Weekend Reads: La Bamba, Bullying & Puns

I've been pinteresting heavily lately. I'm enjoying the daydreaming particularly about what kind of house I want someday. (I am also enjoying baby hippos lately, too.)

A sweet boy was being bullied by his former best friend...so he wrote a rap song and asked Mac Lethal to perform it. As I said on Facebook, I'm 35 and I can relate to this kid! People! Be kind! 

I am bad at vacations. Bad at planning them, bad at being on them, the whole shebang. But, here's a guide for putting together the most restorative vacation possible.  

I love puns. Like, I LOVE puns. There's a documentary on professional punning which is 100% my jam. 

There's a Ken doll for every man you'll meet in your life now!

Not all couples want children and this one wants you to know 11 very specific things about everyone who's ever questioned them.

Sometimes life feels hilariously black and white. 

This is a random story about playing basketball with Drake and eating banana pudding with Kanye West. It's weird but I was entertained by it. 

You had me at Pitbull...Florida always delivers on the weird. This time with mafia hits, Pitbull and a joint called Miami Subs. 

La Bamba wasn't just a movie that got a song stuck in your head, it was a pivotal moment for Latinos in Hollywood. The biopic told the short and tragic life story of Mexican-American singer Richard Valenzuela, or Ritchie Valens for you gringos, and it was one of the few films at the time that didn't depict Latinos as gang members or villains. 

Weekend Reads: Latina Style, Cutting Out Toxic People & Cacti

“It's a tale as old as time, and one that people would rather not see. Girl meets boy, boy ignores girl, then maybe sleeps with her, then ignores her, then remembers she's around, then forgets again and lives his life. Girl yearns for this punk the whole time, despite his complete indifference to her existence. Which, GIRL.” Ugh. 

Mommy Dead & Dearest is an HBO documentary that follows the life and abuse of Gypsy Rose at the hand of her mother Dee Dee. It's sad, it's shocking, it's heartbreaking and it leaves you with a gut punch you can't ignore.

lol millennials.

I'm on a book tear lately so when someone mentioned Juan Rulfo, a Mexican writer few have heard of but many were influenced by, I added him to my list.

Another heartbreaking watch (sorry, guys, sorry). Teen marriage in Nepal is more common than not and on the rise. Watching two teens marry is bad enough, knowing that neither want it is worse, but the commentary from the families as they forcibly unite the two is the cherry on top of a shit sundae. 

Leaving your 9-to-5 job for freelance is a leap of faith in yourself and your talents, but don't do it without a plan! 

"It was only when the first male employee of the radium firm died that experts finally took up the charge." Buzzfeed's long read on the radium girls of World War I is disturbing and infuriating.

“I spend all day responding to people at work. And by the time I get home I don’t feel like responding to people who matter most. I mean, my dad called last week, and I let it go to voice mail. I still haven’t called him back. Isn’t that messed up?” That quote rang too true for me and the article left me feeling buoyed by the end.   

Kitchen fails that made me giggle...and feel better about myself.

I'm from Arizona and grew up picnicking in Saguaro National Park. Fun Fact: the saguaro is a beautiful and majestic cactus that will only grow in the Sonoran Desert! Support our national parks and support the beauty of the desert by purchasing some very cool cactus-wear. 

What a sweet sentiment.

Vogue's story on Latina style in Los Angeles reminded me of when I was in middle school. Dark lip liner and light lip gloss, anyone?

Weekend Reads: Hard Stylin', HIV & Creepy Museum Shit

I love a good pun so I won't even apologize for thank god it's Frida. 

The Washington Post has a new tag line and it's a wee bit dark. 

I feel like the times just call for silly animal pics. These animals are hard stylin'. (My friend Stephanie loves #hardstyleinsoftplaces on Instagram. Go for a good laugh, add one to the mix next time you're in a soft place.)

Museums house some really old shit, but sometimes really old shit is super creepy too.

At the recommendation of a friend, Im looking forward to this long read about journalist Pamela Collof, "the best damn writer in Texas."

Fig pollination is a weird, gross endeavor. And apparently we might find dead wasps in our figs sometimes!  

Giant squid are weird! But some folks would like to make the official mascot of the deep sea! 

