Look whose birthday it is today: Skatje! You can all go wish her a happy day, although we're not having too much of a celebration, since it is that hectic first week of school for both of us.
Anyway, it is a tradition here that I embarrass the kids on their birthdays with ancient snapshots from their childhood. This one, though…you also get to see her funny looking dad! I may have to re-evaluate this tradition.
I threw a few more current photos below the fold.
She knew I was going to get her. Here's the first response: hiding.
Then pouting.
Finally, resignation and acceptance.
It isn't easy being my daughter.
Comments
Posted by: Steve_C | August 30, 2006 3:13 PM
Shave your head and throw a hat on and you look like the Jamie from Mythbusters.
http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/mythbusters/meet/meet_02.html
And I wouldn't blame her if you're the target of a prank in the next few days.
Posted by: minimalist | August 30, 2006 3:23 PM
Good god, you still look like a 14 year old with a fake 'stache in that picture. (Not that it's a bad thing, really; most people would kill to look so young for so long, minor inconveniences at bars and R-rated movies aside.)
Poor Skatje, though. Babies with glasses are always inherently funny (see: baby Jessie from Home Movies).
Posted by: Tara C. Smith | August 30, 2006 3:24 PM
Boy, do I recognize that pattern of picture-taking responses. Reminds me of my picture-happy boss in grad school, back when digital cameras were fairly new. "aww, damn it, he's got the camera out again--run!"
Posted by: Steve Reuland | August 30, 2006 3:25 PM
Hm, if she's 16, then she should have been born well after the 70s. That first photo has me confused.
Posted by: Tara C. Smith | August 30, 2006 3:27 PM
zing!
Posted by: John | August 30, 2006 3:29 PM
Steve: I'm with you. That picture immediately reminded me of pictures of me as a wee one with my own father, and for reference purposes, I'm almost exactly as old as the 70s are.
Posted by: Lago | August 30, 2006 3:39 PM
Your idea to embarrass your daughter totally backfired, because she looks totally normal in the picture and could be placed on the cover of an Ivory-snow soap box, while you on the other hand, look like a Gay-Biker.
I wonder, was there a particularly handsome milkman "delivering" in your neighborhood a while back?
Posted by: Alon Levy | August 30, 2006 3:50 PM
My theory is that PZ carries a recessive good-looks gene.
Posted by: Lago | August 30, 2006 3:56 PM
Alon Levy said: "My theory is that PZ carries a recessive good-looks gene."
Yes, deeply recessive, as it is in fact carried by the Milkman...
Posted by: George Cauldron
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August 30, 2006 4:07 PM
Hm, if she's 16, then she should have been born well after the 70s. That first photo has me confused.
What's confusing? PZ was dressing the same way in the early 90's as the rest of us all were in the late 70's. I.e., like a gay biker. Simple. :-)
Posted by: SEF | August 30, 2006 4:12 PM
There's no getting around it, PZ. Your daughter is the clear winner in the first photo.
You did look like a rather stereotypical biologist back then though - with a moustache for doing filter-feeding larva impressions.
Posted by: redbeardjim | August 30, 2006 4:31 PM
It's just a tendency for college professor types to dress 15-20 years behind the times.
Posted by: Smart_Cookie | August 30, 2006 4:41 PM
Gee "Dad" - couldn't you just send a card?
(Glad you're not MY father.) LOL
Posted by: RedMolly | August 30, 2006 4:53 PM
Happy birthday, Skatje, from a fellow rocker of the baby glasses! Many happy returns.
Posted by: Adam | August 30, 2006 5:02 PM
Oh PZ, that 'stache is amazing, it inspired me to
comment for the first time in about two years.
Posted by: AJ Milne | August 30, 2006 5:05 PM
Hmph. Spooky. Jes' ranted on embarassing baby pictures of a particular category. The whole 'let's humiliate our kid', thing gets on my nerves. In my ever so humble opinion, tho', I guess these don't really come off as so bad. Happy birthday to Skatje.
Posted by: RSA | August 30, 2006 5:05 PM
I've always wondered: How do doctors figure out what glasses are right for (pre-verbal?) toddlers? Aside from saying, "I think she'd look cute in pink frames."
Posted by: HP | August 30, 2006 5:21 PM
So, if you had a 1974 moustache in 1990, does that mean that you're wearing Hammer pants in 2006?
I can't touch that.
Posted by: RavenT | August 30, 2006 5:21 PM
Happy birthday, Skatje!
And remember that revenge is a dish best eaten cold. Just make sure that, years from now, when you're putting him into a home, you bring a digital camera along.
Posted by: John Bode | August 30, 2006 5:25 PM
I just checked out Skatje's blog. THANK YOU for raising a literate child. Most of the stuff I see from teens and twentysomethings makes me despair for the future, but your daughter actually understands how to write.
Posted by: Sean M | August 30, 2006 5:26 PM
That's one hell of a 'stache.
Also happy birthday.
Posted by: Lago | August 30, 2006 5:29 PM
By the way, it is actually my birthday tomorrow, so, as you can see, the truly good-looking people of the world arrive in bundles...
