Sometimes I pick up our groovy hippie neighbor when he needs a ride into town. He is usually walking along the road when I just happen to drive by and pull over. He was fully prepared to walk all the way.
This morning, the temperature readout on my car dash read negative one when he got in. I pointed it out to my neighbor, and he laughed. That’s a Vermonter.
I am working on becoming a Vermonter, but I spent a lot of years in the balmy Bay Area, which undid any heartiness built into me from my New England childhood.
I felt better after writing this today.
January Lament
It’s January 22nd.
Last week it was nearly 60.
Today it is one degree.
With a real feel of despair.
Resistance.
Our washing machine has been broken for a week.
Someone stole my credit card number.
Our pellet stove wont start.
The sinus infection still lingers.
Now we’re onto another cold.
Constant phlegm. Foggy head. Postnasal drip.
I am becoming a connoisseur of viruses.
I have period cramps.
My milk frother no longer froths.
All small things.
On the other hand…
We have each other.
We also have down blankets. Electricity. And alternate heat.
Neti pots.
The budget for essential oils.
And a donut maker.
And January will be over eventually.
What I’m eating:
Honey lemon ferment like a boss.
What I’m reading:
In honor of Martin Luther King day I did a little catching up on my reading about racism et al.
An article in the Washington Post that’s pretty well explained by its title: Federal study confirms racial bias of many facial-recognition systems, casts doubt on their expanding use In a nutshell, this is a prime example of how bias is woven into the very fabric of our society. I work in this world and I know a little bit about it. When you feed an algorithm biased training data, you get biased results.
From the Economic Policy Institute: Stark black–white divide in wages is widening further This is the real story behind the “booming economy” Trump supporters love to tout. It’s a booming white economy, essentially.
Fantastic bit of reporting from the NY Times on bias in the way American history is presented in public schools: American history textbooks can differ across the country, in ways that are shaded by partisan politics By comparing textbooks from different states (specifically, California and Texas) you get a clear view of the bias inherent in reporting the history of racism in this country.
Bonus: I love when reputable news sources break down candidate choices for me as this one from the WaPo does. It’s interesting to see who you align with if you take their reputation, vibe, charisma, and haircut out of the picture. I got Warren. Not surprised.
What I’m listening to:
What I’m watching:
This Ted Talk about the challenge of making a hard choice when confronted with two equally weighted opportunities. “It’s in the space of hard choices that we get to exercise our normative power.. To make yourself into the kind of person for whom country living is preferable to the urban life,” for instance.
What I’m working on:
Still putting the fine points on this ebook about diversity and inclusion in the wellness events space. This one is going to be my opus.
Great reflection. I love to hear what you are reading, watching and eating…