Meet the man responsible for a 40% drop in HIV diagnoses throughout the U.K. 

There's a new trend in men's underwear...who knew? Fly-less undies and the men on either side of the debate. (It's not NSFW but it is a crass read. So if that bugs you, don't click.)

Have a great weekend, dears! 

Weekend Reads: Girl Scout Cookies, Frida Kahlo & Strawberry Cake

This is a short one since I've been traveling for about two weeks and had my nose in this biography about Frida Kahlo the whole time. 

As a hiring manager, soft skills are some of the most desirable skills an applicant can have - here's how to showcase them.

It's Girl Scout cookie season! I don't have wine or beer or whiskey pairings to share with you this year, instead I have the Jewish history behind Girl Scout cookies. Who knew!? 

This long read about a KGB agent, one of the infamous "illegals" from the 80s era spy operation, is fascinating. Just as exciting as The Americans but with devastingly sad co sequences. 

I would like to make this strawberry cake. 

The young art school singer/songwriter who impressed Pharrell has released her first EP and it's dreamy. 

Google Maps + Lists = travel heaven. Or an easy button solution every time you have a friend in town that asks you for the best coffee shops. 

Weekend Reads: Minimalism, Love Talk & Photography

The language we use to talk about love is largely traumatic, extreme and painful, argues Mandy Len Catron. 

Minimalism. I think of stark white walls and Danish style homes with nearly nothing in them. According to these guys, that's not too far off - but more important is the idea using stuff to make us happy. Spoiler alert: stuff never makes anyone happy. (If you're kind of into it, they have a minimalism game that's a more extreme exercise in decluttering.)

The reporters who broke the Panama papers have some ideas for the American press about how to handle news in the age of Trump and Sean Spicer. 

Harvard is now offering their photography classes online for free! Sounds good if you were looking for a new hobby. 

Growing up, I never found a keychain or a mug with my name on it. Alex, Alexandra or Alexa were all there, but not Alejandra! It wasn't until one day in the mall a kiosk selling personality profiles based on your name had a whole Spanish language section did I finally find something with my name on it. Now I know, I am not alone. 

That's all I got, so have a wonderful weekend, dears. Stay warm! 

Weekend Reads: Space Archaeology, Mastery & Finding A Hobby

I'm feeling pretty good, folks. I feel optimistic about the year - in terms of things that are in my control or sphere of influence. I feel more supported by those around me than ever before. I feel empowered...a general, "I've got this!" type of vibe. I'm holding myself accountable for making that feeling last, and regaining it when there's a slip. 

Space archaeology is a thing! And a woman is leading the charge! 

Philadelphia has an all purpose noun that's apparently completely unique to the city! 

For all of us trying new things, sucking at them, learning and getting better every day. 

Prioritizing all the work you could be doing down the work that you should be doing can be a daunting task. It becomes even harder if you're company or leadership doesn't have their own priorities in order. Use this process to work out your own universe and run it by your boss - you'll get off the charts points for initiative and look like a baby boss in the making. 

Sanrio, creator of Hello Kitty, announced a new character in their universe this week. Aggretsuko is a red panda who works in an office job, enjoys beer and listens to heavy metal when her angry alter ego comes out. 

If you're a successful lady you're no stranger to backhanded compliments. 

Crystal Galindo paints chingonas in all their glory...I might need one. 

Watch this awesome video of kids declaring their love for Hot Cheetos and Takis and then you'll understand why this is so hilarious.  

I never had to diagram sentences but I'm starting to think it might have helped me be a better writer. 

8 creative hobbies to try out this year got me thinking about bullet journaling. Ultimately I realized I like my calendar as it is, but can certainly spice things up with some fancy pens and other accessories.

Have a wonderful week, dears! 

Weekend Reads: Change, Hygge & Inappropriate Humor

It's the home stretch folks! The last bits of the year. The last bits of our vacation time. I know most of us are extremely happy to leave 2016 behind us, but I don't quite have that feeling. While the calendar ends on the 31st - a nice, neat dividing line - all the things that bugged me about the year have tentacles that stretch well into the new year if I let them. I'm less worried about leaving 2016 in the dust and more worried about taking a hatchet to those tentacles!! 

