Tuesday evening roundup

Tunisian women are having none of this "complementary" business.

You may have noticed that I've taken to introducing (ridiculous) excerpts from a certain New Yorker writer with a statement of my distaste for said writer. Well, if you found my distaste distasteful, know that I also give credit where it's due: there are also writers about whom I think, "wow, every article of his/hers is insightful and fascinating. Evan Osnos is one of those writers, and here is his excellent Letter from Rangoon.

Kids benefit from limits.


It's funny, someone was just telling me that vegetarians don't get enough iron. I told her I didn't have this problem (I didn't add, "because I eat food.") This same person--who had initiated the conversation about nutrition--got very defensive when the conversation turned to soda, and I--in response to her rant against high fructose corn syrup--added, offhand, that diet soda's not much better for you. She became not quite huffy, said, "well, we all eat well in general, and once in a while we need a treat." Which wasn't the point. I wasn't telling her not to drink soda, diet or other; I was simply making a statement about the lack of redeeming qualities in diet soda. More evidence that people struggle with having a conversation about nutrition--even one they started--without reading judgment into it. There's a difference between "this food is not great for you" and "you shouldn't eat this food, ever." Hell, I had a vegan quesadilla yesterday. It was delicious, but it's not the healthiest thing ever eaten, and I wouldn't have one every day. I don't need to pretend it's healthy to have it once in a while.