Friday Five: Feb 13, 2026
It's not yet Valen-time
Happy Friday, Consumers. Are any of you feeling whiplash? I’ve got the TV on playing the women’s skeleton in Milan and I’m wondering what sort of sensations go through these athletes’ bodies at the end of the course. They exhibit such control over their bodies, down to the teensiest of details, while hurling themselves down an icy track at maximum speeds. It defies my understanding… so do the ways of the world. They must be feeling some whiplash, I’m certainly feeling it, partly due to an inundation of awful news from so many directions and partly just because... life feels like a skeleton track these days! Anyway, let’s get into your Friday Five, your weekly round-up of joyful, cathartic, weird, sometimes-makes-you-think and other-times-not content from across the corners of the digital universe.
Long-form Reading: This article by Sahar Delijani in the LA Review of Books captures a lot of the disparate threads in my mind about Iran and brings them into one cohesive piece. It’s not neat or tidy: history rarely is, but it’s comprehensive, thoughtful, and worth your time.
Poetry: Lucille Clifton’s poetry is a constant gift. Let There Be New Flowering has been my guiding light through this bleak, grey winter season. In one of her interviews, Clifton said “writing is a way of continuing to hope ... perhaps for me it is a way of remembering I am not alone.” I’m holding onto that sentiment tightly.
![POEM] - 'Let there be new flowering…' by Lucille Clifton : r/Poetry](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ljSI!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1de6fd33-0714-4296-9187-03361d1c8d3f_466x466.jpeg "POEM] - 'Let there be new flowering…' by Lucille Clifton : r/Poetry")
The only fitness influencers we need: The Guardian featured a delightful group of older men who do pilates after midday prayers. The article is incredibly sweet, and the videos are even sweeter:
Recipe: I don’t know who the Hairy Bikers are and I’m afraid to find out, but they have a surprisingly nice fish recipe (good for trout or salmon or perhaps a marinated tofu)! I like recipes where a marinade transforms into a sticky sauce — I threw some udon and sliced tomatoes into that syrup and had a perfect lunch.
Joyful Internet Content: I nearly made the video of this perfect child it’s own section today but I’ve decided to fold it into our usual wrap-up. I love the confidence while traveling, the speed, the agility, the glasses. Every detail. What a star!
There’s a strange light-rail system in London called the DLR, and I’ve always found the whole experience to be a bit unusual but couldn’t pin it down to one thing. I think I’ve discovered that it mostly comes down to the station names — see below for a curated selection:
I’m probably late to the game in sharing this, but if you have not met Alexander Zhou, I’m thrilled to introduce you to this prodigy. “Light, crispy notes” was a beautiful description for this piece of music!
Let love be at the end,
Roya