Stephanie Davidson (Arbetter)

📍the intersection of community and culture | tweets are my own | social at @sellonamazon | mom to Sadie & Teddy (the Bernedoodle)

[Stephanie Davidson (Arbetter) @starbetter]

THEN when it became so hot that it was actually unsafe, they deplaned us. I’m now on a DIFFERENT AA flight and my original 5:15pm flight is taking off at 9:40pm and arriving after midnight…as of now. Don’t even get me started on my luggage. @AmericanAir, pls do better.

[Stephanie Davidson (Arbetter) @starbetter]

I have been at DFW for 3+ hours for what was supposed to be a QUICK 30 minute @AmericanAir layover to SEA, same terminal and everything. TLDR: we sat on the tarmac without A/C for over two hours, then told we were taking off so no one deplaned.

[Israel Now @neveragainlive1]

You’re not gonna believe this latest story. Over the past few years mossad undercover agents infiltrated as doctors and dentists in Iran. The Dentists gave priority to. Key military, and elite Iranian personnel. While doing a routine dental check up, they implanted tracking devices as fillings for cavities. On the other side, Gastro doctors implanted similar devices in their elite patients. Yesterday mossad knew exactly where each one of them were ( komayne’s wife and family members included )and sent missiles at them. Over 400 elite military in government personnel were eliminated in the first few moments ( maybe that’s one of the reasons why they knew where he was hiding )when Israel attacked.

[Dr. Eli David @DrEliDavid]

How did Israel have all that intelligence?

The regime's former president Ahmadinejad: “Iran's Secret Service had established a unit to target Mossad agents within Iran. However, the head of this unit turned out to be a Mossad operative himself, along with 20 other agents.” 🤣

[Dr Danish @operationdanish]

We now have evidence that gentle parenting doesn’t work.

Here’s an uncomfortable truth about parenting no one wants to say out loud:

The data is not kind to gentle parenting.

According to teenagers, strict curfews. strict bedtimes, screen limits, device drop off times, dedicated homework blocks, and sleepover restrictions IMPROVE higher relationship quality.

And yes, parenting difficulty goes up.

Of course it does. Leadership is harder than appeasement.

For the past decade we have been sold a watered down, Instagram friendly version of “gentle parenting” that often collapses into boundary avoidance, endless negotiation and emotional processing without enforcement. Parents terrified of saying no because they do not want to rupture connection.

But connection without authority is not connection. It is dependency.

When parents impose structure, the relationship improves.

Teenagers report better parent child relationship quality in homes with curfews and rules. Younger kids report better relationships in homes with screen limits and bedtimes. Even device drop off times correlate positively.

Why?

Because structure is not cruelty. Structure is love made visible.

A bedtime says: your brain matters more than your entertainment.

A screen limit says: your dopamine system is not fully developed and I will guard it until it is.

A curfew says: your safety matters more than your social standing.

That is not authoritarianism. That is caring.

Boundaries create friction. Friction creates growth. The parent absorbs the short term discomfort so the child does not pay the long term cost.

Children do not experience well calibrated limits as rejection. They experience them as stability. The human brain craves predictability. Predictability reduces anxiety. Reduced anxiety strengthens attachment.

That is why relationship quality goes up.

Notice something else in the data. The strongest effects are around time structure. Bedtime. Homework. Devices. Outside play. These are environmental constraints. They scaffold executive function.

The winning formula is not tyranny.

It is high warmth plus high structure.

The modern failure mode is high warmth plus low structure. That is just abdication of responsibility wrapped in empathy.

Children need leadership, not negotiation. They need adults who can tolerate their anger. They need boundaries that do not move every time emotions spike. They need someone whose prefrontal cortex is fully myelinated.

The harder path produces the stronger bond.

Because when a child feels that someone is strong enough to hold the line, they relax. And relaxed nervous systems build durable relationships.

[The Redheaded libertarian @TRHLofficial]

Let’s check in on North America

[Andrew Leyden @PenguinSix]

DC Metro bus gets stuck on Maine Avenue. Feel free to send it to your boss if he wants you in the office tomorrow.

[DC Department of Human Services @DCHumanServ]

We have shelter space for anyone who needs it in Washington, DC.

As extreme cold conditions continue—remember that anyone can call the shelter hotline to get individuals experiencing homelessness free transport to a DC shelter.

📞 DC Shelter Hotline: [phone] or 311

[Marty Kady @mkady]

Cheers to our friends at @capitalweather who nailed the timeline and the snow/sleet forecast 48 hours out. I’ve been following these guys for 20 years and they’ve always my source of truth for DMV weather.

[Mayor Muriel Bowser @MayorBowser]

We have space in our DC shelters for anyone and everyone who needs it.

Call for free transportation to a DC shelter—for yourself or someone in need: [phone]

[Mayor Muriel Bowser @MayorBowser]

It's too cold to be outside for long periods of time this weekend, DC.

