Sally Kohn
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Mom. Writer. Media Strategist + Trainer. Activist. @TED curator. @USAToday @Remodelista + @AFARmedia contributor. Author of #TheOppositeOfHate. Human. Being.
Articles by Sally Kohn
Renovation Diaries: The House Envelope and Other Lessons in Efficiency
Editor’s note: This is the latest in a series of posts by Sally Kohn— journalist and CNN political commentator, TED talk giver, and design aficionado—chronicling her adventures in remodeling. Above: Me, my wife Sarah, and the current siding and windows. Let’s level set. I live in a 1780s barn that was turned into a house in the 1950s, and as far as I can tell the windows and the siding haven’t been changed since. The fact is, many parts of our money pit farmhouse need updating.
The Best Group Vacation Hack? Get a Villa at a Hotel
For a friends' getaway with all the privacy and space of a rental home — and absolutely none of the cooking, cleaning, or dishes — Sally Kohn discovers the particular genius of a luxury hotel villa at Four Seasons Resort and Residences Napa Valley. Let me start with an audacious, perhaps even controversial, assertion: It is not a vacation if you have to do dishes. I say this, of course, as the person who most often is charged with doing the dishes at home.
Why economic inequality is the biggest threat to democracy Original
Is authoritarianism winning, or is democracy just failing to deliver? Communications strategist Sally Kohn lays out how democracy has evolved before and why it must evolve again, into what she calls "Democracy 3.0" — a version that finally shares power and opportunity equally. "We the people demand that our politics and our economy work way better for us," says Kohn.
Should there be a wealth limit for politicians?
What would it take to build a democracy that works for everyone? Communications strategist Sally Kohn and entrepreneur Jeff Maurer discuss the systems they think need rebuilding — and what people will need to truly thrive within them. They debate whether politicians should face a wealth limit, what success should mean for those in office and whether the next generation will have more opportunities than the last.
I’d Fly to Minneapolis for the Food
Minneapolis has been in the news this year for all the wrong reasons. This rich, diverse city didn’t deserve to be in the crosshairs of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, nor its extremely violent tactics. But faced with this crisis, Minneapolitans and their leaders showed the world they are a model of civic unity, neighborly cooperation, and peaceful resistance. When political commentator Sally Kohn visited last fall, she discovered the culinary side of the city.
Nobody Does Cozy Like London Does Cozy
On a quick getaway across the pond, Sally Kohn finds the tartan, tahini, ribbons, garden, and hotel bar that make four days in London cozier than cozy. She traveled in the autumn but found delights that would please at any time. There’s a song about Paris in springtime which, of course, I wholeheartedly endorse, but I’d like to suggest that we need a song about London in the fall. I have two arguments for this. First, fall always feels busy.
Browse Raised Beds - Gardenista
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Lessons Learned: The Misadventures of a Former City Slicker and Her Cut Flower Garden
Cut flower garden. This is a sub-category of garden that, if you had asked me about three years ago, I wouldn’t have even understood, let alone imagined someday having.
Books on review: The Opposite of Hate By Sally Kohn
We all hate. All of us. That means me, and unfortunately it also includes you. We are not born to do this, to judge and then hate others. We are taught to hate by the world around us. And by the way, hate is a four-letter word, worlds away from another four-letter word: love. Author Sally Kohn first came to my attention when her Ted Talk landed in my inbox (ted.com/talks/sally_kohn_what_we_can_do_about_the_culture_of_hate). If you’re not familiar with Ted Talks, you should be.
The Business of Outrage
Little Find Do you often feel outraged or angry about online news? Many news websites no longer just report events; instead, they openly stoke your indignation—to boost their page views. Sally Kohn delves into the phenomenon of clickbait—attention-grabbing headlines designed to attract clicks, often at the expense of quality and accuracy.
Making a Home Workout Space You Want to Use, From a Reluctant Exerciser
Now presenting the latest in a series of posts by Sally Kohn— journalist and CNN political commentator, TED talk giver, and design aficionado—chronicling her adventures in remodeling. Here, her home gym chronicles: As a profoundly reluctant exerciser who generally despises all things sweat and effort, I’ve always found excuses not to work out. For years, it was a healthy metabolism. Then it was something about how my patella ground against my bone when I ran.
