Thanksgiving Edition

Happy Thanksgiving weekend! 

First things first- which one of you blabbed to Thomas L. Friedman about my dinner conversation starters?  Because he totally robbed me (except for, apparently, he wants you to have some really serious, dense dinner conversations!  Man, I coulda been in the New York Times!

Now, for the holiday news.....

Did you see the most googled Thanksgiving recipe in every state?   Fascinating!  Do you know what frog eye salad is?  And can we please google "cookie salad" and (if it is what I assume it is) have it next dinner party?  (If the internet's power to know us is your thing, here is what facebook users are most thankful for, in general and by state).

Also- when you think of turkey, do you picture this bird?

 

I sure did-- but apparently,  "white turkeys" are what we eat, and also what the White House pardons!

Speaking of, I noticed that the White House is clearly going with Christmas Tree rather than "holiday"-- does this mean that Obama will be left alone when Fox News starts up with their "war on Christmas" rant?

This right here pretty much sums up why I will never shop on Black Friday AND never shop at Wallmart.  Lying on top of televisions to claim them.  How many televisions do people need?  And for another type of black friday....#blackoutblackfriday calls for boycotting shopping as a form of protest (they shut down trains in Oakland through peaceful protest).

And for news that makes me want to boycott.... here is a list of corporations, ranked by the millions of dollars they have contributed to congressman who deny climate change.  The National Beer Wholesalers, really?

No holiday connection, really, but interesting-- I personally haven't done much taxi travel since Uber (oh, carseats...), but apparently the regular taxis are not doing as well as a result.  And, also in taxi news-- have you ever wanted to drive a taxi as your regular car?  I had a yellow car in high school, so I kind of know this guy's deal, but he took it all the way.

And did you get to hear the unsanctioned 44 seconds of Madonna's newest song before it was snatched back from the depths of the internet?  (Actually, I'm betting that it is still accessible somewhere, but I'm sure you'd have to at least be a Millenial, if not younger, to know how to find it now!)

Finally, on a serious note- I think I read dozens of articles, blog posts, and op eds on the Darren Wilson's non-indictment and subsequent reactions in Ferguson and beyond, trying to find something that summed up my feelings.  This was sent to me from Marni this morning, and while it doesn't perfectly summarize (maybe the point right now is nothing does), it does have some interesting insight that I appreciate: If our president and our nation now don’t show the will and courage to speak the truth and remake the destinies of millions of beleaguered citizens, then we are doomed to watch the same sparks reignite, whenever and wherever injustice meets desperation.

Week of November 22nd

This week is all in good fun or pop culture.  No deep news, nothing sad, nothing too serious.  Like it or not.

Starting with-- if you can't understand this sentence, read this to learn about the newest words.  The twenty-something slacktivist wore a normcore knitted sweater and just had to vape before returning to his job as a budtender, 

Do you think that it is acceptable that there is a dress code for journalists in England who want to photograph the royal family?  Should you be able to wear jeans before snapping a pic of William and Kate?

Not fun, but a reason to be totally over Eminem and to respect Iggy Azalea.

You have to have seen Kim Kardashian breaking the internet-- but have you also seen her here, used as SAT prep for math problems, and here, used as a discussion starter by Alyssa Milano, who has received both kudos and controversy over her breastfeeding selfies?

The midwestern girl in me is impressed with the NY Times interactive college football feature, kind of an if-then choose your own adventure for the playoffs.

Here we have speculation that despite its current success, facebook will soon fall.  My favorite line:
 In three years of research and talking to hundreds of people and everyday users, I  don’t think I heard anyone say once, ‘I love Facebook." And my biggest fear: that one of these yik-yaky sites will take over in the future and I'll be scrambling to keep tabs on my daughter!

Speaking of social media, and what has been an ongoing conversation on this blog-- is this or is this not racist, what do you think about this assistant principal's tweet?  Racist?  Job-losing-worthy?


And check out this awesome prospective park to be built along the Hudson River.  Well, I think it is awesome, anyways- I guess some aren't fans. 

So, apparently, the hairdresser responsible for the Rachel hairdo was high at the time.  That worked out well for him.

When I saw this I truly thought it was satire- but it isn't the Onion, it is the Washington Post. And actually, it may violate my rules this week, as is it a little disturbing-- seriously, check out what is happening to our backs because of smart phones!  "Textneck" will need to be a new word!

To help you with your plans for the week-- it is apparently probably fine for 90% of us to get totally drunk on Thanksgiving.  Not me (I have a little baby)-- but maybe you?

Week of 11/15

Happy update!  This week seems to have flown by.  I am pretty sure I missed following the biggest news stories this week, for sure, so below are some items of interest.  Given the fact that free time is at an all time minimum for me these days, I welcome any mid-week updates for ME that you all might want to send my way.

Starting with one of those-- I feel like there is a TON to say and consider in thinking about the use of "smartbombs"-- this piece examines some of the ethical dilemmas of weapons that are designed to work without human involvement or oversight.  Will this allow for wars with less civilian casualties, create weapons that can pick victims via robot, or turn war into a real life video game?

And shall we talk about Bill Cosby?  Cliff?  I had actually heard nothing until this recent media outbreak about Bill Cosby's rape allegations-- was I under a rock, or were they kept completely discrete? 

As for politics:  The last time the Republicans had a majority this big was 1928.  This article gives historical perspective that I thought was pretty interesting-- from the 1928 elections to prohibition and the Great Depression.

