- Monty Python’s Life of Brian recreated for BBC comic drama. This could be interesting.
- Wendell Pierce, of ‘The Wire’ and ‘Treme,’ to open groceries in New Orleans ‘food deserts’. Good for him! [via]
- Thudfactor in defense of parental leave:
Finally, complaining that parental leave is an unfair “benefit†because not everyone has or wants children is a like complaining psychological medial coverage is unfair because not everyone is insane, or permanent disability coverage is unfair because not everyone is guaranteed to have their legs chewed off by mechanical equipment while on the clock.
- Of course, along the same lines, the sad news that Women have to have a Ph.D. to Make As Much As Men With a B.A.. [via]
- And finally, the trailer for Francis Ford Coppola’s new movie, Twixt is just bizarre. His plans to “exhibit [it] as a road show, re-editing the movie after every screening based on audience reaction” sounds almost normal by comparison:
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You know, I think the bit you quoted from the parental leave post is far and away the least convincing argument there. Since, yeah, people do choose to have children, and generally don’t choose to have their legs chewed off. Other than that, though, I agree with pretty much all of it (and I say that as someone who has occasionally felt annoyed that people with kids get prioritized over those of us who’ve chosen to do other things with our lives). I mean, geez, if nothing else, you have to make some concessions to the fact that humans are, you know, mammals.
I think what John’s saying there — and what I tend to agree with — is that it’s wrong to argue an employer shouldn’t offer a particular benefit just because you don’t make use of it. Yes, there’s obviously more choice involved in having children than in losing a limb or suffering from mental illness,but you’re under no obligation to make use of any of these health benefits your employer provides…and yet, in a civilized society, they should probably provide them all the same.
That I don’t disagree with at all. I just don’t think it was a particularly good analogy. (Unfortunately, I can’t think of a better one, since “Complaining that other people get parking spots when you choose to walk to work” is pretty frivolous. :))