Anti-Valentine's Day roundup

I don't wield this assessment lightly--perhaps you think I do, but I don't--but in this case no other assessment can be had: what a douche bag. And there's more where that came from.

Who is Shylock?

The winners of the World Press Photo contest are worth checking out.

Spoon-feeding is literally bad for your kids.

Judith Warner weighs in on the bebe debate. I'd just like to point out that this vindicates my complaints about rowdy children. Let it be said that you can no longer dismiss people who have a problem with misbehaving children as being child-haters. Here's the actual excerpt in the Journal. I've totally experienced this, where a French friend will tell her kids to be patient and amuse themselves while she's on the phone.

I couldn't help but read Warner's column without thinking of the New Yorker piece on Tyler Clementi and his tormentor. I wondered, as I read it, whether the latter's parents emphasized achievement at the expense of raising their kid to be a decent human being. His parents are going through enough right now, but I did wonder. I'm just sayin'. But on the topic of e-gay-bashing, see Charles Blow's column.

The First Lady is super stylish.