Last night as my husband was watching the NBA playoffs, we were discussing TiVo. He was annoyed at how TiVo will sometimes interrupt what he's watching to record something else — not an ideal situation. I explained this wasn't due to anything I set up but rather the TiVo Suggestions feature, which picks shows to record based on what you've told TiVo you like. (I generally toggle off this setting, but on this box it's on.) At this point our four-year-old, who I'd assumed was ignoring such mundane chatter, chimed in at the top of his lungs:

"TIVO: I LIKE LIGHTNING MCQUEEN!!"

(Image by ats360, CC by-nc-nd 2.0)

Tomorrow at 10 PDT I'll be speaking on (at?) an ALI-ABA teleseminar called Blogging as Client Development: Effective and Ethical. Moderating will be Bentley Tolk and also joining us will be Greg Siskind. My take on the "effectiveness" part of the discussion will no doubt channel Doc Searls' "because of, not with" sentiments. 1 hour of MCLE (w/ .5 of it ethics) can be yours for a mere $199. (Hey, I wouldn't pay it, but then again my state bar compliance deadline isn't right around the corner, either.)

Tidal Wildlife
Originally uploaded by Denise Howell

Days like today are why I live in Southern California. Just spectacular.

Cory Doctorow's Little Brother: 0wn it. I went for the audio, but you can get it in just about any form you'd like, including many free, downloadable versions.

Carrot Pie
Originally uploaded by Denise Howell

Tyler is turning out to be quite a little chef in his old age (almost 4 1/2). Here's his recipe for Carrot Pie (really more of a quiche, but don't tell him):

1 frozen pie crust
1 1/2 packages frozen glazed carrots
3 eggs
Parmesan cheese
Dollop of cream cheese
1/2 can of cream of chicken soup
1/2 can of broccoli cheddar soup
Nutmeg
garlic and herbs

Mix eggs, cheeses, soups, spices and herbs in bowl. Thaw carrots in microwave and arrange in crust. Pour egg mixture over. Bake 35 minutes at 375; cool 10 minutes.

Dinner time.

Happy Mother's Day
Originally uploaded by Lily Zhu

Happy Mother's Day to all the working mothers...because every mother is a working mother! Enjoy, all.

The May issue of the California Lawyer has a "survival guide to legal blogs and blogging" (click fast; pay wall drops soon) featuring a number of familiar voices/old friends from the blawgosphere. A nice overview, though as public defender Gideon (whose about page made me chortle) points out on Twitter, "fun" is missing from the list of reasons to blog. "Venting" also, though I think it's there implicitly. The space lounge/comic book cover graphic by Fay Schenkman steals the show.

Niki Black, of Women Lawyers &mdash Back on Track and a host of other bloggy goodness, is helping me with a bit of informal temperature-taking on the perceived effectiveness of law firm women's initiatives and committees. If the topic moves you, check out her post and leave a comment there or in her Facebook group.

The Crone From Gurzuf
Originally uploaded by dashananda

Yes sweetie, there are monsters.

To the woman who took it upon herself to lash out at my son as he first tried to show her to a table in the corner frozen yogurt shoppe:

I'm not sitting there; it's dirty.

then attempted some friendly chit chat:

him: You look like someone from a movie!

her: Go away. I'm serious. Go away NOW. Stop bothering me. I don't want to be bothered by naughty little boys.

then to me: Get your boy away from me.

I suggest you cultivate a hobby other than being rude to little children, before you eventually push a parent past anger and pity into something far more dangerous. (Blogging not being quite what I had in mind, but 'twil suffice for now.)

Putting a good face on this in the aftermath involved an abundance of false enthusiasm over the "thrill" of meeting one's first really rude person, discussion about chronic unhappiness, unpacking of karma-meets-Galatians ("As ye sow," etc.), and ultimately a conveyor-belt sushi free-for-all.

All of which had Tyler wondering if his BabyPlays concertina might help ("Maybe she needs some beautiful music?"), or if she had been in a war. Though I'm somewhat less inclined to excuse the bad behavior of one able to snack on frozen treats with Reese's toppings on a sunny afternoon in Newport Beach . . . I kept these thoughts to myself.

Originally uploaded by jared

Note to those obsessed with traffic, ranks, and status (other than the "What are you up to?" variety): what matters is showing up, with whatever brain (or not), conscience (or not), poignancy (or not), humor (or not), and pulse (or not) you're able to muster.

Think I'll change my business card to just read "node."