Sunday morning roundup

Russia's untenable, dysfunctional political system.


In politics as elsewhere, bullying tendencies are detrimental to compromise.

"The Convert" (see yesterday's posts) is particularly relevant in light of Africa's growing importance for the Catholic Church.

If you thought pink slime was bad, meet black liquor. And write to your representatives about it because it is bull$hit. Speaking of bull$hit, I don't even want to talk about Virginia's transportation plan.

Without rate setting, health care is expensive. In other health care news: see who's eating crow.


I've always intuitively felt that Russians are meant to eat wheat. I know this study uses a sample of a very specific, Russian population, but I'm just sayin': my people are good with the wheat.


A Post reader accuses the paper of dismissing anti-gay voices and running too many happy-healthy-gay-family stories.

Here's another corollary to what I rambled about yesterday, i.e., pigeonholing and demonizing does neither side any favors. Pitting stay-at-home moms against working moms doesn't serve either group, doesn't address their challenges. Pitting women of varying body shapes against each other doesn't address issues of objectification and externally imposed standards. And the supermom/incompetent dad meme really serves no one.

Okay, I know it was just yesterday that I dismissively blogged about men who give women permission not to wear makeup, but ladies, I'm going to encourage you not to wear makeup, because you have better things to do with your time and money.

On a related note... I put on some mascara the other night because a friend gave me mascara that she got as a sample and didn't need. She wanted to see it on me, so I put it on. It hurt my eyes all night and the next morning. As everyone with a brain has said, makeup is a personal choice: if you like it, enjoy it, feel better with it, etc., more power to you. It's the person without a brain who made it sound like makeup is something everyone who has self-worth, does (I take three minutes because I'm worth it). I don't take three minutes, and I'm still worth it. I don't like the way that crap feels on my face, and I don't particularly like the way it makes me look. That look is not me. I don't care if it's "better" or "more even." It doesn't feel right (neither the way it looks or feels, feels right) and I'm not going to do it.

Is it scary that this "Reply All" comic--about a woman walking her dog--reminded me of my dating life?