The Weekly Wrap: November 5, 2023

Last week, a friend shared a cute video of a woman turning herself into a fairy based on an illustration. The illustration reminded me of artwork this same friend once had on her wall. This led us down a rabbit hole of discussing websites we used to go to all the time but haven't visited in ages.

I graduated college in 2006. The "world wide web" had taken firm hold but "Web 2.0" was the new thing. Smart phones were just a glimmer in the distance. If you wanted to enjoy online stuff you had to use a computer - most likely a desktop. These were the days where I could be online for less than an hour and see everything I wanted to see in a single day.

If you want to join me in nostalgia, these were the websites and tools I thought about:

• DeviantArt - A great place for stunning user created art. Most is fantasy or sci-fi themed.
• Netives Marbles - A matching game that was an early precursor of all our mobile puzzle games.
• Hot or Not - I don't miss this one.
• StumbleUpon - A tool to help you find new random websites. This was fun while it lasted.
• The Misadventures of Super Librarian - One of the earliest book blogs. This one mostly highlighted romance novels. The author is still going and I decided to follow it again.
• FanFiction.net - I read so many stories here.
• Akinator - We spent several fun nights playing this in college.
• Homestar Runner - Trogdor!

What early websites are you nostalgic for?

---

• How to get your company to pay for executive coaching. [A Cup of Ambition]
• Gas stoves aren't great for your health or the environment. [NPR]
• Clever. [The Verge]
• Everything I never knew about nasal congestion. [The Atlantic - gift link]
• What marathon runners do when they cross the finish line. [WaPo - gift link]
• Beneath the streets of Paris. [Atlas Obscura]
• Winter thermostat recommendations. [Real Simple]

• The economics of the all you can eat buffet. [Planet Money]
• Walking through what you need to know for open enrollment. [Life Kit]
• A project to vaccinate wildlife. [Short Wave]
• The parts of Supreme Court rulings we don't normally see. [Throughline]
• You need more sleep. [Science Vs]
• On tiny hydra and immortality. [Invisibilia] 

• Brilliant costume is brilliant. [@ocarroll]
• The husband had some time to play the new(ish) The Legenda of Zelda game. I only pay partial attention, but I always enjoy when I do look up. The critters are cute and the music is lovely. I don't play video games, but the good ones are a worth checking out as a viewer. [Ninetendo]

• For my lunch meal prep this week, I made sweet and spicy tahini noodles. This used up a large chunk of the bottle of tahini I had hanging out in my fridge. It also used up some the chili garlic sauce lingering in their too. I used that last sauce in lieu of the minced garlic and hot chili paste the recipe calls for. This was really tasty and I plan on making it again. Even though I did not keep the sauce separate, it still reheated well in the microwave. [Ambitious Kitchen]
• Raiding my kid's Halloween candy haul, as is my parental right.