It's International Beer Day
 
 
 
 

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08/07/2020

SAY CHEERS

Running short on celebrations? Never fear – today, we raise a frosty glass to International Beer Day, the perfect way to toast these glorious, fleeting summer moments. Heck, we'll even help you decide what to eat and watch with it.


(Beer not your thing? Instead, mark your calendar for International Left-Handers Day (8/13), when you can fête the likes of Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey, Judy Garland and even Chewbacca.)


 
 
NEWS BITES
 
 
So much for fanfare. An analysis found NBA and soccer players are actually doing better with empty stadiums and no fans.


Mustard beer is a thing now: French's Mustard partnered with a brewery to make the special brew.

 
 

LA's solution to pandemic parties? Shut off the power. Large house parties could have their utilities shut off, the mayor said.


'Face mask' was the top searched term on Etsy in Q2 with 11 mask searches per second. 

 

Chipotle made an organic merchandise line by boiling leftover avocado pits and using the water to dye cotton goods, like t-shirts.


27 human genes were renamed because Microsoft Excel kept misreading their symbols as dates.

 
 
 
TRIVIA
TAYLOR SWIFT BROKE THE RECORD FOR THE MOST BILLBOARD HOT 100 hitS BY A WOMAN. WHO DID SHE BEAT OUT?

  1. Nicki Minaj
  2. Beyoncé
  3. Britney Spears
  4. Madonna

Keep reading for the answer.

 
 
 
Office Insights
MEETINGS GO FROM MARATHON TO SPRINT

If you feel like you’re always hopping from meeting to meeting these days, you might be right – but there’s a (happy) catch. While the number of meetings the average worker attends in a day is up 13%, the average time spent in meetings is down 12%, according to a new paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research. 


The duration of each single meeting is down 20%, meaning most teams seem to have figured out how to run meetings more efficiently. Looking to keep the momentum going? Here are a few ways to streamline your session.

  • Prepare your goal ahead of time, then make sure everyone is aligned on it so you’re not trying to cover conflicting ideas in one short meeting. Even “updating the team” counts as a goal. 
  • Experts say there is evidence that keeping meetings as small as possible is beneficial, since it’s easier to pick up on body language and everyone can contribute more easily. 
  • Research has found that performance is optimal with a moderate level of pressure. Carefully consider how long you need – and then dial it back a bit (think 48 minutes instead of an hour). 

 

We want to know how your team measures up:

 
 
poll
How do your meetings now compare to before the pandemic?

Please select one answer below.
 

 
 
RECIPES
SUMMER SNACKS

We're officially a week into August, and fall is getting closer by the day. Don't let summer pass you by without giving these seasonal recipes a shot!
 
 
Give International Beer Day a beachy twist with these herby mussels steamed with English-style pale ale. Serve with aioli and a crusty bread.
 
With only four ingredients, this fresh and simple sorbet tastes like the very essence of sunshine. It's reason enough to buy an ice cream maker.
 
 
off the clock
what to watch this weekend

All of the golf stars are in field for the PGA Championship, including Tiger Woods, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm. The tournament will conclude Sunday.

K-pop group Monsta X will perform songs from their 2020 album All About Luv in a livestreamed concert, which will also include behind-the-scenes footage and meet and greets. 

Immigration Nation offers a comprehensive view of the Trump administration’s immigration policies while raising the question: "Who in the government thought cooperating with this film crew was a good idea?"

The Great British Bake Off presenters Mel and Sue play slightly against type as chatty killers in Hitmen, working for a crime boss and spending their waking hours in a van, waiting to kidnap and kill people.

Cartoon Star Trek: Lower Decks, the newest series in the Trekverse, follows Starfleet staffers and personnel who do the real grunt work far from the Captain’s chair on the bridge.
 
 
quick pics
view from your office

Whether it's rainbows or rooftops, it's always fun to get a peek at someone else's view. Share yours with us, and it could be in next week's edition of The Brief!

 
 
Atlanta – Joe G.
 
NYC - Bogdana L.
 
 
LAST WORD
this week in history

 
 

SUNDAY

1974: Richard Nixon resigned as US president following the Watergate scandal.
 
 

TUESDAY

1929: Babe Ruth became the first professional baseball player to hit 500 homers.
 

WEDNESDAY

1981IBM introduced its first Personal Computer (PC & PC-DOS version 1.0).
 
 
 
 
 
 
TRIVIA ANSWER: NICKI MINAJ
 

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