Thursday morning roundup

Coke, Pepsi, and ABF are perpetuating land grabs across the developing world for their insatiable demand for sugar.

Giving money to child beggars isn't helpful.

Denise Mina on what the Scottish independence debate teaches us about binary, adversarial discourse. For more on the $hittiness of personal attacks, see the Daily Mail and the Millibands.

How federal workers are holding up, and a profile in how counterproductive the shutdown is.

Not unlike the gaslighting that's characterized the shutdown negotiations,

Can I burn down your house? No Just the 2nd floor? No Garage? No Let's talk about what I can burn down. No YOU AREN'T COMPROMISING!
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) October 2, 2013

is the gaslighting that emotionally immature people bring to their relationships. I've been there ("if you say a word about my unhealthy habits, including how they affect you, you're trying to change me") and the best way is out.

An excellent column on how we can't just discount beauty, but we must learn to manage our insecurities around it. And to immunize ourselves against the predators that use those insecurities to target us.

The question, "if women are buying their own engagement rings, what's the point?" begs the bigger question, "what's the point, anyway?"

How did it take an eight-year old to point out that these Girls Only and Boys Only books are absurd?

Storms put bugs out of the mood.

***
The National Museum of Women in the Arts is letting furloughed government employees in for free; maybe tomorrow I'll check that out. Today I'm going to take up Alexandria on its generous free Key to the City.

There were times when I would have loved a day or even a week off. And I'll admit, it wasn't bad to have a day; I wasn't the only one around the office who was willing to take a day of unpaid leave. But--separately from the whole missed pay issue--my life is under control right now, even more so (much more so) than it was a month ago. I don't need this time off, not with most museums and trails closed and the possibility of having to go back to work any day--which keeps me from being able to go anywhere. I don't need anything (not a thing), so--especially without a paycheck--I don't feel like shopping. It is wonderful to catch up on reading, and napping. It's such a change of rhythm, though--during the week, especially, scrambling is my usual way of life. All of my habits are based on maximizing efficiency. I've had to remind myself that it doesn't much matter whether I forgot to do something before I left for something or other, because I'll have plenty of time to do it when I get back.

It is comforting that I'll go back to work eventually (right??), and I feel for anyone who has to deal with this on a long term basis.  But it's not just that I don't want to be here; it's that I miss work. I like my job. I enjoy my job. I hadn't realized how much I'd miss it. I didn't really think I'd have occasion to, not for more than a day.