My Favorite Web Links

A window on my worldview.  

My favorite writers on the web and links to them:

#1:  Paul Krugman.  More followers than just about anyone on Twitter, he combines Economics wizardry with a gift for explanation, and adds wit for leavening.  Hard to beat his devastating ability to call out the wrong-headed while also owning up to his own minor errors.  A columnist for the New York Times.    Link

#2:  James Fallows.  While his blog posts can be on topics that don't especially interest me (airplanes), when he does write about public policy, including foreign policy, especially China, where he lived, his writing is as reasonable and well thought out as can be found anywhere.  Associated with the Atlantic magazine.   Link

#3:  Kevin Drum.  His interests are about as broad as can be imagined.  Again, well-thought-out, logically limber arguments that leave that magical feeling of wonder at the end.  Occasional swear words must be endured, but otherwise an absolute joy.  At Mother Jones magazine.   Link

#4:  Radio Paradise.  My go-to site for music, which is writing for the ear.  The husband and wife who run this site have usually excellent taste in music, mixing world music and the occasional jazz and classical music selection with a majority of recent release masterpieces, plus golden oldies.  The golden oldies seem to be the most popular, judging from listener rankings.  There is also a discussion board and comments section.   Link 

#5: Alex Voltaire.  An American professor of history who teaches in Singapore, Alex is a friend from way back who is consistently interesting and has inspired my own writing.  His ranking of US presidents is excellent.  His work on Rock 'N Roll acts has gained a wide following.  Note the tabs for these super categories at the top of his Northumbrian Countdown site.    Link 

#6: Alison Tyler.  Another personal friend, her writing on the granular level is what I strive for, and what outshines all the others on this list; but, one does have to ignore Tyler's main focus, which is erotica, and rather enjoy her writer's instincts.  This is easily done, however, using her twitter account, a good place to find the captivating nugget emerging from that all but lost mother lode.   Link 

#7: Cecil Adams.  The columnist behind the intriguing, funny and cool The Straight Dope has been "fighting ignorance since 1973" with his brand of laid-back expertise.  For example:  "If you handle baby birds, will their parents shun them (apparently not)?"    Link

#8: Nancy LeTourneau.  The Washington Monthly magazine's blog, Political Animal, has at its helm a new weekday blogger who is not only a woman, but is probably the closest to come to my own politics. Link

#9 Ta-Nehisi Coates.  A difficult childhood has been overcome with writing skills which have blossomed into something awesome.  His experience learning French, as an adult, helped set me on the path to playing around on the piano.  His recent piece on how 'friends' have inadvertently disclosed to the world where he lives, is also terrific.  A writer for the Atlantic magazine.   Link 

#10 Ezra Klein.  Originally with the Washington Post, Klein has now started Vox, which is an interesting, cutting-edge and consistently well-written site.  Sarah Kliff is the resident expert on health care, for example.     Link

Women Are The Key

Why?

Let's look, in very general terms, at why women are key to our progress as a species.

Women are usually credited with having their family's best interests in mind, compared to men who tend to be more self-centered.  In general terms that's because men emphasize the better path, comparatively, concentrating on whether individuals pass the worthiness test, measured against an ideal.  It is therefore quite common for men to not only become self-absorbed, but to become lost in testy competitiveness, long after that focus has outlived its purpose.

What men can sometimes forget is that beauty, creativity and wisdom are the goals towards which all the testing and competitiveness in the world should be focused.  Women simply remind men of that.  So, to the extent that women are subjugated or ignored, there will be failure to focus on what's important and instead, we get a tribalism that is basically one-upmanship gone awry: in religion, for example.   

The usual argument in favor of women's rights is utilitarian: that women are generally good at caring for children, playing the role of housewife, being supportive and so on, and that these roles serve to maintain society.  

And while there is undoubtedly truth in the women-as-maintainers argument, the often obscured key is that, again in general terms, society needs women to remind men, in real time, what they're aiming for.  Written rules can be used as a substitute, of course, but are at least one step removed from real time, and subject to interpretive drift.  A calcified set of religious do-dos and don't-don'ts is often the result of men substituting rules for real-life experience.

Okay, you say, but who and what educates women to the point where they're able to serve their 'true north' function?  Again, in general terms, this is something that happens, just as men are good at testing for worthiness.  Education is simply the process that enables.

What are the implications, then, for our species, aside from the obvious importance to be placed in women's freedom?  As a man I can understand all this in general terms, but obviously it's more likely that a women will grasp the particulars better than I will.  Which leads one, again obviously, to the conclusion that a female president to lead this country, or any country, is a good in and of itself.