Category Archives: Something Good

Something Good (NaBloPoMo Day 26)

1. Me And White Supremacy – The Workbook from Layla Saad. I was lucky enough to do this as a challenge on Instagram led by Layla the first time she offered it, and highly recommend it. “Part education, part activation, the Me And White Supremacy Workbook is a first-of-its-kind personal anti-racism tool for people holding white privilege to begin to examine and dismantle their complicity in the oppressive system of white supremacy.”

2. CONSOLATIONS: A Year-Long Exploration of Everyday Words from Jena Schwartz. This looks SO GOOD! “Spend 2019 exploring the meaning of everyday words, based on David Whyte’s work…one work per week.”

3. Yes, We Can Have Hope on Lion’s Roar. “In this commentary from the Fall 2018 issue of Buddhadharma: The Practitioner’s Quarterly, Roshi Joan Halifax reflects on the idea of ‘wise hope’ and why we should open ourselves to it.”

4. How to Simplify the Holidays from Zen Habits. Who doesn’t want a simpler holiday season?

5. The 100 Best Pens, As Tested by Strategist Editors. “Gels, ballpoints, rollerballs, felt-tips, and fountain pens — we tried them all.” My favorite Pentel Clarius was discontinued and I only have a few ink refills left because they also discontinued those, so I’m reading this with great interest.

6. Small bookstores are booming after nearly being wiped out.

7. Brandon Farris on YouTube. He makes videos that make me laugh, and until recently, he’d been living in his car (for TWO years!).

8. 40 Tweets That Sum Up Life With 4-Year-Olds.

9. The Master Quilters of Gee’s Bend, Ala. on The New York Times.

10. Health Science is Bullshit, a video I shared last year that’s just as funny-true now as it was then.

11. No Bed Of Roses, No Pleasure Cruise: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody.’

12. ‘Green Book’ Is ‘Full of Lies’: Dr. Don Shirley’s Family Speaks Out. In related news, ‘Green Book’ Is A Poorly Titled White Savior Film.

13. The Bun Also Rises: Why We Love ‘The Great British Baking Show.’ In related news, Meet the Guy Who Draws Every Great British Baking Show Recipe Illustration.

14. 9 tricks advertisers use to make food look delicious! (video)

15. Elizabeth Gilbert on the Unexpected Friend Who Helped Her Survive Loss.

16. ‘Thank You, America’: A Crowdsourced Holiday Poem That’s A Blessing To Read. In related news, The Thanksgiving Tale We Tell Is a Harmful Lie. As a Native American, I’ve Found a Better Way to Celebrate the Holiday, and How Do Native Americans Celebrate Thanksgiving? U.S. Holiday A Day of Mourning for Indigenous Peoples.

17. 100 Ways to Support—Not Appropriate From—Native People.

18. White Supremacy, Colonialism and Fatphobia are Inherently Tied to Each Other.

19. Eating Disorders and Body Love in Marginalized Communities Panel.

20. Doctor and runner reunite after he saved her while she had a heart attack during marathon. (video)

21. With Her New Foundation, Taraji P. Henson Wants To Change The Stigma Of Black Mental Health.

22. Keep trying, (video). So cute.

23. Liberals use “unity” to systematically silence women of color. It’s time to be divisive.

24. Couple Becomes First-Time Dog Parents To A Baby Pittie. (video) I had the same anxieties with our first dog, a Rottweiler mix named Obi.

25. Watch this sad, little polka-dot bulldog transform into the happiest adventure dog ever. (video)

26. How My Brother Survived The Camp Fire. “My brother lives in Paradise, California. For five hours on November 8, while wildfire devoured the town, I had no idea if he was alive or dead.”

27. Don’t Be Naive: Avoiding Calling Trump Supporters Racist Won’t Convince Them to Vote for Democrats.

28. Michelle Obama and Tracee Ellis Ross on the Power of Women’s Stories on The New York Times. “The former first lady and a star of ABC’s ‘black-ish’ talk about Mrs. Obama’s memoir, feeling ‘good enough’ and what it really means to ‘go high.'”

29. 100 Notable Books of 2018 on The New York Times.

30. Snoop Dogg Looks Back; Talks Tupac, Mentor Dr. Dre, Speaking Up for the ‘Voiceless.’ The last few minutes of his speech are epic, pure Snoop Dogg. “I want to thank me for believing in me, I want to thank me for doing all this hard work… Snoop Dogg you a bad motherf—er”

31. This Creative Woman Excels at Baking Art Pies with Avant-Garde Crust Designs.

32. Seriously do yourself a favor and watch for a good laugh! (video)

33. Someone Says “Depression Is A Choice”, And Andy Richter’s Response Is Brilliant.

34. These Are The 19 Most Stressful Experiences An Introvert Can Have.

35. Manifesting 2019 with Andrea Scher. A mini-manifesting online workshop for only $20! This seems like a great gift idea.

36. ‘Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat’ Changes the Rules for Who Gets to Eat on TV.