Is "Gay Paris" Really That Gay? Uncovering Paris' LGBTQ Past
The fact thatI wanted to stay at the Hôtel de Crillon in Paris because of the French TV show Dix Pour Cent tells you a lot about me as a lesbian. In the penultimate episode of the series, aired as Call My Agent! on Netflix, Sigourney Weaver travels to Paris to meet with producers for a film role and stays at the Hôtel de Crillon—in the best suite with the best view, of course—and proceeds to flounce around the city in gorgeous clothes eating gorgeous food. This is the Paris vacation of my dreams.
Ñuke Delta Argentinian Style Live Fire Grill
Description from Nuke BBQ Product Information Grill like a Gaucho with the Ñuke Delta. Hand-crafted by Argentinian artisans, the Delta is an Argentinian gaucho grill designed to bring a modern style and functionality to the centuries-long grilling traditions on the Argentina Pampas (prairies). The Delta’s heavy-duty brazier-style fire starter basket offers dedicated space to burn the logs (or charcoal), allowing the red-hot coals to fall through the grate to fuel the Ñuke experience.
How to Cook with Fire at Home
This puppy has everything. It’s an Argentine-style grill, meaning it’s meant to use with live fire and has a grill rack that you can raise up or down to adjust the cooking temperature. There’s a firebox on the side where you build and continue to feed your fire throughout cooking; the coals fall through slots in the basket and you can then move them over to under the grill rack. There’s even a warming drawer. It’s quite the marvel. Yes, you can use the Ñuke Delta with charcoal—but again, why?
An In-Depth Restaurant Review of HAGS in New York City
If an explicitly queer restaurant opens in a relatively queer neighborhood in a queer-friendly city, is it really even queer? The answer is, I think, yes. And also, no. And also: It turns out that queerness maybe means something bigger and more radical that could nourish us all. I found myself pondering questions about identity and physical space as I enjoyed a six-course dinner with friends in late May at Hags, an explicitly queer-identified fine-dining restaurant in New York City’s East Village.
Remodeling 101: The Secret to Ceiling Fans (And Why We're All Using Them Wrong)
Editor’s note: This is the latest in a series of posts by Sally Kohn— journalist and CNN political commentator, TED talk giver, and design aficionado—chronicling her adventures in remodeling. For earlier installments, see The Case for Unstained Wood Floors from a Stealth Design Nerd and The Surprising Virtues of Spray Paint (Plus a Few Tips), just to name a few. When we lived in Brooklyn, we didn’t have central air conditioning so we were huge fans of ceiling fans, for understandable reasons.
My Queer Family Was Out and Proud on a Tiny Caribbean Island
Sometimes I like to think of travel as a form of queer activism. Admittedly, I mostly travel for selfish reasons. I want adventure. I want to be spoiled at a nice hotel. I want to eat exciting food and explore beautiful vistas. But at the same time, I like to think that when I travel I’m also doing something good for others. Specifically, when I travel to places that aren’t historically LGBTQ accepting, I try to leave a little bit of my gayness behind.
Solar LED Lanterns
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Ñuke Delta - Gaucho Grill
Description from Nuke BBQ Product Information Grill like a Gaucho with the Ñuke Delta. Hand-crafted by Argentinian artisans, the Delta is an Argentinian gaucho grill designed to bring a modern style and functionality to the centuries-long grilling traditions on the Argentina Pampas (prairies). The Delta’s heavy-duty brazier-style fire starter basket offers dedicated space to burn the logs (or charcoal), allowing the red-hot coals to fall through the grate to fuel the Ñuke experience.
The Year of Magical Lighting (or How I Nailed My Outdoor Lighting Scheme)
A bride had just gotten married in South Carolina. Hours later, an intoxicated driver killed her, police say
The Year of Magical Lighting (or How I Nailed My Outdoor Lighting Scheme) Original
But wait…that’s not all! I think a good backyard needs layers of light, just like inside the home: you need general lighting, ambient lighting, mood lighting, task lighting, and accent lighting. I don’t have this on any official authority, but I think the same should apply outside, right?
