I don't know enough about tae kwan do to say whether this is reasonable or not, but almost all competetive sports have strict dress codes so I don't see why tae kwan do would be any different. And I bet a lot of them have clothing rules that don't really make sense to everyone. I can't get too upset that this sport is enforcing their rules, especially since these rules were probably available to anyone entering the sport. I 'm unclear, however, how a head scarf is a problem in a classroom.

I didn't watch the bunnies - I never do after the first time I saw them here. I just came to complain about the bunnies and I see I'm in good company. Video dog has gone way down hill. I used to see funny, interesting, sometimes beautiful videos here, now I rarely bother to check in.

I'm no longer going to Video Dog for the videos, just to join in this campaign to get them change the current programming!

Remember the good old days?

- The balls bouncing all over San Francisco

- Acutally funny Jon Stewart moments

- The laughing quintuplets

- and my all time favorite: the BankOne employee singing his own version of U2's One. "One card, one bank, we've got to carry each other, carry each other." Priceless.

I'd even take back the cute kitty videos!

Maybe if we stop writing letters about VideoDog they'll get the message. Do they see that it inspires letters and therefore it's a success? Boycott VD altogether!

I'm not going to defend Alec Baldwin, because that's a shitty way to talk to your kid. I'm not pining for the old days when "little fucker" was the only way to refer to your son. BUT, as a parent I know that losing your temper and saying or doing things you know you shouldn't is part of the drill. I just try to keep it to a minimum!

But let's talk about what will really damage a kid - how about having your picture splashed across the tabloids with the banner headline "selfish little pig"? Not that 11 year olds are self-conscious enough already! Now that's some degrading shit. If the mother released this tape to the media, she should be held accountable at custody trial time. Even if she turned it over to the court system who in turn leaked it, she has some serious 'splaining to do. Is she really looking out for her kid's best interest or will she sacrfice the kid to get back at the ex?

The number of people on this board advocating name-calling as a parenting strategy really explains a lot about the number of assholes there are in the world. It's astounding that so many of you think that if you're not calling your kid names you're turning them into whiny spineless wimps. I hope most of you aren't really parents and will figure this out if you become parents, but there are many ways of respectfully teaching your children. You can raise a child to respect you and others, you can be tough on a child, you can have high standards, all without name-calling or shaming a child into submission. Maybe then they won't become angry adults who have to vent on strangers online.

I'm not always a great parent and I've done things in anger I shouldn't, but to hold up those moments as matters of personal pride and an example to others is unfathomable.

Eat local.

I was one to scan the Fix but I skipped a lot of the items because I don't really care about Paris Hilton. What I'll miss is that when I have 5 minutes of downtown at work during the day, I check the short things on Salon, like the Fix. Not that I want Salon to go with abbreviated articles in general, but it was nice to have something light and quick to read when I don't have a lot of time.

Well said, Bookseller. And shame on Salon for not being more aware of this issue. Buying locally is not just for food.

That said, the book is a wonderful read, whether you're into the localvore movement or not. I think it will be a big hit and will spread awareness of this very important topic.

Bookseller- shall you and I write a memoir about buying books locally?

Laurel, I agree with you that eating locally full time is not a viable option for almost all of us. Most people involved in the Localvore movement are not advocating it as a full time, 100% of your diet propositions. Kingsolver addresses this in her book as well - she doesn't preach, she just explains what her family did, what experiences they had, and what they were able to do themselves. She at no time suggests this is realistic for the rest of us, but she explains the benefits her family got out of it.

So no, no one is saying eat root vegetables 6 months of the year and never eat ethnic food again. But the small steps in redirecting our focus from commercially produced food to local food can have an impact on us in many ways.