The Big Think

“For the rest of the semester, a Rutherford County elementary student has to eat lunch at the “silent table” for allegedly waving around a slice of pizza some say resembled a gun…He’s being punished because “some students reported he was making some threatening hand gestures, that he was shooting other kids at the table and they reported it to a teacher…I realize some might say we are going overboard but the principal is just trying to use an abundance of caution and send the message that we don’t play about guns and it’s not something we joke around about,” he said.

To that, Taylor said her son knows he shouldn’t play with guns.

“We don’t have a gun in the house,” she said. “He plays with light sabers. He’s a big Star Wars fan.”

link

But aren’t un-eaten slices vaguely knife-shaped? I mean, he was only making the pizza safer.

And wait… it’s bad to shoot someone, but gutting them is okay? Well, I’m glad that’s cleared up!

via Erin’s FB page (too good not to share here):

Well, that’s a new one..I just spent 7 minutes or so on the phone (hearing a consistent beeping in the background) with a mom, trying to schedule her daughter for Music for little Mozarts, and halfway through the conversation she said “well, frankly, I’m in the middle of a colonoscopy right now and just don’t know what time to tell you that might work”…me: “Are you a doctor?” her “Yes, I’m a doctor, and our schedule is just crazy”…ummmmm….why don’t we talk about this later?

A certain neurologist friend of our will appreciate this.

“Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

I’m now 1/3rd of the way toward saving for a Thing-O-Matic! ($400 saved, approx $800 to go). Goal is Christmas of 2012 or maybe slightly after since I’m shooting for the next big revision.

This is exciting stuff, and good proof that technology marches on and addresses perceived risk. Remember this the next time the media tries to scare you with Chernobyl stories. I thought the first comment was particularly insightful.

Argh. One of those days where entropy wins:

1. Erin’s hard drive went blooey and I’m reinstalling everything (long story).
2. Fishtank pump exhibiting strange behavior and nobody knows why or how to fix.
3. Tracking down obscure comment login problem with the blog.
4. Running around putting out small fires before they become big fires.
5. Trying to get actual scheduled work done (failing so far). Oh well, at least the day is young.

It doesn’t look like much, but when several tangled problems surface all at once it can really overwhelm you mental processors.

If you have twenty minutes, I’d like to make your day. Go shut the door, put on headphones, close your eyes, and listen to this. Don’t read what it’s about or any of the comments- just listen.

“No man’s time is another’s to waste”

The view from my office window. The workers have arrived to give us a snazzy new roof.

It sounds for all the world like they’re going to come crashing through the ceiling. I might just play hooky today and get away from the racket.

The idea of the asymmetrical gift. I like it.

How to insult Harry Potter, Star Wars, and LOTR fans simultaneously.

via

“If your criticism isn’t true your praise means nothing.”
Lileks again. Darn the man for being so quotable.

Car Lust: Our Cars–Tyler’s Pontiac Fiero

Google had a beautiful graphic up yesterday commemorating the 160th birthday of Robert Louis Stevenson. In case you missed it, here it is:

“So what if the best of our wages be,

An empty sleeve, a stiff bent knee,

A crutch for the rest of life, who cares?

As long as the old flag waves and dares.”

lest we forget. Thank you to American Veterans.