Famous among dozens
Does it seem strange to anyone else that ribbon organizing has become a thing we think about?
On one hand, it could be a sign that things are going pretty damn well for us. We have so few worries that ribbon storage has made it onto our lists. Then again, it could be the household version of rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.
Regardless, this is genius:
I did a post on my collection of comically small coasters — and a roundup of options on Etsy — for the JCPenney Home Style Guide. Go have a look.
New guides are up at Mighty Junior and Mighty Goods. We’re getting started on a whole series of perfect gifts for kids at every age. So far we’ve finished one, two and three:
15 Perfect Gifts for Three Year Olds
And now’s about the right time to order holiday cards if you plan to send them before Valentine’s Day. Have a look at the options we picked out for you:
Four years ago, Bryan and I were in Boston listening to Senator Kerry’s concession speech. We put a lot into that election, and losing was rough. It’s only gotten more difficult since Katrina and the recent economic meltdown.
I was touched by Senator McCain’s concession speech last night. For too long, our politicians have been focused on winning at any cost, even at the expense of the very ideals that inspired them to lead. McCain’s grace and humility in the face of defeat was a reminder that winning can’t confer honor, and defeat needn’t diminish us.
So much has changed for me and Bryan since 2004, and so much has changed for our nation. But the post I wrote coming home from Boston that year is still true for me.
To my fellow U.S. citizens, however you voted, I know you only want the best for your family, and for your country. And no matter what your political affiliation, you and I are still on the same team.
Go America.
Top ten most commonly spoken languages:
1. Mandarin
2. English
3. Hindustani
4. Spanish
5. Russian
6. Arabic
7. Bengali
8. Portuguese
9. Malay-Indonesian
10. French
This article has a breakdown by numbers. According to Wikipedia, there are still 900 Ottoman speakers left, but only 10 people in Russia still speak Ter Sami. Wonder what it sounds like, and what concept they have a word for that no one else does.
More about the Sami language and its dialects on You Tube.
Despite weeks of anxious keening whenever I tried to get near Hank with his elephant costume, it took Dad approximately ten minutes of coaxing to get our little guy suited up.
“How the hell did you do that?”
“I promised him chocolate.”
“Oh.”
So Hank would put his hat on to obtain candy, and then remove the hat once he’d procured it. After about the fifth house, he just left it on. Suckah!
Later that night, Bryan settled in while I figured out what to wear to Meg and Rahul’s annual Halloween bash. I ultimately went as Mia from Pulp Fiction, because I randomly had all the elements in my closet.
Please note the faux hypodermic needle sticking out of my chest.
I was going to bloody my face, but Bryan advised against it on the grounds that the “needle” would only last 20 minutes or so and then I’d just look like some confusing modern-day Cleopatra zombie.
Shockingly, the needle went the distance. Around 2 a.m. I had to steady myself against a bathroom stall at the Makeout Room while another drunk girl peeled it off my chest. It wasn’t nearly as hot as it sounds.
Mighty Girl 