It's been quite a week out in the world, but a quiet week for me. I was last visiting friends last weekend, and we spent a lot of time following and talking about the executive order on immigration that was signed last Friday. Then, I came home, thinking I was allergic to my friend's new kittens, but I actually had a really bad cold. So, I've spent most of the week sleeping, coughing, and watching comfort TV while reading the news obsessively, which feels like what I spend most of my mental energy on these days. Here are a few things I wanted to share with you this week:
1. I FINALLY saw Hidden Figures last weekend, and I absolutely loved it. I left with a lot of questions about different parts of the movie, immediately put a hold on the book. (I love doing digital checkouts from my library when I can.) I was curious about Margot Lee Shetterly, who wrote the Hidden Figures book, and came across this interview with her from back in the fall. The attention Katherine Johnson and her colleagues at NASA is well-deserved. As Taraji P. Henson said at last week's SAG awards, "they are hidden figures no more."
2. I read earlier this week that the past few days have been the busiest ever for the United States Capitol switchboard. SO many people have been calling their members of Congress to weigh in on the nominees for Secretary of Education, Attorney General, and other cabinet roles, and to share their opinions on last week's executive order restricting immigration. Turns out, the best way to let your Representative and Senators know what you think is by phone.
3. There is apparently a dress code for White House staffers that includes a directive for female employees to "dress like a woman." Women have decided to share what that means to them to #DressLikeAWoman.
4. This week, we talked with Cynthia Moses, a teacher turned journalist turned documentary filmmaker who started a non-profit to foster communication conservation and public health issues with people in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
