The Taronga Zoo in Austrailia just welcomed a baby pygmy hippo into their family.
It is unbelievably adorable! Who knew?
Friday, November 7, 2008
Guess Who
Congratulations to Liz who correctly identified this week's Guess Who? as Dawn Lewis, aka Jaleesa from 80s sitcom Different World.
Though Lisa Bonet went on to marry Lenny Kravitz and walk around in skirts of wheat, and Marisa Tomei won an Oscar, well, Dawn's taken the quieter path doing mostly voice-overs, with the exception of a brief cameo in Dreamgirls.
Little known fact: Dawn composed the Different World theme song with Bill Cosby.
Thank you, Mayor Tyson
As I tried to take advantage of my children's simultaneous nap, I said a quick prayer that no one was disturbed. There was the punding of the excavator, the drilling of the thingamajig, and the everpresent beep, beep, beeping of the trucks.
Of course, that was immediately followed by yet another familiar sound coming from upstairs:
"Trac-tor. Trac-tor."
Mother and son are now blogging together.
Of course, that was immediately followed by yet another familiar sound coming from upstairs:
"Trac-tor. Trac-tor."
Mother and son are now blogging together.
I Love Technology (please sing aloud a la Napolean Dynamite)
To those of you who had the pleasure of attending my wedding (minus the car fire on the Bronx River Expressway), our best man was none other than professional wrestlining sensation Stevie Richards of the WWE of the Right to Censor era. Seven years and seventy-plus injuries later, he has now combined his comprehensive knowledge of technology with his mastery of performance and presentation.
If you have yet to check it out, click on the T4 Show listed on my blogroll and learn everything you never knew your technology could do. In a series of podcasts, Michael (yes, his real name), presents a number of great explanations, elaborations, and simply cool tricks about the most popular tech devices on the market.
My own favorite podcast shows how you can use your iPhone to literally name that tune. In other words, if you've ever heard a piece of a song but just can't put your finger on what the song is, you can simply hold your phone up to even the smallest clip of the music and your iPod will deliver both song title and performer within minutes.
Clearly, there are many more significant features discussed on the blog, but that one just happens to be a favorite.
BTW: I cannot live without my iTouch!
Today's Lunch
Dr. Oz: 0
Tater Tots: 1
Oh, and since Mother Nature missed the blog yesterday:
THE SUN CAN SHOW ITSELF ANYTIME NOW!!!!!!!!!
Tater Tots: 1
Oh, and since Mother Nature missed the blog yesterday:
THE SUN CAN SHOW ITSELF ANYTIME NOW!!!!!!!!!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Out of the Mouths of Babes
I prepared a traditional American meal the other night that my daughter mispronounced, referring to it as "Meat Floats".
Though I have always enjoyed a good Meatloaf, I feel compelled to offer this important public service announcement:
If your meat floats, don't eat it.
Though I have always enjoyed a good Meatloaf, I feel compelled to offer this important public service announcement:
If your meat floats, don't eat it.
Ugh.
As I unpacked my son from the car after dropping my O off at school, I did something awful.
I killed a caterpillar.
And not just any caterpillar, one of thise big, fluffy ones that looks like something straight out of Star Trek. Here's the worst of it: I stepped on it, which is as horrifying as it is gross.
Ugh.
And in keeping with this crummy start to Thursday, a shout out to the sun:
YOU CAN COME OUT ANY TIME NOW!
I killed a caterpillar.
And not just any caterpillar, one of thise big, fluffy ones that looks like something straight out of Star Trek. Here's the worst of it: I stepped on it, which is as horrifying as it is gross.
Ugh.
And in keeping with this crummy start to Thursday, a shout out to the sun:
YOU CAN COME OUT ANY TIME NOW!
Confession Time
I make it a point to avoid buying a lot of junk for the kids when we do our grocery shopping. We do not buy sugary cereals, or cookies and chips, or anything fried or overly processed.
