Save It for Later: BlogHer '12, Reality TV, and Back to School

In Save It for Later you’re getting a brief run-down of each week's stand-outs from around the Web.

BlogHer ‘12

"Opportunity often comes disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary defeat."

Napoleon Hill

Voices of the Year

Thanks to the kindness of Ashley Taylor and Stacey Gill, I had the opportunity to go to BlogHer ’12 and celebrate my VOTY honor.  Thanks to my inability to overcome the fear of the dentist, I missed it.  Also, dentists are expensive--more expensive than what I had saved for a flight to NYC.  I was faced with deciding between a cracked front tooth and lost crown being fixed and attending the conference.  The situation depressed me.  And I still haven’t found an affordable option for fixing my teeth.  I’m in a funk and hoping to overcome it by continuing a fearless examination of what it means to be me:  Sperk*, a human, mom, friend, and one who sometimes loses sight of the fortitude I already hold (that was in no particular order).

Did you go to BlogHer ’12?  How was it?

What Are You Watching?

I’m into the new HBO series The Newsroom.  I like its intelligent take on the media, challenging viewers to be critical thinkers as they take in the news and other forms of entertainment.  In episode four, I'll Try to Fix You, viewers got a fictional and yet impactful look into gossip magazines’ “takedown” stories.   Regina Kulik Scully and Jennifer Siebel Newsom, who write for the blog at Miss Representation, recently wrote an article related to the episode, asking us to take into consideration why we watch reality television.  Although I do not view most reality shows as “takedown” stories, they have a similar trashy feel.  The article, The Toxic 'Takedown' Fast, raises interesting questions related to both tabloid 'takedowns' and reality shows.  

With the premiere of TLC’s new show, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo , premiering on Wednesday, I have to ask, “When will we say ‘enough!’ to reality television?”  And, "Who are we taking down with these shows?" 

I’m grateful my own reality TV guilty pleasure, Pawn Stars, is not in the TLC, but airs on The History Channel.  I’m afraid Honey Boo Boo is going to cause me to boycott TLC.

Back to School Shopping

My kids start school earlier than usual this year—August 15^th.  That means school supply shopping is not right around the corner.  It should be happening now.  I’m unprepared.  And both of my girls have long lists of items that need to be purchased in order for them to be prepared for learning (insert a hint of sarcasm here___).

According to a CBS News story, Americans will spend on average $689 per family on back to school shopping.  Here’s some sound advice from J.J. Montanaro, who writes at USAA, on how to make it a little less painful: 

5 Back-to-School Shopping Tips You Won't Want to Miss

Find something interesting while surfing the Web this week?  Let me know in the comments. 

photo credit: Thomas Hawk via photo pin cc
photo credit: Sarah Deforche via photo pin cc