Social distancing is the best way to flatten the curve and limit the spread of COVID-19. If you’re feeling antsy or bored, or just looking for creative ways to pass the time, read about the obsessions, passions, and joys that are helping Ringer staffers make the most of staying home.
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May 5, 2020
What It’s Like to Have a Baby During a Pandemic
I knew becoming a first-time parent would be a life-changing experience. I didn’t expect everything around us to change at the same time.
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April 23, 2020
The L.A.-centric Season of ‘Top Chef’ Is an Ode, a Memory, and a Reminder
Bravo’s long-running cooking competition kicked off its new season—featuring Los Angeles icons like Union Station, Jitlada, and Osteria Mozza—just four days after the city instituted measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus. Watching the show now stirs up a complicated mix of emotions.
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April 22, 2020
‘Sekiro’ Is an Endlessly Frustrating but Uniquely Gratifying Experience
The case for mastering a maddeningly difficult video game in quarantine
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April 20, 2020
Social Distancing Diaries: Surviving a Virtual School Day
The physical and mental challenges of quarantine are daunting enough. Add two screaming kids and teaching kindergarten to the mix? Anarchy.
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April 17, 2020
You Don’t Have to Stay Six Feet Apart in Neopia
Quarantined and looking for entertainment, one writer returns to the Neopets account she created 20 years ago
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April 13, 2020
How Many Times Can One Person Watch ‘The Little Mermaid’?
On parenting a 3-year-old in quarantine
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April 10, 2020
32 Reasons I Can’t Stop Watching ‘Criminal Minds,’ a Show I Don’t Even Like
Seven seasons into his binge of the CBS show, one writer digs into a procedural that can be both gruesome in its portrayal of serial killers and comforting in these uncertain times
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April 9, 2020
The Sweet Science of Baking While Sheltering in Place
Retreating to our kitchens offers a sense of calm and clarity in these uncertain times
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April 8, 2020
How Do You Throw a Kid’s Birthday Party in Quarantine?
It’s hard to get the tempo of "Happy Birthday" right over Zoom, but everyone’s health is more important
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April 7, 2020
Finding Comfort and Distraction in Being a Plant Mom
When you can’t control what’s going on outside, you try to find comfort and distraction in what’s within your control—even if they’re just houseplants
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April 6, 2020
When the Backyard Is the Only Place for Your Kids to Go
Even in the middle of a pandemic, kids will need to play to release all of that specifically childlike energy. The worst part is reminding them that they can’t play like they used to.
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April 3, 2020
Easing the Social Distance Through Online Gaming
Rediscovering video games has been a way to reconnect with friends, former colleagues, and even strangers during self-isolation
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April 2, 2020
Escaping Into the Soothing Grind of ‘Animal Crossing: New Horizons’
The charming game that is supposed to simulate life is a perfect fit for the COVID-19 pandemic—even if Tom Nook runs his island like a mafia boss
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March 31, 2020
Doing Jigsaw Puzzles and Lusting After Forrest Fenn’s Treasure While in Quarantine
Many people are doing puzzles in their homes these days, but an online community has, for years, been trying to solve a different kind of puzzle: decoding the clues that will lead them to a chest, hidden somewhere in the Rockies, that contains millions of dollars in treasure
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March 30, 2020
Playing ‘Pandemic Legacy’ During an Actual Pandemic
A board game about disease may not seem like a natural activity to play during this strange time, but for some, it’s proved to be a welcome distraction
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March 27, 2020
The Strangest, Funniest, and Most Fascinating Baseball-Reference Pages
In these days without MLB, our staff writers went on a deep dive of baseball’s most complete database to find things that remind them of what makes the sport so great
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March 26, 2020
Self-Isolation in a Small Town
The coronavirus has slowed down the pace of human activity in cities. In a small college town, the sudden stillness is not so severe. But the pace of felt change has accelerated, resulting in a similarly disorienting effect.
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March 25, 2020
Ranking All of Rick Dalton’s Movie Roles From ‘Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood’
With new movie releases paused indefinitely, one staffer parsed ‘Lancer,’ ‘Hullabaloo,’ ‘Operazione Dyn-o-mite!,’ and the rest of Leonardo DiCaprio’s two-level-deep performances from Quentin Tarantino’s most recent film
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March 24, 2020
The Rise of Ian Thorpe and Michael Phelps Is the Internet’s Most Rewatchable Epic
Readily available across the web, high-level swimming videos are the perfect distraction in this strange time. And there’s no better place to start than with two of the most decorated swimmers in Olympic history.
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March 23, 2020
It’s Time to Ditch Toilet Paper Forever and Embrace the Bidet
The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked a countrywide toilet-paper-buying frenzy. But there’s a better way to clean up that’s good for your butt, your wallet, and the environment.