Saturday morning roundup

Charles Blow on some of the latest gems of political rhetoric. Peter Catapano on what the birthers are saying now.

Are the sciences facing a glut of PhDs?

A few interesting elements of the press coverage of the royal wedding:
-the class chatter and other petty things that say so much about the people saying them;
-the Times thought the dress was perfect, the Post thought it was boring. I will say that the last page of that one--where the 'Fergie girls' are discussed--illustrates how ridiculous people can look in expensive, designer clothes;
-the Times' discussion of the dress is interesting because of this piece about how princess-obsessed little girls aren't interested in the real princess-to-be. There was nothing Disneyesque about her.

Quick Friday morning roundup

Tunisians on the border open their homes to Libyan refugees.

Thursday evening roundup

Wealthy people think they're middle-class.

Get your regal prophylactics here.

This slideshow is informative if you need to be convinced that tasty vegan desserts are possible. Don't look for healthy vegan desserts there, though (see the sugar content!)

Is Jewish food awful? My perspective is skewed because Russian Jewish food is different.

Speaking of tribes to which some might question my membership, I roll my eyes at those kinds of vegetarians.

Thursday morning roundup and response to comment

Honoring the war heroes who stood up for the laws of war. After all, torture and unlawful detention are so China.

Re: "Die, Vampire, Die!": That song is too amazing for its own good. I listened to it a few times and haven't been able to get it out of my head all week. Which is kind of a good thing, because I love it and definitely need to hear it.

Looks like it was at the Celebration Theater in LA last year... and it's coming to Mountain View this summer (you know, only eight hours away (just kidding))... so hopefully it'll be back in SoCal and everywhere else, because it is awesome.

Wednesday morning roundup

I'm no ideologue. I can appreciate the metaphorical power of a glass of milk in Libya's struggle.

It's not like we need hate crime laws protecting transgendered people.

What we really should be fighting is ag-gag laws.

Tuesday evening roundup

Pakistan's f*ed up justice system. Let's see if Texas is any better.

What makes things and people annoying?

Foreign Policy's first-ever Food issue is disappointing, but here's a not bad slide show, and here's an interesting but disappointing one (in terms of the anti-organics invective).

Monday evening roundup

What some people go through, and what so many people run from.

Ladies, keep your maiden name.

Save the planet: eat an invasive species today!

One-story Monday morning roundup

I'm all for standard sizing, but what about that phenomenon where something looks awesome on me in Banana Republic's mirror but crappy on me at home?

Die, Vampire, Die

Before I was spurned in my shopping mission, I saw a phenomenal musical called "Title of Show." Even though it was hilarious, I found myself crying during one of the numbers, because it was so inspiring. I can't find it with the actual video moving, but the song is worth it in and of itself. Enjoy, and wield it as needed.

The consequences of underrepresentation

F* you, Gap Outlet, for being closed, and f* you, Trader Joe's, for closing early. Does it f*ing occur to you that some people don't give a f* about Easter? Don't you have any Jews in your employ that could hold down the f*ing fort? What the f* am I going to put on my feet when I go on vacation? What the f* am I going to eat this week? F* you both.

Sunday morning roundup

Haiti's housing situation remains dire.

Congo from the perspective of the killers.

Even Texans are wary of fracking.

How should media organizations report on the competition?

VDOT will compost roadkill. Funny store: I read about that in the Sunday paper, but it's impossible to find on the Post's website. WTF, WashPo??

This iWant vs. Luddite thing is so Jay and I, even though we're not literally married.

I've found that I can more or less dispatch a New Yorker in the course of my commute, though less so when I'm biking.

Saturday morning roundup

Chinese officials are wary that the in-your-face nature of lavish tombs may stir up class resentment.

Check out some of the late Chris Hondros' incredible photography.

Tokyo turns to cycling.

Gail Collins updates us on what governors around the country are up to.

Walkability is more important than urban/suburban.

Organic farming is anything but exotic.

Really? Environmental consciousness is considered "feminine."

The Economist goes after the language police. I never did like "healthful," couldn't bring myself to use it.

Friday morning roundup

A thought-provoking, if not-necessarily true-ringing, column from Dave Brooks on 'Book of Mormon,' the musical.

Gerson likens objectivism to adolescence.

The Post, having embraced user-unfriendliness, has removed the option of permalinking to Toles cartoons. In any case, see if you can check out today's in this gallery. Takeaway: the pollen count is bad.

You don't need to buy green products, although I have a few. Make friends with vinegar--not just for cleaning. Here's how to make a green cleaning kit. If you're really committed, make your own dish detergent and laundry detergent.

Phone call

(TV is running in the background)
Mom: Hold on--I can't find the remote. Where is it? (Yells dad's name.)
A.: Mom! We've talked about not yelling into the phone.
Mom: I'm trying to find the remote. Fine, I'll just turn the TV off with this other one.
A.: How's your knee.
Mom: It's okay. Neither good nor bad. We went looking for another physical therapist today, but I haven't found one I like. How are you?
A.: Good--
Mom: Why? What, specifically is good?
A.: Um... work is good, the weather's good...
Mom: What else?
A.: Not much... cat's good...
Mom: What else?
A.: I'm six business days away from my vacation.
Mom: That trip, you call that a vacation?
A.: I do. I'm looking forward to it.
Mom: What's going on there?
A.: Nothing.
Mom: I'm glad there's nothing going on somewhere in the world. What else is up?
A.: That's about it, actually.
Mom: Oh, here comes your dad. (To dad) It's A. (To phone) What else?
A.: Nothing.
Dad: Hi!
A.: Hi!
Mom: So? What else?
A.: Nothing, mom. We've about covered it.

