Hec, can you still take sightseeing flights around San Francisco in a DC-3? I regret not doing that when I lived there.

Hopefully sans flaming ball of death outcome.

Yeah, they use helium now. And they wanted to use helium back in the 30s, but the US (the only source of helium) wouldn't sell any to the bad Nazis....

Oh, under AK law, Ted Stevens can't vote for himself, as he's a convicted felon.

Buy porn--it's for a good cause

There is also no guarantee that they won't find support. There are very many times when teens are convinced that their parents will not be supportive, and then are shocked and relieved to find that their parents are understanding.

Somewhat in response to this, and the whole rest of the conversation, I'd like to encourage anyone who has contact with a non-daughter teenager to let her know how much you can be there for her. (Or non-son, for that matter.) When I was in high school, my aunt explicitly told me that if there was ever anything I needed that I couldn't go to my parents about, I could go to her, and it was an amazing thing to hear. I never did have to do go her for anything, but it was a great thing to have in my back pocket.

For what it's worth.

Not related to abortion or voting or politics....remember a few months ago when I wrote about Noah and his HATE ON for kayaking? I finally got the pics developed. [link] so funny.

Appealing to shopping/google-fu: I'm looking for an attractive memo/message board for my kitchen. The French memo boards are nice but I'm not finding anything pretty that I like.

FUCKING SNOW IN MARYLAND NO.

What?! Is it snowing there? It's just more drizzly ick here. I think I'd prefer snow, so: trade ya!

I hate the gov-run lotteries, and feel the same about slots. I think there's a real difference between the state regulating/taxing gambling (or booze, or tobacco) and the state offering up franchises and saying, "Oh, this is a terrible, predatory gateway to crime and corruption... unless WE run it. Then it's a fabulous revenue stream!"

When I was in college we brought in the parents of a girl who'd died getting an illegal abortion to speak against parental consent laws. From what they'd pieced together after the fact it seemed pretty clear that she didn't tell them she was pregnant because she was embarrassed to admit to them that she'd had sex. They'd have helped her with whatever she wanted to do, but... I think we forget how terrifying mere "disappointment" is at that age. Even if the intent is good, it doesn't need to be an abusive situation for those laws to go horribly wrong.

Noah and his HATE ON for kayaking?

I love that his life jacket says "FUN" right across the chest.

The irony is what makes that photo perfect.

Can't say that I blame Noah--those flotation jackets can't be fun, no matter what they say.