Chicago Weather

It seems that if you wanted to name your band today you would want a name that works well on-line. Maybe something that people often search for on Google and they may stumble upon your band.

Chicago Weather

Hot Teen Sex

Foot Rash

San Francisco Sushi

I am sitting in Broward County on the last night of my "vacation". I have to leave at 6 am to get to the airport, which will be the easy part compared to being stuck in a plane for 3-4 hours with my three animals.

Went to see "Valentine's Day" tonight, the only night we got out without our kids. It was better than I expected for a romantic comedy. I did not predict the plot surprises at the end. Good work. The scene with McShitty in the restaurant was classic and awesome. (Spoiler Alert: also, I had a total crush on my 5th grade teacher Mrs. Reich so I know how little Edison was feeling. I was totally sad when her fiance showed up one day.

Back to the cold and reality tomorrow.

I need a vacation.

kick boxing, sport of the future

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnydjN7mMwo

I generally hate movie trailers before I see a movie because it gives everything good away but if you watch them much later it helps you remember how great a move was.

It Would Have Been Much Worse

Apparently, the White House is very happy about new NY Times article about the effects of the stimulus bill by David Leonhardt. Tweet from ABC's Jake Tapper:

"WH loves this NYT David Leonhardt piece on stimulus (http://nyti.ms/9zQ2vA) - it's been emailed 787 billion times to me (+ Gibbs tweeted it)"

The article has a strange tone but sounds like an accurate assessment of the impacts to me. I know in WI the impacts to state and local governments and schools would have been bad if it were not for the stimulus, deeper cuts, more layoffs, etc.

Also, I can say from my work as a WI state employee, most of the stimulus money we have gotten to pass out has been so bureaucratically burdensome, most has not actually hit the streets yet and the effects of it have not yet trickled down to anyone. For all the talk of "shovel ready" projects, our piece of the big pie has yet to save any one's job.....yet.

I also find it funny that one of the main arguments of this approach being effective is that the economic impacts will trickle down through the economy. When Regan suggested this it was mocked by democrats but it seems to be the operating assumption this time around.

You Know it is a Stressful Week When......

Perfect song for a Friday afternoon after a bad week for me. I'm sick, kids are sick, and my work to do list is getting longer and longer.

Sunny Side of The Street by The Pogues (Live at Roseland in NYC 3/13/09)

I've never seen the Pogues live but I'd love to. I was so sick and busy this week that I had to miss my second stress reduction class.

Captain America Should Joe Quesada's Weasel Ass

Have you seen this silly controversy over a recent Marvel comic book? A recent issue of Captain America "features Captain America investigating a right-wing anti-government militia group called "the Watchdogs". Hoping to infiltrate the group, Captain America and his African-American sidekick The Falcon observe an anti-tax protest from a rooftop. The protesters depicted are all white and carry signs adorned with slogans almost identical to those seen today in Tea Party rallies like "tea bag libs before they tea bag you" and "stop the socialists.""

The page of the comic is great (check it out), well drawn and very realistic depiction of the tea party rallies. It seems clear that the artist/ author of the comic are making a good point about the connections between the tea bag movement and the extreme anti-government militia groups. They are also making a good point about the racist element of the tea bag movement.

I am not surprised this would upset the tea baggers but I am upset about the total apology by the Marvel Comics editor, Joe Quesada. Obviously some people wrote and drew this comic this way on purpose. It was not a mistake and whether the big cheese thinks they should have done it, it was what was intended. Comics have a history of taking on political topics and this is no different. Here is part of is back peddling.

"There was zero discussion to include a group that looked like a Tea Party demonstration. Ed simply wrote in an anti-tax protest into his story to show one of the moods that currently exists in America. There was no thought that it represented a particular group.

And yes, what Ed said is absolutely true, he does shy away from labeling things and did exactly that in this instance. In Ed’s story, there was no connection to the Tea Party movement, that’s a screw up that happened after the fact and exactly what some people are getting upset about."

For Ed to write a "anti-tax protest" into the story is the tea-bag movement. I guess they should have been a bit more vague or slightly different but the point is clear and what was intended. I would have nominated this comic for an award for bravery in publishing but now I think Quesada should be nominated for the Weasel of the year. He is scared of offending these tea party nuts and maybe his Disney parents did not want to turn off a demographic market.

