Hola, beloveds! This ended up being a rather grueling week, including a day and a half flat out sick and bed ridden, but the upside is that that I’m reading up a storm to start the year. It’s not all bad. Work continues to trend in the right way and in spite of feeling under the weather, I still was able to have a rather interesting PR day with a politician who, while I disagree with many of their positions, pleasantly surprised me by being a nice conversationalist and thoughtful speaker. Here’s to humanizing more of the talking heads we see on TV.
I’m having another weekend of moderate relaxing, but might hit up a food market and try to spend some time outdoors. It’s an unseasonably warm winter thus far (hi, scary climate trends!) so I’m getting much more sunlight that usual for this time of year, a welcome boon to my ongoing fight against depressive dips and anxiety attacks. Meds are a godsend, by way of your regular reminder.
The political world remains a dumpster fire, with ambassadors being stalked, criminals trying to flip, TV lawyers doing their absolute worst, impending price hikes for trade with the EU, tempests in teapots for the endless-ly infighting left, and general madness. In response, here’s a short but punchy burst of nice things for you to leaven the news with. Stay engaged and limber, kittens, we’ve got 11.5 months to get through. Humor will be our aid!
I’m adding basically all of these to my list of recipes to try.
God yes, more of this.
This story is awful and incredibly hard to read, but represents a lot of dedicated reporting in a community that is difficult to access. These stories need to be told. Systemic abuse isn’t broken otherwise.
Timely advice now that 2020 is upon us.
Why no, I’m not tired of good reporting on the property market and the disparity between the ultra rich and the most marginalized.
Whyever would they want a different life? Whomst can say?
This was included in a previous round up but the story evolved and got even weirder since I watched the initial Twitter meltdown via several authors and agents I follow.
If someone could buy me this, that’d be great, thanks.
Small Dog Syndrome 
Nice selection….That TED talk…WHEW.
I recently had my mind blown on this topic at a private, journo’s-only Reuters event, held at their NYC HQ, with very senior journalists (2 women, flown in from London) explaining the growing and disturbing prevalence of “deepfakes,” video, audio, etc —- and showing us five examples and asking us to vote on those we thought genuine and those we thought fake.
Instructive! And very frightening indeed. Really thought-provoking.
That Amish story is so so so awful. Any form of patriarchy that also isolates women? RUN. NOW.
I am making 3 soups today — but those French recipes look divine!