Lump's 1st Birthday Party - the Prep Work :)

Realistically, the next two subjects will require a few posts so we'll start with something simple.

We were in danger of royally screwing up Lump's 1st birthday. We've been busy all summer and with four kids things slip by your attention. With just over two weeks left until the gala we didn't have invitations, a theme, or even a place to hold the event.

The last thing we wanted to do was host the party at the same-old, same-old place, and themes were hard to come by. We'd done Chuck E. Cheese for YaYa, a circus complete with real clown for LuLu, and a jungle theme for Smiley. What was left?

I came up with the idea for a teddy bear picnic and Lisa dug the idea enough to get her Martha Stewart going.

We went to a bunch of different party supply stores, eventually settling on a color scheme of yellow (not our favorite, but plentiful).

I love this next pic, which was taken at Winkies in Whitefish Bay. Of note from that trip was a short road-rage incident in the parking lot, with Lisa and the female driver both exchanging words as they got out of their cars.  Lisa was in the right, the other driver was an ass, and yes, the other person started it. Just for the record.

We found a teddy bear pinata for a baby's birth that we modified for Lump.

We bought a huge bag of candy for the pinata but Smiley raided it in the night, eating a ton and successfully hiding much of the rest like a squirrel fearful of winter.

From the dollar store we picked up teddy bears with the intention of ripping a stitch and removing the stuffing, then doing a 'Build a Bear' of sorts at the party. That proved impractical and we instead picked up outfits for each of the bears as a party gift.

But we still needed a place. Hardees has a great playarea but traditionally we do the burger thing for the 2nd birthday, not the first. We stopped at a bar in South Milwaukee to view its hall; we liked it, but the cost is more First Communion than birthday.

In the end we went with the same old same old as a venue.

The invitations were another saga as we couldn't find any teddy-bear themed pre-printed cards .I guess teddy bears are out this year; it doesn't matter. Within a year it'll be hot. We always ride ahead of the fashion curve.

 I picked up some Care Bear invitations but they weren't going to fly. So after an arduous trip to Michael's Lisa stamped her own invites and added little teddy bears to the front of them all. Sadly I screwed up the count and not all of them were mailed when Smiley and I took the trip to the post office. I had to phone some folks to fill them in on details.

NOTE: TO ANYONE WHO RECEIVED ONE, LET ME BORROW IT TO SCAN IT AS I CANNOT LOCATE OUR COPY.

Remind me  to add a pic of that to the blog, ok?

Anyhow, after that we almost forgot the food and at the last minute (20 hours in advance) we ordered pasta, salad, and breadsticks for 40 from Pizza Hut.

Whew. And then it was on with the show.

The Internet and Blogs in 1837?

Here's something interesting I saw today on Refdesk.

Way back in 1837 Russian  Prince Vladimir Fyodorovich Odoevsky wrote a futuristic novel that seems to have genuinely envisioned both the internet and (drumroll please) blogging.

I guess there's no idea on this Earth that hasn't been thought of at one time or another.

Take a look at this quote. [emphasis mine]

Finally, today we received a household journal from the prime minister, where we, among others, were invited to a soiree. You need to know that in many houses, especially those well connected, such journals are published, having replaced regular correspondence.

The journals usually provide information about the hosts’ good or bad health, family news, various thoughts and comments, small inventions, as well as invitations; in case of a dinner invitation, also the menu.

Besides, for communicating in emergency, friends' houses are connected by means of magnetic telegraphs that allow people who live far from each other to talk to each other.

Quote of the Day

My two oldest girls have been driving me crazy the last few days, sniping and whining and just being bothersome. It has *not* been pretty.

Monday at dinner they had the following exchange.

Both: [general bickering, mild personal attacks disguised as conversation]

YaYa: "It doesn't matter LuLu. When I grow up I'm going to be famous, and you? Well, you'll just be poor."

And with that, no lie, she twirled her fork into her mouth in that snooty food critic style.

LuLu: "Oh, yeah? Well when I grow up I'm going to get married to a cool boy and you'll be married to a dork. And I won't invite you to my wedding, so pfft."

