Friday Five: January 28, 2022
sealed with Babybel wax
Welcome to the Friday Five, your weekly roundup of five content/news/memes/historical events meant to bring you, joy, delight, and comfort! I’m glad you’re here.
The forecast currently calls for between 2 and 20 inches of snow in the northeast this weekend. While I understand the unpredictability of weather patterns, there is something funny about offering people such a vague range of information and expecting them to prepare accordingly, or do anything useful with it. It could be a light dusting or the biggest storm we’ve seen in years. Just make sure you buy milk and bread. OutKast was onto something when they said ‘you can plan a pretty picnic but you can’t predict the weather.’ Anyway, today’s newsletter is a lot like my current emotional state: all over the place. Happy reading!
Interview: Sheryl Lee Ralph has wowed me in every performance of hers I’ve seen since Sister Act 2, and watching her shine in Abbot Elementary has been a real gift. This interview with her in W is truly special and worthy of your time and attention. There are about eight different passages I wanted to call out, but I’ll just share this one with you:
Social Media Follow: I’ve been following an Instagram page for a baklava bakery in Gaziantep, Turkey for over a year now. I’m not sure how, when, or where I came across it. None of the content is in English. That doesn’t matter. Serdal Urhan is the man behind this beautiful bakery, whose page is full of satisfying videos of fresh baklava, knafeh, and many other warm, sweet treats. The videos follow a similar pattern: Serdal smothers a dessert in a honeyed syrup while holding an extremely hot metal plate with pliers, topping it with generously with pistachios. There are also great cheese pulls. Follow at your own risk.
News from the Animal KingQueendom: Yakei, a 9-year-old female Japanese macaque in a reserve in southern Japan, recently staged an overthrow of the alpha male of her troop to become its first female leader in the reserve’s 70-year history. She presides over a troop of nearly 700 snow monkeys who are known for their “beet-red bottom[s] and affinity for soaking in hot springs” (chic!!). I hope to follow Yakei on a Real Housewives-style show where we can follow her reign in vivid detail, but in the meantime, I’m celebrating her win.
Video: Miles Bonham is five-years-old and plays the guitar, drums, ukelele, piano, bass, and knows how to use music production software. When I was five, I cried when a computer dialogue box asked me to “Press any key to continue.” Miles also has perfect pitch. There are several videos of him reproducing famous songs, the most recent being my personal favorite, which is The Pharcyde’s “Runnin.” He is both inspirational and adorable, and has already achieved two of my personal dreams — having Missy Elliot in his comments and meeting/befriending fellow musical child prodigy Justin Wilson (Early Consumers will recognize this drummer who was lucky enough to be cradled in Lenny Kravtitz’s arms). Watch Miles at work:
Joyful Internet Content:
Giving myself permission to be fabulous,
Roya