I’m a big fan of the one thing you want, one thing you need, one thing to wear, and one thing to read approach for kids (says the woman with no kids herself!). That seems like a reasonable guideline for parents. As for friends and family, if they ask you can tell them you are trying to limit the amount of stuff.…

I want to be all self righteous and declare my intention to stop watching any of those networks, but I already only watch local news on TV. Everything else comes from dwindling print media. For all their issues, at least the NY Times at least refused to go along with the “off the record” crap. Newsflash Donald -…

You glossed over the best part of the whole segment. At the end of the interview, Carrie Fisher tells Savannah Guthrie “congratulations on the sex.”

I saw this recommendation on America’s Test Kitchen about 10 years ago. They tested a few different options, and settled on crushed animal crackers as the best option for most pies.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Everyone woman should have access to the contraception that works best for her. I don’t begrudge women getting an IUD, but I’m taking the pill for reasons that extend beyond pregnancy prevention. “IUD evangelism” is spot on - every time a friend gets a new IUD, I have to go through…

Notice how I specifically said I wasn’t trying to sway anyone to the pill? That I was posting as a FYI for people who need to use oral contraception? There are lots of women, myself included, who take oral contraception as a treatment for medical conditions, like PCOS.

Not saying this to sway you back to the pill, but as an FYI for others who need/prefer the pill over an IUD (or use any other drug on an on going basis) - check into mail order. I get my oral contraception delivered, three packs at a time, every three months. My account is set to auto refill, so I get an email a few…

It’s a regular occurrence in the comments here and on other left-leaning blogs. Someone asks a genuine question, and suddenly gets labeled as a troll and/or has comments dismissed.

We definitely need to reassess how we respond to dissenting voices. There’s a huge difference between a person deliberately using slurs and/or dog whistles, and a person who means well but just hasn’t learned (yet). People who are already openly bigoted are lost causes, IMHO, and not worth the effort. But there are a…

Yes, that loophole does exist. I suspect they will all change course when they realize they 1) won’t get paid for working in the administration and 2) can’t continue working on their private ventures if they accept public positions.

Take some comfort in this - The president is legally barred from hiring or appointing family members (including in-laws) to positions in the Executive Branch.

Thank you for donating to Roy Cooper’s campaign. I moved away from NC a few years ago, and was so very sad that I didn’t get to vote for him. I met him when I was a teenager and he was the majority leader of the state senate. My grandfather was deeply involved in the NC Dem party, and took me out of school for the day…

That’s a pretty spot on description of the your professional life in Baltimore today.

Full disclosure - this is based entirely on obsessive West Wing binge watching over the past decade.

I’ve been a member for years, but only paid for the annual membership. Last week, I set up a $20 monthly donation. I’m in grad school, but I’m willing to forgo one beer a week to preserve as much individual freedom as we can between now and 2018/2020.

I know. The South has a lot of faults, but it at least has some self awareness.

If nothing else comes out of this terrible and terrifying time in our history, I hope that the “color blind,” “post racial” liberals of the Northeast will at least be forced to recognize the racism that has been in their backyards all along. Racism isn’t exclusively Southern or rural. It’s everywhere. Each region of…

Baltimore has tons of hotels, and it’s an easy 60 minute train ride to DC, $16 round trip on MARC. It’s also easier/cheaper to park here ($5 for a whole weekend in some decks), which makes car pooling an nice option.

Given his ego, I think it’s a more powerful message to ignore the inauguration. If you protest the inauguration, it’s about him. If you march the day after, it’s about us.

Unfortunately, I have a lot of experience with grief. The physical sensations on Wednesday were exactly what I felt like the day after my brother died, and again after my step-dad died. I’m sure it was largely due to a combination of sleep deprivation and anxiety. I basically didn’t eat on Wednesday - had to force…