YaYa: "It doesn't matter. I'll just show up anyway."

LuLu bursts into tears. "You just can't show up if I don't invite you! You can't! Daddy! YaYa says she's going to go to my wedding but I didn't invite her!"

I will say this for them though, as long as we're on the subject of dinner. Both of 'em eat salad like it's candy, ESPECIALLY LuLu, who'll ask for one out of the blue. Heck, I think I had all of twenty salads in my entire childhood, and between them they come close to matching that in a week. 

Smiley, not so much. Meat is pretty much all we can get down him at dinner without a fight, although he does all right with broccoli (w/ ranch) and asparagus in moderation.

Lump, while a voracious eater, loses 90% of her meals to the floor around her high chair.

Smiley's Update

FYI, here's a pic of Smiley's stitches, which I presume are healing nicely since he doesn't seem to notice them.

And to balance the scale, a nice pre-doggie pic I swiped off my Mom's cellphone.

Oh, someone asked about the results of his testing a few weeks back. Nada. They wasted an afternoon on hearing tests (nevermind the ENT had done the same tests and referred us to them), pronounced it back on track, and asked us to fill out a scad of paperwork they'll be mailing us. After that, then they'll schedule some more . . well, some more of the same, probably.

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Lump is walking, full out walking!

Whoo-eee it's been a fun few days. But I have to tell you, the idea of catching up on the backlog of posts is plain depressing. You bloggers know what I mean - sometimes the whole act of creating a readable post is a just a good ol' pain in the a**.

Anyhow, big news: today (8/12/08) Lump *officially* walked for the first time, not only meeting our standard of eight consecutive steps but reaching an even dozen! All day long she toddled around, rarely resorting to crawling. It's an abrupt change, but a great one!

Here's some snapshots of her walking toward her cousin on our front porch.

Oops! Almost fell!

Why no pics head-on? Because every time I tried she'd giggle and start to crawl towards me. :)

Oh, btw, at her 1st birthday party Sunday (more on that later) she took a cap from a 2 Liter of soda and tried to put it back on the bottle. I was surprised and moved it away. She grabbed the cap and tried once again to twist it on the bottle.

It was the first bit of non-instinctual intelligence from her, a sign (to me) that she's developing and beginning to kick it into high gear.

In other words, the Lump is growing up :( 

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Hancock - A review

                       

After two posts on death and/or murder, time for something different.

Here's a rarity these days - I loved this movie and have no complaints.

Hancock is  a careless, alcoholic, bitter superhuman who leaves an accidental trail of destruction wherever he goes. Jason Bateman is a P.R. man who is rescued by Hancock from certain death and as a thank you tries to ease him back into the good graces of society. Bateman's wife however, played by CharlizeTheron, seems to want nothing to do with Hancock and there may be more there than meets the eye.

I thought the movie was well written, successfully straddling a line between satire and spoof (think, I don't know, Blazing Saddles vs. Scary Movie 3) while keeping a serious and thoughtful movie running at the same time.

 I think the premise was solidly introduced, and unlike some reviewers I was satisfied with the backstory that unfolded. Some reviewers also strongly objected to the big twist in the film. Maybe it was just a good guess on my part, but I thought the movie hinted at something amiss and I saw it coming (as did Lisa). Let me amend that statement: we suspected it could be true, but were still suprised when it occurred.

Was the ending rushed a bit? Sure, I'll bite on that. But the acting was superb, the concept grand, and the writing sharp.

It's a movie I'll wind up buying on DVD. For me ('he who owns 6-10 purchased DVD's') that's saying a whole lot.

3 and 1/3 stars, 82 out of 100.  

Tags: Will Smith, Hancock, Jason Bateman, Clarize Theron

39 Years Later - Sharon Tate and the Adoration of Evil

              

Today is the 39th anniversary of the murder of Sharon Tate and her friends (Abigail Folger, Jay Sebring, Wojciech Frykowski, and the visiting Steven Parent) at the hands of the Manson family. Sharon was a truly beautiful woman - breathtaking, in a literal sense - and was weeks away from giving birth to a son when she was killed.

