In no particular order I bring you truly random thoughts.
Fun With Science! Something to do with the kids, and everybody might learn something.
Ten Things You Shouldn’t Buy New? Actually, I disagree with this person. Let me run through a few. Books/CDs/DVDs: yeah, lots of books only get read once. Yeah there’s lots of things you can get at used book stores and libraries. But what is your time hunting The Right Book worth? If you want to feel good about buying books you’ll only read once, donate them to the public library or sell them to Half-Price Books. Kid’s toys: Apparently she’s never heard of safety recalls. As for “sturdy wooden toys,” just because it’s wood doesn’t mean it’s sturdy. Cars: Sorry, a new car has more advantages than New Car Smell. It has, oh, a warranty! No, that’s no promise that it won’t break, but it does mean that if it breaks, there’s someone who will get it fixed. And these days, a good dealership will gladly drive you to work after you drop off your car for service. Over the years I have seen so many people spend the equivalent of a car payment every month fixing an unreliable old car, because they think they can’t afford to replace it. I am not dissing used cars, just telling you to be careful and avoid money pits. Okay, a new car depreciates. So do used ones. Cars are not investments.
A hilarious cookbook! (Thanks to Slashfood) If you enjoy that, please progress to the Institute of Official Cheer.
Alan Greenspan used to be quoted as saying that retirement was like a stool with three legs: savings, Social Security, and pensions. Well, you know how the Administration wants to saw off the “Social Security” leg, but maybe you don’t know about the termites eating away at pensions. Now, personally I do not like to refer to “defined contribution plans” such as 401k programs as “pensions.” Let’s be real, a defined contribution plan is nothing more than a savings plan run by your boss. So keep that in mind as you read.
It’s official, temperatures are rising. Now, what was that the President was saying about there being no such thing as Global Warming?
Doctors agree that abstinence only education is Bad. (Thanks to Paxtonland) “The new policy says that while doctors should encourage adolescents to postpone sexual activity, they also should help ensure that all teens — not just those who are sexually active — have access to birth control, including emergency contraception.”
Finally, Fafblog!’s War on Poverty. (Thanks to Ezra Klein)