ApParently So

While organizing "hard copy" documents printed off my old computer, I recently stumbled upon these classic quotables from my kids when they were much younger:

My middle son, then 3 years old, announced "I'm going to be a talking animal".

I then asked him, "Oh yeah? What kind of animal will you be?"

"A yak." he answered. He had no idea that he had just made a joke.

My oldest son, then 5 years old, lamented that he could not find a particular Lego, "I can't find that piece I need!"

I try to reassure him, "Don't worry, it will turn up".
"Where?" he pressed, "I can't find it!"

Again I try to pacify him with Zen-like wisdom, "It will turn up when you least expect it."
"I least expect it now...(he paused)...What does that mean anyway?"

Word of the Day

I discovered tonight that I am a certified cartophile...

That said, how can people justify using GPS devices in their cars without insulting their intelligence at the same time? God forbid you have to use a map to guide you to your destination. This reliance on GPS has created a subtle yet very discernible sucking noise, most notable on weekends and near popular tourist attractions, which is the sound of our navigational neurons and good old-fasioned resourcefulness flying out the proverbial window.

Pet Peeves I

What's the deal with purchasing extended warranties on products such as appliances and tech devices (cameras, computers, etc)? Isn't the very fact that these companies offer such options an admission of producing an inferior product? Wouldn't it be nice to be able to buy a product that did not offer an extended warranty because (drumroll)....THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO!!

Hair Today

Hairy men lament: Scientific American reports that in an evolutionary sense, lack of fur and big brains are mutually exclusive. Sorry guys.

Hairy men beware: Scientific American reports that in an evolutionary sense, presence of fur and large brains are mutually exclusive.

Classic Quotes I

"If you cannot think of anything appropriate to say you will restrict your remarks to the weather." Mrs. Dashwood, from Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

The New

We've heard these before, those catchy little phrases that sum up some new social phenomenon.  For instance, "40 is the new 30" to describe age, and "brown is the new black" when referring to fashion.  After months of enduring descriptions of the minutiae of people's lives on Facebook, Twitter, personal blogs and Reality TV (do I really care that you are sitting on your porch clipping your toenails while listening to "Power Ballads of the 80's" on your iPod?), I have decided to introduce a new moniker.  It is, fittingly in this day and age, "Boring is the new interesting".