— Sylvia Plath, From The Bell Jar

I had no idea for some reason that starlings mimicked sounds, and I was outside trying to take down the christmas lights when I heard, in quick succession: grackles, a bobwhite, robins, several red-tailed hawk cries in quick succession, and at least ten other birds, followed by meowing.

I look and in the neighbor's tree there are six starlings doing rapid-fire imitations of Every Bird. They were good, too.

Now I wonder how many times I've heard a bird and it was just a starling.

Any one of you could be a starling...

For more influential women’s response to the Hobby Lobby ruling go here. 

Mort

MORIOR

[verb]

1. to die, wither away, decay. 

2. I die.

3. I wither; I decay.

Etymology: Latin, from Proto-Indo-European *mer- “to die”.

[noiaillustration]

Mr. Darcy is the original Depressed Elf Nightmare Man

advice i think we should tell children is that when adults say stuff like ‘now that i’m an adult i get really excited about stuff like coffee tables and bathrooms and rugs etc’ they don’t mean ‘and now i don’t care about blorbo and squimbus from my childhood tv shows anymore’ bc your average adult still loves all the same pop culture stuff they always did; they just have a greater appreciation for the mundane as well. growing up just means you can enjoy life twice as much now. you can get really excited about a new stuffed animal AND about a new kitchen sponge. peace and love

And now Georgiana, who we’ve had built up by Caroline Bingley as this woman of great cuIture and sophistication, and the rightful bride of her brother, Mr Bingley, is revealed to be a child. - Joe Wright

Putting the cushions up to keep them off the good sofa was apparently not a good solution.