Euro Soccer, Teen Read Contest, Dr Seuss meets Cthulhu, Obamacare, Birth Plans

Awesome links for today!

ITALIA!!!!!!!!! WOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Italy played an awesome, awesome game today, and sadly for them, Germany did not bring their A game. Best players: the two top row guys on the right. The far right guy is their Captain and goalee who was amazing at blocking everything Germany set up, except for that hail Mary penalty kick in the 92nd or so minute. Then Mario Balotelli, second from the right, scored two beautiful and well-deserved goals in the first half. Very hopeful that this team can beat the reigning World Cup Champions, the Spanish team, on Sunday!

Here is me watching the game on my laptop:

   

Note my slight baby bump in the bottom right hand corner of the right pic. Baby <3 soccer!

If you like your soccer players a bit less human, and a bit more Terminator, check out the RoboCup 2012!

 

And now in other news....

CONTEST!!!! Epic Teen Read Week art contest called It Came From a Book!   Here are the basics:  read any book and create a piece of art inspired by the story.  Your artwork can be any type– photography, painting, drawing, sculpture, manga– we want to see it all! 

Ever thought that Dr. Seuss books could be so much better if you added a little ultimate evil and madness? So did this guy!

It's happened to all my librarian friends. The patron comes in and wants this book their Mom read to them in the early 70s, and it had a blue cover, and there was a girl and her pet fish, etc. Good luck with that. The NY Public Library has some tips on helping those patrons find their long lost book gems.

And now for some politics!

The Supreme Court upheld Obama's Affordable Care Act! Woo! I see a lot of discussion online about the pros and cons of this act. I think it's important to remember why our system is broken and how much we desperately need reform. 

Some good things the Affordable Care Act does:

@keithellison
Thanks to ‪#Obamacare‬, health insurance bureaucrats can no longer deny children care because of pre-existing conditions

@keithellison
Thanks to ‪#Obamacare‬, millions of young Americans have coverage through their family plans until they are 26

 ‏@keithellison
Thanks to ‪#Obamacare‬, women cannot be discriminated against by insurance companies because of their gender

@keithellison
Millions of Americans will get a rebate since their ins.co. spent too much of their premium on admin. costs or CEO bonuses ‪#Obamacare‬

 Issues that opponents of the Act would rather people didn't know:

‏@keithellison
Repealing ‪#Obamacare‬ would add $230 billion to the deficit, leave 32 million Americans uninsured

$230 billion? Where did that number come from, you ask? 

@keithellison
GOP still plans Jul9 vote to repeal ‪#Obamacare‬ which CBO (Congressional Budgeting Office) says will cost us $230 BILLION

And now for some levity:

I adore Michelle Obama. Anywho....

Got some extra change in your sofa cushions? Consider donating to these awesome people:

• Dear Mr. Watterson - A Calvin & Hobbes Documentary

And lastly, I leave you with this gem regarding the current state of mommyhood and the latest fads in birth plans from McSweeneys: Jamie and Jeff's Birth Plan.

Some highlights:

While we do not have a traditional “philosophy” of “childbirth,” we have been heavily influenced by orthodox Wholefoodism and the “(d)well baby/good design” movement.

We believe strongly in the power of the female body and a long-term night nurse. We are opposed to torture/gluten. In the event you are ever unsure how to proceed today, please ask yourself, “What Would Gwyneth Do?”

Please provide WiFi so we can check what you say against Wikipedia and our favorite mom blogs.

Please generally avoid procedures that are totally unnecessary or excruciatingly painful.

Jamie would like Jeff to do the pushing whenever possible.

We will not be vaccinating our baby. Please vaccinate all other babies on this floor.

Awesome Movies & TV seen:

The Killing: a lot like the plot of Twin Peaks but without any quirkiness or fantastical elements.

Follows the police investigation of the murder of a young girl, tying together three interlocking stories as investigators chase a variety of leads.











Piranha 3DD: HILARIOUS take on monster movies with gratuitous nudity, David Hasselhoff, and Christopher Lloyd.

After events at Lake Victoria, the pre-historic school of blood-thirsty piranhas make their way into a newly opened waterpark.












Quarantine 2: Defying the rule that all sequels of remakes must suck, this movie does not.

A plane is taken over by a mysterious virus. When the plane lands it is placed under quarantine. Now a group of survivors must band together to survive the quarantine.