
I came up with this silly little wordplay joke the other day. It's kind of like those goofy jokes from children's joke books about a dog saying that sandpaper is "Ruff!" Okay, have I lowered your expectations enough? Here we go:

Q: What is Nora's favorite word?

A: Panorama.

Get it? Because it's "Nora" nestled snugly in between "Pa" and "Ma"!

![Erik, Marga and Nora](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-28-noras-favorite-word/4647625690_f44f28ce7f.jpg "Erik, Marga and Nora") Â© John Payne Photography

This joke occurred to me because iPhoto, my photo management application, doesn't search by whole words, so whenever I search for photos of Nora, it shows me [all my panoramas](http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=panorama&w=23585397%40N00&m=tags) too.


Nora's favorite word


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-28-off-camera-flash-part-2/4647124794_663a87bbd5_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Ooh, what's in here?">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-28-off-camera-flash-part-2/4647124794_4d1236078a_t.jpg" alt="Ooh, what's in here?"/>
</a>

It's been just over a year since [my last experiments](/2009/05/12/off-camera-flash/) with taking off-camera flash shots of my daughter. All yesterday she was reminding me, both in looks and behavior, of the title character of that 1993 [Dennis the Menace](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106701/) movie, so I decided to take some photos of her during her playtime before bed. Recently, when my flash is on my camera, I can't get her to look at anything besides the flash, so in all of my photos of her, she's looking just above the camera. This problem is what gave me the idea to try my off-camera flash transmitter to see if I could capture her looking more at the camera or at least not looking _almost_ into the camera. <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-28-off-camera-flash-part-2/4646495331_b163144247_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Playing before bed">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-28-off-camera-flash-part-2/4646495331_d287ba6b88.jpg" alt="Playing before bed"/>
</a>

Nora the Menace.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-28-off-camera-flash-part-2/4647120846_26c39c1532_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Looking up at the camera flash">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-28-off-camera-flash-part-2/4647120846_698ac05fe7.jpg" alt="Looking up at the camera flash"/>
</a>

Looking at camera flash.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-28-off-camera-flash-part-2/4647123484_05932e59df_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Nuclear Fission Achieved">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-28-off-camera-flash-part-2/4647123484_cfbedaf6ed.jpg" alt="Nuclear Fission Achieved"/>
</a>

Nuclear fission achieved! Let's dial that shutter speed down a little, shall we?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-28-off-camera-flash-part-2/4647124794_663a87bbd5_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Ooh, what's in here?">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-28-off-camera-flash-part-2/4647124794_4d1236078a.jpg" alt="Ooh, what's in here?"/>
</a>

Ooh! What's in here?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-28-off-camera-flash-part-2/4646509777_ae2dd2ed2d_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Forehead">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-28-off-camera-flash-part-2/4646509777_a42dd476d0.jpg" alt="Forehead"/>
</a>

Forehead illumination.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-28-off-camera-flash-part-2/4646511111_d880e44329_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Lit from below">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-28-off-camera-flash-part-2/4646511111_8db7ebd619.jpg" alt="Lit from below"/>
</a>

Okay, so my off-camera flash talents are still in the novice experimental stage, but it's awfully fun.


Off-Camera Flash, Part 2

Visiting Colindres in May


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-25-parents-visit-may-2010/4638469772_c59e9c99a2_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="In the park with Daddy">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-25-parents-visit-may-2010/4638469772_99ba6afdd2_t.jpg" alt="In the park with Daddy"/>
</a>

My father has sent me some photos he took during his recent visit. They provide a pretty good snapshot of our daily routines, from the playground to the local grocery store, to evening bath time. It seems amazing to me that just ten days ago we had Nora in her winter coat and today she's sweating in the lightest white linen suit. <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-25-parents-visit-may-2010/4638443528_7a05c9311d_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Reading with Grandma">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-25-parents-visit-may-2010/4638443528_711f7006b9.jpg" alt="Reading with Grandma"/>
</a>

Reading with Grandma. On the last page of the [That's Not My Baby](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1409506266?ie=UTF8&tag=eriksblog07-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1409506266) book, there's a mirror, which always causes Narcissus Nora to kiss her reflection. It's pretty adorable.

[![Erik counting sheep (only one more to go!)](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-25-parents-visit-may-2010/4637854829_352905dbba.jpg "Erik counting sheep (only one more to go!)")](http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikrasmussen/4637854829 "View 'Erik counting sheep (only one more to go!)' on Flickr.com")

Out for a walk in the countryside.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-25-parents-visit-may-2010/4638469772_c59e9c99a2_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="In the park with Daddy">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-25-parents-visit-may-2010/4638469772_99ba6afdd2.jpg" alt="In the park with Daddy"/>
</a>

At the playground. I love Nora's coy look in this photo. You can see all those goldilocks we [chopped off](/2010/05/24/noras-first-haircut/).

