Movies, books, being "teal," and reading

1) So I've been very lax about reporting on my non-child entertainment as of late... I've really gotten into the "Israeli and Middle Eastern movies" label on Netflix.  "Eyes Wide Open" was very interesting, if a bit depressing in the end; how DO you live if you're gay and ultra-Orthodox?  (Apparently with quite a lot of guilt.)  There are a ton of other interesting movies, but I can't remember their names. Also, the Canadian sci-fi show "Continuum" is really fascinating, and mildly addictive.

I read The Innocents by Francesca Segal, a lovely tale of 20-something modern Orthodox Jews finding their place in religion and the larger world in contemporary London; Rav Hisda's Daughter: Book One by Maggie Anton, which is all about my thesis, aka female sorcery in Talmudic times!!!  Very exciting.  Star Trek: The Next Generation 365 added to my ST collection beautifully, as it focused not on the characters or ST world, but was about the behind-the-scenes production, particularly from the view of the writers.  And Homer's Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned About Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat was a fun traipse into someone else's life, and made me appreciate my cats all the more.

2) It's been quite a shock to the system to realize that I'm no longer left-of-center anymore.  After one year in Israel and five in the Midwest, I'd gotten used to my status as resident hippie, and kind of liked it. Now I'm by far not the greenest person I know, not the most liberal politically, not even the most liberal in childrearing/birth practices.  My coworker told me that instead of being "green," she calls herself "teal," meaning she does the best she can to save the earth, but doesn't sweat it if she eats food out of season and increases the carbon footprint.  I like the moniker, so am adopting it as my own.

3) Xander is READING!  OMG!!!  We went to "Teach Your Parent Night" at the kids' school on Tuesday, and he showed us his various "jobs" that he does, meaning his various activities.  Two of his favorites are practicing writing his numbers and reading three-letter words.  Then sewing. :)

4) Fascinating article:  "More than 40% of U.S. households with children relied on the woman as the chief or only source of income in 2011, up from 11% in 1960, a Pew study of census data shows."  And yet society is still uneasy with it.  Sigh.