The Workday Reading: December 14, 2015
Dec 14, 2015
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1) A thought-provoking article on when charity becomes toxic and disempowering. This quote hit me particularly hard:
The moms would endure that indignity [of strangers delivering free Xmas gifts to children’s homes], but it was just more than a father’s pride could handle. It was as though his impotence were being exposed in front of his wife and children in his own living room. And it was very, very hurtful.
2) If you’re looking for a bag with clean, simple lines and no hardware, look no further than this $60 Mango satchel.
3) Feminist essayist Camille Paglia discusses why Taylor Swift’s #GirlSquad is not the embodiment of ‘girl power’, and explains how women can empower each other. (The Hollywood Reporter)
4) I’m on the hunt for a few new skirts. I love this Halogen pencil skirt with an exposed zipper. This blush, pleated skirt from AT is so pretty. And this drop waist skirt from Ralph Lauren could be for work or play.
5) The Rise of the Whiny Passenger; do airline travelers fail to see how good they have it? (The Conversation)
6) Loeffler Randall is having a great sale. These snakeskin kitten heels and these bold, red sandals are definitely on my wish list.
7) The ‘rent is too damn high’ for growing number of Americans. (NBC News)
8) Want a colored winter coat? I love this merlot coat from Modcloth (S-3x). And don’t miss this dusty-lilac coat from Badgley Mischka.
9) In 1926, a Canadian lawyer left a will that promised $9 million to the Toronto woman who could give birth to the most children in 10 years. (fivethirtyeight)
10) If you’re looking for lingerie for the holidays, my favorite is still L’Agent from Agent Provocateur.
11) Journalist Mark Bowden chronicles the long weekend he spent following Donald Trump. (Vanity Fair)
Gift Guide. These lovely ring dishes from Anthropologie are just $7. I own this $4 dish from World Market with a little bird on it.
*image found here.
I know she’s sometimes viewed as “just a gossip blogger” but I really enjoyed Lainey’s retort to Camille Paglia’s article. https://www.laineygossip.com/Taylor-Swift-spends-birthday-with-Calvin-Harris-and-announces-Apple-tour-deal/41488 Knowing Paglia’s history with feminism definitely made me reread the Taylor Swift article in a different light.
I made the mistake once of taking gifts directly to a family for an adopt-a-family holiday program. The mom was so sweet, but I instantly realized that it would have been better to make it a little more anonymous and take ourselves out of it. I try to explain this to friends who run the adopt a family stuff for our elementary school, but many still insist on going to the peoples’ houses and even taking photos with them, or bringing their kids to “show them poverty.”
Ugh, Camille Paglia. Just…ugh.
Yeah, I feel like feminist should be in scare quotes.
Love the article about charity from CT. I have such a hard time with “voluntourism” and this hits the nail on the head.
Thank you for sharing the CT article. You always share such thought-provoking articles, making your workday reading posts something I always look forward to reading! Happy holidays!
I never really understand people who find air travel so miserable (other than the actual flying part which completely irrationally scares the bejeesus out of me). Maybe if you’re flying with young kids, but otherwise, you’re going somewhere different and these annoyances are temporary if you can even really consider them annoyances.
Thank you for sharing the article about charity. My husband and I talked about going on a missions trip next year, in which we would spend thousands of dollars to go somewhere for a week. Instead, we can use that money to invest in an established missionary and/or organization that is truly making a difference in an impoverished community. We certainly need less handouts and more empowering! Wonderful read.
I’m actually offended by the quote that mothers can endure the indignity but father’s can’t handle it… no one else sees the gender issues in that statement? Women can take charity but men can’t??
It’s a bit of a generalization, but I don’t think it’s overtly sexist. It’s more about handling the damage to their pride in a different way, women silently, father’s by avoidance.