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-25-parents-visit-may-2010/4637863283_9b39a4eda0_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="In the park with Daddy">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-25-parents-visit-may-2010/4637863283_7866c10bac.jpg" alt="In the park with Daddy"/>
</a>

Ready to catch her when she falls.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-25-parents-visit-may-2010/4637867585_4fda37dc6a_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Waiting her turn">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-25-parents-visit-may-2010/4637867585_670b5b9251.jpg" alt="Waiting her turn"/>
</a>

Waiting somewhat patiently for Denise, a longtime "classmate" at daycare, to clear the slide.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-25-parents-visit-may-2010/4637871879_8ff7e40f56_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="At the top of the slide">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-25-parents-visit-may-2010/4637871879_96965f2f15.jpg" alt="At the top of the slide"/>
</a>

At the top of the slide.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-25-parents-visit-may-2010/4637840305_df2d793eef_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Bruno, Paul and Andrés">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-25-parents-visit-may-2010/4637840305_0b9ae087c5.jpg" alt="Bruno, Paul and Andrés"/>
</a>

My father at the grocery store with Bruno and Andrés.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-25-parents-visit-may-2010/4637844205_1d047512a2_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Nora and Tona">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-25-parents-visit-may-2010/4637844205_4ba22197e3.jpg" alt="Nora and Tona"/>
</a>

Nora's favorite fruitmonger, Tona. Her dangling necklaces and glasses are always entertaining.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-25-parents-visit-may-2010/4637847399_859e2dfb74_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Nora with Andrés">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-25-parents-visit-may-2010/4637847399_5f6be28ed5.jpg" alt="Nora with Andrés"/>
</a>

Nora feels really comfortable with Andrés, more so than with the other people at the store.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-25-parents-visit-may-2010/4638460674_925ecd4df6_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="With Mommy and Daddy">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-25-parents-visit-may-2010/4638460674_55c16875ee.jpg" alt="With Mommy and Daddy"/>
</a>

At home with Mommy and Daddy, with the carpet turned up for more walker space.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-25-parents-visit-may-2010/4638440646_b8a135d6bf_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Bath time">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-25-parents-visit-may-2010/4638440646_12f1d20610.jpg" alt="Bath time"/>
</a>

And finally bath time before bedtime.


Parents' Visit - May 2010


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-24-nora-at-the-beach/4635769040_4a52bea04d_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Nora's first trip to the beach">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-24-nora-at-the-beach/4635769040_0f4ebe1769_t.jpg" alt="Nora's first trip to the beach"/>
</a>

We live about an eight minute car ride from [one of the nicest beaches](http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikrasmussen/1332390342/sizes/l/) on the northern coast of Spain. Last year, shackled to an infant, we never went once. But this year we're looking forward to many more trips, maybe even a sand castle or two, and seeing just how much sand a baby can ingest. The weather on Sunday was _gorgeous_, so we had to go. First we walked several kilometers up and down the walkway that follows the curve of the beach, and then we put the stroller in the car and took Nora for her first time walking on the beach and having her feet in the surf. If we had realized just what a wonderful day it was going to be, we might have taken bathing suits and a better camera.  <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-24-nora-at-the-beach/4635719104_c1c40d064a_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Nora's first trip to the beach">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-24-nora-at-the-beach/4635719104_22ee608a0f_b.jpg" alt="Nora's first trip to the beach"/>
</a>

What the...?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-24-nora-at-the-beach/4635720828_3d9db30af2_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Nora's first trip to the beach">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-24-nora-at-the-beach/4635720828_4151247e08_b.jpg" alt="Nora's first trip to the beach"/>
</a>

Beach girl.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-24-nora-at-the-beach/4635125303_5d2001a38a_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Nora's first trip to the beach">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-24-nora-at-the-beach/4635125303_348a544eaf_b.jpg" alt="Nora's first trip to the beach"/>
</a>

At first the water was a little scary. Heck, I might have shrieked a little bit from the cold when it first hit my feet. But after a minute it became quite nice. After I took these photos, I, being the only barefooted parent on the scene, took Nora a little further out until she got her ankles good and wet. The sinking sensation freaked her out for a minute, but then she began to run (with support) around in the surf.

It was a good introduction, and we're looking forward to many more trips to the beach this year.


Nora at the beach


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-24-noras-first-haircut/4636235853_63536436b9_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="First Haircut">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-24-noras-first-haircut/4636235853_896cc9865c_t.jpg" alt="First Haircut"/>
</a>

After a few dozen "You should cut her hair!" comments from friends, we finally broke down and cut Nora's hair on her 14-month birthday today. I didn't get a chance to take a "before" picture, but, let's face it, she was pretty [scruffy-looking](http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikrasmussen/4621609782/). Neither Marga nor I have never really understood the point of keeping the first locks cut off a baby, so we passed on that.

