focus on raptors in the wild than on our raptor-in-Albany.

BALD EAGLE NEST – HAYS, PA (SOURCE: AUDUBON SOCIETY)

• First egg of 2021: February 12, Second egg: February 15

‘Mega-rare’ snowy owl spotted in Central Park for first time since 1890

Red-tailed hawk with it’s dinner (pigeon!) in Tompkins Square Park – photo: EV Grieve

And that’s a wrap for this week.

I had a very productive (and social!) week. Major highlight (besides dinners and lunches with friends) was a personal tour, with the architect, of 216 Bowery. I wrote about the building a few weeks ago and he contacted me to see if I was interested in doing a site visit. I jumped at the opportunity and all I can say is WOW! It’s even more stunning than I had imagined and it offers one of the best examples I’ve seen of merging the old with the new. If anyone is looking for downtown office space, check it out. I’m sure it’s on the spendy side but absolutely fabulous. Pics below.

And that, my friends, is it for this week. Next Tuesday (hopefully), I will get my first dose of the vaccine (Pfizer). One more step forward.

And big plans for today (Friday) as well: lunch with two of my besties, Jill and Sharon, at PEAK atop Hudson Yards. I’ve been there once before and consider it one of the best restaurants in NYC. It offers top-notch food, great service and absolutely spectacular views!

And on that note, wishing everyone the best weekend. Stay safe, stay well. ‘Til next week!