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To boldly go where Tom Hanks has not actually been…
https://www.theguardian.com/science/live/2026/apr/01/artemis-ii-launch-nasa-orion-moon-trip-live-updates?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other Live up dates of the Artemis II mission to “cislunar space” (it will not actually land on the Moon but will take four astronauts farther away from Earth than anyone else so far).
It Came Out of the Sky, Landed Just a Little North of Houston…
My favorite quote from the woman whose house was targeted by a meteorite: “It looked just like a rock, and ain’t no rocks got no business falling out of the sky.” Um. Yeah. Ain’t no blogger got no business complaining about grammar what don’t make no sense, boy. My favorite thing about the photo of […]
Beware if you gaze into a palentir long…
“A palentir is a dangerous tool, Saruman,” Gandalf said. “We do not know who may be watching.” https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/mar/22/palantir-extends-reach-into-british-state-as-it-gets-access-to-sensitive-fca-data?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
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© Matthew Apple and Taking Leave, 2009-2020. Duplication of this material without express and written permission is strictly prohibited. If you would like to post or copy brief excerpts from the blog, please provide a link to the original URL along with an author’s credit.
Tag Archives: baby toys
The barriers go down…with the past…
The smiling bear stickers that adorned the walls of the barricade are long gone, sacrificial victims to an eager child’s exploring hands. But my kids loved these things. Continue reading
Posted in baby toys, child safety, gate, play
Tagged baby toys, child care, child safety, child-raising, children, creativity, Japan, Japanese kids, play
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Usagi and the Bear
Since my daughter was a baby, she’s been obsessed with rabbits (usagi, in Japanese). We first had a stuffed sheep doll for her, but she quickly became enamoured of a musical pink bunny whose cord she could pull to start … Continue reading
Posted in baby toys, family outings, Japan, parenting, separation anxiety, trips
Tagged baby toys, child-raising, dolls, fatherhood, Japan, Japanese, Kobe, separation anxiety, trips, zoo
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Toddler Artistry
One of my daughter’s favorite pastimes is o-egaki (picture drawing). Even before she could walk, she was scribbling with crayons…the washable kind, a set of 12 colors that my wife and I got for her at around her birthday last … Continue reading
Posted in art, baby toys, parenting, Paternity leave
Tagged baby toys, child care, child-raising, crayons, fatherhood, half-Japanese, Japan, Japanese, parental leave, Paternity leave
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