Shortly after her daycare pickup time, a huge (for us) storm rolled in and it started pouring rain. I called up Marga and she said she was in a _peluquerí­a_ getting Nora's hair cut. A few minutes later, I got a call requesting that I go down to the local _peluquerí­a_ and bring an umbrella and the plastic bubble to put on the stroller. When I arrived, I found little Nora sporting a nice new do (and some doodoo, too). Apparently she screamed for most of haircut. This doesn't surprise me, since she's _very_ particular about who can touch her, _especially_ her head. Somehow the skilled hairdresser was able to do a pretty good job on her unwilling client. I'm amazed.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-24-noras-first-haircut/4636834398_cb593a6495_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="First Haircut">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-24-noras-first-haircut/4636834398_edffb16e56.jpg" alt="First Haircut"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-24-noras-first-haircut/4636838294_f158eaa191_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="First Haircut">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-24-noras-first-haircut/4636838294_486a19013d.jpg" alt="First Haircut"/>
</a>

The majority of it came off the sides...

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-24-noras-first-haircut/4636238195_6ee015fb54_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="First Haircut">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-24-noras-first-haircut/4636238195_e73d499d8d.jpg" alt="First Haircut"/>
</a>

...and back.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-24-noras-first-haircut/4636235853_63536436b9_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="First Haircut">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-24-noras-first-haircut/4636235853_896cc9865c.jpg" alt="First Haircut"/>
</a>

Lookin' good, Nora!


Nora's First Haircut


![thumb](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-22-taking-a-stand/1.jpg)Today, Nora and her mother were playing the cutest game, with Nora, who [already understands about telephones](/2010/03/16/talking-on-the-phone-while-driving/), "dialing" the phone and handing it to her mother, who would pretend to talk for a bit and then hand it back. I said, "Keep doing that, I'm going to get the camera!" And when I got back, they were still at it. Adorable footage captured. Yay.

But what no one was expecting was what came next! Nora put the phone up on the coffee table and proceeded to pull herself up to a standing position. She had [done this in the crib](/2010/05/16/jewel-thief/), and has been getting quite good at it, but never before on a piece of furniture. She has now ushered in a new era of super extra cautiousness in that we can no longer leave her alone in a room without the possibility of her standing up and taking a nose dive into a table or the floor.

Watch her mother's eyes as Nora rises to her bipedal glory. We are both amazingly proud and terrified. Something tells me this won't be the last time our parenthood combines those two emotions.

Yes, I know the Wii Balance Board doesn't go on the table. We had picked it up off the floor to let our [new robot vacuum servant](http://twitter.com/erikras/status/13790448195) do its work.


Taking A Stand


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-21-weekend-flowers/4626501017_6b07eeba7d_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Flowers">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-21-weekend-flowers/4626501017_bed46abf1a_t.jpg" alt="Flowers"/>
</a>

This morning I got up at 4:45 to take my parents to the Bilbao airport. I was back home by 6:45, just in time for Marga to go off to work. I snuck in an hour of sleep until Nora woke up at 8:00 wanting breakfast. Her snot-encrusted philtrum was a pitiful sight. She's been suffering from a sniffly mucusfest of a cold for the past two days, the poor thing.

About mid-morning, I put her in her crib for a few minutes (she immediately [stood up](/2010/05/16/jewel-thief/)) while I ran around the house doing some errands, and when I came back, she had taken her pants off. Today was hotter than it has been recently, so I understood her motivation. Still, it's shocking when she accomplishes things like that. Oh, and she also turned over a chair in the dining room today while in her walker.

To help begin a relaxing weekend, I thought I'd share some flower photos I took a few weeks ago. Enjoy...<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-21-weekend-flowers/4627098584_f5c42244d7_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Flowers">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-21-weekend-flowers/4627098584_fb6a26a437.jpg" alt="Flowers"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-21-weekend-flowers/4626496169_e8b39c6c51_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Flowers">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-21-weekend-flowers/4626496169_ab8ab3c28a.jpg" alt="Flowers"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-21-weekend-flowers/4626505035_475e921d43_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Flowers">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-21-weekend-flowers/4626505035_9e6c7bbc3d.jpg" alt="Flowers"/>
</a>


Weekend Flowers


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-20-birthday-mariscada/4624381920_6313e248ea_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Paul with his Crab Feast">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-20-birthday-mariscada/4624381920_95be1f16be_t.jpg" alt="Paul with his Crab Feast"/>
</a>

