The Christmas Lights Are Up
My youngest daughter helped me put up the lights. After they were up, I let her climb the ladder far enough to look up on the roof. Don't worry Mom, she and I were extra careful.
Where Did It Go
Alas, where did the year go. In retrospect, it was a year of good times and of some not so good. Of many blessings and of many trials. At the beginning of the year I was very busy with 2 startup ventures. One fizzled and the other bogged down a bit and is just recently showing promise again. This is my third year without a paycheck job, my second year making less money than my dear wife, and my first year where I made less than I spent. So I am looking to 2006 with some trepidation. I know that this has been stressful on my dear wife, and I do appreciate her standing by her "unemployed" "entrepreneur" husband.
Seasonal Charity
At shopping malls I see the holiday charity solicitors. My response to them is that we have already given a lot this year. I think about all the people who have given so much and helped those who were less fortunate. It certainly was a year with plenty of opportunity to help others.
At the Gym
There are a couple of cuties at my gym. And some good looking women too. I don't know why it is, but when I see guys overly caught up in fashion or image I question their ... sensibility. I question some of the women too. The ones who primp and bath in perfume before working out. But the guys.... yeah, I know, don't be too judgmental before you get to know them.
I work out in the morning. I've found that morning workouts mean needing extra time to warm up. It also creates more opportunity to socialize. There are a lot of retired folk who work out when I do in the mornings and I've established a good rapport with their group. They have so many stories to tell. Lessons to pass on. Perspectives to share. Alas, it is inspiring finding a sense of community at the local health club.
Daughter Motivation
There is an old motivational story about a circus strong man. In his act he lifted a fully grown cow. He was asked how he got strong enough to lift a cow. He replied that he started with a calf and just lifted it every day until it grew up.
My daughters like to climb on Dad ... I guess I'm destined to get stronger. They are also growing up more than physically ... a whole other set of challenges.
We got their school progress reports and had teacher meetings. So far, we're doing pretty darn good; my wife and I! There were no surprises, and while progress reports reflect directly on the kids, it reflects indirectly on our efforts. Kudos DW!
Friday, December 09, 2005
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Make It Stop Already!
The day after Thanksgiving I noticed our neighbors putting up holiday lights and decorations. Now I know it is generally accepted that the day after Thanksgiving starts the Christmas / festive holiday season. About a third of the neighborhood had their lights and decorations up before the weekend was over. I'm not faulting them at all. I'll be joining them soon.
But then I went into a couple of stores after the weekend that were playing Christmas music. Non-stop. Ack! With 4 weeks to go? Make it stop already! I talked to one retail worker who told me that, yup, the company supplies the music for the stores and it was company policy. The day after Thanksgiving they have to play it. My sympathy goes out to anyone who works in such an environment.
My dear wife and I were "entertained" by the many stories of day-after Thanksgiving shopping riots. There were innumerable stores opening at 5:00 AM the Friday after Turkeyday with limited quantities of bargain items to entice people in. For example, Best Buy advertised 10 discounted laptop computers per store for something like $700. My wife wanted one, but just thinking of being in a store line that early makes us yawn. So come Friday we heard the stories of people getting trampled, getting into fights, assaulting employees, police being called.
I later spoke with one lady about this and her comment was "What gets into people?". For me it is clear... "What gets into retailers?". The reprehensible customer behavior was encouraged. The stores set up a competition and race. Whomever grabbed and hung onto one of the golden items got the bargain. Customers got up early and waited in a cold, dark, uncomfortable lines to get their shot at a sale item. Now, I don't want to give anyone ideas, but this sounds to me like it has the makings of a great reality show. The manipulation of consumer greed at its finest. My solution is also simple. Either guarantee that everyone waiting at 5:00 gets one of the items (or a voucher for one) or arrange a lottery style distribution so that they can eliminate the "out-a my way, it's mine, I grabbed it first" aspect. Irresponsible marketing...
Tis the Season
We've started watching those obligatory holiday movies. Or maybe I should say counter-holiday movies. You know the ones... The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Addams Family, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Gremlins, Trading Places...
Rosie, Rosie...
I saw this one and rolled in laughter:
"Blaming guns for Columbine is like blaming spoons for Rosie O'Donnell being fat."
You have to understand the context ... Rosie is an anti-gun advocate who has stated that guns should be banned completely ... while she has armed guards to protect herself. You also have to understand that the guns used at Columbine were all obtained illegally. Maybe Rosie should give up her gunmen, pulpit ... and spoons.
The day after Thanksgiving I noticed our neighbors putting up holiday lights and decorations. Now I know it is generally accepted that the day after Thanksgiving starts the Christmas / festive holiday season. About a third of the neighborhood had their lights and decorations up before the weekend was over. I'm not faulting them at all. I'll be joining them soon.
But then I went into a couple of stores after the weekend that were playing Christmas music. Non-stop. Ack! With 4 weeks to go? Make it stop already! I talked to one retail worker who told me that, yup, the company supplies the music for the stores and it was company policy. The day after Thanksgiving they have to play it. My sympathy goes out to anyone who works in such an environment.
