I’ll clarify my post that someone I love dearly was abused, not me. The details aren’t mine to share, but the love and support are, which is why I speak out about the dangers of silence.

I understand what you’re saying, but that isn’t true for me. Decades of abuse, known incidents, multiple children. The abuser was well into old age (great grandchildren!) when the last incident (that I know of) occurred. Embarrassment and reputation maintenance played a huge role in covering up the abuse. And the molester was not a nice person. Before my marriage, I was asked in a judgemental tone why I never talked about the relative by soon to be ILs. Was I embarrassed by the relative? I replied flat out, nope, relative is a child molestor. Not my shame to bear so why should I be embarrassed? I’m sensitive to the issue because my own extended family chose the abuser over my siblings and me. There was no other reason than worry about the perception of others. They made excuses. What will friends say? People will talk. It was decades before I was able to reconnect with my own-age relatives because the adult children of the abuser made the decision to stay silent. My siblings and I, none of us even old enough to drive, decided we weren’t going to pretend everything was fine and gave up attending holiday parties and reunions. I’ve made my peace with it, but incidents like this can bring it to the fore. People chose to protect a serial abuser, an unlikeable person, because they thought the revelation would be embarrassing. ETA: I’ll clarify my post that someone I love dearly was abused, not me. The details aren’t mine to share, but the love and support are, which is why I speak out about the dangers of silence.

In my experience, they’ll do the same for one who isn’t.

Oops, sorry! I thought you meant the injuries, and on re-reading, I see how I misunderstood. The “examinations†were ridiculous and I bet the osteopathic doctors consulted about the exams weren’t told everything (medical history, diagnosis and full details of treatment). If they were and still called them legitimate, they should hauled in front of the licensing board.

Little Girls in Pretty Boxes details the level of injuries that can come from elite gymnastics. I can see the appeal of the sport and there's a level of camaraderie that comes from participating. It isn't that the child is beating others, so much as performing to his or her highest level. But doing acrobatics on a four-inch wide beam or running full out towards a heavy block or twisting high in the air leads to injuries for many. My younger three are in tumbling, but I won't let them on any of the apparatus which has been a sore spot between one child and me.

A link to the timeline. In a federal case, he was investigated and the porn found. He plead guilty. In the state case, a gymnast filed a police report against Nassar. He plead guilty to seven counts of first degree s*xual misconduct to avoid a trial (according to his letter to the judge). The testimonies from the many, many women were part of his sentencing.

Here come the Texans... ready to defend Blue Bell’s honor or taste or something... The company did (does?) have a neat factory tour. And you got free ice cream at the end.

Wow - In his letter to the judge explaining why all the women were accusing him: "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." He'll find out, won't he?

Why did it take so long to come out? Because it was a national organization made up of people who worried more about their reputation than the children being abused. I’ve seen it on a personal level. What if others find out? What will friends say? Things need to change. Silence = consent ETA: I exclude victims from my statement above. No one should be required to speak out about their abuse. But others around the victim encourage silence which only leads to more abuse.

You did say you’d wait on your opinion until I was done. I had to set the book aside after the first few paragraphs, the sexism was so bad, but I appreciate the effort it takes to write a book so I finished. One good result from reading Xanth was the memories of reading my father’s excellent fantasy books (no Xanth in my house). I was able to find the book names through internet searches and I have them on order from the library. I’m a bit worried they might not be as good as I remember.

I like her website. Was her book more in-depth or just a collection of her posts? Although I doubt we'll be able to go completely zero waste, I have worked to cut back on our plastic usage and use more bulk products.

It is fantastic. I'm not doing justice to Noah's voice and story, but they truly are compelling. I've heard the audio book is great as well. Noah knows multiple languages and hearing him speak them aloud adds to the listening experience. My library doesn't have the audio, but I'm watching the catalog to see if they add it.

I read this quote, having skipped over the book’s setting and the location, and thought, “This sounds exactly how I feel about Venice.†I re-read your post and realized it is Venice. It shows how evocative the writing is and the impression the city leaves. It is a lovely city, but feels like a living museum.

I don’t recommend Grant for you! I generally like Chernow as a writer and I was exhausted by the level of detail.