Yesterday was my father's 61st birthday. Ever since we celebrated [his sixtieth birthday](/2009/06/19/old-man-blues/) [last May](/2009/05/26/meeting-nora/) by eating a _mariscada_ at a local restaurant, he has been planning on/hoping for/not-so-subtly requesting a repeat celebration this year. A _mariscada_ is a platter of _marisco_, which generally translates to "seafood" in English, but usually specifically refers only to [shellfish](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shellfish). The region of Galicia is very famous for its _marisco_, but the _mariscada_ we had [in Vigo](/2010/03/09/vigo/) was a big let down after that of our local restaurant, _El Guti_, which is where we dined last night. The restaurant is owned by a friend of ours, José Luis. Now, on to the photos... <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-20-birthday-mariscada/4623755007_04c8ef0e04_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Crab Salad?">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-20-birthday-mariscada/4623755007_94fd6f4c52.jpg" alt="Crab Salad?"/>
</a>

We started off with a salad that I think had some crab meat in it, and a little shrimp on top.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-20-birthday-mariscada/4624364870_cca3261a21_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Clams in Garlic and Parsley Sauce">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-20-birthday-mariscada/4624364870_652a9a4c66.jpg" alt="Clams in Garlic and Parsley Sauce"/>
</a>

Then came the clams in garlic and parsley sauce. With a bottle of wine, some bread, and this sauce, that's just about all I need for happiness.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-20-birthday-mariscada/4624372642_3b7184274e_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Grilled Mushrooms">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-20-birthday-mariscada/4624372642_385a962829.jpg" alt="Grilled Mushrooms"/>
</a>

This is _El Guti_'s main signature tapa, grilled mushrooms with cheese and a baby shrimp. Wonderful! I don't think this was part of the _mariscada_ menu, but was complimentary because we know the bossman.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-20-birthday-mariscada/4624377314_50c30577b8_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Crab Feast">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-20-birthday-mariscada/4624377314_95b989381c.jpg" alt="Crab Feast"/>
</a>

And then came the crabs! Some were small, like the [_nécoras_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velvet_crab "Velvet or Devil Crab"), and some were huge. All were delicious.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-20-birthday-mariscada/4624381920_6313e248ea_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Paul with his Crab Feast">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-20-birthday-mariscada/4624381920_95be1f16be.jpg" alt="Paul with his Crab Feast"/>
</a>

The birthday boy was happy, that's for sure!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-20-birthday-mariscada/4623780077_5acaf07b05_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Jumbo Shrimp and Lobster">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-20-birthday-mariscada/4623780077_a972527de4.jpg" alt="Jumbo Shrimp and Lobster"/>
</a>

And then came the jumbo shrimp and lobster course!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-20-birthday-mariscada/4623784071_e07459cdb7_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Jumbo Shrimp and Lobster">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-20-birthday-mariscada/4623784071_bb4ef60c41.jpg" alt="Jumbo Shrimp and Lobster"/>
</a>

This is my favorite of the courses. The crab course was cold, and this one was steaming, fresh off the grill. Just as I get bored picking every little bit of meat out of cancrine exoskeletons, the hot delicious course arrives.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-20-birthday-mariscada/4624393832_416a8a66e9_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Shrimp and Crawfish">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-20-birthday-mariscada/4624393832_7f827b465f.jpg" alt="Shrimp and Crawfish"/>
</a>

And finally the shrimp course. Right about the time the last course arrived, I was summoned to baby calming duty, and, having overeaten a bit on the lobster course, I can't say that my bursting stomach really missed anything.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-20-birthday-mariscada/4624397654_22d69794a0_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Shrimp Platter">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-20-birthday-mariscada/4624397654_aa92fa8742.jpg" alt="Shrimp Platter"/>
</a>

A full sexagenarian admires the plate of shrimp.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-20-birthday-mariscada/4623796099_f12523187e_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Birthday Boy Dessert">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-20-birthday-mariscada/4623796099_9e4146ef4a.jpg" alt="Birthday Boy Dessert"/>
</a>

Then it was time for dessert!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-20-birthday-mariscada/4624409012_7b9426cd7e_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Nora tries ice cream">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-20-birthday-mariscada/4624409012_6a734da871.jpg" alt="Nora tries ice cream"/>
</a>

Nora got a little of her mother's ice cream treat.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-20-birthday-mariscada/4623806981_510423c441_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Paul's Honey Liqueur">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-20-birthday-mariscada/4623806981_71279d39ff.jpg" alt="Paul's Honey Liqueur"/>
</a>

And with a chilled honey liqueur, we called it a successful birthday dinner and went home. It was a wonderful end to a wonderful meal with my four closest family members, my mother, father, wife, and daughter. Happy birthday, Dad!


