Ranting About the Issues: Circumcision and Intactivists

One of the biggest issues that comes between Jewish crunchies and the rest of the crunchy universe is circumcision.  Intactivism is a pet cause for a lot of eco-hippie minded people (and others, to be sure), and perhaps more than any other issue, it induces mouth-foaming rage.  I know people who have dropped off of crunchy discussion boards and even lost friends over this one issue.

They say it's mutilation.  They say it's wrong to do it on an unconsenting child.  There have been movements to ban it altogether, and people have been arrested and prosecuted for it in some places.  Luckily none of those efforts have born real fruit yet, but let's not kid ourselves: if it happened to shechita in Switzerland, it can happen to bris milah elsewhere.  Aaaah, galus.

Post Paleo-Week Round-up: Ranty Pants Edition

Here's the whiny version of my post-paleo week feelings; I'll post the more worthwhile ones separately, so you can pick the half-full or half-empty version as you see fit.

Paleo week kind of went out with a kvetch.  Thursday afternoon was one of those crazy ones where one kid was clingy and the other was whiny and there were heaps of unwashed dishes strewn around the kitchen.  So I busted out the hotdogs (and a homemade veggie soup!) for supper.  Hmph.

Then I went to Whole Foods in search of some ingredients for Shabbos.  And I came to the final conclusion: the paleo diet is something dreamed up by bored wealthy gentiles.  It will not work for me/my family.  Healthy and delicious, yes.  Affordable?  Heck no.  And if you don't have a dishwasher or a maid or at the very least two sinks, it ain't happening.