Tuesday roundup

The refugees of the Vietnam War.

You must read Ta-Nehisi Coates on Baltimore. Here's an excerpt:

When nonviolence begins halfway through the war with the aggressor calling time out, it exposes itself as a ruse. When nonviolence is preached by the representatives of the state, while the state doles out heaps of violence to its citizens, it reveals itself to be a con. And none of this can mean that rioting or violence is "correct" or "wise," any more than a forest fire can be "correct" or "wise." Wisdom isn't the point tonight. Disrespect is. In this case, disrespect for the hollow law and failed order that so regularly disrespects the community.

This piece on the difference between tone policing and abuse and sanctimony is particularly timely in view of the Bruce Jenner interview. I was dismayed at how avidly my Twitter timeline filled up with pronoun policing--it was 'gotcha'ism at the expense of actual analysis.

On a related note, see @katie_speak on Meghan Murphy.

Changing gears... whither Britain.

Moderate your embrace of Snowden and Greenwald.

I don't know that I have enough schadenfreude in me to enjoy watching McDonalds fall on its face so spectacularly.

For what it's worth, IRSN is a technical support organization, not a watchdog, but nevertheless: this is a good read for those preaching the promise of absolute safety by way of Gen IV technology.

I had to look up some stuff about chemical nomenclature today, and loved this post for its great analogies to language learning (and speaking).

Speaking of great analogies, those of you who know about music will appreciate Jennifer Ouellette's essay about love and counterpoint even more than I do:

It’s the perfect metaphor for how two strong, independent and intelligent people can maintain their individuality and yet, together, form a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. In romance, as in music, it is no mean feat to achieve this, but Wimsey’s preference for a strong, equal partner — because of, rather than despite, the challenge — is what makes him a thinking woman’s heartthrob. He likes his music, and his women, polyphonic.

and

As the aseptic Oxford scholar, Miss DeVine cautions her, a marriage between equal intellects is inherently risky: “You can hurt one another so dreadfully.”

and

That, really, is the heart of the matter. Harriet tried to be the meek accompanist in her first, failed relationship, with disastrous results. She is equally uncomfortable in the role of autocratic virtuoso, having bored very quickly of an amorous younger suitor whose intellect and abilities were too far below her own.  

As always, I appreciate great pieces on boundaries. tl;dr=be firm but kind, and don't fall for gaslighting.

I like the response about how hatred is different when it's directed at a behavior vs. a person (i.e., a source of the behavior), but I would also add that the issue is not whether it's "okay to let kids hate." It's a matter of pointing out--cue the 'empty boat' fable--that hatred is a self-destructive emotion. See also this (true) story about a boy and a dog and a hen (and hope that maybe the kid will think twice about eating chicken, given his feelings about them).

This is amazing (definitely expand on the image):

"I am the most efficient, amazing, organized, knowledgeable, & compassionate person I know." 😐 http://t.co/yZrgulxIgj pic.twitter.com/xg8ggWUW7F
— STFU, Parents (@STFUParents) April 27, 2015