Pixar is taking on Day of the Dead as a theme in its upcoming animated film, Coco. Dubbed a "love letter to Mexico," the cast now includes Gael Garcia Bernal among others. They seem to be taking great lengths to be as culturally accurate and aware as possible...should be interesting to see how it turns out! 

Inappropriate humor is my favorite. (You've been warned...)

What's wrong with the L.A. Times? Apparently a lot. 

Remember that Sinbad movie, Shazaam? It came out in the 90s? Yeah, me too. Except...it doesn't exist. 

15 more documentaries to add to your Netflix watchlist: Latino edition. 

Do you love the idea of a warm fire, snuggly blankets and a warm cup of coffee/tea/hot cocoa? Then, my friend, you love hygge! 

The only constant is change. How you manage change in your life, at work and in your relationships is the difference between constant discomfort or healthy optimism. This article on how to manage change was one of the better ones I've read in a while. 

"There's always a countdown when you realize I am not fluent in Spanish..." this guy gets Latinos' complicated relationship with knowing, or not knowing, Spanish. 

Writer and editor Kat Kinsman asked her Facebook followers, "What's your favorite thing that you wrote this year?" The result is a thread of bookmark worthy articles. 

If your New Year's resolution is to have more random conversations or sit at bars and meet people...then this article has some tips for you. 

How much ambition can a marriage take? 

This one is another bookmark worthy link: 24 long form food stories Eater thinks were stand outs in 2016. 

Have a wonderful rest of the year, dears! 

Photo credit: Me! (Alejandra Owens)

Weekend Reads: Techies, French Prostitutes & Moments

I like the sentiment - we have only had moments but now we have time. It makes me feel like I can slow down a little bit and let the moments marinate, collect and build into time. In that vein, I'll be sitting down with three fabulous women next week to think about 2017 and what we want to make of it. I'm looking forward to the discussion, if not the process itself. Who knows what we'll land on! 

Mixing hope and fear - how harnessing two powerful emotions is something more leaders need to do. 

Techies is a storytelling and profiling project that highlights underrepresented groups in Silicon Valley and the tech industry at large. From LGBTQ to the 50+ these profiles are dotted with nuggets of wisdom and relatable moments.

Definitely NSFW, but these photos of French prostitutes from the 1930's will undoubtedly make you giggle a bit. Standards of what's sexy have changed a lot!  

Everyone loves a good "documentaries to watch on Netflix list" but this one is Latino focused. Get out of your bubble and try something new! 

I haven't read/listened to this interview with food writer/editor Francis Lam yet but I'm looking forward to diving into it today while I sip some coffee. (The podcast interview is just shy of an hour, the read is appropriately long.)

Have a wonderful, if not icy, weekend dears! 

Weekend Reads: Pizzagate, Letters & Underwhelmed Brains

It's a windy, chilly weekend in DC and after a week of travel, living out of suit cases and terrible sleep, I'm going to cozy up at home and dig into my Christmas cards. I see a nap or two in my future... 

If you haven't heard of, or just don't know all the ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS details of, Pizzagate, Reply All did a whole episode on it. That's how nuts the world has become folks. 

Stephen Colbert telling the story of how he met his wife is the sweetest thing you'll hear all week! (Also, poor Anne!)

I am currently falling (back) in love with Adidas Superstars - the original three stripe sneaker we all know and love. You can customize a pair for some super Christmas fun! I'm seriously considering making this pair. 

Embracing a sense of awe could change how you make decisions and your approach to life. "The brain can either be a navel-gazer—thinking mainly about ourselves—or a star-gazer, considering our connectedness to the wider world."

"I find it hard to understand in my mind what it means to love you after you are dead - but I still want to comfort and take care of you — and I want you to love me and care for me. I want to have problems to discuss with you — I want to do little projects with you." A physicist's letter to his wife after her death. 

This New Yorker piece on solitude and loneliness comes with many strong recommendations from my friends. I can't wait to dive into it with a cup of coffee this weekend. 

Stay warm, dears! 

Weekend Reads: Chingona AF & Leadership

This week is a short list but there's a documentary in there and a TED panel interview....meaty. Have a wonderful weekend! 