Hang an Eye Mask by the Bed, and 8 More (Hard-Won) Tips for Hosting Overnight Guests
Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of posts by Sally Kohn— journalist and CNN political commentator, TED talk giver, and design aficionado—chronicling her adventures in remodeling. For the first two installments, see The Case for Unstained Wood Floors from a Stealth Design Nerd and The Surprising Virtues of Spray Paint (Plus a Few Tips). Any minute now, I have about 382 in-laws arriving for the holidays. Okay, that’s an exaggeration; the actual number is somewhere between 5 and 9.
Remodeling 101: The Surprising Virtues of Spray Paint (Plus a Few Tips)
Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of posts by Sally Kohn— journalist and CNN political commentator, TED talk giver, and design aficionado—chronicling her adventures in remodeling. For the first installment, see Remodeling 101: The Case for Unstained Wood Floors, from a Stealth Design Nerd. I don’t know why I love spray paint so much, but it’s probably because I’m lazy. Specifically, I don’t like rinsing out paint brushes.
Remodeling 101: The Case for Unstained Wood Floors, from a Stealth Design Nerd
Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of posts by Sally Kohn— journalist and CNN political commentator, TED talk giver, and design aficionado—chronicling her adventures in remodeling. It started with too much dark wood. The house we bought—a late 1700s bank barn which had been converted into a house in the 1950s with the help of famous woodworker Wharton Esherick—had, as you might imagine, a lot of dark wood. Dark wood beams. Dark wood bookcases. Dark wood cabinets and railings.
Trees, Intentional Hiking, and the Beauty of Slime Molds
The translator and editor of "The Hidden Life of Trees" believes that a forest is so much more than a landscape—it’s a place where life happens all around us. Jane Billinghurst first started working with legendary German forester and "tree whisperer" Peter Wohlleben in 2015. She was the editor and translator of his best-selling book, The Hidden Life of Trees (Greystone Books, 2016), which fundamentally changed the way many people—including Billinghurst—think about forests.
How Putting Customers First Brought Kara Goldin to the Top
Despite not having a background in the beverage industry, Kara Goldin was on a mission to create a truly healthy, tasty way to drink more water. Today, her company Hint is now the single largest independent, nonalcoholic beverage company, recently valued at $150 million. Photo by Chance Yeh via Getty Images It’s safe to say that the first hint of Kara Goldin’s entrepreneurial career began in downtown Scottsdale, Arizona.
5 Ways to Be a More Conscientious Traveler During Climate Change
No place is immune to the effects of extreme weather. But travelers can be part of the solution when they visit the right way. Wildfires. Hurricanes. Droughts. As climate disasters increase in intensity everywhere on the planet, how do we navigate as caring, conscientious travelers? Obviously, showing up in the days after a disaster and expecting to be waited on would be worse than insensitive, almost imperialistic, but what about in the months and years afterward?
Critical race theory and loving America are not mutually exclusive. My journey with CRT.
As a white person, learning about the depths of racist brutality intertwined with the history of the United States wasn’t an act in self-loathing but empowerment. You have to understand a problem to be able to help solve it, and I wasn’t raised to see racism as a current problem in our nation, let alone understand the depths and severities of the past. That changed because of critical race theory, and I’m a better American – and a better human – because of it.
Critical race theory and loving America are not mutually exclusive. My journey with CRT.
As a white person, learning about the depths of racist brutality intertwined with the history of the United States wasn’t an act in self-loathing but empowerment. You have to understand a problem to be able to help solve it, and I wasn’t raised to see racism as a current problem in our nation, let alone understand the depths and severities of the past. That changed because of critical race theory, and I’m a better American – and a better human – because of it.
Kamala Harris vs. Mike Pence: USA TODAY opinion contributors assess the VP debate
Ellis Cose, James S. Robbins, Sally Kohn and Raul A. Reyes USA TODAY asked a diverse group of contributors to its Opinion section their impressions of how Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Mike Pence performed in Wednesday night's vice presidential debate.
