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May 24, 2012
Jeff Jacoby: The peace process battered Israel's reputation
Michael Muskal: 'Pro-choice' position hits record low, according to poll
Chris Farrell: Are We in a Tech Bubble?
The Kosher Gourmet by Penelope Wall: PHILLY CHEESE STEAKS --- hold the steak!
May 23, 2012
Tony Pugh: More private colleges offering tuition discounts
Mary Beth Franklin: How to Choose the Right Annuity for You
Tina Susman: The wig wasn't enough: Man gets 13 years for posing as his dead mom
The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen:A simple way to do fish right
May 22, 2012
Warren Richey: Can US group challenge overseas surveillance act? Supreme Court to decide
Thomas M. Anderson: Walking Away From a Mortgage
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: Enjoy a celebration of the most rich and layered flavors: Black bean, sweet potato and quinoa chili
May 21, 2012
Mark Clayton: Cybersecurity: How US utilities passed up chance to protect their networks
Howard LaFranchi: NATO summit: Who will foot the bill for long-term Afghanistan security?
Chris Farrell : Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Social anxiety disorder --- or just shy?
Guy Jackson : Victim's father regrets death of Lockerbie bomber
The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: Famed chef's veal shoulder farsumagru: A festive meat course for late spring
May 18, 2012
Rabbi Berel Wein: Striving: The People of the Book's Book for (All of) the People
Steven Goldberg: 5 Great Stock Picks and the Exchange-Traded Fund that Owns Them
Mary Pickett, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Don't be forced into gluten-free lifestyle based merely on a doctor's false-positive test
The Kosher Gourmet by Carolyn Malcoun: DIY healthy lunchbox treats: HOMEMADE FRUIT BARS for kids and brown-bagging adults alike
May 17, 2012
Warren Richey: Teacher fired for being unwed and pregnant can sue religious school, court rules
Josh Mitnick: Netanyahu's 'centrist' coalition is already proving it's anything but
Steven Goldberg: Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Amina Khan: Research links coffee to lower death rates
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Duran : Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole with Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
May 16, 2012
Carmen Terzic, M.D., Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: A variety of exercises can help improve balance
Melissa Healy: National strategy on Alzheimer's disease aims to halt it by 2025
The Kosher Gourmet by Joyce White : GOODNESS GRACIOUS: GREENS! 4 winning recipes that are no longer just for down-home folks (Includes expert tips & techniques)
May 15, 2012
Kristen Chick: Obama administration resumes arms sales to Bahrain despite serious unresolved human rights issues. Activists feel abandoned
Pat Mertz Esswein: Homes are now affordable again and mortgage rates are low. What you need to know before you buy
Kathy Kristof: Our Practical Investor Fights Inflation with These 6 Investments
Sue Hubbard, M.D.: The Kid's Doctor: Lactose intolerant young child? Check again
The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Hunt: Spread a Little Excitement with EXOTIC CONDIMENTS (4 RECIPES)
May 14, 2012
Lisa Gerstner: How to Protect Your Identity, Finances If You Lose Your Phone
Harvard Health Letters: Heart disease and dementia
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: MANGO COCONUT OAT MORNING MUFFINS are a bright but hearty delight
May 11, 2012
Jessica L. Anderson: Get the Best Deal on a Used Car
Jett Stone: Forget face-lifts and fake knees. Scientists have seen the fountain of youth --- and it's broccoli
The Kosher Gourmet by Chef Mario Batali: The famed chef's vegetable dish that tastes true to the season: FAVAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH POTATOES AND TARRAGON
May 10, 2012
Sergei L. Loiko: Putin sends warning to U.S., NATO in Victory Day speech at Red Square
Mary Rourke: How being a 'mentch' got Vidal Sasoon his start and fighting in Israel's War of Independence provided him with confidence and a strong sense of his own identity
Jeff Bertolucci: Get Home Phone Service for Less Than $10 a Month
The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Gleaming with its golden, crimson, and snowy white hues, this silken smooth and creamy STRAWBERRY ORANGE TRIFLE looks impressive, but is easy to prepare
May 9, 2012
Sharon Palmer, R.D. How you can reduce your risk -- or delay -- chronic diseases associated with aging
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Jewish World Review
An enchanted diorama in the 'burbs
By
Chris Erskine
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
I really like dioramas, the little handcrafted scenes first-graders create inside a shoe box. With dioramas, the important thing is to keep them simple.
