Saturday roundup

This has the single-best plain-English explanation I've seen on why solid rocket propellants matter.

A police chief found a better way to police in the Philippines.

Uzbekistan appears to be opening up.

I mostly agree with Bret Stephens on the left's double-standard on communism. I don't agree that reigning in Wall Street abuses and excesses is communism.

Karma is a bitch (and I think highly of bitches).

There is too much good writing on the harassment and #MeToo phenomena; I'll just share a few pieces. First, Rebecca Traister explains about what it means when these awful but powerful men set the public discourse. Eve Peyser explains why we shouldn't let pass 'harmless' or 'good-natured' assaults on our dignity. You might have seen Lupita Nyongo's infuriating experience. And Margaret Renki sums up the saddest part--that pervasive harassment is endemic.

There is nothing unusual about these stories. They are the ho-hum, everyday experiences of virtually every woman I know, and such stories rarely get told. There will never be a powerful social-media movement that begins, “Today I ate breakfast” or “Today my dog pooped and I cleaned it up” or “Today I washed my hair with the same shampoo I’ve been buying since 2006.” We tell the stories that are remarkable in some way, stories that are surprising, utterly unexpected. The quotidian doesn’t make for a good tale.

Lindy West takes on another double standard:

What happens when #MeToo meets “I’m not a feminist, but”? It goes without saying that men across the political spectrum routinely victimize the women in their lives. It goes without saying because feminists have already been saying it for years. Yet, in the flood of anger and catharsis this past week, I’ve seen multiple eloquent and heartbreaking accounts of rape and abuse from conservative women, who are careful to specify that they are not like those other women, those radicals, those tedious, troublesome feminists. That’s fine. Whether you like us or not, we carved out this space for you.

Samantha Bee's PSA is priceless:

Moving on... contrary to what the Third Way will try tell you, some people aren't interested in coming together and getting along.

On a lighter note, someone inadvertently dictated an amazing comment.