The Weekly Wrap: Mach 17, 2024

I have a confession to make. I love going to conferences, but I hate most keynotes. They always start the event and, in the case of library conferences, there's generally one each morning. Rarely do I enjoy them.

Generally, keynotes tend to be big blue sky speeches. They are full of large ideas and positive energy. You're supposed to leave feeling uplifted from all the rah-rah attitude. As much as I love this energy and forward thinking progress, these blue sky speeches are usually full of generic platitudes and vague concepts.

Or, if not blue sky, the keynote is basic generalities. Maybe it's because I'm fairly plugged in to my profession and the world in general, but these keynotes tend to be content that I either already knew or could have read in a one-page memo,

Or, the keynotes are examples of people doing truly amazing things.... with A LOT of money my organization does not have and will never get. I love hearing about the innovations but this kind of keynote is hard to translate down to organizations without the same level of resources.

Every time I go to a conference, I drag myself to the keynotes because I know I should be there, but my internal snark level is high.

What's your conference hot take?

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• "It seems I’ve reached a tipping point, where the digital detritus of my personal life has exceeded the once-unimaginable boundaries of online storage." [The Atlantic - gift link]
• We all lose our childhood memories. [Aeon]
• Kids need to take risks. [After Babel]
• Simple ways to make your home more energy efficient. [WaPo - gift link]
• Diversifying the crossword. [The Atlantic - gift link]
• A beautiful essay on caring for a space. [The Atlantic - gift link]
• Can we ever trust pictures again? [PetaPixel]

• Toys, marketing, and play. [99% Invisible]
• Medicine still makes race-based diagnoses based on outdated (and wrong) science. [Code Switch]
• We're still learning what long COVID is and how to treat it. [Short Wave]
• Abortion restrictions are asking doctors to be lawyers. [Radio Atlantic]
• A guide to EV vehicles. [Life Kit]

• In lieu of starting a new show, we decided to spend this week rewatching more episodes of The Americans. I don't know if a perfect show exists, but this one comes pretty darn close. Exceptional writing and acting, phenomenal costumes and staging, and compelling storytelling. [Hulu]

• This week, I made a favorite, peanut tofu noodle bowls, but tried something new with the tofu preparation. For awhile, I've been baking our tofu. It was easy. We had to get a new toaster oven about a month ago and it came with an air fry function. So, this week, I air fried the tofu. Turns out, I used the wrong setting so it took longer than planned, but, if I get the dials right, this might become my go to tofu cooking method. The exterior was crispy which make the tofu a perfect complement to the veggies and noodles. Also, I adore the sauce in this dish. I need to think of more ways to use it. [Budget Bytes]
• Since I was at a conference, I forewent my usual lunch meal prep for the ease of grabbing something nearby. One day, I walked a few blocks to a little café in an office building. They had some grab and go options. I opted to pick the cold tuna salad plate and I forgot how good something so simply could be. Just tuna with some mayo, a little lemon, and crackers to put it on. Delicious!