Should I Get Married??? by Charles Darwin

The new book Creation by Randal Keynes (which is also now a movie) about his great great grandfather Charles Darwin includes this wonderful assessment from Darwin's personal notes about whether or not he should be the lifetime bachelor or whether he should find a girl and settle down. Keynes sat down with Terry Gross on Fresh Air to talk about Darwin and read from Darwin's note. The rest of the interview is very interesting too but this is the best part. I know it is a bit sexist but this is great great stuff.

When 29, Charles Darwin thought about marrying. He took a piece of paper and wrote: "This is the question." Under "Not Marry" he jotted down: "Freedom to go where one liked - choice of society and little of it. Conversation of clever men at clubs. Not forced to visit relatives and to bend in every trifle - to have the expense and anxiety of children - perhaps quarreling - loss of time... How should I manage all my business if I were obliged to go every day walking with my wife. Eheu! I never should know French, or see the Continent, or go to America, or go up in a balloon."

Under "Marry," he wrote: "Children, if it please God, constant companion and friend in old age who will feel interested in one." He weighed up the points for and against and made up his mind. "My God, it is intolerable to think of spending one's whole life like a neuter bee, working, working and nothing after all. No, no, won't do. Imagine living all one's days solitarily in smoky, dirty London house. Only picture to yourself a nice, soft wife on a sofa with a good fire and books and music perhaps... Marry - Marry - Marry. Q.E.D."

Bravo ABC News - Helping to Crack the Traffic Safety Nut

Good story about buying tires from ABC News. The story specifically discusses how tires manufactured years ago can be sold as new but studies have shown that they can fail and cause accidents. This is useful information and should lead to action by tire sales shops, tire manufacturers, government regulators and car owners that will save lives. The story was long and focused. It is a bit of a OMG Gotta! piece, and is probably missing the other significant issue with tires in that many of us are driving around with tires that are too used/ worn as well, but I am glad to se a piece like this.

If You Really Care About Saving Lives on the Road - Look Somewhere Other Than Toyota's Gas Petals

This Toyota thing is ridiculous, yes, they should carefully investigate the problem and if there is a problem, they should fix it.

Keep in mind that the number of suspected accidents resulting from this is only a handful and over 2 million cars have this supposedly faulty part. Cars are machines that travel 75 miles an hour through the snow, rain, etc. It is to be expected that some parts will fail and they will not work perfectly.

40,000 PEOPLE DIE EACH YEAR ON THE ROADS IN THE USA! There is so much more we could do to limit the number of deaths and going nuts about a part that may very rarely fail seems to be misplaced attention.

It is as if 2 kids got pebbles in their eye while ridding their bikes and the government required every bike rider to wear goggles while 100 kids died each year from not wearing helmets.

Exercise is Good For Brain - Unless You Watch What I Watched Last Night

Great NPR story about how even a little exercise that raises our heart rate can improve our cardiovascular fitness. Story specifically talks about benefits to kids and how exercise can help our brains.

I have just joined a gym for the first time in years. Last night was workout number 4. My goal is to get there 2 times a week. The only problem is that last night I spent my time there watching an hour of 'The Family Guy' which may have negated the brain benefits.

Should You Adopt A Cute Haitian Kid?

Just read interesting piece about the ethics of adopting children from Haiti. The story from ‘The Independent’ states the following facts: “There were already about 380,000 orphaned children in Haiti before the earthquake. The Caribbean island, which has a population of about 10 million, may now have more than a million children without parents.” It also says that “agencies around the world have been flooded by enquiries from the public about adopting Haitian orphans.”

If you are thinking about this, read the article.

I am not surprised that many families have thought about trying to help by adopting a Haitian child but are these families who would have otherwise thought about adopting an older child of another race either domestically or internationally? Before the earthquake, of course there were many children (not babies) who needed families (foster or adopted) both in this country and abroad. Most families who want to adopt want to adopt a healthy baby for many reasons. I would guess that many of the Haitian children are special needs kids for a range of reasons including the trauma that they just went through, also, they don’t speak English. If you have the means and heart to adopt an older black child, why are these couples not doing it now? While does the news of a terrible tragedy move these folks to take on this responsibility when there is always a need.

An optimistic positive person would say this tragedy brings out the best in us as we all do what we can to help but it points out the flash in the pan/ fad nature of a tragedy. We all care a lot for a week then no one gives a crap and we move on to John Edwards and the iPad. There are so many needy people in your town, in your state, in the US and abroad and there are unlimited ways you can help. I hope this caring can continue when the Haiti fades from the news.