So, you’re working on that holiday gift list. Here’s a way to (a) check things off your list and (b) support PBS at the same time! Remember good ‘ol PBS from your childhood? The home of Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers? They also have oodles of other programs and goodies to appeal to everyone on your list.

Shop at their online store to score great deals on everything from DVDs to books, to so much more. You can shop by series, topic, issue, you name it! And, when you use code HAPPY15, you’ll save 15% off your entire online order through January 31, 2010. That’s a win-win, folks!

Expires: January 31, 2010

This might be the most moving thing I’ve seen on the internet in a long time. I hope we are still treasuring and promoting genuine people like Fred Rogers today.

by sylvia

It’s quiet here.  Which I’m grateful for.  Thanksgiving Eve, and I’m just waiting for all the work bombs to drop before I can actually leave the office and get ready for some gluttony over Thanksgiving.

So while I’m riding out this work day, I thought I would share with you some links for your enjoyment (maybe) in case you are in a situation similar to mine (which is bored and/or at work and/or not feeling like doing any actual work):

Travolta & Williams’ Greatest Misses - a photogallery from Television Without Pity highlighted two of my least favorite stars – John Travolta and Robin Williams – and the terrible movies they have made

List of the Day Glamour Shots - who doesn’t love a Glamour Shot?  And BTW, that may or may not be me in that first picture

Rules for Attending Your Child’s Sporting Events – now I don’t have any kids, but I’ve bookmarked this site so I know how to raise ‘em, and to tell other people with children what they are doing wrong

A Fish With Humanoid Teeth - scary and gross.  I warned you.

A Mr. Rogers Quiz - I got an 80%, bitches.  Maybe it’s because I have my own neighborly connection to Mr. Rogers and drank a Coke at his house once….

Cookie Warming Fail - mmm….cookies….mmmm….Owen….

My Favorite LOLCAT

Mugshot Roundup from The Smoking Gun – always a great reminder to stay the hell out of trouble this weekend

The Secrets of The Sparkle - yes, we’ve linked to this Twilight thingie before, but it’s such a great time waster!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

creepy

This is one of the kindest things you may ever see. It is not known who replied, but there is a beautiful soul working in the dead letter office of the US postal service.

Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey.. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words:

Dear God,
Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick. I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her you will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.

Love, Meredith

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, ‘To Meredith’ in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, ‘When a Pet Dies…’  Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey and Meredith and this note:

Dear Meredith,
Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away… Abbey isn’t sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don’t need our bodies in heaven, I don’t have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by…

Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you.
I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much. By the way, I’m easy to find, I am wherever there is love.

Love,
God


Forward to all your friends, and don’t tell me you’re too busy for this. Don’t you know the phrase ’stop and smell the flowers’?


Happiness keeps you Sweet,
Trials keep you Strong,
Sorrows keep you Human,
Failures keep you Humble,
Success keeps you Glowing,
But Only Friends Keep You Going!

This is my first solo blog. I have written many blogs (4 to date) for SyncCreation. I have been asked why I post my blogs on the SyncCreation blog site and I will be asked why I have two places I post my blogs (SyncCreation and TheMrRogers). I also get asked often what I do as my profession.

Here are the answers:

Why I post on SyncCreation and my profession– I am fortunate enough to have a profession that is in alignment with who I am, my passion, and the difference I choose to make in the world. So what do I do? To be very general I am a coach and a business consultant.

I work for a company that owns and partners with companies. Currently there are 3 companies that the umbrella company is owners/partners in and I am the front line for all three.

ThirdPaycheck (http://www.thirdpaycheck.com/) – ThirdPaycheck is a business coaching firm that assists people in staring a side business (a micro business). I am a business consultant/coach that walks people through the steps it takes to start a business.  Anyone who has motivation and passion can start a side business with support!

Manifest Management (http://manifestforsuccess.com/) – Manifest Management is a business development firm that works with companies that are established and that make anywhere from $100,000 to $45 million in revenue a year.  I am Manifest Management’s Senior Business Analyst for their national clients. If you business owner, big or small, check out their free business analysis on their website.

SyncCreation (http://www.synccreation.com/) – SyncCreation, is a company that teaches how to manifest dreams into reality, affect the physical with your energy and clean out the blocks that stand between you and what you want. For them I am a mentor, consultant and community organizer.

