I have a column up at the fab PopCultMag.com webzine, owned and operated by my friend and former Metro Pulse editor, Coury Turczyn.

Spike Gillespie is one of my favorite pals, even though we only see one another in person once every few years. She is also one of my favorite writers and I especially love this latest column of hers at AustinMama.com. In it, she discusses how often parents force their kids to allow other adults to violate their personal autonomy and boundaries in the guise of fostering good manners.

I'm a big believer in good manners (I'm one of the only people I know who insists that her kids say "Yes Ma'am" and "No Sir" to adults), but you will never find me instructing my kids to "Give Uncle Joe a hug" or "Be polite and sit on Aunt Martha's lap."

My favorite quote, possibly of all time:

"I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that."
- Lloyd Dobler

There is a nifty new attachment/natural parenting store in Memphis and online called Mothersville. Check it out.

I live in a slummy house in Sequoyah Hills and after months of trying to get my slumlady to repair stuff, I am moving out at the end of this week. The house already smells bad, floods, leaks, etc, etc, etc. A few days ago the central air went out. Now the house is sweltering. It is far hotter inside the house than it is outside the house. There is nothing to do but live with it until we move out next weekend and I have to say that I am totally miserable.