July, 2008

There's a Trans Fat Joke in Here Somewhere

Georgia has never been unfriendly toward those who want to pack heat in public, but a new law allows those who are licensed to carry to bring their guns to city and state parks, on public transportation and in to bars. I know — sounds like a great idea to me, too! Here's a funny bit from a recent article about the new law. (By way of background, "MARTA" = "Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority".)

Imagine if someone with a firearms license walked onto a MARTA train with a shotgun. He couldn't be arrested, even though someone can be ticketed for eating on a train.

"So I just want to be clear," I asked MARTA police Chief Wanda Dunham. "If I had a turkey sandwich in one hand and a gun in the other hand, MARTA police would ticket me for the turkey sandwich?"

"If you're eating it," she replied. "Only if you're eating it."

Via Terminal Station

Big Days for the Ladies! (3 Celebrations)

Marquita

Above: Mad Marquita
Below: “Shitty Bum”, apt celebration music by C-Mon & Kypski

the big building

One. AT accepted a job with a big old company in a big old building downtown. It had become clear that, for a number of reasons, her current gig wasn't the right one for her. She started looking a couple of weeks ago and got to choose between two pretty sweet offers today. Nice work, AT!

Two. Sg crapped in the crapper pooped in the toilet today at day care! The story was related to me thusly: one of the teachers noticed her with that special "I'm pooping" look and asked what she was doing. The reply: "poop!" They asked her whether she'd like to go to the potty and she walked (awkwardly, I understand) to the bathroom. They held her over the toilet seat and she did the smelly. She was crying the whole time, apparently not sure she wasn't going to be dropped in the toilet. But by the time they flushed, she had the composure to say "bye-bye poop!" Nice work, Sg!

Three. That lady in the picture at the top of this post completed her 82nd trip 'round the sun yesterday. Nice work, Marquita!

I Knew It!

Sg,

The place where we had dinner tonight...

Sg's Menagerie

We got these colorful 5x7 frames at Ikea that have acrylic (instead of glass) and printed up these pictures to go in them. Sg likes the animals, you see, and these are some of her favorites. Except for the Zebras, these are based on pictures we took. The elephants were given a different, less incarcerated-looking background that ends up making them look like they're hovering. Which elephants have been known to do. The Zebras were borrowed from Flickr user mobilevirgin and used under a Creative Commons license.

SG's Menagerie

SG's Menagerie

SG's Menagerie

SG's Menagerie

SG's Menagerie

SG's Menagerie

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Uh Oh!

It was bound to happen — I let today get away from me without taking a video. I've been so busy of late that I haven't even been processing or posting the video I have been collecting, but at least I was collecting it!

Until today. No video for today.

Interesting thing about your pa, Sg: this kind of failure — the kind where something that could have been perfect is irrevocably broken by some stupid failing — is a kind of failure that I handle particularly well. Lots of people get inordinately worked up over the death of perfection, but I usually find a little relief in that particular sort of sadness. After all, perfection was just impossible anyway, right? And what have we traded perfect for? Well, if I get 30 days of video in July, I'll have an awesome completed project with the kind of scars and flaws that give it character. That's at least as good as perfect, says me.

Here are a couple of tunes. The first is for Brian and Meredith, who visited and made this past weekend really great (despite my having to work and being all tired and wiped out). The second is for Erik, with his nutty devotion to reason.


“Chances Are”
by Apostle of Hustle
from National Anthem of Nowhere

“What We Need More of Is Science”
by JBB
from Songfight!

The Dance of the Cucumber.

Miren al pepino.
(Watch the cucumber.)

Vean como se mueve.
(See how he moves).

Como un leon.
(like a lion.)

Tras un raton.
(chasing a mouse.)

Miren al pepino
(watch the cucumber)

Que suaves movimientos
(oh how smooth his motions)

es como mantequilla en un chango pelon
(like butter on a… bald… monkey)

miren al pepino
(watch the cucumber)

Los vegetales
(all the vegetables)

enviden a su amigo
(envy their friend)

como el quieren bailar
(wishing to dance as he)

pepino bailarin
(dancing cucumber)

pepino bailarin
(dancing cucumber)

pepino bailarin
(dancing cucumber)

baila baila ya!
(dance dance ya!)

Two More Masterpieces (incl. Best Video Ever)

Amazingly, they're all frigging masterpieces. I didn't get around to posting yesterday. 'Twas hectic.

July Eleventh ("Go Zebra Go!"):

Sg was loving one of these zebras over at a friend's house, so AT found this one on craigslist for $15. Go Zebra, Go!

July Twelfth (Best Video Ever):


Bath Time from aquariumdrinker on Vimeo.

Bath time!

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More Daily Vids

I've been lax about processing and posting the daily July videos, but please be assured that I am capturing such videos. In an effort to catch up, I'll try to post two a day for the next few days. That way, we'll be caught up on the 16th, and halfway through the month to boot! Ready? Pay attention — here's July ninth and tenth:

July Ninth:

I don't know why I like it so much, but I really enjoy watching Sg's wake-up process. It's a little hard to hear, but AT says "Donald Trump hair".

July Tenth:


Dinner at La Fonda from aquariumdrinker on Vimeo.

Sg was probably too tired for this stop at La Fonda on the way home, but she held up pretty well until time to get in the car.

She has developed a preference for not being in the car, all other things being equal, and she occasionally expresses this preference through fit throwing involving going completely rigid (so that she makes a basically isosceles triangle with the car seat). I was hoping to get one of those fits on film, but on this evening we just got tired crying. Probably better for all involved, I guess.

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City Livin'

Sg, Ezra Klein is some guy I don't know, and here he is making a point I enjoy making, and he is making it just about as well as I make it. Because my eloquence is surpassed only by my laziness, I will quote him in full:

A lot of discussions about urbanism run into a sort of odd bias that assumes it somehow unnatural to raise your kids in an urban setting. Child development, we're told, require garages, yards, parking lots, strip malls, and economic homogeneity, just as surely as it requires Baby Einstein videos and Omega 3 fats. I've never been exactly sure why that is: Being 15 in an urban center with a subway sure seems like it would beat being 15 in the suburbs when you have to rely on your parents for rides. Growing up amidst the broad social network that parents often sacrifice when they move to outer-ring communities for better schools and more space seems like it would have some real advantages, particularly in contrast to the social atomization that often afflicts suburban life.

Of course, there are also disadvantages. Crime, for instance. And no families with options will stay in DC so long as the public schools are so awful. But as Ryan Avent says, the unquestioned assumption that suburbs are preferable and cities need to apologize for all that makes them cities is a bit odd. There are advantages and disadvantages to most all living situations, and kids can prosper and develop in a variety of settings. Moving to the suburbs is a choice, not a prerequisite for responsible parenting.

Quote

Ray's Balding

I'm like, "This ain't nothin'. I can comb it here and there, the spot's small, I can cover it no problem." But that's denial.

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  • Cough Coughing – Menomena
    "Be careful who you tease; there's an easy chair on the chopping block"
    Listen to it at blip.fm

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  • aquariumdrinker: Retweeting @erikras: This is just what the world needs: an Obama poo doll. http://is.gd/6u1B [so it's a compliment or something?]

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