Los Punks follows the backyard Latino punk scene in East L.A. and South Central L.A. From the tight knit community to the depth of the main characters' stories to resilient individuals like 15 year old promoter April, even if you don't love punk you'll be drawn to the people behind the music. (Bonus: There's an all female band named Las Cochinas. How can you not love that!?)

"How many of you heard that saying that leadership is lonely? It doesn't have to be...It's really easy to be a leader when everybody likes you. But it's hard to be a leader when you have to make hard choices." Start at 9:00 for some real talk about leadership and leaders. 

Leaders come in all forms and they certainly aren't limited to titles. But what's required of leaders today is very different than the way we traditionally think of leadership. 

For the Latinas among us, Bella Doña makes some hilarious tees, including a "Chingona AF" crop top I'll never wear but would buy just for the sentiment. Latino/a or not, consider buying gifts from these Latino-owned businesses for the holiday season. 

Photo credit. 

Weekend Reads: Mediocre Men, Russians & the Yakuza

The wonders of a little time off. This year my head has been foggy, forcing me to focus on that which is in front of me most of the time. All work, no play.... I often wonder if I'm interesting enough or at least a worthy conversation partner over dinner. I've spent the last few days clearing the fog and the result has been wonderful. Reading and watching interesting things makes me feel a little more me again.

---  

"Look around at the mediocre men who were hired just because they were men. Get hired because you are a woman or person of color and then do a bloody brilliant job in that role." Cindy Gallop has a different take on living, working and loving and it just might be the bold warrior cry you need...

Why some people burn out and others don't. 

This six minute mini-documentary about the Japanese Yakuza has beautiful photography and is dotted with interesting facts you can share at your next happy hour date. 

So many things going wrong,  and there are so many things to complain about. "Are my complaints expressive or instrumental? Are they important or trivial? Am I directing them at people who actually have the power to help?" The WSJ has five tips for better, more productive complaining. 

Make a list of all the things you want to do in life. Cross off everything that isn't rooted in people or experiences. Alexis Ohanian says this is your life list now. 

There's been so much chatter about Putin and Russia lately, but if past is prologue then it's time to learn more about this fascinating country. This three-part documentary from the BBC, Empire of the Tsars gives you a look into the history of the autocratic empire from the 17th century until World War I. (1, 2, 3)

An exercise in learning about your ancestry could also contribute to an ever-growing research database that helps the scientific community. I finally ordered a 23 And Me kit to find out exactly where I come from and maybe answer some nagging questions about my ancestry. 

"Hire and train and seek out the batteries. They're priceless." 

Sending lots of love out to the tough ones. 

Photo: Buy this print from Etsy seller BeauTypographie

Weekend Reads: Rap, The Worst and Creativity

I've been holding off on publishing some weekend reads because I was waiting until I had more links to share. But then, I've been so busy, tired, sick, distracted or just luxuriating in spare time that I haven't been reading too much lately. Here's what I got - it isn't much but I missed hitting the ol' publish button.

Farm to fable, we all love the mythos of where our food has come from and how wonderful it must have been there, but is it even real?

If I'm not the worst, then what am I?  

The woes of scheduling time with me, with anyone, nowadays. 

I did a round up of all the deep conditioning, deep moisturizing products I'm loving lately. Winter did a doosey on me! 

Take an hour, just for yourself, and listen to this talk with Elizabeth Gilbert. She covers creativity, boundaries, and so many important lessons about life. 

"Failure is just there to point you in a different direction." some wisdom from Oprah.

This Vox explainer video about the construction of rap music, flow and rhyming, is just phenomenal if you haven't seen it already.  

Enjoy your long weekend, dears! 

Weekend Reads: Bill Gates, NSFW and DC Hardcore

After a break from the weekend reads, they're back! It's mostly fun stuff this round - probably because most of what I've been consuming has been a few moments of fun stuff between meetings or on my metro ride home! 

Do you live in a bubble? Protected by class, income - or your parents. I thought this 25 question quiz was SO interesting. Not just because of what they ask, but the outcome. I scored 29. What do you score?

