Friday evening roundup

More on leadership.

Check out the City Paper's controversial cover; it's the talk of the town.

Another "who the f* are these people" advice column. And lest you feel a smidgen of cultural superiority over the modified but still obnoxious terms of this Afghan law, check out this letter (feelings of constitutional superiority are justified).

While we're on the topic of Afghanistan, this is a huge issue and I've heard both sides of it... and they're characterized by self-righteousness rather than an orientation toward a solution.

And while we are (or were) on the topic of women, do you agree with Judith Warner's assessment of this situation? I agree with the principle of free-range parenting but still question the woman's judgment-- no place is really safe. But then again, that ceased to be the point early on in the situation.

Should you care what other trends in parenting get my seal of approval, I tip my hat to introducing real food early on.

I rarely disagree with Grist, but there's a reason I don't generally bother with fruit-based desserts: why go to all that trouble when fruit is perfectly tasty in its natural form? Chocolate, on the other hand, benefits from cooking or other manipulation.