Expect Business Solutions – This is an umbrella company that my 2 partners and I created over 3 years ago. EBS develops business tools that assist companies in connecting with their clients. EBS has also been the platform for my Life Coaching (Mentoring) as well as personalized Business Coaching that I have done over the years.

The above contains only the projects that I am involved in on a consistent basis. I often partner with companies for a time and I have been (currently am) the Chairmen of the Founders Board at the Great Life Foundation for 3 plus years.

That is what I do. A mouth full right? It might not seem relevant to answering the question “why post on SyncCreation” but it is. Each of the businesses I am involved with allows me to offer my support to the manifestation of someone’s vision. I believe that a business is the physical manifestation of a dream/vision.

Bottom line, I have made it my vision to Nurture Greatness in all of its many shapes and sizes. SyncCreation is the practice of Manifestation on a spiritual level to get Physical results. EBS, ThirdPaycheck and Manifest Management are the practice of using the physical to get results and physical results affect us spiritually.

I post my blogs on SyncCreation because SyncCreation is the platform in which I connect with the world spiritually. It has provided me the opportunity to meet some of the most brilliant revolutionaries of our time. I post on SyncCreation so that I might continue with their stand, in my life and to share with others, to constantly and consciously manifest visions into reality.

The second questions answer is short. Why do I also post on TheMrRogers blog? There are 2 reasons. First – because sometimes I will discuss topics that are not in alignment with SyncCreation’s stand. This will be rare but I am sure it will happen. Second – So that those who want can set up an RSS feed to my blogs.

I hoped I cleared up some of those questions about my profession and my blogs. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks!

Our kids aren’t the only ones learning things around here lately. It turns out…I LIKE MAKING THINGS!  Not just dinner.

This really should not surprise me. I have a degree in art and have been a long time creator of many things, yet I am surprised. I am blissed out after making something, anything.

Today Echo and I watched a vintage episode of Mr. Rogers. What a sweet man, loving all those television children for so many years. The show we watched was about puppets, and at one point Mr. Rogers goes into his “kitchen” and digs around for a plastic spoon. He drew a simple smiley face, taped on a wrinkly sprig of ribbon to the head, tied another bit of ribbon to the neck, and viola!

And I thought to myself from the yoga mat (I try to sneak in a couple down dogs any time there is a video on): we have plastic spoons! I realize I have been crippling myself, thinking that so many things need to change before I can be a happy, creative person. Crazy thoughts like: If I had a studio then I could do some painting.Or, if I had the money to go wild at the art store then the kids and I could make some crafts. Meanwhile life goes slipping by without the joy of painting or crafting. So darn silly.

We dug out those plastic spoons from deep within the silverware drawer and got to work. And oh how I love these little puppets! Echo named them Carwash (mom), Rosie (kid), and Cook (papa). My whole day was sunnier because of these awkward plastic beings. Snowmen, Hamster Heaven, it doesn’t matter, if I make something, I feel better.

Last week, Gossip Girl sparked a national controversy with its highly publicized threesome episode. The ménage a trois between Dan, Vanessa, and Lizzy McGuire wasn’t rated NC-17, but it did prompt the Parents’ Television Council to release the following statement: “The CW Network’s behavior was grossly irresponsible by adding a story line where a sexual threesome was to be celebrated as some sort of ‘rite of passage’ for teenagers.”

The PTC, of course, assumes that TV can compel teens to have grossly irresponsible, drunken threesomes with former Disney stars. (This is the same group that blames violence on cop shows, and homosexuality on the purple Teletubby).  But, if TV can force savvy teenagers into triple sex with Triple Sec, then just imagine what it can do to soft-brained children!  The entire fate of our kids’ future could be determined by remote control roulette: if the channel lands on Ni Hao, Kai-Lan, our kids will end up with 4.0 GPAs and full rides to college… if the channel lands instead on Keeping up with the Kardashians, they’ll end up with huge asses and gold chains.

In my own personal experience, I attribute my Commie ties to hours of watching Sesame Street when growing up (“sharing is caring”).  My adoration for Ernie and Bert, the ambiguously gay duo, also led me to have a soft spot for guys with clashing outfits.  And from watching Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, I naturally grew trusting of old men in cardigans who wanted to be my neighbor. (“Let’s watch Mr. Rogers slowly take off his cable-knit sweater!  Isn’t this fun?”)