Nothing makes your day awesome like waking up to discover a plumbing problem in the kitchen. I was able to fix it quickly, but visions of expensive bills were dancing in my head while I was working. It was an interesting reading week. I read an excellent book, one I re-read once I finished, then read a truly terrible book. I guess that's a consequence of reading outside my comfort zone. Books finished last week: The Girl in the Steel Corset (Steampunk Chronicles #1) by Kady Cross. Fantasy Steampunk - YA. At the end of the nineteenth century, a servant girl discovers she has special powers. Typical YA fiction with not one, but two love triangles! Cassandra Clare does it better. Redefining Reality by Steven Gimbel. Philosophy. The philosophical implications of scientific discoveries. Some interesting moments, but too many instances where his statements are wrong, misleading, or overly simplified. It Takes One to Tango by Winifred M. Reilly. Self Help. A counselor offers advice on correcting your own behavior in relationships. It reminded me of The Anatomy of Peace: Resolving the Heart of Conflict. No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters by Ursula Le Guin. Essays. A collection of blog posts from Le Guin, some interesting, others less so. I was reminded that I need to pick up her books to read this year. Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah. Memoir. A collection of stories about a man, born to a black mother and a white father, growing up in South Africa. A truly excellent book with a compelling voice. When I finished, I immediately re-read it, something I can't remember doing for a non-fiction book. If you haven't read this yet, I think it's a must read. Highly recommended. Bright Scythe by Tomas Transformer, translated by Patty Crane. Poetry - Sweden. A collection of poems from a prominent Swedish poet. Grant by Ron Chernow. Biography. The life of a United States general and president. The fourth Chernow I've read (House of Morgan, Titan, Alexander Hamilton, Grant), I think he is an exhaustive biographer who writes well. A reader learns a lot, but it seems his books could benefit from trimming. The descriptions can also be hyperbolic. In one instance, while describing Grant's despair on his daughter's wedding day, Chernow claims it turned out worse than Grant's "innocent imagination" could conceive. I find it incredulous that the commander of the Northern armies during the US Civil War had any form of innocence when it came to men's behavior. I presume the general knew quite well how terrible men could be thus his tears over his daughter's marriage. I read a much better Grant biography a few years ago so I'm trying to track it down to provide a link. History's Greatest Military Blunders and the Lessons They Teach by Gregory Aldrete. A historical survey of famous battles which led to disaster. A Spell of Chameleon (Xanth #1) by Piers Anthony. Fantasy. In a magical land, a boy without any power is expelled from his native country. Part of my NPR Top 100 Sci-Fi and Fantasy project, this book forced me to change my goals. Though I originally said I'd read three books in a series, I'm only reading one. I couldn't force myself to read any more Xanth - I'm too old for this... Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett. Fantasy - Second World. Three witches band together to stop a fairy godmother from making fairy tales come true. Next on my top 100 is Perdido Street Station by China Mieville. I'm reading this one slowly - his world building and prose are fantastic. Connie Willis's Doomsday Book is next. For poetry, I have Book of Twilight by Pablo Neruda which is also being read slowly. I'm learning Spanish so I'm reading the original poem then the English translation. I'm still trying to finish The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers, but the book only emphasizes my ignorance of European history, a subject I once thought I knew, if not in detail, at least in broad strokes. Nope. ETA: I think I found the Grant biography I read: U.S. Grant: American Hero, American Myth by Joan Waugh which is a biography of Grant as well as a historical view of his reputation.

Has he been allergy tested? Dairy and eggs are common allergens.

It might be Chernow. I've read four of his biographies (House of Morgan, Titan, Alexander Hamilton, Grant), and I've noticed Chernow has a tendency to throw in everything plus the kitchen sink. I just finished Grant and having read another Grant biography years ago, I kept wondering if all the detail was really necessary.

I read Dragonflight last year and the main character basically says, "Yeah, I r*ped her." I was surprised but recognize that it was a pretty common trope of the time (Beyond Heaving Bosoms, while snarky, does point out this issue in older romances). So I recommend pre-reading. My top 100 list has Dragonflight. This may be one instance where I'll read more than the first book since so many people, well past their teens, like McCaffrey.

Thanks for the generous offer! I've finished the first Xanth book and I'm pretty sure I won't read anymore in the series. This was my first Anthony read and most likely my last. I started the book Sunday and ended up setting it aside for several days because the s*xism was too much. Since I can appreciate the hard work that goes into writing a novel, I finished just to give the author a chance. It was a quick easy read, but the terrible opinion of women... there are too many instances to point out here. So I'm done. I originally vowed to read three books in a series from the NPR Top 100 Fantasy and Science Fiction, but I've changed my mind. One book, unless I want to read more.

Theres something going around here that isn’t the flu, but has caused bronchitis in multiple cases. I ended up with inflamed chest muscles from coughing so hard and it took a long time to recover from. Just because it isn’t the flu doesn’t mean it can’t lead to multiple doctor visits. I would recommend you stay home. You may not have it, but you might still be contagious.

This was said to me in a joking manner as one of our children does have an unexpected genetic trait (though it isn't unexpected to me as I remember basic biology). I said the blood test was fine, but there would be a heavy payment when it came back positive.

These have been the rules at every gym we've joined and we've lived in many places in the US. I'd talk to the manager and ask for the rules to be implemented (if they haven't been already) and enforced.

My kids loved Martin’s Big Words. The pictures are lovely and if I remember correctly, the text combines the story of his life as well as quotes from his speeches.

Well, I’ll chime in and say pass on Oryx and Crake. I was bothered by the female character who simply exists as a s*x object for the two male characters (which includes describing child pornography). I read it after Handmaids Tale (where I was bothered by the passivity of the female characters) and can’t bring myself to read Atwood since. ETA: I’ve edited my post, but if the above is too much info, let me know. I think people should be warned. I finished the book just because Atwood is praised so highly but the scene was disturbing to me.

I couldn't pick either one, because we have a drawer that sometimes has things randomly thrown into it and other times things are neatly put away. I try to dump it out and organize it once a year, while doing periodic purges and tidying every month or so. I don't worry too much if it gets untidy because I know I'll take care of it when I have time.