Weekend: I’m standing in the spotlight

Skimm'd while browsing the best sales of the week — Check out what we Skimm’d for you today October 7, 2023 [Subscribe]( [Read in browser]( [theSkimm Logo] Daily Skimm WEEKEND Skimm'd while [browsing the best sales of the week]( “Lewis” — The 8-foot-tall, talking Halloween [decoration]( that’s haunting Target shoppers and TikTokers. Oh my gourd. theSkimm With Fat Bear Week Insiders on the Chunky Competition Hope you filled out your brackets: [Fat Bear Week]( is in full swing. During the annual competition, fans weigh in as 12 of the bulkiest bears in Alaska’s Katmai National Park & Preserve are figuratively pitted against one another. To learn more, we spoke to the tournament’s founder, [Mike Fitz](, and Katmai media ranger, [Naomi Boak](… Q: How did the idea for Fat Bear Week first come about? Fitz: In 2014, I was a ranger at Katmai, and we had already been doing [the webcams]( for a couple years … At Brooks River, we have this great opportunity to see how bears’ body mass changes from early to late summer [as they prepare for hibernation] … One of the viewers posted side-by-side screen captures [showing] how fat [a bear] got. Something in my brain clicked and I thought, Wouldn’t it be cool if we let people choose the fattest and most successful bear of the year? … We threw together this thing called “Fat Bear Tuesday” on Facebook, and it was extremely well received. The engagement was off the charts compared to anything we’d done. That day, I decided it needed to be a whole week to allow more people to participate ... I thought it’d be a goofy thing that the park did each year, and that’s still true, but its popularity isn’t something I’d ever envisioned. Q: Why do you think that is? People are terrified of bears, but ironically, get so excited about Fat Bear Week. Fitz: Bears are powerful animals — they possess a great amount of strength and speed. Of course, they have the potential to be dangerous, but we as humans relate to them in a lot of ways. We can relate to how devoted mother bears are to raising their offspring and making sure their cubs are safe. A lot of us admire their ability to essentially become seasonally obese, then sleep through the wintertime. Every year, I see lots of comments from people wishing they could also sleep through winter … And of course they’re big, furry animals. Q: Part of the fun is learning [about the bears](. How do you get to know them well enough to write their bios? Boak: We’re living with those bears for five months. So we’re observing them [in person]. We’re getting to know their histories, behaviors, and interactions. We’re watching the bear cams ... which are like five soap operas in a day … We really get to know the bears as individuals, and they are individuals. They have different personalities ... and they face different challenges, which influence their character and role — whether they’re just figuring things out as a teenager of the bear world or are a dominant bear that gets to choose the best fishing spots without interference. Q: Do you ever have trouble keeping track of which bear is which? Boak: Sometimes we can keep track, and sometimes we can’t. We recognize bears by a number of physical features — their ears, noses, body size, scars — or behavior ... You can’t go by the coat color because it can change from light to dark over the season … As a ranger, we learn how to say ‘I don’t know’ a lot. Q: Which bears have you been rooting for this year? Fitz: Bear 128, who’s nicknamed Grazer … She’s not raising cubs this year, but she is a fierce and devoted mother bear. She’s probably the toughest female bear that I’ve ever seen. At times, it seems like another bear just has to look in her family’s direction, and bam, she’s on top of them. She’s also the best angler on the river — she has the agility and speed to catch fish virtually anywhere and can chase salmon down. She’s gotten really fat and is definitely worthy of many people’s votes … Though Bear 747 “Colbert” is still a giant. He won last year, but I think it’s time for a new champion ... [which could end up being] Bear 32 “Chunk.” It might be his Fat Bear Week to lose. His belly is so gigantic, it nearly touches the ground — he’s had a really great year. Boak: We have a lot of females in the bracket this year. I always root for them because they have such a hard job raising cubs. It takes so much energy to do that. [But] I really adore the feisty floof of a cub that won this year’s [Fat Bear Junior](, Bear 806 Jr. That little titan probably went from 1 pound to 70 pounds in less than a year. I [also] think Bear 435 “Holly” is looking like the Michelin Man again. She doesn’t have cubs this year, so she is really fat … And we can’t forget about the fan favorite, 480 Otis. He’s one of our oldest bears, and quite frankly, I didn’t think he was going to return this year … He came back in late July, and he was skinnier and more frail than we’ve ever seen him … But, the guy knows how to fish. He put on weight, and he is a fat, healthy bear. Psst, this interview