Johnny Cat, me too! Just hearing (or reading) the word is enough to set me off. My daughter thinks it's hysterical to repeatedly say it. Yep, made myself yawn three times while writing this. Oops, there I go again!
Actually, is the reason they can provide for all these kids due mainly to the fact that they have made their children reality TV fodder? In fact, if they don't keep having them, the money will probably dry right up.
I was just distracted by the fact that Jack Black was apparently the son of three people...two rocket scientists and a college friend of Tim Robbins. ; )
This brought tears to my eyes -- forget the singing (though it was pretty impressive for kids) -- look at the kids' faces. This teacher has used music to help them reach into their hearts and really feel. I imagine some of them have probably already experienced pain and hardship in their lives and begun to build up walls. He's giving them a tool to help them keep them feeling, and feeling their potential -- maybe helping them see a better future for themselves. I know this seems like a lot of import to place on a glee club video, but that's how it struck me.
(And BTW, the song was apparently written (if I remember my limited 70s memories correctly) by Stevie about her dad.)
Sorry, no time to read the article today so I hope this isn't covered in it. Could it be that these religious zealots are just all for torturing other religious zealots (who HAVE to be wrong to justify how RIGHT the US church goers are (in their own minds, of course.) Some of the most stomach-turning viciousness has always been perpetrated by those of one religious belief toward another.
Kudos to the dad for helping his little girl deal with the realities of life in a loving and sensitive way (death is death, even if it's just a fish.) The little girl is adorable and bright -- and there's no saying she'll be cynical Richard...disillusioned perhaps, but not necessarily cynical.
As a long-time genealogist, I've experienced first hand how difficult it is to untangle who is who from documentation alone -- not only did parents "hand down" their names but often if an earlier child in a family died, the parents would name a later baby the same name (sometimes several times until one lived long enough!) On top of this, very often cousins living in the same small towns would have the identical name, etc.
In short, I rather doubt the 130 years claim (though maybe in northern Kazakhstan life is so boring it just seems to have been that long!)
Personally, I found the article quite well written, informative and interesting. It didn't claim to be a be-all, end-all explanation of another culture, simply a stranger's view of it.
Not to nitpick but were Bonanza, Gunsmoke and Hawaii 5-0 comedies? Maybe I was just too young to get the jokes. Still, interesting...clearly there's an untapped market for a Montana-based series. : )
Economics aside, renting becomes problematic once you have a child -- that "freedom to move whenever you want" thing changes unless you don't mind uprooting your child from his/her school system, friends, etc. Speaking from experience after my divorce, my son's education was severely hampered by school changes. Most run on different curriculum and your child can really fall into the gaps involved in changes. (Not to mention (and this was some 15 years ago, his handwriting never quite recovered from when one school insisted on the "teardrop and hook" style printing, while the next went for the traditional "ball and stick" style.
I think it had more to do with the extremely sharp points on the very hard plastic pieces. But it might also have had to do with mothers finding said "Lovecraft" versions of the potato head creatures in kids' rooms or around the house!
Those interested might check out thehumanmarvels.com -- it might come off initially as a being a "freak sideshow" but it ends up underscoring the humanity and individuality of people who happened to be born different.
(And BTW, the song was apparently written (if I remember my limited 70s memories correctly) by Stevie about her dad.)
In short, I rather doubt the 130 years claim (though maybe in northern Kazakhstan life is so boring it just seems to have been that long!)
I think it had more to do with the extremely sharp points on the very hard plastic pieces. But it might also have had to do with mothers finding said "Lovecraft" versions of the potato head creatures in kids' rooms or around the house!