Henry got ahold of Polly's catnip-filled spider. I don't know for sure if catnip has the same effect on dogs as it does on cats, but Henry's actions tell me that it does.  First he rolled around on the loveseat with it. Then he took it to the floor and 'killed' it. When Shea took it away from him.... ...sat up and begged for it. He's got it now, as I write this.  He's laying on his back on the floor with it held between his front paws, chewing it....

Our cat Polly likes to get into boxes and bags.  She's been known to cram her bulk into empty soda 12-pack boxes, shoe boxes, paper bags, plastic bags...she's not fussy.  If it's a bag or a box, she'll get in it. We went to the grocery store this morning, and after we had unloaded everything we left a paper bag out for Polly to play in.  She spent most of the morning in there, rustling around and pouncing on unseen things. This afternoon, when the boys came home from sc...

Shea had me do the green hair and eyelashes again today, and this time didn't run off when I asked to take her picture.  She's feeling much better, btw....she went back to the Doc again this morning and we figured out what was wrong - she'd dislocated a rib.  Luckily one of the pediatricians is a doctor of ostopathy, and he was able to come in and pop it back into place.  Right after he'd done it she sat up and took in a deep breath - and didn't wince because it hurt.  She's ...

My daughter is slowly adopting a neo-punk style. She's listening to GreenDay and The Ramones, has hijacked my Converse and made them her own, had me wrap some strands of her hair and put beads on the end, and is experiementing with neck ties, Tshirts and ripped and then safety-pinned jeans and pants.  She hasn't been well the past few days, but today she said she felt well enough to come out with me for an hour and choose her Christmas gifts. We spent an hour and ...

There seem to be two distinct camps arguing over Stanley 'Tookie' Williams' execution early this morning.  One side seems to be saying that he was innocent AND a changed man, that he had led an exemplary life inside prison and had spoken out against gang violence.  The other side says that he had a price to pay, regardless of how much good he had done. I decided to go search for Tookie's prison record myself, and I was shocked at what I found.  For example:  he spent 6 YEA...

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has denied Stanley 'Tookie' Willims request for clemency, stating: “After studying the evidence, searching the history, listening to the arguments and wrestling with the profound consequences, I could find no justification for granting clemency. The facts do not justify overturning the jury’s verdict or the decisions of the courts in this case.” So that's it then.  All appeals have been exhausted, all requests for clemency have been denied.&...

The California State Supreme Court has refused to grant Stanley 'Tookie' Williams a stay of execution.  This means that unless the Governor grants clemency or a federal appeal succeeds, Tookie will have seen his last sunrise this morning. The NAACP claims to have found an eyewitness who will testify that Tookie didn't do the crime, and says that all they need now is 'time to investigate'. I'm not surprised.  Can you imagine the notoriety that could come from being the...

Today is Lone-Sum Traveler's birthday.  He's trying to keep it on the down-low because he's not one for a bunch of noise....but he's not getting away from me that easy! Out or respect for him I'm not going to post a photo of him or even tell how old he is today....I'm just going to wish him a Happy Birthday and tell him that I hope he has many more.  So, Happy Birthday, Graich.  It's not so bad being your age, trust me.  *Yes, he's younger than me.*

One day in the early 90's, James Frey awakes to find himself on an airplane bound for Chicago.  He has no recollection of how he got there, but knows that it can't have been anything good that put him there - his clothing is covered in vomit, blood and urine, he has a hole in his cheek and is missing several of his front teeth. His parents pick him up in Chicago and drive him to a rehab facility in Minnesota to begin the 6 week rehab stint that is the basis of this book. I've bee...

I'm making a mobeius scarf for my friend Jim. The mobieus is a scarf that's knitted in the round on circular needles so there's no seam....but it's knitted in such a way that there's the traditional half twist to it: It's really very cool to watch people try and figure out how I can manage to knit a tube with a twist in it.  They usually try and find the seam line where I sewed the two ends together. There isn't one.  The first 150 stitches are cast on to a circular need...

*I'm fighting a stomach flu today, so if this is disjointed and doesn't flow well, please forgive me*   I've been doing a lot of thinking over the past few days, about the kerfuffle over patriotism, honor and people's reasons for being in the service. Does it really matter WHY people are in the service and are going off to war?  Does it really make a difference to their service?  Is being there out of a sense of self-interest any less worthy than being there for...

I've been sick of myself lately.   I've had a constant sense of self-loathing because of how I've felt, because who I've been in the past few weeks/months just isn't me.  In fact, I felt like I had started to lose myself. I have a pretty strong sense of self.  It took me long enough to develop it - I was 30 before I really liked myself and what I was about.  I guess not knowing who I was until that age has made me cherish 'me', as narcissistic as that sounds.  ...

Did you know that according to Gnostic and Jewish tradition, Eve was NOT Adam's first mate? According to Haggadah, a book of oral legend usually associated with the Talmud, Lilith was the first woman. She was created from dust, the same as Adam, but she only remained with him a short time.  Why? Because she insisted upon enjoying full equality with him, saying that she had a right to do so because she was created the same way as he was. Adam, apparently, didn't like it.  Ne...