has been edited for length and clarity. [Facebook]([Twitter]([Email](mailto:?body=Go behind the scenes of Fat Bear Week with founder Mike Fitz and Katmai media ranger Naomi Boak #theSkimm%0A3Ftype%3Demailurl%26r%3DSKIMM%26utm_source%3Demail%26utm_medium%3Ddsshare%23custom) What's Happening 🍼 In parenting... If the [child care cliff]( has you on edge, you’re not alone. That’s why we’re asking companies to [#ShowUsYourChildCare](. Also driving change? Families turning to [car nannies](. And restaurants embracing “[Baby Hour](.” --------------------------------------------------------------- 👢 In style... While debate is blowing up over the “[girlfriend effect](,” the arrival of [Ugg season]( is also walking a fine line. That’s as [wet scents]( are making a splash. And a new [fragrance brand]( is bringing extinct flowers back to life. --------------------------------------------------------------- ☕️ In food... No, it’s not just you — coffee has gotten a latte [more expensive](. Same with [Girl Scout Cookies](. Meanwhile, if the tomato girl aesthetic is feeling overripe, noodle on [pasta girl fall](. Forward this to a friend. [Click here](mailto:?&subject=Check out this Daily Skimm Weekend newsletter&body=Check it out . Skimm Reads “[How to Say Babylon](” by Safiya Sinclair...A buzzy memoir has entered the chat. Sinclair — an award-winning poet — tells the story of growing up in Jamaica with a strict and abusive Rastafarian father, who expected her to be an obedient daughter who would become an obedient wife. With the quiet support of her mother, she eventually finds freedom in poetry and escapes to college in the US. Full of beautiful prose, this is an exploration of womanhood that will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading. Skimm Picks Here are today’s recs to help you live a smarter life… 1. The coatigan of your comfy, cozy dreams. [This coat]( is basically an invite to stay in allll weekend long. It’s got roomy pockets for snacks, and a stylish lapel. Plus, Skimm’rs get *taps microphone* free shipping on this (and everything else) this weekend.* [Get cozy]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. A sale on sets at Great Jones. Get $20 off a set of [colorful measuring cups]( and $45 off a pair of [ceramic baking dishes]( that'll become family heirlooms. More cute bundle-and-save deals, [ahead](. [Shop and save]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. September's bestselling pants, crowd-pleasing gifts, and more. All the things Skimm'rs really loved last month. Bookmark [this page]( for the next time you're in need of some shopping therapy. [Check them out]( Psst…love our recs? Follow [@skimmshopping]( on Instagram for more products, gifts, and services that are actually worth the hype (and the price tag). Weekend Escape *Slams laptop shut until Monday.* We know the feeling. And we’ve got some tips for escape. Not wild about [big brown bears](? No fear — there are plenty of other animal feeds that are worth checking out. Here are [a few animal kingdoms](, from across the globe... - The Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s [Panda Cams](. Later this year, the zoo’s beloved giant pandas — Tian Tian, Mei Xiang, and Xiao Qi Ji — will [return to China](. Until that happens, you can catch them munching on bamboo and tumbling around in their habitat. Not to mention that the zoo also has elephant, lion, cheetah, and naked mole-rat [cams](. - Monterey Bay Aquarium’s [Jelly Cam](. Curious about what goes on under the sea? Every day from 7 am to 7 pm PT, this California aquarium live streams its blissed-out sea nettles bobbing and whooshing to a spa-like soundtrack. You can also peek at some of its [other residents](, from sharks to sea otters to spider crabs. - Toucan Rescue Ranch’s [Baby Sloth Webcam](. Paging [Kristen Bell]( — and any other sloth lovers. This Costa Rican wildlife rescue originally started to care for the country’s toucans, but has since expanded to all sorts of animals, including, yes, sloths. Hang with its young crew as they sleep, eat, and climb around. - Africam Naledi [Cat-Eye Cam](. Set up near a waterhole in Africa, this live feed is purrfect for spotting the king of the jungle and other big cats (think: leopards). Don’t be surprised when rhinos, elephants, baboons, and other animals make a cameo. News Quiz Let’s see how well you kept up with the Daily Skimm this week. Which social media platform is testing an ad-free subscription tier? A. TikTok B. X C. Instagram D. Snapchat Check back tomorrow for the answer. But if you just need to know, you’ll find what you’re looking for [here](. Skimm'd by: Macy Alcido, Rasheeda Campbell, Maria del Carmen Corpus, Melissa Goldberg, and Clem Robineau --------------------------------------------------------------- Photos by NPS Photo/F. Jimenez, 37 Ink, George Rose via Getty Images Design by theSkimm --------------------------------------------------------------- *PS: This is a sponsored post. Want to wake up with us every morning? 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