Tuesday evening roundup

It's little consolation to anyone that the Russian government is transparent about its brutality.

It's not little consolation when the plane you're on turns out to be just fine, in spite of an earlier announcement to the contrary.

How much does it scare you that lots of people are taking investing advice from Glenn Beck?

The term "Kafkaesque" can be overused, but it describes nothing if not this.

Also: Ron Paul makes sense; bigots building near Ground Zero incur no outrage; the Onion captures it all.

Tuesday morning roundup

Look to Britain when you think about electing people who'd gut social programs, and to France when you see race/immigrant baiting.

New sanctions aim to keep the North Korean elites from their yachts.

Speaking of North Korea, that article I posted months ago was horrific, but it didn't make me sick to my stomach like this one about Siberian prisons. Something about knowing that that's how my grandfather perished makes it that much more painful to read.

It's a wonder--maggots and scurrying rodents and all--that the salmonella outbreak didn't hit until now.

Toles on Beck.

I'm so glad that (a) I don't belong to a homeowners' association; and (b) my neighbors are highly unlikely to fly a flag increasingly associated with the tea party.

Oooh, that's bad:

"There is a pervasive, systemic failure in our infrastructure," said Maryland House Majority Leader Kumar P. Barve (D-Montgomery). "I have relatives in Mumbai who cannot believe how often we lose power."

A judge stops one of the VA AG's bull$hit endeavors. Now he can go do something productive with our tax money. Besides, I've a very personal reason for reducing carbon emissions. If we could just get all of VA's poison ivy sufferers to unite against this assault on common sense...

Monday morning roundup

None of this is new, but it can't hurt to restate that a two-state solution is the only way forward.

With this tragic article on livestock losses as the last straw for struggling Pakistanis, is a beautiful photo.

Russia has issues and more issues.

Lest you were harboring suspicions to the contrary, China is still statist and authoritarian. And it's not because baseball is a tough sell there.

Anne Applebaum on the Iraq war's toll on foreign policy.

Since when is it anything but utterly repugnant to insult someone's religious beliefs, much less the President's?

Does anyone else see a structural problem with unpaid internships you have to pay for? Not the actual ones discussed in the article, but the issue of excluding people who can't afford to pay, even more so than in the past, when unpaid internships excluded people who couldn't afford not to earn a paycheck?

Because I have, many a time, prematurely eschewed a technology only to embrace it when I came to understand its utility, I hesitate to slam location apps. But I can express bewilderment, like many of the people of my generation. And what's with the premise that people will do it for the odd coupon? I mean, do you really shop that much that it makes a difference?

While we're on the subject of (eschewing) technology, and discounts, I've apparently saved myself $4.99/month for an iPhone 'mute' app by never having signed up for Twitter.

Good news, bad news, and mitigating factors

The good news (for you, my loyal readership) is that I'm going up to Boston for the long weekend, and I've never weighed more. At my recent doctor's appointment, I weighed in at seven pounds heavier than I was a few months ago.

The bad news is, apparently, I "look great." Lots of people have been saying this to me recently--too many for it to be a fluke. I must have looked quite the hippopotamus before.

Mitigating factor: Those people don't make a point of appraising my posterior when it is protruding, for example, in service of a yoga pose. Mom, on the other hand, is likely to do just that. And when she does, she is likely to announce (and harp on the observation) that my butt is huge.

The upshot: I doubt you'll be bored if you tune in next weekend.

***
Phone call

A.: You know when I'm getting in? Thursday.
Mom: I don't know. Is it Thursday? Yeah, maybe.
Dad: It is Thursday, in the evening. We have your itinerary printed out somewhere.
Mom: We just got back from a lovely walk along the trail. I love having the river nearby. I don't know how you can live somewhere without a river nearby.
A., not aloud: [Um...]
Mom: What did you do today?
A.: I've been spending a lot of time on yardwork. I planted some shrubs, fed lots of mosquitoes.
Dad: They've killed off the ones here because of West Nile.
A.: It's bad here.
Dad: That surprises me--I mean, you don't get a lot of rain.
A., politely but aloud: What planet do you live on, dad?

I mean, seriously, where does he get this stuff? How many flood warnings has the area gotten in the last couple of months? Does he not hear me say, every time mom asks me whether I have a basement, "no, and good thing, because it would get flooded every time it rains"?

Dad: [Laughs]
Mom: Any food requests? Russian store...
A.: Hmmm... if they have that eggplant.

Side note: amid the proliferation of completely gratuitous kitchen gadgets, I wish someone would invent a tool that cleanly removes the seeds from eggplant.

