Thanks, everyone. Crazy fact- I just found out that he is in Hawaii right now. Going back in a week. Even though he has no money for child support.

I hope someone records him trying to explain THAT to the family court judge if it goes to trial.

In other news, I bought a humongous pancake and some sausage from the recently re-opened Presley's Drive In. New ownership, but same nummy breakfast food.

Breakfast sounds amazing.

I have to give a presentation today which means I should get my ass off the couch, shower, get breakfast and vamoose. Yet, not feeling it. I fear I'll do a shitty job.

Matilda doesn't know anything about it either, for which I'm very grateful.

On one of the comment threads on the Atlantic, someone was talking about how clearly the most effective solution to these horrible events is to seriously rethink our approach to... school design. And that it would probably be really helpful, and the best thing for our children, to look to prison design as a model.

This was suggested in the most matter-of-fact, here's-the-obvious-answer way imaginable. Because barricading our kids for 12-year stints inside imitation penal institutions is a perfectly rational act and something no reasonable person could ever object to. After all, what other solution could possibly exist?

In its way, that may have been the bleakest thing I've read yet.

On the slipper front, I am obsessed with mine, but wonder if the fact that it's animal would make them more chewable? (Also they were a gift and I also hope they were on sale -- but honestly, I've worn them most days for years now.)

JZ, but that is entirely not new thinking. If you read Jeremy Benthem's Panopticon it talks precisely about that. Not necessarily prison design in the way you are envisioning, but a sense of constantly being watched.

My school actually looks like a prison and is one of the safest I've ever worked at. There is only one entrance in. It definitely feels secure.

My elementary school looked like a prison, but that was just the lack of windows. It was designed for a high-tech HVAC system that they then couldn't put in, so we had little windows that didn't open AND no air-conditioning. It's been rebuilt since.

Also, thanks Liese and Aims for submitting Good Stuff! I'm trying to decide if I should put them up all weekend, or spread them out more.

Timelies all!

Tonight we go to see the latest incarnation of the Four Bitchin' Babes at the Birchmere.

I have a loooong list of errands to do, and no up and at 'em at all. One more half-hour and then I'll go.

For the first time in a long while, there's nothing that I need to do today. It feels weird. So now I can decide whether I want to read a book or play Epic Mickey or work on a Lego robot or play the piano or watch a movie, and it just feels strange to be able to decide what I want to do, rather than what needs to be done first.