Photoshopping old YA books with very NSFW titles had me laughing so hard my abs hurt. 

It's not your turn, is it? 

The Brasil Open Tennis Tournament used ball dogs instead of ball boys! It was all to show you can teach an old dog new tricks and promote adoption. *heart emoji*

 Mathematically, Tyrion is the most important character in Game of Thrones.

Turn up your volume and play selected tracks from noted musicians when you read this piece about DC's hardcore scene. (No, really! It's thoroughly enjoyable and will make you want to get up and move.)  

The best closed captioning.

Bill Gates reads a lot (shocking), so how does he get the most out of each book? He explains here. 

When Aunt Flo is a real person, it gets too real. 

Have a wonderful weekend, dears! Here's a throwback to start your weekend right! 

Photo Credit: Me! (Alejandra Owens)

Weekend Reads: Wawa, Secret Societies & Articles From My Dad

My dad has been sending me links to articles to read, much like people would clip articles out of the paper and send them to loved ones. I'm enjoying it because I start to understand more about myself through this extension of my father. I've shared a few of his links with you below - we're both clearly business, efficiency and productivity nerds. 

She's white, a red head and Jewish. And she's a Latina comedian bringing a community together through laughing about our differences. 

From Dad: complaining and hanging out with negative people hardwires our brains for more complaining and negativity. 

How to talk about your project. 

I love Wawa and apparently I'm not alone. Wawa has a long and interesting history, with a huge and dedicated fan base. 

From Dad: 12 habits of super productive people. 

"There are these two young fish swimming along and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way who nods at them and says, "Morning boys, how's the water." And the two young fish swim on for a bit and eventually one looks at the other and says, "What the hell is water?!" An excerpt from David Foster Wallace's speech to a graduating class at Kenyon explores the small choices - the banal existence life is made up of - that make life wonderful. 

This talk by the late David Foster Wallace might just change the way you see the tiny, sometimes annoying, details of life. This was the commencement speech he gave at Kenyon College in 2005. The speech is published in a short book called This is Water.

Frida Kahlo's house is one of my most favorite places. It's almost exactly how I always envisioned my own house would look if I could build it from scratch! 

If a $2 million secret society sounds weird as fuck, the story about it is even weirder. 

Alain de Botton has a fabulous take on success, bonus points for reminding us what makes a snob a snob. 

From Dad: four mistakes people make when negotiating and tips to avoid them. 

Have a wonderful weekend, dears! 

Weekend Reads: Boiling Rivers, Self Doubt & Stanley Kubrick

It's House of Cards weekend after what feels like the longest week and a half in the history of 2016. So dramatic, I know! I'm looking forward to a day in bed watching Claire in all her contemplative, angsty, angry glory! Have a great weekend, dears! 

Stanley Kubrick's Boxes. He had a lot of boxes...like a lot. 

Spain has all male secret food societies that are hundreds of years old. 

Gravitational waves. Space and time bending. Astrophysical chirping. As the suspense builds you find yourself rooting for scientists you don't know, measuring something you know nothing about. 

My handyman told me this was his go-to dessert recipe when he was a chef. 

It's not your kids holding your career back, it's your husband. "About 40 percent of Gen X and boomer women said their spouses’ careers took priority over theirs, while only about 20 percent of them had planned on their careers taking a back seat. Compare that with the men: More than 70 percent of Gen X and boomer men say their careers are more important than their wives’." 

It's an older Ted Talk but it's a good one: how leaders inspire action. 

10 "killer" interview questions from CEOs. Intriguing, minus the one about Monopoly. Who gives a fuck about Monopoly? 

A sample email for women to send to other women who cut them down over looks, fashion, etc.

#minusthedoubt is a 20 minute mini-documentary about fear, self doubt and conquering some seriously big challenges. 

66 positive things to say to people around you that you care about (not just kids, as the list suggest)

This admiral's commencement speech has nuggets on life and leadership gleaned from SEAL basic training. "Don't ever, ever ring the bell." 

A) this guy studies a mythical boiling river in the Amazon. B) I hope I love my job so much I talk about it with this much enthusiasm:

"In this age of information. i remind you all that discoveries are not just made in the black void of the unknown, but in the white noise of overwhelming data." - Andrés Ruzo

How to identify A-players in an interview. 

