I'm soooo close to being caught up. But I'm not there yet. That's why this post is later than usual today- I was pushing to try to finish something before I went to pick up the kids, and then the kids and I went out for a little "girls' night out." Mr. Snarky has a friend in town for a conference, and he went downtown for dinner with his friend. So the girls and I went to dinner, too, and then for a walk on the beach (short, because it was windy and the tide was high), and then to Rita's for a treat.
Anyway, once I get them in bed, I need to get back to work. I under a deadline to finish something by tomorrow night. I'll make it, but not without some work tonight.
So, withour further delay, here are the links I've gathered this week:
First off, three things from Vox that I liked:
The story about how the rich families in Florence have remained rich for 700 years sort of blew my mind. When I think about it, I shouldn't be surprised. But it still blew my mind.
I liked this post about the benefits of urban farming. I enjoy having my little pots of veggies in the backyard, and dream of someday having an actual vegetable garden. First, I need to get blinds in the office, though. Twice a day, the sun comes in and blinds me for about 10 minutes. I should really fix that. Also, the sun is probably bleaching the upholstery on my chair. So, no vegetable garden for me until I finish fixing up the inside of the house. (In addition to the blinds, I have a window to get fixed, curtains to buy, and some baseboards that still haven't been painted since the remodel.)
Finally, a few weeks ago there was a spate of posts about how you can't lose weight with exercise, and then there was a spate of posts about how you can't rely on diet alone to keep you thin, and then there was that depressing story about the people who had gone on The Biggest Loser... and perhaps in response to that, a doctor who specializes in obesity wrote a post about how yes, it is possible to lose weight and keep it off, we just need to ditch our "all or nothing" mindset. Here's the part I really like:
"The term I coined to describe it is "best weight," where your best weight is whatever weight you reach when you're living the healthiest life that you actually enjoy."
Mother Jones published an excerpt from Peggy Orenstein's latest book, and it has me a bit scared for my future of helping my daughters navigate their way to a healthy attitude towards their bodies and towards sex. Thankfully, I have a little time before I have to really deal with this, but it is coming up fast.
I've mostly stopped reading the political posts because my mind is made up on how I'm voting and what I'm doing and all of the analysis is just stressing me out. But Rolling Stone's Matt Taibi went in on the GOP and Donald Trump, and all I can say is: DAMN.
Paying skilled workers more would help solve the "skills gap."
I like this post from Kameron Hurley, about meeting up with feminists younger and older than herself.
I don't seem to have anything funny saved to share, but if you're looking for something lighthearted and fun to read, this week's Tungsten Hippo recommendation is a good option.
Happy weekend, everyone!
I love me some Peggy Orenstein, and I haven't read the whole book yet. That said, it is entirely possible to help girls develop a healthy body image and relationship with sex. I'm sure you're already modeling the behavior you want to see in your girls, and I'm sure you've already talked with them about sex and consent. You may not think it was a discussion of consent when you told one of them she can't tickle her sister if her sister doesn't want to be tickled, but it was. My kid's sense of self amazes me. She's a dancer, and she knows dancers are at high risk for eating disorders. She takes pride in how she looks, and even more in what she can do and how she improves each year. Don't lose faith. Your girls can do this.
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