So understandably, I fell victim to the power of television once again — after last week’s Gossip Girl episode, I immediately googled Shia LaBeouf to see if he might be interested in accomplishing a rite of passage.  I found out that the pilot episode of LaBeouf’s Disney hit Even Stevens was called “Swap”…  So, he’s in!  Anyone want to volunteer to be #3?

It is a beautiful day in the neighborhood, as I have teamed up with DJBooth.net and superproducer, SLOT-A for the 111th entry for DJBooth.net’s freestyle series, In The Booth.  For those of you unfamiliar with DJBooth.net and their series In The Booth, check some of the past aritsts to contribute tracks and NOW put my name in the list.  It’s kind of crazy.  The track is an original, produced by SLOT-A with 68 bars of from ME, Mr. Rogers.  Check out the feature on DJBooth.net as well as download here.

Mr. Rogers featured on DJBooth.net

Download Mr. Rogers produced by SLOT-A

“It’s not the honors and the prizes and the fancy outsides of life which ultimately nourish our souls. It’s the knowing that we can be trusted, that we never have to fear the truth, that the bedrock of our very being is good stuff.”  –Fred Rogers

So there’s been this undercurrent of debate about the new Fred Rogers statue by Heinz Field. I must admit, when I saw its picture in the paper, I was disappointed. It looked like it had been dipped in oatmeal or made from Rice Krispy Treats. It looked like the lovechild of Dan Rather and The Thing from The Fantastic Four. I thought it would scare children. Couldn’t we have done better for this Pittsburgh icon?

But I did my homework and trekked down to see it in person. And I must say, I’ve changed my tune. As I stood on the riverfront in the growing dusk, I watched as children scrambled up onto his lap to pose for pictures. I took in the placement that has him putting on his tennis shoe and smiling directly at the skyline of his beloved city. I reflected on the fact that the statue was done by Robert Berks, a personal favorite of Rogers. Rogers particularly enjoyed Berks’ rendering of Albert Einstein in Washington, D.C.

I also reflected on Rogers’ quote above. Was he into awards and statues and honors? Not really. The important thing was to help  others and enjoy life. I think he would have been delighted to stand where I stood watching families enjoying the riverwalk on an unusually warm November evening. He would have thrilled to the children waiting turns to sit on his bronze lap. Like the statue, he would have looked out over the river at the city and smiled.

Is it a perfect likeness? No. But Mr. Rogers wasn’t into being perfect. You have to look at it and use your imagination a bit. And I can’t think of a finer tribute to the man who stirred the imaginations of so many. The Mr. Rogers statue officially goes on my growing list of reasons why I love Pittsburgh.

I’ve loved all of the Google headers over the past week, celebrating the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street.

The BBC traveled to Sesame Street to do an exclusive interview with some of the Street’s favourites (including outtakes!)  The whole thing kept me permanently grinning!  What a fantastic show…

It’s made me really miss my brother, actually.

It reminds me of when we’d wake up at the butt crack of dawn (as kids do), go into the living room, lay down on the floor in front of the tv with our massive headphones on (genius idea on my parents’ part!), and watch Sesame Street, Mr Rogers, etc.

When we were little (I think it was both of us.. maybe it was only me?), before we could pronounce it properly, we called Sesame Street “dee-dot”.

We also called grapes “beeps”.  It took a neighbor friend of ours years before he could say Alex (my bro) – instead calling him Ackett.  ‘Animals’ was another tough one – it was always “aminals.”

Alex called me “Ottie” (AH-dee) for who knows how long until he could say Stephanie, and about 10 years later, my cousin Chelsea called me the same thing!

What words did you have a hard time pronouncing as a kid?