Image Credit: Me! (Alejandra Owens) 

Weekend Reads: No Women, Costco & Russian Spies

The weekend reads are a little thin this week because I've either been reading the back of my eyelids (read: sleep!) or the second installment in the Dune series. Good ol' paper books! I hope you enjoy them - the long read on Russian spies is especially good.

"You can't be great on the side." Some sound advice from Chris Rock's Proust questionnaire. 

Prolific leaders are often the most frustrating ones - Steve Jobs, Elon Musk...and they all have two traits that are totally counterintuitive. 

Are you a "no" woman? "No one ever warns you that saying no is so time-consuming. Even when naysaying is a valued trait — part of the job description for a crucial role at the company — that doesn’t mean it’s easy to say no day after day or that your colleagues will appreciate hearing from you." 

I appreciate all the detailed thought that goes into a rebrand. Much of it makes sense, but often times there's a lot of pomp and circumstance that doesn't. 

I love the Costco food court so much. 

A long read: Russian spies and the man who solved his own murder just before he died. 

Have a great weekend, dears! Don't eat too much dip when you're watching the Super Bowl! 

Weekend Reads: Middle American Radicals, Erotic Photo Hunt & Plane Crashes

Even though the snow storm was just a few days ago, Monday already feels like it's three weeks in the past. That's how crazy busy I've been this week. I'm looking forward to some friend time, cozy reading and trip planning! 

Children with lead poisoning. Brown water. Water deemed toxic waste. This documentary from Michigan Radio examines what happened in Flint and why.

So much time to catch up on TV this weekend, but binge watching AND being stuck inside due to snow can get a bit...monotonous. Here's a few shows with shorter runs you can pepper throughout. 

This election cycle is nuts. JUST. NUTS. And now Michael Bloomberg is pondering a run as a third-party candidate. *cue the circus music* 

What do ketchup and diversity have in common? A must listen if you're a champion of diversity in the workplace. 

"Please Tip a Bottle of Bourbon Down My Throat Immediately Face" and other alternatives to Resting Bitch Face. 

This Ted Talk will smack you back into a grateful reality:

I love podcasts so much. Here's a bunch more that will take you beyond the mainstream ones everyone knows about. 

Erotic photo hunt was my favorite bar game in college. 

It's frustrating to watch Donald Trump's rise in the polls and to the national stage, but who the heck is supporting him? The Return of the Middle American Radical was a great look into who these folks are. 

Have a wonderful weekend, dears! No matter what you're up to...

Weekend Reads: Men, Possibilities and Rejection

"It’s not that I completely lack empathy for single men in my age range who are only now starting to crave deeper bonds; I just find it frustrating that the guys interviewed, not to mention guys I know, seem to think being emotionally available is a laborious buzzkill." Oh man, some real, real talk about men dating "later in life." 

Rejection is a sign you may be on to something new. Mmmm...I'm familiar with that feeling! 

If you don't know much about Aaron Swartz, watch this documentary. A close friend published this piece on how to honor is life and legacy and I was so heartened to see "Stay Curious" as method number one. Increasingly, curiosity is something I value more and more in the people I keep closest to me. 

I can't wait to get cozy with some coffee and the NYT Magazine long read about a lawyer that exposed chemical maker, Dupont for the polluting fraudsters they were. 

I love this kind reality check from Dan Oshinsky, "There’s a difference between “What will you do?” and “What can you do?”

I heard about Ask Polly from her interview on the Call Your Girlfriend podcast and immediately dove into her NY Magazine column. One of the first search results was "Should I tell him what I want?" and let's just say Polly is equal parts slap on the back of the head/lift you up half time speech. 

Nice women finish first...when they ask the right questions. 

Bourbon and Girl Scout cookies! h/t Jill. 

I'm looking forward to the weekend, especially since it's a three-day! I'll be potting some new plants for my house and catching up on lots of reading. Have a wonderful weekend, whatever you do! 

Photo credit Design Love Fest dress your tech! 

