The Quarantine Diaries
Cubcoats Launches New Kid-Friendly Line of Masks
Los Angeles, CA (May 27, 2020) – Cubcoats, the popular children’s 2-in-1 stuffed animal, turned cozy hoodie company understands that this time can be especially scary for kids as they notice changes in their daily lives — most noticeably, the addition of medical masks to the faces of friends, family and neighbors.
To help little ones adjust to the ‘new-normal,’ Cubcoats has launched a line of ‘kid-friendly’ masks in playful designs mimicking the characters kids have come to know and love: Kali the Kitty, Uki the Unicorn, Papo the Panda and Pimm the Puppy.
Masks are currently available now for $12.99/2-pack, and began shipping on May 11th. With masks mandated in multiple states across the country for children ages 2+ this is a welcome option to introduce the safety measure to children. Each is made from reusable, non-medical, high-quality cotton with a removable PM2.5 carbon filter.
As part of Cubcoats’ everyday mission to support children everywhere, 10% of sales will be donated to Feeding America in support of COVID-19 relief efforts. So far, Cubcoats has been able to provide over 65,000 meals!!
Mask Details
- 6.6” x 4.7” (not including the earloop)
- Made of 2 layers of 100% Cotton.
- A shapeable metal nose piece ensures a comfortable and secure fit
- Masks are reusable and can be safely machine washed and dried.
- Recommended for kids ages 5 and up. Not a direct substitute for FDA-approved N95, surgical, or procedural masks.
Umami Burger & Ronda Rousey Collaborate on New Burger – Available Now
Umami Burger has teamed up with Ronda Rousey to create what’s been deemed “The Baddest Burger on the Planet,” available for Uber Eats delivery beginning today(!), through May 31. Created by Rousey with help from Umami Burger’s Chief Culinary Officer Executive Chef Martin Heierling, the crave-worthy creation ($9.99) features a wagyu patty, smashed avocado, slab bacon lardons, grilled onions, BBQ sauce, beefsteak tomato, lettuce, dill pickles and Ooh-Mami sauce on a toasted bun.
The collaboration is part of the Burger Showdown, the largest virtual burger competition ever, brought to you by Off The Menu and Uber Eats. More than 50 celebrities teamed up with local restaurants in 10 cities across the country to create their ultimate custom burger, available for fans and burger aficionados alike to enjoy exclusively on Uber Eats from May 28-31. The burger with the most orders and votes on https://www.theburgershowdown.com/ win, and the showdown will support Frontline Foods.
Celebrity Burger Showdown
Bold-faced names have been working virtually alongside chefs from top local restaurants on their recipes and inspiration to create the ultimate burger in hopes of winning the Burger Showdown. Other participants include Matthew McConaughey (Loro in Austin), Shay Mitchell (Flip Sigi in NYC), Dwyane Wade (800 Degrees in Miami and LA), Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone (The Region in Chicago), Paris Hilton (Atrium in LA), Jason Sudeikis (Emily in NYC), Kaley Cuoco (Nick’s on Beverly in LA), Max Greenfield (Lightlife Burger at Busy Burger in Chicago), Jaleel White (NFA Burger in Atlanta), Jason Priestley (RUDY in Toronto), and many more.
Each pairing will have their own cooking video live on theburgershowdown.com where viewers can vote on their favorite burger and order on-demand from Uber Eats in their respective city. The burger with the most likes and orders will be deemed the winner, and as the Burger Showdown supports Frontline Foods, a grassroots organization that supports local restaurants while feeding frontline heroes and impacted communities, a donation will be made. Eaters can also donate directly to Frontline Foods through the website.
Who will you be voting for?
Something to laugh about
“Comedy is acting out optimism.” Robin Williams
Comedy in film has always served a purpose, especially when times are tough: The stock market crashed, consumer spending dropped, and people lost jobs. However, it was comedies like Charlie Chaplin’s ‘Modern Times,’ that got audiences laughing during the Great Depression.
In these modern times, where we are collectively handcuffed to our homes, it may seem like there’s not all that much to laugh about. But much to the delight of Roku’s shareholders and film buffs across our great land, we don’t have to leave the couch for a laugh.
