Should I mention that I'm now considering buying a purple plastic bouncey ball from the toy section of Target to use as a footrest at my desk?

Awesome! I'd steal the idea, but I've found that with the big red bouncy ball chair, feet on the ground is desperately important.

The people who had to remove their designer chairs with "razor-sharp edges" when they had a kid... what about before they had kids, when regular old klutzy people like me came to visit?

Ahahahahaha. People like me would commit accidental suicide on those chairs.

Jessica, the clear DVD guards here worked very well for us at first. They keep the buttons and stuff out of reach of little ones until they figure out how to get past them. We used them for our DVR and DVD player.

Good luck with the mobility. Remember, soon he will be faster than you--and better rested. The object of babyproofing isn't so much stopping them as slowing them down until you can prevent tragedy.

I hate the NYTimes's "lifestyle" articles.

One of the most tedious things I ever saw in that section was a photo spread of Lee Radzwill's OLD fifty room Park Avenue apartment and Lee Radzwill's NEW fifty room Park Avenue apartment, the purpose of which was an indepth analysis of what objects d'art and antiques she had included in the new residence and precisely how.

Crazy Polish roommate was kvelling over the thing.

I was all, "So she moved and... took her stuff?"

Jessica - love the crawling baby video.

Just got my google alert for Dekalb - all shooting news. (Usually it's small with a local sports update or something to do with local government.)

They've released the names of the five victims:

Daniel Parmenter, age 20, last of Westchester, Ill.
Catalina Garcia, age 20, last of Cicero, Ill.
Ryanne Mace, age 19, last of Carpentersville, Ill.
Julianna Gehant (pronounced Ghee-hant), age 32, last of Mendota, Ill.
Gayle Dubowski, age 20, last of Carol Stream, Ill.

And the shooter was a former grad student who had transferred to U of I but who wasn't considered a red flag but he had apparently been on meds then gone off meds and started to behave erratically.

Oh gawd - this is so infuriating I'm not even sure I should post it....

Saudi Arabia is one screwed up, vile little backwater of a barbarous craphole. You have to read the case of Fawza Falih.

She has been condemned to death. By beheading.

She has been beaten to the point of hospitalization during her incarceration.

The authorities have a signed confession, which she has not had read to her.

She didn't read what she signed, either, because she's illiterate.

She and her representatives were not allowed to attend much of the trial.

And the crime for which she is to be executed? Witchcraft. She is accused of casting a spell that caused a man to become impotent, and threatening to cause people to be possessed by dogs.

[link]

I feel ill....

I'm still not awake, but now I'm starving. At least I seem to be craving a burrito rather than brains.

prime fine-furniture-buying years

So... it's not a good thing that I've got a rubbermaid bin with a blanket on top of it currently serving as my coffee table?

I'm still not awake, but now I'm starving. At least I seem to be craving a burrito rather than brains.

The instructions for my frozen dinner started with "Remove from plastic bag and place wax paper over tray."

Yes, I'll just reach into my OFFICE DESK and get that roll of wax paper I've been saving for a rainy day.

The instructions for my frozen dinner started with "Remove from plastic bag and place wax paper over tray."

I don't know how anyone at any point could think that would be a good idea. I thought the point of frozen dinners was convenience.