Ugh Cash, I'm so sorry your family keeps putting you into this tough love position.

I can't recall where I was when I watched the Challenger explode for the first time (perhaps because it was aired so many times in the following weeks), but I have a very clear memory of the gut wrenching feeling of watching it blow up.

I watched the Challenger explosion with the actor who had played Peter Brady. For that extra layer of surreal.

Nothing so cruel as other humans...

And none so harsh a judge as yourself. You know, since the guy never knew.

I watched the WTC collapse with Ed Koch. That was trippy.

Some comic relief, courtesy of Attack of the Show : Darth Vader and Stormtroopers dance to "U Can't Touch This."

I need to make it clear that the Bank of Lisa is closed except in cases of dire emergency/life or death situations.

I think you do. Family and money are weird. My cousins on one side assumed that my immediate family must have borrowed heavily from our grandmother, simply because they did every chance they got. Then they assumed we must be rich because we said we hadn't borrowed money, which we aren't; we simply don't buy things we can't afford, tuck money into savings, and we all work steady jobs.

For some family members, the fact that you don't live beyond your means equals MAGIC RENEWABLE MONEY LENDING TREE.

Ple! Have you seen the most recent xkcd?

The alt text made me laugh myself sick.

Heh. On my mom's side of the family, I think at one point my mom and dad were literally making...10% or less of what my mom's sister and my uncle were making. Just a guess, but I could only be off in by how much MORE my aunt and uncle might've been making. Sure, the costs of living were very different, but...clearly there were some extreme lifestyle differences too.

There were some odd family tensions, needless to say. Especially when it then came to dealing with my grandmother.

Baby's asleep. He's reached the age where he realises there's fun to be had while awake, and protests mightily when we put him to bed. Thankfully, though, he settles quickly.

Anyway, since he's snoozing, I've been rummaging around news stories. Here are a couple worth noting: Scientists find 'world's oldest willy' [link] (It's an Australian team led by, and I kid you not, Dr John Long.)

Also, a (to me) heartwarming article about summer camps for children of atheists. [link]

I was a sophomore in high school when Challenger exploded. Remember watching the news in the school library.

Skipping (actually, I caught some virus and am coughing and fun stuff like that, so it's more like crawling, but the result is the same) to not-whine, but rather post that, according to the Buffista Calendar, today is juliana's birthday.

Happy birthday, juliana! With lots of wishes for a great day and a wonderful year!