Beany Babies and Hand Grenades

[BlackShanglan]

You've never had a long night until you've tried the Ferber method of getting your child to go to sleep.

Dare I ask?

I find that a generous glass of sherry works wonders.

 

[OhMissScarlett]

Dare I ask?

I find that a generous glass of sherry works wonders.

kid tested, mother approved.

 

[sophia jane]

Dare I ask?

I find that a generous glass of sherry works wonders.

Benadryl isn't bad either.

SJ

 

[logophile]

Dare I ask?

Ferber advocated putting the baby down in the crib, patting the back, saying good night and walking out of the room.

When the baby cries, you wait five minutes and then go back into the room, pat the back, say good night and walk out of the room.

When the baby cries, you wait ten minutes and then go back into the room, pat the back, say good night and walk out of the room.

Rinse. Repeat at longer intervals each time.

No better way to teach your baby that his needs aren't important, in my never to be humble opinion. Oh, wait. There is one other way... You can follow that maniac Gary Ezzo in the On Becoming Babywise books (originally published as part of a series called Growing Kids God's Way).

My stomach hurts.


I forgot one thing on my list that of things that makes me uncomfortable in someone's home. An autographed pic of Regan, Bush Sr or Bush Jr. Especially if it's framed.

 

[carsonshepherd]

.


I forgot one thing on my list that of things that makes me uncomfortable in someone's home. An autographed pic of Regan, Bush Sr or Bush Jr. Especially if it's framed.

Oh God yes, but does that apply to pictures of John F. Kennedy? My whole family had them framed in their houses when I was young.

 

[shereads]

Pet snake.

Baby mice.

 

[shereads]

Oh God yes, but does that apply to pictures of John F. Kennedy? My whole family had them framed in their houses when I was young.

Pictures of JFK alive, right?

My supervisor at one job decorated his office with a collection of JFK autopsy photos. The frames were nice.

 

[carsonshepherd]

Pictures of JFK alive, right?

My supervisor at one job decorated his office with a collection of JFK autopsy photos. The frames were nice.

Yes, very much alive and vibrant, frame draped with a rosary or medal or something. That side of the family very, very Irish Catholic and spoke of JFK in hushed reverential tones. Keep in mind I was born 11 years after he died

 

[OhMissScarlett]

An Italian friend of mine took me to her parents' house and on the wall they had side by side framed pics of JFK, The Pope and Jesus in exactly that order.

 

[carsonshepherd]

An Italian friend of mine took me to her parents' house and on the wall they had side by side framed pics of JFK, The Pope and Jesus in exactly that order.

PMSL! The new pope is German, but we're not Catholic on the German side...

 

[OhMissScarlett]

PMSL! The new pope is German, but we're not Catholic on the German side...

he was Polish then, but the Italian family didn't seem to mind.
I thought they only needed a picture of Frank Sinatra to complete their iconic collection.

on a similar subject, I wince when I go into someone's house and see hideous art prints on the walls. When I first dated my current SO, he had horrid Home Interiors pictures up on the wall. You know the kind I'm talking about, flower baskets or animals with mauve or country blue frames and borders.

I should've know better

 

[cheerful_deviant]

CD's list of warings:

Anyone who actually collects "Collectors Series" TV Guides. "Collect all 6!"

Similiarly, anyone who proudly displays their collection of NASCAR Cheerios boxes on a shelf.

Stacks and stacks of newspapers and magazines dating back to the early 80's, kept because, "There was an interesting article I wanted to read in there."

Any wall art featuring Budweiser. (If it's in a home bar or rec room it's acceptable, not in the livingroom or kitchen.)

Any large display of anything from The Franklin Mint.

 

[shereads]

Yes, very much alive and vibrant, frame draped with a rosary or medal or something. That side of the family very, very Irish Catholic and spoke of JFK in hushed reverential tones. Keep in mind I was born 11 years after he died

He's dead?

