The Weekly Wrap: March 28, 2021

First, I have some (possibly exciting) information. I've decided to turn this weekly post into a newsletter over on Substack. I greatly enjoy putting it together each week and I want to share it more broadly. While the links and all that will be the same, I do plan to add some new content to the newsletter in case you want to subscribe. If you're interested, head on over to my substack page and click subscribe. Like this blog, the newsletter is totally free. 

Second, the local Capital Weather Gang declared winter officially over in the DC area. Good. I am done with the cold and am very excited to talk lunchtime walks in the sunshine.

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• Some good things have come out of the pandemic. I, for one, am here for the changes to academic and scientific publishing. Free the research! [The Atlantic]
• The myth of the ideal worker is ruining life for everyone. [Vox]
• Heads up - this linguistics article may give you a craving for lox. [Pocket]
• Have dry or itchy skin? Step away from the shower. [The Atlantic]
• I think people often overlook cookbooks as a genre of reading. Here's a roundup of new titles you might want to check out. [Eater]
• Some of the coolest, creepy animal pictures you might ever see. [Nat Geo]
• All about olives. [Real Simple]
• "I realize dull conversation is its own kind of luxury." [Cup of Jo]
• We may be underestimating the power of tornados. [WaPo]
• TikTok tears and the bestseller list. [NYT]
• See-through sidewalks saving salmon in Seattle. [99% Invisible]
• Looking for a memoir to read? Here is a list of 49 recommended titles. [PureWow]
• The temporal gap in the geological history of the earth's crust. [Nat Geo]
• What we can learn from Iceland's "cute" volcanic eruption. [CNN]

• A food critic tries to retrain her nose to smell after a covid infection. [The Daily]
• 300 years ago women put a stop to a smallpox outbreak. [All Things Considered]
• The racist, classist history of tipping and the fight for a living wage. [Throughline]
• Hear Bach's lost lautenwerck. [Morning Edition]
• How we make antivenom hasn't changed in decades. A new process might be on the horizon. [Science Vs]
• Planet Money has a very extensive archive and I'm still making my way through the backlog of episodes in my feed. This week, I loved:
  • The quest to perfect the food delivery French fry.  [Planet Money]
  • When podcasters cook a peacock. [Planet Money]

• We just polished off season 4 of The Crown. This was the first Diana season and it was enthralling. Kudos to the actors who played Charles and Diana because they acted their hearts out. Also, you can see why The Firm is doing damage control. This does not make their future sovereign and his queen consort look good. Now begins the wait for season 5.
• This week, I found a few new (to me) episodes of To Catch a Smuggler available on demand. The drug busts are fine, but I really enjoy the look at how agricultural products, pests, and smuggled wildlife are stopped. Simply fascinating!
• A digital artist in Japan created a video installation based on the folding screen “The Battle of Sekigahara.” It's beautiful 8-bit art.

• When I was pregnant, I really wanted a lot of fresh vegetables and juicy fruit. I also wanted all things briny. What is my kid currently eating? Cheese and carbs. I mean, I can't fault her - I love those too - but we're trying to give her an open palate. This week, I made these chorizo zucchini tacos with pickled onions. I knew she would eat the tortilla, but I was hoping she'd love the pickled onions since I ate a ton of them while pregnant. No dice. Will try again.
• I am all about sheet pan meals. They are quick, easy, and tasty. This recipe for one pan garlic ranch chicken and veggies is a regular in our meal rotation. I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs and skip the brown sugar step. It tastes great! 

• This TikTok is just delightful.