Memorial Day Edition

Happy Long Weekend and barbecue and sunshine and anything else that you've been up to.

To get started-- this submission last week, which shames those of us who paid more attention to Jay-Z than the Ukraine, made me realize that I'd been negligent about real world news. 

So we'll start off with the hard stuff-- the deadly rampage in California which has a number of items that are worth further discussion.  I haven't watched the video or read the manifesto he left to the media, and I wonder about the "right" approach here- how to make sure to not sensationalize him in a way that is appealing to future perpetrators.  And one of the victim's father's is bringing the conversation to gun control-- any hope for this to finally stick? 

Speaking of-- have you heard about smart guns?  The one gun that the NRA is fully against.  (Watch the Daily Show clip, really!)

Meanwhile, another piece of news to get riled up about-- Veterans Hospitals waiting lists, which apparently are so out of control that actual written internal memos advice staff about how to adjust the books to downplay the wait.

And the White House accidentally blew the cover of a CIA official in Afghanistan.  Whoops.  

I know I'm supposed to present multiple sides here-- but, I just can't!  HOW can so many republicans deny climate change?  How?

And for softer news.....

What do you think about prenuptial?  How about a social media prenup, while dating?  Rules for what to post in a breakup? 

Getting dating advice from your students-- Do or Don't.  No obvious answer, right?

(But if you just signed on for more information about Jay-Z and Solange, here ya go.)

Thanks to Jordan for contributions this week!

Week of May 18th

A lovely day for a lovely update.  Warning: not super real world newsy this week.  I am SURE I missed something important so please let me know!

Starting with the closest to home-- our very own Rebar now closed due to its' very own scandal!  I heard this on 1010 Wins while trying to decide bridge vs tunnel on the way back in home last week.  Where will we go for a drink in Dumbo now?

Did you hear about the dismissal of the NY Times executive editor?   Is it related to our former conversations about equal pay for women?  Did you KNOW that this job makes soo much?  Hard to sympathize!  (Think she wants a job for the Weekly Update?)

Also to continue a former conversation-- Ann Coulter thought this was an appropriate way to follow Michelle Obama's pic supporting "bring back our girls."  No commentary needed.

Not to be missed- pop culture news regarding Jay Z's altercation with Solange (<-- who she is link included just in case, for Christina) is so thick even NPR wanted in on the discussion.  Really, NPR?

Are you ever creeped out by how much Google knows about you?  Or the fact that it caters its search to your information?  Should it be ordered to forget?

I'm also included statistics about kids and reading rates...for those of us who really should know these offhand for our jobs.

And this is especially users of Tinder (except Zoe, who may have been made to use it at a party but for the record didn't know what she was swiping).

(Apparently I had a disproportionate amount to say about this one...)
Now, let's make sure Christina knows about Michael Sam.  Openly gay.  Football player.  Drafted.  Kissed his boyfriend.  So much talk about this.  Really.  Everyone has something to say.  Can I be honest with you?  I'm just not really sure why they caked each others' faces.  Just because it was the draft, and not a wedding.  Just my opinion.

If you feel like reading more about this, there is a ton-- and something interesting I observed is that you can tell a lot about the readership of your sources when you read the comments.  Now, I say this while also saying that really, no smart and capable person should ever read the comments, anywhere.  But I do it.  It is like watching an accident scene, I don't want to but I still do.  Anyways, depending on your sources, when you read the comments about this you can feel like you love our world, you hate our world, and a whole lotta in between.

Special thanks to Marni for contributing hot items this week.  And welcome Joana and Jordan!

Week-and-a-half Update

Starting with a shout out to Ryan and Marni for engaging in blog related discourse in the comments section last week!  Who will join them this week?  I'm lookin' at you, Chuck!  (I don't actually think Chuck reads this, its okay!)

So, some catching up to do, and I'm going to start off with real news.  I HOPE Christina has heard at least something about the mass kidnappings in Nigeria.  There is a range of information about this situation now, but it is hard to know what exactly to make of it. 

Related, but with a different perspective- check out this op ed about the treatment of Africa in the media.  What do you think? 

Arkansas joined the ranks of gay marriage states!  That makes this graphic totally outdated-- nice to think that progress is moving faster than website updates!

This is super interesting to me-- we've told Zoe it is unlikely there will be enough of a space program to allow her to be an astronaut, but maybe if we find Earth's twin?   (Don't worry, she also wants to be a doctor and a bear, so she's got backup plans!)

Oh, Obama.  I find this endearing. Remember when you nabbed the fly with your bare hand?  (Did you see that, Christina?  It just came back to me).  (BTW, there is another side to this story, too.)

And in other interesting issues to follow-- new progress in cancer treatment worth keeping an eye on.

And...get ready-- over the next 18 months there will be a lot of political headlines to keep on our radar in preparation for the 2016 elections-- and lots of ladies on the list!  Makes me wish we lived in Englandq--"There is no local television in England and it’s illegal to run individual candidate ads on the national stations."--...but we don't!