A few years ago, for example, I helped one of the kids produce a rather faithful replica of the Winged Victory of Samothrace and other artwork from the Louvre, including some French stained glass from the 13th century depicting St. Blaise. It was a masterful reproduction. Some people (mostly me) even preferred it to the original artworks. I was particularly proud of the Pantone mix we used to achieve the unusual shade of heaven in the stained glass. Took 100 attempts to get the blues just right.
So anyway, we're working on the little guy's first diorama. Looking for something novel, I suggest a reenactment of Washington crossing the Delaware as it would've looked if they'd brought along their wives and girlfriends. Traveling together can be so tricky. There'd be a lot of arguing on the boat, and several of the men would probably jump overboard. I thought including the wives would add a dramatic element to an already epic event.
Instead, our first-grader insists on a diorama of the ocean. As if we haven't seen that a million times.
"It has to be a habitat, Dad," he says.
"OK, sure," I say with a shrug.
Meanwhile, the college girl has arrived home after a sensational freshman year. All the college kids are back in town, smelling like dorm rooms and smoky jeans. Eight months away and some of them forgot to shower. Oops. It's like hosting the French.
The first summer home, after freshman year, makes for some interesting adjustments. My wife, Posh, freaked out the first time her little girl stayed out until 2 a.m., when for all Posh knew, it was the earliest the little girl had been home in months.
When not driving her mother crazy, the college girl is interning at some agency here in town. She came home after the first day and chirped: "I boxed and bagged a bunch of gowns for Beyonce today. I handed a messenger an envelope for Hilary Duff. My life is sooooo great."
Obviously.
My buddy Rhymer, who also suffers from having a college daughter, suggests that this would be a summer for swapping children, since the kids are way more respectful toward adults who are not their own parents.
I blame over-mothering, the common problem of mothers who mother too much, thereby producing kids who can't do a thing for themselves. Want to stir up the conversation at your next dinner party, bring up the federal debt or over-mothering. Either topic is sure to get a rise. The two issues may well be connected, but only tangentially — in the way skinny dipping can affect the tides.
Anyway, Rhymer, who is a freethinker — I compare him to Milton or even Locke — thinks that if the college kids were to summer at other houses besides their own, it would make for a much more civil experience for everyone.
As luck would have it, all my friends are millionaires, so that would bode well for our daughter, who would see an instant jump in her standard of living. She'd have her own bedroom for the first time in her life, she'd have access to a car and a closet full of shoes, more shoes than a girl could ever wear.
The only drawback would be the poor child who ended up at our place, which used to be a Dairy Queen, till Wienerschnitzel bought it and put on that crazy red roof. We converted it to a private residence years ago, but you wouldn't believe how many cars still pull up at midnight and ask for the No. 2 combo meal. Rather than argue, we just serve them.
That's one reason you're always hearing Posh yodeling: "GIMME A No. 2, EASY ON THE ONIONS." (For her birthday, I'm promoting her to night manager.)
So, yeah, living with us will be a treat for any college kid. Our life is unconventional and occasionally insane. We get excited about little things, like making dioramas. And at Christmas, when a box with bubble wrap arrives, everything stops till we've popped and stomped every last one. I'd liken it to harvest time in the Loire Valley, when the very best grapes come in.
If nothing else, our house offers a playful, almost collegiate experience. There's one little dude — soooo cute — who likes to stand around in just a moose hat and flipflops. Posh screams "Put on some pants, you idiot!" but it does no good.
Because after a while, I've learned to just tune her out.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Comment by clicking here.
Previously:
America's next top Mama
Fires and gas leaks aside, we're just swell
Woozy on the lido deck of life
He's tickled to visit the doctor
A treat that could eat you
Making sense of March Madness
Save the queen, from Biden's motorcade
His daughter's becoming an adult, but is that a good thing?
Thin mints and fungo bats
You must be this tall to enter the ark
© 2010, Los Angeles Times Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services
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