Please don’t laugh at my niavete or scorn my belief without basis. (The real word that should be inserted here is prejudice but I just couldn’t bring myself to say it.) We used to live in an historic neighborhood. Some renters. Some restoring old homes to their glamour of yesterday. A mixed neighborhood of  color and money. It’s what we wanted. We’re a mixed race family. We’re educated but chose professions that don’t bring in tons of money. We made the conscious decision to be where we were. And most of the time, we loved our neighborhood. But the school system wasn’t stellar. And my husband’s business was growing. And, frankly, I just didn’t feel safe anymore. I was tired of going to neighborhood watch meetings and talking about the latest gang markings. I was home alone with two infants and my daughter was starting high school - no longer to be homeschooled. We decided we wanted idyllic suburbia with people “just like us.” Ha!

We searched and searched. We thought that by living in a neighborhood where the homes were of a certain worth we’d fit in and feel comfortable with everyone. We looked high. We looked low (but not too low.) The higher we looked the more promising we felt the neighborhood would be. One woman (a neighbor) saw us looking at a home and she came over and introduced herself. She alerted us to another home down the street from her. The husband was being transferred to Singapore. “I want neighbors who are moving to Singapore!” I said to my husband. I felt that if you were willing to move to exotic locales you would be worldly, educated, open-minded and interesting. We looked in another neighborhood where the price point for the homes was wide. The only homes we could afford were in a section called The Commons. “Oh look, Honey,” my husband exclaimed, “We can be commoners!”

Ultimately, we chose a beautiful neighborhood with lots of amenities, homes priced close together so we’d be with like minds (ha! again), sidewalks, front and back porches, neighborhood activities and get-togethers. It’s also closer to a major city and a large Korean population which is what we wanted for our kids. Don’t get me wrong, we love it here. We’ve met some amazing people who are now close friends (Hi K and A!) but some of my neighbors are not what I bargained for. One neighbor gets caught up in gossip and helps to spread it like wildfire on Facebook. One neighbor gives my daughter the creeps with his leering and creepy comments  (don’t worry, we stay away). One neighbor bragged about cheating the bank/government/us by walking away from their mortgage. Another grabs a  few clubs and he and his kid sneak onto the golf course at the 5th hole at dusk without paying. So much for like minds. Another lesson learned.

I’ve called this place where we, the bloggers,  reside as Blog World. And a dear reader commented in a private note to me that I’d make a great neighbor. I thought, this is what I’ve created here for myself – a neighborhood! And I LOVE my neighbors here. And I like it that we all live here together. How cool is it that we get to pick and choose our neighbors? Our neighborhood here can be as homogenized or eclectic as we want it to be. In case you’re wondering, mine is pretty eclectic and I like it that way! I thought I might introduce you to some of my favorite neighbors! I won’t be able to get to all of them today so I’ve decided this is going to be a series of posts, hopefully without end because I seem to meet kind, creative, interesting, and amazing people every day. This neighborhood is as large as I want to make it and we’re all within walking distance of each other. How perfect is that?

Submom at Absence of Alternatives - This is the kind of neighbor when you go next door to borrow a cup of sugar, you start talking and talking so she invites you in. You keep talking. And talking. You finish your conversation. Go home and realize you didn’t get the cup of sugar. So you go back, laugh about the forgotten cup of sugar. It reminds her of this funny story so you start talking again. And talking. You go home and guess what? Yep. But it’s a great excuse to go next door again for more great conversation! When she moved in I found my new best friend!

Steve at The Planet Harris Blog - There is a pond in my neighborhood and he lives across it. (Smiling at my feeble little  joke) As you enter his home to the left is the library. To the right is the dining room but the table is covered with books and a laptop and has been turned into an office. You step into the family room and there are floor to ceiling bookshelves with a handy little ladder on wheels. His wife is baking biscuits. You can smell sweets baking and coffee and tea brewing. They are warm, welcoming people. The couches are comfy and there are always interesting people popping over for good conversation. I like it here!

TKW at The Kitchen Witch - She lives right next door, too. Which is a good thing because when I’m in a pinch and have NO idea what to bring to the neighborhood BBQ - she’s got the recipe. Snowed in with the kids for three days? She’s got the recipe. Husband home sick and whiny and you just want him to shut up  get a good night’s rest? She’s got the recipe. But better than her recipes are the stories behind them. She’s the best kind of neighbor because she doesn’t judge, she laughs at herself and she’d look out for your kids like they’re her own.

