Solid commentary on "Every Simpsons Ever"

I hope those of you out there with FXX are enjoying, "Every Simpsons Ever" or, as I call it, "I've had Seasons 1-11 on DVD this whole time." I know most Simpsons episodes (through Season 11 or so) by heart, but Alyssa Rosenberg over at WaPo is new to the show, and I feel like her thoughts on how The Simpsons portrays childhood are totally accurate.

Have you been enjoying "Every Simpsons Ever"? Have you noticed anything different since you last watched these episodes? Anything that went over your head as a kid that you now are like, "oh THAT's why that's funny!"?

StoryCorps: Me & You

StoryCorps' latest animated short, animated by the Rauch Brothers, is super short and super sweet:



The description reads:

On May 25, 1971, Jackie Miller and her husband brought home their son, Scott, whom they adopted. 37 years later, Scott brought his mother to StoryCorps, where they shared a conversation about Jackie's decision to adopt him, their profound love for one another, and Scott's trepidation at what the future holds.

Perfect for Mother's Day.

[via Neatorama]

Oral Fixation: Bun in the Oven

So proud of my sister for telling her story at "Oral Fixation: Bun in the Oven" this year.

I've always been a strong supporter of women's rights, but it was truly eye-opening to have it all hit home so directly this year.

It was so scary, educational, and inspiring watching Wendy Davis' filibuster, knowing that the outcome had direct implications for my sister and her husband's lives. Scary because if she had received the test results a few weeks later, she would not have been able to have her procedure in Texas. Educational because, while I know one in three women have an abortion, I never knew before why a woman would have one after 20 weeks. Now I do. If more people watched Nicole's story and the stories of the many women like her, I know they'd rethink their opinions on abortions after 20 weeks. And i was inspiring to see someone stand up so strongly for women's rights during a time when they're being taken away slowly but surely nationwide. Just today, the Supreme Court agreed to hear an absurd case arguing that a corporation (Hobby Lobby) can refuse to cover contraception - contraception! - for their employees on the grounds of religious freedom. As Colbert would say, I laugh to keep myself from crying. It's that bad.

In order for women's rights to stop being attacked all over the country, more brave women like my sister need to share their abortion stories (and electing Wendy Davis as Governor of TX can't hurt, too!)

Apologizing, Ask Amy

Amy's advice here is heartfelt, a little heartbreaking, and utterly true. Apologizing is a difficult skill that takes humility, vulnerability, and courage to learn.



I wish someone had given me great advice on such a difficult subject in frank and honest terms like this when I was younger, but I'll gladly take it now, too!

[via Videogum]

Eyes on the Stars: A Story Corps' Short

Story Corps' latest animated short is about Ronald E. McNair, a physicist and astronaut who was the second African American to fly in space. Tragically, he passed away during the 1986 Challenger mission at age thirty-five. His brother Carl remembers him in this short, "Eyes on the Stars"



Story Corps, you always make me cry! And yet I'm so much better for having listened...

[via Neatorama]

The Artful Stew Family Grows by One!

My sister got married this weekend - Woo hoo! It was a wonderful wedding, and the Artful Stew family is very excited about adding our new brother-in-law. We did it!

On the plus side, it was a beautiful and heartfelt ceremony followed by a raucous party that lasted well into the night. The ribs and cinnamon rolls at the post-wedding brunch the next morning were an awesome surprise, as well.

On the downside, I stepped into a fire-ant pile during the after-ceremony photos and now am covered in (not an exaggeration, I counted) seven to eight ant bites per foot. I have deduced that they are fire-ants because it's three nights later and they still throb AND itch, plus some are now topped with a pimple-looking orb of pus (which I haven't scratched off or popped because I hear that can lead to an infection). A winsome combination.

On the other plus side, I seem to have been the only participant to have stepped in the ant pile, so at least no one else suffered my same fate!

I read that they go away within about a week. In the meantime, I'm taking Benadryl to sleep at night and keeping my feet iced during the day to numb the pain. The things I do for sisterly love and also free cake (jk! It was totally worth it to help my super stellar sister get hitched to an equally amazing dude!)

Mindy Kaling: Warrior Goddess of Sitcoms

That title is a title I think Mindy would like, which is why I am giving it to her. I have no knowledge of if she ever has been or will be a warrior and/or a goddess, but I know if she wanted to, she totally could.

I just finished reading this excellent profile on Mindy Kaling in Vulture. It's awesome and you should read it (or at least TFL). Also, you should watch the pilot of her show, The Mindy Project on Hulu, and then watch the premiere on September 25th.

I recently finished Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) and it really is an excellent collection of memoir-essays. There were so many times when I laughed out loud and/or thought, "Yes! That is EXACTLY what high school/college/post-college/writing/friends/etc is like!" Reading this article so shortly after finishing the book, I'm shocked and saddened about Ms. Kaling's mom passing away at the same time her book, which portrays her relationship with her parents and particularly her mom so lovingly, was released and her pilot, which bestows upon Mindy her mother's profession, was ordered. I certainly can't picture life without my mom, whom I love so much, and I can't imagine how devastated Mindy was and probably still is. I admire her for being honest about not dwelling on or sugarcoating the tragedy, instead simply stating that, "It just seems so fucking unfair." It is. No wonder she sings "Country Road" at karaoke (and it's an incredible song, of course).

I also appreciate that she wanted more non-white babies on her computer screen. Don't we all.

JK Rowling: World's Most Magical Mom

Wondering what the best present a mom can give her children (besides unconditional love, etc, etc)? It's probably two tree houses inspired by Hogwarts, and if that mom is the woman who wrote Hogwarts into existence, they're probably pretty darn amazing.

Uh, yeah, that looks incredible. Better yet? The small one has a secret passageway that leads to a trapdoor that you can enter from, and the larger one has a spiral staircase and slide. 

Better yet? All of the wood is coming from sustainably-managed forests. Hooray for socially conscious millionaire author-moms! 

Also, I'm super jealous. That's ok, right? 

[via Neatorama]

How to Help Women and Men Have At Least Some of It All

First, read the Atlantic article, "Why Women Still Can't Have It All" and then come on back if you're super frustrated because it's nuts that women have fought for so long to achieve equality and yet we're still so far behind on having fulfilling careers and families at the same time. While the article's author has some clues and ideas about how we can begin to change the workplace to better suit a higher percentage of women in higher percentages of power, this ThinkProgress article cites four policies that would start to make that change:

1) Paid family and medical leave insurance
2) Paid sick days
3) Right to request workplace flexibility
4) Equal pay

The fact that these are not already in place in the States is absurd. I'm sure if you live in Europe and are reading this, you're like - seriously? We did all this twenty years ago. Unfortunately, the US is not so progressive in that way. Let's hope we can begin to make these changes soon.