Weekend Reads for Saturday the 13th

I have been feeling low. Empty. My therapist suggested I return to what got me out of a hole I was in back in 2014: meditation and Brene Brown. I pulled up Daring Greatly from my Audible archives, horrified to find it was replaced by AI reading the book, and bought another copy. And I scheduled my alarm a half hour earlier to fit in time for some meditation before I start my day. I am so glad she suggested this on Monday so I could start the practice before the events of this week.

To mourn the death of a human does not mean one has to accept that person's ideologies or have empathy for them or those who loved them. I mourn the fact that yet another person in America died by gum violence. I mourn the fact that this person's death is another shot of novocaine to youth who saw it as a TikTok between choreographed dances and pranks. I mourn the country we were the day before his murder for it has changed us and not for the better.

Isn't it ironic, don't you think? No, I don't want to think that way and forced myself to stop Googling quotes and Snopes and reading the “witticisms” and memes on social platforms about the act. It's a virtual representation of a cheering crowd at a public lynching. I don't want to ever be part of that bloodthirsty crowd.

I recently finished a dystopian novel that took place at the end of the 2000s where the continental U.S. was hit by an EMP that wiped out all electronics and electricity. No phones, no modern cars and other vehicles, no battery-powered devices, or generators. Society started to fall apart and the leaders of the community featured in this story had to figure out what to do with those who were tearing the social fabric by stealing, killing, and even eating other humans. Prison was no longer a possibility; the only answer was death.

The protagonist was a war historian, and worried about the community becoming bloodthirsty. They decided shooting instead of hangings, and to not let children be in attendance. Even some criminals were set free when he saw the audience getting too excited about the killings. He knew that if we went to far we can't go back.

Our current administration wants us to go to far. They know that it's the key to chaos, and then control. I won't abide and fall into their trap. Two school shootings in one day, one of innocent children and one of a public figure; this is why we need gun reform. The rest is noise, purposeful noise, because when it's noisy it's hard to think.

Weekend Reads

The Rocky Horror Picture Show celebrates 50th anniversary with nationwide tour, new reissues. (Consequence)

Vogue’s new U.S. Editor, Chloe Malle, says she’s a ‘proud nepo baby’. (Variety)

Empathy in a not so empathetic time is not a sign of weakness — but of humanity. (Let's Address This on Substack)

Love this silk scarf of fashion icons.

Can creatine keep your brain sharp? (Time)

Personally, I add 5g of creatine to my morning preworkout and 5g more to my evening “cocktail” that is also magnesium bisglycinate, a prebiotic fiber supplement, and half a scoop of protein.

The most loving thing you can do. (Pulling the Thread on Substack)

Google’s AI is telling people DOGE never existed. (The Verge)

Black writing and the conundrum of “We” in Evie Shockley’s “suddenly we.” (Fight and Fiddle)

Small, luxurious ships that cater to never-cruisers. (New York Times – gift link)

This sweater is so chic. From jorts to silk trousers, it's effortless elegance.

The face-lift is better than ever, and everybody wants one. Deep inside the uncanny world of the surgically ageless. (The Cut)

Decadent, but obsessed: our iced coffee machine.

10 Gen X movies that explain exactly why we're like this. (Nostalgia Nation on Substack)

In case you also watched Unknown Caller on Netflix, this is the best article about it and it preceded the doc: Who was cyberbullying Kendra Licari’s teen daughter? Parents and school officials were stumped. The culprit was under their noses all along. (The Cut)

What the heck does AARP even do? (Whatever Nevermind on Substack)

Oooh, love the Christina Hendricks x Joanie Clothing collection (sizes 4-22)!

