Justice is ticking me off

Forty minutes into Fox's new legal show "Justice," and both my husband and I are yelling, "OBJECTION!" over and over again at the television. First, the defense attorney is testifying instead of asking her expert questions. She blathers on about the victim's injuries, and then adds, "... right?" She does this repeatedly. Ugh.

Just when we were beginning to roll our eyes at that, the prosecutor implies that he is introducing the murder weapon, previously undisclosed to the defense. Without putting a question before the expert, he starts testifying and repeatedly banging the murder weapon (a golf club) down on the table. Did the defense team object at all? No! I don't know if I can watch this show again. I don't watch "Law & Order" anymore (don't think I've watched since Angie Harmon first came on the show) but at least they got a lot of the courtroom stuff right.

Kids and freedom

Too tired to blog, but I enjoyed this article in today's Post. It's about parents who are not "helicopter parents" in that they let their kids roam around the neighborhood rather than shuttling them to every activity.

Best stat in the article: According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, only "115 of 260,000 child kidnappings a year nationwide fit the classic scenario most parents fear: children snatched by strangers. Most kidnappings are done by family members or by people the children know." So the fear of "stranger danger" that's keeping kids constantly under mom & dad's watchful eye is, statistically speaking, irrational.

I'm not saying I'm going to start sending my toddler to the corner store all by himself to pick up some milk. But when I look down the road, I hope I will still feel confident in sending him to the playground or the store when he's older. I have fond memories of walking to the 7-11 with the other neighborhood girls when we were as young as 7 and 8 years old. I really want my kids to experience that feeling of independence and freedom.

Wow.

The FDA has approved the over-the-counter sale of Plan B.

Pluto is no longer a planet.

My head is swimming, and it's not even lunchtime.

Angry Boy at the beach

Those swim trunks are a bit big for him (there were some plumber's crack issues while he was sitting in the sand and digging holes), but hopefully he can wear them next year, too.

Other people's quotes

Still bogged down in my sports depression, I've decided to do that quote meme everyone's doing (seen most recently at Scrivener's):

You're supposed to go here and look through random quotes until you find 5 that you think reflect who you are or what you believe. Here are my five:

1. The power to bring me out of solitude - or to push me back into it - had never belonged to another person. It was mine and only mine.
   -Martha Beck, O Magazine, February 2003


2. Let thy speech be short, comprehending much in a few words.
   -Aprocrypha


3. Intellectually, I know that America is no better than any other country; emotionally I know she is better than every other country.
   -Sinclair Lewis (1885 - 1951)*


4. Male and female represent the two sides of the great radical dualism. But in fact they are perpetually passing into one another. Fluid hardens to solid, solid rushes to fluid. There is no wholly masculine man, no purely feminine woman.
   -Margaret Fuller (1810 - 1850)


5. Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie.
   -William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)

* Yes, I still feel this way, despite the current administration's attempt to make me feel otherwise.

Sinking into a sports depression

My teams, they sure do suck.

A movie I wouldn't mind paying $10 to see

Laughing my ass off at this, which I found through Advice At Your Own Risk.

Best boardwalk/arcade game ever?

My vote: skee-ball, not just because of the skill involved (which is why it's better than video poker), but because of the horrible, cheezy, cheap-ass prizes you can accumulate after playing.

Discuss.

Huh?

How come AB has no problem with me cutting his fingernails or toenails (in fact, he likes to watch me work as he holds out each finger), but he freaks the hell out when I cut his hair with either clippers or scissors?! The boy makes no sense. I was the complete opposite as a kid: hated when my mom cut my fingernails, but didn't mind having my hair cut at all.

No blood was drawn during tonight's haircut, though you would've thought I'd butchered him from all the screams and shuddering.

Bath time boogie

Continuing in his role as Best. Daddy. Ever., NSAH was giving AB a bath tonight and was taking requests. Two of the requested songs, which he sang with gusto:

• Guster's "Amsterdam" (which sounded like "Hamster Dan!" as AB yelled his request from the tub); and


• the Dandy Warhols' "I Like You."

Then, as a finale, NSAH sang the theme song from "The Koala Brothers". I had a blast listening to them, and was slightly jealous that, due to my embiggened state, I can no longer administer AB's baths (too much crouching on the hard floor).

Edited to add: Hey, HalloweenLover, hope you have fun in Hamster Dan.

My boy, the health nut

In his continuing efforts to prove that he is indeed smarter than both his mommy and his daddy, AB has adopted a healthful diet. His favorite food: vegetables (unless there are some fresh berries lying around). He loves broccoli and green beans, and will even eat veggies that neither NSAH nor I care for very much, like zucchini and squash. (I do try to set a good example when we're eating out, and will eat those two veggies if they come mixed in a side dish.)

He also--for some reason unknown to us--does not like cheese. Whereas I could eat cheese melted over anything, the only cheese he likes is grated parmesan liberally shaken over his pasta with red sauce. He does get his dairy, though. He loves to drink milk, and will share my yogurt on occasion.

Tonight, NSAH and I ordered pizza. AB does not like pizza. Instead of trying to force him to eat something unhealthful that he does not like, I made an exception to my "Everyone eats the same thing at dinnertime" rule. I offered to make him something else. His final choice, which he helped me make: a single slice of smoked turkey, fresh spinach, shredded carrots and hummus on a whole wheat wrap. Little showoff.

My triumph at the grocery store

Regular price of 3 fancy-but-disposable razors: $8.99

Sale price this evening of said razors: $4.99

Amount of coupon I had for said razors: $3.00 off

Savings (if I'm doing the math right - always questionable): $2.33 per razor