Positively Puzzled

Congratulations, Julian! Originally uploaded by I, Puzzled Julian Rides at Last! Today Julian got the hang of gyrodynamics and learned to ride his bike for the first time. He's had it for three years, but it's been frustrating and intimidating for him. Today he finally got it, and it's like he's been riding all along. Meanwhile, Gabriel is on a faster track to be bike enabled. Julian got a bicycle almost 3 years ago, and would try every so often, and then get discouraged and embarrassed, and then it would sit in the shed for months at a time. His five-year-old brother, Gabriel (pictured here ) is now anxious to learn, and that must have motivated Julian to learn once and for all. This is Julian starting to learn three years ago: This week Julian also learned how to blow bubble gum bubbles, but I neglected to get photographic documentation. (His parents aren't big on the gum chewing thing...)

The following may be attributed to Caroline Fredrickson, director of the ACLU’s Washington Legislative Office: "It’s Christmas morning at the White House thanks to this vote. The House just wrapped up some expensive gifts for the administration and their buddies at the phone companies. Watching the House fall to scare tactics and political maneuvering is especially infuriating given the way it stood up to pressure from the president on this same issue just months ago. In March we thought the House leadership had finally grown a backbone by rejecting the Senate’s FISA bill. Now we know they will not stand up for the Constitution. "No matter how often the opposition calls this bill a ‘compromise,’ it is not a meaningful compromise, except of our constitutional rights. The bill allows for mass, untargeted and unwarranted surveillance of all communications coming in to and out of the United States. The courts’ role is superficial at best, as the government can conti...

Highlights from the appearance of Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich on Democracy Now! yesterday (June 13, 2008): JUAN GONZALEZ: Ohio Congress member and former Democratic presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich is vowing to continue his impeachment efforts against President Bush despite attempts to bury it in committee. On Wednesday, Congress voted 251-166 to send Kucinich’s bill to the House Judiciary Committee, where it’s unlikely to be considered before Bush leaves office. A similar resolution against Vice President Dick Cheney that was introduced last year was also sent to the House Judiciary Committee, where it still remains. Kucinich spent four hours on the House floor Monday reading out thirty-five articles of impeachment against the President: REP. DENNIS KUCINICH: President George W. Bush has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as president and subversive of constitutional government to the prejudice of the cause of law and justice and to the manifest injury of the people of...

A catchy number from Julian's 3rd Grade Class's performance piece called "A Dance Through the History of Santa Cruz County" yesterday. There are more snippets from this performance on my Flickr set: A Dance Through Santa Cruz County History