Baleful News
By now, everyone and his mother has heard of Christian Bale's arrest and release over allegations of verbal assault against his mother and sister. Far be it from me to fuel speculation over private matters, but as a longtime fan of Bale's work, I do feel the need to at least clarify things on his behalf. Firstly, the complaint involved verbal assault; no physical violence was involved. In other words, Bale gave them a tongue lashing during a disagreement, and that's about all. If verbal assault were a criminal offense in the United States, half the country would be in jail (including me, if my mother were ever callous enough to file a criminal complaint against me, which she isn't). Bale categorically denies any physical violence was involved, and denies the assault allegations.
Secondly, the law in England allows one to arrest a suspect before questioning him, unlike in the U.S., where one must first charge a felon before arrest. After he voluntarily came to the police station by appointment, he was released after questioning. Although his mother filed the complaint Monday, the police thought the matter unimportant enough to let him come in Tuesday afternoon.
Thirdly (and, as far as I'm concerned, most importantly), what mother would ever file a criminal complaint against her son over a verbal altercation, and on the night of the biggest premiere of his life, knowing it might damage his career and, even worse, his good name? Bale has no criminal record, and is known to live a clean life, avoiding partying and drugs, and spending free time with his wife and three-year-old daughter. His mother, who has been largely uninvolved in his life since he moved Stateside to live with his father at age 16, led a rather unconventional life as a circus dancer, a life in which she immersed her son. According to news updates, he has been estranged from her for years, and the night of the altercation, she provoked him by insulting his wife and saying other outrageous things to him. He came to his wife's defense.
Having had intimate experience with certain in-laws, I am fully aware that all mothers are not what they ought to be. One in-law in particular practically abandoned her son when he was a child so she could continue her life of drugs and partying, went on to marry four times, and in her old age has never apologized for her behavior. She was declared an unfit mother and he was given over to the care of his grandparents, who raised him in a loving and stable home. I thus have no illusions that all 61-year-old mothers are sweet, selfless human beings willing to sacrifice all for their children. I make no accusations against Bale's mother, of course, as it's not my place, but I do feel it necessary to speak in defense of Bale, as so many have already jumped to conclusions and unfairly judged his character over this.

I do look forward, though, to a more affordable lifestyle back in the Midwest. With the strengthening Euro and the declining dollar, our money goes fast here. And there are things I miss about the States: a good authentic Mexican taco; barbeque babyback ribs; Chinese take-out; even pizza. I know: how could I possibly crave such mundane fare when I’ve got boeuf bourgignon, oeufs de meurette, and hachi parmentier at my fingertips? Those are lovely, and we’ve enjoyed them all year; being deprived this long, though, of the fare one takes for granted Stateside has made us miss it. Politically speaking, I’ve been about a million miles removed. I’ve been keeping vague track of the American presidential race from a distance, though I can’t say I’m terribly excited about either candidate. Here in France, the press seems more interested in Sarkozy’s personal affairs than policy.
Coming here to live, we knew we’d have to make some sacrifices, and we’ve been perfectly happy to do it. We’ve had no car, so we’ve partaken of public transport everywhere; we have no oven, so everything has been cooked on a two-range stovetop with limited utensils; we’ve had no proper beds, and have instead slept on a canapé lit we bought at IKEA. And, because our apartment came unfurnished, we had to supply the rest ourselves; with limited funds, that meant a very spare (but spacious) apartment for the year, a very small refrigerator that required frequent trips to the grocery store for restocking, and no dryer (which meant, yes, daily hanging wet clothes on a rack). Thus, there are certain comforts we have gone without—but to live in France it was certainly worth it, and I have no complaints. I do admit, though, that it will be nice to return to the things that make life a little easier. And, quite frankly, now that je suis enceinte, it becomes even more imperative I return to the States and to a healthcare network I am familiar with (and that speaks English). I have no problem giving birth in France, but if complications were to arise, I'd prefer being able to understand absolutely everything the doctors and nurses were to say to me, and not just the majority of it.
Want to get your children interested in a vocation while having fun? The
Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university, discusses some of the liturgical changes implemented by our Holy Father:

Pape Benoît fera un voyage apostolique en France en mi-septembre ; il arrivera à Paris le vendredi 12, où il célébrera les vêpres avec des clergés. Dans l’après-midi du samedi 13, il ira à Lourdes pour fêter la 