A Few Quickies

If all goes according to plan I will have all of Sunday to myself. It will be the first day I'll have all to myself in three weeks. For some of you that will sound like a horror. Others will understand exactly why I hold the fact up like Simba on the cliff in the opening of The Lion King. I am lucky to be so busy. This means that the dog training is going well. I am learning and teaching and people are liking what I have to give. It's a return to an old way of life, though, and it's taking some getting used to. In addition there's been some sad news, nothing directly related to me but the wolves are scratching at the door so it's a time for care and self-care. I wanted to come over and say hi, though.

Hey, Laura, how's your puppy? We need pictures!

One of the sad pieces of news was that Dr. Sophia Yin died this week. I didn't know her personally and I don't know her work well enough yet but she was a champion of the force free animal training movement and her loss is felt deep and wide. I encourage you to check out her website and all the amazing free resources. This is for dog people, cat people, chicken people, fish people, turtle people, really everyone.

Here's an uplifting story from this summer. It's about dancing and connecting.

I haven't had a chance to read this article about Gone Girl but it sounds as if it'll be quite satisfying to those of us who were irked beyond measure by the book.

In the No Surprises category there's this chart about the correlation between reproductive rights restriction and shitty health care for women and children. I'm pleased and surprised to see that NH seems to be the top scorer here.

Scalzi sums up a problem with atheism quite nicely. I'm glad to say that I know some atheists who are careful not to fall into the religion-adjacent zealotry he talks about. I'm sad to say that's not true of all the atheists I know.

Also from the Scalzi a fun twitter play about an asshole.

My old friend, Leon, blogged all the says of Elul again this year. I enjoyed all his reflections and always seem to find parts of the practice that really speak to me. His final post of the set was something I wanted to share with you.

If anyone around you has screws loosening because the media is playing them about the Ebola situation I urge you to direct them to this video of a young nursing student who safely cared for family members with Ebola by devising protective gear out of trash bags. If she can hold her shit together so can we.

I come from a set of people (both related to me by blood and not) who tend to live healthy lives well into their 80s and 90s. As much as I can see where this article is coming from it made me rageful. It made me want to send the author VCR tapes of Logan's Run.

Schuyler Rummel-Hudson is a kid I've never met or even corresponded with and yet I want all the best things for her in an urgent way. Her dad wrote some lovely words about her experiences as a new high school student.

FYI, if you're anti-abortion you're making it easier for domestic violence perpetrators to keep their victims silent. Just in case you might think that's a bad thing.

Desperately trying to end on a high note here and I think I've got something. A noble response from members of the military to a terrible member of the media corps. (I encourage you to click through to the entire, not very long, response because it is a delight.)

Without a trace of humor I implore you, let's be careful out there.