Shorter Days Mean More Time For Vampires To Get You, And Other Useless Scary Realizations
Sweeties! It’s getting to be that time of year, and I’m getting super excited for pretty leaves, layering, and dogs in costumes (best part of Halloween tbh.) And as I’ve ranted before, I do not tolerate anyone snidely calling those of us who love Fall “basic,” because I will not have you look down on me just because I recognize the joys of Starbucks’ Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew (just don’t look at that sugar content, WOOF.) I have no idea what caused me to get all aggressively fallpologist this morning, other than that I was reminded in my yoga class last night that we’re approaching the autumnal equinox and soon each day will be more in darkness than light and isn’t that a metaphor for all of our hopes and dreams and oh goodness, I think I’m spiraling…
TO THE LONGREADS!
Amanda Mull, Talk To People On The Telephone (The Atlantic) - When I first read this headline, my instant reaction was OH HECK NO I’M NOT TALKING TO PEOPLE ON THE PHONE not when it’s so much easier for me to glance at and then forget about a text message (eek, sorry friends.) But then I remembered how much I enjoy hearing the voice of distant friends, or how much context I get from hearing someone pause and breath, or how much easier it is to schedule a meeting by picking up the phone as opposed to an endless email chain. So let this be my public declaration to pick up the phone more <3
Zoe Schiffer, ThirdLove says it’s by women, for women. But women who’ve worked there disagree. (Vox) - I love ThirdLove, and own quite a few of their products. But like a performatively-woke Prime Minister getting caught in brown/blackface on at least three occasions, it seems that the ThirdLove feminist branding may have been protesting too much.
Moustafa Bayoumi, Justin Trudeau's brownface scandal is bad. But voting him out isn't the solution (The Guardian) - Speaking of the aforementioned scandal, I agree with Bayoumi’s take: let’s hope the revelation of these photos and video cause some Canadian reflection on how “such racial pantomimes… exaggerate the distance between white people and non-white people for the amusement of the dominant culture. Nothing underlines whiteness more than a white person temporarily and exaggeratedly leaving whiteness behind and acting like a person of some other race.”
Anisa Purbasari Horton, The real cost of not wearing makeup at the office (Fast Company) - I am with Horton, in that I too have a love-hate relationship with skincare and make-up. On one hand, I love lotions and potions and make-up, and find that a face mask and a kombucha is a rather perfect way to cap off a weekend. On the other hand, I also know what it feels like for someone at work to cock their head to the side and ask if I’m tired because I forgot one of the myriad of face paints I normally apply before work. Horton uses her exploration into the personal disparity between what she and her husband spend on grooming products to examine appearance-related costs—both financial and professional—for women in the workplace.
Gabriel Debenedetti, A 21st Century Breakup: Inside the divorce rattling Silicon Valley and Democratic politics. (New York Magazine) Storm’s a’brewing between Silicon Valley tech companies and Democratic politicians, and I have no idea where we’re going to end up…
Y’all are lovely. Be kind to each other.
xoxo Amy