If you see a community member in need of a safe, warm space—call the shelter hotline for free transportation to a DC shelter:

[phone]

[Mayor Muriel Bowser @MayorBowser]

Update on snow this weekend in Washington, DC:

We're expecting:

1. At least 9" of snow, potential for over 12"
2. Greatest accumulation Sat night into Sun morning
3. Extreme cold through next week

Our teams will work to clear roads, bring everyone inside, and keep DC safe.

[Matt Van Swol @mattvanswol]

A lot of people have asked for a comprehensive preparedness list for the winter storm.

Feel free to bookmark this or share with friends, stay safe out there:

⛽️ Gas up every car (and top off any cans if you’ve got them)
💵 Pull cash — assume card readers go down
🔋 Charge everything: phones, battery packs, laptops, tool batteries
🔌 Make one “charging pile” with all cords so nobody’s hunting
🔦 Headlamp for every adult + flashlight for every kid
🏮 Lanterns for the main rooms (no candles… kids + candles = nope)
🔋 Fresh batteries in a big ziplock — label it

🏠 Pick ONE “warm room” right now (small room, easiest to heat)
🚪 Shut doors to the rest of the house
🧣 Blankets over windows at night + towels at the bottom of doors
🛏️ Drag mattresses/pads in there if you need to
🧤 Lay out clothes like it’s ski season: base layer + hoodie + coat + hat + thick socks
👟 Slippers/shoes indoors — cold floors will wreck you
🧦 Dry clothes only — damp socks = change them immediately

⚠️ Generator = OUTSIDE only (not garage, not “cracked door,” OUTSIDE)
🚨 CO alarms working on every floor, especially near bedrooms
🔌 Use outdoor-rated extension cords only — don’t run cords under rugs
🙅‍♂️ Don’t do any “dryer plug” stuff — not worth dying for
⛽️ Fuel stays OUTSIDE the house

✅ If you’re using a heater: only indoor-rated
🔥 Keep it away from blankets/curtains/kids
🌬️ Crack a window just a tiny bit
😴🚫 Never sleep with a flame heater on

💧 Water: plan 1 gallon per person per day minimum
🪣 Fill bathtub/buckets for flushing/washing
🚱 On a well? Assume ZERO water once power is out
🔧 Find the main water shutoff now (don’t wait)
🚰 When it’s brutally cold: let faucets drip (if water’s still on)
🧊 Open sink cabinets on outside walls
🧣 Wrap exposed pipes / cover outdoor spigots
🧯 Disconnect hoses

🥫 Food: buy 7 days of no-cook / easy stuff
🍞 Stock basics: PB, tuna, crackers, granola, soup, jerky, shelf milk, cereal
🗝️ Manual can opener
🍽️ Paper plates if you don’t want to burn water on dishes
❄️ Fridge/freezer: open it as little as possible
✅ Eat fridge first, then freezer, then pantry

💊 Refill prescriptions
🤒 Kids fever meds + thermometer + first-aid kit
⚡️ CPAP/nebulizer/anything critical: have a power plan
🧼 Baby wipes + sanitizer + trash bags
🪣 No water? Bucket toilet plan (bucket + bags + kitty litter)

🎲 Make a “kid station” in the warm room: books, coloring, cards, board games
🎬 Download movies ahead of time (airplane mode)
🚫 Clear rules: no touching heaters, no cords, no generator zone
🌙🏮 Lantern by hallway/bathroom at night
🧸 One comfort thing per kid in the warm room

📱 Phones: low power mode + dim screen
📝 Write down important numbers on paper
📞 Pick a check-in time with family/friends (morning + evening)

🚗❄️ Don’t drive unless you have to — ice will humble you fast
🧰 Car kit: blanket, flashlight, snacks, water, jumper pack
🚘⚠️ If you run the car for heat: clear the tailpipe and never in an enclosed space

✅ Every morning: quick safety sweep
🚨🔥 CO alarms good, heater clear, cords not hot
🌡️💧 Watch for leaks when things thaw
🤝 Check on neighbors if you can

🗑️ Toss sketchy food when power comes back
⚡️ Bring the house back online slowly (don’t flip everything at once)

[Stephanie Davidson (Arbetter) @starbetter]

I can’t help but believe that any child of Jeremiah and Denise will come out not as a child but as a goldendoodle.

[Lulu Cheng Meservey @lulumeservey]

The HBO Max social team is doing yeoman's work, leaning into the absurdity of their boomerang rebrand and diffusing ridicule by getting in on the joke

This is excellent work and exactly what a social handle is for

[Grusha🕯 @decadentquill]

No one:
Matilda's dad:

[Matt Adams @themattadams]

I'm looking to hire an Audience and Collaboration Strategist to join the @TexasTribune audience team. In this role, you’ll collaborate closely with our @propublica partners to amplify the impactful work of our investigative teams. https://t.co/SGovt0kZtn

[Alyssa Limperis @alyssalimp]

January 1st: anything is possible

January 2nd: but not today

[Stephanie Davidson (Arbetter) @starbetter]

Having just finished S1, can confirm 😂

[nithinkd @nithinkd]

The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh feels like it was written in the nineties by an Indian dude whose visa was rejected.