Mom: I'll check.
A.: Thanks!

***
Speaking of food shopping, I'm starting to question my local grocery stores.

This isn't the first time I've had complaints about the Trader Joe's in Old Town--as much as I love having it there--but I'm getting really, really sick of their $hit. By which I mean their half-rotting produce and unavailability of products. I happened to stop into the TJ's at Bailey's Crossroads yesterday, and they had (a) organic pink lady apples, which TJ's has been out of for months (their supply of organic apples has been generally inconsistent); (b) bags of organic lemons and sweet potatoes that aren't one foot in the grave. They just had more stuff.

Meanwhile, I stopped into the Whole Foods in Logan Circle the other night before heading to a friend's, and I've always known that that WF was awesome (I used to live not far from their) and that the one in Old Town paled by comparison (lame bulk bin, etc.) but I hadn't been to the LC WF in a while, and I was once again impressed with what they actually had available.

Really, Old Town grocery stores? C'mon--this is the city of 20 doggy bakeries per human resident, and you're going to let DC beat you on human food?

Sunday morning roundup

Floods and changing times are testing Pakistan's feudal system.

Meet Japan's answer to the Tea Party. They could use some branding help, as "Citizens Group That Will Not Forgive Special Privileges for Koreans in Japan" [sic] doesn't roll off the tongue.

I would actually love to try gefilte fish with Jamaican seasoning.

Why and how not to let the "mamma grizzlies" hijack feminism. Also: Frank Rich on the Koch brothers behind the Tea Party. (Yes, he talks about the New Yorker article). Also check out what Robert McCartney has to say, as he actually showed up and interviewed some of the rallyers.

Saturday morning roundup

It's not news that tea partiers/Beck ralliers have a sense of persecution and rally with no sense of irony. That doesn't make their arguments any less inane. See Charles Blow on re-reclaiming the dream.

Meanwhile, an Economist blogger argues that the democratization of home ownership didn't cause the crash. And Ron Lieber on why real estate isn't a lost cause after all. So, no, realtor who sent me a form letter earlier in the week, I am *not* interested in selling. Do you think I'm stupid?

A fascinating new look on how our language influences the way we think. I'd never heard of geographical languages before--perhaps it's time to pay more attention to cardinal directions, particularly in my very confusing office building. I wonder whether Managua denizens--who call north, "al lago," because that's where the lake is; east, "arriba," because that's where the sun rises, etc., would retain at least the former when traveling to a place where the lake was located to the south?

Funny, also, that he talks about words for colors, as that is how Robin Givhan opens her column on a new type of fashion consulting to hit the DC area. Naturally, it has to mirror the wonkiness of the residents:

Pantone colors were scrupulously dissected topics of conversation, along with foundation garments, proportions and a complicated formula for calculating "cost per wear" that involved enough algebra and opacity to make the Government Accountability Office proud.

Who doesn't want to be a playwright? Nonetheless, this sounds like a pretty cool day job (if you know Japanese).

Friday morning roundup

The Bahraini government opts out of reform and appears to embrace the (unsustainable) Egypt model.

Afghans love a Corolla, or at least its parts. I love the bumper stickers noted in the last paragraph.

Robinson on why the Beck rally isn't worth wasting our breath over.

Look past the PR; industrial farming is a disaster.

Isn't it interesting when self-appointed pro-democracy activists attempt to oust judges who disagree with them?

I want to like Alexandra Petri's columns, but my reaction to almost every one is, "you have good ideas in them... just too much fluff to obscure them, as well." This last one fell especially flat.

Thursday evening roundup

Have I mentioned that I won't be going near the Mall this weekend? If I have, I didn't know at the time that the Glenn Beck rally will be on par with the moon landing.

On that note, a species that can land on the moon can certainly remember to bring a reusable shopping bag.

This piece on fire-and-drought-induced food shortages in Russia really emphasizes the staple status of buckwheat.

Michael Pollan on the real cost of cheap food (i.e., eggs).

Marriage tips from Samantha Bee and Jason Jones. The one about cleaning is interesting: I'm forgiving (and neglectful) of paper mess, but have no tolerance whatsoever for food mess. When my mom is here and insists on eating in the living room (or biting into her toast over the floor rather than her plate), it drives me up the wall. I'm somewhere in between on dust mess--I can go a week without vacuuming, but no more than that, under any circumstances.

Speaking of marriage tips, this husband has issues.

I hope they make affordable tickets available for "Follies."

Thursday morning roundup

India doesn't have enough civil engineers to fix its potholes because software engineering is a much more appealing career.

