Apt. 11D

Happy Holidays

I'm closing up shop around here. In the next few hours, I have to write the menu for tomorrow night, put in orders for mussels and scallops, clean out the playroom, and set up the inflatable mattress for the in-laws.

I hope everyone has a splendid Christmas, if you celebrate it. Eat lots and laugh lots. If you don't celebrate Christmas, enjoy the time off.

I'll be back in half capacity next Monday. See you then.

Thanks, as always, for stopping by Apartment 11D.

The Taboos of Parenting

Spreadin' Love 500

I promise to tackle the FCC and net neutrality next week.

The notion that we're a nation in decline came up in the comment section this week. Conor Friederdorf at Andrew Sullivan adds more to that discussion.

Your kid's class size is going to increase in the next few years. I'm reading a lot of posts like this one.

I can't wait to see True Grit.

Appalled that Christina Hendricks can't get a designer to loan her a dress for the red carpet.

Dr. Drew thinks Angelina is still a heroin addict.

Holidays Can Be Dangerous

Thanks RC for this one. Read more here.

Brewery Kits on Etsy

Suze sent me a link to the micro-brewery kits on Etsy. Man, Steve would love to be doing this. Maybe we have our organic farm in upstate New York and I sell artisanal pickles in our little gift shop, Steve can sell his own brew kits.

The End of Men

Hanna Rosin is talking about the "End of Men."

Steve-O, It's Cleve-O!

My darling hubby is from Cleveland. His parents, who have retired down to North Carolina, sent us this picture of the lighthouse in Cleveland harbor, which is covered in ice from the spray of Lake Erie.

Cool App

Don't you think this would ruin the fun of going into a restaurant in Spain and randomly choosing something from the menu?

The Science of Autism

There are two new studies on autism. I can't help responding to these studies.

One study found a correlation between autism and pollution. Many scientists have speculated that autism is the result of genetics, plus environmental triggers. The question is what environmental factors are relevant. One study finds suggests babies born to mothers who live close to freeways have double the risk of becoming autistic compared to other kids, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Spreadin' Love 499

The disposable academic.

Don't wreck your non-stick pan!

Check out this new blog that explores important legal questions, such as “What if someone is convicted for murder, and then the victim comes back to life?”

I'm sorry that Dooce is bummed out, but I really liked this photo.

(Forgot to post this link-fest last night.)

The Domestic Saturation Point

Every December, I briefly morph into Martha Stewart. I get caught up in the decorating and the bargain hunting. I bake cookies, which isn't really my thing. I'm a much better cook than a baker. All this domesticity lasts about two weeks, and then I begin to question whether this is the best use of my time. Shouldn't I be following that lead that I have for publication? Aren't there world problems that I should be tracking?

I reached that domestic saturation point yesterday afternoon, which is a little early. I still need to cook up a fishy feast for Christmas Eve and get the home tidied up for the in-laws. I know I don't have enough little things for the boys' stockings. Must soldier on.

Yesterday, I packaged up gifts for the aunties and uncles in Florida, Ohio, and Illinois. Homemade cookies were sealed up in wax paper and little chocolates were tucked into festive tin planters from IKEA. (Frango's are half price at Macy's right now.) I hope they like them.

Kardashian Khristmas

The Least Likable Couple in the Vows Column

I've caught one of the several viruses sweeping through the house, so I'm not in top form at the moment. That's my disclaimer for the following admission - I'm watching Kathie Lee and Hoda.

Kathie Lee and Hoda were just talking about the Vows column in the New York Times. It caught the attention of several of my Facebook friends, too.

This couple were married to other people, fell in love, got divorced, and now are getting married to each other. Both couples had children. Spouses were hurt. Nothing new, just sad.

The reason that this column is gathering so much buzz is the language that the couple uses to justify their actions. They say that their relationship is a "gift." Their decision to break up their marriages was "brave." To stay in the previous marriages would have been "dishonest."

People get divorced and remarried all the time. This couple isn't particularly evil, but it is very strange that their sad affair would be confused with romance.