Here’s a list of ten great films from the 1990’s, that should at least illicit a smile:
The Birdcage (Amazon Prime):
Robin Williams stars as the owner of a thriving Miami nightclub. Nathan Lane co-stars as his jealous partner. Calista Flockhart plays a tepid houseguest (before she became Ally McBeal). Gene Hackman is her uptight father. And Hank Azaria provides the not-so-squeaky-clean backdrop, as a half-naked housekeeper. What more could you ask for?
Kingpin (Amazon Prime):
Pete Farelly’s follow-up to Dumb and Dumber, stars Woody Harrelson as a troubled bowler. Enough said. However, when you find out his nemesis is an even more seasoned bowler than Bill Murray, grab your popcorn.
Jerry Maguire (Netflix):
Just when you thought Tom Cruise had done it all, including marry the lovely Nicole Kidman and blow up planes to the sweet sound of Kenny Roger’s voice in Top Gun, he plays a slick sports agent who learns that compassion is slighlty more important than money. Renee Zellweger is equally charming in this feel-good 1990’s romantic comedy.
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (Netflix):
In this wonderous film, Jim Carrey plays an animal-loving detective who inquisitively searches for a missing dolphin. The premise of the film is ridiculous, and Carrey’s on-screen antics cannot be rivaled.
Can’t Hardly Wait (Netflix):
This film epitomizes the classic Hollywood-contrived vision of 1990’s high schools. With jocks, nerds, Seth Green attempting to lose his virginity, and every walk of life gathering at one last high school party, viewers are bound to smile at the nostalgia of it all.
The Cable Guy (Amazon Prime):
Jim Carrey plays a cable guy who offers extra television channels to an unassuming customer in Matthew Broderick. This dark comedy also features Ben Stiller before he caused outrage in There’s Something About Mary, and provides loads of twisted humor.
My Best Friend’s Wedding (Hulu):
In this Julia Robert’s classic, a woman falls in love with her best friend. Unfortunately, her best friend doesn’t know this and is about to marry the wrong woman. Fortunately, this romantic comedy doesn’t feature Hugh Grant.
Chasing Amy (Netflix)
Starring Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, and Joey Lauren Adams in Kevin Smith’s precursor to the outrageously funny Mallrats, Chasing Amy provides a compelling perspective on the delicacy of relationships. And yes, the film features Jay and Silent Bob, and therefore some belly laughs.
Wayne’s World 2 (Netflix):
The second iteration of Wayne’s World isn’t as nearly as funny as the first. But why not laugh at a film based off a Saturday Night Live skit starring Mike Myers in something other than Austin Powers.
Groundhog Day (Netflix)
Bill Murray plays a disgruntled television weatherman, who is forced to relive the same day over, over, and over again. With his perfect match of surliness and humility, this is Murray’s most iconic film to date.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR James Winston grew up in Studio City, studied Literature and Criminal Justice at UC Irvine, and after spending time in Colorado as a ski instructor and beer-drinking connoisseur, he took his act to San Francisco where he worked in technology by day, and played clubs at night as a drummer for the band Neurotrash. James keeps moving north, and currently splits his time between Seattle, WA and Sherman Oaks, CA, working as a sales professional and budding writer. He’s putting the final touches on a memoir confronting mental illness, and freelances for LA-based sports publications. Go Lakers!
Cann Introduces a Clean Alcohol-Alternative
Along with the rising temperatures comes an increased urge for some good old-fashioned backyard barbecue vibes. But what if you’re someone who’s holding off on the alcohol? Then, we’re excited to introduce you to California-based alcohol-alternative, Cann. Cann’s low-dose THC social tonic innovates the future of non-alcoholic social drinking. Designed to give you a similar buzz without any hangover the next morning, each Cann is formulated with 2 mg of TH C and 4mg of CBD and includes only four other ingredients – sparkling water, citrus juice, all-natural herbal flavor, and a touch of agave.
Since Cann provides a micro-dose of cannabis, it is designed for you to easily consume more than one without hitting that ‘too high’ feeling you may get with smoking pure flower or consuming an edible. No more uncomfortable experiences, electrolyte depletions, poor sleep, or headaches — just a controlled buzz.
