I'm not the only one with an Internet celeb watching habit ....

OK, I was checking out PerezHilton.com today, something I don't do all that often (really -- I'm a much bigger fan of Defamer.com), and saw this:

We set a new traffic record yesterday.
On Wednesday, we had 3.97 million unique visitors come to PerezHilton.com in that 24 hour period!!
More folks came to our site yesterday than read People magazine in the entire week!!!!
We had originally set the goal of 4 million by the end of December, and we already reached that. This is so beyond insane.
6 million by December 31st???

It's amazing how far you get when you'll actually run Britney Spears upskirt shots. (Confidential to Ms. Spears -- PLEASE start wearing underwear!)

The boys made it snow!

Or so they think .... I worry that they will be in for disappointment down the road, if their weather-creating ability doesn't hold up. But for now, they believe that putting the tree up, and getting all Christmas-y on November's ass, makes the flakes start falling.

The snow started falling when they were in their bath last night, but we still let them outside to frolic briefly. They just put jackets and boots on over their PJs! And, of course, they had to bring Duplo Thomas and Duplo Percy out to join them. Whether it's sand, water, or snow, Eddie in particular feels the need to pile it on to Duplo Thomas.

OK, even I'm not this maniacal of a parent ... yet

This just in, from the Associated Press:

'CSI' parents swabbing kids for DNA
Testing kits provide samples in case child is kidnapped or injured

MILWAUKEE - Many parents across the country are swabbing the inside of their children’s mouths to get a DNA sample just in case they need it if the youngster is kidnapped, runs away or suffers a terrible accident.

((Just wait -- it's only a matter of time before they come into play when the kid grows up and is accused of a crime))

News reports about child abductions and television shows such as “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” are helping drive the interest in keeeping genetic records that could be used to identify remains, hair or blood.
“It’s the CSI mentality: that DNA is going to be the answer to any problem that comes up,” said Jerry Nance, supervisor of the forensic assistance unit of the nonprofit National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
...
The kits are distributed by private companies, police stations, orthodontists and others. Most cost from $5 to $60, Nance said, but some are provided for free.
...
Ed Smart said he wishes he would have known about the DNA kits before his daughter Elizabeth was kidnapped from her Utah bedroom in June 2002. She was found alive nine months later. He said investigators took boxes of her belongings to find her DNA and did not get a sample back for weeks. Having the sample ready could have narrowed down suspects faster.
“It is kind of like an insurance policy you hope you never use,” he said.

The whole story is here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15922270/

And, of course, we had to put the tree up.

So, we have a mostly decorated house. And a tree glowing in the corner. And too many ornaments to fit. The boys were adorable, and then, by the end of it, so excited that they gave me a headache. They get the high, I get the hangover.

Actually, it's not bad as hangovers go. The house really does look great. The only problem now is that Eddie keeps trying to act like Christmas is tomorrow. He knows it isn't, I'm convinced, yet I also think that part of him believes that if it snows tonight or something, he'll have presents waiting for him.

I think it's going to be a long December.

It's two whole days after Thanksgiving -- time to decorate for Christmas!!!!

OK, so the original plan for today was to see a movie. Probably Happy Feet, though I was lobbying for Flushed Away. Yes, I hate the damn penguins. And I don't care who knows it.

Anyway, we were on track for the movie, with time to stop at the crafts store (clarification: Cheryl wanted to stop at the craft store, and I wanted to be supportive spouse who appreciates the end result, but not so much the process). The whole end result vs. process thing kinda explains how I am about Christmas decorating. I don't mind that Cheryl has enough Christmas stuff to fill our house. But I get sort of rubbery at the thought of putting it all up -- not to mention the thousands of ornaments. OK, maybe hundreds.

Now, however, Cheryl has two VERY willing accomplices. Eddie and Chas decided that they would rather stay home and decorate than go to a movie. So here we are. Three of us are VERY excited, to the point of running around the house, singing and literally jumping for joy. One of us is excited, but in a moderate way that cannot possibly compare to the mania of the rest.

