Why is a U.S. Army brigade being assigned to the “Homeland”? Several bloggers today have pointed to this obviously disturbing article from Army Times, which announces that “beginning Oct. 1 for 12 months, the [1st Brigade Combat Team of the 3rd Infantry Division] will be under the day-to-day control of U.S. Army North” — “the first time an active unit has been given a dedicated assignment to NorthCom, a joint command established in 2002 to provide command and control for federal homeland defense efforts and coordinate defense support of civil authorities.” — Salon

A Boy’s Life: What would you do if your son wanted to be a girl? Since he could speak, Brandon, now 8, has insisted that he was meant to be a girl. His case, and a rising number of others like it, illuminates a heated scientific debate about the nature of gender—and raises troubling questions about whether the limits of child indulgence have stretched too far. — The Atlantic

A monastic kind of life: How Catholic communities are trying to attract young people again. The Catholic Church has always seen the contemplative life as the “Air Force” in its spiritual struggle, Though the number of young people entering monasteries, convents, and the priesthood has drastically dropped from the mid-20th century, some new approaches to religious vocations have inspired some young people in America to embrace this idea. — Slate

Tina Fey, ‘W.,’ and the ten funniest political impressions of all time. From Tina Fey to Peter Sellers, New York Magazine has collected, in slideshow. the funniest, sharpest, and most cutting political impressions of all time. — New York Magazine