Birthday Mariscada


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-17-ipad-for-a-13-month-old/4615733332_212a5b7273_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Nora using her iPad">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-17-ipad-for-a-13-month-old/4615733332_d5a3abe61b_t.jpg" alt="Nora using her iPad"/>
</a>

My father has an excellent story about reading an editorial in [_Creative Computing_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Computing) magazine once about how children could comprehend and do useful things on personal computers. The author of the article had a four year old that knew about games and how to use the keyboard, etc. My father wrote another editorial letter for the magazine, about me, that went roughly like this:  <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-17-ipad-for-a-13-month-old/4615186105_098d87776b_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Get Me Off This Rock! (crop)">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-17-ipad-for-a-13-month-old/4615186105_8ac2f2cc03_m.jpg" alt="Get Me Off This Rock! (crop)"/>
</a>

 by erikrasmussen, on Flickr")

> My son also uses our personal computer. He has his own diskette with games he likes on it, and he knows that whenever no one else is using the computer, he can ask me – he knows that he's not allowed to touch anything on the computer desk – and I will put in the disk and boot up his games. Last week I saw him go into the computer room, so I followed him, but I stopped at the doorway and watched as he climbed up on the chair and reached for the diskette box. Rather than immediately yell at him for touching what he knows is forbidden, I watched as he opened the box, thumbed through the disks until he found his games disk, inserted it into the disk drive, closed the drive, turned on the computer, and began playing one of his games. It was that day that I realized that we adults vastly underestimate our children's abilities. _It was the day after his second birthday_.

My father has always been somewhat of an early adopter, and his personal computer hobby in the early eighties quickly turned him into a computer guru at work, which strongly shaped his career path. So it wasn't too odd that he pre-ordered an iPad a few months ago. What I wasn't expecting at all, however, was that, after evaluating the product and its applications oriented towards children, he would bring his iPad and give it to his 13-month-old granddaughter, Nora. He retold me the story of his editorial letter this morning to remind me not to automatically assume that a child who is still learning to walk won't understand the abstraction of working with virtual objects "inside" a computing device. She has only had two or three days to play with it, but Nora clearly understands that there are things on the screen for touching, and that touching the screen sometimes results in a sound. The relationship between Nora and her iPad will be a fascinating one to watch develop.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-17-ipad-for-a-13-month-old/4615693362_f445897d01_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Nora using her iPad">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-17-ipad-for-a-13-month-old/4615693362_5e12d94a4e.jpg" alt="Nora using her iPad"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-17-ipad-for-a-13-month-old/4615090679_71d3b9b00a_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Nora using her iPad">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-17-ipad-for-a-13-month-old/4615090679_fbb9930f01.jpg" alt="Nora using her iPad"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-17-ipad-for-a-13-month-old/4615733332_212a5b7273_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Nora using her iPad">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-17-ipad-for-a-13-month-old/4615733332_d5a3abe61b.jpg" alt="Nora using her iPad"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-17-ipad-for-a-13-month-old/4615739686_376d44e2ac_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Nora and Grandpa using her iPad">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-17-ipad-for-a-13-month-old/4615739686_0297b383f5.jpg" alt="Nora and Grandpa using her iPad"/>
</a>

 Nora and her grandfather playing with the iPad.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-17-ipad-for-a-13-month-old/4615752026_ab7c755640_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Nora and Grandpa using her iPad">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-17-ipad-for-a-13-month-old/4615752026_75a9a45636.jpg" alt="Nora and Grandpa using her iPad"/>
</a>

 Learning what a "tiger" is.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-17-ipad-for-a-13-month-old/4615764416_d637720b1b_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Nora using her iPad">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-17-ipad-for-a-13-month-old/4615764416_d91cc74999.jpg" alt="Nora using her iPad"/>
</a>

 I look forward to seeing how Nora's computer skills evolve.


iPad for a 13-month-old


![thumb](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-16-jewel-thief/default.jpg)Today, for the first time, I found Nora standing in her crib by herself. And then later I witnessed two such rises to bipedalism. However I highly suspect that yesterday was the first day she ever stood up in her crib by herself. Let me explain...  My parents are visiting, you see, and like any good hosts, we have assumed the burden privilege of having Nora stay in our room so as to not overly burden privilege our guests. Yesterday after her midday meal, I placed a not-at-all sleepy Nora in her crib and left her there while my parents and I waited for Marga to arrive home. She spoke to herself the entire 45 minutes she was up there, until... \[CRASH!!\]

I raced up the stairs to find that the crash was a necklace of Marga\\'s dropping to the floor, and Nora\\'s crib was covered in jewelry and an overturned jewelry box that she had somehow pulled down from the dresser adjacent to her crib. I couldn\\'t see how she could possibly have reached it from a sitting position, but since I had not yet see her pull herself up, I assumed that she must have done so from a sitting posture. Until today. As of now, she is fully capable of pulling herself up to a standing position in her crib.


