“Play sets can echo a home’s architectural features. In San Carlos, Calif., John and Megan Rodkin’s backyard play set incorporates redwood slat fencing to match the existing fence surrounding the property. Local landscape designer Kristen Rudger added a gable on top of the playhouse as a visual tie with the Craftsman-style gable on the family residence. The entire play structure — including swings, rope ladder and playhouse — is set on a terrace one level up from a patio where the parents can relax while their three children, ages 5, 3 and 1, exhaust themselves. ‘We expect six to eight years of use out of it,’ says Ms. Rodkin, 36, a stay-at-home mom. When the kids eventually get older, she plans to take the equipment down and install a fire pit in its place.”

On the one hand it is terrible that this astounding historical record of human civilization disintegrates in front of us while we are apparently unable to do anything about it, but when you realize that we are not too far away from everything looking like this it seems like preserving what will soon be just another pile of garbage in which our species once celebrated its supposed superiority is probably more effort than it’s worth.

“A diet rich in meat, eggs, milk and cheese could be as harmful to health as smoking, according to a controversial study into the impact of protein consumption on longevity.”

This is week old and you have probably heard it already and if you are a certain age it sounds exactly like growing up (with all the good and bad that conveys) but gosh if it isn’t ever pretty, and in this winter we are having right now that is going to have to be enough. Enjoy. Like, turn off everything that would keep you from enjoying and just enjoy. I know you can do it.

“CDC: Better Antibiotic Practices Needed to Combat ‘Nightmare Bacteria’”

Do people still have media diets? If you do, here is a new thing on the Internet that you should add to your media diet. It is about the outdoors and the environment, but not in the preachy, annoying way which characterizes so much of that discussion and causes even the most ardent conservationist to dream of a world that has been entirely plowed under, paved over and fracked like there is no tomorrow. You won’t find that here! Plus, they’ve got a very amateur logo, which means they are sincere in the best kind of way.

“I could easily have six today and be fine tomorrow morning,” is the argument in favor of Budweiser.

Maybe the most effective way to get people concerned about climate change is to threaten them with the loss of all they hold dear.

“The Texas Land Commissioner is responsible for managing billions of dollars of state assets, investments and mineral rights. The 37-year-old son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, George P. Bush, easily defeated businessman David Watts to secure the Republican nomination for Texas land commissioner Tuesday.”

I’m giving up ridiculous Times opiner Ross Douthat! This week, Douthat announced the gay victory over America, and his great trolling concern about what penalty the vicious gays will impose on Christians. (He’s also concerned that people who won’t provide services to gay people will go out of business. Welcome to capitalism! But of all business that should go under, the ridiculous Ross Douthat opinion industry should go first.)

But really this is just your friendly annual reminder that today is Ash Wednesday, so when you are out and about, don’t be startled by the observant!

Image of French graffiti by solkanar from Shutterstock.com.