623rd Friday Blog Roundup

While hate crimes are still rocking our area — swastikas drawn on schools, churches, and cars seems to be a daily occurrence — a visual protest is countering the racism, antisemitism, and homophobia.  Mike Pence’s new neighbours are hanging rainbow flags outside their houses.

I love this because it not only shows the spirit of that neighbourhood — which is an expensive but cozy section of the city — but without yelling a single word, it makes a loud statement.  It’s a date-night sort of section to the city, but I want to drive down there with the kids in the next few days so they can see it.  A coward anonymously draws a symbol of hate and runs back to hide.  A brave person hangs a flag of inclusion outside their permanent home and stares hate in the eye.

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Stop procrastinating.  Go make your backups.  Don’t have regrets.

Seriously.  Stop what you’re doing for a moment.  It will take you fifteen minutes, tops.  But you will have peace of mind for days and days.  It’s the gift to yourself that keeps on giving.

As always, add any new thoughts to the Friday Backup post and peruse new comments in order to find out about methods, plug-ins, and devices that help you quickly back up your data and accounts.

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And now the blogs…

But first, second helpings of the posts that appeared in the open comment thread last week.  In order to read the description before clicking over, please return to the open thread:

• “When Your Loved Ones Just Don’t ‘Get It’” (Dear Sugar Radio)
• “How to Get From Thanksgiving to New Years When You’re Not in the Mood” (Stirrup Queens) — thank you, Jess!
• “The Beasts Who Fought for Fairyland Until the Very End and Further Still” (Catherynne M. Valente)

Okay, now my choices this week.

A+ Effort has a post about the new Texas law that requires fetal tissue to be buried or cremated.  She addresses it from the perspective of someone who had to carry her gestational remains.  She writes: “I rode in the elevator with a happy couple holding their new baby in a carseat while I held mine in a baggie. I will never get over that.”  This new law covers any miscarriages that occur in a medical facility (vs. at home).  And yes, this new law — like the one in Indiana — should concern everyone who cares about reproductive choices and the ability to treat infertility.

Notes from the Ninth Circle has a post about her current cycle and the hard decisions infertile women already face.  The Femara works too well, and she discovers she has four follicles.  She doesn’t know if she should proceed with the cycle or not, and she admits: “I wish G-d gave clear yes/no answers.”  Sending her good thoughts and peace of heart.

Lastly, Res Cogitatae has a gorgeous post about what the mirror both shows and hides.  It is a very realistic description of motherhood — the highs and the lows — and it should be required reading for every teenager; probably more helpful than those exercises where they need to carry a bag of flour around for a week, pretending to “parent” a baby.  Life also plays a role in parenthood.  I cried and nodded reading it.  Thank you for writing this.

The roundup to the Roundup: A rainbow-coloured protest.  Your weekly backup nudge.  And lots of great posts to read.  So what did you find this week?  Please use a permalink to the blog post (written between November 25th and December 2nd) and not the blog’s main url. Not understanding why I’m asking you what you found this week?  Read the original open thread post here.