Hi my friends! Can we talk for just a moment about how great it feels to get a fresh pair of gym shoes? I’m not one to spend a lot of money on my gym gear because it’s all meant to be sweaty and smelly and really… I’m not trying to make a fashion statement at the gym, I’m mostly just trying to avoid eye contact. But… classic clean and fresh gym shoes? I’m feelin’ pretty fine. I use these new gym shoes to trot by this beignet cafe on the way to the gym. Yes it smells good. Of course it smells good!
There’s a lot of weight to this week which means there are a lot of perspectives to read on the internet. There’s a lot more going on in the world than how I feel about gym shoes. Let’s look:
• It’s really important to understand and pay attention to why Michael Brown died in Ferguson. We can forever distract ourselves with Instagram and celebrity news and Facebook updates, but we still have a lot to work out, don’t we America? A lot. Pay attention. I’ve found the best updates on Ferguson from VOX. And here’s a think piece. For real.
• Give Me Gratitude or Give Me Debt. A different and refreshing perspective. Thank goodness.
• Radius is a church in Los Angeles for people who think that church is irrelevant.
• This cat is really into this baby. Is it normal that my cat mostly wants to attack my face? Don’t answer that.
• I’ve Been Blogging For Eight Freaking Years and here are the right words about it.
• Our brains are really complex. Writing is a high-level task. We really just want to convey meaning. The and hte are impossible to spot! Why It’s So Hard To Catch Your Own Typos!
• Most common astrological sign for US Senators: Scorpio. Most common astrological sign for House members: Gemini. Can the Zodiac Explain Why Washington is So Messed? Maybe so.
• Is this meant to be so scary? Because it is. The Three Ring Birthing Circus
• Why did it take us so long to get the butterknife right!?
• On: Unschooling.
• How One Man Destroyed The Food Network. Dramatics… but why is Guy Fieri yelling?
Enjoy this beautiful day! I love you byeeeee!
Averie @ Averie Cooks
Thank you for the links on birth and unschooling. Love that you post things like that and you’re not a mama. Before I was a mom, things like that never really crossed my mind :) Afterwards, homebirth, midwives, unschooling, and all that jazz become a lot more real. Hope you’re having a great weekend, Joy!
Kristin
I’m a huge fan of your blog but I think your Sunday posts are my fave. I follow several bloggers who post like this on Fridays/Saturdays and I like theirs best too. What does that say about me?
Marisa
Thank you I do enjoy the Sunday posts have a wonderdul week
christina
hey, thanks for writing about ferguson. it’s crazy how easily we’re allowed to ignore stuff like this.
joythebaker
we can’t allow ourselves to ignore any of this.
Lene Svingel
Can I just say, as a Dane, living in Europe, that Obama’s response to the Michael Brown Ferguson affair was spot on. Wise, balanced and responsible. Such a shame this is his last term – his wisdom is much needed.
Nobody should ever experinence being reduced to the color of their skin.
Love, Lene
Karen
I miss the cooking shows that actually showed how to make recipes. I really dislike all the competitions. Why does everything have to be a contest? I like Rachel Ray and some triple D shows, but do miss the actual “teaching” ones. I enjoy seeing someone make something I do not know how to make. I have gotten many good recipes from watching Ina. Bring back the old time cooking shows!!
joythebaker
everything is a war.
Andrew
If you’re looking for instructional cooking shows check out the different PBS stations. They have all sorts of great cooking shows.
hJM
I agree. There’s another food network show featuring a well known blogger and the other day she made a “recipe” that was butter on a 99 cent loaf of bread. I’m sure it’s delicious, but 1. Don’t call that a recipe and 2. People watching cooking shows probably already know how to do that. I miss Ina.
Mary Ann
I am not a fan of Guy Fieri nor will I be a detractor. I don’t think he’s necessarily bad in small doses, as I would feel about most anyone. I think he is a pawn in the game of what TV has become. Most TV stations have lost their purpose to reality TV shows. HGTV is all about contests and buying a house – lost are the how to garden and how to decorate shows. And most other TV stations are the same – there’s no music in MTV any longer; Bravo used to be great independent films; A&E wonderful biographies; History – well that used to be about history. Food Network is no different, it seems. We’ve lost the wonderfully produced cooking shows that encouraged all of us to try our hand at it. Flip on most any channel and it is pretty much the same. Bigger, better, faster, cheaper, louder – it’s not what I want. And it’s why I am going to dump cable this year. And maybe that’s all ok in the end – get back to reading, experiencing, rather than watching someone else do what they do. Thanks for the great links, Joy!
Cindysoo
I never watch the food network anymore. I find myself watching youtubers instead. They have great context. It is available whenever I choose to watch and all their recipes are at my finger tips. British cooking shows are incredible but of course we don’t get them readily here in Canada.
Nicole B.
I will be the first one to admit that I don’t know nearly as much about the Ferguson situation as I probably should.I could blame that on not having TV of any kind, but we all know that’s a lie because internet is everywhere. I have been to downtown St. Louis for a mission trip a long time ago and there is no doubt even when I was there that tensions against those who were white and black was well alive. We were always told that (where we were) was 99% black and that no one knew where the 1% was. As an awkwardly skinny white girl in high school, I was refused service several times at a grocery store. I know that people face racism everyday. There is no doubt that America has a long way to go, but I think following curfew would help release some tension in that area. You can’t fight fire with fire.
On a lighter note, yay for new gym shoes! I seriously have to look at getting a new pair. I also loved the article about 8 years of blogging. I would love to have another blog one day.
Mark
Do you write recipes anymore?
joythebaker
of course i do, silly. oh wait! you must be the one guy who has already made every single recipe on my site and now you’re waiting for more!! that makes sense. let me get right back in the kitchen for you!
itslizlerman
teehee!
leburney
Joy, thank you for addressing what happened in Ferguson. I am baffled by the number of bloggers that don’t mention things, perhaps controversial, that are happening in the real world for fear of turning off their readers. Yes, that DIY tree stump side table is important, but can we all just acknowledge that scary, unfair things are happening in this world, things that shouldn’t be ignored? I by no means think bloggers have a responsibility to address these topics, but it’s so refreshing to see when they do. So, thank you.
joythebaker
real life is toooooooo real and it’s not all about DIY cupcake stuff.
Liz @ The Sixth Letter
THIS. I agree with Leburney; I was so so so thankful to see you post about this today Joy. THANK YOU!
tortadellafiglia
yes! i love gym shopping too :) i’m pretty amazed by your photos!:) congrats!
Paulette
Oh the think piece made me really think. My cat does this to my husband when he sleeps, until she cleans his hair and wakes him up. I didn’t know you have been blogging for eight years. WOW, keep up the good work. Have a great Sunday. Paulette
Rachel
I do agree with that Salon article about the Food Network but… but… I kinda like watching Diners, Drive Ins and Dives. And America’s 101 Tastiest Places To Chow Down. Maybe it is because I’d never eat most of that stuff in real life, but I find it both fascinating and entertaining. Does this make me a bad person? Or is this acceptable as it is extra-curricular food television because I live in a country where I can get Jamie, Nigella & The Great British Bake Off on prime time?
Sara from Sweden
I love getting new gear for training; I call it “guilt free shopping” because it inspires me to train more and that is a good investment I think. Have a lovely Sunday!