Jody Allard

Jody Allard

Bio

Jody Allard is a former techie turned freelance writer living in Seattle. Her online work has appeared on Time, xoJane, and Offbeat Home, among others. She writes primarily about food, family, mothering, and life with a chronic illness. 

Jody Allard Articles

credit: Ashley Anderson

Please Do Not Dub Sandra Bland A Crazy Black Woman

"Ultimately, it doesn't matter much whether Bland killed herself or was murdered. In both cases, she died because she was hauled into custody for a minor offense that didn't really even merit being pulled over to begin with. Maybe her head injury led to uncharacteristic behavior, or maybe the traumatic arrest triggered a severe PTSD episode, or maybe someone flat out killed her. But, in every case, she died because she was in that police cell."

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"Make no mistake, Seattle parents are in it for the long haul."

School Is Closed Until Further Notice and Seattle Has Some Explaining to Do

Here's the thing, though. Seattle teachers didn't want to strike. What they wanted were reasonable class sizes, less focus on teaching to the test, and livable wages. These are fair and reasonable demands, and that is why parents throughout Seattle have rushed to the picket lines to support our teachers.

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Twitter Turns Oregon Militia Into Brokeback Mountain Inspired Erotica

If imagining the Oregon militia huddled together for warmth now that the Feds have cut off their power fills you with Brokeback Mountain inspired nostalgia, you aren't alone.

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I Was Born Without A Hand And Don't Want A 3D Prosthetic

I was born without fingers on my right hand. No one knows why, even now, 36 years later. It just happened, as these things sometimes do.

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Your Daily Coffee Habit May Actually Save Your Life

If you're anything like me, your first coffee of the morning is just a warm-up for your next cup of coffee. But now, thanks to the wonders of science, you can chug those buckets of joe guilt-free because coffee may actually make you live longer!

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Don't be afraid.

It Doesn’t Matter What Causes Autism (But It Does Matter How We Treat It)

I know what autism looks like, and I understand why people are afraid of it because, at its worst moments, it is desperately, terribly ugly — it is children who can’t communicate, who become adults who are unable to live independently, and who simply cannot cope with the onslaught of sensory input that we barely notice. It is meltdowns that are triggered by nothing and everything, learning difficulties, and services that cost our healthcare system billions of dollars every year.

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Rachel and her family

What Rachel Dolezal Teaches Us About Mental Illness

What initially broke as a story of possibly fraudulent misrepresentation by a public figure quickly morphed into the downfall of a highly disturbed and probably mentally ill woman.

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Japan Implores Customers Not To Have Sex With Robots, Crushes Hopes Everywhere

Most stories involving robots that have been developed to think and feel end with robot uprisings and the near annihilation of the human race.

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Pumpkin Spice Lattes Are Back and It's Officially Pumpkin Everything Season

ICYMI, today marks the first official day of the seasonal return of the Starbucks pumpkin spice latte.

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When Healthy Isn't An Option: How I Learned To Love My Chronically Ill Body

I lost 100 pounds, and I kept most of it off. But I am not healthy, and I never will be.

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