Sarah had decided that all she needed after her third failed career was a change in scenery.

The beach, she thought to herself. Sea breezes. Sitting in plastic chairs. Filling mason jars with sand and the sour smell of sand dollars. These would be a cost-efficient salve for the sudden loss of income.

This time, it was “culture fit.” After serving her sentence of 90 days of a contract that only vaguely offered a carrot at the end of the tunnel, she was turned away. A “copy ninja needn’t so much direction” the Head of Rad (that’s what the HR manager had chosen as his title) had shrugged, reading copies of a statistically calibrated sheet that had rated her work, cross referencing dozens of her colleagues ratings of how she performed on her S.M.A.R.T goals. Head of Rad rattled off her positive qualities like he was a doctor sharing bad news, and slowly waltzed through every syllable of...

I took the day off yesterday to do all the things I normally wouldn’t do on a Monday: took a dance class with my hair down, did some Pilates in the middle of the afternoon, lined up for Tartine by myself.

And at the bakery, amid tourists and foodies with questionable employment status, I ran into the “hot” senior from high school. I remember G vividly, and in slow motion. Tan, built and smart (he was a math genius that would later turn into a poker champion), he was the ultimate Southern California renaissance boy, complete with effortless surfer hair. Even when I saw him yesterday, patiently waiting for Tartine’s signature morning buns, he still glittered the way a 14-year-old’s deodorant does.

When I saw him, I had to make a choice. Still slick from that morning’s dance class, glistening in my spandex, I could have flipped my hair, flirted and done some sort of bend and snap...

What more do we have in this world, other than family we’ve inherited and the sisters and brothers we’ve chosen to be just as close?

I’ve never understood people who immediately balked at the idea of hanging out with their parents, or seeing their siblings.

And this weekend, in helping my brother move to college, I saw a lot of interesting family dynamics. Packs of 14 that looked exactly alike. Mothers bawled in the hallways, clutching six-foot-tall men to their bosom, screaming, “My baby!” Twins said glad goodbyes to one another, with markedly different college hoodies on. Boyfriends saying goodbye and dropping off one last teddy bear for her extra-long twin bed. Sisters fighting over sweaters and boots. Grandmothers commenting on the size of the rooms, and likely saying something slightly racist aloud.

Meanwhile, this was me and Chris:

(He’s mad because I’m mussing up his...

I’ve been a little down about work lately. In the PR agency world, it’s easy to dismiss years of work as exhausting and ultimately pointless. No matter how bushy your tail is in the beginning, sometimes, you can’t really convince clients to behave better, to be more creative or to push outside their comfort zone.

But sometimes, there are breakthroughs. Sometimes, the results you see aren’t from your clients, but your colleagues.

So, as you wrap up your Friday and foment the fires of weekend fun, remember that sometimes, years of work result in tiny victories. A tree doesn’t grow in a day.

Here’s to giving back.

Everyone has their trigger word.

Mine is “cute.” “Cute” is for cartoon characters.

via Dots

“Cute” is not something you should ever use in describing anyone who is eligible for a driver’s license.

It implies weakness. It’s condescending. It’s completely inappropriate in any work setting unless children’s toys or animated characters are involved. Something cute is slightly above average, and somewhat acceptable, and just generally without offense, without color and without interest. It’s something round with a smile on it. And in romantic contexts, it’s a term you use for dates who are mediocre, but nice. And so you reward them with the label of “cute” - the equal of a participation medal in after school sports.

“But Clare,” you may say, “It’s a compliment! I’m sure condescension wasn’t the intent!”

It’s definitely not a compliment.

HelloGiggles explains:

When talking about...

If you ever find yourself in the old world, where ancient cities used to stand, you’ll see one shape keep reappearing: the arch. Those arches can sure last a long time (here’s why, in great detail).

Its semicircular structure elegantly distributes compression through its entire form and diverts weight onto its two abutments, the components of the bridge that directly take on pressure.

A rock on its own can’t take on nearly as much weight as rocks banded together in a curve.

People are like this too - better equipped to take on stress when it’s shared. It’s corny, yet true - and that’s hard to admit. I usually strongly dislike all people, most of the time.

But support systems are necessary. They’re the reason you get out of - or finally get into - bed. They’re the ones that help you through the general feeling of malaise. They ones that replace the tissue boxes with no questions...

Have you ever had music that just hit you right in the place you tuck away and only bring out when no one’s looking? That’s what Lily Allen is like for me. She helps me come to terms for being an angry girl in an unfair world, filled with things to say and things to feel. Every insecurity, every fear is suddenly not a lonely, isolated feeling but something that’s OK, and set to some soft vocals, hard lyrics and pop beats.

Today, someone requested a post on fear.

I told my dad that would be the subject of my blog today (it’s his new favorite thing to ask me). “Oh, conquering fear - that’s a good one!” he approved.

But can fear really be conquered?

I don’t think so.

Fear is baked into us, and it manifests in some really funny ways.

Nervousness is one we see a lot:

Then there’s your good old fashioned, screaming kind. The kind that’s from things that go bump in the night:

...

I know there’s been a lot written about Robin Williams’ passing today. I hope I don’t wake up tomorrow to bigotry, but I’m afraid it’s already happened.

Everything wrong with modern media in one screenshot: pic.twitter.com/IipUQeVPzv

— Digitally Downloaded (@DigitallyDownld) August 12, 2014

I’m not one to usually dwell on celebrity deaths, but this one is different. Robin Williams was the fixture of many of my generation’s childhood classics - and as a kid who was constantly bedridden with terrible asthma and insomnia who only had VHS tapes and books as friends most of the time, Robin Williams helped make it a bit less lonely.

An added zinger: if you’re a millennial like me, Robin Williams was likely the age of your parents. Think about that - call them right now and tell ‘em you love 'em.

And then, watch my favorite clips from the entertainer’s greatest. His Reddit AMA is...

Happy Supermoon, y'all. This time, it’s accompanied by a meteor shower. It’s almost like a Syfy sequel.

I’m so happy science seems to be cool these days. Blame it on Neil Degrasse Tyson. But just look at the young scientist! Look at the SHIRT!

Well, helloooo doctor!! PHWOAR RT“@EllyOcean: let’s objectify young neil degrasse tyson and upset some dweebs pic.twitter.com/USmS22a1o7”

— Christy D. (@Christydunks) June 24, 2014

There are so many things to learn and explore and dissect. It’s almost overwhelming. So how can we fit a little science in our day? Here are my three favorite ways to fit in some quality brain spa time.

I. ASAP Science

I can’t tell you how many times I cite ASAP Science as a high quality, excellently executed example of short, snappy and informative content. They’re usually three to five minute videos that explore topics such as the biology behind hangovers...