Stuff you must read today (Wed, 28 Dec 2011)

Life and Letters: The U.S. Postal Service Ends Next-Day Delivery | The New Yorker
I have mixed feelings about the demise of snail mail – like the future of printed material, I’m still trying to understand my own stand on the matter.

Their Noonday Demons, and Ours | The New York Times
“[Procrastination] probably strikes you as an extremely, even a uniquely, modern problem. Pick up an early medieval monastic text, however, and you will find extensive discussion of all the symptoms listed above, as well as a diagnosis”.

More about procrastination – a topic which I am quite interested in – here and here.

Parenting in Singapore | LIFT: Limpeh is Foreign Talent
“Ironically, one thing she never ‘banned’ from the kitchen was alcohol – there was always some alcohol around and at family gatherings and parties, alcohol would be served. I was exposed to alcohol at an early age and the fascination soon wore off when I realized how bitter it was. But most of all, it was PERMITTED. It was not FORBIDDEN. … That’s why I don’t even bother drinking today”.

Welcome to the Age of Overparenting | Boston Magazine
“In my nine years as a parent, I’ve followed the rules, protocols, and cultural cues that have promised to churn out well-rounded, happy, successful children. I’ve psychoanalyzed my kids’ behavior, supervised an avalanche of activities, and photo-documented their day-to-day existence as if I were a wildlife photographer on the Serengeti. … But lately, I’ve begun to wonder if, by becoming so attuned to their every need and so controlling of their every move, I’ve somehow played a small part in changing the very nature of their childhood”.