martinimade

“She’d come to her job inside the little box marked ‘Rural Development’ without any particular ambition to be there. The sums of money at her disposal were incredible: the little box gave our or guaranteed $30 billion in loans or grants a year. But people who should have known about it hadn’t the first clue what it was up to. ‘I had this conversation with elected and state officials almost everywhere in the South,’ said Salerno. ‘Them: We hate the government and you suck. Me: My mission alone put $1 billion into your economy this year, so are you sure about that? Me thinking: We are the only reason your shitty state is standing.’"

-- The Fifth Risk by Michael Lewis. Highly recommend.

• We can do better.
• Maps as samplers? Sign me up.
• Hot and wet.
• Dang. 
• The Lady Hero’s Journey.
• People are really interesting.

"It doesn’t matter how scared you are; everyone is scared. Work. Work is the only thing that takes the curse of fear away."

-- Jerry Saltz: How to Be an Artist (which while it is focused more on visual arts really applies to any creative field.)

• This isn’t wrong. Related: I am so glad I’m old enough to not have to have dealt with the Elf on a Shelf nonsense. If you enjoy it, great! But, man, some of this holiday stuff is soooooo much work.
• Road trip! Also: Road trip!
• It really is a versatile fiber.
• Shop wisely.
• A college friend had a dog like this (may he rest in peace). Super smart. Such an asshole.
• Unnerving fun with photoshop.

•  News you can use.
• One of the more dangerous things a woman can do.
• Just in case.
• Things we'd like to know.

A small shameless promo: my review of NPR's Peter Sagal's Incomplete Book of Running is over at Another Mother Runner. TL:DR verison -- it's pretty good.

Let me tell you about my weird run last weekend, over at Another Mother Runner....

• We have to be the helpers, not just look for them.
• Maybe lie down?
• Sometimes you just have to revisit Dogs in Elk.
• On vapor ware and coffins. 
• Can you imagine?
• SERIOUSLY?
• A niche market, so to speak. (NSFW-ish)
• George Saunders explains it all for you.
• I NEED ALL OF THESE.
• There’s no reason why a woman can’t win it.

"I could have offered a warm, gentle answer but these are not warm, gentle times. Given everything that has transpired since President Trump took office, I have no patience for disillusionment. I have no patience for the audacious luxury of choosing not to vote because of that disillusionment, as if not voting is the best choice a person could make. Not voting is, in fact, the worst choice a person could make."

-- "You're Disillusioned. That's Fine. Vote Anyway" by the great Roxane Gay at the New York Times.

I'm a little behind in getting these links out. I blame 2018.

Two pieces of me over at Another Mother Runner:

• For your ears, a podcast with ESPN's Kate Fagan about her book What Made Maddy Run, which is about a collegiate athlete who commits suicide.
• For your eyes, a recap of running 13.1 in a Nor'easter this weekend.

(Sorry about the blog going dark for a few days last week. There was some rogue programming wrecking havoc.)

• Sometimes, all you can do is work the program.
• Related to above.
• FWIW, I've been re-reading a lot of Heinlein.
• "There are many within us. Not just one.” I am so blessed that this core-shaking artist is my friend.
• Bodies are complicated.
• Just think of what we could do if we directed this energy elsewhere.
• "History is here to help us."