Thursday roundup

I'm having a hard time reading about the kidnapped Nigerian girls because it's just too f*ed up.

Two articles about corruption in Afghanistan.

It is up to every single one of us not to perpetuate bull$hit. I'm going to add to this, or emphasize, that if you're not in a position to assess the accuracy of the information or check with someone who is, don't spread it. I came across, but did not retweet, an article yesterday about five horrible things about the meat industry because I was not in a position to BS-check it. There's enough that's f*ed up about the meat industry that you don't need to exaggerate, much less make things up.

On that note: why Taco Bell's disclosure should make you less, not more, confident about its product.

The hardest thing about being vegetarian isn't the food; it's the people:

Because no matter how I frame it, people get really, really defensive, and tend to respond with long explanations about why they DO eat meat. I’d love to partake in an honest conversation about meat, animals, ethics, and diet choices, but there’s almost always an edge to their replies that makes me really uncomfortable. Their tones imply that they feel personally attacked and must aggressively defend their own diets and/or poke holes in the logic that led me to choose mine. It’s awkward enough that I try to avoid the topic almost as much as I try to avoid eating meat. And after a year, I’ve found that avoiding meat is infinitely easier than avoiding judgment, lectures, and awkward confrontations with people I barely know.

Is the "not all men..." argument, progress?

What better locale for a ten-year old's birthday party than a Cold War museum.

What's in a drop of seawater?

Here's something (someone, actually--specifically, Col. Barry Johnson) to restore your faith in humanity.