FLASHBACK TO WHEN SHE COULD FIT EVEN A LITTLE BIT IN HER CHAIR. Now she just lies next to it and sulks.
Jo Cox’s assassination is a nightmarish tragedy:
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the country would be “in shock at the horrific murder”, describing the MP as a “much loved colleague”.
He added: “Jo died doing her public duty at the heart of our democracy, listening to and representing the people she was elected to serve.
“In the coming days, there will be questions to answer about how and why she died.
“But for now all our thoughts are with Jo’s husband Brendan and their two young children. They will grow up without their mum, but can be immensely proud of what she did, what she achieved and what she stood for.”
Julie Rodgers is great, and one of my favourite queer Christians who talks about homophobia in the church:
It’s no surprise, then, that subtle disdain for L.G.B.T. people would eventually be expressed more overtly. In the case of the shooting at Pulse in Orlando, it was devastating. The Christians I know were grieved by the massacre and they want to know how to help. The best thing they can do is repent for the ways they’ve helped create a culture that devalues L.G.B.T. people made in the image of God, and then begin to tell a better story about us in their circles.
Nikki’s dad is sick, and I would very much appreciate your prayers and Good Vibes and expressions of love and care for her at this time.
My boyfriend of about 5years is a big gamer. I’m not. The last video game I played was probably Oregon Trail or something in grade school. He’s always talking about how he wishes that I played video games so that he can “feel more connected to me”. His ex was a “gamer girl”, and he loved that about her.
Last night I had some free time so I decided to create an account and send him a request to play with me. I made my username a pretty specific inside joke between the two of us and sent him a flirty message (with another inside joke) asking him if he wanted to play. He didn’t flirt back or anything, which struck me as kind of weird, but whatever. He’s usually kind of a straight-to-the-point kind of guy over text/email, so it kind of made sense. He agreed to play as my “teammate” (if that’s what you would call it).
Seeing as I’ve never really played a video game before, I was naturally pretty bad. We have a very lighthearted, jokey relationship, so I’d send him little funny “whoops, I fucked up” messages when I’d do something wrong. He didn’t respond for the first few. At this point, I still think he knows it’s me, so I figure he’s just concentrating.
Then things took a weird turn. He started getting really, really verbally abusive. Saying horrible, largely misogynistic things to me. Calling me specific names that he has told me on several occasions that he would never use because they “sicken him”. He even told me that he wished someone would “put me in my place” in explicitly violent terms.
It was freaking weird. I’m 100% convinced he didn’t realize it was me, despite all of the obvious hints, so I know he wasn’t intending to direct those insults at his girlfriend. But the nature of our inside joke that I used for my username made it kind of clear that I was a girl.
I just can’t shake the fact that he would say these things to other human beings. He has specifically commented on how immature and stupid “keyboard warriors” are and how he’d never do that to another person. Many times. And he has always, always spoken out against violence toward women.
CAITY WEAVER PROFILES KIM KARDASHIAN:
Zadie Smith on Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah:
‘There’s an essay of Rachel’s about comedian Dave Chappelle that I love called If He Hollers Let Him Go, a sublime title borrowed from Chester Himes’ novel. It’s a good example of her technique: even if her subject is a superstar, she approaches them as a human being, with a great attention to the detail of their local and historical context. Her writing on black culture has a vertical depth; she writes about the history of African Americans in the US, but it’s never dry or academic as there’s so much love in it. She loves the people, the details, the landscape, the language. Her non-fiction reads like a rich fiction. It’s uncommon to read a voice that mixes anger and joy so beautifully and with so much skill. She doesn’t write rants, she writes eloquent, appreciative tirades. If she thinks Kendrick Lamar is a genius she will go to any rhetorical length to convince you of the same. The energy in her writing comes from a place of aesthetic delight.
‘We hardly see each other but I email her, especially with any relevant news of Beyoncé, and I’m so delighted by her when I see her. She’s always full of enthusiasm for a weird song, a weird book, a weird piece of art; she has eclectic and enlivening tastes. She was the first person I spoke to about the hip-hop group Odd Future. I thought I was pretty fly for knowing about them, but she’d already interviewed them. I’m lucky to know someone as cool as Rachel, even vaguely. She brings news.
This is ringing bells of I EXPECT FREE EMOTIONAL LABOR all over the place, please listen to the cues you are getting:
Dear Prudence,
I am in the process of ending my 20-year marriage. For the last year, I have been talking to a former co-worker online who went through a similar process a year ago. Our conversations are platonic, about relationships and how I’m feeling, and are a source of support for me. My friend has a habit of saying “I’ll talk to you after lunch” and then not communicating for a day or so. When she does come back online, no mention is made of her final comment. I find it disingenuous not to make note of the fact that she didn’t follow through, and I have told her so. I have also explained that I don’t expect her to be available or to keep her word to the letter, but that it speaks to a lack of concern to skip over a dangling promise. I recently told her that I could not continue to talk under these circumstances. I am struggling with self-esteem issues and need support and validation to help me through my transition. It kills me to not talk to her, but I am tired of ruminating over this perceived slight. Am I being oversensitive?
—Silence Is the Best Medicine
EAT IT, HATERS, I NEVER BOUGHT YOUR LIES:
In reviewing the scientific evidence over the past 25 years since its last analysis on the matter, the WHO concluded that coffee should no longer be considered a carcinogen and that it may actually have positive effects for your body when it comes to two types of cancers — those of the liver and uterus.
Now before you start ordering that second steaming cup, it’s important to know that the WHO report wasn’t all good news. There was another significant finding: “Very hot” beverages “probably” cause cancer. This is mostly based on studies related to the consumption of a traditional drink called mate or cimarrón in South America, where the tea can be taken at temperatures around 158 degrees Fahrenheit (or 70 degrees Celsius). That’s significantly hotter than people in North America or Europe usually consume their drinks.