Founders, Luke Anderson and Jake Bullock, have ensured that each Cann is health-consciously produced, while also keeping a little fun in the mix. Cann’s flavors and ingredients are listed below, for your educational pleasure, but there’s only one real way to know how you’ll like it. Visit Cann for more:
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Lemon Lavender: Lemon Lavender is the perfect balance of acidity and sweet, beginning with organic lemon juice from Sicily, all-natural lavender flavor derived from the plant, 100% organic agave nectar from Mexico and the purest California cannabis on the market.
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Grapefruit Rosemary: Grapefruit Rosemary is bursting with aromatic confidence and an acidic wit, starting with grapefruit juice from Florida, all-natural rosemary derived from the plant, 100% organic agave nectar from Mexico and the purest California cannabis on the market.
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Blood Orange Cardamom: Blood Orange Cardamom is a cacophony of citrus, spices and all things nice-ish, starting with organic blood orange juice from Sicily, all-natural cardamom derived from the plant, 100% organic agave nectar from Mexico and the purest California cannabis on the market.
The Habit Burger Grill Launches New Meal Deal
The Habit Introduces a New Variety Meal!
Summer is knocking on our doors, and it couldn’t be a better time to fire up the grill… That is, The Habit Burger Grill! The Habit Burger Grill’s latest offering for families and groups nationwide. On May 20th, The Habit Burger Grill rolled out their new Variety Meal ($30), following the recent success of their Family Char Meal – which was a major hit among customers.
The new Variety Char Pack features an assortment of popular fan-favorites including 2 award-winning Charburgers with cheese, Chargrilled Chicken Sandwiches plus 2 sides of golden crisp French Fries, 2 sides of onion rings, and an entree garden salad all for $30!
Satisfying everyone in the family has never been this easy or delicious! The Habit Burger Grill hopes to provide a sense of comfort with their quality food and freshly prepared ingredients, while giving customers a night off from cooking.
This deal is valid via mobile ordering, online, drive-thru, phone, and in-store takeout beginning on May 20th. Shortly thereafter, this offer will also be available for delivery via sites such as DoorDash and Uber Eats. How will you be ordering?
The Quarantine Diaries
We asked for submissions for an ongoing story called, “The Quarantine Diaries”; a quick look at where people are at and what they’re doing. For our first outing we visited upon our Arts Editor and our Fishing/Wildlife Editor Katie Nartonis and Phil Miller. These days they are somewhere in the low slopes of Joshua Tree.
Phil Miller is a sculptor and custom furniture maker who works primarily in metal and found objects. I’m lucky to share my life with Phil and many of his beautiful and finely crafted objects.
The Breast of Drawers (2018), is a custom art furniture piece which was first designed in 1992. Miller created the initial example in a pink and black finish, and it is in a private collection on the West Coast. He likes to tell the story that he finished it the day the riots broke out in Los Angeles. This white on white example was created for an art show in 2018, “Nature: Human Nature” at Loft at Liz’s gallery in Hollywood.
Raised on the coast of Washington State on a clam farm, after college Phil co-founded the 1960’s Seattle art band Lamar Harrington. In 1977, Miller moved to Los Angeles. He played in various bands, opening for the Dead Kennedys at their first LA gig as part of the punk supergroup The 1, 2, 3, 4, Fuck You! band. He later managed the seminal punk group The Screamers.
Miller owns land in remote eastern Washington state which is populated with his sculptures.
photo: Randy Dunbar
MAYDAY! MAYDAY! MAYDAY!
For this Memorial Day, I decided to participate in artist, Susan Silton’s “forceful call to action” project: MAY DAY! MAY DAY! MAY DAY! This protest memorial, conceived and organized by artist Susan Silton, asks us to honor someone who has lost their life to Covid-19 by adding their name to this “Memorial Protest digital wall”, and then to take it a step further by sending their name on a postcard (or in an envelope) to the White House. This way we’re not only memorializing and honoring those who have lost their lives to this virus, but we’re also helping out the U.S. Postal Service.
As Silton says on her website: MAYDAY! MAYDAY! MAYDAY! was created in home-shelter to register not just our outraged voices, but the voices of those who are no longer able to speak. This is just one of many monuments for urgent times. We cannot, we must not, be silenced. And we cannot, we must not, lose the U.S. Postal Service to this President’s malevolent intentions.
