Nuggets

Just a couple of nuggets today, while I ruminate over a year end post of some kind:

- I know it is a little thing in the grand scheme of things, but I was greatly relieved this week to finally find 5 stray DVDs of James Cagney movies. This means that every Cagney film I have captured to DVD is safely in my collection. I own 52 of 67 Cagney films, plus a few documentary pieces and one TV appearance (A Link in the Chain). I had about 9 more than were only on VHS - these did not survive. I've been collecting his movies for almost 20 years. He's got a number of TV appearances that I keep hoping will show up on some internet archive someday.

- I ordered a first edition hardback copy of Cagney's autobiography as a Christmas present to myself. It'll be here next week. (No, I decided not to spring for the $500 signed copy, although for a moment, it was tempting). Have I mentioned that I'm a Cagney fan?

- Changing the subject, here is a brief but clear illustration of how silly this end-of-year fiscal cliff, tax argument really is in the grand scheme of things. Taxes will go up for all or for some, but it won't do squat to address the true fiscal crisis this nation faces.

- I almost dedicated a full blog post yesterday to this article on teaching table manners to your kids. You have to read the whole thing to understand just how flabbergasted I was to the idea of outsourcing the teaching of basic manners (and the cost!). Etiquette "schools" have been around forever, but still. One person quoted in this article states: "When it comes to children, she said, long gone are the days when you could tell them that they have to behave a certain way 'just because.'” Wow. "Just because" may be an incomplete answer, but parents are delegated an authority for a time, and by golly they shouldn't be afraid to exercise it.

- House 2.0 update. We are bricked, drywalled, and primed. We're heading into the homestretch, with painting, trim, flooring, cabinets, appliances, fixtures, deck and landscaping. Will we be in by March? We'll see!

- Updated 4:18pm: From the great family Scrabble competition: You will NEVER convince me that "jo" and "oe" and "ai" and "qi" are valid Scrabble words. I don't care what the "official" Scrabble dictionary says. Use them in a sentence. Bah. Humbug!!