That being said, my daughter always begs for tater tots. I'm not even sure how she discovered them, but every time we're in the frozen foods aisle and I'm rummaging through the vegetable steamables, she begs me to buy a bag of them.
Finally, I relented. And that's when the problems started.
It seems every time I prepare them as a lunch side, I have this horrible habit of making too many. Of course, I would never want anything to go to waste.....
I think it's time to call YOU KNOW WHO and stage my own intervention.
That being said, my daughter always begs for tater tots. I'm not even sure how she discovered them, but every time we're in the frozen foods aisle and I'm rummaging through the vegetable steamables, she begs me to buy a bag of them.
Finally, I relented. And that's when the problems started.
It seems every time I prepare them as a lunch side, I have this horrible habit of making too many. Of course, I would never want anything to go to waste.....
I think it's time to call YOU KNOW WHO and stage my own intervention.
Quote of the Day
"Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands." -Anne Frank
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Blogturnal: An end to the wallowing
SO, today was tough.
My disappointment over the election results was compounded by my apprehension about the future. If you had the chance to follow some of the discourse in the comments section, you will see further evidence of a persistant truth: an outcome does not stipulate an end to the discussion.
I'm going to end my day of wallowing by clarifying a few things about my position and sharing a few hopes about what might lie ahead.
Here goes:
As much as I do not believe Barack Obama is the Second Coming, I also do not believe George Bush is the anti-Christ, though both of those bandwagons seem pretty full right now. However, I do believe that the last eight years have been far from our finest and I joined the throngs of voters calling not for change, but for betterment.
Having said that, I voted for McCain becuase he has always been someone I admire for choosing to cross party lines on principle, regardless of politics. When Bush first secured the nomination in 2000, and then again in 2004, I wondered aloud to anyone who'd listen why McCain wasn't up for consideration. The resounding answer was that he was not Republican enough, he teamed up with the likes of Ted Kennedy and Joe Lieberman on occasion for God's sake. He was not among the party faithful.
And that is exactly why I liked him.
If we're being honest, I did not like his choice in Sara Palin for VP either as I didn't feel she was ready. A remarkable woman who has impressed me on many fronts, just not in any that have to do with the position of vice president.
If we're also being honest, I love to listen to Obama speak. As a language junkie, I admire his subtle shifts from towering expostulations to quiet reverie. I also admire his ability to silence hordes of people with a few words and then lead them into entusiastic abandon with a few others. He is a modern Cicero.
He did not earn my vote, however, for many reasons, chief among them being his lack of experience. For all his inspiring speeches, he had no points of action from which to qualify his promises. I want to believe he is the change we are seeking, but he has never done anything to really show his abilities to lead. Again, here is a remarkable person whom I believe came to light too early.
As for his proposed policies, yes, the tax plan is very disconcerting to me. I do not believe people should be punished with higher tax rates simply because their hard work has garnered more income than someone else. Yes, there are inequalities when it comes to educational opportunities (as a high school teacher who taught in the Bronx for years, I witnessed that firsthand), but unequal tax requirements simply come down to a matter of fairness. A whopping 3% tax increase for one demographic is not the answer for tackling the deficit, especially when you consider that much of this particular demographic is ALREADY paying the AMT. That's right, these people are already paying additional taxes as a reward for their financial success. There simply has to be another way. The truth of the matter is, no candidate can tax this economy back to life, much like throwing money at schools does not ensure higher test scores.
There are some other points that also concern me with our president elect, but I'm just done with it all. The campaign is over and I am over it. Let's move forward.
I hope that:
1) My children will find it unremarkable that minorities hold elected offices since they have never known otherwise.
2) We do not allow the accomplishments of our troops in Iraq to go unrecognized. Whether you agree with our reasons for entering into the war or not, the result is looking more and more like success for a people who endured the persecution of a tyrant for too long. The tyrant is gone and the United States now has an apparent ally in the Middle East.
3) We do not let our preference for president interrupt our momentum for change. Never before has the country faced such challenges and so, no matter who you've backed, the work lies before us for those willing to work.
