Good Things Friday (324) and Link Love
May 16, 2025
1. This was the first Mother’s Day that didn’t feel fraught and difficult and painful. I had a chat with a bestie who has also lost her mother to start my day, pancakes with the family, a trip to run an errand and then a donut seeking adventure. I rested a while, then cooked for 4 hours – a recipe I’d been planning for a while. It was pretty satisfying. I didn’t get my dog time though, I had vaguely hoped to run into some neighbor dogs.
2. I managed to hill my potatoes! Woo!
Challenges this week: What a week. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt quite so unequal to my job as I have this year in this job. It’s much bigger than any 3 jobs before it, and it’s not like I had small jobs before this. On top of which, it’s been transition after transition after transition for almost two years now. We all know how much I embrace change, especially change I didn’t initiate (none).
Thinking about the horrors this woman has seen and she was released after 2.5 weeks due to a combination of community uproar, whiteness, lawyers, political pressure from both US and Irish governments: Santa Cruz woman ‘traumatized’ after being freed from weekslong ICE detention. Thinking about all the other people, children and adults, still unjustly detained by ICE for weeks, months, years, and what they are going through.
I wonder how the state is paying for it but this is great: New Mexico made childcare free. It lifted 120,000 people above the poverty line
This is sick: Family says woman declared brain dead but her pregnancy continues under state law
Good on Ben of Ben&Jerry’s. I never knew he was an old hippie that walked the walk (as a friend described him): Ben & Jerry’s co-founder arrested during RFK Jr. testimony “I told Congress they’re killing poor kids in Gaza by buying bombs, and they’re paying for it by kicking poor kids off Medicaid in the US. This was the authorities’ response.”
I’m surprised they conducted this audit but good, they clearly should have: Maryland medical examiner audit reveals 50% of deaths miscategorized
Yes, both Ben and Jerry are old hippies from Vermont! I’ve seen people saying they’re going to buy their ice cream now, but they sold to Unilever 25 years ago so it’s a nice impulse but I think not really getting the intended results.
I’m glad your Mother’s Day was good.