The Decider

Michael Kinsley reviews George Bush's autobiography in this Sunday's book review. Kinsley points out that Bush had two major accomplishments during his two terms as president. He kept a lid on anti-Muslim prejudice, and he led the fight against AIDS in Africa. Despite these accomplishments, 43 bungled much and it's fascinating to get his spin on events. 

Speaking of blood, on 9/11: “My blood was boiling. We were going to find out who did this, and kick their ass.” He was in Florida at the time, you will recall, and wanted to return to Washington. The Secret Service wanted him to go to an Air Force base in Louisiana. “I told them I was not going to let terrorists scare me away. ‘I’m the president,’ I said firmly. ‘And we’re going to Washington.’ ” So Air Force One went to Louisiana. There, Bush insisted once again that “the American people needed to see their president in Washington.” So they went to Nebraska. There, “I put my foot down.” And they went to Washington.

Jay Comes to Town

My cousin Jason and his wife came to town last weekend with a two year old and a three week old baby, Alexander, in tow. (Alexander is my new godson. Kisses to that baby.) They left warm and toasty Florida for a frigid New York City with a baby who doesn't sleep more than two hours in a row. They said they wanted an adventure and decided not to think too much about the difficulties. Happy Birthday, Jay!

Spreadin' Love 498

Love this woman for not taking shit from a subway flasher. 

Rich people are repellant.

(I see people are clicking like mad on the gift guides. I'll do some more later tonight.)

I love everything that Christoph Niemann does.

Digital Jesus.

Gift Guide 2010 #12 - Review

Thanks to everyone who has used the link from Apt. 11D to buy stuff from Amazon! Here's a review of the gift guides from this year and last.

• Advent Calendars
• Girlie Stuff
• Geeky Man
• Tech Toys
• Bad Neck
• Video Games
• Earthy Crunchy
• YA Novels
• Hipster Baby
• Minimalist
• Non-Fiction
• Steve's book recommendations
• Last year's:
•    Toys for Boys
•    Arts and Crafts
•   Girlie stuff
•   History Books
•   Boy Stuff

Too Much Pressure on Kids

Last week, the New York Times ran an article that discussed a new movie about stressed out children, and then followed up with interviewed parents who viewed the film. This article received a lot of chatter in the mainstream press and is still being discussed around here.

These trends pieces in New York Times follow a certain pattern. A. The author claims that he has discovered some brand new horror. B. The author interviews three of his friends in Park Slope, Ridgewood, or Westchester. C. The bad guys are usually suburban moms.

The article rightly points out that over committed kids are mostly found in wealthy suburbs. My kids aren't experiencing that kind of stress. Instead, Jonah is stressed out by dumb tests and grading rubrics that demand precision, require art projects, and give more credit to neatness than quality. Science and social studies tests are trivial pursuit, while in language arts, they make greeting cards. Stupidity can be stressful, too.

Question of the Day: Are your kids stressed out?

Sick Leave

This has been a chaotic week compounded by sick children.

Jonah missed three days of school, because of a bad virus. Last night, Ian started puking at around 1:00 am and puked every hour after that. He's buried under a pile of blankets on the sofa right now watching SpongeBob.

As the boys get older and I'm no longer around dirty college students, we don't get sick as often anymore. Still, nursing kids through bad colds and stomach viruses is a basic part of raising children. I want to take this minute to point out how little protections there are for parents in the workplace. From in Institute for Women's Policy Research:

Nearly half of all workers do not have paid sick days, including more than 22 million women. Even fewer have paid sick days policies allowing them to visit the doctor or stay home to care for sick children. Only one in four low-wage workers is provided with this health benefit. For those without paid sick days, short-term health needs can mean missing work and pay, or even being fired.

I need to hydrate Ian slowly and wash a mountain of stinky sheets. I'll be back later when he's stabilized.

Decorations of Red on My Green Christmas Tree

I usually wait until December 26th to score bargains on ornaments for the tree, but these ornaments from Crate and Barrel were so cute that I paid full price. I was raised by three generations of very cheap women who treat shopping as a competitive sport. I don't pay full price for anything. But I have a weakness for home spun Christmas ornaments. A calico hippo? Too cute.