randomfootage: alan

Barbecue

On one of my regular journeys along a major Chicago street, I pass by this restaurant. I have never gone inside, but I've been wondering lately what is Live Barbecue. I hope it is not what I think it is.

No pastries in Denmark

Evidently,  in Denmark your newborn baby's name must be chose from a list of approved names. I'm told it is so that by restricting names to a designated list, no child will be disadvantaged by having a 'bad' name. Sort of like school uniforms with names. I notice there is Allan and Allen, but no Alan. There's a girls list too, and the only girls names beginning with Q are Queenie and Quinnie. Here's the list for boys:

http://navneforskning.ku.dk/personnavne.doc/Godkendte_drengenavne.doc

Infant car seat blues

No one can argue that the most important aspects of an infant car seat revolve around its designated function - to protect the baby from the rigors of the urban vehicular experience. This is key, and I won't compromise in this. But after safefy requirements are satisfied, there are many other things to consider: how heavy, how much room it takes up in car, cost, ease of installing in car, abillity to clamp onto a stroller, etc.

One other consideration: looks and style. Many of these seats are truly ugly, or at least they seem so, particularly to the fathers who are forced to use them. I am talking about calico prints, teddy bear patterns, gingham squares, frills, even leopard and zebra prints. I don't want to come off sounding like some kind of style elitist, and if someone can show me that my baby will truly enjoy the little flowered print (which his back is against anyway) I might repent, but at the moment I am unconvinced. Fortunately, some manufacturers have gotten the message, and have designed great seats with all the functions of a safe and effective device, but with looks that please. The Italian seat by Peg Perego, 2006 model, with Side Impact Protection comes to mind, and this is available in the U.S. The model pictured below though wins in the looks category, for me. By Maxi-Cosi, a Dutch company, this product is not for sale in the U.S. as they have not sought to submit their product for approval here.  Sleek, simple, elegant, and meets European safety standards (which generally are more stringent than U.S. standards anyway. What a nice looking seat. This is the Cabrio in Black Reflection color:

Back on my blog.

Hello. I am back after not posting on my 'blog' for nearly a year.  The rat and cat and the cat pictured below have the distinction of being the top stewards of the blog over these many months, and for this I thank them.   

My friend Tony recently started a Blog, and it reminded me that I had one, laying dormant and utterly neglected. Originally I had meant to 'take a photograph a day' but certainly that didn't happen...

At the moment, life is basically centered around the anticipation and excitement of the upcoming arrival of our first baby, a boy.  My wife and I are enjoying this unique time together as we wait for him to come;  between time spent at work and in preparing our environment for the newcomer, we're trying to get out and enjoy company with friends and family.  I'll keep posted...