Greta’s Bookshelf: “Dragons Love Tacos” by Adam Rubin

For those of you who were worried that all I’d ever blog about again is climate change, women’s rights and gun control, I give you a charming, very funny children’s book about dragons eating tacos. Actually, the title of the book says it all, because “Dragons Love Tacos” is about exactly that.

Written by the very witty Adam Rubin and beautifully illustrated by Daniel Salmieri, “Dragons Love Tacos” isn’t just fun to read, but it’s also highly re-readable (is that a word? If not, it should be!) and best off all, it’s short!

Seriously, “Dragons” is the perfect bedtime length book for kids: meaty enough to feel substantial and yet not so long that you’ll need a bookmark. I know that sounds like a weird thing to be happy about, but, considering the fact that Greta usually crawls into bed with at least three books, I’ll take short, cool books over epic poems anytime!

And books about crazy, Mexican food loving dragons? What’s not to love? Rubin and Salmieri had me at “tacos!” Best new kids book ever!

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Leonardo DiCaprio on Climate Change

OK, I know I just posted a clip of an actor getting all political at the UN General Assembly, but, here's another one. This time it's a very hairy Leonardo DiCaprio talking climate change.

Short, sweet and to the point, the newly-appointed “UN Messenger of Peace,” DiCaprio, says what most of us were thinking last week as the heat in the Southland became almost unbearable: wise up, world, climate change is very real! To quote the man of the hour himself: “You can make history … or be vilified by it!” Amen, brother! Now, about that crazy Unabomber beard…

 

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Moms Demand Action’s cool new “Groceries not Guns” ad campaign

Like most people I know I tend to save my overtly political musings for Facebook (suck it Hobby Lobby!), but, the latest ad campaign from the Michael Bloomberg-backed gun control group Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America was just too good not to share with you.

Highlighting the fact that the Krogers grocery store chain bans shirtless people, outside food and drink and skateboards from their stores but allows their patrons to carry loaded firearms while shopping, the bold, striking images in these ads say it all. This is one completely ass-backward policy, amigos! Crazy town! I only wish there was a Krogers near me that I could boycott or ride my skateboard in. And I don't even own a skateboard! Grrrr!

And while some might argue that the ads (which began running in newspapers today) are preaching to the choir, the fact that similar campaigns by the group have been effective in reversing the gun policy at national retail and restaurant chains like Chipotle, Sonic, Target and Starbucks gives me hope. So, rock on, Moms Demand Action. Dads demand it too!

To learn more about the group's “groceries not guns” campaign check out this super cool piece on today's Huffington Post.

 

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An e-mail to remember…

Wow, what a crazy night, huh? We went to a friend’s house to watch the election returns, thinking that we would be up all night weeping into our drinks, but the good news came pretty fast. And then, just after Romney finished his concession speech, the following e-mail appeared on my iPhone.

I’m sure the President sent similar e-mails to everyone who donated money to his decidedly grassroots campaign (we donated a whopping $27.00 in very small increments over the past few months) but something about getting an e-mail from the leader of the free world just before he took the stage thrilled me to no end. I mean, if there was ever any doubt about the fact that we have a 21st century president, it was dispelled for me tonight. Smart, caring, tech-savvy and sharp as a fucking tack, Barack Obama is the real deal and I have never been prouder to call him my president.

I told Greta on the drive home that she is a lucky kid to be able to say that she grew up during the Obama years and that someday she’ll look back on it and know that her crazy old man was right. I don’t know if she gets it yet, but someday she totally will.

Que viva, Obama!

Tomas —

I’m about to go speak to the crowd here in Chicago, but I wanted to thank you first. I want you to know that this wasn’t fate, and it wasn’t an accident. You made this happen.

You organized yourselves block by block. You took ownership of this campaign five and ten dollars at a time. And when it wasn’t easy, you pressed forward.

I will spend the rest of my presidency honoring your support, and doing what I can to finish what we started. But I want you to take real pride, as I do, in how we got the chance in the first place.

Today is the clearest proof yet that, against the odds, ordinary Americans can overcome powerful interests. There’s a lot more work to do. But for right now: Thank you.

Barack