A horrific anti-texting while driving PSA. I hope it's effective. (Thanks, Macaroni!)
Katie Roiphe: My Newborn Is Like A Narcotic. "In the six weeks since my baby was born, I seem to have lost all
worldly ambition. I can think about September, when I am supposed to go
back to work, only with dread. I have a class to teach. I have to start
writing again. But the idea of talking about ideas in front of students
or typing a coherent sentence (i.e., my normal life) seems totally
implausible." And the writing is just great.
I find the Pundit vs. Political Science rumble irritating. Some people need to deflate their heads a little. However, I liked this post of Henry's on this topic. I haven't read the Gelman and Sides Boston Review article yet, but plan to.
Apt. 11d 
I like the Roiphe article, too. It captures the “missing limb”, as well as the associated disorientation, addictive euphoria that some of us experience with our newborns (not all, notably). But, what I don’t get is how the writing of the article is compatible with the feelings expressed therein. How could Roiphe write such a eloquent article while in the sleep-deprived-induced haze of the “fourth trimester”?
(BTW, Wendy, I believe that this is a new child, a boy, born this year, as opposed to the six-year old girl)
Oh, and his article is an interesting contrast:
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/families/article4212440.ece
In it she says “The thing I find mindless is the playground. My daughter is into cycling and scootering, but I find it unbelievably boring.”
Another woman might feel the same way about the period of infanthood, that it’s incredibly boring and physically numbing (rather than physically euphoric).
Another woman might feel differently about the playground that she feels happy there, with her children. I don’t think people should deny either the pleasures of infants (suggesting that 6 week maternity leaves should work for everyone) or of children and child-raising (suggesting that surely, 3 months, or 6 months or a year! need necessarily be enough). There seems to be this odd need for privileged women to argue that their feelings and choices are (or should be) universal, along the lines of I love being with my infant, but don’t care for being with my child on the playground, therefore, everyone else should enjoy their infant and outsource care when their child needs to spend time at the playground.
I personally, have been finding my presence and involvement to be less shareable now, than when my children were infants and toddlers. I feel the need to be on the playground (or equivalent) far more than I felt the need to be on there to feed babyfood or to hold hands during the first steps. (and, for me, the need is mutal; for me, as well as for my children).
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