We have two pretty firm rules here at WonderfulPages. No names and no faces.

No names: I have a pretty big web presence on a few other major sites under other nicknames, and I really do want to keep that seperate from this. Anyone with some moderate Google-Fu skills could likely link them, but for the most part this site is independent.

No faces: There are lots of creeps out there that use pictures of little kids for all sorts of things. I’ve had to deal with more than a few in my various other roles. Even pictures that aren’t your standard “naked kid in the bath” picture can be taken and modified, or the face used in a composite fake image. Also, if someone did manage to track down my details I’d rather they don’t have clear pictures of my kids to use for reference.

Yes, we’re that paranoid. We’ve had raised eyebrows and not-so-subtle hints that we are being too paranoid. “People post pictures of their kids, and their real full names and cities and other information all the time, why not you?”

Here’s why not us:

I just got an email from smugmug (a really cheap, fabulous image gallery service) saying that they had essentially closed my account to the public. They had a report of my images being used on “inappropriate sites”. They asked that I fix the images then I could open my galleries again.

It turns out that in the 750 pictures in the gallery for the Nicaragua trip there were 3 images that had hundreds of hits per week. Yes, you guessed it, the ones that featured the 3 year old boy bathing at the community tap in the village. They were apparently linked on a horrible site somewhere. I felt sick.

I love those photos. They are some of my favorites because they show the village at its best. Mom is washing and doing her best, the kids are clean and happy and laughing, everyone is working together. Now I can’t look at them the same way ever again.

So. Two rules. No names, no faces.

I hate being vindicated in paranoia.

I just sent this to PBSKids regarding Kerri Roberts at Boldmouth.com and “Maya and Miguel”.

Hi,

I have a small family blog at http://wonderfulpages.com and I just got comment spammed by someone calling herself “Kerri Roberts” from a “viral marketing” company called Boldmouth. She made a superficial “good post!” comment and then proceeded to spam my blog with a cut-and-paste offer pushing one of your TV shows.

BoldMouth’s website says “Our clients hire us because they need to connect to customers in a meaningful way.” If you hired someone who thinks that “connecting the customers in a meaningful way” means comment spamming, you wasted your (our!) good money.

I now guarantee that no one in this house is going to EVER watch that show, and I will try to get as many posts regarding this issue into Google searches for “Maya and Miguel” as possible.

It seems that a wiser business decision would be to produce programming that people want to talk about, not paying people to manufacture “authenticity”.

For shame.

–MrPages

Funny part is, we don’t have cable. If I haul the TV up from the basement, hook up the rabbit ears and spend a half hour adjusting them, we get 3 channels (maybe 4 depending on the weather…)

[Note: PBS just emailed me back asking for the full text of the comment, and promising to look into the matter.]

This is a favorite of ours. The song is delightful and the video is perfect for it.

(Translators Note: “JCB” is a company that makes backhoes and front end loaders.)

Edit added by MrsPages:
MrPages sent this to me a few years ago saying that this was the type of dad he wanted to be – a hero to his kids; the man who takes time out to be with his kids, even after a long day of work.

Caveat:
We do not believe that any five year old (perhaps not even a thirty year old) should know who Bruce Lee is!
Our version of the lyrics – I’m Luke and I’m five and my dad’s real keen. He drives me around in his JCB.

Let’s get the party started by stating that:

• I think abortion is wrong, very wrong
• I’m not sure it should be illegal

I don’t believe that legislating our morality will do anything except increase hostility. The abortion debate is hurting Christianity, just like the homosexuality issue. That, however, is a whole other series of posts. Don’t go there right now.

This post is about genetic testing, and using the results of genetic testing to determine if the mother wishes to have an abortion or not. We have been offered testing of every one of our five babies to look for indicators of Down’s Syndrome. We declined the testing for all of them because the results wouldn’t have changed our minds to have the baby.

This article discusses various things that are being tested for, in this case “squints” or poorly formed muscles that result in the eyes pointing in different directions. The director of the clinic, was asked whether there were other cosmetic criteria that he would consider testing for, knowing the results might end in the termination of a pregnancy. The interviewer asked about hair colour, I assume to investigate the slippery slope. The director went sliding merrily down.

When asked about hair color, Grudzinskas said, “If there is a cosmetic aspect to an individual case I would assess it on its merits. [Hair color] can be a cause of bullying which can lead to suicide. With the agreement of the HFEA, I would do it.

Now, whether you are pro-abortion or not, you have to think something is a bit screwy when doctors are seriously considering that a child can be aborted because their hair colour might cause them to be bullied.

Thanks a lot, Mom. You could have saved me from those feeble “carrot-top” jokes by simply killing me before I had any hair.

This questionnaire (click the red circle START button) was actually fun to complete. The “questionnaire” is a series of photographs and you choose which photograph answers the question best for you. For example: “Art is…” and then a photo of the Mona Lisa, a modern art painting, a gourmet meal, a kids painting, a gymnast, a sculptor, a fashion show, and a large ornate tattoo.

So, apparently I am:

Mood: Easy Rider
Fun: Escape Artist
Habits: Junkie Monkey
Love: Love Bug