Recently a friend, Barry, suggested making a light box to take pictures of my crafts. He sent this link for DIY Light Box for Product Photography, which breaks it down very nicely. Barry even let me borrow a good camera to try to get some decent pictures. It took about 37 days to get motivated (and gather the materials), an hour to make the box, and then two more days to figure out the white balance and metering. But once it clicked it was fun and the results are pretty cool.

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I was behind on my blog reading, but I was stoked to see that Shark-Fu was on NPR's "Tell Me More" debating, of all people, Darragh Murphy. Shark-Fu has a post breaking down what happened, and let's just say it was bizarre and that her take on it was perfect. Shark didn't know about Murphy's single campaign donation to McCain in 2000---a donation that calls into question whether or not she is a loyal Democrat as stated---and explains that Murphy's cover story is a little bizarre.

A bitch has listened to Ms. Murphy’s…umm, explanation…of how her donation ended up in Senator McCain’s coffers in 2000 and I don’t follow the logic of a self-identified Democrat donating to McCain in an effort to keep then Governor Scooter B. (President Bush to the uninitiated) from winning to Republican nomination ‘cause she thought that would help Al Gore.

I’m not saying girlfriend is lying...I don’t know her or her life…but that shit doesn’t make a lick of sense.

I mean, if you follow that logic and apply it to the here and now then Murphy would be supporting Senator Clinton in an effort to unseat Senator Obama so that Senator McCain will get elected.

Most of the focus on the post I wrote---as evidenced by the NPR mention---was on the donation. But I think it's equally important to remember that Murphy started the PUMA PAC the day that it was unofficially announced that the Clinton campaign was kaput. Which means that the mission of the PAC---to support Clinton's run---was a lie. Why support a candidate that's out?

Well, one possible reason is that the candidate being supported is McCain. Not that I'd want to accuse a girlfriend of lying, either. It's entirely possible she has no idea what she's doing.

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A few weeks ago I reported on the first challenge to Uncle Bobby's Wedding, a children's book featuring two gay guinea pigs who marry.

Last Saturday, library director James LaRue, who wrote a sensitive, balanced response to the initial challenge, reports that a second patron has challenged the book and asked for its removal from the Douglas County Libraries in Colorado. The new patron argued that "the topic of a gay wedding is inappropriate because same sex marriage is illegal in 48 states, and specifically, in Colorado." She also said "she knows at least 100 people ready to fill out a petition against the book."

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Hi Offsprungers,

You may have noticed that I'm the New Kid on the Block, but, rest assured, I don't grab my crotch like Jordan Knight (well, not in public anyway).

I started my column, Mommy Has a Headache, after Neal Pollack read my irreverent blog and thought I might fit in well here. So here I am, like Jordan Knight, giving it to you.

A bit about me. I was born in London, England, but have lived in Baltimore, USA for eight years and have two kids, Scarlett (7) and Sausage (5), as well as a long-suffering husband eight years my junior. I am trying to make a career as a writer, so watch this space. Now, my topic du jour, Special Kids:

I met my friend Polly yesterday at the pool. Polly is a teacher at one of the more pretentious preschools here, and she's getting pretty exhausted by the parents.

"I have to make believe like every child is special to their parents," she said. "It's a gigantic pain in the arse, since most of them aren't. If there's nothing off-the-charts special about the kid's academic achievment, the parents will try and make out he's special in some other way. Like, one mother has already been in touch with me, even though school doesn't start for another three weeks, to talk about her son. She told me, 'I just thought I should tell you that Brendan's mother and I are in a same-sex relationship and his uncle was the sperm donor. And I am just hoping that the unique circumstances of his conception will not alienate him from the rest of the class.'"

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Kids love worms, and Recycleworks has found an expensive way to tap into that desire: the Educational Waste Buster, or what we know and love as a worm bin.

Why worms? Worms break down more food garbage than can be accomplished with passive composting, and according to City Farmer, can be done inside or outside. Yeah. I suppose that's less disgusting, than say, owning a ferret.

The Waste Buster comes in three different sizes and has an optional window, and made from durable, sustainable FSC wood. They're quite spendy - the smallest model starts at 150 pounds without the window. But if you don't have 150 quid to throw around, you'll just have to make your own, using a plastic bin, for about 7 bucks.

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I was cooking some breakfast for the boys this weekend when they got hold of the TV and tuned into Mr. Rogers. I joined them, as they were watching my favorite part: when Fred goes to the factory to see how something is made. In this case, it was a Nabisco plant, where people were making graham crackers. Awesome. Only... I am pretty sure that bakery is closed now, and that the structure will soon be transformed into upscale lofts for rich people in Pittsburgh. I have nothing against rich people. In fact, I would love to be one. On the other hand, I can't help but think, as a society, we might have been better of when it was a place thousands of middle class people went to make a living. Not like it was a corner bakery, but it also was kind of nice to know where your graham crackers were made.