And I'm curious to see the answer to the question posed in this piece about Obamacare:  Republicans have to make a decision: Do we go forward with a blind opposition or try to find some way to improve the system where it is flawed? 

Moving on- did you know that psychotopic drug use in children has gone up over 44 percent in the past four years?  And at the same time, studies have barely been done on their impact on non-adults.  More here about this hugely challenging parenting dilemma.

If you are like me, sometimes people talk about a concept around you and you smile and nod but don't let on, right at that moment, that you're not fully sure what they are talking about.  Anyone? C'mon, be honest!  Well, if net neutrality is one of those things, this sums it up quite nicely.  I'd be interested to hear if there are any more compelling arguments that just those based on profit for internet service to be run like cable.  What do you all think?  Is internet a right?  A basic need?

You have probably heard about the Ohio women suing the sperm bank for mistakenly giving them black donor sperm.  There are several interpretations in blogs and cyberspace, but I thought that this piece in the Nation is compelling-- though obviously biased and even inflammatory.  (And the weekly update gave you the backstory referenced in paragraph one just a couple weeks ago!)

And a topic that hits close to home- stay at home dads.  These guys say that they have to band together to overcome the social stigma.  True?  Untrue?  Varies by location?

Week of November 9th

As a school employee who observes firsthand the content of school foods, this finding disturbs me-- school lunches tend to actually be healthier than packed lunches.  It makes me wonder what on earth people are packing in lunches.  And, it makes me forgive myself a little when I think I'm not good enough at healthy eatting-- no WAY is Zoe's lunch less healthy than the school foods ones!

I wish I had this story for my tech related update last week-- ROBOT PENGUINS spy on real penguins!  For real!

This one, too-- (is it that I'm hyper aware of all the technology related stories because of my focus last week, or is it just that life is proportionately at least a quarter tech related as a rule now?)---I always find it weird when my kindle shows me what other people highlighted.  Just another piece of my increasing electronic footprint.  Want to see the general favorite passages in some quality literature?  

I sometimes wish I studied science, and I always wonder about that supposedly untapped huge portion of the human brain that we all let go unused.  Obama's BRAIN initiative, explained here, is fascinating- and will take 10 years and a ton of money, so cross your fingers.  (Also- it is subplot on Grey's Anatomy!  Anyone??)

And what does this mean for schools-- a "natural" fix for ADHD is just to make life more varied and unpredictable!

Of course, we need an election update.  So, POLITICS for the rest of the issue:


 I am sure that you heard about the redwashing of the Senate on Tuesday.  Mitch McConnell will lead the Senate with 54 of his buddies in republican seats.  Wonder what will get done for the next two years? 

But the real conversation starter, I think, is about voter turnout-- less than 37% of voters, the lowest turnout since 1942.  Come on, people!  How do we know who the other sixty some percent want?  (Is it just my upbringing?  I've never missed a vote!)

This makes the Supreme Court's decision to take on an Obamacare case particularly noteworthy- we'll have more on that in the weeks to come.


And the last of the political conversation that I'll share-- this is an interesting take on where we are as a country in terms of elected women to US Congress.  My favorite line: It’s not even a half-full, half-empty moment: It’s a 20 percent full, 80 percent empty moment.
 

Happy November

Happy November!  This week is focused on a theme-- news related to technology.  I started thinking about this after talking to a friend the other day about this.  Do you have photo albums any more?  Or just digital images on your phone or computer?
                
We got to thinking...what if digital files really did fade over time, and enough time since their creation just hadn't passed yet to know this?  We would end up the only generation with no record of itself....assuming the next generation would learn about this in time.  And all pictures from the first two or three decades of the 00's would be lost!  And then, last night I had a dream I was trying to take film photos and nobody understood what I was doing or how to get the film out of the camera.

So, in other tech related news and/or information:

With election day on Tuesday, there is a lot of political news to peruse these days-- have you considered how politicians and pollsters use data about YOU in order to direct their marketing?  They have moved away from general television ads and into a much more specific way of targeting their audience.

Speaking of, this site on politico constantly updates polling information so you can keep informed on the election of your choice at all times-- currently, 50+% Cuomo.

And I am grateful that I've never really struggled with anxiety, but if I did, is there an app for that?  Do you think that these apps really help people deal with anxiety or emotional regulation?

Meanwhile, the New York Times is reporting on apps that can teach you Spanish.  I did duolingo for a while, and found it was a fun and easy way to polish my very limited Spanish skills.

Apparently, however, the internet really is running slower....on purpose.

And speaking of things you can do from your phone-- soon, you'll be able to order Starbucks straight to your house.  What will the Starbucks across the street from one another at Astor Place think of this?  I really can't picture this, by the way- will it be hot and steamy with thick foam?  Is someone making a latte the back of his van?

The mere existence of digital photos and thumb drives is likely what allowed this story to originate- a Syrian police photographer smuggled thousands of pictures of war crimes out of Syria.  He is not satisfied with the slow action of the United States in response, however.

Here is a case of social media providing a forum for people to share or find support- I thought the idea behind the hashtag #beenrapedneverreported both powerful and odd-- perhaps, comforting?

Were you surprised, like me, when you upgraded your iphone and suddenly it knew where every picture you had taken originated?  Ones from years ago were suddenly location tagged.  Have you considered your digital footprint and how it is emphasized when you simply upload or take pictures?

And perhaps not a perfect fit in this week's theme, but tech=future, and this article did a good job explaining why I am always surpised at my draw towards dystopian future novels (though it doesn't explain why I particularly like the YA version of this genre!).