Jewel Thief


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-10-up/4596456716_cc9f4132d0_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Slam Dunk!">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-10-up/4596456716_c25e2f88e4_t.jpg" alt="Slam Dunk!"/>
</a>

Nora said her first word today, at an age of 13 months, 2 weeks, and 2 days. She's a little behind the curve, but then she's behind a lot of curves. And what most parents consider a word, I don't. For me, for a baby to have said a word, it needs to occur within proper context, and only within that context.

Nora's been voicing phonemes that sometimes make words by chance for a while now. It doesn't count if she says "mama" or "dada" when she sees her mother or father if she continues to say it when she is by herself or seeing another object or person that doesn't have that name. She's been doing that for months, but it's not clear that she understands that the sounds have specific meanings. She could say pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, but if we're not talking about coal miners, lungs or silicate dust, then it's just out of context jibberish. The word she said today was pronounced well, used in the right context, and was a clear request for something that she obviously wanted. She was sitting on the floor, and she grabbed my hands, one in each of hers (this was the previous way of requesting a lift), and she said,

UP!!!

On subsequent requests, sometimes she would say "Puh!!" instead, but when repeated, "Puh! Puh! Puh!" is indistinguishable from "Up! Up! Up!" For the rest of the day she's been practicing her [voiceless bilabial plosives](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voiceless_bilabial_plosive), often resulting in [salivary ejections](/2010/02/19/spitty-face/).

It's far from perfect, but it's the first time she's actually tried to communicate something using her voice. Word up.



<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-08-sudsy/4586696169_955b453df5_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Sudsy Nora">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-08-sudsy/4586696169_4ab3afc129_t.jpg" alt="Sudsy Nora"/>
</a>

Last Friday, after a 12+ hour day at work, Marga decided to have a rare relaxing bath. When she was almost done, Nora's bath time was approaching, so we decided to throw her in there too. It was way more soap bubbles than she's ever seen. The following are a set of photos I took as she was exploring her soapy environment. She was in a child bath seat, but you'd never know that from the photos, as the surface of the water was opaque with bubbles.  <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-08-sudsy/4587311844_83fb6770cb_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Sudsy Nora">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-08-sudsy/4587311844_a7c015291b.jpg" alt="Sudsy Nora"/>
</a>

 What the...?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-08-sudsy/4586696169_955b453df5_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Sudsy Nora">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-08-sudsy/4586696169_4ab3afc129.jpg" alt="Sudsy Nora"/>
</a>

 Sudsy girl.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-08-sudsy/4586701327_bb9ee4eb9b_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Sudsy Nora">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-08-sudsy/4586701327_379b0b0c18.jpg" alt="Sudsy Nora"/>
</a>

 Flailing arm about.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-08-sudsy/4586706461_804c80daff_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Sudsy Nora">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-08-sudsy/4586706461_bcc1fab546.jpg" alt="Sudsy Nora"/>
</a>

 Both arms!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-08-sudsy/4587336464_81ab6c422e_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Sudsy Nora">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-08-sudsy/4587336464_446a22e1b2.jpg" alt="Sudsy Nora"/>
</a>

 What _is_ this stuff?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-08-sudsy/4587341702_95e446478f_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Sudsy Nora">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-08-sudsy/4587341702_590fa213c7.jpg" alt="Sudsy Nora"/>
</a>

 I can't get it off my hand!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-08-sudsy/4586721789_972288ffd3_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Sudsy Nora">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-08-sudsy/4586721789_d1348c1202.jpg" alt="Sudsy Nora"/>
</a>

 Photographer's about to get a knuckle sandwich.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-08-sudsy/4586727081_96ac138aaa_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Sudsy Nora">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-08-sudsy/4586727081_dcd8b9a2a4.jpg" alt="Sudsy Nora"/>
</a>

 This is my favorite, because it actually looks like she's scrubbing herself in the bath.


Sudsy


[![](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-07-tax-deductible/4105756012_db89e4be50_t.jpg)](http://www.flickr.com/photos/alancleaver/4105756012/ "Income tax, by alancleaver")The more I research retirement savings plans, college savings plans, and think about my investment portfolio, the more I come across the phrase "tax deductible" or "tax free". My 401K contributions come out of my untaxed gross salary. The interest gains of my IRA are not taxed. Up to $2500 of my contributions to my daughters college fund are tax deductible. In the US, [up to $3000 of stock market losses are tax deductible](http://www.ehow.com/about_5436123_tax-deduction-stock-losses.html). Think about what that means. You can lose up to $3000, and the government covers your losses, making your final total the equivalent of someone who did not play the market at all. It's almost like every American being given $3000 of poker chips to be played on the stock market every year. The term "tax deductible" is like "free money from the government...if you know how to use it".  As is often the case, a casual comment by my wife has started me thinking and realizing that she's made a very insightful observation. **The whole system is oriented to let the rich avoid paying taxes.** Poor people don't have an extra $3000 they can play with on the stock market. Poor people don't have an extra $208/month to put towards each kid's college fund. And the poor certainly can't pay a tax specialist to find all the loopholes.

