Sueing and Sewing

We are reading out way through the Little House books at the Riddy household and today I had a little trouble with this line "...we setted by the fire and did some sewing and crocheting."

Now I know what crocheting is, but I said crotcheting instead.  Irene looks up with a "Are you kidding?" look and I (realizing my mistake) respond "What, you think they can't sit around and complain while sewing away their afternoon in the middle of the prarie?" 

According to Chongers:

"Mark, get sick - GO!"

Loveys and Ether

I have always been a little creeped out by the attachment my kids have to their loveys.  Sebastien has taken to sometimes wearing it over his face and he inhales it deeply as if partaking of some illicit drug. 

It turns out, he is self-medicating!  The infant sense of smell is very strong and they draw comfort from the familiar scents trapped in the loveys.  Isabelle. at five, is just imitating her younger brother though for this picture.   I think she now keeps her lovey around more as a psychological crutch (as opposed to an olfactory one).

The thing is, I keep remembering those pictures of ether-users in the 1800's who drew comfort from inhaling ether from a soaked towel placed on their face (or used it to pass out for surgery).

Now, am I right to be creeped out or what?

Moyers, Zinn, and the Plutocracy

This chart shows something that has been bothering me for years:

How can one person be worth 800 other workers at the same company?  Just doesn't seem possible.  Another way of looking at it is to imagine what minimum wage would be if it had tracked CEO pay:

Which brings me to a really great lecture given at BU recently (thanks for bringing it to my attention, CES).  Bill Moyers is delivering the first annual Howard Zinn memorial lecture.  The speech starts 7 minutes in:

http://www.bu.edu/buniverse/view/?v=20ZaW9PO