DRM is not an abbreviation for drum

Before I started working in the realm of digital media (I don't count a newspaper Web site), I'm not sure I would even have noticed this tidbit on "DRM" from Newsweek via Boing Boing. It should also be noted that before I stared working in the realm of digital media, I did not read Boing Boing. And if you don't know what Boing Boing is, then you're really not ready for the concept of DRM, and you should continue to consider entertainment items you buy to be, you know, yours.

Anyway, here is the tidbit:

Now, an increasingly vocal grassroots resistance to DRM is cropping up. An anti-DRM campaign called “Defective by Design,” which is organized by the Free Software Foundation, has 15,000 registered members; the Electronic Frontier Foundation argues that DRM places limits on “your ability to make lawful use of the music you purchase.” Web sites like stopdrmnow.org and digitalfreedom.org have been launched “to protect individuals’ right to use new digital technologies” and urge boycotts on DRM-tagged content. David Berlind, executive editor of tech trade journal ZDNet, coined his own term for DRM: “Content Restriction, Annulment and Protection.” (Figure out the acronym).

DRM is going to be more of a thing. No matter how you feel about it (and I don't necessarily think it's evil), you should pay attention.

I enjoy the box opening process but not THIS much ....

I'll admit it ... I get a certain level of pleasure out of opening up my gadgets. I often save the boxes. But now that I look at engadget on a regular basis, I see many of these .....

http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/10/wii-hands-on-unboxing/

It's cute! Do they go to these lengths to document the undressing of a lover?

Awwwww .... a penguin with two daddies. What could be bad about that?

So, there's a book about a couple of penguins -- male penguins -- who essentially "adopt" a baby (penguin). Sounds sweet! I want to get one.

And, of course, it's controversial. From MSNBC:

SHILOH, Ill. - A picture book about two male penguins raising a baby penguin is getting a chilly reception among some parents who worry about the book’s availability to children — and the reluctance of school administrators to restrict access to it.
The concerns are the latest involving “And Tango Makes Three,” the illustrated children’s book based on a true story of two male penguins in New York City’s Central Park Zoo that adopted a fertilized egg and raised the chick as their own.
Complaining about the book’s homosexual undertones, some parents of Shiloh Elementary School students believe the book — available to be checked out of the school’s library in this 11,000-resident town 20 miles east of St. Louis — tackles topics their children aren’t ready to handle.

Here are more details: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15764474/

For Better or For Worse not forever????

OK, so until about six years ago, I was an avid comic page reader. I had fully bonded with the comics as provided by the Tacoma News Tribune, the newspaper I used to work for. Those comics were in color, and included all my favorites, especially For Better or For Worse.

FBoFW tells a family's story, with characters that "age" and seem to live real -- albeit wrapped up in a few panels -- lives. Family dynamics. Love. Loss. Sickness. Health. And a lot of fun. When I started working for the Seattle P-I, I quit reading the comics. They weren't in color anymore, and a lot of my faves were in the competing paper.

But I did keep reading FBoFW ... via the Internet (http://fbofw.com/). Creator Lynn Johnston has her own Web site, where I can gorge myself on the comic. But it's not a daily habit, or even necessarily a weekly habit, so I always end up devouring months worth at a time. In fact, I'm due, which is the second thing I thought after reading this:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4326967/

Johnston's been dropping hints for years that she'll end the strip soon, and now there's a report that the clock has started ticking: As of the fall of 2007, the Patterson family will stop aging.
This article in the Grand Rapids Press is not quite clear as to whether the strip will end, go on hiatus, or what. Sounds to me like the strip will end at least for a while, possibly to return in some format -- I'm just guessing here, but maybe via occasional Web updates, or a TV show or a Sunday-only strip? (nooo! Learn from "Outland" and "Opus"!)? In any case, the characters will freeze in time as of next fall.
There've been rumors aplenty that the final strip will be a wedding, and its last words will be the title of the strip (probably spoken by Patterson daughter Liz, since Michael is already married and April is too young).

OK, I just checked. I haven't read FBoFW since December! I have almost a year's worth to catch up with, which is both exciting and daunting. ...

