there go the god damn brownies @shane@dads.cool

This month’s test of the family’s awareness that yes, some resident human has to actually empty the bathroom trash can, is reminding me of the toothpaste glob in the sink standoff of 2013, in that the problem got far worse before it got better.

Here is why, despite the constant warnings, having teenagers is cool: I had to go to the UK for work and I was like hey while I’m there why don’t I take a few extra days to hang out in Europe by myself and my wife was like yeah ok

tv spot just said “men with erectile dysfunction, now you can get treated anywhere” however 9/10 dentists still recommend you get treated in the penis

Number one thing we always taught our kids re: pedestrian safety: eye contact. As in, don’t believe they see you unless you get it. Autonomous cars need to simulate this, and it’s crazy to me that fact isn’t obvious to manufacturers.

My dad has developed an aversion to question marks. He either leaves them off altogether or uses a period instead. Is this a dad thing. Will this happen to me

Thanks to a work trip and some vacation days bolted on to the end of it, I have a real whirlwind solo survey of a few European cities coming up. All I have planned is "walk a lot". It feels really good. I love my family but I don't need them everywhere with me. I feel this is a healthy view.

Also: interested in your perspectives on can't-miss cities. The idea here is to get a taste for a few I want to see more of later.

Big weekend for this dad. Installed a gas insert, including plumbing and electrical. Where "installed" means "signed a check."

For some reason at six years of age this video has suddenly started getting likes. Meeeeemoriiiiiies https://vimeo.com/63875421

I have found a weekly podcast called The Trap Set, about drummers, which has an astonishing list of guests for being only four years along. Worth looking at if that's interesting at all to you.

as part of this rant I do acknowledge that Bruce Fairbairn was probably the critical factor, but still

About once a year I tie someone to a chair and make them listen to me rant for an hour about what an incredibly good band Bon Jovi was at their peak. Then I give them a hug and we put on some chill Eno and have tea.

Then I untie them

My oldest has, as of this morning, a learner's permit. We have had to push her toward it simply because we're tired of all the driving that comes with increased teen activities, volunteering and jobs and whatnot. She's skilled with public transit, she has ride apps as an option, and perhaps most importantly the majority of her social life is online. "Getting your license" just ain't what it used to be.

Attention dads, one of the greatest films ever made turned 30 this year: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/feb/15/the-burbs-30th-anniversary-tom-hanks-joe-dante

First one to get a tattoo of the dad from Sally Forth wins dads.cool

dads of little ones, someday you'll have time for this sort of thing again, the dream is real https://mastodon.social/@shanecyr/102396893079283050

I quickly noticed I was capable of setting her off with my own madnesses, every time I futzed with my bag or whatever could be a trigger for her, so I doubled down on my own way of dealing with flying: "quiet body, quiet mind." It's my way of dealing with most things tbh, but is particularly useful when I feel nutty on a plane. We never spoke, but I hope the approach at least kept me from making her trip worse. Travelling like that must be reeaaaaaally hard.

Oh and on the flight back home: my headphones jack was broken, the man behind me cleared his sinuses for six hours, and the woman next to me — bless her heart, she was obviously having a very difficult time herself — was clearly afflicted with OCD or something like it and spent the whole flight doing routines and diddling with everything around her. Such a tough way to live. also not a great thing to be next to.

I feel bad about this now, but: I shot the MOM the dirty look. They were obviously the assholes. But she was complicit. She *knew*. She let me sit between these two obviously insane morons on a cross-country flight. It's unfair to make her responsible. It's not her job to make them decent, and certainly not a woman's job to be sane for men. Still. There are no innocents in this situation. I found the one person capable of reason and with body language asked that person 'why?'