Karen

Written on Sunday, November 25, 2007 by Jessica

My friend Karen died on Wednesday. I haven't seen her in a long time -- over a year and a half -- but I've been meaning to ask her to lunch so we could catch up. She never even met Seth.

Posted in Life | Comment Now!

Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde

Written on Saturday, November 10, 2007 by Jessica

It's a tie between those of you who know the ghosts' names and those who didn't know the ghosts have names.

Do you know the names of the Pac-Man ghosts?
44% Yes, of course.
44% The ghosts have names?
13% No, I'd have to look it up.
0% What's Pac-Man?

Pretty bar chart

Technically, Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde are nicknames. The ghosts' real names are:

Shadow (Blinky)
Speedy (Pinky)
Bashful (Inky)
Pokey (Clyde)

(source: Wikipedia)

Posted in Poll results | Comment Now!

Headlines -- you can't trust them

Written on Thursday, November 08, 2007 by Jessica

CNN has a headline right now that says: "Toy contaminated with 'date rape' drug pulled."

Uh, no. The headline is incorrect. Here's the truth, which you find in the article's second paragraph:

Scientists have found the popular toy's coating contains a chemical that, once metabolized, converts into the toxic "date rape" drug GHB, or gamma-hydroxy butyrate.

So first the child has to ingest is. Then the body converts into GHB (adrug often used in date rapes).

The product does not contain GHB, so how can it be contaminated by GHB? I guess what bothers me is that the headline makes it sound like someone was meddling with the toy, that they purposely added GHB so that they can rape little children.

Posted in Miscellany | Comment Now!

Neatnick?

Written on Thursday, November 08, 2007 by Jessica

Seth's latest thing is that everything has to be put in its proper place. The phone has to sit in its cradle. The gate has to be across the top of the stairs. The door to the basement has to be closed.

If I weren't such a slob, he'd know that his toys go in his toybox, which means he'd be insisting that we put them away. Oh, well.

Posted in Milestones, Motherhood, My sweet baby boy | Comment Now!