LATE ADD: OK, for a minute I thought I was crazy .... the comic characters blinked. And their thought bubbles moved. But I'm not crazy! They're just subtly animated. Very cool.

So I bet I'm at least a pound lighter ....

Is it wrong to give blood to lose weight? Probably. But what else is going to get me to do something like that? Sheer do-gooderness? Ha!

Pulpits and parties ....

So, my girl is a preacher's kid. And this weekend, for the second time, she preached at our church. And did a fabulous job.

The funny thing is, I don't think that she realized how natural she looked, both up in the preacher place and even while writing her words. She says I'm the speaker of the family, and it's true, I'm a natural at running my mouth, but she's the preacher. I actually get a little frozen up when it comes to God stuff. Like, I feel as though the Creator of all can see through the crap. Of course, the Creator of all gave me the ability to let fly. ...

Anyway, I know Cheryl will read this, and maybe seeing it in writing will cause her to believe me: She's a great preacher. I laughed. I learned something. (Cheryl called the Book of Ruth as "Desperate Housewives, the early years" and explained how feet is a Biblical metaphor for the male member. So when Ruth lays herself at Boaz's feet, well .... it takes on a meaning I'd never considered before.)

It was a sermon called "Family Values." She said that was 'cause Heather (her niece, and the church administrator) wouldn't let her call it "This Space For Rent" or "Coffee Hour Will Start Early Today, Like Now." My favorite thing was how she pointed out the irony of many straight couples using the "Whither thou goest I will go ...." thing from Ruth in their weddings since it described the lifetime bond of two women.

At our lefty liberal church, it was preaching to the choir. Kind of like what the Dixie Chicks did the night before. I expected at least a smattering of boos, like when lead singer Natalie "We're ashamed Bush is from Texas" Maines said things like "Did you hear they found Osama Bin Laden today? Yeah, me neither. Of course, you have to look before you can find something." There was a significant police presence at the event, and threats were apparently made on the group. Geez. It sure wasn't like that when we went to our last show at the Tacoma Dome (of course, that was The Wiggles).

Lights and sirens aside, can I also just say how odd it is to be political? I've still got a little of the "no cheering in the press box" feeling (I was a journalist for a long time, after all ....) but I've enjoyed becoming a part of the process. OK, for me, becoming part of the process is putting a "Had enough? Vote Democratic" sticker on my car and watching the kids while Cheryl canvasses for the D's. It's a start. I'll follow my preacher girl anywhere.

Yup, that's my girl preaching! (And she did a great job)

Our view of the stage -- pretty good for $40 each

Cheryl and I at the Dixie Chicks show!

OK, a little more politics

So I don't feel all gloaty about the fact that the D's have apparently prevailed today. I guess it's because I'm afraid that they won't be able to get their act together and really make a difference. But I'm trying not to get all cynical.

Just for kicks, check this out. It's really interesting to see what words emerge as you move back and forth in time ("economic" is a mainstay, "Communist" rises in the '50s):

http://chir.ag/phernalia/preztags/

Am I getting older? Smarter? More paranoid? I'm not sure, but this item from Boing Boing really bothers me. And I LOVE London:

UK is a surveillance society

Cory Doctorow: The UK information commissioner called Britain a surveillance society, where "dataveillance" of buying habits is combined with cameras and other surveillance methods to track practically every movement of Britons.
I saw this first hand, as when the London Underground phased out almost all forms of paper tickets in favor of the inherently less private RFID-based Oyster card (the only paper tickets remaining were single-rideday tickets, and the LU doubled the price of those). Even the banks get in on the act -- Citibank UK sent me a "mandatory questionnaire" that demanded that I disclose every source of income I have or might have or had, all property I owned all over the world, whom I loaned mney to and why, and so on -- they claimed that this was to comply with British terrorism rules. When I confronted them on this, they backed down and said it was an optional mandatory questionnaire.
Not only are cameras all over Britain -- especially London -- but many indoor spaces have rules that say you aren't allowed to shield yourself from their gaze, prohibiting motorcycle helmets and even hooded sweatshirts. The hoodie has become a symbol of surveillance-dodging hooligans -- a favorite (ab)use of the expansive, extra-judicial "anti-social behaviour orders" (ASBOs) is to order kids to stop wearing camera-foiling hooded jumpers.
The report's co-writer Dr David Murakami-Wood told BBC News that, compared to other industrialised Western states, the UK was "the most surveilled country".
"We have more CCTV cameras and we have looser laws on privacy and data protection," he said.
"We really do have a society which is premised both on state secrecy and the state not giving up its supposed right to keep information under control while, at the same time, wanting to know as much as it can about us." Link