I have two neighbors (they live in the bungalows just up the street, downsizing since the kids have moved away) that I go to for advice, Robin at Passions and Soapboxes and Mary Lee at MerrilyMaryLee’s Weblog. They’re wise and they’re hip. They’re sweet and they’re funny. But they’ve been there, done that with child rearing. They’ve lived it and they’re willing to share what works and what doesn’t. And they’re living a life right now that is packed with fun and interesting adventures.

Five houses in my neighborhood. I’ll tell you about more of them another time. But to all of you out there – thanks for living in MY neighborhood. Thank you for allowing me to live in yours. I never realized how attached I would become to my bloggy friends. What started out as a little experiment grew into something I never imagined. I’m glad I live here!

(P.S. Don’t forget about our get together Friday, November 13th. Collect the craziest search terms for your blog and we’ll all share them on Friday. You can write them in the comment section or blog about it – but don’t forget to link/comment here so we can all see them! See you Friday!)

I like you just the way you are.

Mr. Rogers

The right-wing blogosphere is in a tizzy over a “Pox News” reference that Sesame Street’s Oscar the Grouch made on a recent episode.

Mediaite’s Tommy Christopher puts the silly uproar in context:

I’ve been noticing this increasingly whiny trend among conservatives, and this episode is an absurd encapsulation of that. The pattern is always the same: conservative blowhard says something horrible about someone, who then pushes back, causing tears.

In the case of Sesame Street vs. Fox, the cable news network has aired countless hit pieces on Sesame Street and other PBS children’s shows. They ran not one, but two segments about how Sesame Street DVDs were “not for kids,” they called Mr. Rogers “evil,” one of their hosts referred to Cookie Monster’s movements as “erotic,” and even speculates that Oscar the Grouch may have been molested. All things considered, I’d say the Street’s response was remarkably restrained.

When the extreme right starts living by the standards they try to impose on others — whether those standards are about civility in public discourse or private sexual behavior or compliance with one religion or another’s tenets — then they might have a case.

Until then, they’ll have to bear their well-earned hypocrite label.

Yesterday (Nov. 5) the City of Pittsburgh unveiled a statue to one of my  best childhood friends, Fred Rogers. 

It may seem odd that I would describe Fred Rogers as “my friend”.  We never met.  He never knew my name, or sent me a birthday card.  I didn’t know until later in life that he was actually from Pittsburgh, or loved playing jazz piano. 

But had we passed on the street, I know he would have greeted me as a friend and made me feel like we had been.. well, close neighbors.

As a kid I was truly fortunate that Mr. Rogers came into my house twice a day.  No doubt my Mom got a little annoyed at seeing the same Picture-Picture about how they make crayons or trumpets twice a day.  But to me those two half hours were time spent with someone who taught me, made me feel safe, showed me that imagination and play were fun and important.  He wasn’t a replacement for my parents – don’t get that idea.  They did all that before Mr. Rogers.  He was more like the favorite, ideal uncle – who happened to visit us through the television.  When he visited he always brought the best place in the world: the Neighborhood of Make-Believe.  My personal favorite was always Daniel Striped Tiger. 

Mr. Rogers espoused a kind, fair, open philosophy about life: he liked everyone,  including me, just the way they are.  He made sure I knew that, and made sure I knew I wouldn’t go down the drain because I wouldn’t fit!  He taught me that my parents rules, which might not have made sense to me, were another way of showing they loved and cared about me.  With his soft, gentle voice, he assured me I was special, not just to him and my parents, but to myself also. 

(Just for clarification I’ve got to add that Fred Rogers was never a Navy SEAL or sniper.  Seriously, can anyone really see Mr. Rogers in any situation where he would need to harm someone?)

Fred Rogers died in 2003, after being our neighbor for over 30 years.  Six years later I still get a little sad, and may even tear up a bit, when that crosses my mind.  Although I’ve had many friends since then, and several are like family, Mr. Rogers holds a special place: he was my first, truest friend, and I liked him just the way he was.

It’s been a while since I did one of these, folks, but in the spirit of OMGYAYIT’SFRIDAYSQUEEEEE I decided to do another post of all the goodness on the internet you should be checking out.  Sharing is caring.

