PicoBlog

Let's all take a moment to appreciate the calm vibes this week - no big news to stress about! We hope you're all enjoying the season, whether you're in the middle of competitions or not. Let's dive into the highlights from the week! In today’s newsletter: NCA Nationals block schedule is out Top Gun Allstars has two new level 7 teams Cali Smoed’s “Palm Springs curse“ is over New uniforms

I’ll admit, earwigs don’t tend to be peoples’ favorite insects. Something about that oblong shape and scimitar-like butt-pincers inspires fear and disgust. But did you know that these incredibly common insects lack venom, which means they can’t sting you in any way, and even their little forceps—while technically capable of grasping your finger—are not powerful enough to pinch? Oh, and that rumor about earwigs crawling into your ear and laying eggs in your brain?

I have crossed the 100 page threshold on Infinite Jest. It has been a very slow burn of a book, but I had the first section of the book that really moved me. I’m realizing an interesting issue as I move forward: how do I count how much of the book I’ve read? I’ve never totally been someone that really cares much about the quantity of the books that I’ve read on an individual basis.

Today I’ve got a guest post from Nancy DeStefanis, executive director of San Francisco Nature Education, aka the Heron Lady of Golden Gate Park. She offers this update on the Great Blue Herons at their namesake lake: Great Blue Herons have returned to breed at the newly renamed Blue Heron Lake! San Francisco Nature Education successfully campaigned to rename the lake after the beautiful herons who have nested there for 31 years!

It’s December, it’s the holiday season, I’m cooking nonstop. Welcome back to Bite into this. I know you’ve mourned my tragic absence from your inbox. Suffice to say that sometimes personal sorrows, crises of faith, and professional obligations get in the way of work that brings joy, but I’ll save those details for a more reflective time. While I’ve been gone, I’ve written a lot I’m proud of (on beer!), a lot that makes no sense to anyone I know (on math!

In my first year of journalistic writing, over 25 years ago, I wrote about the now defunct Human Rights Watch Film Festival for IndieWire. Somewhat pretentiously, I lead with the following: “If the pen is mightier than the sword, how powerful is a film or videocamera? Powerful enough to topple totalitarian regimes, cease the prejudices of the past, stop the exploitation of women? The films and videos collected in this year’s Human Rights Watch Film Festival attempt these feats and attempt them unilaterally, creating a multi-faceted picture of the world’s human rights blight.

Chef Omar Rodriguez, the head chef at my Mexican restaurant Oyamel in Washington, DC, makes tamales for Christmas every year, and it’s a great dish to share with your family. What I like about making tamales is that they are a project. It will take up an afternoon or maybe even a whole day, but that’s why I think they are the perfect food for the holiday when you hopefully have more time to spend in the kitchen without stress.

In the past couple of years, the awards seasons have been dominated by Barcelona players. Two years in a row, Alexia Putellas swept up – including back-to-back Ballon d’Or wins – while this year in her injury-induced absence, teammate Aitana Bonmatí took on the role of best in the world. In those years and further into the past, they have been regularly joined on the shortlists by many of their Barcelona teammates, such as Asisat Oshoala, Mapi León, Keira Walsh, Patri Guijarro et all, but one name has often eluded such lists.

Let’s talk about puff pastry. I know, I know, making puff pastry from scratch, and by hand, can seem incredibly daunting but, the results are truly worth the effort, I promise. Plus, you never know, you might find out you’re weird like me, and actually find the process relaxing, therapeutic almost. There is no argument from me that supermarket puff pastry is an incredibly useful product but, once you’ve made and tried handmade puff pastry, you’ll find the flavour and texture is unmatched, the effort pays off ten fold.