In the Loop: April 2024
Better with Age
Did you know? Some (not all) of the very best people on the whole planet have a birthday this month. One year older, one year bolder.
This month, we'll be celebrating everyone and everything that has a birthday. Even you! After all, it's our newsletter and we'll do what we want to. We have all our regular features—Q&A, What's the Diff?, What a Weird Word, and more—but the guest blog was written by none other than Lisa The Birthday Girl, who is celebrating yet another trip around the sun.
Editing Q & A: How to Style Age Terms
Age terms are hyphenated both in noun form (always) and in adjective form (except when it appears after the noun). This applies equally to ages expressed as numerals or as words.
an eleven-year-old genius
a 54-year-old lady
a fifty-eight-year-old dude
a movie for five-to-six-year-olds
a group of ten- and eleven-year-olds
a singer who is thirty years old
the neighborhood is centuries old
Playlist: Birthday Wishes and Maybe Some Kisses (click the image)
What's the Diff?
There are a lot of sneaky words out there—words with similar spellings, similar sounds, or just similar vibes. Here’s the lowdown on some of those commonly swapped-by-accident words.
Celebrate (v.): To celebrate is to acknowledge an event through festivity. Celebration is typically joyous and includes active participation (a meal, decorating, going somewhere, etc.).
Observe (v.): To observe is to mark an occasion by ceremonious performance. Observation is more neutral or somber and can also refer to simply acknowledging or noting an important or significant event (usually with respect).
When in doubt, you can probably use commemorate. It will probably do the trick.
Cool Guide: Treat Yo' Self
Stuff We Like
A blast from the past: The Ramones singing happy birthday on The Simpsons.
A calendar of literary birthdays.
On the strange history of birthday celebrations in America.
Check out Pitchfork’s review of the reissue of Miles Davis’s “Birth of the Cool.” 10/10
What time is it on the moon? Moon o’clock.
Answering the question we were all wondering: How did Freud celebrate his birthdays?
Which famous artists share your birthday?
How to navigate your friends’ week-long birthday blowouts. Not satire.
Just as we thought: "Happy Birthday, Karl Marx. You Were Right!"
The Onion shared its 25 best headlines to celebrate its 25th birthday.
After decades, we can finally rejoice and sing “Happy Birthday” without having to pay!
Birthday traditions are not the same around the world.
You might be aware of my obsession with Second Date Update. Hear how Bart blew his date when his birthday bit went wrong.
A bunch of people visited a Barcelona museum in their birthday suits.
How old would you be on Jupiter? Or Neptune?
On natality and the “philosophy of birth”; or, How are new things possible in the world?
What a Weird Word!
Pay It Forward!
Meet Lisa Knip!
Lisa is a Principal and Senior Project Architect with over 20 years’ experience at HLW International, a leading global design firm specializing in architecture and interiors.
With an extensive background in financial and tech sector services, Lisa brings to each project a practiced expertise that produces proven goal-oriented results. Lisa specializes in creating and developing highly detailed interior spaces and focuses on integrating each stakeholder's needs into the final iteration of a project.
Lisa is a registered architect with LEED AP certification. She currently serves as a committee member for the Diabetic Research Institute's Empire Ball, and in 2020 received a program certification from WOMEN Unlimited, Inc.'s Leadership Development Program, which focuses on the mentorship, education, and advancement of women in leadership positions across industries. Lisa also participates as a mentor with the ULI and Professional Women in Construction mentorship programs in addition to HLW’s internal mentorship program. Lisa was selected as a St. Francis Woman of Valor honoree in 2023.
Lisa has been crafting for many years and has tried her hand at quilting, sewing, embroidery and needlepoint. Many of these completed projects have been shared with friends and family. She has yet to master crocheting.
Lisa talks about a really cool quilt project in this month’s blog post so click over. You’ll be glad you did!
