A person cycles over the Clifton Suspension Bridge and Avon Gorge during snowfall in Bristol England, February 1, 2019. (Toby Melville/Reuters)

It is cold outside. Not that cute, leather-jacket-and-hoodie, let’s-drink-cocoa-and-watch-football cold, either. It is abusively cold: The kind of cold where, when you step outside, you have a hard time deciding if you wish you were dead or if you already are.

Gone are the days of rooftop drinks, of backyard BBQs, of lounging on the beach. No more leisurely strolls through the neighborhood or playing frisbee in the park.


So, the question is: What the hell are we supposed to do with all of that spare time?

Going outside is, after all, not an option for anyone who is not insane. Personally, my general winter rule is that, if I’m not being paid to leave my apartment, then I’ll be damned if I’m leaving. I know I can’t be the only one like this — so what to do with all that time?

Honestly, there are lots of options: You can get wine drunk on your couch and binge-watch all 17 seasons of Keeping Up With the Kardashians. You can play Candy Crush until you get carpal tunnel syndrome. Or — or — you can do something that exercises your mind, while also engaging with others who are doing the same.


That’s where NRPLUS comes in. See, the Internet is, supposedly, a great resource to stay informed and get connected with others. I say “supposedly” because, well, it often ends up being more of a nightmare than a blessing. Have you ever tried to have a genuine, intelligent, respectful conversation with an Internet commenter? If you have, I’m surprised you’re still alive.


NRPLUS is a place that lets you do exactly that. In its Facebook group, members share various news articles and funny memes, and discuss them with each other. You get to learn new things and have great conversations with people who love National Review as much as you do. Even better, engaging there technically counts as socializing — so, if you decide that you don’t want to leave home to go to your great-aunt’s new boyfriend’s Christmas party in ten-degree weather, you totally don’t have to.