virtual ephemera

Spotted somewhere between northwest Indiana and Indianapolis. Is...

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 14:02:38 -0400

Spotted somewhere between northwest Indiana and Indianapolis. Is it just us, or is the placement of the exhaust vent below this graphic’s nose incredibly unfortunate?

englishprof: Waiter: To drink? My wife: Diet Coke. Waiter: Is Diet Pepsi okay? My wife: No. I’ll...

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 19:58:42 -0400

englishprof:

Waiter: To drink?
My wife: Diet Coke.
Waiter: Is Diet Pepsi okay?
My wife: No. I’ll have a vodka martini, dirty, three olives then.

Accurate.

GPOY with a cute baby.

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:42:15 -0400

GPOY with a cute baby.

The first photo on my camera roll. At Founding Farmers in DC...

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:53:11 -0400

The first photo on my camera roll. At Founding Farmers in DC before a Paul McCartney show.

On children's television

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 10:43:55 -0400

I limit Judah’s exposure to television to about an hour a day unless he’s sick (even when you’re a baby, sometimes you just don’t feel well enough to do anything but zone out in front of a Pixar movie).

We’ve let him watch pretty much everything on PBS Kids at least once, and since we don’t have cable, his exposure to Nickelodeon is limited to what’s available for instant streaming on Netflix.

I recently realized my problem with 99% of children’s television shows. They assume that young viewers are either a.) very very stupid or b.) so short of attention span that they can’t even follow a simple story line, so they just inundate kids with mindless music and flashing colors.

Shows like Dora the Explorer (“Do you see a frog?” they ask as a frog jumps directly onto the screen) or Super Why (“My tummy hurts when I eat too much candy. How do I avoid that?” Duh.) don’t challenge even little kids. They make the answers obvious.

Shows like Yo Gabba Gabba and Spongebob (ugh, the worst) are just freakin’ weird. Sure, Yo Gabba Gabba tries to incorporate lessons, but it’s weird shit like, “Don’t touch your friends!” What? Most of the show is just weird music and a character who resembles a sex toy dancing around with lots of moving pictures and flashing lights.

No wonder TV makes kids dumb. (Cue old timer flashback.) When I was a kid, we watched shows like Sesame Street where the characters talk to kids like they’re actually intelligent human beings and challenge them to solve problems. The music isn’t just mindless and catchy; it’s smart and well written. That was the genius of Jim Henson, and his legacy has thankfully been carried on by his colleagues and protégés like Kevin Clash.

I’m not saying that my bias doesn’t have something to do with Judah’s fanatical love for all things Sesame Street. I’m sure I encouraged him to spend his hour a day watching it, because I don’t find it obnoxious like other children’s programs. But I’m sure I’m not the first parent to say kids today would be a lot better off if Jim Henson were still around.

It’s photos like this that fuel speculation about the...

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:57:34 -0400

It’s photos like this that fuel speculation about the nature of Bert and Ernie’s relationship.

I know I’ve seen stupider headlines/stories than this one,...

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 09:26:07 -0400

I know I’ve seen stupider headlines/stories than this one, but at the moment, my memory fails me, and this seems like the stupidest.

How is she so gorgeous? I can’t even.

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:19:03 -0400

How is she so gorgeous? I can’t even.

I recently started doing the “squishing your head”...

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 17:24:09 -0400

I recently started doing the “squishing your head” bit with Judah. Not only does he get the joke, but he’ll pinch his fingers at me and squeal. This tickles me to no end. (Taken with instagram)

I will probably never see this, and it breaks my heart. :( :(

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:48:18 -0400

I will probably never see this, and it breaks my heart. :( :(

lickystickypickywe: The internet is a never ending source of...

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:38:06 -0400

lickystickypickywe:

The internet is a never ending source of strange entertainment.

The greatest.

americastestkitchen: How To Make Cold-Brew Coffee Caffeine...

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:37:52 -0400

americastestkitchen:

How To Make Cold-Brew Coffee

Caffeine nerds can rest (or wake) easy with a foolproof method for incredible iced coffee.

To see our detailed instructions, head on over to The Feed and enjoy!

For future reference.

thetart replied to your photo: It’s a beautiful day for some yard work. (Taken… I’m confused...

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 18:27:47 -0400

thetart replied to your photo: It’s a beautiful day for some yard work. (Taken…

I’m confused as to what tragic dryer incident resulted in this alarming shrinkage of your husband.

Benjamin Button Syndrome, obvs.

It’s a beautiful day for some yard work. (Taken with...

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:21:04 -0400

It’s a beautiful day for some yard work. (Taken with instagram)

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that my husband follows a...

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 09:17:51 -0400

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that my husband follows a Tumblr called “Excessive Bookshelf.”

Dirty martini + adorable husband = paradise. (Taken with...

Sat, 24 Mar 2012 19:41:48 -0400

Dirty martini + adorable husband = paradise. (Taken with instagram)

Love you forever, NPH. Why isn’t the OP following him?!

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 07:25:02 -0500

Love you forever, NPH. Why isn’t the OP following him?!

This tornado came close enough to us that we could have seen it...

Sat, 03 Mar 2012 12:00:00 -0500

This tornado came close enough to us that we could have seen it from our windows (if we hadn’t been scared shitless and hiding as far away from windows as possible). At one point, there were so many tornadoes on the ground that local news teams couldn’t even keep track. More than one touched down within a mile of my house.

We’re lucky to have escaped without injury or even property damage, but I’m heartbroken for my neighbors just to the north of our small town who aren’t so lucky.

Please consider giving what you can to Red Cross Disaster Relief efforts. There is a lot of work to be done here in Indiana and in other areas of the country that are beginning the long process of rebuilding their lives today.

nutopiancitizen: cartoonpolitics: Student loan debt, at $830 ...

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 23:38:03 -0500

nutopiancitizen:

cartoonpolitics:

Student loan debt, at $830 billion, now exceeds total US credit card debt, itself bloated to the bubble level of $827 billion. And student loan debt is growing at the rate of $90 billion a year. Will it be the next credit bubble to burst ? More here

inothernews: Oh my God. From the New York Times: Several...

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 20:14:14 -0500

inothernews:

Oh my God.

From the New York Times:

Several tornadoes, spawned by powerful storms that steamrolled across multiple states in the South and Midwest on Friday, caused critical injuries and widespread damage from Alabama to south-central Indiana. Preliminary reports from law enforcement officials said that much of the town of Marysville, Ind. was destroyed and a high school in nearby Henryville was leveled.

At least five people were killed in Indiana, according to the NBC television affiliate, WAVE 3 in Louisville, Ky., about 20 miles south of Henryville, quoting Indiana state and county officials.

Starting in the area of Huntsville, Ala. in late morning, local news organizations reported a powerful line of storms that sent at least a half-dozen people to the hospital, ripped off the roof of a state prison and leveled homes before moving northeast into Tennessee, where the suburbs of the Chattanooga area were particularly hard hit.

But by mid-afternoon, an unusually large tornado churning through south-central Indiana in the areas of Henryville, Borden and Marysville, caused deep concern about the potential for devastation and serious injuries in the aftermath. There were reports of extreme damage at Henryville High School, about 20 miles northwest of Louisville. And a local television station reported that the town of Marysville was leveled and multiple fatalities are expected.

…As of 4:50 p.m. ET, the National Weather Service said it had 22 active tornado warnings affecting 47 counties, including five less urgent tornado watches that spanned 12 states.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone in the affected area. Please stay safe.

10 miles from my house, you guys. We feel so incredibly lucky, but so sad for our neighbors. :(