A place for kids, and cats?

I've been building my 3 1/2-yr-old son a sandbox now for a while. This morning, before I left for work, I realized why it was worth it.

The sandbox can be a controversial yard item. Of course, boys love the idea, and N is definitely into it. He's been waiting patiently, asking persistently when it's going to be done, talking about what color he wants to paint it, what kinds of things he's going to dig up, etc.

Then there are the skeptics. My sister and brother-in-law (A & B), made almost-smug smiles.
"The neighborhood cats are going to love you!"
"Crunch crunch crunch--you'll always be able to hear your floors now!"
"Don't forget to cover the sides, too. The best part is when your kid steps into cat poop on his way in and out of the sandbox."

Awesome.

Even our neighbors are excited that they'll have to change kitty litter less often now that we've got a sandbox.

This morning, after waiting patiently for weeks, N made it worthwhile. Of course, it didn't take weeks to build it, but to weed the ground, level it, buy tools, wait for the rain to stop, and then build it. I finished it last night just as he was going to sleep.

He woke up at 6:45 and said, "Daddy, are my Tonka trucks awake? It's time for them to go to work in my new sandbox."

Thanks N!

--D

Pope in Black and White

Hard to start a blog with 2 references about the Pope, but the choice of Ratzinger has brought about some interesting question--namely, how his brand of conservatism gels with the "man of peace" and more progressive image that we've seen--correctly or not--in John Paul II. Yet as another generation of global geopolitics is renewing the bond of religion and politics, we have to see all leaders of world religions as serious power brokers for all, and not just the faithful.

First off, we now have a pope who once wore a Nazi uniform.

It was so easy to think of John Paul II as a man of peace who spread goodwill, etc., etc. Part of that, especially for Jews, arose from the idea that he fought against Nazism and Hitlerism, and thus against "evil", as a young man. John Paul's religion seemed to dictate that he reject evil.

Now there are tons of caveats. John Paul II was Polish, so he had plenty of non-spiritual reasons to reject the Nazis. Ratzinger is German by birth, was just a boy when Hitler took power, and was most likely more a victim of conscription than a willing member of the Hitler Youth and the German army. By nature of his circumstance, his religiosity seems to have provided an escape from the Third Reich, but not a driving will to fight a regime--a viewpoint that may well apply to Church itself under Pius.

I thought the reaction of the Israelis to Ratzinger's election was quite telling. Ha'aretz (http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/567037.html
) yesterday reported that Israel's leadership, including Moshe Katzav, acknowledged Ratzinger's past, but was still hopeful that he, as Benedict XVI, would continue JPII's outreach to other religions, and Jews and Israel in particular. As a nation of conscripts, it may be easier to understand that being drafted doesn't mean you believe the policymakers 100-percent.

But I'm curious to learn more about Benedict's conservatism--and whether the absolutism that divides right from wrong in Catholic orthodoxy means that the new pope will be less tolerant than his predecessor.

More later. --D

Habemus food pyramid!

Food pyramids and popes.

Not long after arriving at work today, people started peeking their heads out of their offices and IM'ing like mad. "There's white smoke!" "No, it's unclear, yes, it's unclear smoke." "No, it must be white smoke because now there are bells ringing! Bells ringing!"

Not one us, to my knowledge, are actually Catholic. Viva the frenzy of "Smoke-cam 2005".

My wife, K, who's been borderline obsessed for a non-Catholic with the rituals and processes of papal succession--not to mention those alleged secret Cardinals in Russia and China!--missed the whole thing. She was giving standardized tests to her students. When I finally talked to her, she said, "Hey, did you hear we have new food pyramids?"