I read the Economist. I don't understand everything I read, but I can feel my cranial capacity expanding every time I finish an issue. If nothing else, it's very well written. I find the New Yorker to be hit and miss while the Economist is so dense there is bound to be something pretty interesting.

On my DVR list are shows which I ingest and delete almost immediately: PTI, House.
Then there are shows that have rotted in the queue for months now: Chappelle, Charlie Rose, Office, My Name is Earl.
Then there are shows that I just recently started to record: Robot Chicken.

I eat a few regular podcasts: Slate's Political Gabfest is consistently entertaining, Ebert and Roeper is always satisfying, CNet is hit or miss and nowadays I ignore most of NPR's Story of the Day. I used to regularly listen to This Week in Tech but now I find those guys to be fairly out of touch, catering to the grumpy geek mostly. I really appreciate the synopsis text blurb which I can browse before deciding whether an individual podcast is worth listening to.

There are two great animation podcasts: The Animation Podcast and Spline Doctors. Podcasting is a great medium for animators to share information, interviews and experiences. For some reason animation knowledge is not well-documented and this technology is beginning to correct that.

Ooo. Me likey Google Video.

I've been wanting to show the work I've been doing in (animation) school but the files are so big I can't email them or post them on my website... until Google Video. I would've posted it on YouTube because that site kicks butt (especially for catching SouthPark episodes that no longer air Tom Cruise trapped in a closet) - but they have a 100MB limit. Google has no such limitations because they plan on storing the entire multiverse's personal information so they can do evil one day. Lots of evil.

Here is a pencil test (rough animation) called Man vs. Frog.

Here is an animatic (animated storyboards) called Heart.

Enjoy.

Merritt and Milo bought ladybugs to put in the garden. Usually Merritt places the ladybugs on the plants but this time Milo wanted to. He ended up with ladybugs all over his hands and sleeves so Merritt had to brush him off.

Later that afternoon I come home and we're all sitting in the basement. Milo's on the piano bench when he says, "Mommy, I head wind in my ear."

Immediately Merritt suspects, "Uh-oh, maybe a ladybug got in your ear." I'm doubtful but I quickly check and looking into his left ear I see the bug's face looking back at me. Then turn around and crawl in.

Milo was pretty freaked out.

It wouldn't come out so we went to the hospital ER at UCSF which was less than a mile away. Fortunately we had already booked our nanny to come that night and she was looking after Ben. At the ER, the nurses took his vitals and then we had to wait for the Pediatrician to arrive. While waiting, Merritt noticed that the ladybug was trying to crawl out and held Milo's hands so that he couldn't scratch his ear (which was probably what was keeping it in there for so long in the first place) and it came crawling out on its own.