Friday Flames: The creep in the Veepstakes

And other revelations about the Change, the tomato, the Feast, the flu, and the patriarchy.

Predictably, each political side is convinced their guy “won” the VP debate. For us, though, the whole exchange stood out as one of the primary reasons why men favor the male presidential candidate and women overwhelmingly support the woman. The interaction between Vance and Walz played out like the patriarchy writ large and underscores why men and women view the candidates through such different lenses.

We’re both big-time Coach supporters, so Doug reacted to JD’s slick delivery of lie after brazen lie (45 salvaged Obamacare? seriously?) with fuck-that-guy contempt. We’ve all met this type of over-inflated uber-bro who thinks bullshit becomes truth if you spew it confidently enough. But Magda was affected much more viscerally, as she was forced to relive all the times she (and so many other women) have felt bull-dozed by “a slimy, aggressive, misogynistic, gaslighting weasel.”

Vance is a weird dude, and each time he speaks reveals darker opinions of women. He’s just a mean guy who wants to govern ruthlessly, with men in charge and women having kids while they can (and watching them after they can’t). And while Dudes for Harris might fantasize about getting into his (very punchable) face, women see men like him gain power so relentlessly and are filled with rage, fear, and/or exasperation.

Embers in the News

Here are some of the links that peeked through the noisy news cycle last month:

• “I can eat sugar now!” A 25-year-old woman with type 1 diabetes started producing her own insulin after a transplant of reprogrammed stem cells.

• Beauty and Seoul At 72, someone suggested that Choi Soon-hwa take up modeling. At 81, she was the runner-up for Miss Universe South Korea.

• Blessings for Botts Kansas St. QB Avery Johnson raised over $40K to help Dr. Chris Botts, his high school principal who is battling stage 4 cancer.

• Cool! Now do 50+ year-olds The FDA approved the first self-administered flu vaccine, delivered via nasal spray, for people aged 49 and under.

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Recently on the podcast

Dr. MaryBeth Lewis-Boardman answered many diverse questions about starting hormone replacement therapy and deplores the legislative ignorance in Florida that is putting women's lives at risk.

Episode 57 consults a dating coach, His Holiness, and MAD Magazine to discover how midlife recalibrates our idea of happiness.

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Currently reading

Magda just started Melissa Petro's Shame On You: How to Be a Woman in the Age of Mortification, a thoroughly-researched examination of how shame suppresses women's ambitions and desires. It opens as Petro goes on TV to defend herself after losing her job as a public school teacher because she'd previously been a sex worker, and broadens to talk about how shame harms us all, and what to do about it.

One of Doug’s book clubs is reading Percival Everett’s James, the reimagining of Huckleberry Finn from Jim’s perspective. And Everett’s humor, attention to detail, and provocative insights underscore the idea that every “side” character in our lives is the star of their own story. We’d all be so much better off if we understood those stories before popping off with ill-informed judgment.

Currently watching

After watching Will & Harper, Doug has thought a lot of what it must have been like to edit down a 16-day road trip down to two hours. Despite the skewed reality—everyone’s nicer to a trans woman with Will Ferrell at her side—there are still many emotional moments about friendship, empathy, and the complex feelings that bubble up when you discover your true self at 58.

Magda and Mike are still alternating Project Runway with Columbo, but their next watch will likely be Will & Harper—at least while they’re waiting for Mike's daughter to get home before they start Season 4 of Only Murders in the Building.

Currently cooking

Mike and Magda went out for dinner for their first anniversary (already? what?) and had delicious German food at a local brewery's Oktoberfest. Now Magda is thinking ahead to the Break-The-Fast meal for Yom Kippur. She's been asked to bring chicken. Who's got a favorite chicken dish that will go well with the brisket her MIL is making?

Doug loves Tomato Season and wishes it would extend longer into the fall. So discovering this delicious tomato jam recipe has been revelatory. It’s great with cheese and crackers, spread on toast, and whatever else you might fancy. You can even pour off some of the liquid and make super-zingy Bloody Marys.

Thanks for reading, and Shana Tova!

Magda and Doug