“If we’re not able to deliver body bags to this President, let’s deliver bags of handwritten names of those we’ve lost.”
I chose to honor and add Kious Kelly to Silton’s wall. Kelly was a 48-year-old nurse manager from Mt. Sinai West hospital, and is thought to be one of the first nurses in New York City to have lost their life to Covid-19. Had Kious Kelly had adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) while he was helping others, he may still be among us today.
Please join at www.maydaymaydaymaydayproject.com
Susan Silton is an interdisciplinary artist based in Los Angeles. Her projects incorporate photography, video, installation, performance, sound and language. Her work is exhibited in museums, galleries, and often is in public spaces, such as her contribution to the exhibition How Many Billboards? Art in Stead and her operatic work,A Sublime Madness in the Soul, which presented through the windows of her studio in downtown Los Angeles and was visible from the Sixth Street Viaduct just prior to its being demolished and reconstructed.
In 1995, she won a James D. Phelan Art Award in Photography.
The Adventures of Brad: A series
BRAD first caught our eye on facebook as he traveled about the city during a time of lockdown. Dressed only in his blue speedo, Brad has become a staple for those familiar with Wendy Krueger, who posts regularly on the adventures of Brad. We reached out to Wendy to get some insight into Brad, the man:
Where is Brad originally from? Brad is from Waukesha, WI. He came to LA to party but found a deeper meaning in life with his best friend, Chad.
What sign is Brad? He’s definitely an Aries! Adventurous daredevil.
Where does Brad get his bathing suit? Brad has his swim suits custom-made. In his old life, he wore suits but since moving to LA, he only wears speedos.
Brad has a fine physique—what gym did he attend before the lockdown? Brad doesn’t go to the gym. His workout is being in the outdoors and occasionally lifts wine glasses. He has a natural six pack and came in a six pack of friends. Brad, Chad, Mitch, Cody, Josh, Ryan.
We look forward to the next adventures of Brad and wherever his speedo will take him.
Concept and Photos by Wendy Krueger
Global Hospitality Company, sbe, Teams Up with Lincoln to Provide Meals to Medical Workers In Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA (May 4 – May 8) – sbe, a leading lifestyle hospitality company that develops, manages and operates award-winning global brands, teamed up with Lincoln to deliver 1,000 meals in total to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles and New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center. The meals, prepared at sbe ghost kitchen outposts of the team’s staple burger concept, Umami Burger, and delivery-only concept, Sam’s Crispy Chicken, were donated by Lincoln, and on behalf of their clients and network as a way to show appreciation to frontline medical workers during these uncertain and trying times. Each meal included a personal note from one of Lincoln’s many clients or sbe team members, offering words of reassurance and thanks for their dedication in keeping the country safe.
The initiative was part of an ongoing relationship between sbe and Lincoln that offers sbe’s hotel guests access to Lincoln Black Label Navigators and Continentals at sbe properties: SLS Beverly Hills, Mondrian Los Angeles, SLS Brickell, SLS Lux Brickell, SLS South Beach, Shore Club, Delano South Beach, Hyde Hotel in Miami, Hudson Hotel and Mondrian Park Avenue in New York.
sbe has recently made an effort to assist employees during this time of uncertainty caused by the COVID-19, and has worked with its partners to create care packages for its team members in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Chicago and Miami. The care packages include non-perishable food items, household essentials and a gift card. sbe has established locations pick-up points for the employees to receive the packages and plans to make these packages available every week for as long as local and federal regulations logistically allow. So far they have distributed over 1000 of these packages. Like you’re seeing across the country, they’ve also set up an employee relief fund on GoFundMe and for every dollar donated sbe will match the amount.
Additionally, sbe just announced the hiring of 1000 positions for its subsidiary C3 to fuel their growing roster of ghost kitchen concepts around the country.
With all of this great development comes great news for community support of local businesses, as Sam’s Crispy Chicken also launched a handful of fun combo meals starting on Monday to feed two or more people – or one if you want leftovers. One combo includes three of of their signature sandwiches (Original Sam’s Crispy Chicken, The Classic, Sam’s Chicken & Waffle) alongside waffle fries and dipping sauces; and there’s the everyday brunch combo with waffles & maple syrup, chicken tenders, coleslaw, mac & cheese, waffle fries and dipping sauces…all for under $30.