Posted by: Carlie | August 30, 2006 5:32 PM
Photoshop. Anything can be removed in Photoshop through careful cropping, judicious use of the clone stamp, and pasting in or redrawing when all else fails. I am now looking forward to you posting the revised father-daughter picture someone will make that replaces your head with a cephalopod.
Posted by: Martin Christensen | August 30, 2006 5:38 PM
PZ, the whole point about dragging up baby pictures of teenagers is that it's supposed to be embarrassing for them!
Martin
Posted by: roystgnr | August 30, 2006 5:41 PM
Any other NewsRadio fans here? That picture brings to mind one of my favorite episodes, when Matthew grows a thick mustache:
Matthew: "What, what, did I miss something?"
Dave: "Yeah, I think you missed Dance Fever by about fifteen years!"
Matthew: "If you were a chick you wouldn't be giggling."
Dave: "If I was a chick I wouldn't be talking to you!"
Jimmy: "Let me show you something, are you ready?" (pulls a photo out of his wallet) "That is *me* with a mustache! I carry this around with me now, so if I ever get the urge to make myself over, I just look at this and... damn near throw up."
Matthew: "Well mine's got to look a little better than that!"
Jimmy (holding the photo closer): "Matthew, that's what *he* would have said. Poor, misguided freak..."
Posted by: Norwegianity | August 30, 2006 6:04 PM
There ain't no justice. If I put up a picture of myself online five minutes later Tild or Corey at CP has stuck my head on someone/thing else's body. You post a prime vintage photo with fu manchu and I'm betting no one even tries to morph you with a celaphopod!
Harumph!
Posted by: plucky punk | August 30, 2006 6:28 PM
Man, what was it with the fu manchus on the scientist types in the late 80s? My geologist dad totally rocked one of those, too.
Posted by: Mike Haubrich | August 30, 2006 6:44 PM
"By the way, it is actually my birthday tomorrow, so, as you can see, the truly good-looking people of the world arrive in bundles...
Posted by: Lago | August 30, 2006 05:29 PM"
I'll second that - I was born on the last day of the eighth month of the last year of the fifties. Which means I am 46 as of Thursday.
As to the good-looking part, well, we will just have to bask in the glow of Skatje and hope that it makes us look good.
Posted by: Lago | August 30, 2006 7:21 PM
"As to the good-looking part, well, we will just have to bask in the glow of Skatje and hope that it makes us look good.
Posted by: Mike Haubrich | August 30, 2006 06:44 PM"
And we must hope that glow is not lost under the deep, and all encompassing shadow of anyone's mustachio...
Posted by: Kurt | August 30, 2006 8:30 PM
Oh, that reminds me, I need to go set the VCR to record the next episode of "My Name is Earl".
Posted by: Mena | August 30, 2006 8:31 PM
Now that you guys mention it, there is a major clump of birthdays in my family at this time of the year. My cousin's was in early August, my sister's was last Friday, another cousin's was on Sunday, an aunt's birthday was yesterday, my brother-in-law is on 9/9, my mother-in-law is 9/13, my cousin's daughter was born on 9/18, and another aunt was born on 9/25. Maybe drunken New Year's Eve celebrations are to blame?
Posted by: Dave Newton | August 30, 2006 8:40 PM
I'm a recent addict of this blog, and I gotta say... even the comments are hysterically funny.
And thanks a lot for making me buy that cephalopod book.
Posted by: Heliologue | August 30, 2006 9:13 PM
Aw, that's cute as hell.
Posted by: Ron Sullivan | August 30, 2006 9:16 PM
Moustache? I thought that was another hag-moth caterpillar.
Here; company.
Posted by: JackGoff | August 30, 2006 9:20 PM
PZ, would you be angry if I said your daughter is damn cute?
;-)
Posted by: dr. dave | August 30, 2006 10:22 PM
Dude... you let LEMMY from MOTORHEAD babysit your daughter??
Posted by: Alon Levy | August 31, 2006 12:08 AM
It's not that hard to find great blogs by young people... Mine is one; a few days ago PZ linked to this of my half best friend, half girlfriend; Ezra Klein is practically an A-lister.
Posted by: Alon Levy | August 31, 2006 12:10 AM
Well, Kian and Ezra's blogs are great; mine is just an example of decent writing by a young person, of course...
Posted by: Mike Huben | August 31, 2006 7:02 AM
If she's your daughter, where then are the tentacles?
Posted by: idlemind
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August 31, 2006 11:11 AM
Take a good look at PZ and Skatje's faces in that first picture. It's very clear just who's the boss!!! (As the father of a five-year-old who Knows Everything, I can really empathize with PZ's slightly shell-shocked expression.)
Posted by: grendelkhan | August 31, 2006 12:46 PM
When I grow up, I'll be lucky to have a mustache half that awesome.
Posted by: romunov | August 31, 2006 1:17 PM
Your first picture reminds me of Kevin Costner in "Dances with wolves". When are we going to see your "native American" outlook? :>
Posted by: Lago | August 31, 2006 1:57 PM
What gets me is we totally skipped over that shirt too. What, did a lesbian have a yard-sale or something?