My netbook is "Hardison" and my media server is "Mary Sue". Unfortunately, my Mac is stuck with deptname-staff-username; I'm sure I could come up with something more fannish if only they'd let me.

The only machine I've named was "The Beast," a 1980 dark brown AMC Spirit with 120,000 miles on it when I bought it.

My new (to me) laptop is Sam (after the Winchester) because it's fast and talented and smart and I'd like to pet it.

I decided after that the old one was named Alistair because it was demon-like.

And my MP3 has an embarrassing but totally suitable bandom name.

I was wondering why they'd bother calling you. They couldn't work out he was making stuff up? And if he was, does it really warrant a call home? He's just a kid!

My sister just emailed me about the silly Newsweek blog fuss about Zahara Jolie-Pitt's hair. Some completely intrusive, apparently black, woman has decided that the white folks aren't taking proper care of the black child's hair and needs to start an uproar about it. Child looks perfectly fine. As my mother would say, somebody airing their underpinnings outta door. How completely issue-laden is that woman?

Gotta prepare for a presentation to people I've never met over the phone. I hate not being able to visualise my audience. I risk being too strident when I don't have good feedback.

And my MP3 has an embarrassing but totally suitable bandom name.

iChemical Romance?

We just had a big wooha meeting last Friday, so that is why. They thought I had left out these huge life factors that would do a lot to explain behaviors.

wrt to Zahara - from the Eth adoptive parents list I am on, it is apparently not uncommon for the white parents to get comments from complete strangers about the state of their children's hair - good and bad.

I have no idea where this stuff comes from.

Owen and Olivia make up stories like this. It may very well be something for the therapist to handle but I do know that kids sometimes concoct wild-ass stories to explain their behavior or their feelings. My favorite was when Liv said all her food in her tummy turned into five babies. She even gasped and giggled and said her babies kicked.

As for Owen, he changes what he wants to be called ALL the time. Right now he's Alien Boy from Planet 51.

As my mother would say, somebody airing their underpinnings outta door. How completely issue-laden is that woman?

That woman doesn't have issues, she has subscriptions. My kids are only a pair, we don't travel or have the hectic schedules the Jolie-Pitts have and they often look a fright--messed hair, dirty clothes or faces. THEY ARE YOUNG KIDS. Kids tend to look a mess from time to time. Some folks need to MTOB.

Taking care of black folks' hair is a different thing from white folks, but I'm depressed at what so many people seem to want from a happy and healthy-looking four year old.

Kids tend to look a mess from time to time

Thing is, I haven't seen that picture yet, where she looks a mess. Or I'm missing something.

From what I'm understanding too, ita, is that a lot of the critics are basing their criticisms on the mother/daughter bonding rituals inherent in "fixing hair" prevalent within the African-American community. I think it was Ta-Nehisi Coates who made the point that the Jolie-Pitt kids, by dint of their nomadic global upbringing aren't exactly American, so folks have no business pinning any cultural expectations on those kids.

With the disclaimer that my black hair knowledge is at the "try to listen and not show your ass" level -- "child looks well taken care of" seems like a reasonable expectation no matter what the culture; whereas "all black girls should be getting hot-combed daily by age 3" seems like, how shall I put this, OMG crazy woman STFU with your issues.