Joann Sfar continues to charm the nation while promoting trade show banner his new book with Pantheon: THE RABBI'S CAT. He was on National Public Radio yesterday, for a terrific interview. He even played country music live. You can hear it for yourself on NPR's website: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4805753 link P.S. I am not related to NPR's Robert Siegel, as far as I know.

One of the most troubling cultural developments of recent times is the rise of what has been dubbed "torture porn", films that dwell lingeringly on the physical details of tortured innocents. I have not seen any of these- the Saw and Hostel films, or The Captive, the most recent addition to the genre, but I have read written accounts of them and they are hideous. Much of what passes for entertainment these days is appalling, an appeal to the basest impulses and darkest corners of the fallen psyche. The films have done well at the box office, often outgrossing--in both senses of the word--their competitors. I suppose that we ought to be grateful, at least, that the torturers in these films are the bad guys, not the heroes, as in the hit television series 24-- which I also have not seen--where the good guy, Jack Bauer, regularly tortures terrorists. All for a good cause, of course. What should trouble us further is the fact that all of this is taking place against a background of U.S. government-sanctioned torture. Whatever sidestepping and evasiveness marked the Bush administration's internet explorer browser update response to accusations of torture in the past, it has become undeniable that America has joined the ranks of the torturers. Waterboarding, exposure to extreme temperatures, denial of food and water, sleep deprivation, attack dogs, aural assault: it reads like a catalog of tactics from some second rate dictatorship.

Julie has a problem I'm sure a lot of you can relate to! My 15-month-old son will squeal at such a pitch as to disney world honeymoon cause terrible pain in our eardrums. He will squeal when he is frustrated, not getting his own way, having to sit in one spot too long (eg. Out for dinner, or in the stroller shopping)…normal toddler issues. What can we do to stop this? Should we ignore it and cause the general public to also deal with ear pain? Or is it time to start some discipline with timeouts? This is a tremendously common toddler behaviour, particuarly at this age, when language is generally so limited. It is a way to express their feelings, and it's generally hugely effective at getting what they want. For the toddler, it's a win-win. Not so much for the parents and any innocent bystanders! What to do? First, whenever possible, avoid the squealing by dealing with the situation before it gets to that point . (I'm quite sure you already do this, but I can't skip it and have everyone assuming I don't do this first, too!) Take the tot from the high chair as soon as he's done; leave the mall when he gets restless. Bring toys to distract and snacks to keep the blood sugar stable. If squealing starts, speaking simply and firmly, identify the problem, and give the child a positive option . "Suzie! Too loud. You want down? Use your quiet voice. Quiet voice." When you say "quiet voice", say it quietly. Model a quiet voice.

i'm a feminist. there. i said it. i'm proud to believe that women have as much intrinsic worth as men; that there is nothing they should be barred from doing because of their gender - either inside, or outside, ecclesial circles. i believe that women can be very sexy, but that they are not sex objects, placed here for the exploitation and enjoyment of men. i believe that women have a valuable contribution to make in society: politically, economically, spiritually, manually - just as men do. i believe that women should be measured by more than their bra size; that they fundraising events can grow more beautiful with age; that their beauty (or value) does not necessarily depend on their physical looks (as society chooses to rate them). i believe that motherhood is sacred, precious and honorable in and of itself and that a woman has an intrinsic right to choose it as her life's work. i believe that she likewise has the intrinsic right to choose other paths in life. i am not commenting at all here on the whole "pro-choice/pro-life" debate, but am simply stating that a woman is no more a de facto parent than any man. doesn't seem like very radical stuff to me. seems pretty axiomatic, in fact.

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i'm a feminist. there. i said it. i'm proud to believe that monopoly board game women have as much intrinsic worth as men; that there is nothing they should be barred from doing because of their gender - either inside, or outside, ecclesial circles. i believe that women can be very sexy, but that they are not sex objects, placed here for the exploitation and enjoyment of men. i believe that women have a valuable contribution to make in society: politically, economically, spiritually, manually - just as men do. i believe that women should be measured by more than their bra size; that they can grow more beautiful with age; that their beauty (or value) does not necessarily depend on their physical looks (as society chooses to rate them). i believe that motherhood is sacred, precious and honorable in and of itself and that a woman has an intrinsic right to choose it as her life's work. i believe that she likewise has the intrinsic right to choose other paths in life. i am not commenting at all here on the whole "pro-choice/pro-life" debate, but am simply stating that a woman is no more a de facto parent than any man. doesn't seem like very radical stuff to me. seems pretty axiomatic, in fact.

