somethings + nothings: November 8, 2016

The man in this photograph is not my Dad and this is not a photograph from when we went to see the Cubs play the Dodgers in August, but we did in fact take my Dad to see the Cubs play in Los Angeles a few months ago and they won that game in a stunning overtime show and lo and behold, they also won the World Series this past week in a stunning overtime show. The man in this photograph looks a bit like my Dad and so I'm sharing this partially-fictionalized memory with you because it's one of my favorites of the year.  Not sure how Cubs fans are going to proceed in life now that the Cubs are just a regular baseball team, rather than one of the most mythic elements of modern American culture.   

In other news, some reading to take your mind of whatever is happening on November 8:

Sometimes empathy only comes with age and experience

I credit my parents with always employing the "just work harder and you'll get better" technique of educational encouragement

So many ways that business owners having to pay for health care is a bummer

A wonderfully long article about how wonderful Sqirl is from Eater

Communes aside, Topanga Canyon is a lovely little enclave of weirdness and hiking

True story: i spend almost all of my time trying to get back to the introspective state of boredom

I have only eaten at 3 out of 20 so come on out and visit and we'll hit the other 17

Jessica Valenti's book about a lifetime of leers is waiting for me at the LA library

Feel good read: this amazing kid in south carolina who has dedicated his life to helping others

And another feel-gooder for a tense week: dads gone wild