Spreadin’ Love 586

~ Laura

I have a couple of links for you all this afternoon. But one link won’t be to a speech from a certain college president. For some reason, the college’s publist is promoting the president’s brand. Ew. College tuition at work.

The absolute best thing I read this weekend was Roger Angell’s essay about aging. It’s a must-read. It’s a must-reread.

I’ll settle into Hanna Rosin’s article about Asperger’s later tonight. Ah, another one in the club. Thanks to Jeremy S for this link. I checked out Temple Grandin’s new book, The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum, from the library this afternoon.

There are people with far-more romance novels creds than myself. I read a few once a year or so, when I’m feeling ill and need some word-candy. This time I stumbled onto a writer, Courtney Milan, who writes about average looking women who land handsome men, because the guys are mentally damaged. Refreshing!

I’m looking forward to reading Megan McArdle’s new book, The Up Side of Down: Why Failing Well Is the Key to Success. Let’s talk about it next week.

Published by Laura

13 thoughts on “Spreadin’ Love 586”

  2. feel free to tell me what I should think about the Ukraine situation.

    I’m not sure what Doug will tell you, but the most important thing you should keep in mind is that anyone pitching a straight-forward story of good vs. evil, or of (just) a dictator or would-be dictator vs. democracy is selling something that you should hesitate to buy. (I say that as someone who really, really dislikes Putin and Russian politics, but most of the coverage has been bad, and stuff that’s really propaganda is being sold as objective.) It’s a complex situation with no clear answer and no easy solution to the problems. Probably it’s just best to feel bad for the people there and that there’s really no clear or easy answer to the situation in that country.

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  4. Wow. This topic is so outside my comfort zone, though I want (and need) to know more. Please send me links and I’ll do a post where my peeps who know a thing about this topic can chat.

    But first I have to take the wee one bowling with his cousins. The big one is sleeping off a late night Minecraft/Skype fest with his buddies. (JulieG – Montvale Lanes at 10? Is Amelia off this week?)

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  5. Well, international media are saying that an agreement has been hammered out: Return to the constitution of 2004 (more parliamentary than presidential), new presidential elections this year, protesters to disperse and give up weapons. Joint investigation of the violence, with representatives of the European Commission playing a role in the investigation.

    Proof, pudding, eating, etc. But if those conditions hold, it could be a very good deal. Questions remain, of course: what becomes of promised Russian aid, what prices will Russian companies (including state-owned companies) charge Ukrainian entities for energy, what about debts owed to Russian companies and the Russian state? Have EU countries promised enough aid to make up for any shortfall if Putin’s government plays hardball? Will Ukraine get better conditions on its trade deal with the EU? What will EU countries do if the Russian customs service suddenly decides that all Ukrainian goods are dangerous to Russian consumers?

    Those are questions for outside actors. Internally, can the people and parties represented on the Maidan work together? Can they do it well enough to take on the corruption that many of the citizens present there said was one of their biggest concerns?

    The inability of Viktor and Yulia to work together after the Orange Revolution was a huge missed opportunity for Ukraine and Ukrainians. Will the leadership that has come up through this popular movement be able to do better?

    The unwillingness of EU countries to offer Ukraine prospects of membership, however distant, is another missed opportunity. Will they do any better this time?

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