Genealogy research has led me to connections with distant cousins that I never knew existed. Yes, I know that many purists consider genealogy to be the study of (primarily dead) ancestors but I rapidly hit dead-ends in that realm since I am of Jewish, eastern European and Russian descent. Between the pogroms and the Nazis, […]
Teenage Pregnancy, Politics, and Common Sense
Am I the only one baffled by the notion that a pregnant teenager is somehow a worthy part of a presidential political campaign? The last time I thought about teenage pregnancy (which is depressingly often, since I have two teenage sons), I considered a pregnancy to be an “Oh shit” moment which would have to […]
In Memory of Marjory Serby Robertson
My mother, Marjorie Serby Robertson, passed away last week. I found this poem which beautifully sums up her life. Old Song Do not seek too much fame, but do not seek obscurity. Be proud. But do not remind the world of your deeds. Excel when you must, but do not excel the world. Many heroes […]
Congratulations, Kevin!
Yup, I’m a proud papa. Kevin Zemon graduated yesterday from Ft. Zumwalt North High School, O’Fallon, MO.
Kevin Earns His Eagle
No two ways about it, I am hugely proud of my son, Kevin, who attained Eagle rank in Boy Scouts. Last night was his court of honor. There are more pictures in my on-line gallery but here is one of my favorites: Not only is he man enough to speak extemporaneously and do it well, […]
Use Honey Instead of Cough Syrup
Staying up all night with a coughing child sucks. No two ways about it. And trying to get a kid to swallow some awful tasting cough medicine can be almost as bad. Honey A Better Option For Childhood Cough Than Over The Counter Medications, reported over at Science Daily gives hope. The study [by a […]
Why I Don’t Worry About Instant Messaging
I don’t worry about kids these days becoming so involved with social networks (Facebook, MySpace, etc.) and instant messaging (AIM, text messages, etc.) that they become isolated from real human contact. Why not? XKCD says it perfectly: Long distance relationships are hard. IM can turn a friend down the street into a long distance relationship. […]
Mom Says
Do you remember all those pearls of wisdom that your mom uttered when you where a child? Of course not; you weren’t listening. (I’ll admit it: neither was I.) Some of what mom said was good, solid advice, though. Here is your chance to reclaim those lost gems without having to relive your childhood. Just […]
For Whom Do We Mourn?
Tragedy struck on Monday when 33 people died at Virginia Tech. Flags fly at half mast as we grope through feelings of hurt, anger, helplessness, and grief. President Bush was so moved that he offered personal condolences, It’s impossible to make sense of such violence and suffering. Those whose lives were taken did nothing to […]
Live Transparently
Joseph poses a good idea in his posting on Changes in Lobbying Practices Lobbyists would be required to hire a Congressional stenographer to record the entire interaction, every single time they interact with someone in Congress. The transcript would then go on the Internet. Better yet, the whole thing also would be videotaped, and the […]
Read to Your Children; Teach Them to Read?
I realized something as I walked the dog this morning: though I religiously read to my children throughout their “formative years,” one turned out to be a bookworm while the other did not. The bedtime story was a fixture in our household for ages. I read everything from board books to tongue-twisters to Latin-laden dinosaur […]
The Good Wife’s Guide
Here is a little bit of nostalgic Friday fun, from Housekeeping Monthly, 13 May 1955. For some odd reason, I am having trouble holding a reasonable conversation with Candy when I have this piece of paper in my hand and I start with, “Why don’t you….”
Mothers Day Magic Carpet
Our plane proved itself a magic carpet today, taking us from St. Charles, MO to Kalamazoo, MI to visit Candy’s mother (and family); then on to Valparaiso, IN to visit my mother (and family); and then back home. We could not possibly have spent time on Mother’s Day with everybody using any other vehicle. Total […]
‘Ear bud’ headphones can cause hearing loss, experts warn
My name is Art and I’m a worried father. The Associated Press is reporting on studies which indicate that iPods and other portable music players are often used in ways which damage hearing. I am particularly disturbed to learn that the ear bud headphones are significantly worse than other kinds of headphones. Naturally, my son […]
Recharging My Batteries
I took most of the time between Christmas and New Years off, hoping to relax and spend a lot of time with my family. As seems to happen these days, moreso now that Kevin and David are both in high school, my time was largely driven by the demands of David’s swim practices and the […]
