Boobs

Just to get you caught up on the week's breast news, on Monday Angelina Jolie wrote an op-ed in the New York Times revealing that she'd had a preventative double mastectomy because she carries a faulty gene that gives her a 87% chance of getting breast cancer. Angelia has come a long way since the days when she wore a vial of Billy Bob Thorton's blood around her neck and French kissed her brother. Once she became aware of the plight of refugees, she became a Special Envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and is very involved in human rights issues. She has used her celebrity to bring attention to important issues, and her op-ed is another example of this. She could have remained silent about her surgery probably no one would be the wiser, but by publicly acknowledging the surgery and her reasons for having it, she highlighted women's health issues, which is never a bad thing, IMO.

On the lighter side of talking about boobs, did you all see that Disney gave some to Merida, the heroine from Brave?

Photo: Disney/Pixar

Sound Advice

The Internets were buzzing this week about the story of the Swedish man who died from multiple bee stings after trying to have sex with a wasps nest. Only, then it turned out not to be true. My faith in the human race was momentarily restored and then I saw this:

That's a grown man who got stuck in a highchair at a McDonald's in Ireland and had to be freed by the police. You'll be shocked to learn that alcohol had a role in the incident. Apparently, he sat in the highchair, then consumed a McCwrap and was unable to extricate himself from the seat. (I just made that up.)

Vermont Country Store

If you've read my blog more than a couple of times, you'll know that I love me some eccentrics. Give me your Civil War reenactors, your Bronies, your cage-fighting groomers, you will find acceptance here with just a smidgen of gawking:

One of my favorite eccentrics, I've never even met. Dad has an acquaintance whose main business is buying and reselling the free promotional textbooks that professors receive from publishing companies. His secondary job is as a dealer in gold coins. He travels everywhere by bicycle and he drinks his own urine, which he carries around with him in a jar. I've never met him, but doesn't he just sound too good to be true?

My all-time favorite eccentric catalog is the Vermont Country Store. In the market for something that was rendered obsolete decades ago? Electric typewriter? Rotary dial phone? VCR tape rewinder? Cassette Recorder? All available from VCS. Alternatively, you could buy an iPhone, load some apps, and use it to replace all of the foregoing products.

Here is a review of the cassette recorder, which gives you an idea of the age and mindset of most of VCS's customers:

I'm so torn. Part of me wants to help her with the bulging battery cover and part of me wants to tell her that when you purchase an item outmoded in 1988, you're not a a great position to complain about "weeny" cords.

McCwrap

McDonald's got some free publicity last week when Charles Ramsey, the hero who helped free three kidnapped women in Cleveland, mentioned the restaurant multiple times in interviews. Ramsey was eating a McDonald's lunch when he heard Amanda Berry screaming and ran to help her while possibly still clutching a half-eaten Big Mac in his hand. I think McDonald's could use the boost because this is the sign at my neighborhood McDonald's:

Word to Your Mother

I hope you all had a good weekend. We were busy, busy, busy with year-end activities and sports for the kids. We've been incredibly swamped with stuff, which is why I haven't been able to post the last few days. We did take some time out on Sunday to celebrate Mother's Day. The "children" sent me a lovely bouquet of flowers from Foxgloves & Ivy (the website is wonky, but the flowers are very pretty) and a necklace. In a role-reversal, Mom gave me some cute Vera Bradley flip flops like this:

Available in Decatur at Seventeen Steps.

The children all made their own gifts, as well. The Baby decorated a flowerpot at school:

Which was very cute until she realized that the flowers were plunged into green play-doh (not capitalized because I think it's homemade) to hold them in place. She then deconstructed the entire gift, pulling out all the flowers, the pink Easter grass, and finally the green play-doh. After she got tired of playing with the individual elements of my gift, I put it all back together and cleaned up the stray Easter grass and play-doh that had fallen on the floor. Nothing like a gift that keeps on taking.

While I love the Baby's gift, I think that when kids get a little older and can make their own gifts, you get some really awesome stuff. Which brings me to the Girl's gift, a coupon book, and the Boy's gift, the most awesome Mother's Day card ever.

Funny Video

I just saw this video. Soooo cute:

Happy Friday!

11 Things That Shouldn't be Produced in Camouflage Print

My good friends Mama June and Sugar Bear were lawfully (maybe) joined in holy matrimony last weekend. They went an untraditional direction with the attire, and both the bride and groom wore camouflage to the wedding. Here's a good picture of the groom, bride, and Honey Boo Boo, herself:

Just in case you were wondering, June's dress is not the same earth-roaming fish camouflage pattern on the tablecloth from the K's white trash birthday party:

I believe that the pattern on Mama June's dress is a classic mossy oak.

I thought this might be a good time to talk about camouflage making the leap from the foxhole to the mainstream. Honestly, though, is there really a wrong time to talk about camo?