I'm old school and kind of stick-in-the-mud when it comes to a few things. I just do not see the world's fascination with ink. I'm all for personal expression however I just have never heard an adequate explanation of why people insist in covering their entire arm or leg in a large tattoo or several tattoos. Let alone the ones who tattoo their faces and necks and well...it just really baffles me why people would want to do this. Besides knowing several people who have them and knowing how much pain they go through to get them done, I guess I just maybe don't love something so much to want to emblazon it on my upper arm or down my leg.

Which leads me to something I was reading about this weekend. Dumbledore is gay. I know I really don't care one way or another about most of the Harry Potter cast and I know we need to teach our children tolerance of all people. But how early do we need to talk to children about sexual preference? I wouldn't want to shelter my children but surely I just don't understand why this needs to come up as a topic to a first grader asking a question. I know that children nowadays aren't stupid and they probably know a few gay or lesbian people - maybe in their families - do they really know what it means for them to be gay?

I just think it's a pity that JK Rowling needed yet another way to pander to the US popular press by outting one of her characters for a little extra publicity on her book tour.

Why is it important for kids to know that Dumbledore is gay? Can't some things just stay a mystery of the imagination for the adults and perhaps never even thought of by kids.