Thursday evening roundup

I've often asked this--and most often about Russian activists: what is it in the human spirit that inspires people to trade in safety for justice? This case study in particular is a Sudanese woman on death row for standing up for her people.

How not to be a douche bag about canceling plans. Obvious stuff, but I, for one, dated someone who didn't grasp it.

October is eat unprocessed foods month.

The correlation-isn't-causation meme is overused.

I'm sorry, how are food and fitness antithetical to feminism? This response is excellent:

Newsflash: I love reading “meaty” articles. I also happen to love cooking, and clothes, and sometimes making friendship bracelets while I watch TV because I’m ADD, and figuring out how to trim my own bangs. Just because I could spend every waking spare moment reading “meaty articles” doesn’t mean I want to. Fuck yes, sometimes I want to virtually window-shop at Madewell and pin dresses I like. Sometimes I want to spend 15 minutes drooling over mac ‘n’ cheese recipes I could make this weekend. Sometimes I’m in the mood to consider a hairdo change and need ideas.

Now, I don't pin, and the mac 'n' cheese recipes I drool over involve nut or seed cheeses, but otherwise, that sums it up perfectly. I need to keep that response handy next time someone asks me why I read Elle.

I prefer single-page articles. I hate slide shows where I have to click and load a bunch of pictures to read through a list. I'm talking to you, HuffPo and The Frisky.

Hilarious statistic: this blog is #23 for "overrated junot diaz". That means at least 22 other bloggers think he's overrated (unless some of them are suggesting he's not?). Anyway, there's hope for humanity yet.