Michelle Obama tries to resuscitate America's soul and says Trump 'cannot be who we need'
Michelle Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention was the speech our nation needed, given by the only person who could give it, delivered in the best way to meet this moment. I suspect it will go down in history as one of the best political convention speeches ever given. I also suspect it will play a significant role in defeating President Donald Trump and catapulting Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to victory.
Why I’m Proud That Pride Is Canceled
We can’t travel for Pride this year—but that’s not a bad thing, argues author and activist Sally Kohn. A few weeks before the pandemic shutdowns cascaded across the United States, I spent seven hours sitting in a theater in midtown Manhattan watching The Inheritance. No, that’s not a typo. The Inheritance is a gut-punching two-part play, seven hours long in total, written by the brilliant Matthew Lopez.
Ben Carson Is Worse for Women Than Trump
Ben Carson. Photo: Charlie Neibergall/Corbis Ben Carson, who in many polls is now the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination, calls himself a “reasonable person.” Indeed, this is how much of the press has covered Carson — suggesting Carson’s pleasing “bedside manner” offers “a soft-spoken alternative” — especially when contrasted with his bombastic rival Donald Trump.
America’s Creepy HIV+ Registry
Despite the fact that President Obama has not proposed—and if he’s as politically savvy as he seems to be, never will propose—a federal gun registry, the NRA and pro-gun extremists continue to fear-monger about this mythical possibility. And yet, did you know the federal government and every single state has a name registry of those who have tested positive for HIV/AIDS? Where’s the outrage against this? Dec. 1 is World AIDS Day.
Did Democrats Blow It by Not Going With Warren?
Did Democrats Blow It by Not Going With Warren? Not having an audience made the angry old man shouting match antics feel all the more sad.
I Traveled Last Week for a Good Cause. Did I Do More Harm Than Good?
Sally Kohn wouldn’t travel today. But last week? Last week, the world was in a different place. Here’s why she traveled—and what she witnessed. The plane was empty and so I got upgraded. This, I can safely say, was the best part about traveling at the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States. Not that I’d travel now. You probably shouldn’t. By the time you’re reading this, you probably can’t.
Why was the Bernie v Biden debate so absurd? It might have to do with the coronavirus
For most of the time I was watching Sunday’s Democratic debate between Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden, I was trying to figure out why it was so frustrating. Sure there were ideologically illustrative moments — as when Sanders argued that coronavirus stems from a larger emergency of health and economic inequality that requires a systemic response, versus Biden wanting to focus on the outbreak as a discrete challenge.
Why was the Bernie v Biden debate so absurd? It might have to do with the coronavirus
For most of the time I was watching Sunday’s Democratic debate between Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden, I was trying to figure out why it was so frustrating. Sure there were ideologically illustrative moments — as when Sanders argued that coronavirus stems from a larger emergency of health and economic inequality that requires a systemic response, versus Biden wanting to focus on the outbreak as a discrete challenge.
Why was the Bernie vs. Biden debate so absurd? – HotAir
5. I miss Elizabeth Warren Okay, this is a personal point but I think it applies more broadly, too. It’s not just that Warren was my candidate, but I think she would have threaded the needle of this moment on this stage — outlining her detailed, comprehensive plans and pointing out the differences between her and her opponents but also highlighting where they agree and keeping her true enemy in her sights.
Why was the Bernie v Biden debate so absurd? It might have to do with the coronavirus
Sally Kohn, Opinion columnist Published 11:08 p.m. ET March 15, 2020 | Updated 10:27 a.m. ET March 16, 2020 In what may be the final debate of the Democratic primary for 2020 election cycle, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders faced off in a CNN television studio. USA TODAY Not having an audience made the angry old man shouting match antics feel all the more sad.
Democratic voters fired up for a fight
Sally Kohn Published 5:00 a.m. ET March 7, 2020 Super Tuesday: who's in, who's out, and how did the field get narrowed to the candidates still in? USA TODAY The best news for Democrats in the Super Tuesday results may not be the surge of Joe Biden, or Bernie Sanders hanging on, or even Mike Bloomberg dropping out. No, the best news is the record and near record turnout of Democratic voters all across the country.
