Why Cats Are Better Than Babies

The Oatmeal

I'm on team dog: if I wanted to take care of an entitled being that doled out affection sparingly, I'd adopt a teenager. But I don't actually have one, since (like those on team cat point out) they're a lot of responsibility and work. But I think we can agree they're both less work and responsibility than babies. It's the great human continuum of what exactly we find rewarding (raising a human being, unbridled affection, furry cuddles, or total freedom) that I find, in the end, dictates how much we're willing to give up. Which expkains why I find this treacley response on HuffPo wholly unconvincing, while I am sure the artist earnestly believes it. Which brings up the Daniel Gilbert question of: how much are we letting selective memory taint our self-assessment of how happy we really are moment to moment? But that's

Technorati Tag: childfree

Childfree shopping hours?

Daily Examiner

A reader suggestion to this newspaper sparked some parent-rage. The writer thinks restaurants are a better venue for childfree hours. I've sat next to my share of well behaved kids in restaurants, and understand these parents' ire at being included in a ban instigated by a different kind of parent. I've also pretty much stopped eating at chain restaurants and dining in the suburbs, and dread when friends invite me to the Upper East Side. A solution for both of us would be nice - the ability to ask parents to quiet or control their children when they disturb other diners (just as you would a drunken adult or loud cellphone talker). But we don't live in this world; such a request would likely create confrontation and controversy. It's *this* we need to change. Then we all - adults, quiet childrrn - could dine in relative peace. Or choose a raucous restaurant. Whatever moves you.

Technorati Tag: childfree