Weekend Reads: A Perfect Storm, 5 Year Plans & Mathematicians

I don't have any resolutions for 2016. I have more of a priority, I guess. It's me. 2015 taught me so much about my resilience and my character - it also taught me a lot about my limits and brought to light how often I put myself on the back burner. I want to focus on my health and my passions - I want to find environments I can thrive in and return to those places as often as I can. It will be an exercise, but eventually I figure it will become a habit. 

As a start, I did something that I've wanted to do for so long. I launched a newsletter. It's called The Commuter's Club. Once a week I'll share one or two links of some of the best, brightest or most thought provoking information about digital strategy and content marketing. So, if you found me because of our professional passions, subscribe! I think it will be fun! 

Spanish and Mexican-American poetry is my secret love, so when my friend Sabrina posted this NYT piece on author's favorite poems, it got me thinking. My favorites are Your Laughter by Pablo Neruda and You Bring Out The Mexican In Me by Sandra Cisneros. 

Terry Tao is a mathematician. He's our generation's mathematic genius and he doesn't play into any "beautiful mind" trope that we've come to know. 

Procrastination is actually a coping mechanism...for dealing with stress. What a bummer that the thing that we use to avoid stress usually causes us more. But if you can master it, you can win! 

What pain do you want in your life? (A better question than what do you want out of life?) "This is the most simple and basic component of life: our struggles determine our successes. So choose your struggles wisely, my friend." Reminds me of this, too. 

The price of admission: Dan Savage on love, relationships and the bullshittery of the idea that "the one" exists. Read also, The Fussy Suitor Problem for a dose of the paradox of choice dipped into the world of dating. 

Terry Pratchett, writer of fantasy worlds is games, comics and movies, remembered by his daughter for bringing magic into her life. 

Apparently, if you don't want stress to bring you down, all you have to do is try to see the opportunity, benefits or good in it! 

New year, new beginning. Thinking of doing a major career switch? This five year plan might help. 

René Redzepi's acceptance speech after his restaurant, Noma, reclaimed its position as best restaurant in the world is a beautiful homage to the unknown, failure and the complexity of teams. Start at 4:40 for the juicy stuff. Bonus: watch Noma: My Perfect Storm to see the man and the team in action. 

How to shine: really be yourself. (Oof, the struggle. It's real.)

I'm reading Brené Brown's book on imperfection right now and fell into a rabbit hole of her talks and videos. This one on why your critics don't matter was particularly great.

We hear it all the time at work, do more with less! Stretch your resources as far as they can go! Then we're told to innovate on top of it all. What if we did the absolute best we can with exactly what we've got? 

Have a wonderful weekend, dears! I'm still listening to Justin Bieber like it's my job so I'm not posting a video. If you have new songs I should replace it with...let me know! 

Hungover Reads: Amazon Tips & Resiliency

Feeling a bit rough around the edges today? It's alright, lounge around, enjoy some coffee and some reads...no one will judge us for not hitting the gym. 

As if Amazon didn't have good enough deals, here's a few more tips on how to save some mula. 

"When the concept of trust is brought up, it's usually framed in the context of actions; of what we think a person is capable of doing. If you trust someone, it means you trust them not to cheat. Or steal. Or lie. Or smother you in your sleep. By this measure, I definitely trust my wife. I trust the shit out of her. I also trust her opinions about important things. I trusted that she'd make a great wife, and a trust that she'll be a great mother. And I trust that her manicotti won't kill me.

But you know what I don't really trust? What I've never actually trusted with any women I've been with? Her feelings." Some brutal observations about men, women and trust. 

In DC the standard greeting is "What do you do?" or "Where do you work?". Well, here's 7 better ways to answer those questions. 

Relationship habits most people think are toxic but are actually super healthy. (Not resolving every conflict is actually healthy! Who knew!?)

I've been thinking a lot lately about my career. The jobs most interesting to me don't fall squarely into one neat industry or another. They're often hybrid jobs, bringing multiple skill sets together. I loved this piece on how to think about hybrid roles. 

Are you resilient? A quiz, and some advice depending on where you fall. I am mostly resilient, with some minor attitude adjustments in my future...

Have a wonderful weekend! And for those of us enjoying the last days of a long and needed break, soak it all up!