One of the most troubling cultural developments of recent times is the rise of what has been dubbed "torture porn", films that dwell lingeringly on the physical details of tortured innocents. I have not seen any of these- the Saw and Hostel films, or The Captive, the most recent addition to the genre, but I have read written accounts of them and they are hideous. Much of what passes for entertainment these days is appalling, an appeal to the basest impulses and darkest corners of the fallen psyche. The films have done well at the box office, often outgrossing--in both senses of the word--their competitors. I suppose that we ought to be grateful, at least, that the torturers in these films are the bad guys, not the heroes, as in the hit television series 24-- which I also have not seen--where the good guy, Jack Bauer, regularly tortures terrorists. All for a good cause, of course. What should trouble us further is the fact that all of this is taking place against a background of U.S. government-sanctioned torture. Whatever sidestepping and evasiveness marked the Bush certified medical assistant programs administration's response to accusations of torture in the past, it has become undeniable that America has joined the ranks of the torturers. Waterboarding, exposure to extreme temperatures, denial of food and water, sleep deprivation, attack dogs, aural assault: it reads like a catalog of tactics from some second rate dictatorship.

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One of the most troubling cultural developments of recent times is the rise of what has been dubbed "torture porn", films that dwell lingeringly on the physical details of tortured innocents. I have not seen any of these- the Saw and Hostel films, or The Captive, the most recent addition to the genre, but I have read written accounts of them and they are hideous. Much of what passes for entertainment these days is appalling, an appeal to the basest impulses and darkest corners of the fallen psyche. The films have done well at the box office, often outgrossing--in both senses of the word--their competitors. I suppose that we ought to be grateful, at least, that the torturers in these films are the bad guys, not the heroes, as in the hit television series 24-- which I also have not seen--where the good guy, Jack Bauer, regularly tortures terrorists. All for a good cause, of course. What should trouble us further is the fact that all of this is taking place against a background of U.S. government-sanctioned torture. Whatever sidestepping and evasiveness marked the Bush administration's response to accusations of torture in the past, diesel generator manufacturer it has become undeniable that America has joined the ranks of the torturers. Waterboarding, exposure to extreme temperatures, denial of food and water, sleep deprivation, attack dogs, aural assault: it reads like a catalog of tactics from some second rate dictatorship.

Julie has a problem I'm sure a lot of you can relate to! My 15-month-old son will squeal at such a pitch as to cause terrible pain in our eardrums. He will squeal when he is frustrated, not getting his own way, having to sit in one spot too long (eg. Out for dinner, or in the stroller shopping)…normal toddler issues. What can we do to stop this? Should we ignore it and cause the general public to also deal with ear pain? Or is it time to start some discipline with timeouts? This is a tremendously common toddler behaviour, particuarly at this age, when language is generally so limited. It is a way to express their feelings, and it's generally hugely effective at getting what they want. For the toddler, it's a win-win. Not so much for the parents and any innocent bystanders! What to do? First, whenever possible, avoid the squealing by dealing with the situation before it gets to that point . (I'm quite sure you already do this, but I can't skip it and have everyone assuming I don't do this first, too!) Take the tot from the high chair as soon as he's done; leave the mall when he gets restless. Bring toys to distract and snacks to keep the blood sugar stable. If squealing starts, speaking simply and firmly, identify the problem, and give the child a positive option . "Suzie! Too loud. You want down? Use your quiet voice. Quiet voice." When you say "quiet voice", ip whois say it quietly. Model a quiet voice.

i'm a feminist. there. i said it. i'm proud to believe that women have as much intrinsic worth as men; that there is nothing they should be barred from doing because of their gender - either inside, or outside, ecclesial circles. i believe that women can be very sexy, but that they are not sex objects, placed here for the exploitation and enjoyment of men. i believe that women have a valuable contribution to make in society: politically, economically, spiritually, manually - just as identity management systems men do. i believe that women should be measured by more than their bra size; that they can grow more beautiful with age; that their beauty (or value) does not necessarily depend on their physical looks (as society chooses to rate them). i believe that motherhood is sacred, precious and honorable in and of itself and that a woman has an intrinsic right to choose it as her life's work. i believe that she likewise has the intrinsic right to choose other paths in life. i am not commenting at all here on the whole "pro-choice/pro-life" debate, but am simply stating that a woman is no more a de facto parent than any man. doesn't seem like very radical stuff to me. seems pretty axiomatic, in fact.