Looking for something to switch up your weekend, or to give you an excuse to relax a little? That’s what the Weekend Reset is for. Each week we’ll pull together five things to get your weekend started. Could be something to read or watch, something to eat or listen to, or even something to do. Enjoy the weekend fellas.
READ: ‘Disabled People Love Clothes Too’
Clothing is for everyone. And for us in these here parts, we know that clothes are more than just a way to cover up our funny bits: clothing and personal style are a way to express ourselves and communicate our identity to others. But historically, people with disabilities have had severely limited access to fashionable clothing: everything from zippers to fabric tags presents unique challenges to those with disabilities. In this wonderful article, Keah Brown, who created the hashtag #disabledandcute last year, offers a chronicle of the struggles that disabled people have faced when it comes to fashion, and advocates for more clothing companies to begin creating accessible clothing lines. Beyond the New York Times paywall, but really worth a read. (Thanks to Brandon D. for the suggestion!) Photo by Zachary Kyra-Derksen on Unsplash.
WATCH: The Old Guard
At this point, it’s indisputable: Charlize Theron is our very best action movie star. In The Old Guard, she’s part of a team of invincible soldiers tasked with protecting humanity as we know it. While this is based on a comic book, this is no mere “comic book movie” — this is as much Bond and Bourne as it is Marvel, and it is absolutely phenomenal. Already talk of a sequel. Hollywood has been put on notice: this is proof that Netflix can make big budget action movies just as well as anybody.
ROAST: Chicken.
I’ve already written about my love of Samin Nosrat — her recipes are impeccably constructed and absolutely delicious. Her buttermilk roast chicken recipe is perhaps her most famous, for good reason: all it requires is three ingredients: 1) a whole chicken; 2) kosher salt; 3) buttermilk, and results in a chicken with cracking crisp skin and juicy, tender meat. This is as good as chicken gets — and as easy. (Pro tip: I save the bones and carcass to make stock, and I save the fat drippings which accumulate during roasting to either make a sauce/gravy or to add while simmering a pot of beans.)
LISTEN: folklore
You might have heard of this one? Our latest quarant-album is the result of a collaboration that came from faaaaar out of left field: when Taylor Swift decided to start writing new material back in April, she turned to Aaron Dessner, guitarist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist in The National, to write with her. Much of the songwriting and arrangements here are pure Dessner — subtle drones and strings and horns, the kind of chamber-pop you might find on Boxer or Alligator. Add in Swift’s own songwriting craft and her haunting and allusive lyrics, which reference everyone from Lana del Rey to Charlotte Bront«, and you have something that’s really special. A totally unexpected and wonderful album for this somnolent summer. (Also: check out this fantastic playlist a friend assembled that pairs folklore and The National songs side-by-side.)
PLAY: Superhot
Superhot is a weird and wonderful shooter unlike any other game I’ve ever played. Most modern shooters have you running around like a crazed maniac, shooting everything in sight. But in Superhot, enemies and bullets only move when YOU move. That’s right: your movements control time. Each firefight is less about running around blasting things and more about puzzling out how to get out of the way of bullets before they hit you. From it’s gorgeous, simple, red-white-and-black color palate to its inventive use of guns and objects, this is a wonderful 3 hour ride. On PC, Xbox, and PS4.
About the author: Michael Robin is an LA-based television writer. When he’s not working away on his latest pilot script, you can find him scuba diving, hosting Shabbat dinners, or goofing off with his goldendoodle, Biggie Lebowski.