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The forgotten feminist dystopias that predicted our present
At a time when women’s rights are once again threatened, it’s worth looking back at what feminist authors warned us about decades ago. When Margaret Atwood published "The Handmaid’s Tale" in 1985, she was part of a powerful wave of women writing feminist dystopian science fiction, which we now call speculative fiction.
The late 20th ...Read more

Belonging after brokenness: One woman’s search for truth and healing
Wendy B. Correa’s new memoir "My Pretty Baby: Seeking Truth and Finding Healing," details a fascinating life defined by resilience and accomplishment in the face of childhood trauma and a dysfunctional family environment. As Correa deftly shows in this writing debut, life is not so much about what happens to you as it is what you do with what ...Read more
Parental Guidance Needed As Teen Explores Career Options
Q: My 15-year-old son seems to be thinking seriously about career choices and wondering what to do with his life as an adult. What can I do now to help him settle on a path and make wise plans for the future?
Jim: I'd suggest starting by exposing him to as many different occupations as possible. Give him a taste of the wide variety of career ...Read more
When It Comes to Halloween, I'm on the Supply Side of the Economy
I'm told that ours is a market economy -- driven by supply and demand, or end-stage capitalism at its finest.
But I find that around this time of year, as plastic skeletons hang from suburban rooftops and air-stuffed Jack-O-Lanterns droop in the October wind, things get a bit more banana republic. Or, more of a Banana Laffy Taffy Republic, I ...Read more
Parents Shouldn't Live in Fear of Child Protective Services
"Let me tell you about Alice," said Mariel Mussack, an attorney with Community Legal Services, testifying in the Pennsylvania state Legislature on Monday. Alice, Mussack said, is a single mom of two who was also caretaker for her younger brother, aged 13. When she needed to run a brief errand, Alice had her brother babysit her nearly 1-year-...Read more

Moms for Liberty shows muscle in South Carolina as statewide hopefuls pledge their support
COLUMBIA, S.C. — When South Carolina state Sen. Josh Kimbrell kicked off his campaign for governor inside of a restaurant in Inman, he brought out a table after his speech to sign a piece of paper.
It was the Moms for Liberty Parent Pledge, which he signed after promising to create an office of parental rights if he were elected governor.
�...Read more

Family guide to new movie releases
TRON: ARES
Rated PG-13 for violence/action.
What it’s about: The third TRON movie sees the grid invading the real world as two tech companies strive for AI dominance.
The kid attractor factor: Not much. Maybe some appeal for teens in the aesthetic and spectacle.
Good lessons/bad lessons: AI is only as good as the person who wields it. ...Read more

UN: Kids in Haiti losing childhood amid displacements, hunger, violence
The number of children uprooted by Haiti’s spiraling gang violence has nearly doubled in the last year to 680,000, while those in need of humanitarian assistance now stands at just under a quarter of the country’s estimated 12 million population.
Meanwhile, with more than 1,600 schools directly affected by the violence – including 1,080 ...Read more

Ex-etiquette: Dealing with disrespect
Q. My ex just changed the email address that he uses to communicate with me to include a derogatory reference to me. It’s obvious what he’s doing, but I’m having a difficult time staying calm. What’s good ex-etiquette?
A. First and foremost, it’s important to acknowledge that any attempt to disrespect you, especially in a shared co-...Read more

Lori Borgman: Boy's best friend doesn't bark
They say birds of a feather flock together and while that may be true most of the time, I have proof it is not true all the time. Our 12-year-old grandson and a jet-black Cayuga duck sitting beside him, with its long neck and head resting on the boy’s shoulder, have been flocking together for weeks.
The boy says it all began because the duck�...Read more

Planned Parenthood appeals decision on parental notification in abortions
LAS VEGAS — Planned Parenthood is appealing a Las Vegas judge’s decision to not to block a Nevada law that requires doctors to notify parents of minors seeking an abortion.
District Judge Erika Mendoza rejected the request for a preliminary injunction on Sept. 26, writing in an order that the plaintiffs had not established a likelihood of ...Read more

A suspenseful mystery about love, secrets and immigration
In "Danger, No Problem," author Cindy Fazzi has written an engaging mystery about one man’s continuous pursuit of the one he let get away. The story unfolds over 20 years, with chapters alternating between the past (1998, 2008) and the present, illustrating how Domingo’s relationship with his target, Monica Reed, evolved and ultimately led ...Read more
Captivating story of faith, healing and reckoning with the past
In Sandy Hope Stewart’s brand new novel, "Entertaining Angels," Rebekah Lang learns lessons about life that shape her belief system forever.
We meet Rebekah at 70 years old as she’s confronting her lifelong guilt, seemingly for the first time, in therapy. What a prologue! I didn’t quite know what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t an ...Read more
Rest Is Just As Crucial As Action
Q: I'm a high-energy person; being busy keeps me happy. I get bored if I'm not doing something -- career, church, socializing, hobbies, volunteer work, etc. A well-meaning friend suggested I slow down but that seems like a waste to me. What's your take?
Jim: Many busy people consider rest to be wasted time. They see an empty space where ...Read more
Another Slam Dunk for Chatbots Doing the Work
The secretary of defense opens his laptop late at night on Sept. 29. He logs on to his favorite AI chatbot. It greets him.
Hi, Pete. What can I do for you tonight?
Pete? I thought I asked you to call me Major Tough Guy.
You're absolutely right. You did. Thanks for setting me straight, Major Tough Guy. How can I help?
I'm trying to write a ...Read more
The Truth Revealed
Here are some things most Americans believe but I don't:
-- You must have a water bottle with you at all times or you will die of dehydration, or end up drinking Coke instead and die of diabetes. (Or you will end drinking Diet Coke instead and die of something Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is worried about.)
-- Your kid should not play at the park ...Read more

After ICE raids, this Venezuelan mom fled from LA to Mexico. Will she find refuge there?
Jerardyn sat quietly on the bus, her mood relaxed as her eyes scanned the fleeting horizon of Southern California one August afternoon.
But as the U.S.-Mexico border wall, a towering barrier of steel pillars, came into view, she began taking big, deep breaths. Her heart began to race as she clutched her immigration documents and tried to hide ...Read more

Family guide to new movie releases
'THE SMASHING MACHINE'
Rated R for language and some drug abuse.
What it’s about: A biopic of MMA fighter Mark Kerr, following his career in the late '90s.
The kid attractor factor: This is a serious adult drama, not for younger audiences.
Good lessons/bad lessons: Some of those with the most guts don’t get all the glory.
Violence: ...Read more

Ex-etiquette: An ethical question
Q. This is sort of an ethical question. My ex-wife remarried two years ago and even though this sounds a little weird, I find I like him, poor unsuspecting sap. I can tell he cares about my kids and he’s actually a good influence.
Here’s the deal. My ex has always liked her wine, and I suspect it’s causing some problems over there. Her ...Read more

Lori Borgman: Caught off gourd by pumpkins gone wild
I am an accidental gardener. If anything I plant grows to maturity, and by some fluke of nature becomes edible, it is sheer accident.
If we had to survive on what I grow, we would both be very, very thin. Spaghetti thin. We are not spaghetti thin; we are more like rigatoni.
Several years ago, I dreamed of growing potatoes. I threw some ...Read more
Inside Parents
Popular Stories
- You're more likely to win Powerball 100 times than do what this California mom did
- After ICE raids, this Venezuelan mom fled from LA to Mexico. Will she find refuge there?
- UN: Kids in Haiti losing childhood amid displacements, hunger, violence
- Family guide to new movie releases
- Linking autism and Tylenol: 'This seems like we're going back 20 years'