• Senator Al Franken’s streak of awesome (sticking it to rapist contractors, going after insurance companies) continues with two of my favorite things: SOLDIERS AND PUPPIES (ok, service dogs).
• In other awesome news, Jon Stewart’s spoof of Glenn Beck is a must watch.
• Ever wonder what it would be like if you suddenly had a real life musical moment, where everyone sings and dances? Found out via Gizmodo about the latest stunt from the Improv Everywhere people I saw an episode of This American Life about:
• Apparently some curmudgeon without a soul over at Vanity Fair doesn’t like CUTE. I say: he clearly just needs some cuteoverload to warm his cold black heart. Or perhaps FUpenguin is more up his alley, like this image, entitled “beavers think they are so f***ing clever”:
• Want more cute? BABY TURTLES FROM SEA WORLD.
• My friend Political Party Girl and I were chatting and somehow got on the subject of Mr. Rogers. She linked me to this YouTube video of Mr. Rogers testifying before Congress in support of PBS funding, and I swear, my response to Mr. Rogers is almost Pavlovian. I hear his voice and suddenly I’d like to sit down and be still, while munching on some graham crackers, and just hang out with him.  On days when the news is mostly terrible, I need the “what do you do with the mad that you feel” song that he sings at the end more than ever.
• I could probably devote an entire post to the tragic massacre at Fort Hood. Here are a few good pieces to check out: Steve Benen at The Washington Monthly gives the straight facts; Spencer Ackerman of The Washington Independent posts a statement from an Arab-American Military organization and reminds us not to jump to Islamophobic conclusions; Glenn Greenwald at Salon shows us just how misinformed we’d be if we had relied on live TV reporting of the massacre, which he describes as “an orgy of rumor-mongering, speculation and falsehoods that play a very significant role in shaping public perceptions and enabling all sorts of ill-intentioned exploitation.”
• Justice served: one of the Yearning For Zion polygamists has been convicted of sexual assault and faces up to 20 years in prison.
• Anne Lamotte is wonderful. Her letter to the president about health care reform could have been written by me, as I agree with every word.
• Speaking of health reform, would the House bill put children’s health care at risk?

He's only smiling because he wants to take your hand to a sick place. He's sick.

If there’s anything that I need to tell you it’s this: hand puppets are a disease.  Not only do they scare the bejesus out of little kids and animals, they are gross.  From the cheery sentiments of Mr. Roger’s, Daniel Tiger, to South Park’s, Mr. Hat, hand puppets are a sick attraction.  Who wants to watch as a grown man or woman grotesquely shoves his or her hand or hands into the inner workings of the representation of a cute animal?  Not me; I’d rather just have the real animal.  In Lamb Chop’s case, I want to eat lamb; not watch Sherry Lewis stick her filthy mitts all up in it.

It is with the heaviest of hearts that I explain my angst, for it is a story in which I know all too well.  This story is one of a small, 20-year-old boy who is curious about his body and eager to explore.  He unknowingly took his pleasurable show-and-tell outdoors.  His exploits were deemed deceitful and gross in the public’s eye.  He became known as a masturbation artist, a shank scraper, a pee-board artist or dick wrestler, a ding donger, a jerk-off, a cock-a-rub-a-do, and a stay-at-home dad.  He was terrorized by the ridicule.  He escaped to his home.  In a purge of suppressed memories, he remembered a time when, during his parents divorce, he was asked by his therapist to role play with hand puppets.  These furry representations of his parents relived all of the pain he had wished to dismiss from his parents tumultuous relationship.   The boy, now older, was distraught that his penis had become his makeshift hand puppet.  Bereft of hope, he was only barely able to finish masturbating with his tears.

Hand puppets account for over six percent of hand accessories in the US and its crooked North American cousin, Canada.  Hand puppets are half as cute and twice as deadly as hand puppies.  Users beware: hand puppets are awful things.  They are dreadful and weird.  Please heed caution in your future encounters with these monsters or else you, yes you, might end up alone in your house masturbating.

Dedicated to the memory of my favorite childhood television personality, Fred Rogers (1928-2003).

So much for beautiful days
in the neighborhood.
Long gone is the speedy delivery
of good feelings
and friendly neighbor mentality

few and far between is the
neighbor who lends you a cup of sugar
or an extra egg, smiles
and always says “hello”

more common is the one who
avoids all eye contact,
shuts the garage door before
anyone has a chance to even
think about saying “hello”

or the one with the
broom up her ass,
who complains about
trees planted too close to her wall
yet plants cacti on the border
between your homes, so
you end up getting stuck
every time you prune your bushes.

