Things I'm Reading & Watching: Katie Hill's Amazing Parting Words | Looking For Alaska | Wired | CityLab

I only knew about The Testaments, Margaret Atwood's long awaited sequel to The Handmaid's Tale, about a week before its release, but the second I heard about it, I reserved any format I could on every library I could (San Diego, Chula Vista, San Diego County) and within a week or so of release, I already had the book from one library and the audio CDs from another. Unfortunately, I couldn't get to the book at all...it was the same time the Casbah was transitioning from Ticketfly to Eventbrite and I was buried in work, but I've now got the audio recording and am listening as I work, as I clean, as I lay around being sick. Darren is listening, too. So today, I was watching this amazing speech by Katie Hill, and he walks into the room. And granted, he couldn't really make sense of what was being said but says, "Oh, you must've caught up to me and passed me, I haven't heard that part yet." I don't know if I should laugh or cry. That he could hear the words of Katie Hill, and mix them with The Testaments says so much about where we are. Yesterday he asked me if Nova was too young to experience "toxic masculinity" and I said it's something females experience from the time we're born, then proceeded to give examples. Listen to Katie. It's 8 minutes long. Take the time. And let's at least celebrate today's Impeachment vote victory. Still such a long way to go.


more watching and reading after the jump:

San Diego Zoo Bids Farewell to Panda Program | Last Chance Views Through April 29

San Diegans were shocked when the San Diego Zoo announced an end to the panda program. Most of us understood that this program was always meant to be temporary, but after 23 years, we kinda thought it would be forever. I remember when the pandas first came to San Diego in 1987 for a 100 day stint. I think I was in 6th grade and my mom bought me a bright red panda shirt that I wore until it wouldn't fit anymore--maybe the only time we've ever paid full price for a souvenir, ever.

When the pandas came back in 1996, I'd spend my lunch between classes at City College hanging out at the Zoo. I've been lucky to attend a couple behind the scenes and media events over the years and I'm heartbroken that they're not gonna be around anymore, particularly after the investment by the Zoo in the breeding program. Like many, I'm holding out hope that this isn't goodbye forever, just goodbye for now, and now that Bai Yun is ready to go into retirement, some new breedable pandas will make their way here and the program won't really be over. Pro-tip: The lines for pandas are going to be insane this weekend. If you don't want to wait in the lines but want a last glimpse, you can see the pandas from overhead while crossing the bridge from the treehouse to the elephants or just check out the panda cam.

I definitely went through some pangs of nostalgia digging through my old photos. Check out some more snaps after the jump and check out the Zoo's press release.