End of Week Review: January 12, 2018 (I'm Back Edition)

Okay, okay. So maybe my New Year’s resolution from 2015 to blog more took some time to get through. Only three years late, right? But after officially finishing binge-watching (well, binge re-watching) every Office, House, and Modern Family episode, I really have no excuse for my blog silence. So here we go!

Favorite experience this week: I finally got to play my dad in badminton again for the first time in several months.

Least favorite experience this week: Losing in a blowout to my dad in the aforementioned badminton game.

Wackiest experience this week: Someone random on Twitter started tagging me in a series of odd writing prompts. I think the universe is trying to tell me to finish my work in progress.

Interesting article this week: “Want to Know Why Tumblr is Cracking Down on Sex? Look to FOSTA/SESTA” in The Establishment (giving a really good outline for the counterarguments to two government bills)

Favorite book this week: Sadie by Courtney Summers. I saw everyone on Twitter talking about this book, so I finally sat down to read it. I join the chorus of readers who are officially wrecked in the aftermath. The hype isn’t a joke.

Photo from this week:

My cat, Zyva, deciding the wombat stuffed animal my friend Caitlin bought for me is now hers

February 15, 2015: Sunday Night Catchall

The New York Times front page on the day of Nelson Mandela's release

“As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison." - Nelson Mandela

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If you know me well, you now I love Nelson Mandela. Long Walk to Freedom is my favorite book. Madiba proved that peaceful revolutions are possible and effective. This week was the fifteenth anniversary of Madiba being released from prison.

The San Francisco Panhandlers Steel Drum Band

Had a blast playing in a concert with my fellow San Francisco Panhandlers Steel Drum Band members at Ashkenaz last night. I still think drums are romantic. My lack of a love life means I must be right about that ... okay, on second thought, ignore me completely. And congrats to the Trinidad All Stars for winning Panorama last night (biggest steel drum competition in the world)! I linked to their song above.

Discovered that my beloved school badminton team follows some anti-social/outcast stereotypes when I tried to make a Facebook group for team members and discovered that 70% of members did not have Facebook accounts. Badminton is cool. I say this with the conviction with which I say that drums are romantic. :)

February 8, 2015: Sunday Night Catchall

"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." - Martin Luther King Jr. 

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The quote above has been on my mind this week. There are positives and negatives to all events. The negative of what has unfolded at my school this week is I had the unfortunate experience of seeing how many people at my school are content being bystanders in situations of online harassment. The positive is that I learned to value that much more the people who weren't bystanders. I find the quote above very true. I won't remember what hurtful comments were said by my classmates this week in a year or even in a few months. I will, however, remember the silence of all those who watched and did nothing.

On a similarly serious (but more positive) note, huge shout-outs to Obama, Katy Perry, and Brooke Axtell for raising awareness about domestic violence at the GRAMMY Awards! I was similarly impressed by last Sunday's powerful Superbowl ad from NOMORE.org. These two TV events sandwiched an incredibly powerful week on Twitter with the #TheresNoPerfectVictim hashtag, which I encourage you to check out if it won't be triggering for you.

On a lighter note, I want to repeat to anyone who thinks otherwise that badminton is a sport! Some people at my school think otherwise ... somehow ...