Heartlessness.

The other day my sister, my son, and I were driving down the Strip - something I rarely do since it takes so long and the pedestrians can be annoying.  We locals often get annoyed by the tourists in our city . . . not all of them, just some of their behaviors.  My suspicion is that these are largely good people but something changes in them when they come to Las Vegas.  They seem to think this is a place where the rules don't apply to them, the rules of law, as well as the rules of a polite society.  Anyway, one of the most common complaints about tourists is their brazen attitude about crossing streets.  They often ignore traffic lights or dart across the wide streets and often obstructed medians in areas outside of the crosswalks.  Anyway, we came upon a very recent accident where a pedestrian was hit by a car.  It didn't look good for the pedestrian.  Now, that person may or may not have been acting carelessly at the time of the accident, and the same goes for the driver.  Those aren't my focus right now.  What really bothered me was that a huge crowd had gathered to watch the firemen assist the victim, and they were taking pictures and video of it all.  That person may have been dead or dying and people were gawking and videoing the whole thing.  We drove by as the firemen arrived, so I can't say whether or not passers-by attempted to assist the victim or if they merely walked around him or whipped out their phones to take pictures and video, but in the aftermath, what possesses a person to video someone in a moment like that?  How could one be so callous?  More and more I feel I'm witnessing a breakdown in morality in this country, and in the world.  People seem so willing to blame others for their misdeeds rather than taking responsibility, and others seem to feel that nothing matters outside of themselves.  If I see either in my little C when he grows up, I'll be beyond disappointed. 

Sedaris on Easter

Happy St. Patrick's Day

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Aid to Japan

Poppytalk has a pretty great list of alternative methods of getting money to aid Japan today. 

Homemade Baby Food Faves

So after six months of making C's baby food, here are his favorites:

Purees:
Pears
Peas
Mango
Applesauce
Any kind of squash (an early favorite that's since lost its luster)
Sweet potato (best if it has cinnamon)

Blends:
Edamame, peas, and apples
Baby cereal with steamed and pureed prunes or dried apricots
Pork, sweet potato, and apples
Chicken, carrots, leek or onion, and noodles
Mango and papaya
Mango, banana, and whole milk yogurt
Blueberries, banana, and whole milk yogurt (really can't go wrong with any smoothie combo)
Carrots and parsnips
Any kind of white fish, spinach, brown rice


Big kid foods:
Steamed broccoli
Steamed cauliflower
Steamed green beans
Lima beans, smashed
Chicken or pork cooked in the crock pot (falling apart tender) with vegetables
Salmon with dill (really loves salmon in any preparation)
Halibut/cod/tilapia seasoned in any way, usually with some fresh herbs and/or pepper
Banana bread
Waffles
Lemon-ricotta pancakes
Pita and hummus
Brussels sprouts

The Hate It for Now List:
Cantaloupe
Avocado (loved it the first 5 times or so, then changed his mind)
Egg Yolk
Most preparations of beef

Lost Photos

Okay, remember this? 

Here's the conclusion:



I wonder if some part of him is sad for his adventure to have come to a close.

Another ending...my strange neighbors have finally silenced their smoke detectors.  It took more than five weeks. 

Pet-a-palooza 2011: Train, David Cook, Fefe Dobson, Andy Grammer

Mix 94.1 fm Pet-a-Palooza!
April 9, 2011
Star Nursery Fields, Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas
$8 for adults, free for children under age 3 (-$2 with donation of canned pet food item)
Music, pet adoption, pet-themed entertainment, shopping, etc, etc.

A portion of the ticket price benefits the 40 non-profit Animal Rescue groups that will be at the event. 

If you've been considering adopting a pet, that option is available at the event.  OR, you can bring your leashed pet.  In the past I've seen tons of dogs, a few (brave) cats, birds, snakes, ferrets, an iguana, and a pig.  However, I encourage you to think about how your pet will react to a large crowd, other animals, and the weather before bringing them. 

The rules:
-no outside food/drinks
-no coolers
-no chairs
-no re-entry

There are plenty of good options for food and drink at the event, and the stage is fairly high, so you'll be able to see if you're sitting on a blanket or wandering the booths.

More info, including a David Cook interview and an interview with Jimmy from Train:
http://mix941fm.radio.com/

Personally, I'm excited to see Andy Grammer, and Train is always good.

Pet-a-Palooza 2011

So the 2011 Mix 94.1 Pet-a-Paloooza is fast approaching, and I have a solid source that tells me that this year's line-up will be Awesome.  Capital "A" awesome.  I believe it'll be announced on Monday, so in the meantime, reminisce with me on past Pet-a-Paloozas via the KMXB web site, and catch an hour of the best performances from them on Sunday at 9am.  My faves have been Mat Kearney, Gavin DeGraw, & The Script.

Update:  See the lineup here.