 

[AppleBiter]

I once worked for a C-LEC (competitive local exchange carrier) phone company and, to give you a brief run-down (so this will make sense), a C-LEC's service is carried over the equipment of an I-LEC (incumbant local exchange carrier), i.e. The Bell Companies (SBC, BST). Therefore, if we needed orders run through, we had to place them with the ILEC. Okay, now (SHEESH, I'm long-winded):

There was this girl that worked there (she wrote orders to place thru Bell) and, on my first day "nesting," in her cubicle I noticed that she had a little homemade sign that said, "Southwestern Bell/Bell South -- The Axis of Evil." Surrounding this sign were lots of black and white drawings of starving people and people with demonic faces. I think she was just a little off . . .

 

[LadyJeanne]

People with "Thank You For Not Smoking" signs in their house. Yeah, ok, but, WTF?

 

[BlackShanglan]

Anyone with collector's mania. Whether it's pigs, dogs, cherubic children or sunflowers, if it's plastered over every level surface and decorative and functional item in the room, it's unnerving and a sign of obsession.

(Grandfather clause: strawberries are excused. The owner is too nice to quibble with.)

 

[carsonshepherd]

People with "Thank You For Not Smoking" signs in their house. Yeah, ok, but, WTF?

How about if they're changed to "Thank you for Pot Smoking?"

 

[LadyJeanne]

How about if they're changed to "Thank you for Pot Smoking?"

They'd be my new best friends?

 

[carsonshepherd]

They'd be my new best friends?

Cheers.

 

[elsol]

So basically... a house can have NOTHING with personality in it... huh?

Imagine walking into a house and there being nothing... at all... out of place, just furniture, sterile walls, and perfectly placed kitchen implements.

Seriously, ladies... you walk into a 'possibilities' house and that's what you see... what are you doing?

Fucking running if you're smart.


Sincerely,
ElSol

 

[LadyJeanne]

So basically... a house can have NOTHING with personality in it... huh?

Imagine walking into a house and there being nothing... at all... out of place, just furniture, sterile walls, and perfectly placed kitchen implements.

Seriously, ladies... you walk into a 'possibilities' house and that's what you see... what are you doing?

Fucking running if you're smart.


Sincerely,
ElSol

You are correct. I once knew a guy who pulled out his vacuum cleaner during parties. It was only the merciless ribbing of his friends that kept me from running...it's a quirk, a clean freak quirk, really, it doesn't mean he's a freak, no not at all...

 

[elsol]

You are correct. I once knew a guy who pulled out his vacuum cleaner during parties. It was only the merciless ribbing of his friends that kept me from running...it's a quirk, a clean freak quirk, really, it doesn't mean he's a freak, no not at all...

Yeah... I need something in a house that says the person is a little freaky about something... and not cleanliness or having his 'space' poisoned by pop-crap.

Okay... I am running if he's got a Nazi flag or a picture of the good 'ole' days when his grandfather burnt crosses on people's yards.

But a beany baby collection in the realm of things is a harmless way for someone to show personality.

Sincerely,
ElSol

 

[dr_mabeuse]

But a beany baby collection in the realm of things is a harmless way for someone to show personality.

The only beany baby displayers I know are avaricious grannies who bought into the whole craze and thought they were going to make a killing before the market peaked. Now that the bottom has fallen out, they pretend they like only bought them because they thought they were cute. They can't bare to tell you that they spend $12,000 on those cute little wads before the bubble burst.

There's nothing wrong with showing personailty as long as it's genuine. It's when people try to buy it from Home Shopping Network or Miles Kimball that it gets kitschy.

 

[BlackShanglan]

If I'm not mistaken, no less a personage than Ms. Judith Martin (AKA Miss Manners) has weighed in on the side of "A house in perfectly good taste is not in good taste." She's keen for people to make room for some love, sentiment, and fond memories in and amongst their interior decorator's "vision," and she gives particularly short shrift to those who fill their homes with objects or entire rooms that cannot be used because they are too good to be marred.

Good woman.

Shanglan

 

[SummerMorning]

A house needs a fucking big bed.

Or should that read a big fucking bed?