Yes, I know, I post things from the Washington Post often… it’s the only newspaper I have time to glance at, by virtue of its being under my nose at the office during coffee breaks. But I was horrified to read of a young boy who died of a toothache — For Want of A Dentist by Mary Otto. Yes. That’s right. He had a rotting tooth, couldn’t get it pulled, and by the time his family could get him to a surgeon, the bacteria had spread to his brain.
Deamonte Driver was just 12 years old. Doctors operated on his …read more

Ruth Markus over at the Washington Post writes a great article, Grandma With a Gavel, that deftly weaves politics and motherhood into a mantle of greatness for one Speaker of the House to wear. It’s not enough to be chuffed that there’s a woman Speaker of the House… it’s bloody brilliant that she’s so utterly perfect for the first woman to fill those shoes.
“Powerful” and “mommy” are not concepts we’re used to holding simultaneously. We’ve become accustomed to women who appear comfortable wielding influence without denying their femininity; think Condoleezza Rice in those high-heeled boots or posing for Vogue in …read more