Weekend Reads #309

My father was in the Navy, and his ashes are at Arlington National Cemetary. When he passed in 1998, it only took a month for his internment to be scheduled. In 2023, however, the wait was up to 18 months. It's an example of how many servicepeople and their spouses have died in the past few years. COVID, veterans from Vietnam and the Cold War, and all the deaths from the War on Terror.

It's weird how folks associate Democrats with being against the military. My father was in the Navy, and so was my husband. We are staunch supporters of the military. We donate monthly and yearly to organizations such as Fisher House and Homes for Our Troops, and my husband has donated his services as a yoga instructor to local veterans. Whether we like it or not, the military is necessary to protect our country and defend our allies.

This week, my mom's ashes joined my dad's at Arlington in the Columbarium. It is an honor to rest at Arlington, and as the chaplain shared in the service, this honor cannot be bought; it is only earned. The experience was powerful and reminded me of how much more support our veterans need and deserve.

If you wish to do something for our country this weekend after Veterans Day or for upcoming Giving Tuesday, consider donating money or time to an organization that offers physical and mental support for those returning from war. A country shows its strength by caring for its citizens, especially those who sacrificed themselves for our freedom. Some suggestions:

• Fisher House: With a 100% score on Charity Navigator, Fisher House is best known for its network of more than 99 comfort homes where military and veteran families can stay at no cost while a loved one receives medical treatment.
• The National Alliance to End Homelessness: This non-partisan organization is dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness in the United States. The number of veterans experiencing homelessness has only increased; NAEH specifically works to support our veterans and receives a 98% score from Charity Navigator.
• Homes for Our Troops: HFOT builds and donates specially adapted custom homes nationwide for severely injured post-9/11 Veterans to enable them to rebuild their lives. Homes for Our Troops gets a 97% on Charity Navigator.
• The Mission Continues: With a 100% score on Charity Navigator, The Mission Continues connects veterans with under-resourced communities to improve educational resources, tackle food insecurity, and foster neighborhood identity while empowering those who served our country.
• Hire Heroes USA: Hire Heroes USA provides free job search assistance to U.S. military members, veterans, and their spouses and helps companies connect with opportunities to hire them. It earns a 98% from Charity Navigator.

Weekend Reads

The teens whose lives are being disrupted by climate change. (New York Times – gift link)

My Project 2025. (Werk in Progress)

Perimenopausal women are ‘enraged’ — and no longer keeping quiet. (Washington Post – gift link)

The sacred pause between the election and what comes next. (Shannon Watts)

How the Ivy League broke America. (The Atlantic – gift link)

United’s in-flight publication goes digital—and marks the end of an era. (Columbia Journalism Review)

My friend and Wardrobe Oxygen community member Gretchen shared with me the app and website, Goods Unite Us. Corporations earn profits off of your everyday purchases. Some of those profits are then donated to politicians and causes you might not agree with. Goods Unite Us, which is nonpartisan, lets you search for any corporation and see its political donation history.

The power of not giving up. (Today's Edition)

Seem like peanut allergies were once rare and now everyone has them? (The Harvard Gazette)

The unspoken grief of never becoming a grandparent. (New York Times – gift link)

In praise of post-divorce sex. (Gloria)

The importance of information. (Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance)

Australian breakdancer Raygun is retiring from the sport after her Olympics backlash. (NPR)

Want to quit X? Here's your guide to the alternatives. (Popular Information)

See/Hear/Read

Continuing my quest for ways to decompress and ignore useless news to gather strength for 2025, we looked through what movies were free through the services I am subscribed to and decided to check out the film The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (Hulu and Disney+ and for a small fee at Prime and AppleTV).

I vaguely heard about this film, but what I knew most about it was the meme above, which seems to be all over the place. Well, in a Being John Malkovich sort of way, this film is Nicolas Cage playing himself, though it's a fictionalized version of himself.

Cage is struggling. He no longer gets good roles in films, he has messed up his relationships with his daughter and ex-wife, and his conscience (“Nicky,” who looks like an aged version of Cage's role in Valley Girl) has bad ideas. Desperate for money, he takes a gig to perform at the birthday party of billionaire Javi Gutiérrez, played by Pedro Pascal. Hijinks ensue, and everything is tied up with a happily-ever-after bow.

If you like Pedro Pascal, you will love him after watching the film. Cage is a good sport and quite entertaining. The story is complicated, and wacky, and fun, and the supporting characters are awesome and performed by awesome actors (Sharon Horgan, Tiffany Haddish, and Neil Patrick Harris, to name a few). Don't be surprised if you want to see Paddington 2 after watching it.

For Your Entertainment

I know I am not the only one who has been desiring some angry music to drive, clean, power walk, lift, and punch pillows to. Even better if it's an angry woman singer. May I introduce to you Amyl and the Sniffers? I can't recall if I have shared this Australian Punk Rock band before but gosh their latest album has been on repeat in the Gary house.

The band takes its name from the Australian slang for amyl nitrite, also known as poppers. In a BBC interview, lead singer Amy Taylor compared their music to the drug: “In Australia, we call poppers Amyl. So you sniff it, it lasts for 30 seconds, and then you have a headache – and that's what we're like!”

It's not my favorite video by the band, but the song has been an earworm for a while; enjoy “Chewing Gum.”