Day 2-4 Mission: IN PROGRESS…ugh…
Mission: Continue incremental destruction of binky by cutting tip of binky off. Do not deny binky.
Objective: Further reduce comforting sensation of binky to invoke disinterest. read more…
Day 1 Mission: ACCOMPLISHED
Mission: Use pin to puncture tip of each binky several times. Do not deny binky. Do not acknowledge change in binky. If one binky is rejected and another requested, provide another binky with same puncturing. read more…
Our mission, which we’ve been left no choice but to accept, is to force Lilly to give up her pacifier (a.k.a. binky). What started as a simple comfort for bedtime and naptime only, has evolved into a full-blown addiction. read more…
If you haven’t seen Upright Citizen’s Brigade’s take on BP’s spill management yet, you are missing out. Here it is:
I’ve read every list that has crossed my path and it seems the consensus among experts is that Lilly is ready for potty training. Whether Lilly’s mom is ready for potty training is a whole different question. But since I’m not the one who has to sit around in my own poop if we put off this next big developmental milestone, I guess I must defer to the wisdom of others. So, that is exactly what I have been attempting to do this week. Not potty training per se. But making every attempt to absorb the wisdom of others. read more…
For the second year in a row – the second summer of Lilly’s life – I find myself spending hours researching baby sunscreen. You would think this would be an easy purchasing decision. But my distrust in the FDA’s ability to protect my family from harmful chemicals is well-documented by now. So, instead, it involves extensive internet research in hopes of trying to find one safe product that won’t break the bank. Not as easy as you might think. read more…
I think we can all agree that Louisiana has had a rough couple of years. With the exception of the brief shining moment when the Saints won the Superbowl, most of the news out of the state has been, well, depressing. The devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina still factors into the daily lives of Louisianans. And now the oil spill. One was nature’s wrath. One was corporate error. But the main victims in these tragedies are the same: every day residents of the Gulf Coast and the environment. read more…
In Earth Life, I made some suggestions as to how everyone can do a few simple things to green their lives a bit. Below is the second list I promised, in which I set out some green challenges for myself. And just in case my first post on this issue came across as if I live in glorious balance with the Earth and all others need to get with the program, I am also including a short list of confessions. Because the fact is, much as I love the environment and try to lessen my impact on it, there are some things that I just can’t or simply haven’t given up for practical (read: convenience) reasons. I include this only as a way to say, just because you’re not doing everything to be green, doesn’t mean you can’t do something. read more…
So, I kind of messed up. I am a lifelong environmentalist and I let Earth Day slip by without so much as a Daily Show clip on my blog. I was aware that Thursday was Earth Day. I consciously minimized my car-use that day, spending most of the day playing with Lilly outside in the yard, i.e. in nature. But for some reason it never occurred to me to write some Earth-related blog. Why? Um, well, the blog is named mushbrain for a reason. read more…
The FDA is again attempting to rectify some of its past ineptitude. This time Triclosan – a ubiquitous antibacterial chemical suspected of encouraging development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and inhibiting the human endocrine system – is getting a fresh look. (Thank you, Rep. Edward Markey of Massachusetts!) read more…
“Father Walsh said he told Archbishop Albert Gregory Meyer of Milwaukee, who sent Father Murphy [who allegedly molested as many as 200 deaf boys] on a retreat and then put him back in the school to undo ‘the harm he had done.’ . . . Father Murphy continued working in parishes and schools, with deaf people, and leading youth retreats in the Diocese of Superior for the next 24 years.” Laurie Goodstein & David Callender, For Years, Deaf Boys Tried to Tell of Priest’s Abuse, The New York Times, 3/26/10.
Sometimes, forgiveness is not divine. It’s just plain evil.
Sometimes I miss George W. Bush’s administration just for the jokes. Remember when the Conservatives had their way and the government was transparent and fiscally responsible? Me neither!
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“Essentially, five [Conservative] justices were unhappy with the limited nature of the case before us, so they changed the case to give themselves an opportunity to change the law . . . The path [the Court] has taken to reach its outcome will, I fear, do damage to this institution.” ~ Justice John Paul Stevens on the Supreme Court’s handling of Citizens United v. FEC, from Jeffrey Toobin’s article in The New Yorker
I listened to this fantastic interview with legal analyst and lawyer Jeffrey Toobin on NPR’s Fresh Air today. Despite the title, it is less a discussion about Justice John Paul Stevens’ impending retirement than a great overview of the major changes the U.S. Supreme Court has been undergoing in recent years. read more…
