November 2023
Happy Thanksgiving and welcome to the holiday season! I thought I would sneak this in as you do some early Black Friday shopping, so happy catch-up-reading. Also, just in time for the season, I posted on Castles for Christmas, NYC + London for the Holidays, and also my 2023 Gift Guide along with plenty on my Amazon Storefront but….I am also aware that this is a tough year for everyone, and budgets are tight. So making something, buying preloved and local, creating an experience, and of course, giving back, are great options. Let’s stay connected: CMMedia, Blog, Newsletter, Linkedin, Youtube, TikTok, Instagram, Threads
Travel & World News
CNT The 32 Best Places to Spend Christmas Around the World
The Atlantic on America’s Travel Problems
T+L Best Black Friday travel deals + November 28 is THE day to book your discounted flights and hotels
US/Canada: Random explosion at border + US Halts Plot to kill Sikh separatist, warns India (in addition to the other incident in Canada)
Dublin riots following knife attack
Israel/Palestine: Temporary cease fire, hostage and prisoner exchange
The Netherlands inexplicably elects a dangerous far-right leader
Argentina also inexplicably elects a dangerous far-right leader
Sudan conflict creates world's fastest-growing displacement crisis
Culture Club
The annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade where Cher performed, and Dolly at the NFL game, both amazing at 77
The 2024 Grammy Nominations are here
Time lists the best 100 books of 2023 + Vulture’s best books of 2023
New Yorker on the best jokes of 2023
Aging like a fine wine, Patrick Dempsey is People’s sexiest man alive this year
This company is hiring someone to watch 25 Christmas movies
NYT essay: Why Aren’t More People Marrying? Ask Women What Dating Is Like
Related, “The Hesitant Fiancée” 1866 painting is a hit on TikTok
Vogue readers everywhere were revolted by this spread on Jeff Bezos & Lauren Sanchez that NO ONE wanted. The IG comments are fire.
Profiles: Travis Kelce in WSJ, Jacob Elordi in GQ, Barry Keoghan in Wonderland Magazine, Tom Blyth in GQ, Andre 3000 in GQ, Greta Gerwig in Vanity Fair, Fantasia in Variety, reporter Meghann Cuniff in WSJ, literary agent Andrew Wylie in NYT
Saltburn is the wildest movie I saw this year, writer/director Emerald Fennell is a genius (who also won a screenwriting Oscar for ‘Promising Young Woman’)
David Letterman returned to the (Colbert) Late Show as a guest
Timothée Chalamet makes his return to SNL where new memes are born, and singer Troye Sivan impression which got his attention
Census projects over 1 in 4 Americans will be latino by 2060 :)
Abortion rights win big in 2023 elections, again
Fake news to become required subject in California schools
Drump: A funny reading of his ridiculous court transcripts + how he may be the biggest danger to the world in 2024 (and our American democracy)
RIP former First Lady and humanitarian Rosalynn Carter
RIP Matthew Perry, via his autobiography on how he would like to be remembered
Business & Tech
A wild five days at OpenAI, with a 360 CEO rotation, board replacements, mean tweets, drama + NYT podcast interview with Sam Altman
Feminist publication Jezebel shuts down after 16 years
Taylor Swift hits Billionaire status
Amazon launches new Prime Benefit: One Medical healthcare membership
WeWork, once valued at $47 billion, files for bankruptcy
X is dying, all major advertisers pull out after more bad Musk remarks
Warner Brothers is reversing its decision to shelve a finished movie
NYT podcast on the three dozen states coming together in a lawsuit against Meta
Melinda French Gates x Pivotal Ventures are out to change the face of power in the venture capital by investing in women-led funds and early-stage companies
Take care out there x Carrieamitchell.com