Content related to inspiring books that have crossed my path
“Die Hard” is considered by many to be the greatest Christmas movie of all time; it is also considered by many to be the most divisive Christmas movie of all time. There are plenty of articles that share qualitative and quantitative information about why “Die Hard” is, and I am here to agree. But I’m also here to ask what exactly defines a Christmas movie?
I’ve felt very isolated during the pandemic, despite using social media more than I ever had before. We’ve seen a sacrifice of quality time for quantity time in recent years, leaving us feeling more isolated, and our addiction to social media plays a huge role in that. In this post, I contemplate my own priorities and whether I’m up for a new approach to my connectivity.
Between climate change, pollution, war, gun violence, and erosion of basic human rights, things are looking a little dire right now, and people are getting exhausted, myself included. This post looks at Nervous System Dysregulation as a result of chronic stress, as well as what individuals can do to step back and view the long path of advocacy as a marathon, not a sprint.
Brewing is a long-beloved hobby of mine, and as a female medievalist, I know there is a rich history of women in brewing across the centuries and throughout the world. How did an activity that was so fundamentally tied to women’s role in the house become dominated by men? And what factors are at play to shift the industry back to something more equitable?
While working through this series, it became apparent that the issue was bigger than that of having or not having kids. In our very divided world, it seems like part of me wanted to close out this series with an attempt to find some common ground between two polarizing figures and their very different philosophies. This week: how moral development plays into the picture.
I’ve asked some friends probing questions about Catholicism and Objectivism over the last few weeks to make sure I was interpreting Pope Francis and Ayn Rand correctly for the arguments I’m putting forth in this series. But they had some questions for me, which made me realize I had to examine the context of a third person for this series: the author.
If the first installment of this series wasn’t polarizing enough with a look at Pope Francis and his comments about childless couples, Part Two brings in another controversial figure – Ayn Rand – for her take on what selfishness is and why it isn’t inherently bad. Is this examination a justification of my own life choices or just a fun foray into philosophy and theology? To be determined…
Breaking down barriers (particularly political ones) is essential to collaboration and, therefore, progress. I am not a fan of labels, but I still subconsciously assign them to myself and others. Depending on the label, the result can be helpful or (more likely) detrimental. Finding common ground with each other is the first step to building trust and unlocking meaningful solutions to the collective challenges we face.
Impending apocalypse got you down? Me too. Fortunately I got a boost of hope from a book I recently read that is designed to help its readers create meaningful connections despite differing opinions on climate change. This book helped me prepare for a conference that was ultimately canceled, but the learning remains and will hopefully continue to guide me through a more thoughtful 2022.
Compassion for animals is often cited as the most important reason to go vegan. It is why I originally went vegetarian, but the extra step toward veganism seems unnecessary if the animals are treated well as they produce milk, lay eggs, or make honey. In fact, there are some foods that are vegan by definition but that can have some unpleasant effects on animals.