This is just my opinion, but, rather than hiring lobbyists, a better way for DRC to change its reputation is to deal with the humanitarian debacle plaguing the country.

I'll be staying away from the Mall this weekend.

The international commentary over the GZnM.

There is SO much hypocrisy in the following argument:

Geoff Ross, a Navy veteran who organized the tea party event in Florida last weekend, said the word means "the law that practicing Muslims follow to lead their daily lives." He became involved with anti-sharia events last year.

"I study the Quran, I study the Internet. I look at sources on the Internet and try to vet that information," he said. "I'm not anti-Islam. I'm anti-terrorist. But if you take quotes from the Bible and compare them to the Koran, the Bible might say, 'Turn the other cheek,' while the Koran would say 'Strike your enemies down and kill them.'"

I don't even know where to begin.

Wednesday morning roundup

Why supporting the GZnM is the Jewish thing to do; and the jack@$$ who "argues" otherwise. Religion aside, let's recall how the rest of the country loses when we let the rabid hatemongerers win.

Perhaps the above debate can be resolved, like many a New York real estate dilemma, with feng shui.

Putting down the Blackberry is good for the brain.

Cairo is officially sprawling. And the Times uses "comprise" in a way that I know has become okay, but I still hate it.

Really, Britain? Do you really want to compete with Russia for most assishly alcoholic nation?

Eggs and the food safety debate.

Just say no to more farm subsidies.

Alligators are springing up in unexpected places.

Corporate social responsibility at its best.

Do not even get me started on the VA AG's latest assault on personal freedoms.

The Post's conservatives are taking exception to the toxicity and broken karma around the nation, although the latter column--Kathleen Parker's--is just kind of annoying.

Who really writes it best is MLK III:

My father championed free speech. He would be the first to say that those participating in Beck's rally have the right to express their views. But his dream rejected hateful rhetoric and all forms of bigotry or discrimination, whether directed at race, faith, nationality, sexual orientation or political beliefs. He envisioned a world where all people would recognize one another as sisters and brothers in the human family. Throughout his life he advocated compassion for the poor, nonviolence, respect for the dignity of all people and peace for humanity.

Although he was a profoundly religious man, my father did not claim to have an exclusionary "plan" that laid out God's word for only one group or ideology. He marched side by side with members of every religious faith. Like Abraham Lincoln, my father did not claim that God was on his side; he prayed humbly that he was on God's side.

Tuesday morning roundup

What if the Yuan isn't the problem?

The very complicated debate over genetically modified seeds takes an even more complicated turn in Italy.

Richard Cohen on why compromising on the location of the GZnon-M is a bad idea.

Monday evening roundup

Prior to reading this, I honestly didn't weigh income very heavily as a factor in deciding whom to date.

Baggage fees got you down? Try a nakation.

Grist takes on the anti-locavore argument. Some of the points there are great (for example: it's about the food system, not strictly food miles; the food economy's comparative advantages are influenced as much by subsidies as geography;), others make me roll my eyes (for example: it's about knowing your farmer). Not because in an ideal world I wouldn't want to know my farmer; it's just not a priority.

Meanwhile: you should be livid about salmonella in eggs. I gave up eggs a while ago, as I told you, because I got sick of navigating the humane-egg clusterf*. I'll give them up all over again if I can't have runny yolks on toast.

This is AWESOME. An excerpt:

As someone who rides the Green and Yellow Lines all the time, I can assure you that there are no "rules" that state these subway lines must be avoided at all times, especially at night. But then, I guess I'm not using "A Cliche-Ridden Guide To Avoiding The Black People On The Subway In Washington" as a rulebook. Ironically, one needs to ride the Green/Yellow line in order to visit the National Archives, where the Constitution of the United States is housed. (Not that these rally attendees have any particular reverence for that document.)

Look, Glenn Beck rally attendees, if there's one essential piece of information you need to know, it is this: DO NOT STAND TO THE LEFT ON THE ESCALATORS UNLESS YOU ENJOY BEING MOCKED AND ABUSED. Just remember to stand to the right on the escalators, and your visit will be more than pleasant.

Disclaimer: One does not need to ride the Green/Yellow line to visit the National Archives; one may walk from Federal Triangle if one is so inclined. I wouldn't recommend it in this weather, but if you insist on avoiding the green and yellow lines (the latter of which, incidentally, I take to and from work), you have that option.

This so reminds me of one of my former carpoolers. I did once threaten to kick him out and make him hitchhike off the side of the beltway, but in that case it wasn't because he was late.