                                 

(above) Sharon, taken on the day before her murder

What's really a shame is that Manson continues to be a cult figure ala fellow murderer Che Guevara. Do a search on the murders and you'll find three sites that glorify Manson and his minions to every one that mourns Tate. One page not only quoted the killers and said  'I love that quote!' [emphasis theirs] but offers for sale pieces of the fireplace from the room in which she died. *

I will repeat what I wrote here once upon a time. Quit celebrating these monsters. Render them 'John Doe' or 'Mr. X' while repeating the tales. We don't disclose the names of rape victims or juvenile offenders, the former largely by journalistic discretion; why not deny killers their chance at fame by doing the same?

Study them, write about them, make your morbid money, whatever; just do it while severing their names from history.

One last thing. I've always held it against Trent Reznor (of Nine Inch Nails) that he chose to live in the infamous murder house. After reading the following I've changed my mind and have much more respect for the man.

While I was working on Downward Spiral, I was living in the house where Sharon Tate was killed. Then one day I met her sister. It was a random thing, just a brief encounter. And she said: 'Are you exploiting my sister's death by living in her house? 'For the first time, the whole thing kind of slapped me in the face. I said, 'No, it's just sort of my own interest in American folklore. I'm in this place where a weird part of history occurred. ' I guess it never really struck me before, but it did then. She lost her sister from a senseless, ignorant situation that I don't want to support. When she was talking to me, I realized for the first time, 'What if it was my sister?' I thought, 'Fuck Charlie Manson.' I went home and cried that night. It made me see there's another side to things, you know?

• Trent Reznor

* I refuse to link to the site; find it on your own if you wish

Bernie Mac Dead at 50

                                                       

CNN is reporting that comedian Bernie Mac is dead at the age of 50 from complications of his recent pneumonia. Mac went into semi-retirement a few years ago with a lung ailment that further complicated the illness.

Although I wasn't a huge fan I did enjoy his sitcom and I tip my hat to the man for filming Mr. 3000, a film about my Brewers, here in Milwaukee.

[and while I didn't get a chance to post about it at the time, RIP  Estelle Getty. I liked her spunky wise-ass portrayal of Sophia on the Golden Girls, which was one of my Grandma's favorite shows and in constant rotation on her TV for awhile.]

 

Tags: Bernie Mac, Estelle Getty, Milwaukee Brewers, Mr. 3000

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8/8/8 - The get-together and the ER Visit

Tonight after work we went over to a friend's house to hang out on their deck. It was a beautiful evening, the kids were happy and content, there was a Brewers game on the radio and a fire pit roaring.

And then Smiley and our friend's dog collided. I'm not sure what happened except that it was an accident and seems to be nothing more than two bodies trying to occupy the same space at once, but it was not good.

Smiley started screaming immediately. We think it was the dog's tooth or claw, but whatever it was it ripped a inch long, very deep gash into Smiley's forehead just above his left eyebrow.

I drove him to the hospital and Lisa met me there (she needed to make sure the kids could stay, etc). Boy was I glad she was there! When it comes to important things, in Smiley's eyes there is 'Mama' and 'Not-Mama', to steal an old joke.

The male half of our couple friends had driven Lisa to the hospital and stayed to keep us company, leaving just before the stitches went in.

Unlike YaYa, who at the same age took her Easter stitches it in stride, Smiley fought like a lion. He was doped up with oral tranquilizers with his arms encased in a pillowcase and his body wrapped in a restraining papoose. Even so we STILL needed Lisa to hold down his legs while I strained to hold down his torso and a male nurse struggled to keep his head still.

He screamed and screamed and bucked and fought the whole time, at many points crying 'Mama! Mama!" .

Along with the visuals, it wasn't a very comfortable 10 minutes. In the end, a mere one internal stitch and 5 on the outside.

And then it was over. Smiley had wet himself in his fight and was clearly embarrassed even through the fog of the drugs, but he soon fell asleep  in Mama's arms; he's scream if I even tried to take over the duty.