About sbe
Established in 2002 by Founder and CEO Sam Nazarian, sbe is a privately held, leading lifestyle hospitality company that develops, manages and operates award-winning hotels, residences, restaurants and nightclubs. Through exclusive partnerships with cultural visionaries, sbe is devoted to creating extraordinary experiences throughout its proprietary brands with a commitment to authenticity, sophistication, mastery and innovation. Following the acquisition of Morgans Hotel Group, the pioneer of boutique lifestyle hotels, in partnership with Accor, sbe has an unparalleled global portfolio which will see 36 hotels and over 200 global world-renowned culinary, nightlife and entertainment venues by the end of 2020.
The company is uniquely positioned to offer a complete lifestyle experience – from nightlife, food & beverage and entertainment to hotels and residences, and through its innovative customer loyalty and rewards program, The Code, as well as its award-winning international real estate development subsidiary, Dakota Development – all of which solidify sbe as the preeminent leader across hospitality. The company’s established and upcoming hotel brands include SLS Hotel & Residences, Delano, Mondrian, The Redbury, HYDE Hotel & Residences, and The House of Originals. In addition, sbe has the following internationally acclaimed restaurants and lounges under subsidiary Disruptive Restaurant Group: Katsuya by Chef Katsuya Uechi, Umami Burger, Cleo, Fi’lia, Carna by Dario Cecchini, Leynia and Diez y Seis by Chef José Icardi, HYDE Lounge, S Bar, Doheny Room, Nightingale, Skybar, Bond, and Privilege. To learn more, visit sbe.com.
About Lincoln
The Lincoln Motor Company is the luxury automotive brand of Ford Motor Company, committed to creating compelling vehicles with an exceptional ownership experience to match. For more information about The Lincoln Motor Company, please visit media.lincoln.com or www.lincoln.com
Square Baby Offers DTC Baby Food, PLUS Donates to Feeding America
The first 1,000 days of a baby’s life are crucial for establishing growth, nutrition and palate development, and can even have an impact on their health for life. As a new parent, making sure your baby has the purest and most nourishing food may feel like a challenge. Enter: Square Baby – a meal subscription service that meets all your needs and can help combat your baby’s development of food allergies.
Square Baby, the only DTC (Door-to-Counter) baby food to offer 100% daily nutrition, is rooted in nutritional science to help reduce your baby’s allergy development. Harnessing the proven science behind introducing allergens early and often, Square Baby works with dietitians to create thoughtfully sourced, balanced meals from organic veggies, fruits, grain and proteins. Offering customizable plans and a foolproof footprint to achieving a well-rounded diet, Square Baby has a variety of meals for babies 4-12 months. Made in small batches for a better-than-homemade quality, each meal contains half the amount of sugar and double the amount of protein and healthy fats most pouches have.
All For A Good Cause
As if that weren’t enough, because Square Baby believes that every baby deserves good nutrition, their platform Good Feeds, donates 10 meals to Feeding America, for every post shared on social media!
In addition, Square Baby is the exclusive baby food partner for Ready Set Food! Just in time for Food Allergy Awareness Week (May 10-16th), Square Baby will be part of Ready Set Food’s launch of PreventAllergies.Org as well as inclusion in Ready Set Food’s Graduation Kit. As a notable brand vetted by leaders in the medical community, Ready Set Food will allow consumers to continue introducing allergens with Square Baby’s natural foods.
Words From The Co-Founder & CEO
Credit: Katie Thomson, MS, RD | CO-Founder, CEO of Square Baby
“We designed the Square Baby “Square Meal System” making it easy to provide your baby 100% Daily Nutrition — a tailored nutrition solution for every baby. We are the ONLY fresh baby food company offering a comprehensive allergen introduction option for each of the Top 8 Allergens. As a science-based company, we are following the research and offering options like Peanut Pumpkin Pie, Coconut Shrimp Fried Rice, Almond Butter & Banana, and Salmon Mash. The research has shown that introducing babies to allergenic foods early and often can help prevent food allergies from developing by up to 80%!”
