News Bites: Because there's so much good news out there

Alright, let's try this again. In an ideal world, I'd be posting these alone and not in a lump sum, with more ample time to comment on them. Apparently, I am either too busy, too lazy or both. More on that in a second.

1. Is google why can't I concentrate anymore?

After Morgan's article, this was extremely appropriate. The phenomenon Carr talks about in this Atlantic Monthly article regarding reading was very familiar. Those glory days of reading in my bed all day and all night have turned into schizophrenic bopping from book to e-mail to facebook to a crossword puzzle or Scrabulous game. I miss my focus, to be honest.

2. Techno Toddlers

Also appropriate, So Young, and So Gadgeted and the topic of much discussion among my friends and I of late, I feel. Today kids are entering adolescence with a mastery and intimate knowledge of the internet, cell phones and texting.

We twenty-somethings were among the last high schoolers to go through much of our childhoods without cell phones and e-mail addresses. I didn't get a cell phone until right before I left for Vassar, and it was a prepaid virgin mobile model. As is typical, I tend to think its better to be introduced to technology later, and can't really fathom buying my toddler a cell phone (who the hell do 3rd graders need to call? Go play some fore square or something.)

3. From Babies to Equal Parenting

Though I have less than zero marriage and parenting plans, I am fascinated by Americans' approaches to both -- probably because there is no sure way to do either successfully, it seems so hit or miss. This sunday's Times Magazine cover is about splitting parenting duties equally, going beyond gender norms where the woman is the care provider.

Despite it being the 21st century, that Title IX is a quarter of a century old and working moms are commonplace, in couples where both parents work the amount of housework done by wives outpaces that done by husbands by almost 2:1. Even when each partner is working, the gender disparity remains.

"Where the housework ratio is two to one, the wife-to-husband ratio for child care in the United States is close to five to one."

Social norms apparently work against parents who wish to engage in equal parenting. (Really, you don't say? Social norms reinforcing gender stereotypes? Nawwww) Women's jobs also, strangely, are always more "flexible" than men's.

"By way of example she describes two actual couples, one in which he is a college professor and she is a physician and one in which she is a college professor and he is a physician. In either case, Deutsch says “both the husband and wife claimed the man’s job was less flexible.” "

Even the success stories make me skeptical of the potentiality of marriage, but I guess thats 22 for you.

4. Speaking of Gender Normatives...

If you haven't overheard the media's self-reflexive conversation about its sexist tendencies, you clearly aren't reading this blog. Or any blog. Anywhere. Ever. Today's Times had the latest installment of this discussion.

I shall now defer to Katie Couric.



Hell yea.