Normalcy Found?
The race is on between getting vaccinated and getting COVID (if you haven't already). As if things weren't interesting enough, pharmaceutical companies' Herculean effort to get an effective vaccine out is being matched by strains that spread more quickly. As I am neither vulnerable nor essential, I don't suspect I will be getting a vaccine anytime soon. Therefore, I have begun to take small steps towards reclaiming 'new' normalcy. I recently returned from an extended break in Florida, where I enjoyed nice weather and mostly open venues. Aside from the cold weather and snow, it is refreshing to be back in NYC. Certain cuisines are just better here, Italian and Chinese for example. However, the most normal thing I have done since my return is a visit to the Met. This is my favorite museum (globally), and it was a pleasure to wander around there for a couple of hours. It was filled with other people (all masked) presumably searching for an escape from their homes, pandemic, life, etc ... It dawned on me that looking at art and artifacts was the most normal thing I have done since the pandemic began. Seriously. It gave me a real sense of hope that things will (must) return to the way they were. New York has taken a rather significant hit, but other cities won't quickly replace it. This week's Loupe is dedicated to reclaiming and refinding normalcy.
SavvyCal
I don't know about you, but I spend more time scheduling some calls than the calls themselves. The typical exchange is "Please let me know a few times that work blah, blah, blah..." Then they respond with a few times that work. Then you accept one of those times first in the email, then with a calendar invite. This process is unnecessarily annoying. SavvyCal has basically eliminated this back and forth and lets the person asking for the meeting send their availability. The person can see available blocks of time, select one, and automatically place a meeting in both calendars. They even have created a way to look at available times across a team if others are involved in the meeting. As importantly, they have integrated with Zoom and other common video call apps. No more back and forth. Spend your time meeting rather than planning to meet. Maybe sometime in the near future, we can use this to meet in person! You're welcome!
One BIte / Slice App
Is there anything more normal than pizza? It is a food that is so universal that you can dine in, dine out, or even eat on the go. New York has made the slice of pizza on the go part of the ethos of the city. In fact, I can often recognize New Yorkers by whether they fold their pizza or not. Regardless, before there was Dave Portnoy of GameStop fame (infamous), and after Dave Portnoy of Barstools fame, there was Dave Portnoy of One Bite fame. He has been going around the country (world?), often invited by fans and business owners alike, to take one bite of their beloved pizza spots and give it a rating. My taste (in pizza) is pretty closely aligned with his, and by the sheer volume of tastings, he should be a pro at this point (unlike his investing experience). He has even added a companion app called Slice that allows you to order it online. You can also see where in the world he is at any time as he posts a video of the encounter; it seems he spent much of January with me in Miami and reviewed a ton of places...not very high, I might add. Enjoy this slice of normality!
Google Art & Culture
If you need a sizable helping of arts and culture, please visit your nearby museum or gallery. If you need to know where to go, or just a glimpse, then visit Google Arts & Culture app. This nifty little app has evolved since the last time I checked it. It gathers the art listings in your area, so you can figure out where to go. Additionally, it has lots of other content that will keep your mind active. For instance, take a selfie to learn which historical figurative character you look like; unfortunately, I resemble the old man from Portrait of an Old Man by Rembrandt (time to see a surgeon...). You can virtually wander through galleries (do it in VR), project famous art on your walls, and even convert your selfies into recognizable artist's styles. Google seems very focused on providing developers space and resources to develop Experiments at the intersection of culture and technology. So much to do at home on your computer before a full-fledged return to normalcy.
I hope you find your own normalcy and consider SavvyCal, One Bite/Slice app and Google Arts & Culture Found!