4) Finally, no matter how dire you believe our straits are as a country, it still happens to be the greatest nation in the world. Our schools, our employment opportunities, and our freedoms remain as enviable as they are self-evident.
And that's about it.
Wallowing over.
My disappointment over the election results was compounded by my apprehension about the future. If you had the chance to follow some of the discourse in the comments section, you will see further evidence of a persistant truth: an outcome does not stipulate an end to the discussion.
I'm going to end my day of wallowing by clarifying a few things about my position and sharing a few hopes about what might lie ahead.
Here goes:
As much as I do not believe Barack Obama is the Second Coming, I also do not believe George Bush is the anti-Christ, though both of those bandwagons seem pretty full right now. However, I do believe that the last eight years have been far from our finest and I joined the throngs of voters calling not for change, but for betterment.
Having said that, I voted for McCain becuase he has always been someone I admire for choosing to cross party lines on principle, regardless of politics. When Bush first secured the nomination in 2000, and then again in 2004, I wondered aloud to anyone who'd listen why McCain wasn't up for consideration. The resounding answer was that he was not Republican enough, he teamed up with the likes of Ted Kennedy and Joe Lieberman on occasion for God's sake. He was not among the party faithful.
And that is exactly why I liked him.
If we're being honest, I did not like his choice in Sara Palin for VP either as I didn't feel she was ready. A remarkable woman who has impressed me on many fronts, just not in any that have to do with the position of vice president.
If we're also being honest, I love to listen to Obama speak. As a language junkie, I admire his subtle shifts from towering expostulations to quiet reverie. I also admire his ability to silence hordes of people with a few words and then lead them into entusiastic abandon with a few others. He is a modern Cicero.
He did not earn my vote, however, for many reasons, chief among them being his lack of experience. For all his inspiring speeches, he had no points of action from which to qualify his promises. I want to believe he is the change we are seeking, but he has never done anything to really show his abilities to lead. Again, here is a remarkable person whom I believe came to light too early.
As for his proposed policies, yes, the tax plan is very disconcerting to me. I do not believe people should be punished with higher tax rates simply because their hard work has garnered more income than someone else. Yes, there are inequalities when it comes to educational opportunities (as a high school teacher who taught in the Bronx for years, I witnessed that firsthand), but unequal tax requirements simply come down to a matter of fairness. A whopping 3% tax increase for one demographic is not the answer for tackling the deficit, especially when you consider that much of this particular demographic is ALREADY paying the AMT. That's right, these people are already paying additional taxes as a reward for their financial success. There simply has to be another way. The truth of the matter is, no candidate can tax this economy back to life, much like throwing money at schools does not ensure higher test scores.
There are some other points that also concern me with our president elect, but I'm just done with it all. The campaign is over and I am over it. Let's move forward.
I hope that:
1) My children will find it unremarkable that minorities hold elected offices since they have never known otherwise.
2) We do not allow the accomplishments of our troops in Iraq to go unrecognized. Whether you agree with our reasons for entering into the war or not, the result is looking more and more like success for a people who endured the persecution of a tyrant for too long. The tyrant is gone and the United States now has an apparent ally in the Middle East.
3) We do not let our preference for president interrupt our momentum for change. Never before has the country faced such challenges and so, no matter who you've backed, the work lies before us for those willing to work.
4) Finally, no matter how dire you believe our straits are as a country, it still happens to be the greatest nation in the world. Our schools, our employment opportunities, and our freedoms remain as enviable as they are self-evident.
And that's about it.
Wallowing over.
Childrens Television
As I sat down to watch an episode of the precociously targeted childrens show, Pinky Dinky Doo, I was shocked to discover that Pinky's voice was different.
That's curious.
A new Pinky? How on earth do you lose that job?
Perhaps she couldn't pronunciate cacophony?
That's curious.
A new Pinky? How on earth do you lose that job?
Perhaps she couldn't pronunciate cacophony?
The votes are in......
