Very interesting article about how the American lawn isn't what it used to be.

Quoted: The next time you drive down a street in suburban or exurban America, pay careful attention to the yards. Lurking somewhere, either peeping out from the back or nakedly displayed right in front, some form of children's play equipment, typically in plastic. How often do you actually see a child playing on, or near, one of these devices?

I agree with this author. Race is still so much of an issue in America (as evidenced by Obama's speech, the casting of '21' and this King Kong-ish cover of Vogue) but it's become 'impolite' to talk about it. It's especially sad considering this week (April 4) is the 40th anniversary of MLK's assassination.

Quoted: No matter how many "courageous" speeches Barack Obama gives, America will never be a "Let's talk about race" kind of place. It'll always be a "Let's talk about how we can't talk about race" kind of place. I'm all for doing my part. I'd like to start by talking about the cover of Vogue's current "shape" issue.

I saw a lecture that this guy gave online. I don't always agree with him (he seems really into the Freudian school of psych) but his ideas are fascinating all the same...

Quoted: Why are people around the world so very different? What makes us live, buy, even love as we do? The answers are in the codes.

A look at the history of outing fictional characters.

Quoted: On Friday, a fan at a question-and-answer session asked J.K. Rowling if Harry Potter character Dumbledore had ever been in love. In response, Rowling declared, "I always thought of Dumbledore as gay." Rowling is hardly the first to out a fictional character.

This article raises some great points, particularly about the way this critic reduces "whitness" and "blackness" in terms of music. I agree with many of the critiques of indie rock and what it signifies, but the critic seems to lack the self-awarness that she writes for THE NEW YORKER, one of the most high-brow publications in the country. Don't get me wrong - I think indie rock and The New Yorker have a lot to offer. They're just not end-alls and be-alls.

Quoted: New Yorker pop critic Sasha Frere-Jones has often indicated boredom and annoyance with a lot of the critically acclaimed, music-blog, and/or NPR-approved "indie rock" of this decade.

My cousin sent me this article. It is absolutely true - the odyssey of the '20s is the best time to explore and become a full, independent person, particularly given how the demands of life have changed. I don't agree with David Brooks politically, but this is a very insightful piece and I think will give solace to parents with children in their '20s.

Quoted: The decade of wandering that frequently occurs between adolescence and adulthood is a sensible response to modern conditions.

Interesting article on raising hip babies/toddlers (according to adult standards).

Quoted: Is raising a Mini-Me cool for the kids? In short, parents who want to put their youngsters in something they wouldn’t mind wearing.

Ha, this is so true. And I'm sure I've done it before...

Quoted: Blurting out too much information, or TMI, is something we’re becoming more and more comfortable with, some psychologists say. We obsess over the mundane details of celebrities’ lives and are eager to tell our own stories on blogs and Flickr accounts. And often, all that online openness seeps into everyday conversations.