Category Archives: Jeneral findings

Jeneral findings

Jeneral finds of the week: 2015-01-25

Here are the good/interesting/provoking finds I’ve stumbled across this week: 2015-01-25

  • This post from Mommy Shorts has an honest account of guilt I feel being a momager getting from deadline (start of school) to deadline (extra-curricular, dinner, bedtime), each day craving for the kids to be asleep so I get some Me time. “When they’re awake you wish they were sleeping, and when they’re asleep you’ll want to wake them up to cuddle.”
  • I spent some time last week reading some more of the background into “GamerGate” that erupted in certain parts of the internet world last year, as I had only read the headlines before. It was depressing. The vitriol some gamers out there who heaped such vitriol on anyone, in particular Anita Sarkeesian, who deigned to put together a series of critical analysis on video games’ use of female tropes, is astonishing. The intent of the critical analysis is to challenge the industry to do better. These gamer “opponents” took it as an attack on their core belief system and way of life. More than just rude and shocking misogynist comments, the behaviour displayed by these “opponents” of these critics have ranged from outright bullying, harassment, and cyber assault.  At least it was responses from some prominent voices such as this and this that affirms there is some sanity out there. I just don’t know how it will end well. Sarkeesian’s critical series? Very thought provoking, and well worth the viewing. [su_youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6p5AZp7r_Q” width=”480″ height=”300″]
  • Who knew that modern-day archery has veered so far from its original roots? Lars Andersen of Denmark knows. The skill he displays here is truly amazing, regardless of whether there is some film doctoring (he splits an incoming arrow with one of his own!). I wonder if Torontonians will start practicing this technique at this new archery tag centre?

~Jen

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Jeneral findings

Jeneral finds of the week: 2015-01-18

I know I’m a day late, but here are the good/interesting/provoking finds I’ve stumbled across this week: 2015-01-18

  • This  NYT article is written by a woman who decides to test whether this test done by psychologist Arthur Aron twenty years ago is a successful recipe for falling in love with someone. In its essence, there are a series of 36 increasingly personal questions, that the two participants are to answer truthfully with each other. While certainly no magic potion, I can see how this can transform the whole courting period into just a few condensed, powerfully intimate sessions. And in the intimacy, love can bloom.
  • There is a history of mental illness in my family, and while my family discusses the occurrence of it pretty matter-of-factly, there is not so much discussion on the actual challenges of care and agency of the person who is ill. Reading “My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward“, from Pacific Standard Magazine, is food for thought in this regard.
  • This interview in Wired with Ruchi Sanghvi, “Facebook’s First Female Engineer Speaks Out on Tech’s Gender Gap” is great to see, as a high achieving minority woman in the tech sector. A tiny bit of diversity, but big in terms of inspiration and as a role model.

~Jen

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Jeneral findings

Jeneral finds of the week: 2015-01-11

Good/interesting/provoking finds I’ve stumbled across this week: 2015-01-11

  • The phenomenon knowns as “Mommy brain” has some science behind it! An overview from The Atlantic. This seems apropos since I just wrote this post.
  • From the beginning of life to the end…this article (via my friend J who works in healthcare) is a good kickoff point to discuss with your loved ones what your views on a DNR for yourself would be, and theirs. I’m at a stage of life where I see my parents visibly aging, and it’s definitely sobering, but important, to discuss with them.
  • Rock climbing is not something I profess to know much about. Even so, this story about the current attempt by two professional climbers to free climb up Yosemite Park’s El Capitan is impressive. One man is arguably the best climber in the world (Tommy Caldwell). Both have been planning the route and training parts of it for the last 2 years. Hand holds are often little more than the thickness of a quarter. Caldwell’s partner Kevin Jorgeson was stuck at this one particular point, known to be the hardest pass on the whole wall, for a week! But while Caldwell could have continued on to ensure he made it to the top to claim the title of the first to complete the feat, he chose to wait for his friend. A great story of perseverance, will, teamwork, human achievement, and hopefully, glory.
  • Furniture Transformers! Living in a small semi-detached house with 4 family members, we’re always challenged in how to maximize our space. This cool murphy bed is one idea for how to combine an upstairs office and guest room. Now to start saving the money for transformable furniture…

~Jen

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Jeneral findings

Jeneral finds of the week: 2015-01-04

It’s a new year! Good/interesting/provoking finds I’ve stumbled across this week: 2015-01-04

  • If you’re a Serial fan (like I am)…here’s part 1 of 3 of an exclusive interview with Jay, the prosecution’s key witness that Sarah Koening was not able to get interviewed for Serial. It has another timeline and a motivation for the inconsistencies to date. It’s great to hear his point of view, and I understand his wariness to be involved with Koening’s efforts, but now I wonder if there is any way forward with the disruption this has obviously caused in his life.
  • I’m not usually a fan of sharing “listicles” (a glorified list of something that passes as an article), but this one from NPR Monkey See is a very good one for a list of 50 Wonderful [Cultural] Things from 2014.
  • An awesome comic to educate about vaccinations in an entertaining format. If only those with an anti-vaccine stance would be open-minded enough to take a read.

~Jen

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Jeneral findings

Jeneral finds of the week: 2014-12-28

Good/interesting/provoking finds I’ve stumbled across this week: 2014-12-28.

