Worth Reading ~ 5.24.23

A few articles, blog posts, and other things I think are worth your time.

Washington Post: When too much exercise is bad for your heart

“A growing body of science, including a new report of the health of almost 1,000 longtime runners, cyclists, swimmers and triathletes, finds that years of heavy endurance training and competition may contribute to an increased chance of developing atrial fibrillation, especially in men. Atrial fibrillation, or AFib as it’s commonly called, is an irregular heart beat that can lead to blood clots and a higher risk of stroke.”

Vox: The hidden force that shapes everything around us: Parking

BBC: Is there such a thing as an addictive personality?

Rolling Stone: The Biggest, Messiest Band Breakups in Music History: From the Beatles to N.W.A to Fifth Harmony

Worth Reading ~ 5.17.23

A few articles, blog posts, and other things I think are worth your time.

Notre Dame Magazine: The Fourth Virtue

Quartz: Career pivot? You’re more prepared than you think: Preparing for a career change: how to know and leverage your value

“Our Missing Hearts” by Celeste Ng. I got this book for Christmas and finally had time to read it. It’s a pretty powerful book and is definitely worth your time.

Stylist: 9 Women on the Best Piece of Mental Health Advice They’ve Ever Received

Worth Reading ~ 5.10.23

A few articles, blog posts, and other things I think are worth your time.

MEL Magazine: Inside the World of Guide Dog Dropouts

Smithsonian Magazine: The Accidental Invention of the Slip N Slide

Guardian: The secret to saving your relationship: eight lessons from a couples therapist

Business Insider: Clarence Thomas — who let a GOP megadonor foot bills for him for years — said being a Supreme Court justice ‘is not worth doing for what they pay’ ( He makes almost $300K a year).

Friday Funny: Leia is bada**

Three Things ~ 5.4.23

Things I’m loving this week

North Face Antora Rain Jacket. I bought this jacket on a whim a few weeks ago when Cabela’s had it on sale for $48. It’s a $110 jacket so it was a great deal. It was only available in Navy at that price, but that was fine with me. I was glad to have it this week when it rained for days on end. I have a Columbia rain jacket, but it’s “water resistant,” which means you eventually get soaked. This jacket is “water proof,” and I can attest to that after I took a 3.5 mile lunch walk in it and stayed dry.

Campfire dinner. This past Saturday we had an impromptu campfire night. Dan was burning brush and it was a beautiful night and the girls were bored, so we ended up sitting around the fire roasting hot dogs and marshmallows and talking. Both the dogs even joined us, which was surprising cause Sam is afraid of fires (he doesn’t like the popping) and Hadley is afraid of…well, everything, but apparently not fire. Anyway….it as one of those perfect spring nights when you can feel summer coming.

3rd Place in the Beat Saber Tournament. Kelly and the VAR Edu hosted a Beat Saber tournament with divisions and prizes for staff and faculty, students, and Knowledge Park tenant. I took third place in the Staff and Faculty for the “easy” song (“Curtains”). Innovation Commons 3-D printed the awards and, yes, I’ll be displaying that prominently in my office.

Things I’m not loving this week

A slimmer Sam. I’m worried. A big old dog (Sam is 11) losing weight rapidly is never a good thing.

The debt limit showdown. The absolute hypocrisy of the GOP is always shocking, but never surprising.They are absolutely shameless.

Worth Reading ~ 5.3.23

A few articles, blog posts, and other things I think are worth your time.

 

The Guardian: Gone in seconds: rising text message scams are draining US bank accounts

 

Rolling Stone: The Night Nirvana Changed Everything

 

CNBC: I spent 10 years studying what makes us happy in life—here’s the No. 1 thing I overlooked the entire time

 

Quartz: The Psychological Importance of Wasting Time

 

Behrend Blog: Standout Seniors 2023 (Yeah, I’m suggesting you read my own work, but…scroll through and you’ll feel inspired and more hopeful about the future).

 

 

Worth Reading ~ 4. 26.23

A few articles, blog posts, and other things I think are worth your time.

Delish: 72 Healthy Packed Lunches You’ll Actually Be Excited To Eat

Vox: Small acts of kindness matter more than you think

The Marginalian: Walt Whitman on What Makes Life Worth Living

Fast Company: 6 times you should say no at work (and exactly how to do it)

AP News: Why are Teen girls In Crisis? It’s Not Just Social Media.

Friday Funny: Confidence is key

Three things ~ 4.20.23

Things I’m loving this week

Bar/brewery/distillery hopping. We’ve tired of spending a fortune on dinner out and have started just going out for drinks, which is way more fun, anyway. This week, we hit Erie Ale Works, then headed over to Altered State because we took the Erie On The Rocks distillery challenge. Don’t worry…we’re too old to drink more than one at each location.

This lightweight dry-fast beach blanket. This whole thing is smaller than a sheet of paper, but stretches out into a decent size beach blanket. It’s soft, lightweight, and easily shakes free of sand when it’s time to go. I picked it up at Walmart in the summer seasonal section for $15.

Daffodils. Of course, traditional yellow daffodils a great, but I really like these ones with the sunny orange middles.

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Snapchat filters. I’m reluctantly on Snapchat because it’s the best way to communicate with my teen daughters. When they ignore me too long, I start bombarding them with Snapchat filter selfies till they respond.

Things I’m not loving this week

Extreme cooking. The latest obstacle sport — cooking with canines. Try to prepare an entire meal while straddling two dogs who are just waiting for you to slip up.

Water bottle wars. It’s come down to this — using a SHARPIE permanent marker on my gym water bottle so that it remains there in the fridge where I put it. You don’t know rage until you discover your water bottle is missing (again) at 5:45 a.m. when you just want to grab it and get to the d*** gym.

Florida. I don’t want to be mean or anything and …yes, I have friends and family that actually live in that backwards land but….let me just say that state can’t fall into the sea fast enough for me.

Worth Reading ~ 4. 19.23

A few articles, blog posts, and other things I think are worth your time.

Nautilus: The Unintended Beauty of Starlings

ProPublica: Private Planes and Luxury Yachts Aren’t Just Toys for the Ultrawealthy. They’re Also Huge Tax Breaks.

Aeon: What Know-It-Alls Don’t Know, or the Illusion of Competence

Washington Post: They Left Social Media for Good. Are they Happier?

Scary Mommy: I Always Thought I’d Proudly Rock Gray Hair — Boy Was I Wrong (Me, too, sister!)