Those poor French students

The BBC story is here.

okay that sounds like a plot for one of my short stories. Just add a new found medieval manuscript scanned into the missing laptop and generate a love triangle and we are good to go.

Except I didn't create that "bizarre" plot. It is real. It makes my stomach hurt.

I have this weird feeling in my gut. Constant Dull Anxiety. I just want to hear some good news. I have been clenching my jaw too much; esp. when I read the Freep or listen to NPR. Not helping the general feeling of doom and gloom is the fact that I am also reading this very thoughtful book titled "God is Not Great--How Religion poisons everything" by Christopher Hitchens. It was on The Daily Show back a couple of weeks. It is centered on illustrating the stupidity of organized extremist religions and the atrocities that humans commit upon one another in the name of religion. It really makes my stomach hurt.

Last night, as part of Izzy's Johnny Depp obsession, we watched the film Chocolat with the kids. I of course had seen it at least twice before. I do love this movie and it has a lot going for it: A. Mr. Depp faking an Irish accent and looking smoking hot while doing so-- B.) Django's music & C.) CHOCOLATE!! It isn't a happy flick though. Zoli was hoping for PoC or at least Edward Scissorhands but got "kissing" instead. Kissing and religious candor.

The scene when the Mayor/Count is cutting up his wife's dress gave us an opportunity to discuss hypocrisy and abuse of power. I've always encouraged the kids to not be sheep. This film definitely supported a lot of our "family values"= honesty, kindness, hard work, creativity, color, music, "new flavors"--but most of all compassion. I am glad we watched it. I think it reinforced a lot of what I am trying to teach them. When they kissed us goodnight and headed upstairs Zoli said he was glad I didn't "wear black shoes" which referenced a pretty poignant moment in the film where the little girl is sick of her mom being "different" and just wants to fit in with the gray little village. That Z. processed that feeling and applied it to us and we came out on top...that was pretty damn cool.

Maybe if the thugs who stabbed & roasted those poor students had watched a movie about tolerance with their mom&dad the world would still have two brilliant bio-chem students.