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY BREAKFAST
Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful moms out there. This is the one day of the year where moms should be showered with appreciation.
Here are some ideas for mom, breakfast in bed (home made), or if you like, Redbird is doing a special “Mother’s Day Breakfast in Bed” package this weekend. And to those who cannot be with their moms this year, maybe you could deliver your mom a lovely breakfast.
Pickup is available Saturday evening to then heat and serve up to celebrate mom on Sunday morning. The experience includes all of the following for two from Chef Neal Fraser and team:
– LOCAL STRAWBERRY FINANCIERS
– BEET SALAD
– HOUSE CURED SALMON
choice of:
– QUICHE with ASPARAGUS, SPRING ONION, MUSHROOM, GRUYERE, ESPELETTE
– CHICKEN THIGHS with PISTACHIOS, GOLDEN RAISINS, FREGOLA, RAS EL HANOUT
– BASQUE BEEF STEW with SOFT EGGS, MORCILLA, POTATOES, PIQUILLOS, OSSAU IRATY
and for dessert
– YUZU BAR with BLACKBERRIES, GRAHAM CRACKER, MERINGUE
$38 per person
ORDER AND SEE FULL MENU HERE: https://www.exploretock.
Guests can, of course, add on additional packages above TBD on the size of the family, plus extras below:
+ DIY MIMOSAS & BLOODY MARYS by Bar Director Tobin Shea
+ ADDITIONAL BOTTLED COCKTAILS (ie- Turf Club, Old Fashioned, Good Morning Vietnam + Housemade Tonic)
+ EVERYTHING BAGELS, KAYA FRENCH TOAST & KID’S CHEESE PIZZA
+ BLD RICOTTA BLUEBERRY PANCAKE KIT
+ WINE LIST (40% off list prices, including rare and allocated labels) from Wine Director Josh Wibbenmeyer
And here are some other ideas for Mother’s Day and for the upcoming Father’s Day.
Elevate CBD Cosmetics – Award-winning, clean, luxury CBD beauty and CBD skincare scientifically formulated with US-grown cannabis Sativa (hemp). Elevate features an innovative skincare booster that mixes with existing products to enhance your skincare regimen to brighten, even skin tone, reduce inflammation and hydrate.
KT Recovery+® Ice/Heat Massage Ball – is an innovative approach to the traditional therapeutic rollerball that combines the benefits of hot therapy deep tissue massage and helps to relieve pain and inflammation with cold therapy. The unique design allows for two different easily interchangeable hot and cold inserts—one designed to retain heat, and one designed to retain coldness. Users can easily switch between the two as needed to address a range of muscle treatment needs.
The Money Nerve – With the tagline, “you deserve a healthy relationship with money, you’ve earned it,” comes a book from Los Angeles-based CPA, Bob Wheeler, who swears that his job is 90% psychotherapy and 10% accounting. The Money Nerve unravels how our emotions underpin our relationship with money.
ShopDePalma.com – The Dirty Little Digger replaces six common garden hand tools into one; a cultivator, trowel, weeder, scoop, Hori Hori knife and bulb digger. Made from durable 12-gauge stainless steel, the digger has sharp, serrated edges for easy cutting of roots and vines and a pointed tip to break up rocky soil and make trenches and furrows for planting seeds. The easy-grip handle provides comfort and the spoon-shaped scoop is etched with measurements of 1 – 4 inches for correct planting depth of seeds and bulbs.
Snuggle-Pedic – Sleep has always been important in maintaining overall good health and now, more than ever, we need to make sure we’re getting optimal sleep. As seen on GMA’s sleep segment, Snuggle-Pedic products provide the ultimate in support and comfort and aid in a good night’s rest. Chiropractor-designed and manufactured in the USA, with over 15,000 4 1/2 star reviews on Amazon, the Snuggle-Pedic pillow makes for the perfect Mother’s or Father’s Day gift
Unselfish and Unselfish Kids – are coffee table books that debuted as an antidote to Kim Kardashian’s “Selfish.” The books contain inspiring stories of people and kids putting others before themselves. The books celebrate extraordinary sacrifices of regular people and celebrities. U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist Julie Foudy says: “let’s make this mandatory reading for all ages.