Travels with Grumpus

My baby turns a year older tomorrow and tonight I made him a cake out of chocolate and butter pound cake.

He also, finally, got to open the present we picked out a month and a half ago. Don’t let that face in the last photo fool you. He’s already picked out tomorrow’s outfit.

Update: And because I’m just so darned cute, I got my own Mickey’s-birthday present.  Heheh.  Picture after the jump.  And Grumpus told me to remind my readers that he always picks out the day’s outfit the night before.  Saves time and aggravation in the morning.

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I wonder at what point you start finding your parents cute, because right now I think they’re adorable, and it’s freaking me out a little bit.

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From Grumpus:

Williams Mocks Bush Over Global Warming

The Fisher King star Robin Williams has hit out at President George W. Bush for refusing to accept global warming is a reality. The One Hour Photo actor - currently voicing a penguin in animated movie Happy Feet - is angry Bush has failed to sign the Kyoto Treaty to cut harmful emissions, and he accuses the American leader of being in denial. Speaking at the Happy Feet UK premiere in Leicester Square, London on Sunday night, Williams says, “There is global warming. I know our president doesn’t agree. (Bush thinks) ‘Global Warming. Oh just go inside for a bit.’”

Let’s see what Robin could have learned had he gone to Wikipedia.org:

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So I took a trip to Manila last Saturday to surprise mom on her birthday. Since another child has already written the long article that made mom cry, this daughter will just post photos. Lots of huggy photos.

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By the time this latest round of reclamation is over, Victoria Harbor will have lost half its original area. The folk that run this town apparently decided, despite the fact that 70% of Hong Kong is farmland and countryside, that more land had to be created, more open space had to be had. Now I subscribe to the “I’m sorry but your living room is in the way of progress” school of thought when it comes to city planning, highway-building and the like, but this landfill is neither useful nor necessary.  It was inevitable though, given the true nature of the balance of power in Hong Kong.  One of these days, and it won’t be long, we will be able to walk across the harbor.

What’s the big deal about this harbor anyway, you ask? The local tourism authority calls it one of the world’s most impressive natural harbors. I know it as the home of the most spectacular skyline in this neck o’ the woods,

the dividing line between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon/ the giant landmass that leads into China (click here for the Google map)

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The modern world killed off the nap, says Kurt Klein.  “I love to nap,” he begins, thereby capturing my heart immediately.

A good nap is one of life’s great pleasures, and the ability to nap is the sign of a well-balanced life. When we nap we snatch back control of our day from a mechanized, clock-driven society. We set aside the urgency imposed on us by the external world and get in touch with an internal rhythm that is millions of years old…

There’s no shortage of important historical nappers, many of them men of industry and action. Napoleon Bonaparte, John D. Rockefeller, Thomas Edison, and Winston Churchill were nappers in the heroic vein…

As a species, we seem designed to nap. Sleep researchers have long known that our natural circadian rhythms show two distinct dips in energy and alertness. The major dip starts in the late evening, helping us get ready for a good night’s sleep.  But there’s another significant dip in the early afternoon that, in a saner world, would have us all dropping off.

Grumpus sweetly sent me this article which I read after my afternoon nap and before my evening one.

Kicking ass and looking fabulous, Grumpus says.

Jackie Chan launches cosmetics line

HONG KONG, China (AP) — Jackie Chan has launched a cosmetics line, his Web site said Monday, adding to the action star’s diverse range of businesses that include fitness clubs, restaurants, a clothing label and cookies.

The Jackie Chan Organic Skin Care Line, a partnership with businesswoman Maggie Chu, launched at the trade fair Cosmoprof Asia on Thursday, Chan’s Web site said.

The statement said Chan’s skin care products, packaged with recycled materials, use natural ingredients that don’t pollute.

Grumpus says:

What to say in response to Fergie?

Fergie, of the Black Eyed Peas, says that anyone who insults her voice insults God. “I may not have the type of voice you like, but I can sing,” the white hip-hopper told Vibe. “You can’t take that away from me, ’cause singing is a gift from God, and when people say I can’t sing, it’s kind of like insulting God.” (From The Scoop on MSNBC.com)

God to Fergie: It’s OK for people to say you can’t sing, because you really can’t. Loved “Let’s Get Retarded”, though. Here’s a shout out to Apple D. Ap!

Grumpus says:

The choices were “ho”, “porn star” or “heroin addict”.  Frankly, other than medical professionals, who else really needs to get tested for HIV twice a year?  And I’m pretty sure Scarlett hasn’t gotten her MD.

from IMDB:

Johansson Criticizes President Bush

Scarlett Johansson has slammed President George W. Bush for his staunch conservative views on sex, criticizing the Republican for being too unrealistic in his opinions on the topic. The Lost In Translation star last month boasted about being so “socially aware” she gets tested for HIV twice a year. A staunch Christian, Bush is vehemently anti-abortion and is seeking to have the operation made illegal in all US states. During his time as Governor of Texas, Bush overhauled the state’s sex education system and high school students were taught abstinence was the only way to protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases. Johansson says, “We are supposed to be liberated in America but if our President had his way, we wouldn’t be educated about sex at all. Every woman would have six children and we wouldn’t be able to have abortions.”

Andy joins the Council of Trent(a) today. While big sis is freaked that yet another younger sibling has crossed the threshhold, she wishes this one a day that will keep her grinning from ear to ear, and a year of personal fulfillment, joy and love.