  • A look at the gender gap in the technology sector/Silicon Valley through the lens of the 20 year reunion of the Stanford University class of 1994.
  • Did you know there is a live-action Disney version of Cinderella going to be released next year? I didn’t, until I saw this trailer yesterday while watching another Disney movie. Why is there even a need to make a live-action version of this? Don’t tell me there will be live-action Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast coming soon.

~Jen

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Jeneral findings

Jeneral finds of the week: 2014-12-21

Good/interesting/provoking finds I’ve stumbled across this week: 2014-12-21. (I realize I’m a day late…life happens)

  • This past Thursday saw the conclusion of season 1 of Serial podcast, which I loved. Of course, there are the inevitable parodies made since then, but this one by SNL is really hilarious, and holiday seasonal to boot! [su_youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9XpS6mIZfI” width=”480″ height=”300″]
  • This article has an interesting view about how the success of sharing Uber economy is predicated by the growing and continued income inequality. It describes some of the reasons I feel uncomfortable with the concept.
  • When I saw this article headline from the Washington Post about these YouTube videos created by this woman of sounds to purposefully induce a physical reaction called Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR), I was skeptical to say the least. “It’s like showers of sparkles,” says Maria, speaking as herself. “It’s like warm sand being poured all over you, trickling over your head and down into your shoulders. It’s like goosebumps on your brain.” Then I watched one…and I seriously got the tingles in the back of my head! I suppose I shouldn’t be so surprised, it was similar to the wonderful tingle-y feeling I get from having my hair brushed. This one is her most-viewed video, do you get the same tingles?

~Jen

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Jeneral findings

Jeneral finds of the week: 2014-12-14

Good/interesting/provoking finds I’ve stumbled across this week: 2014-12-14.

  • This post from www.handsfreemama.com wonderfully describes my same feelings last year when I was frustrated with how I was becoming as a mother. My role at home last year was turning into a family manager, instead of family nurturer. When both parents are working and have work schedules to commit to, you start trying to manage people to do things to your schedule, like at work, except these people are your young children who have different wants and needs than your coworkers. Thanks to Cookie1968 for sharing the link for me to find, in her own great post calling BS to the whole work-life balance thing.
  • Why Poor People Stay Poor: this excerpt from Linda Tirado’s book Hand to Mouth: Living in Bootstrap America gives an account of how the daily realities of a working poor person makes it hard to get ahead, no matter how conscientious and hard working they are. This is should be a must read for all those who shape policies thinking poor people stay that way because they are lazy or don’t work hard enough.
  • I was excited to find this Kickstarter campaign for the Spark Notebook because I like using an actual physical notebook for work, but was never really satisfied with any notebook I had found for being able to not only take notes of meetings, but actually strategize and plan ahead my goals and my progress towards them. This notebook looks like it may satisfy that!

~Jen

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Jeneral findings

Jeneral findings of the week: 2014-11-30

Link

Good/interesting/provoking finds I’ve stumbled across this week: 2014-11-30.

  • Last week I posted a find about Mattel’s illformed attempt to have Barbie demonstrate being a computer engineer in their book Barbie: I can be a Computer Engineer. Thankfully someone has remixed the book to make it truly fantastic.
  • The grand jury ruled on Nov 24 that there was insufficient evidence to indict and send to trial the police officer who shot Michael Brown, an unarmed black teen, in Ferguson, Mo. back in Aug 9, 2014. There is considerable outrage across America, and protests (and some rioting) have been renewed. David Butt in the Globe and Mail outlines “Ten key legal points of the Ferguson verdict” to keep in mind while coming to your own conclusion about the verdict. Whatever the legal rulings on this one particular case, it underscores that the deep underlying issues of prejudice and racial tensions remain stubbornly the same as in 30 years ago.  Jon Stewart is spot on in this segment of the Daily Show from Aug 29.
  • Author P.D. James passed away at the age of 94. While I am late to enjoy her writing, I have thoroughly enjoyed the books I have read.
  • Much has been made about work-life balance in all sorts of think pieces in traditional and social media. I have even published a thought or two. But we collectively haven’t start talking about the situation where we need to care for family who are dying. Rebecca Greenfield starts the conversation here. My parents are baby boomers, and I have to acknowledge that they are getting older so this will be a concern of ours soon enough.

~Jen

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Jeneral findings

Jeneral findings of the week: 2014-11-23

Good/interesting/provoking finds I’ve stumbled across this week. 2014-11-23.

  • Barbie F*cks It Up Again – A brilliant deconstruction of why this book about how Barbie wants to become a computer engineer is a big fail and demonstrates yet again the underlying sexist attitudes towards women in IT. Hilarious and provokes outrage at the same time, it’s not something you’d want to expose to your daughters without careful context.
  • Helen Jane’s Mom 2.0 Presentation: Solutions for a painful internet – Originally created as a presentation deck, it nevertheless has impact and suggested prescription for anyone who is feeling overwhelmed by the changes social media has brought to our lives.
  • A teacher and administrator from Calgary writing a story about encounters with parents about THAT kid, and the teacher’s follow up on the reaction. A message underlying the empathy we all need for each others’ children, and each other as parents and teachers. I can only hope that the majority of teachers that my kids will encounter will be like this teacher.

~Jen

Next week’s findings–>