NYC Public Library, shot by me | February 2013
When I was in fourth grade, my family moved two hours away during the middle of the school year. At first it was really hard to make new friends because all the other kids had known each other for years. My two saving graces that year were a book reading competition (I won!) and the lone computer that sat at the back of the classroom, ready for kids to play The Oregon Trail. Since I was always really fast with my assignments, I got to spend more time at that computer than any other student in my class. I was obsessed with that game. I loved it. So imagine my interest when I read about a hilarious live action version that takes place in Oregon. I would *totally* do this if I lived in the area and could convince others to join me.
Going West: The World of Live Action, Competitive Oregon Trail - The Atlantic
I have a soft spot in my heart for pit bulls, having owned many pitty mixes in my life. I know there's a lot of controversy about this breed, but I truly believe that a dog is only as bad as its owner or its circumstances in life. And even then, some of these beautiful creatures are able to overcome inauspicious beginnings to become trusted, loving members of the family. So, of course I loved this video. I think I've seen this family before in another video. I raise a toast to them because you can tell they truly love all of their rescue pets.
This Pitbull Is Coming for Taylor Swift's Job and She's Gonna Get It - Jezebel
It's officially autumn but yesterday it was 88 degrees inside my apartment. Since I won't get to experience a proper fall season, I've taken to searching out images from friends across the world, and other online sources.
12 Before-And-After Photos Of Autumn’s Beautiful Transformations - boredpanda
So, I have a hard time with pumpkin beer. A very, very, very long time ago, I was hanging out with some friends doing shots of really cheap, really bad tequila. Our chaser? Pumpkin beer. It was many, many, many years before I could drink a margarita because the smell of tequila did bad things to my gag reflexes. I only started giving pumpkin beer another shot a few years ago when all of the highly-acclaimed craft brewers got in on the act. I've had a few of the ones on this list, and agree in general with their feedback (with the exception of the 21st Amendment collaboration beers - those aren't pumpkin beers).
The Great Pumpkin Beer List: The Best and Worst Pumpkin Ales - Paste Magazine
This one cracked me up.
17 Mom Confessions about F'ed Up Things Their Kids Have Done - The Huffington Post
I know I shouldn't be surprised that this is an issue in our public schools, but with all of the slut shaming in our media, and an overwhelmingly patriarchal society that apologizes for mysoginistic behavior with a "boys will be boys" mentality, of course a school is telling girls that they can't wear yoga pants because it is too distracting to boys. Because, you know, boys shouldn't be responsible for controlling themselves. It's situations like this that lead to females being raped because "her clothes were asking for it." God, sometimes I hate this country.
Why yoga pants are incredibly dangerous to today's youth - Billings Gazette
On the flip side, this article profiles a strong, intelligent woman. I wish there were more of this, and less of the above.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg Is an American Hero - New Republic
As I've mentioned before, when considering what type of surgery to choose for my hysterectomy, I went with abdominal instead of laparoscopic because I wasn't entirely comfortable with the associated risks. Yes, the recovery period is much longer and more intense, but I just couldn't reconcile that against possible problems with this new method.
Gynecologists Use Surgical Tool After FDA Warns Of Cancer Risk - Jezebel
As I've written about before, I'm neck deep in finalizing my own novel. (Getting it published is a whole different beast.) Given my anxiety over word count, I was incredibly relieved to see that the average book has 64,500 words. I'm currently hovering in that area, and there's still more to my story, so I'm hoping to hit between 75k and 100k. I simply refuse to spend money on a book that's less than 300 pages, but it's clear others don't feel quite so strongly.
The Average Book Has 64,500 Words - Publishers Weekly News Blog
And finally ... Puppy! So cute!
Lost and found just got cuter! Airline employs Sherlock the dog detective to find owners of forgotten items left on planes... by tracking their scent - Daily Mail Online
