Someone pointed out to me the other day that I have been credited with creating a new word. Actually, I did not coin the word "lactivist" ("one who promotes breastfeeding on a societal level" -- that's my definition anyway.) I first heard the word from Rachael Hamlet on her wonderful Breastfeeding Advocacy Page in about 1995.

I've updated my essays page with some of my newer columns. Let me know what you think.

Although this article is quite dated, it's the first I've seen of it until a reader sent it to me today. It's by Susan Wise Bauer (can anyone tell me if Ms. Bauer is kin to Gary Bauer of the infamous Dan Savage presidential campaign office licking dust-up from '00?), and it critiques my critique of the Gary Ezzo written series of parenting books.

After a hiatus of several years, I am returning to law school after Christmas to finish up my last 3 semesters. I finished pre-registering for classes today and to the envy of all you Blogger-groupies out there, I will have Mr. InstaPundit himself, the undisputed Sun God of Bloggers - Glenn Reynolds - for Constitutional Law ;-)

Since I live in Tennessee, the tornadoes that slammed the state are big news here today. Apparently they are big news in Quebec as well, because today the Quebecois equivalent of CNN called my in-laws' house here in Knoxville looking for news of the weather. My father in law is French and my mother in law is American but she speaks French like a native. (I guess the French consulate helped the station find French people in Tennessee.)

Anyway, so this reporter calls their house and asks to speak to my father in law, Jean Pierre. My mother in law told him that he wasn't home and asked if she could take a message. The reporter explained that they wanted someone to explain to their viewers in French via a television interview what weather damage they could see from their own home. My mother in law explained that there was no weather damage that she could see. The reporter persisted, apparently believing that Tennessee is so small that everyone who lives within the state's borders should be seeing destruction out their kitchen windows.

This reminds me of the time I traveled to Egypt and everyone I met, upon learning that I was American, would ask me whether I was from "New York or California."

Maybe this is why so many of my artsy pals dress in baggy black clothes and look glum much of the time.