The great state of New Jersey has enjoyed weather characterized by temperatures in the 60s, with persistent gray skies all week. It's actually been nice, and weird. Despite the warmth, it looks like snow is threatening.
But with this morning's election results, it just seems a bit grayer.
I debated whether or not I should even blog about this as it serves no purpose other than a bit of indulgent catharsis; nevertheless, yesterday I cast my vote and the majority of the country cast their own for the other candidate.
I was inspired by John McCain's gracious concession speech which proved that he's not only an unparalleled American hero in the political world, but also a true gentleman.
I also watched Obama's victory speech, taking in the profundity of the moment as history was certainly made. And as I watched him, a master speaker, I wished I could get swept away by the grand oration. I wished I could generate as much excitement about the history making moment as I could the man who represented it. I wish I could join the millions going beserk in every corner of the nation for a president-elect that they believed would change their lives for the better.
But I am as disenchanted as I am doubtful.
I plan to spend today wallowing a bit and trying not to think too much about how his promised actions as leader will negatively affect my life.
But just for today.
But with this morning's election results, it just seems a bit grayer.
I debated whether or not I should even blog about this as it serves no purpose other than a bit of indulgent catharsis; nevertheless, yesterday I cast my vote and the majority of the country cast their own for the other candidate.
I was inspired by John McCain's gracious concession speech which proved that he's not only an unparalleled American hero in the political world, but also a true gentleman.
I also watched Obama's victory speech, taking in the profundity of the moment as history was certainly made. And as I watched him, a master speaker, I wished I could get swept away by the grand oration. I wished I could generate as much excitement about the history making moment as I could the man who represented it. I wish I could join the millions going beserk in every corner of the nation for a president-elect that they believed would change their lives for the better.
But I am as disenchanted as I am doubtful.
I plan to spend today wallowing a bit and trying not to think too much about how his promised actions as leader will negatively affect my life.
But just for today.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Drew Muscles
Fortunately for him, the investigations into performance enhancing drugs used in professional sports had yet to infiltrate the super hero world.
Dueling Dorothys
The real trouble started when Dorothy 1
suggested that Dorothy 2's shoes
were more crimson than ruby.
Cool man Kyle
We doin' big pumpkin, we spendin' cheese
Big pumpkin On B.L.A.P.'s
We doin' big pumpkin up in NYC
It's just that Jigga-man, Pimp-C and B.U.N.B.
Check em out now
An ode to the first person who can explain what I just did, as it's bound to confuse more than a few....
Panda-monium
She actually wore it (sans bamboo). The best part....when all was said and done she declared, eyes racing and breathless from the supposed sugar high as evidenced by the smeared chocolate on her face:
"I like my Panda costume".
I was a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown for Halloween (and most days).
Monday, November 3, 2008
Not slogging
My little project has me very busy (and frustrated).
Needless to say, I'll be back tomorrow with a thousand Halloween pictures of my kids as well as some of my favorite non-related little people.
If you have a great costume picture of your own child, please send it along to add to the mayhem.
Send them to: dalessandrochristine@gmail.com
Needless to say, I'll be back tomorrow with a thousand Halloween pictures of my kids as well as some of my favorite non-related little people.
If you have a great costume picture of your own child, please send it along to add to the mayhem.
Send them to: dalessandrochristine@gmail.com
Guess Who?
Congratulations to Lawyer Boy's mother, Lydia, for accurately identifying last week's Guess Who? The young man above is no other than Jonathan Lipnicki, the endearing little guy from Jerry Maguire who informed the world that the human head weighs eigh pounds.
Jonathan is now juggling high school and an acting career, which will find him acting in the movie E-Bride, to be released later this year.
Sleep
Did anyone's child get the memo about Daylight Savings? Mine did not and I am beyond tired.
If anyone knows any tricks (other than keeping them up all night) for resetting their little internal clocks, please, please, please share.
If anyone knows any tricks (other than keeping them up all night) for resetting their little internal clocks, please, please, please share.
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