I understand that making certain expenses tax deductible is a way for the government to encourage investing in the stock market, giving to charity, and saving for retirement, all of which are undeniably good things for those that can afford to do so to be doing. But reducing tax, thereby reducing the government budget, seems like a bad way to go about encouraging those behaviors.

The whole US tax system is really pretty [FUBAR](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FUBAR). Although I freely admit that I don't know how to fix it, [so I'll shut up](/2010/04/29/constructive-criticism/).


Tax Deductible


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-06-after-so-much-everything-for-nothing/4584496056_8daa77db39_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Vida">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-06-after-so-much-everything-for-nothing/4584496056_dc5efc2aba_t.jpg" alt="Vida"/>
</a>

On today's walk I went down a street I don't normally use and found a bronze plaque I had never noticed. On it was a poem by José Hierro, one of Spain's twentieth century poets. He was born in Madrid, but then moved to Cantabria, the region where I live, when he was two years old. I don't know about Hierro's philosophy, but this particular poem is quite nihilistic. It's also just the length and has just the right amount of wordplay that I like in poems. What do you think?  <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-06-after-so-much-everything-for-nothing/4584496056_8daa77db39_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Vida">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-06-after-so-much-everything-for-nothing/4584496056_dc5efc2aba_b.jpg" alt="Vida"/>
</a>

> VIDA
> 
> Después de todo, todo ha sido nada, a pesar de que un dí­a lo fue todo. Después de nada, o después de todo supe que todo no era más que nada.
> 
> Grito "¡Todo!", y el eco dice "¡Nada!". Grito "¡Nada!", y el eco dice "¡Todo!". Ahora sé que la nada lo era todo, y todo era ceniza de la nada.
> 
> No queda nada de lo que fue nada. (Era ilusión lo que creí­a todo y que, en definitiva, era la nada.)
> 
> Qué más da que la nada fuera nada si más nada será, después de todo, después de tanto todo para nada.

> LIFE
> 
> After everything, everything has been nothing, despite that one day it was everything. After nothing, or after everything I knew that everything was no more than nothing.
> 
> I shout, "Everything!", and the echo says, "Nothing!" I shout, "Nothing!", and the echo says, "Everything!" Now I know that the nothing was everything and everything was the ash of the nothing.
> 
> Nothing is left of what nothing was. (It was illusion that created everything and that, in short, was the nothing.)
> 
> Who cares if the nothing was nothing if it will be more nothing, after everything, after so much everything for nothing.


After so much everything for nothing


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-05-bovine-anatomy-lesson/2915780398_3388a151f1_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Sleepy Cow">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-05-bovine-anatomy-lesson/2915780398_c21426ea5f_t.jpg" alt="Sleepy Cow"/>
</a>

This morning during my daily visit to the grocery store, my friend, neighbor and butcher, Bruno, had something to show me. Normally he doesn't get whole calves to sell, but today he did. When I was there, he was in the process of carving out the kidneys, heart, and other parts (it was a male calf). If you don't want to see the insides of dead things or my local butcher, look away now.  <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-05-bovine-anatomy-lesson/4581690985_2113e777b1_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Bruno and a Cow Head">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-05-bovine-anatomy-lesson/4581690985_12bde47350_b.jpg" alt="Bruno and a Cow Head"/>
</a>

 Bruno and his bovine head.

Then he goes in the back and pulls out what you're about to see and says, "How about these? Do you know what these are?"

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-05-bovine-anatomy-lesson/4581692563_cc258f4773_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Bruno y sus cojones">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-05-bovine-anatomy-lesson/4581692563_77ca1e9528.jpg" alt="Bruno y sus cojones"/>
</a>

 He said, "Show these to your American friends so they know I have _cojones_!"

