Hello to you on this balmy New York Wednesday. Putting up BARB on this slowed-down schedule has been, in its own way, stressful. Knowing there are so many things happening in the world, and I’m not putting up links for your information. Still. I’m in the thick of it, this summer time woos. Every morning, every afternoon, every evening delivers another set of *things* and the things I like to do, I want to do, I am accustomed to doing gets put on the backburner. For example. I used to speak to my best friend every day on the phone between 5 and 6pm. It had been that way for years; I’d call her from my desk at my corporate job on her cel phone as she was driving home from her corporate job. In the past year, that ritual of ours–of connecting and catching up and reporting the days thoughts and events–has disappeared. She’s started a new job and I have been in this in-between. What was once a staple in my life is non-existent and it hurts; it’s a reminder that in the tumult of the day, things get lost. So not putting up the daily BARB weighs on me. And yet I know it’s necessary, that BARB will be back in her glory, full throttle on that Tuesday after Labor Day. Having said all this, on Friday I have a fantastic two part interview with Samantha Miller, the Chief Science Officer at hmbldt. And starting on Monday, I will be launching a new series from Stacy Conde and Chris Rios. So stick with me. I’m thinking of you.

Thea Lee: “Sometimes doing your job means walking away. This was one of those times.”

Alisha Coleman:  “Every woman dreads getting period symptoms when they’re not expecting them, but I never thought I could be fired for it. Getting fired for an accidental period leak was humiliating. I don’t want any woman to have to go through what I did, so I’m fighting back.”

Laura Bates:  “We should ensure that every girl knows that politeness is less important than her career, her rights and her ability to decide who touches her body.”

These Planned Parenthood of Nassau County PSA’s are hilarious. The Long Island Reproductive Medium! Watch and share!

Casting calls as bad as the casting couch. Meh.

A good week to play Powerball.

The newspaper of my teens and twenties, The Village Voice, is shuttering.

Add this to yet another reason I don’t go into the (ocean) water.

And now have a laugh with Tiffany Haddish.