Jess Lahitou

Jess Lahitou

Bio

Jess is a literature lover, former teacher, new(ish) mother, and politics junkie. Currently in Miami, this Colorado native is embracing the culture shock. Art Basel? Wynwood? Ropa Vieja? Yes, please.

Jess Lahitou Articles

Serve: baby does something. Return: you react in kind. (Image: Thinkstock)

The Most Important Thing Dads Can Do for Baby: Serve and Return

I’m not one for overstatement; the research here is rock solid. And while “serve and return” is borrowed lingo from tennis (hopeful we have some fellow Del Potro fans in the house), the practice has nothing at all to do with sports.

When it comes to babies, “serve and return” refers to meaningful, face-to-face interaction with the little one. The sort of conversation where you’re not just talking at baby, but watching his reactions, and responding in kind.

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Up your followers past a certain number, and endorsement deals might suddenly seem a whole lot more lucrative than that old proletariat pastime of "love." (Image Credit: Instagram/@tristasutter)

I Miss When The Bachelor Franchise At Least Pretended To Take Itself Seriously

The blatant promise of a career in the spotlight has stripped the Bachelor/Bachelorette of its beautiful, benign lie: that we could watch “regular” people navigate the perils and pitfalls of modern dating, that such a quest was in and of itself enough, and that a happy ending was a real possibility.

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Political truth might be stranger than fiction this year.

One Crazy Way The Election Could Go

McMullin winning Utah's six electoral votes could deny both Clinton and Trump from getting to the necessary 270 electoral votes required to become president. And that opens up a world of odd-ball scenarios for who the next president might be.

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We don't all love it.

Call Me A Killjoy: A Case Against Medical Marijuana

But the way I see it, concerning the issue of legalizing pot we have two questions: 1) Whether a person has the right to get high, and 2) Whether that right supersedes the rights of other potentially affected parties.

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Hillary Clinton.

Hillary Makes History

Prejudice against women has existed in this country since its very inception. Indeed, prejudice against women has existed throughout all of history, long predating the presence of America, and sexism continues on unabated today, in most parts of the world. And it goes mostly unaddressed, much less eradicated.

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(Image Credit: Pixaby)

What Is #NaNoWriMo, And Why Are My Hipster Friends Talking About It?

Maybe you’re an aspiring novelist, or maybe you know one.

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Image: Starbucks.com

WTF Was Starbucks Thinking When They OK’d 2015’s #RedCup?

A tradition dating back to 1997, starting each November 1st, Starbucks introduces their holiday cup. So after 10 long months of waiting, forgive me for experiencing childlike letdown over this year’s Red Cup.

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Photo Credit: Flickr.

Recap: Hillary And Trump Win Big In New York Primaries

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump won big in yesterday’s New York Primary contests.

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For teens, there's never a real "off" time.

Is The Internet Ruining Teenagers' Lives? Um... It Might Be

As the headline article (“Anxiety, Depression and the American Adolescent”) points out, depression has been replaced with anxiety as the leading mental health struggle of today’s adolescent. The one possible cause that stood out to me most was the impact of social media. With smartphone in hand, teens can be reading harmless texts, or – as was the case for one young female interviewed – they could be viewing disturbing Instagram posts, or reading about distant tragedies, or scrolling through hateful Facebook comments. Maybe even comments about them.

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Given their unfair and potentially exploitative access to the personal life details of millions of voters, in an ideal world, social media tycoons wouldn’t run at all. (Image Credit: Instagram/@zuck)

Is The Next President Coming Out Of Silicon Valley?

Americans deserve to vote without being unwittingly “nudged,” “tweaked,” or otherwise manipulated by those with the most power and most incentive to do so. Ergo, any candidate from Silicon Valley needs to be treated with an excess of skepticism.

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