Oh, Mr. Rogers, I so miss
your enchanting
neighborhood of
make believe,
and your closet of
cardigan sweaters.
I miss the simplicity of
the times, when I watched you
change your sneakers,
feed your fish, and I still thought
that neighbors were … well …
neighborly.

Threatened with a class action suit, the Walt Disney company is offering refunds for all the “Baby Einstein” videos bought between June 5th 2004 and Sept. 5th 2009. First, acknowledging that the videos did not make any child into a baby Einstein, the company removed the term “educational” from the packaging. However, under threat of a lawsuit siting studies about the harmful effects of television viewing on very young children, the company has decided to offer a refund. Read the article in the NY Times here.

According to studies at the University of Michigan, children under 6 spend an average of two hours a day watching TV, instead of playing, running around, looking at a book, coloring.  When I have my first child, I got into the habit of letting him watch a little TV everyday — I wanted to keep him safe and ‘busy’ while I took a shower.  I realized my mistake after becoming more conscious of what was going on when he watched TV and afterwards too.

While watching, he was essentially catatonic, just staring, glazed-eyed, looking like he was drugged (which approximates how I look when I am watching TV).  And then after I turned it off (to kicking and screaming on his part), I found that he was trapped in replaying whatever it was he had witnessed on the TV, whatever character he had seen.  And that play purgatory, where he could only picture himself as that one character or in that one situation, would last for a long time.  He would also be moody and whiny, and obsessed with the TV, hoping and waiting for his next fix.

I finally decided to go cold turkey and not let TV be a part of his life anymore.  What a relief.  No more negotiating, no more strange play patterns, no more obsessive behaviors.  Initially I missed the electronic babysitter, but I got over it.  And I found other ways to keep him happy so that I could take a shower.  Or I just skipped the shower.

Another issue about children watching TV is that it takes them away from all the wonderful types of play that are so vital for childhood development. The Alliance for Childhood is a great resource for articles about the importance of play in childhood.

What to do with children instead of watching TV:

Color or paint;

Play outside;

Play dress up;

Bake cookies;

Read a book;

Work Play — hammer nails, make things, clean house;

Take a Walk;

Cut paper into snowflakes or butterflies;

Climb a tree.

And one more thing, a little strange, related to children’s television programming:  In May 2009, PBS filed a complaint against an eighteen-year old in San Diego fellow who announced that he was the successor to Mr. Rogers.  I’m not sure what to make of that, but here’s the article.

Here’s a ferinstance for ya’lls…

If you had to choose who has the better imagination between Wishbone and Mr. Rogers, who would you pick?

I posed this question today to my students and the overwhelming sense I got from them is that they think Mr. Rogers is a creep-o. This makes me sad. But I think that they are only viewing him through their cynical college-age selves. There were a few who got wistful at the memory of Henrietta Pussycat. (Or maybe they were crying because I scared them by saying “meow-meow, meow, meow… meow” in my best Henrietta Pussycat impression.)

P.S. According to Snopes, Mr. Rogers was never in the military, despite stories you might have heard to the contrary.

From a forwarded email message about how meaningful a random act of kindness can be—this one from some kind soul at the dead letter office.

Meredith and her dog Abbey

Our 14-year-old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4-year-old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey.. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words:

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven.. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had..

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, ‘To Meredith’ in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, ‘When a Pet Dies..’ Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey &Meredith and this note:

Dear Meredith,
Abbey arrived safely in heaven.
Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away.
Abbey isn’t sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don’t need our bodies in heaven, I don’t have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by..
Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you.
I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much.
By the way, I’m easy to find, I am wherever there is love.

Love,
God

watch how
mr rogers
regulates
the audience

Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey.. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words:

Dear God, Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick. I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her You will know that she is my dog. I really miss her. Love, Meredith

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God / Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had. Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, ‘ To Meredith ‘ in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, When a Pet Dies. Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey and this note:

Dear Meredith, Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away. Abbey isn‘ t sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don‘ t need our bodies in heaven, I don‘ t have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.. Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you. I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much. By the way, I ‘ m easy to find, I am wherever there is love. Love, God