The European mind is happy not to comprehend...

...the surreality of U.S. election season.

Welcome to Quality Sheet, a weekly assortment of outside-the-box news, events, trends and offbeat oddities to indulge your curiosity. Subscribe for a midweek treat each Wednesday that'll make you hummm with intrigue and amusement.

---

I’m running on little sleep today, but it’s okay because I’m fueled by the energy of Lil Jon at the Democratic National Convention yesterday. Yes, it’s true that the European mind cannot comprehend…but at least it’s thoroughly entertained.

Welcome to Quality Sheet. This newsletter is almost a year old! That means you all get virtual cake very soon. Let’s jump in.

🍬

Heman Bekele is in the 10th grade. He’s also invented a soap that has the potential to treat and prevent skin cancer. His achievement has earned him prestigious accolades, including TIME’s Kid of the Year 2024. The 15-year-old told the magazine: “It’s absolutely incredible to think that one day my bar of soap will be able to make a direct impact on somebody else’s life. That’s the reason I started this all in the first place.” Here’s how his groundbreaking invention came about.

🍪

There are few joys greater than hearing someone attribute their long life to a cheeky habit. Take Louise Levy, who died last year aged 112. According to the New York Times, she “believed the secret to a long life had nothing to do with genetics: She credited her low-cholesterol diet, her positive attitude and a daily glass of red wine.” Her life and those of other ‘supercentenarian’ women (older than 110) are being honoured by the paper.

🍫

To do this weekend in NYC: The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival. It’s on all weekend at both Marcus Garvey Park and Tompkins Square Park. And it’s free! Many thanks to my friend Susie for telling me all about it.

🍦

Patrick Boxall has the best job in the world. The writer took a ‘workcation’ in Tasmania, Australia, to become a wombat walker. Not only is this piece hilarious, but you might just fall in love with George, the curmudgeonly wombat who is so ready to be released into the wild that he might just nibble his handlers to death.

🍭

“Thank you for bringing back the joy,” Tim Walz told Kamala Harris at their first rally together earlier this month. The sentiment largely defines Harris’ bid for the White House, which Steven Reisner argues in Slate could bring Americans some much-needed “psychological relief.”

🍯

Fancy a fancy meal in London…at pre-inflation prices? Better yet, pre-generation prices? This September, St John in Farringdon will roll back the clock—and the cash register—to offer its menu at 1994 prices. Bookings open this Thursday.

🎁

Thank you for reading. Share to sweeten someone’s day—and have a lovely rest of your week!

Isabel :)

Get in touch/share links/follow me: