Morning Brew - 🍻 Middle or side?

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Gen Z and millennials are at war, and the topic could not be more serious: hair partings. It all started in July when @missladygleep issued a challenge on TikTok: "Prove me wrong, but I don't think that there is a single person who looks better with a side part than they do a middle part.” Since then, the video has amassed 77.7K likes and the #middlepart hashtag has 148.6 million views on TikTok. Now, Zoomers rocking middle parts and Levi’s are completely at odds with ’90s kids sporting side parts and skinny jeans. Here’s how to stay relevant: 

• A deep dive into how this all started, with the OG TikToks that stirred the pot. 
• FAQs, including why Gen Zers like the middle part so much and what to do if you’re having a hair crisis. 
• The situation goes beyond hair faux pas. Sorry to break it to you, but if you use the laugh-cry emoji, you’re An Old.   
• Hilarious tweets of Olds throwing shade back at Gen Zers. In my opinion, all that matters is that low-rise jeans stay out of style. 

Read: 

• Not all your time has to be productive. Here’s the case for taking a walk sans AirPods. If the mere mention of this stresses you out, just remember: The sounds of nature = Earth’s first podcast. 
• An ode to cold-calling your friends. I’m in favor of more spontaneous phone catch-ups and fewer Zoom happy hours. 
• A look at the golden age of advice columns and whether or not they’re actually helpful today. TL;DR: Not really, but kinda, sorta. 
• I discovered the power of self-awareness through years of therapy, but you can get the hang of it in a few minutes with this read on how to stop negative thought patterns. 

Watch: 

• You might’ve missed National Pancake Day (Feb. 16), but it’s not too late to celebrate by watching this stop-motion short film and eating breakfast for dinner. BTW: The directors made 600 pancakes for the project.
• How Apple builds its stores. Stay ’til the end for their coolest retail location to date, the floating spherical store on Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands. 
• On Clubhouse last week, I called “drivers license” overrated (and it is), with the exception of this SNL skit about the hit song. 

Listen: 

• If you vibed with last Thursday’s ambience rooms, sign up for the Coffeehouse newsletter. From ocean views to your local Starbucks, a flood of new sounds and animated scenery will land in your inbox every few days. 
• Odds are you’re already sick of your Spotify Wrapped, so I recommend checking out 1 Good Song A Day. They add a new song every day and package them up into monthly playlists. My fave music discoveries from their Feb. playlist: “Out of Love” and “Fumari.” 
• Bill Gates’s new book, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster, is here. He wants to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and thinks we can all contribute on an individual level, per his Harvard Business Review’s IdeaCast podcast episode. He says even buying Impossible Burgers counts. 

Try It: 

• Hustle: If Zoom University or solo at-home desk lunches are wearing you down, create a virtual study or work session with Hours. You can add tasks, set a timer, chat, and hold each other accountable while you cruise through your to-do list.
• Launch: Become best buds with NASA’s Perseverance Rover and download Mission to Mars. It’s an “augmented reality app that allows users to superimpose images and videos from Mars into their surroundings,” and honestly, it’s a ton of fun.
• Complete: Last week I started using the Ivy Lee method, which is basically prioritizing your to-do list, and it’s helped me save time and focus on my most important tasks. Plus, I love the satisfaction of crossing each item off the list.
• Shop: Goldune, a woman-owned, one-stop shop for sustainable household goods, just launched The Shelf: a special section dedicated to sustainable food and beverage brands. I’ve got my eye on the upcycled gluten-free baking flour and climate-friendly crackers. 

Buy It: 

• Pop: I finally get the hype around Olipop, the fizzy tonic that supports your microbiome and serves as a healthy alternative to sugary soda. The flavor lineup is stacked—root beer, ginger lemon, orange squeeze, and more. Be warned: there are 9 grams of fiber in each can, so I recommend starting out with one per day.
• Fizz: Sorry, La Croix, Ugly is your cooler, newer, tastier younger sibling. Usually all seltzer tastes the same to me, but this sparkling water brand is different; it’s more flavorful and perfectly carbonated. My flavor rec: cherry.

@theurbanteller Instagram

Meander down Edinburgh’s charming cobblestone streets by following Pasquale Carlucci on Instagram or watching Men in Kilts on Starz. It’s a new travel series, in which actors Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish road trip their way through Scotland. In addition to the country’s green landscapes and interesting history, their witty banter is worth your time. 

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