All of which reminds me: Isn't it time to start thinking about Christmas shopping? No, seriously. Every year, in late November, I remember to remind people to buy a bunch of stuff from the awesome Holgate Toys, which is located in northwestern Pennsylvania. (Same town where they make Zippos, actually.) Holgate makes really, really nice toys from local hardwood. They often sell out of their most popular offerings when the holidays near. So what are their most popular offerings? Well, the officially licensed Mr. Rogers Trolley, for one. It's kind of like Melissa and Doug stuff, only, in my opinion, more solid. And made right here in the U.S.A., unlike almost any other toy you will ever see.

Oh. And buy a Zippo, too. But not for your kids.

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As part of a new wave of literature that I will call 'shit lit,' Wetlands, by German authoress Charlotte LaRoche, is a warts-and-all insight into a woman's scents, farts and excretions, and also talks about using avocado pits to masturbate. Ardent fans of the authoress have shown up to her readings with avocados as presents and, in several instances documented in the local media, the unprepared have fainted at some of the scenes. In one of those, the protaganist Helen describes saving dried semen under her fingernails as “a keepsake” to savor later. That in itself is a rather bizarre keepsake, unless you are Monica Lewinsky.

Roche says she was inspired to write the book while perusing the douche aisle of her local store, where she found herself struck by the number of products telling women that their natural odors and growths were enemies, meant to be eliminated and perfumed. German literature has come a long way since Goethe. In any case, I know you're keen to get down and dirty with this, so here goes. Wetlands (Feuchtgebiete in German) by Charlotte Roche, rough translation of the first few pages:

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Amanda after surgery...no longer disadvantaged

It's not often that I am moved by a story but this one really did it for me (watch clip here).

Imagine if you will, the torture of being 15 year old Amanda, who had DD breasts. She was teased mercilessly. "Some of my friends thought I was making intentional cleavage when I wasn't," she says. I cried, I actually cried when I heard her say that.

The situation was obviously desperate. Amanda suffered the indignity of large breasts. It was time to find someone who cared about her fate. That person turned out to be the lovely Dr Reed, who was more than happy to reduce her breasts down to an acceptable size, and who explains in this interview how "I am giving children who are disadvantaged a chance to be happy." Could any sentiment be sweeter?

But Dr Reed's good work didn't stop there. Oh no. There was an even bigger problem. Yes, you guessed it, Amanda had a centimeter of fat around her waist. As her mom, a very caring lady, explained, everyone in their family has belly fat, so she knew that even though her daughter was "eating less and less" it would never go away. In order to prevent an eating disorder, it was obvious to her mom that Amanda needed lipo.

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Over the past month or so, I noticed a few hits on Kira Willey and related terms, but it wasn't enough for me to research further.

Well, now I wish I had earlier, and not just because this site is now more interested in yoga. It's because I just realized that Willey's song "Colors" (off her fine CD Dance For the Sun: Yoga Songs For Kids) has been used in a major ad campaign for Dell Computers.

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Sheer heaven. In the world of commercials, the only thing keeping moms from drowning out the cruel world with bottle of sleeping pills with a buttery chardonnay is a dinnertime round of approval from dad and the kidz. Thank heavens for microwave meat chunks.

via daddytypes. (again!)

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One of Thing Two’s favorite things in the world is Star Wars.  This should surprise exactly no one, since Thing Two is 8 and male and lives on Earth.  Nothing could be more normal than a few year obsession with George Lucas’ sextuplet*.  Because Thing Two is autistic (mildly so, and someday, I’ll have to write much, much more on this topic) he becomes more obsessed with elements or ideas than a normal eight-year old.  Because the universe of Star Wars is so complete and specific and well-defined, he has had ample opportunity to pick and choose for his interludes of obsession.  Thus, I’ve heard all about pod racers, and the ways in which they may function, to the extent that I could win over any Lucas Arts intern in a flat second.  Also, my geeky girl glasses would be a big plus.

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Say you're taking your whole family to a Wilco concert and you want to protect your sweeties hearing until they follow in your path and start playing drums. Or your little helper wants to hang around with you and the chainsaw - you might consider Peltor Kid Earmuffs. Only $17, pink or blue, they should reduce sound by 20 decibels. So if you're taking them to see Sonic Youth for the first time you only have about 200 db to go. Since Atari likes to stand directly in front of the stage at Rock N Romp, I think I might have to get a pair (provided he doesn't rip them off because they don't look cool).

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Lots of people name their kids after favorite historical figures, athletes, or characters in books. Among my friends' children, there's a Chandler (yes, after the Friend) and a Darcy (as in Mr. Darcy). But actress Kelly Rutherford took it one step further when she named her now two-year-old son Hermes. No, not after her favorite Greek god. After her favorite fashion designer.

Would you ever consider naming your kid Vera or Calvin? What about something a little more oblique like twins named Donna and Karen? Wouldn't "Cashmere" sound nice with your last name?