***
and some e-mails (edited, substantially, actually, for added hilarity)

Jay: Did you see the Delhi forecast? It's going to be like 109 over the next few days... I may spontaneously combust if it's going to be that hot... Thank god for waterproof mascara and diet orange soda.
A.: You mean, you'll burst into flames? by the laws of gay physics, all it takes is 109 degrees to convert you into a twink?
Jay: No, it would take 212 degrees to turn me into a twink (for all the fat, muscle and hair that would need to disappear). But that would require a steam room, which introduces a whole other branch of gay mathematics (the trigonometry of naked twister...) Actually, it's more likely that I'll either sweat to death or just melt, due to my sugary-sweet disposition... you'd better find a cattle prod to shock me when I whine about the heat and humidity..
A.: I don't think they do cattle prods over there.

Thursday morning roundup

Factory farms are not okay.

I don't actually say this often, but brilliant column from Salman Rushdie on art and politics.

What if we addressed mathematical illiteracy the way we view literal illiteracy?

You know Donald Trump's wrong about Gail Collins' merits as a columnist--she's so brilliant, she manages to bring out the humor in the tragicomic politics of Texas.

Kristof on ThreeCupsofTeaGate.

Quick Wednesday morning roundup

Planned Parenthood, Montana edition.

If you ask me, overly righteous vegans need to get over themselves. Then again, who am I to talk, since I'm not technically a vegan.

Tuesday morning roundup

How do you solve a problem like Mugabe?

Europe the singular business entity still has to deal with its rogue component parts.

This Passover, consider the tyranny of oil.

How Dave Brooks stopped worrying and learned to love the Donald.

As with the inane debates over breastfeeding in public, this makes me wonder why some people insist that breasts are "lewd and vulgar".

Monday morning roundup

You can argue over whether or when war is justified, but it's never pretty.

It's never too late for accountability. Oh, and I'm a little slow so I need someone to help me understand the lawyer's statement. Specifically, how does torturing nuns help prevent the spread of communism? That connection may be obvious to some people, but I just don't see it.

Is quinoa kosher? Look, here's what I'm not consuming this week: wheat, rye, oats, or barley. For a macrobiotic, that's plenty. I know that Ashkenazis also avoid rice and legumes, but it's not going to happen. I got myself some injera, made some brown rice, and I'll be doing soymilk smoothies for breakfast.

The actual budget cuts (i.e. not most of them, which are on paper), which I don't want to discuss in detail, are horrifying enough--cuts to environmental programs, sustainable agriculture, etc. And we don't have time to waste on climate change. Even though the same urgency doesn't apply to cuts to the arts, it's still heartbreaking. DC theaters are experiencing huge cuts, and they're such a valuable gift to the community. It's not a life or death thing, but it's about our souls.

Forgive me the cheesiness, but this is really sweet.

Response to Response to Response to Comment

I wasn't accusing you of being indifferent to the havoc your son was wreaking. Just pointing out that when a child misbehaves, I'm not thinking, "that parent must be a terrible person;" I'm thinking, "my head hurts." I appreciate it when the parent makes an effort to ease the pain.

Please also understand that I'm sort of fed up with *people.* Metro riders, theater-goers, voters. People. I've already gone on about what they do. I've already admitted that I know I must infuriate other people, too. It's a part of existing in a society. Which makes me seriously consider, but quickly dismiss, the prospect of hermitude. After all, I prefer a theatrical performance where someone to my right is crunching hard candy, while the person behind me is explaining what just happened to her companion, and someone next to him is rattling papers in her purse, to no theater at all. I'm also in no position to criticize people who take up more than one seat, as I brought one such person to a performance not long ago. I wish I could bring her more often, but we were lucky enough to be at the end of a row that time, and we couldn't do that to other patrons if we ended up surrounded by other people. But here's what I will say: had someone needed to get past her during the intermission, she would have gotten up and gotten out of the row to let people pass. She wouldn't have shot people the look that I got last week, the one that said, "you want me to actually get up?" Yes. I'm sorry but you're not small enough for me to get by you otherwise.

But row etiquette is a distraction. It's annoying, but it's not necessarily rude.

Talking, chewing, crunching, and rattling is rude.

The people on the stage are pouring everything into this show. Do you have any idea what goes into a theatrical or dance performance? Can you appreciate the training, the concentration, the sharing of all one's energy and spirit? If you can, see if you can go one f*ing hour without eating, chatting, or rifling through your purse.

Really quick response to comments

I don't remember whether I posted this before, but there was an NYT piece months ago about how sometimes kids just grow up to be bad people. I can't find the article itself but here's an NPR interview about it.

I don't know why I even bother wading into this topic, but I can't help myself. I don't give parents whose kids are screaming around me dirty looks because I'm judging them as parents; I give them dirty looks because I want that kid to stfu. I have to stand there too, and your screaming kid is no joy for me to listen to. I don't care what a good person he is the rest of the time. I care that he's giving me a headache at that moment.

Having said that, I understand that kids scream and sometimes there is nothing you can do about it. All I ask is that you try. And some parents do. I understand that everyone has to stand in line to return stuff, and sometimes you have to bring the kid, and sometimes the kid screams. Got it.

Now please understand that when your kid screams, my head starts to hurt.

If you try to get the kid to calm down, but you can't, fine. If you don't even try because you don't think it's your problem, you're wrong.