in which I share links to things that caught my attention
Say No to the Standing O
By Tane S. Danger
From Minnesota Playlist
By giving everything a standing ovation, we diminish the act to near uselessness…Are we standing because we were actually so moved we couldn’t remain sitting, or because we’re hoping to shorten the time until we get out of the theater by a few seconds?
Some excellent points, but I’ll definitely stand at Claire’s spring dance recital!
What It Means to Be a Public Intellectual
By Ta-Nehisi Coates
From The Atlantic
These are Rumsfeld’s “unknown unknowns”—not simply a lack of answers, but an obliviousness to questions. The awareness of this is humbling and euphoric…At that moment one realizes that it isn’t the cool facts which wise you up, but the awareness of a yawning, limitless, impossible ignorance.
As usual, Coates has provided a well-reasoned commentary on contemporary racism.
When Misogynist Trolls Make Journalism Miserable for Women
By Connor Friedersdorf
From The Atlantic
Conor Friedersdorf, a man, ponders how many women have been driven out of personal journalism (blogging) due to the preponderance of mysogynistic trolls. While I‘ve haven’t dealt with any trolls, I’ve definitely heard horror stories. The terrible, mysogynistic things that women on the internet have been told is appalling.
The Hidden Ecosystem Of The Walmart Parking Lot
By Adele Peters
From FastCo.Exist
When I was a teen, my family and I would frequently pull the camper into a Wal-Mart parking lot as we were on our way to our ultimate destination. I remember waking up one morning, struck by the general oddity of doing such an almost normal thing.
The 1000th Voice 