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Entrepreneur Jared Polis could become the first openly gay man elected to the U.S. Congress as a non-incumbent, according to the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. He won the Democratic primary last night in Colorado’s "overwhelmingly Democratic" 2nd Congressional District, and the Victory Fund says he is "nearly certain to win the seat in November." He would join Reps. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI; the first openly gay person of any gender elected to Congress as a non-incumbent) and Barney Frank (D-MA; who came out after serving several terms) as the only openly gay or lesbian members of Congress.

Everyone in the LGBT political blogosphere is going to be covering the news today. The Mombian angle, however, is that Polis' parents are the founders of Starfall, a wonderful pre-reading and early-reading site for kids.

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The Micro Mobility G-bike can best be described as the Flintstones car for toddlers. It's somewhere in that nether zone between a bike and a scooter. A b'cooter?

We recently tried to ride tandem with Atari, but bless him, his legs are just too short to make it. Some go with scooters before bikes to improve balance, so I suppose this is the next micro-incremental step in learning two-wheeled mastery. Ridiculous?

From what I could tell by the abhorrent Flash-driven site, there is no price. But if you can get onto Micro Mobility without your laptop exploding let me know.

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Okay, I fell off the wagon. Kind of gave up on this blogging thing pretty soon after it started. There was shame, embarrassment, denial, and finally, guilt. When a friend wrote to me a second time to say, "Blog, dammit!", the guilt worked.

It’s not like there was a lack of story or opportunity. Alan turned me onto graffiti knitting and that led to thinking about the craftivism movement and the Revolutionary Knitting Circle. Ann sent this very entertaining page about a fellow Offsprunger which answers a lot of questions about all those toys in our closets and raises some new ones. Another friend recently revisited her childhood skill of crocheting and when she came to me with a pattern problem, I quoted another wise knitter friend who said, “patterns are just a suggestion” as well as “if you want it perfect, let a machine do it.” Amen, sister. These are interesting subjects and I reserve the right to revisit them in the future.

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When looking back over the twenty-plus years of Nina Hartley's career in the adult film industry, one thing becomes very clear: at any given time, she's always been the smartest person in the room.

After graduating magna cum laude from San Francisco State University with a degree in nursing (and a specific interest, she says, in midwifery) Hartley entered the adult industry first with a job stripping at San Francisco's O'Farrell Theatre. Then she made the leap into adult films in the mid-80's, leaving nursing behind to perform in hundreds of movies, including a darkly comedic star turn in Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights, where she held her own with William H. Macy and Julianne Moore. Along the way, Hartley became legendary for her beauty, her sense of humor, and the obvious pleasure she takes in her choice of career.

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I hope this doesn’t come across too harshly, because I usually like Catherine Price’s blogging, but this blog post is irresponsible.  She buries the most important detail, perhaps for dramatic effect or perhaps because she didn’t realize how important it was.  The teaser on the front page of Salon says, ”Do we need to guard against Gardasil? The controversial cervical cancer vaccine may carry serious health risks”.  That when I began to get that sinking feeling, because I’ve been carefully following how the right wing noise machine is trying to discourage people from getting their daughters vaccinated---because sex should have “consequences” for women, even if the consequence is death---and I was afraid that Catherine got snagged by right wing propaganda.  In fact, I have a segment for next Monday’s podcast (this week’s: is sex without condoms always a bad thing?) chronicling the success of getting the message out there to parents to refrain from protecting their daughters from HPV.

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Dear Offsprungers:

You all probably don't know that I'm writing a book about yoga. To that end, I've now officially lost my mind and have agreed to participate for charity in a 24-Hour Yogathon. There will be 12 people Yogathoning, and we each get to choose our own charity. Naturally, I've chosen the Los Feliz Charter School For The Arts, where Elijah is receiving his very special education.

I'll be doing 24 hours of consecutive yoga from 2 AM on August 31 until 2 AM on September 1st. In case you were concerned, The organizers inform me there will be meal breaks, and that I will also be allowed to use the bathroom whenever I want. The latter will be important, because I don't want the other yogis to see me vomit when I hit the wall. You'll also be invited to the memorial service that will inevitably follow, as I've never done more than two hours of consecutive yoga in my life.

I'd like to invite you to sponsor me in the Yogathon. All donations are fully tax-deductible. This won't take you long. Here are the easy-to-follow steps:

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Congratulations to our Cheapster (and alternadad bed-sharer) Regina Allen, whose beautiful handmade jewelry is featured today on Cool Mom Picks! We're proud of you, Gina.

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Because we're all about the Olympics at the House of Mombian this week, here's more on a variety of Olympic mom-athletes:

Olympian and mother Oksana Chusovitina is 33, a far cry from Dara Torres' 41. I'm almost more impressed by her than by Torres, however, because she's competing in gymnastics. That's right, gymnastics, where most athletes hover around the 16-year-old minimum and there are rumors of some sneaking in at younger ages.

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