A day in the life running @Vegas. (Link in Bio on Substack)

And in articles I'd totally send to my mom if she was still here: Oliver North and Fawn Hall, key figures in Iran-Contra scandal, are married. (New York Times – gift link)

Sale Alert & Style Inspo

Blue, especially navy, is big this season. Navy lovers, this is your time to shine and stock up!

pants | Mary Janes | phone case | suede tote | dress | sunglasses | blouse | necklace | socks | croco tote | sneakers | shoulder bag | sweater tee | earrings | bracelet | ruched tee | crewneck | loafers | glasses | scarf | purse

Over on Substack, I gathered what I found to be the best leopard and cheetah crewneck out there. A wardrobe staple any year, this is an especially hot trend right now, and the selection is quite good. I liked it so much, I also turned it into a Reel!

ABLE is ending their apparel line and leaning back into leather and jewelry. This means what clothes are left are on sale! Personally, I have found the fit hit or miss, but like their sweaters and denim and appreciate the size range and focus on sustainability.

glasses | earrings | ring | cashmere tee | slim chain | herringbone chain | pave chain | gold pendant | suede jacket | jeans (standard, petite, plus, and tall) | bag | lipstick | boots

I just got these glasses from Zenni; they're not my typical shape but I adore them. I got them with EyeQLenz^TM with Zenni ID Guard^TM which reflects near-infrared light, filters blue light, darkens in sunlight, and blocks 100% UVA/UVB rays. I didn't fully understand EyeQLenz^TM with Zenni ID Guard^TM and got green, and wish I got brown because they are a bit tinted blue/green even in low light. It's cool, it's just not what I expected and would have liked a warmer tint for everyday. But I am down with all this extra eye protection in a cool looking yet reasonably priced frame.

Anyway, I styled the glasses Thursday with a stack of gold necklaces and gold earrings, and then was at work looking at Madewell's New Arrivals and fell for the oversized gray cashmere tee. So I created an outfit I would personally wear from Madewell, incorporating what I already own or similar.

Merit sent me some product lately so I added the lipcolor I've been wearing this week: Tiger, which is a brick red and a great wearable color for the season. I paired it with the Flush Balm in Fox, which gives buildable color that feels leftover from a late summer getaway. I've been wearing Merit's tinted moisturizer all summer, but this week switched back to The Minimalist which is like a concealer and foundation all in one and easy to use without any skill or tools (fingers are all you need!).

This fall is all about texture. Calfhair and cashmere and corduroy, suede and silk and decorative stitching. This look incorporates a lot of texture, adding elevated style to neutral colors and relatively simple silhouettes (except the jeans, which are an elegant version of the barrel). Adding cold to these textures ups the elegance ands another s word: shine.

See/Hear/Read

A political thriller starring women? Sounds right up my alley, so I was excited to see the limited series Hostage (Netflix), starring Suranne Jones as the British Prime Minister and Julie Delpy as the President of France. When the Prime Minister's husband is kidnapped, it starts a chain of events where both political leaders have their careers and lives in jeopardy.

Really interesting concept, excellent cast, horrible execution. So many things in Hostage that just would not happen IRL it was impossible to connect to the characters.

• Like the Prime Minister's daughter would be able to barge into the Situation Room.
• Like the Prime Minister's husband would be without even the lightest security detail while volunteering in another country.
• Like a rouge person trying to undermine the goverment would allow themselves to be filmed multiple times on TV and security cameras not even attempting to disguse themselves.
• Like the blackmail video: the subject would never ever make that, we know that much about them.
• And like Isobel Akuwudike is a teenager (sorry, the actor graduated from university and looks it).

I get that Netflix does a quick turnover of shows to always have fresh content, but I don't get why the scripts are so darn stupid. Hostage had everything going for it, yet the details were so wrong.

Two women politicians being undermined, they keep trying to appeal to voters, to their peers, they are challenged and threatened, they choose to do the right thing, why they were elected in the first place, it (kinda) goes well for them, the bad guys get what's coming to them, the end. Too bad everything in the middle was stupid.

For Your Entertainment

For those who follow me on Instagram Stories and know Scary Baby, you know why I shared this latest video from Lady Gaga. I believe some of her relatives were extras. And speaking of extras, the dancers' masks reminded me of the work of Gillian Wearing.