Does anyone have any good advice on how to talk to a contractor? We have an extremely competent, very affable guy working on our house right now. We hired him in the spring to do 2.5 projects that became four (often the way when you start getting work done – I accept that some of […] Continue reading →

Editor’s Note: Good food for thought on language acquisition. Thanks for posting, Betsy! -Elisa Anyone else catch this article on Slate about Charles Yang’s book “The Infinite Gift” on the acquisition of language? I was fascinated for a bunch of reasons. For one thing, my “you’ve won the lottery – now what?” fantasy is to […] Continue reading →

Editor’s Note: In case you missed the latest “boob flap,” here it is. Thanks for posting, Betsy! -Elisa In this article on CNN.com today, a piece about the ‘controversial’ cover of Babytalk magazine, which depicts a baby at the breast. No nipple. Just a curved breast with a baby attached, looking adoringly up at mom. […] Continue reading →

Editor’s Note: Another great diary! Thanks for posting, Betsy. -Elisa What’s with New York citing children as a rationale for denying the benefit of marriage to same-sex couples?Weren’t most gay people raised by straight parents? And what about intersex people or transgendered people? How, ultimately, are we going do define sex in order to make […] Continue reading →

I’ve posted in a long-winded way a couple of times now. And I apologize for that long-windedness. I’m a sufferer of chronic logorrhea, especially when issues are complicated and get me riled. What a joy to find a place where thinking people mull over and chew on issues that really matter. Thanks for bearing with […] Continue reading →

To me, the term “self-sufficient” has good connotations. I began making my bed (when I remembered) and changing my sheets at age 5, getting myself ready for school (including breakfast) in first grade, began learning to cook at age 7, began doing my own laundry at age 12. I was the youngest of three kids, […] Continue reading →