Federal Appellate Ruling Strikes Down Gay Adoption: A federal appellate court upheld a blanket ban on gay adoptions, and I think it probably was a good idea ... it is best to go slow, especially in the federal courts. All the same the blanket ban is troubling, and Florida is the only state that goes that far. We are left with a court arguing why it's more "rational" to allow single people to adopt (25% of those who adopted were single at the time), to leave children in foster care (where gays can be foster parents and permanent guardians), to not have a similar blanket ban for drug addicts (some are recovered addicts and therefore not found to be a danger), and so forth, than to allow gays to adopt. [more]

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In the post-1990s global economy, America must aggressively compete with other developed countries for the international talent that can spur new industries and new jobs. By thumbing our nose at the world and dismissing the consensus views of the scientific community, we are scaring off that talent and sending it to our competitors.

-- from Creative Class War: How the GOP's anti-elitism could ruin America's economy

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Chloe Sevigny, who sublets a 20th-floor studio apartment from fellow actress Natasha Lyonne, is among the residents who've been coping with an invasion of the rodents in recent weeks - apparently sparked by a construction project in the neighborhood. ... As for Sevigny, her publicist said, "She thinks this started because construction disturbed their little mouse houses. ... Mice are cute."

-- one problem, I don't have in my much cheaper apartment