What an Honor!

Junie was invited to perform her [dance] improv in front of LuLu's class :)

How Did the Bucks Know?

I had to show ID at the Bradley Center yesterday to pick up the tickets I didn't give an email address, I didn't use my credit card at the venue. I have never subscribed to or received anything from the Bucks. And yet just a minute ago I got an email from them, sent to my private email, asking if I enjoyed the game. #CreepedOut #BigBrother

Con Law 2 Final

Con Law 2 Final.I finished the final in a little over an hour. I had 90 minutes left but after four long decades of this a) I know I'm a decently smart guy, and b) that any third read through will just have me doubting everything I've done. So, one down and two take home finals to go.

Free: Cat

Sadly, I will be surrendering a cat [Angel] to the humane society. If anyone needs a solid cat companion to prevent her re-homing text or pm me. Thanks. - Lisa

update: This did not happen. Angel and Lisa resolved their differences and became constant companions

Thank You!

 Enjoying the Swiss Colony box we got from Jeanne for Christmas

Christmas Tree Lighting

While I was at the Bucks game Lisa took our girls to the lighting of the Bay View Christmas tree at South Shore park. By all accounts the event was fun and a nice way for the community to get in the Christmas spirit. However, the actual lighting was "lame. Literally hundreds of people around a tree smaller than ours, and not as pretty."

A Sweet Memory

Lisa just reminded me of a life event referenced in the show. When it came time for YaYa to get rid of her didi's (pacifiers) we wrapped them up in a Christmas package and Gracie gave them to the Santa at Mayfair so he could pass them on to babies that needed them

Fury

The Brad Pitt WWII flick. I enjoyed it a lot. I'm not saying it was realistic, or that the characters were good people, just that I liked the film. 

Check out this JS article

Good article in today's Journal-Sentinel about Milwaukee connections to Pearl Harbor, which meant a chunk of the piece was devoted to the USS Vestal. My Great Uncle Leo was stationed aboard that ship during the attack.

Beautiful

I did YaYa's nails - Lulu

My Night of TV

ABC Family is changing their name to Freeform. WTH?

And . . . 

my DVR cut out with twenty minutes left of the Doctor Who finale. $#@&

St Nick's 2015

Happy St Nick's everybody!

More Nightmares

My sleep was riddled with nightmares and I woke up angry about something I no longer even remember. Gotta shake it off.

Winter by Marissa Meyer

Friday LuLu begged me to go buy her this book at Target. 

Saturday she texted me and said she was bored. Read your book, I wrote back. 

Her response: "I finished that last night😕 smh."

Kardashian Kongrats

Kim and Kanye 2nd kid

No doubt, The Biggest Story of the Day. But, snark aside, congrats to them.

Not Exactly a Suprise

The governments of France and Hungary have announced that two of the suicide bombers in Paris were Syrian refugees recruited after they were accepted into Europe.

Huh. Whodathunkit?

The Spongebob Ball

Lisa took the younger kids to Turkey Bingo at their school a few weeks ago, and this is what Smiley won!

A Theory

I've got a theory about why sports are so popular. Yes, following a team creates a regional identity, a sense of community loyalty, and gives you something to talk about over the water cooler. But: there's also an ingrained anti-intellectualism in our culture, and sports -with its detailed stats, its research, its strategy - gives us a chance to dive into academia without sacrificing that machismo. 

Ugh

I'm staying for my last class of the day just to provide an example for YaYa  #AnotherReasonParenthoodSucks

Hypocrites

I made the mistake of watching a cheap rip-off of The View and listened to them praise Obama for his "caution" on labeling the San Bernardino killings terrorism "just because the shooters are Muslim." Fine, although I don't think he'll ever admit it BECAUSE of that fact. BUT these are the same brilliant hosts who labeled the recent Planned Parenthood shooter a rabid Christian tool of the GOP, on the basis of far less. #LeftEqualsHypocrite

According to the BBC, by the FBI's own definition there have been 39 mass shootings in the US this year. This is quickly becoming Obama's domestic legacy. We need better access to mental health care and an expansion of our ability to institutionalize the violently ill BEFORE they act on their impulses.

The Oscar Pitorious Case

Two things the all-knowing Internet comment section fails to notice about the Oscar Pitorious case: 

1. Under their law, killing an intruder in your home, even in clear self defense, is a crime 

2. An appeals court convicted him of a higher offense than what the trial court chose. What kind of justice system can take someone that's been duly convicted, toss out the verdict, and immediately convict him of another crime without trial? #ThankfulToLiveHere

Shooting in San Bernandino

On the home from dance yesterday with Smiley and LuLu I was listening to news reports of the shooting in San Bernardino. I explained to the kids that the first day of a major event is often full of chaotic and often false reports, and that it's important to wait and let the dust settle before taking anything as gospel. It was a good conversation, and in OJ's words, " Things got deep real fast."

Lie to them about meaningless things and they'll doubt the truth about the important ones.

Bah. None of our kids believed beyond three or four because when they asked, we told them "Of course we're Santa." Lie to them about meaningless things and they'll doubt the truth about the important ones.

Life Before Smartphones

Yup. And also, in my case, the Woman's Day and Family Circle that my Grandma subscribed to back in the 1980's. 

Whew

Completed our mock arbitration quickly and, I hope, sucessfully