That’s what SHE said: A tale of ‘Bachelorette’ horror, how whiteness shapes US politics, the importance of releasing rumination, a doctor donates an organ to her son, guidelines to help teenagers start social media right and more…

A satirical account of one man held hostage by the reality television show The Bachelorette…”As I tried to think of a talent I had (maybe juggling? I could kind of juggle), we arrived at a large house with a camera crew in the driveway. This should have been my first red flag. Sarah stood outside, greeting the men one by one. I was jealous already—who were these other dudes? The rest of us waited in the limo and introduced ourselves. The guy sitting across from me was named Chris. The guy next to me said his name was Chris B. Then Chris B. told me that my name was Chris D. I said, “No, my name is Ralph.” He told me, “That’s very funny, Chris D. Now go introduce yourself to Sarah and do a talent.” Then he pushed me out of the limo and I had to juggle for Sarah.



IT’S GOTTEN A LOT HARDER TO ACT LIKE WHITENESS DOESN’T SHAPE OUR POLITICS | npr.org

A look into how ‘whiteness’ is understated and camouflaged as “working class” and is hugely influential in shaping the politics of this country…”When Trump’s supporters aren’t being written off as intellectually incapable of knowing a huckster when they see one, their motivations are often ascribed to their being “working class.” But the working class today is nearly 40 percent people of color— and among people of color, Trump is profoundly unpopular. His coalition is nearly entirely white. Even the class part of the “working class” narrative is inaccurate. Trump’s supporters are wealthier than most Americans, and have higher incomes than supporters of Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. The “working class revolt” explanation for Trump’s rise is overstated — and it can be a useful dodge to avoid talking about explanations involving racial grievance.”

THE NEW YORK TIMES | MODERN LOVE: Fight or Flight

THE DANGER OF RUMINATION WITHOUT RELEASE | onbeing.org

Taking a look at the violence erupting at political rallies this election cycle, Sarah Smarsh looks to the ducks in Eckhart Tolle’s New Earth and how after a fight, the birds must flap their wings to release built up aggression and then they can continue on with their day, unaffected by the fight. She looks at the dangers inflicted on society as a whole without that much needed release…“Emotions like fear and anger play an important, healthy function. They evolved to signal when we need to change or leave a situation to ensure our well-being. Long after emotions have done their job, though, humans and their powerful minds are prone to resurrect them through memory. Tolle calls the resulting albatross of feeling the “pain body.” Medical science would pinpoint its symptoms as depression, anxiety, and related physical ailments. Whatever old fights we have kept alive in our minds, our bodies carry them — and our bodies can help us let them go.”


DONATING AN ORGAN TO MY SON | well.blogs.nytimes.com

A doctor donates part of her liver to her most important patient – her son…“One afternoon Sammy’s doctor said: “I think we are heading toward transplant.” I had been expecting this, dreading it. His next question: “Would you consider serving as the living donor?” Unlike other organ donations, this can be done by removing a piece of a donor liver, which can then regenerate in the recipient. He explained that Sammy was an ideal candidate for a living donor liver donation and that he wanted to proceed with an evaluation as soon as possible. “Of course,” I said. “Where do I sign?”

From plumpretysugar.tumblr.com

TO STOP A CHILD’S TANTRUM, SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO GO WITH IT | chicagotribune.com

A mom learns to ‘ let it ride ‘ with her son’s tantrum and finds that empathy goes a long way…“Kids very often don’t feel heard and understood,” Hurley [Katie Hurley, a child and adolescent psychotherapist and author of “The Happy Kid Handbook: How to Raise Joyful Children in a Stressful World” ] said. “When we meet them where they are — ‘That’s really hard’ — their response is, ‘Oh, wow. Somebody gets me.’ You’re not fixing it for them and you’re not going to change the thing that happened, but you understand it feels hard and you allow them to be upset.” Hurley said parents often fear this approach will backfire: “If I give them permission to feel, does that mean they’re going to feel out loud all the time?” “The truth is, they turn around and show empathy and kindness in return,” she said. “They learn, ‘It felt good when mom understood me.’ And they learn to say, ‘I know how you feel.’ We need to reduce our own fears about ‘What am I raising?’ and say to ourselves, ‘I’m raising a kid who knows what it feels like to be understood.'”


SEVEN WAYS PARENTS CAN HELP 13-YEAR-OLDS START THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA LIVES RIGHT | parenting.blogs.nytimes.com

Some helpful and practical guidelines when navigating the murky waters of social media and parenting. Teach them not to lurk, but make sure you do…“Your job,” Dr. Underwood said, “is to be the silent, watchful friend. ‘Like,’ if you want, but don’t comment. You don’t want to be a real presence on your child’s social media.” But you do want to be aware of what’s posted and said. “You’re a second set of eyes,” said Ms. Braun, for a child who may not know what isn’t safe, or may not think about what might be hurtful to others. Don’t overdo the watchfulness, however. Let her make her own mistakes; don’t rush to assume something has hurt or offended her. Keeping the tone of your monitoring light will make it more acceptable to your child, and give your concerns more weight if you do need to say something.”

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