I overheard the doctor joking that they'd have to rethink what the maximum dosage of the drugs would be in the future, alluding to how it failed to calm him down, and that he hadn't had such a fighter in years. That wasn't a compliment. The doctor was worn out and definitely ranked it as an unpleasant night of work. I'm with him on that.

It's one thing to take it without flinching like YaYa but there's something to be said for a steadfast refusal to accept the unacceptable and fight on. Props to Smiley for that.

Here's a pic of him pre-stitches in the ER.

Fool's Gold - A review

     

Even if you hate this movie, which I didn't, you have to acknowledge that Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughy have great chemistry together on screen.

And they're not exactly hard on the eyes either.

The pair play a divorced couple obsessed with finding a 18th century shipwreck that holds the Queen's Dowry, a kingdom's worth of treasure. A new clue to its location has come to light, forcing an uneasy alliance between them. Unfortunately, McConaughy's character owes money to a rap star/underworld leader with his own eye on the fortune, and the race for the treasure won't be an easy one after all.

No, it isn't Million Dollar Baby (which, come to think of it, I didn't like) but it isn't a bad film. It certainly could've used a better edit since its 112 minute runtime includes a ridiculous amount of deadwood.

One storyline that had potential and went nowhere was the millionaire's yearning to be loved by his estranged daughter. Donald Sutherland really sold his character, only to see it cast away (no sea pun intended) by a careless script.

Fun. But not as much fun as it should have been.

2.75 out of 4, 65 out of 100.

How Lump spent her birthday

As luck would have it Lisa and a friend had planned a family trip to Six Flags Great America for this very day. No significance was attached to the date at the time; rather it was decided by the fact that 'this Thursday' calendars were clear. I say 'clear' even though I had to work, because I was more than happy to pass on the amusement park.

"Should we cancel?" Lisa asked. No, I said. Take the kids and have fun. Her party's on Sunday anyhow.

It was only when I promised to do something special with the Lump that Lisa gave the 'ok' to the trip, thereby saving us hours of screaming from the rest of the pack.

So after work, with the rest of the family down in Gurnee, I took off of work early for a doctor's appointment then hitched a ride from my sister over to my in-law's, where I was planning to take the Lump swimming (truly a rarity for me - I tend to avoid pools and water of late). I say 'hitched' a ride because our friend had borrowed my car for the trip to IL.

We walked from my Mother-in-law's apartment to the pool only to find it closed for 'bacteria'. So we just sat around and enjoyed the sun and grass around the pool deck. I dang near fell asleep in a pool chair myself.

She's got 12 teeth now and looks so big. Sadly, her 'baby' days are slipping away.

Then we went back to her apartment where we grilled hamburgers, sang 'happy birthday' to the gal, and ate some teeny-tiny cupcakes.

Then it was home to crawl around and get into trouble for awhile before going to bed. Any minute now Lisa and the kids will return and she'll get her birthday kisses from Mommy.

Our party, as I said, is this Sunday, so be prepared for a barrage of family posts over the weekend.

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Happy 1st Birthday to Lump!

Today is Lump's 1st birthday, a grand occasion indeed. My Mom called near midnight to wish her well but she spent the night at Lisa's Mom's. Later today I'll take the little girl swimming and out to eat.

If you are one of the many people online who wish us to change her nickname, use this occasion to post your ideas in the comments section. Then maybe we'll host a poll to pick a winner. Who knows?

We Love you Lump! Happy Birthday and a 100 more!

How the AP twisted an article on the Korean War

The Associated Press recently published an 1800 word article alleging that United States bombing raids killed Korean civilians 58 years ago. In contrast, an article today concerning the threat of a North Korean nuclear program deserved a thousand fewer words, topping out at 780.

Apparently a story with an anti-American bias is worth more column inches than the 'mere' threat of nuclear war.

I don't use the word 'bias' lightly. A factual story, delivered in context, has a right to be told whether or not it presents this country in a good light. The AP story fails to live up to that ideal.

