New favorite Slate columnist

As a lifelong childless person (who never ONCE seriously considered parenthood as a goal), I am strangely drawn to podcasts and articles about parenting. A new one was just introduced on Slate that is funny in the dark way I so enjoy. Here are two recent quotes:

"Parenting them [babies] is a bit like being the dictator of a small, poorly functioning country."

" Before the baby, you’re a vessel to be cherished and protected. After the baby, you’re a lactation-oriented baby accessory".

The author is Emily Oster and her contributions in the service of getting real about the joys of all things pregnancy and parenting are enlightening and entertaining (at least to the entirely uninitiated).

I admit that I cannot possibly fully appreciate the truth in any of her amusing characterizations, but I do possess a stable genius* for absorbing the full impact of the literate snark.

*Urban Dictionary: stable genius

What unstable cretins claim to be. See also, dotard.

The president, despite evidence to the contrary, tweeted confirmation that he is in fact a stable genius.

**UD makes clear that this does not apply to someone as stable and un-cretin-like as moi.