Screw the real site with it's ads and bad music. I found a mirror of the original Hamster Dance with the original music. I'm whacking the site now so I'll always have it to remember :)  10:59:31 PM    

Jack is picking up a new word every day or so, on average. When he gets a word, he uses it constantly as if he is practicing using it in every possible context to test out its limits.

The word the last two days is "bees" (but pronouced with a short, long "e" as if a frenchman was saying it "biss"... or like "beast" without the ending "t"). Anyway, that's the word for all insects, regardless of whether or not they are actual bees.

The other day, he saw a spider on the floor and ran to me scared saying "bees! bees!" I showed Jack how I helped the spider outside. He loves anthills. He shouts "bees!" and it's all we can do to keep him from putting his hand down to let them all climb up onto it.

Today, I baked him some chocolate chip cookies. (Gods bless Pillsbury ready-bake). When the cookie was warm, he just dug his finger into a melted chip and dug out the chocolate and ate it that way. When that was done, he sat and licked the cookie until it was quite gross. When I gave him a cold cookie at dinner he just looked at it and started saying "bees!" It was all I could do to convince him that the chips were not some kind of bug.

In the end, I ate the cookie. The price I pay sometimes, I swear.  9:50:16 PM    

The Elderly Man and the Sea? Test Sanitizes Literary Texts. This article is a deep disturbing story and, I feel, a must read. What the State of New York is doing is a travesty. When I was 12 I was reading such books. And these tests are designed for graduating high school seniors? What on Earth does New York think of 18 year old minds in the state?

Political Correctness is a cancer and it must be stopped. It is certainly true that many people use language and action to oppress other people but this type of insipid, insulting, demeaning and patronizing behavior is worse than any crime political correctness intended to prevent.  5:08:19 PM    

Mildred Wirt Benson, Author of Nancy Drew Mysteries, Dies at 96. What an interesting woman she was!  4:56:18 PM    

Tommy Smothers. "Red meat is NOT bad for you. Now blue-green meat, THAT'S bad for you!" [Quotes of the Day]  3:19:58 PM    

Peggy Rathmann - Official Home Page. She's a wonderful author of great kids books. Two of Jack's favorite books (10 Minutes to Bedtime and Goodnight Gorilla) are hers. While you're at it, check out Hamster Tours.  9:27:06 AM