"Ohio Republican Senator Rob Portman, a longtime opponent of same-sex marriage, said on Friday he now believes gays have a right to marry after learning two years ago that his son is gay." —If every elected Republican with gay family or staff makes Rob Portman's journey, the supposedly partisan issue of people getting fair access to the rights and financial advantages of marriage would go away pretty quickly, wouldn't it?

Here is a simple, two-step method to help alleviate stress. The "BE" practice involves 1) Breathing ("Take a few deep breaths and as you breathe in, know that you’re breathing in, as you breathe out know that you breathing out.") and 2) Expanding ("This is the process of expanding your attention throughout the body and just feeling the body as it is."). Should this strategy fail to soothe your anxieties, please feel free to follow my two-step method: The "DY" practice involves 1) Drinking ("Take a few strong sips and as you swallow, say, 'Damn, that's good stuff.' The higher the proof the more conviction you should say [...]

Remember when I was all, "You know why I won't do press?" and you were like, "Gee, let me guess, because nobody's interested?" and I laughed my insouciant laugh even though your words hurt me very badly and I still hold a potent, furious grudge which most days I am barely able to restrain? You don't? [...]

Yesterday VIDA, an organization devoting to promoting women in the literary arts, released its annual slideshow of pie charts representing the proportion of female to male publication in literary journals and book reviews, including The Atlantic, Granta, Harper's, the LRB, the NYRB, the New Yorker, the Paris Review and the Nation. It was not remotely news to anyone that far more men than women write for these publications. Reactions were varied, and ranged from knee-jerk to profound. Some men piously proclaimed that their publications needed to do better; some women found the idea that women need affirmative action to succeed "offensive." Some people interpreted this data [...]

"Things slow at the office? Remind your employees that they’re going to die."