Trump got some bad news on Super Tuesday: Democratic voters are eager to show him the door
The best news for Democrats in the Super Tuesday results may not be the surge of Joe Biden, or Bernie Sanders hanging on, or even Mike Bloomberg dropping out (although I am personally extra thrilled about that). No, the best news is the record and near record turnout of Democratic voters all across the country. Whoever the eventual nominee is, it’s clear that Democrats are fired up and ready to vote to defeat Donald Trump.
Trump got some bad news on Super Tuesday: Democratic voters are eager to show him the door
The best news for Democrats in the Super Tuesday results may not be the surge of Joe Biden, or Bernie Sanders hanging on, or even Mike Bloomberg dropping out (although I am personally extra thrilled about that). No, the best news is the record and near record turnout of Democratic voters all across the country. Whoever the eventual nominee is, it’s clear that Democrats are fired up and ready to vote to defeat Donald Trump.
Traveling as an LGBTQ Family
For years, writer Sally Kohn didn’t stress about how the world perceived her relationship with her partner, Sarah. But then they started traveling with their kid. Suddenly, every interaction mattered. The time to stop hiding came as we sat in the back of a van somewhere along the road between Ranthambore National Park and Udaipur. Not that we’d ever been trying to hide, exactly. But we knew the moment would come. Packing for our trip to India, I had brought it up.
Citizens United paved the way for Trump. Ousting Trump will let us end Citizens United.
It just so happens that opening arguments in the Senate impeachment trial against President Donald Trump are expected to get underway on the exact same day that, 10 years ago, the Citizens United case was decided by the Supreme Court. Coincidence? Of course.
Calm the F*ck Down
An audiobook you'll love... How to Control What You Can and Accept What You Can't So You Can Stop Freaking Out and Get On With Your Life How to Control What You Can and Accept What You Can't So You Can Stop Freaking Out and Get On With Your Life Pardon our French! Read by the New York Times bestselling author herself, this “hilarious, irreverent, and no-nonsense” audiobook (Bustle) is “self-help to swear by” (The Boston Globe).
The Edge of the Sea
An audiobook you'll love... Written by: Rachel Carson | Narrated by: Kaiulani Lee The National Book Award–winning author of the influential Silent Spring looks at tide pools, coral reefs, rocky shorelines, and other points where sea meets land. Listeners who love nature will enjoy this beautiful, detailed portrait of marine life in this lyrical audiobook that showcases the author’s talent for “catching the life breath of science on the still glass of poetry” (Time).
I love Pete Buttigieg, but sheesh, Mayor Pete is not ready to be president
I really didn’t want to write this and am still feeling conflicted even as I type. Because I really like Pete Buttigieg. He’s smart and young and a passionate public servant. And yes, I also like that he’s gay — both because I’m gay and it’s pretty amazing to see an openly gay candidate faring so well in a presidential primary, but also because his proud gayness is an implicit middle finger to Donald Trump’s anti-LGBTQ, anti-everyone-who-is-not-just-like-himself presidency.
I love Pete Buttigieg, but sheesh, Mayor Pete is not ready to be president
I really didn’t want to write this and am still feeling conflicted even as I type. Because I really like Pete Buttigieg. He’s smart and young and a passionate public servant. And yes, I also like that he’s gay — both because I’m gay and it’s pretty amazing to see an openly gay candidate faring so well in a presidential primary, but also because his proud gayness is an implicit middle finger to Donald Trump’s anti-LGBTQ, anti-everyone-who-is-not-just-like-himself presidency.
I love Pete Buttigieg, but sheesh, Mayor Pete is not ready to be president
Sally Kohn, Opinion columnist Published 2:15 a.m. CT Nov. 22, 2019 | Updated 11:03 a.m. CT Nov. 22, 2019 Democrats attacked Donald Trump for his lack of government experience. We were right, and now we can't abandon our standards to elect Mayor Pete. I really didn’t want to write this and am still feeling conflicted even as I type. Because I really like Pete Buttigieg. He’s smart and young and a passionate public servant.
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