This thing that happened yesterday with Senator Elizabeth Warren has really gotten under my skin. It’s not like there haven’t been daily (virtually hourly) assaults on my state of mind since the inauguration. Every day is filled with anger and disillusionment. So much of my emotional energy and time has been spent these last few weeks on finding ways not to fall into a depression or, a...
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I just watched the first three episodes of the show “Togetherness” on HBO. First, I’d like to point out that the Duplass brothers (Mark and Jay), who created this show–along with Steve Zissis–are everywhere. I was already aware that Mark Duplass seemed to be appearing on my TV screen on a regular basis, but then when I googled “Togetherness” after a friend...
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My daughter is 12. Another mother brought up the idea of introducing the concept of masturbation to our daughters. I am contemplating this but don’t know how I’d bring it up, advise her, etc. For boys, it seems so natural and obvious. Girls have no road map to follow. Any suggestions on how to handle this delicate situation? This is a question near and dear to my heart. I believe very ...
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My 15-year-old son has been in a relationship with a girl the same age for about a year. We like her a lot, and we think their relationship is healthy and loving. They were friends for a long time before they started going out. I have two questions: 1) We think he’s too young to have sex, but we don’t know how to explain that to him and also, without condoning the decision, tell him that if they d...
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As the NFL draft drew to a close last week, we received news of this heartwarming tale out of Corona Del Mar High School in Newport Beach, CA, of “prom-date drafting.” Yes, it turns out that some boys in Newport Beach are not content simply to participate in one of the many fantasy leagues to fulfill their apparently deep desire to experience the excitement, tension, and feeling of something akin ...
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Although in some ways I have probably become less radical in my thinking as I have gotten older, there are other ways in which I am apparently more so–or maybe just less likely to ignore comments that I consider offensive. If you pay attention at all, some form of “slut-shaming” is pervasive, even among those who very likely would not see themselves as doing so. Two recent examples involved ...
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I was quite gratified as I was listening in the car on April 29th to Adam Silver, the NBA commissioner, as he announced the punitive measures against Donald Sterling, the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, who was recorded making bizarre and racist comments. I know there are those who argue that Sterling was taped in a private moment revealing private thoughts and that if we were all subject to su...
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