OH WOW COOL!

You have *got* to read this article on colors and bubbles and The Triumph of the Human Spirit. Thanks to theferrett.

( Read more... )

Yesterday's haiku (oops!)

Bubbles in the air
Running, chasing, laughing - POP!
Least my hands are clean

Freemeet's coming!

Might dump some of my stuff there....

There was a little girl, with a little curl...

Right in the middle of her forehead.
And when she was good, she was very very good.
But when she was bad, she was horrid.

Yes, that girl is Ana.

Even though I managed to cut our travel time to the museum in half, we still got there an hour late for the toddler program because Ana kept throwing tantrums. I had half a mind not to go at all!

And yet, intermittantly, she'd stop a tantrum to do something *really* adorable. Like reading to her sister (complete with turning the book around to show pictures, pointing at stuff to describe it, and singing "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean"). Or, while we were putting on her scarf, and noticing it didn't fit inside the jacket so the ends had to go kinda around her stomach, crying out "Put-a doll! Put doll in scarf, please!" because, of course, her parents carry the baby around in a sheet that same way.

She was much better at the museum. Naturally.

We stayed a while and played with her friend Meghan for a bit. And then it was time to leave. Having two around is a bit easier - first you say "Look, Ana, Meghan's leaving, let's go with her!" and then you go "Look, Meghan, Ana's leaving, don't you want to come with us?" and you just keep that up all the way out the door.

They'd paused before putting their jackets on in order to get some water (which Meghan's mom and I put a stop to as they started to play with the water). And after Meghan's mother was holding the elevator, and Ana was ready to go in, Meghan went back for more water. Uh-oh...

So I run after her, because Ana's right in sight of Catherine, and I try to get Meghan to go back to her mom. And then, the flash of inspiration. Just like I would with Ana, I hold out my hand and go "Meghan? I'm very scared. Can you help me?"

Worked like a charm. Worked so well that I made a point of telling her mom what I'd done, because this is an impressive feat that it works not just with one tired, hungry toddler, but with two of them. I didn't know if it'd work on her! And now I'm telling all of you, in case it should ever come in handy.

And one last thing. I know I often ask for things jokingly. This time I'm serious - Ana *does not* have enough warm clothes, and Jenn *does not* have enough money to buy new (or even used) - she barely has enough to pay her bills. I'm asking quite seriously, if anybody has any sweatshirts or sweaters or heavy flannel tops in sizes 12m - 2T (or even larger, we can make do), or if they have any jeans, overalls, corduroy, sweatpants in sizes 18M - 2T, we'd be very much obliged. Her heavy jacket for this year not only doesn't fit properly (and it was bought to fit a 4-year-old, so that makes no sense) but the zipper is already broken - luckily, she still has her nice winter coat from last year, which fits fine, but it's still... *sighs* Honestly, I never intend for my "oh, I want this, and this, and this!" posts to be in any way taken seriously, that'd get real obnoxious real fast, but this time... She's drowning in clothes, but they're not warm enough for anything, and it's not like we can just walk out the door and into the car, we spend a lot of time waiting for the bus, or going to the outdoor playground. I didn't realize how bad the situation was because it's been so *warm* up until recently!

Edit: Love you all, seriously - don't go *too* overboard if it's not used, though - I have fears of drowning in warm clothes!

If you need contact information, there's a link on my user info. You *have to* comment there for me to add you. I won't tell you if I've added you unless you request it, because I'm lazy that way.

Did you all read the bubble article yet?

You'd better have. *glares*

Today's haiku:

Running from the cold
Slamming doors, grabbing mittens
Breathing out mistclouds


Damn, it is *cold* here. And no heat. Don't ask, don't commiserate, just move along now.

Time for me to make an unpopular stand...

Or not.

First of all, I love how "I want proof that they're so mentally ill that they need to be involuntarily committed past the time that the law said they should serve (but not so ill that they couldn't go to prison like normal people)" turns into "Being a sex offender isn't wrong in any way". Let's read what's actually written.

Secondly, am I the only one who doesn't want the government saying via fiat that if I go to jail for something (and there are such things as wrongful convictions!) I can be kept there indefinitely, even past my sentence? Oh, sure, now it's "those damn sex offenders", but that's... that's just a *really* bad precedent. By which I mean bad. I don't care if we're talking about notorious mass murderers, I don't want that precedent being set. (Not that it hasn't already been...)

And, of course, I agree with the judge in general. If somebody is that ill that they're a constant threat to others (and it's not being mentally ill that merits, in any view, being committed, it's being a danger to everyone else), you need to *prove* it. One conviction isn't proof, no matter what the conviction is for - or if it is, then they need to be committed outright, not chucked into prison first.

Edit: Well, I just called that ditz of a girl an idiot. I feel better now.

Oh, all this whining about money has reminded me...

Does anybody want that Wireless Laser Remote Control thingy I posted about ages ago? This thingy? I'm willing to sell it for... well, for less than the normal price of $70. And shipping.

*checks amazon*

Their price is $40. If you want it, tell me what you're willing to pay, I'm hardly picky as I got it free, and help me figure out the shipping. Otherwise, now that I've remembered, it *is* going up on Freecycle, where I wouldn't have to mail it out.

For the convenience of those who want this information...

( This is the sort of clothing the family likes, NOT that that matters )

For everyone - if you're helping, I thank you deeply. This is... I saw how crowded her drawers were, not how few of those clothes had long sleeves, or how light the fabric was. I think Jenn and 'dul had the same reaction.

If you're not, I thank you *anyway* for being a friend, and would like to point out more clearly than I usually do that every time I ask for things, most of the time I'm not serious. Oh, sure, I want all those millions of books, I really want all those toys - but I don't care enough to, y'know, want them. That's why I usually say "donate to charity, we don't need" at the end, because (usually) we don't need, charity is better. This is almost certainly a one-time situation, the remaining beg-posts will, almost indubitably, be Not-to-be-Taken-Seriously (unless you want to, but you really shouldn't).

I don't usually tack that disclaimer up, and I really ought to. God knows I'm whiney enough without being more clear.

(Oh, and that reference? Only for those who have offered to purchase clothing. If you have used clothes to send, that's better, that doesn't cost you anything except shipping. Nobody's fussing right now.)

Those are just links to mostly affordable clothes that are warm-looking/seeming.

The Plan:

Clothing swapping comms on LJ appear to mostly be defunct - unless I'm missing one?

So instead, I'm going to freemeet tomorrow, followed by stalking stores of cheap and used clothing. Yeah. This'll work.

I better find stuff to bring to Freemeet. Anybody wanna meet up?