BTW, I sent this to Jay, subject line: "I knew it!"

Monday morning roundup

Violence in Venezuela is out of control.

Yoga knows no intellectual property.

Courtland Milloy on race relations and circumlocution.

The changing faces of U.S. nuclear negotiators.

Home ownership is no longer seen as a good investment.

The issue with Karen Hughes' argument is that it would let the rabid hatemongerers win, and we can't afford to grant them another victory.

Sunday morning roundup

I know we've heard/read enough about this, but there's so much acrimonious, absurd, childish discourse and antics out there that it's that much more important to amplify the mature voices. Kristof's take is not extraordinary, but concise. Maureen Dowd brilliantly sums up the whole mess, before she starts to ramble. Frank Rich is insightful as usual. See also

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Extremist Makeover - Homeland Edition
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

I'm glad I won't need a nanny to raise a bilingual kid.

In the National Parks, technology has been enabling some serious stupidity.

While we contemplate the meaning of an incoming college freshman class that never knew the country of Czechoslovakia, Japan sees a cultural (and economic) see change as its new generation of young adults didn't grow up in a flourishing economy.

Friday morning roundup

Jordan flirts with autocracy.

A non-opinion article about the non-mosque. Oh and did you know that there's already a non-mosque at the Pentagon?

Gerson vs. Robinson on Obama.

These are some very good points about the real math of local food, but the discussion isn't complete without talking about meat production.

Gail Collins on the political math of yachts.

Wednesday evening roundup

One region in China has an interesting answer to gridlock: the straddling bus.

A more empirical look at the twenties are the new teens phenomenon.

Hypocrites in Alaska and hypocrites coming out of Alaska.

Spirit Airlines may be cheap, but more and more customers are finding that that doesn't make up for its BS.

In the event you'd like to lose your appetite, check out this slideshow of state fair foods on a stick.

How did I miss this the first time around?? Apparently I was in China. Anyway, to what extent does literature matter when you're dating? I'd say quite a bit--not in the way of specific books, but in one's relationship to words, stories, etc.

I LOVE "The Straightforward Mermaid by Matthea Harvey. I don't think I've ever posted to a New Yorker poem before, but that one just rocks.

Wednesday morning roundup

This reflection on the Rolling Stones' 1990 concert in Prague reminds me of going to see "Rock n' Roll" at the Studio Theater about a year ago (about music, ideology, resistance... and everything else). What an amazing play.

Police say sex-for-rent is not uncommon.

Poke your own holes in Kathleen Parker's column, regardless of the reasonable conclusion.

Tuesday evening roundup

No offense to some of you, but I'm all for anything that deters parents from bringing babies on planes.

One thing I'll give this non-mosque controversy is there's some excellent commentary out there. Jon Stewart's opening segment was awesome:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Mosque-Erade
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

Tuesday morning roundup

In the land of knockoffs, nothing is immune to being systematically faked, including virginity. There are some seriously, humorously offensive quotes in that article.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell is still stupid, more stupid. However you want to look at it.

Richard Cohen more articulately says what I was trying to say the other day: grow. a. pair. This isn't a complicated issue. This isn't the war in Afghanistan. Either you (you being people who don't think the mosque is the end of Western Civilization as we know it) are standing on principle or you're pandering. I particularly recommend Dana Milbank's column, but I'll direct you to the Post's Opinion page, where just about everyone has something (smart) to say about it. The Times also pipes in, and here's the Sufi angle.

OPM fights back over mischaracterization of federal salaries. Yes, I earn more than the average waitress in rural Ohio. And if the real difference is in benefits, bring on the benefits in the private sector, rather than trying to detract from public sector benefits.

Anne Applebaum, who, I remind you, considers herself and is generally considered conservative, asks why the Presidents who lack their own vacation homes are the ones most criticized, by virtue of their vacations, for being elitist.

Monday morning roundup

Anticipate an uptick in succession drama in North Korea. South Korea has ideas.

Is China getting in touch with its less punitive side? I was going to say "humane side" but whom are we kidding.

Tamil pulp fiction is taking off in India.

Michael Gerson makes some excellent mosque-related points.

Last year I may have shrugged off an article about another kind of near-apocalyptic disaster, but having observed Snowmageddon and Stormageddon, I'm all ears.

Samuelson about our bumper stickers and bumper-sticker discourse.

Response to comment: This article in Parade mentions how hot he (Jon Hamm) is, but centers around his acting career. Whereas I don't think I've ever read anything about Christina Hendricks' acting. But do you know what I really want to stop reading about? Cupcake lines in DC.