Now I understand how Lady Soveriegn (the Brit, female Eminem) could write a song about hoodies and have it be controversial. There's an interview with the 20-year-old was in the latest Rolling Stone (the one with Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert on the cover) and it's a hoot the way she gripes about how the grandmas in their rain hats get away with murder. I guess The Man is afraid to put his boot on granny's neck.

You don't even want to know about balanitis.

So let me paint a picture for you ... two moms taking their son to the pediatrician on a Sunday. He's in pain. They're worried. And rarely have they felt their "two-mom-ness" more. This is because something is wrong with their son's boy parts. To be precise, his uncircumcised wanker looks like it tried to swallow a ping-pong ball. Yes, things are not well south of the border, and the potential for guilt is tremendous. I mean, it's not exactly an area of expertise for Cheryl and I. Though I think I feel the most inadequate, as I am the partner responsible for the "husbandly" arts of roof maintenance, garbage removal, bug elimination and the watching of football on the weekends.

The funny thing is that the men we talk to are barely more knowledgeable about the problem than we are. The male pediatrician struggles to remember the name of the condition: balanitis. It's an infection of the foreskin and/or head of the penis. Suddenly it makes sense that a day earlier Chas was talking about a bug in his boyhood.

Anyway, it's been willy/dingle/peepee central around our house since Sunday. Chas has to take medicine by mouth, and have an ointment applied to the afflicted area. "Is the swelling going down?" (Yes.) "Is it still purple." (No. And yes, it did look freakin' purple!!!!) "Will we still have grandchildren?" (No reason to think otherwise. However, if they have balanitis, I'm not sure I want to know about it.)

It makes me feel more politically aware than voyeuristic ...

Check this out:

http://www.newsmeat.com/celebrity_political_donations/

You can get info about celebs and feel like you're doing other than killing brain cells ... you know, it's important political stuff.

The 100% blue crew includes: Ben "I'm gonna be a senator someday" Affleck, "Buffy" and "Firefly" creator Joss Whedon and Reese Witherspoon.

Author Patricia Cornwell, however, is something of a disappointment: Yes, she gave a couple thousand bucks to Friends of Hillary, but she gave well over $100K to the RNC!!!

Don't forget to vote!

Wait a minute ... no Rene Russo?

From MSNBC/Jeannette Walls:

Pierce Brosnan confirms that he’s working on a sequel to the 1999 flick “The Thomas Crown Affair.” “Yes we’re going to have a crack at that and it’s a mighty challenge,” Brosnan told DarkHorizons.com. “It was a challenge the first time and it’s even greater now, so we should be getting the script for that in the next few months.” It will be based on the book “Topkapi,” which was a 1964 film starring Peter Ustinov.

But wait a minute ....

“This version of ‘Topkapi’ will have a different part, different woman, and different affair,” he says. “The guy is a little bit more seasoned and we’re using wonderful locations this time.”

OK, so the guy is more seasoned ... but let me bet that the woman is younger than Rene Russo.

Carrie Fisher: CrazyCool

This interview with Carrie Fisher is a delight, for this picture alone. Ny favorite exchange came on page 2, along with her list of meds.

I would be remiss if I didn't ask how you ended up in Star Wars.
I slept with some nerd. I hope it was George.
You weren't sure?
No … I took too many drugs to remember.

But here's where to see it all (you can skip the stuff about the dead Republican in her bed, it's not as interesting as it sounds):

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2006/11/wayne_carriefisher200611