When It's Okay To Spank

A mom in the library this week was teaching her daughter to say "Heavy," when referring to large books. The 4 year old would say "Hehhveee!" over and over, clearly delighting her mom. It reminded me of this old picture. I told the toddler, "Hey, that's great...just don't point at ME when you say that." Grrrr.

Arachni-fabulous

If it's possible for spiders to be cute, this little guy is it.

Check out that punk 'do'! Love it! He looks like a "Larry" to me!

Preserve, Protect and Defend

Normally, I try to stay away from overtly political or religious topics. I have strong opinions and sometimes that comes across harshly, especially if it goes against the flow...which it often does. But wow...these are historic times, aren't they? It's difficult to ignore what's going on politically now -- even more difficult for someone like me to shut up about it. Tomorrow is Inauguration Day and with it, comes all the promise and expectation of a new president. This president, especially, will have a tremendous job ahead. I, like so many other Americans, wish Mr. Obama the best and heap my hopes upon his already over burdened shoulders. If you're my age or older, you also harbor a small fear -- for his safety, and for the country, should some ignorant bigot attempt to become a "hero." I've seen it, lived it, and wish that more Americans remembered how heart-wrenchingly difficult it is - emotionally and spiritually perhaps more than politically - to recover from such a tragedy. For that, I admire this man's courage as well as his intelligence, humility, and his willingness to step forward at a time when it would be so much easier to step back. I admire Barack Obama for a lot of reasons and not just because it's the IN thing to do so right now. The cynic in me is astounded at how this country has embraced Obama, how much they're willing to believe in his mission and his message. I usually ignore politicians but once I started listening to this man, I couldn't stop. And I think it's more than just a reaction to the last president's perceived failures. Not since John F. Kennedy has an incoming leader been so celebritized, so elevated as a sort of saviour of the people. I'm blown away that he never talks about himself and his place in history but always says "This is YOUR day" or "When I walk into the Oval Office I'll be carrying YOUR dreams, YOUR wishes." Fantastic. Can't believe he's only seventeen days younger than I am. Yeesh. A lot has been said about him being a president for a new generation, the first "plugged in" internet-savvy president, more a rock star than a politician. On top of his obvious qualifications, he's just a cool, likeable guy. To be honest with you, most days, I don't even think about his racial background. Still, lot of pressure for one human being. Rumor has it that when the Obama family visited the Lincoln Memorial, his ten-year old daughter Malia turned to her dad and said, "The first African-American president, huh? You'd better be good." Now THAT'S pressure. Good luck, Mr. President.

Obamicon Me!

If you love the iconic print of President-elect Barack Obama by artist Shepard Fairey, then you'll scream "YES, I CAN!" when you make your own icon in the same style. The good folks at Paste Magazine have come up with an Obamicon generator that's pretty cool. Check out this one I made of Sam, who doesn't need to change because he's perfect the way he is.

To The Moon!

So apparently, President-elect Obama wants us to go back to the moon - and yes, you conspiracy theorists, we WERE there before - the last time being Apollo 17, thirty-seven years ago. Even though NASA is slated to launch a return vehicle in 2015, why the sudden impulse to hasten the race? Those darn Chinese have stepped up their space program and the Pentagon is worried about the status of our defense satellites. In order to beat the Chinese, Obama plans to break down some of the barriers between military and civilian space programs, hoping cooperation between NASA and the DOD will speed up the process. All this made me think about going to the moon the first time and watching it on TV with my family. I remember feeling excited and nervous and proud all at the same time. Living in Space City back in the '60s and '70's was a wild and groovy time. You can recreate those feelings by watching the 1989 doc, "For All Mankind" , an excellent film about the first moon landing in 1969. Check your cable listings - I watched it this weekend. Anyone know how many people have actually been on the moon? The answer is 12, all American men. If President-elect Obama gets his wish, maybe my son will get to watch another American - perhaps a woman - step foot on the lunar surface...for all Humankind. To the moon, Alice!

Vulcan Vestiges

No, we're not really T'Pel's people but I thought this was interesting. The point on both of the mammals' ears above is called a Darwin's Point, once used to focus sound but no longer functioning on humans. A small percentage (10.4 %) of the human population still shows vestiges of this ancient node but probably more carry the gene for it. Go ahead, run to a mirror. Made ya look!