Weekend Reading: The Short on Links, Long on Travel Edition

I hate it when a week goes by and it is time for another weekend links post, and I haven't posted anything else all week. I have so many things I want to write about- but this week has been a bit hectic. I'm traveling right now. Just me: the kids and Mr. Snarky are at home.

It is a somewhat workish trip and I'm someplace cold. Not New England cold, but still quite a bit colder than San Diego. So I had to drag out my warm coat. It still fits... but it is snug. It was bought before kids, and my bra size was 2 or 3 notches smaller then. Sigh. I also had to go buy boots. The only other boots I own are hiking boots, and therefore not appropriate for a workish trip. And then I had to figure out appropriate outfits that would be warm. My San Diego wardrobe strained under that effort.

So, what I'm saying is that I've been busy worrying about clothes and packing and the like, and not writing. I had hoped to get some writing time in the hotel, but it has not turned out that way. Travel often doesn't go as planned. I didn't get hit with any weather related delays, but I did have a mechanical delay on one leg... so I spent the time I might have been writing wandering around an airport trying to get the cramp that had developed in my right leg to go away. It never did. I ended up having to take ibuprofen and run through a rather long yoga routine in the hotel before I could go to sleep.

Oh well. At least I picked a relevant quote for Tungsten Hippo this week.

And I do have a few links for you:

I loved this interview with Brene Brown so much that I've added one of her books to my already overloaded "to read" list. She is so right about how in some circles, exhaustion is a status symbol. That is so messed up. (Technical term!) My big, ambitious life goal is to help change that. I think we can do meaningful, exciting work without being exhausted and super busy all the time- we have just arranged our work cultures in a way that is counter that. But, what people build, people can change. (One of the blog posts I have brewing is about that... it is for Tungsten Hippo, so it is inspired by one of my recent books there. Maybe I'll get it written next week!)

Here is an essay from a woman who used to be part of the broken work culture, and is now trying to change it. I think it is sad that it takes children to make some people realize that there is more to life than work. It is is even more sad, I suppose, when even having children can't make people realize that. But honestly: I love my kids and yes, they currently consume the majority of my non work time. If I didn't have kids, though, I'd still need, want, and deserve a life outside of work.

Onward.

Neil Gaiman's answer to this snotty question is so perfect.

This is a somewhat depressing look at American democracy, from Matt Yglesias. Perhaps we should buy a vacation home in New Zealand....

This looks like a cool YouTube channel. Maybe I'll get to explore it next week... (h/t @RowGirl2012)