Sunday morning roundup: Part II

Lucille Clifton has passed away. This is a minor detail, but did you know that she's the "Lucille" in Ani Difranco's "Lost Woman Song"?

American women are socially bullied into agreeing that everything's fine. Robin Givhan reassures us, however, that fashion-wise, things are looking good. On a related note, check out out the latest Scene In.

One Smith College constituency gets a shout-out from an unlikely source. Later at the same event, the Glenn Beck show, complete with blackboard.

Read the civilian trials piece in the New Yorker that I posted a few days ago for more substantive context, but do read Dana Milbank's argument for why the President should ignore calls for Rahm Emmanuel's head.

It's not "discrimination" when there's a practical or actuarial basis to it. Younger drivers pose higher risks (although 25 is a high bar), and it's not fair to passengers when very large passengers take up part of their seat (nor when children kick them or keep them awake over the course of eight hours on a red-eye, but that's another topic).

Russians will not stand for threats to their dachas.

With rising unemployment--of which I am not making light--people are learning to make their own waffles.

How not to address weight issues--much less non-existing ones--with children. That's *just wrong.*

I love Ten Thousand Villages and Busboys and Poets, and it sucks that they're struggling, but it doesn't surprise me given their business models. I've rarely bought anything at TTV for myself--I've bought many a gift there and received some beautiful gifts from there--but I can't justify buying "fair trade" stuff for myself. Marcela--who recently gave me a beautiful portfeuille wallet from Colombia--was talking about it--why would you, especially when you have the opportunity to get the same things in the country of origin?

The Post writes that the recent crop of Israeli films are worth seeing.