37. This week’s edition of People Behaving Badly: A Not-Guilty Verdict Absolves Border Patrol Of Cross-Border Killing, and Alabama Cops Kill 21-Year-Old After They Say He Opened Fire in a Mall. Now They Say He Didn’t, and Girl, 13, Who Wrote Essay on Gun Violence Is Killed by Stray Bullet, and White Man Allegedly Pulls Gun on Black Muslim Teens in Minnesota McDonald’s, Manager Handles It Terribly, and Isolated Tribe Kills American With Bow and Arrow on Remote Indian Island (just to be clear, it’s the Christian invader who was behaving badly in this situation), and New video shows two white school officers brutally assaulting a black middle-schooler in an unprovoked attack (video), and Administration Admits Border Deployment Was a $200 Million Election Stunt, and This veteran was working in a yogurt shop when employees got ‘scared’ and called the cops, and How a Liberal Couple Became Two of N.Y.’s Biggest Trump Supporters on The New York Times, and US agents fire tear gas as some migrants try to breach fence.

Something Good (NaBloPoMo Day 19)

The birthday cake Eric made me yesterday. He even made the chocolate covered pretzels and graham crackers himself. And yes, we have been binge watching the new season of Great British Baking Show.

1. The *new* Black Friday. “This Black Friday, go with the new black: Spend at least part of the day making a Love List as a holiday gift for someone you love.”

2. I’m Just Happy to Be Here: A Memoir of Renegade Mothering Kindle Edition, on Amazon for $1.99! Such a good book from such an amazing writer.

3. New report finds Cadbury has destroyed over 25,000 hectares of Orangutan habitat.

4. Serving Time, And Fighting California Wildfires For $2 A Day. This isn’t new news, but it needs to continue to be news until we wise up.

5. 70 Books Written by Black Women You Need on Your Bookshelf.

6. Cab Drivers Refuse To Pick Up Racists After Philly Rally With Proud Boys. In related news (as in “how regular people can be a part of the resistance”), White women saunter around in hoodies to prove Tennessee mall’s policy targets black people.

7. 11 Signs Of Gaslighting In Your Relationship, Beware!

8. In this week’s “People Behaving Badly,” Woman’s T-Shirt Made Someone Feel So “Unsafe” They Had To Call The Cops, and North Dakota Motel Won’t Rent Rooms to Native Americans, and A White College Professor Reportedly Called 911 Because A Black Student Put Her Feet On A Chair, and Man who called Pittsburgh synagogue massacre a “dry run” arrested days after brother’s suicide, and Hate crimes in America spiked 17 percent last year, FBI says, and Dunkin’ Donuts Owner Calls Cops on Black Woman During Dispute Over Free WiFi, and This man pulled over to berate a couple who was protesting a Confederate monument (video), and Indigenous women kept from seeing their newborn babies until agreeing to sterilization, says lawyer, and The Police Call Was Supposed to Be a Wellness Check on a Friend. So How Did Travis Jordan End Up Dead?, and What this “Nazi salute” prom photo says about the adults in the room.

9. This man left New York’s nightlife scene behind to bring clean water to over 8 million people worldwide (video). One of my favorite charities.

10. Joe Biden Adopts a Rescue Dog Named Major.

11. Trying to make balloon animals. (video) This guy’s videos where he tries to learn to make stuff are hilarious.

12. Neo-Nazis Have No First Amendment Right to Harassment, Judge Rules on The New York Times.

13. When White Ladies Act Like They Want That Action, Give It to Them. In related news, Why Do White Women Keep Voting for the GOP and Against Their Own Interests?, and Most White Women Are Very Happy With White Supremacy.

14. Georgia’s Stacey Abrams Admits Defeat, Says Kemp Used ‘Deliberate’ Suppression To Win. In related news, Georgia Lawmaker Arrested Amid Protest To Count Every Vote In Governor Race, and Federal judge finds Georgia county violated Civil Rights Act by rejecting ballots.

15. This Bread-Baking, Ex-Con Entrepreneur Is Creating Jobs For Others With Criminal Pasts. They also make amazing bread.

16. Judge Orders White House To Reinstate Jim Acosta’s Press Credentials.

17. Enjoy this video of a girl who used to be paralyzed surprising her nurse.

18. Ever wondered how sounds in movies are made? (video)

19. What Is More Important Than Weight Loss? “F*ck you and your ‘Wellness Committee.'”

20. This immigrant-owned restaurant in DC always has its doors open for those in need. (video)

21. Generous but useless donations flood wildfire evacuation centers. Here’s what to send.

22. For Our White Friends Desiring to Be Allies.

23. 80 years apart and the best of friends. (video)

24. New Dallas district attorney wants to charge officer with murder for killing Botham Jean. In related news, White Man Who Shot at Lost Black Boy in Michigan Will Serve at Least 4 Years on The New York Times.

25. Doctors who support gun reform are showing the gruesome reality they deal with each day, after the NRA told them to ‘stay in their lane’. (video)

26. Russian Fisherman Posts Terrifying Creatures Of The Deep Sea, And People Want Him To Stop. Equal parts creepy and cool.

27. Freddie Mercury and the Erasure of Queerness in ‘Bohemian Rhapsody.’

28. Dogs working sheep…Impressive video!

29. Meditation Is a Powerful Mental Tool—and For Some People It Goes Terribly Wrong.

30. Creativity is Messy: Questions to Explore When You’re Being Harsh with Yourself from Jena Schwartz.

31. 25 Reasons To Keep Making Stuff from Chuck Wendig.

32. 100 Easy Ways to Make the World Better for Trans People.

33. Seattle high-school teacher shares ‘the wonder of books’ with students on a different kind of field trip.

34. Speaking of my husband, Hal Isaacson; 7/1/74 – 10/27/18 – Forever.

35. 9 Things I Wish People Knew About Me As A Highly Sensitive Introvert.