The week of May 6 was meditating on the history of cream cheese; #IAmAPreexistingCondition; taking sleeping tips from Robin Roberts; and wasting as much time as possible. It’s good for you!

Mash-Ups in the News:

Watch This Rare Video Of The Streets Of Pyongyang

We so rarely see unfiltered images of North Korea and the thing that’s so amazing about this video by a Finnish journalist is how normal everything is. As one might expect, there are some very imposing buildings and monuments, but there are also just, you know, people with umbrellas walking down the street and other people driving cars.

via Vox

Why Do Americans Smile So Much

THIS EXPLAINS EVERYTHING. People around the world often scoff at how much Americans smile. It turns out we smile so much because we are Mash-Ups! We rely on nonverbal communication because we have so many languages surrounding us.

 via The Atlantic

What Rosa Parks’s Pancake Recipe Tells Us About Humanity

Rosa Parks put peanut butter in her pancake batter…what?! Yes that’s right. She did! And aside from the joy of learning something so domestic about a civil rights hero, here’s a wonderful exploration of why this Southern, African-American recipe reflects her roots.

via The Sporkful

Beyond Alt: Understanding The Burn-It-Down Extremist Far Right

#Longread: This is a comprehensive deep dive in the roots of the Far Right, what they want and where they are going. It’s terrifying and informative. Did we mention terrifying?

via NY Mag

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A New Generation Overthrows Gender

Exploring gender identity is new for many of us, but kids are just so amazingly adaptable. Gender non-conforming kids are leading the way towards a more expansive understanding of gender.

via KQED

I Underwent Genital Mutilation As A Girl In The U.S.

There is a sect of South Asian Muslims called Dawoodi Bohras who perform female genital mutilation as part of their tradition. Now, with generations of Bohras being born in the U.S., the practice is secretly being continued here. Read this heartbreaking account of the practice.

via Mother Jones

I Am A Medicaid Welfare Queen

In this dark week for healthcare in our country, we are constantly struck by the language — euphemistic and otherwise — that shows such tremendous disdain for anyone who is not a rich white man. This profound essay by a disabled first-gen Asian-American shows what Medicaid can do to give someone a full life, lift enormous burdens off of families, and ultimately be a huge benefit to our society.

via NY Times

An Ode To Black Families: A Reading List

Speaking of changing the narratives from deficit framing to asset framing (to reference our friend Soledad O’Brien), here’s a wonderful list of essays exploring different aspects of the Black family experience.

via Longreads

Spam Musubi: A History Lesson

Hi, this is our favorite food. Spam came to Hawaii with the U.S. military. Hawaiians and all the different immigrant populations that make up Hawaii really embraced Spam. When someone introduced Spam, rice and seaweed in the 80s, we all won.

via Civil Beats