In the article people were not 'killed' by the U.S. They were 'suffocated, burned and shot to death' in air raids. Despite contrary explanations in the very text, attacks were 'indiscriminate'. The South Korean government - not the North - is referred to as having been a 'right wing dictatorship'. Story after story of terror and pain are told to enforce the article's slant.

"Of course the U.S. government should pay compensation. It's the U.S. military's fault," said survivor Cho Kook-won, 78.

I am not indifferent to his suffering, or that of any family member who suffered a loss in the Korean Conflict. But in my opinion, instead of clamoring for cash Mr. Cho and his countrymen should instead be thanking the U.S. and U.N. servicemen who came to their aid.

Context: In  June of 1950 communist North Korea, backed by financing from the Soviets and with the eventual direct assistance of Chinese troops, crossed the border into South Korea and began a war that nearly erupted into WWIII.

Despite the recent victory in WWII the U.S. armed forces had been dramatically downsized. In the chaos of the war's opening weeks the North Korean forces ran roughshod over the peninsula, truly killing indiscriminately and nearing a total victory. U.S. forces were beaten back time and again, suffering great losses, including an American General taken as a prisoner of war.

By the war's end three years later more than 36,000 Americans were dead, with another 92,000 wounded and 8,000 MIA.

North Korea remains, by all accounts, a bleak nation controlled by a dictator that has established a cult of personality that borders on idolatry. Personal freedom is non-existent and the military is all powerful. Threats of war emanate constantly from the government.

Assuming they had survived the hands of the invading North Koreans, that was the future that awaited South Korea.

U.S. and U.N intervention prevented that from happening.

It's in the confusion and terror of the war's beginning, with the North Koreans advancing steadily and a wave of thousands of refugees fleeing before them (inadvertently blocking lines of retreat, supply, and reinforcement) where most of the A.P's. stories occur.

Without question civilian casualties took place, and at American hands. But this is no My Lai or even Dresden. Instead this is a tragic case of confusion, fear, and pure survival instinct.

To quote parts of the article seemingly ignored by the author as he crafted his conclusion:

* . . . a report by U.S. inspectors-general that [said] pilots couldn't distinguish their South Korean civilian allies from North Korean enemy soldiers.

*  "The declassified record shows the Americans' fear that enemy troops were disguising themselves as civilians led to indiscriminate attacks on "people in white," the color worn by most Koreans

* "Civilians in villages cannot normally be identified as either North Koreans, South Koreans, or guerrillas," wrote the inspectors-general, two colonels.

* the U.S. Army, fearing infiltrators, had adopted a policy of shooting South Korean refugees who approached its lines despite warnings [emphasis mine]

* "I'm very, very sorry about hitting civilians," said [a] retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, who flew with the 6147th Tactical Control Squadron.

It is certainly not a flattering portrait, but hardly that of an army killing for pleasure or hate. Most Nazi's, I'd imagine, did not feel remorse over accidentally killing a civilian.

And you'll forgive me if I discount the memory of an elderly man, only twelve at the time, who swears there were no North Koreans near his village. Or the woman who claims the killings were deliberate because pilots should have recognized their status by the presence of cows in their village.

Tragedies? Yes. Acts of calculated malice? No.

It does very little good to point fingers at a group who sacrificed much to defend your people.

If blame is to be laid anywhere, point it clearly at North Korea and its communist allies.

Tags: North Korea, AP, South Korea, Korean Conflict, Korean War, blogplugs

Lump takes her first steps!

After the play last Friday (8/1/08) my nieces decided to stay overnight. That evening Lump, who's stood unaided for awhile now, took two careful steps towards the youngest of the pair!

Excited, I called Lisa's attention to the feat and she again repeated the two-step walk towards a Sesame Street doll called Abby Cadabby!

Now in our household you aren't 'walking' until you do ten continuous steps, so this doesn't 'count'.

Note how she grabs some food from the table, smearing it all over her face for yet another messy picture, then positively sighs with contentment!

All this is very exciting as we come up on her 1st birthday!