You know the old proverb about all work and no play turning Jack into a dull boy, and amid the pandemic many have come to appreciate the need to unwind. In today’s Best of OZY, we set out the case for laziness, offering ways to make peace with your inner couch potato, from a classical album and some shows worth starting to tech that will make your dry cleaning a breeze. Call us lazy, say we’re wasting our time, just don’t call us while we’re off the clock. Here are some picks for a weekend without worries.
— Based on reporting by Joshua Eferighe
do nothing, right
1 - Some Whiskey In That Coffee?
It’s 5 o’clock somewhere doesn’t even apply here — you have all day! Baileys is the classic liqueur for spiking your coffee, but you might try something new with this iced whiskey coffee recipe . The cold-brew base goes with cream and coconut whipped cream over a whiskey syrup (made with vanilla extract, brown sugar and a half-cup of whiskey). Add a little crushed ice and trust: You won’t find a more chilled-out morning.
2 - Game Time
Lose track of time with Disco Elysium: Final Cut . The noir detective, role-playing game takes place in a post-revolutionary world where you wake up as a cop with little to no memory and are tasked with piecing together what last happened. The gameplay is cerebral, as roughly half of the game’s more than 1 million words are actually your character’s inner thoughts. It also incorporates elements of political theory, where each decision you make influences your character’s leanings. Released last spring , Disco Elysium is available across all platforms, including your iPhone, if even rolling out of bed is too much work!
3 - Beethoven, Bartók, Dvořák
Albums should be experienced front to back. No interruptions, just vibes. So blast the Grammy Award-winning Juilliard String Quartet’s newest album, featuring performances of classics by Beethoven, Bartók and Dvořák. Classical music makes a great backdrop to an effortless day. Plus, you can’t replicate the clarity and sense of power you feel playing Ludwig’s String Quartet in E Minor, Op. 59 , at the top of the morning.
guilt-free bingeing
1 - Cam’ron On Drink Champs
Hip-hop has become saturated, making it easy to miss an iconic moment in the making. In case you didn’t catch it, one such defining experience took place earlier this year when legendary Harlem rapper Cam’ron sat down with Queens rapper N.O.R.E. on an episode of his show, Drink Champ s . The highly anticipated episode was a master class in hip-hop history, as the Dipset frontman told never-before-heard stories about Biggie, Big L, Jay-Z, Nas and other hip-hop royalty — which explains why the three-hour conversation racked up over 3 million views.
2 - Quo Vadis, Aida?
Released this year , the title of this film translates to “whither goest thou, Aida?” — riffing off the question which, according to scriptures, Jesus asked the fleeing apostle Peter after Christ had risen from the dead. The historical fiction follows Aida, a United Nations translator, and her fight to save her family as she faces the difficult decision whether or not to continue translating Dutch orders for the local community after it becomes clear her employers aren’t committed to de-escalating the conflict.
3 - Night of the King
His story must last until sunrise or the waiting mob of prisoners will have his neck. Shot in the Ivory Coast, this movie imagines an inmate-run facility in the middle of a forest, where the incarcerated leaders force others to argue for their lives. What they don’t know is that the protagonist is a talented storyteller, the kind who enthralls while telling the tale of the mystical outlaw called the “Zama King.” A story within a story: We’ll take it!
off-the-grid reading
1 - Klara and the Sun
Set in a technologically advanced society not too different from our own, Kazuo Ishiguro continues tackling big, existential themes with this look at artificial intelligence and human life. In the Nobel Prize winner’s eighth novel , robots have replaced many jobs and kids don’t go outside. Klara, an artificial friend (AF) longs to be chosen by the child who will become her companion. However, when that child, Josie, finally arrives, Klara is confronted with a difficult challenge: Josie is seriously ill. So the solar-powered Klara tries to expose Josie to the sun, in what becomes a heart-wrenching story about love, life and mortality.
2 - Of Women And Salt
Gabriela García’s debut novel is an eclectic, cultural exploration of Latin American heritage. The main character, Jeanette, is the daughter of a Cuban immigrant. Eager to reconnect with her family’s past, she takes in the daughter of a neighbor detained by ICE. But soon she is traveling from Cuba to Mexico, in search of a history with explosive secrets. From cigar factories to detention centers, the author leaves no stone unturned in this diaspora tale.
3 - The Final Revival of Opal & Nev
Making her fiction debut, Dawnie Walton’s portrait of a 20th century rock duo is an electric read that will have you entranced until the last page. The former Essence and Entertainment Weekly editor leaves nothing on the table, tracing an iconic interracial rock duo’s run in the 1970s, their improbable breakup and the secrets that come to light when they try to reunite decades later for a final tour.
life made easy
1 - Travel With Ease
Just because you’re lazy doesn’t mean you don’t want to leave the house. Wherever you do plan on zoning out, a Rimowa suitcase is a great companion. The design and color schemes speak for themselves — my favorite is desert pink — but more important is the high-quality German engineering. Equipped with TSA-approved locks, a state-of-the-art polycarbonate build and eggshell design, your travel will be more functional … even when you aren’t.
2 - Digital Air Fryer
At this point, they should just rename air fryers “too good to be true” — because they’re that life-changing. How else can you describe an appliance that has mastered the sorcery of making food taste fried without frying it? It’s the perfect machine for doing the absolute minimum in order to eat well and healthier. This one from Philips is a steal, especially as it comes equipped with a double-layer rack and a cookbook featuring 25 recipes.
3 - Airdresser
Look, it’s your day of nothing; not even driving to the cleaners. That’s why you need the Samsung AirDresser at the ready. First of all, it looks like something that should be on a spaceship. But more relevant for the task at hand, it steams, sanitizes, deodorizes and dries — all while taking up just a bit of closet space. Boujie, but convenient.
Sevyn Streeter on 'The Carlos Watson Show'
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