Let’s start off with a semi-serious note, if only for a moment: We probably should stop referring to the expansion of marital rights as gay marriage. The only meaningful difference between marriages involving heterosexuals and opposite marriage is the genitals.
And really, it’s not all that meaningful of a difference for the purposes of the state.
Either way, the fight for marriage equality continues to unfold in California. One day, I can’t help but think that we’re going to look back on the days before marriage equality and refer to it as the Stone Age.
Meanwhile, I just felt my marriage get stronger.
Anyway, a day late but always right on time, you roundup of links for the week:
1. First, a little PB-related self-promotion: Ross Douthat doesn’t know what he’s talking about (Jamelle); a brief word on black people and their “culture” (Monica); and Oh, that hair (Shani-o)
2. An ode to Elizabeth Warren, everyone’s favorite consumer finance advocate. (Monica)
3. Things are starting to look very bad for Congressional Democrats. (G.D.)
4. Hallowed Ground. (Blackink)
5. Is it time to worry about Alvin Greene? (Shani-o)
6. Annie Lowrey explores the relationship between unemployment and suicide. “The stories show the deeper wounds of unemployment, and especially long-term unemployment. It is not just the loss of a job, but the loss of community, routine and purpose. It means worse health. It means higher rates of divorce. It means alcohol abuse. All of these are also risk factors for suicide.” (Blackink)
7. Wikileaks founder Julian Assange will become a columnist for Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, part of an effort to secure protection from Sweden’s laws that shield journalists. (Blackink)
8. Five years later, Slate tallies the ecological damage wrought by Hurricane Katrina. (Blackink)
9. Following the apparent suicide of the accused Craigslist killer, Professor Douglas Berman asks whether we should be “pleased or frustrated” at the development. Phillip Markoff’s death has also raised questions about the safety of inmates. (Blackink)
10. The 21st century will be dominated by megacities, not nations. (Blackink)
11. A new survey finds that commuting is bad for your health. (Blackink)
12. Life without gender. (Blackink)
13. Lauren Kelly breaks down why poor people eat unhealthy food. (G.D.)
14. Speaking of junk food, Pamela Michelle Johnson has – literally – turned it into an art. (Blackink)
15. Everything you ever needed to know about boiling water. #nerdalert (Shani-o)
16. A Seton Hall Law graduate is fuming mad that a law degree hasn’t been the answer to all his financial problems. (Blackink)
17. “Community” is coming back. Forget about topping its amazing first season, will it be able to maintain now that it’s going up against against geek favorite “The Big Bang Theory”? (Shani-o)
18. For the moment, at least, Usain Bolt is no longer the world’s fastest man. He’ll be sitting out the rest of the season with a back injury. (Blackink)
19. A recent study confirms a “long-suspected connection” between ALS-like motor disease and concussions and brain trauma. The new finding suggests that “Lou Gehrig might not have had Lou Gehrig’s disease.” (Blackink)
20. And finally, because people can’t get enough: LeBron James, Akron native-reigning NBA MVP-our new national punching bag, tells GQ that he actually grew up hating Cleveland. And other things. The writer who followed him around for three weeks dishes to TrueHoop Blog.