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-05-bovine-anatomy-lesson/4581693433_4b86bef4a8_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Cow Testicles">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-05-bovine-anatomy-lesson/4581693433_cdba2632c2.jpg" alt="Cow Testicles"/>
</a>

 Peeled cow testicles. Didn't think you'd be reading those words today, did you? Bruno's brother, my friend Andrés, assures me that fried cow testicles, if tasted under a veil of ignorance, are actually quite delicious.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-05-bovine-anatomy-lesson/4582324522_f1d942fabe_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Carving off cow cheeks">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-05-bovine-anatomy-lesson/4582324522_dccd045fd4.jpg" alt="Carving off cow cheeks"/>
</a>

 Carving off the cheek. Beef cheeks are a delicacy in Spain.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-05-bovine-anatomy-lesson/4581698101_911489e6b0_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Carving off cow cheeks">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-05-bovine-anatomy-lesson/4581698101_4ef7112328.jpg" alt="Carving off cow cheeks"/>
</a>

 Cheek removed.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-05-bovine-anatomy-lesson/4581700691_493a4c6927_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Hatcheting a cow skull">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-05-bovine-anatomy-lesson/4581700691_d3b5642c9a.jpg" alt="Hatcheting a cow skull"/>
</a>

 Cracking open the skull with a hatchet. When it comes time for my lobotomy, remind me not to have Bruno do it.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-05-bovine-anatomy-lesson/4581702119_766deccb3d_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Cow Brain">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-05-bovine-anatomy-lesson/4581702119_5cdaf67b35.jpg" alt="Cow Brain"/>
</a>

 Brain exposed. Getting hungry yet?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-05-bovine-anatomy-lesson/4582332796_f402535365_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Cow Brain">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-05-bovine-anatomy-lesson/4582332796_96a3454d7b.jpg" alt="Cow Brain"/>
</a>

 A brain in hand is worth... No, nevermind. Cows have a pretty small [encephalization quotient](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain-to-body_mass_ratio).

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-05-bovine-anatomy-lesson/4582333558_f5f244b5ca_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Cow Brain">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-05-bovine-anatomy-lesson/4582333558_624c730f5c.jpg" alt="Cow Brain"/>
</a>

If you're still hungry after all this, perhaps I could interest you in a [cow tongue recipe](/2007/03/26/spanish-cow-tongue-recipe/).


Bovine Anatomy Lesson


<img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-05-watchlivefootball-tv-is-a-scam/4581451908_4a3f7b8482_t.jpg" alt="WatchLiveFootball.tv is a scam" class="post-thumb"/>Recently there was a soccer match that I wanted to watch, but that was not broadcast on my basic cable television. Investigating around the internet for a site that would stream the live game, I stumbled upon a very well designed website called watchlivefootball.tv. If you go there, you will see a nice listing of today's fixtures with the time the match starts, the players, past results for each team, and the logos for each team as well as the league or tournament the game belongs to. It looks very professional. On each match page, there is a video player. When you click play, you are presented with this:  ![WatchLiveFootball.tv is a scam](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2010-05-05-watchlivefootball-tv-is-a-scam/4581451908_4a3f7b8482.jpg) Ooppss!

When you click the link, you are taken to another professional looking page which informs you that the watchlivefootball.tv service is compatible with Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. Many of the competing services are Windows-only, so I was very pleased to see the other supported OSes. I then fell for the "$34.95 for three years" offer that is "_ending only hours from now!_" rather than the monthly fee. It would actually be a good deal _if it weren't a scam_.

They forward you to ClickBank.com to put in your credit card information, and they issue you a username and password. It's all still professional up to this point. You can immediately log in and what do they do? **All WatchLiveFootball.tv does is provide you with a link to a free page called [ATDHE](http://www.atdhenet.tv/) to watch streaming sports for free.**

Right there on the ATDHE terms of service page, they say:

> Many sites charge money and send you here. ATDHENet.tv is a free website. If you paid to use this site, we suggest you ask for your money back from the place you paid for.

## ClickBank.com is not a scam

I had never heard of ClickBank, but apparently they are a direct competitor of PayPal, providing online transactional services for internet vendors, particularly ones selling intangibles like downloads. They are real, and they will refund your money if you ask them to. I clicked on the link in my confirmation email to go to my order on their website, clicked on the "support" button, and entered a support ticket with the following comment:

> All this vendor does is provide a link to a free website. There is no value provided. I would like my money back. Thanks.

Within five days they had credited my account. The listing for the vendor in ClickBank that tried to take my money through WatchLiveFootball.tv was stream-online-movie.com, so probably anything that they are offering is also a scam, but I cannot confirm that.

## How to watch live streaming sports on the internet for free

[Go to ATDHEnet.tv](http://www.atdhenet.tv/) and hopefully the game you are looking for will be listed there. I'm not a laywer, but I'm pretty sure that streaming live television coverage of sporting events is not strictly legal. The way ATDHE gets away with it is that all they do is collect links to other third party video streaming sites (e.g. UStream.tv) that just don't have the resources to immediately police their users that are up-streaming from their televisions.


17 posts from May, 2010