Elsewhere

Johnny & Alice

Ian has named his (latest) favorite stuffed animal ‘Johnny’, which reminded me of this little slice of Disney nostalgia. I was pleasantly surprised to see that this is performed by the Andrews Sisters, whom I now adore but didn’t know existed then. A few things you won’t find in cartoons anymore: winos, blackjacks, and police […]

Parent Shock: You Have Children

Words that have never been used to describe our furnishings: Noguchi floating flat-front lacquered Shantung molded-wood 18th-century pendant silk Even as a guy whose bathroom register is held in place by duct tape (seriously), I just have to assume that the same must be said for most people, let alone most parents. Yet, as The […]

Page 123

Janet’s tagged me, kicking and screaming, forcing me to be sociable even in this most isolated medium. For which I’m grateful. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages). Open the book to page 123. Find the fifth sentence. Post the next three sentences. Tag five people. Coincidentally, I happen to have just […]

A Moment’s Sacredness

A Moment’s Sacredness By Tony Woodlief ‘Before her baptism, our Caroline, who was only two, called our pastor “the creature,” which was as close as she could get to “the preacher.” After her baptism, she called him God. I always wondered what she saw or sensed as he prayed over her, to give her a […]

Taxman

Remember DadBloggers? Yeah, I’m still over there, too: ‘Ian’s impromptu flights of imagination are harder to catch. His world is fully regulated, documented, and signed in triplicate. You cannot enter unless you’ve read the rulebook, which has yet to be published for all its revisions. He analyzes and tweaks and draws his boundaries with a […]

Don’t Suffer the Little Children

In today’s Wall Street Journal, Tony Woodlief explains why I’ve named this site ‘Total Depravity’: Don’t Suffer the Little Children By Tony Woodlief ‘Many parents in the unconstrained camp adhere to Rousseau’s sentiment: “Man is born free, but everywhere is in chains.” They not only fail to punish bad behavior but snarl at anyone who […]