My dear wife and I were "entertained" by the many stories of day-after Thanksgiving shopping riots. There were innumerable stores opening at 5:00 AM the Friday after Turkeyday with limited quantities of bargain items to entice people in. For example, Best Buy advertised 10 discounted laptop computers per store for something like $700. My wife wanted one, but just thinking of being in a store line that early makes us yawn. So come Friday we heard the stories of people getting trampled, getting into fights, assaulting employees, police being called.
I later spoke with one lady about this and her comment was "What gets into people?". For me it is clear... "What gets into retailers?". The reprehensible customer behavior was encouraged. The stores set up a competition and race. Whomever grabbed and hung onto one of the golden items got the bargain. Customers got up early and waited in a cold, dark, uncomfortable lines to get their shot at a sale item. Now, I don't want to give anyone ideas, but this sounds to me like it has the makings of a great reality show. The manipulation of consumer greed at its finest. My solution is also simple. Either guarantee that everyone waiting at 5:00 gets one of the items (or a voucher for one) or arrange a lottery style distribution so that they can eliminate the "out-a my way, it's mine, I grabbed it first" aspect. Irresponsible marketing...
Tis the Season
We've started watching those obligatory holiday movies. Or maybe I should say counter-holiday movies. You know the ones... The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Addams Family, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Gremlins, Trading Places...
Rosie, Rosie...
I saw this one and rolled in laughter:
"Blaming guns for Columbine is like blaming spoons for Rosie O'Donnell being fat."
You have to understand the context ... Rosie is an anti-gun advocate who has stated that guns should be banned completely ... while she has armed guards to protect herself. You also have to understand that the guns used at Columbine were all obtained illegally. Maybe Rosie should give up her gunmen, pulpit ... and spoons.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Bridezilla On The Rampage
I mentioned a while ago that my dear wife had been invited to be a bridesmaid at a friends wedding in mid 2006. She agreed. Then the changes and special requests started. The first change was a big one that set the tone. The bride moved the wedding from the original location (a very nice church about an hour drive from here) to Hawaii (an appreciably longer and more expensive trip for our family of four). Now there is talk of expensive makeup professionals, coordinating early arrival and helping out with preparations...
All my wife has to do is mention the woman's name, and I'm ready with "What's Bridezilla up to now...".
If you google the term Bridezilla you will get over 100,000 hits. Loads of anecdotal descriptions of selfish, controlling and downright hard to believe behavior.
"Bridezilla (brid zil/a) n. a bride who is greedy, thoughtless and rude, thinks nothing of etiquette and believes her friends and family should cater to all of her desires, no matter how outrageous."
And the latter part is proving true - making me wonder, with about a half year to go, what's next?
Peanut Butter and Matching Socks
My eldest daughter announced that she doesn't like nutty peanut butter. She wants the creamy stuff. Imagine that! Quite a rebellious position to take in our house. But that isn't all. Not only did her socks match each other today, but they matched her other clothes. No color cacophony today. She actually looked well dressed.
As a Dad with 2 daughters, I know that bigger changes are afoot. But that won't stop me from enjoying a good sideline commentary...
The Winds of Fate
by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
As we voyage along through life:
'Tis the set of the soul
That decides its goal,
And not the calm or the strife.
20/20 ... It's Clear To Me
Our local electricity provider has a special conservation program. If you reduce your electric usage for the month by 20% from the previous year they will reduce your energy bill by another 20%. Nice sentiment, but the message I get is that it is a special program to reward past energy hogs. Since we were energy conscious in past years, there is no way to cut our electric usage by a fifth without disabling major appliances. So the message is clear. I need to increase my electric usage this year by 25% so I can take advantage of the program next year, when electricity rates are even more expensive...
Big Box Mart
If you haven't seen the Big Box Mart parody over at Jibjab, it's a hoot (and somewhat thought provoking)!
The Holiday $ea$on
Even before Halloween there was Christmas merchandise on the shelves. I know that most retailers rely on the Holiday season and Christmas spending to get them into the black (profitable) for the year. But when I see all the knick knacks and promotions, it looks to me like the holidays is all about merchandising and gift lists...
But I know this isn't true. People bring the spirit. Merchants are only doing what is expected. Merchandising and promoting. Holiday spirit isn't measured by how much we spend or buy. It is measured by something much more precious. The best things in life aren't things...
Speaking of which ... I have a bunch of Halloween and special occasion photos to prepare and send off to brighten the day of a distant Grandma...
I mentioned a while ago that my dear wife had been invited to be a bridesmaid at a friends wedding in mid 2006. She agreed. Then the changes and special requests started. The first change was a big one that set the tone. The bride moved the wedding from the original location (a very nice church about an hour drive from here) to Hawaii (an appreciably longer and more expensive trip for our family of four). Now there is talk of expensive makeup professionals, coordinating early arrival and helping out with preparations...
All my wife has to do is mention the woman's name, and I'm ready with "What's Bridezilla up to now...".
If you google the term Bridezilla you will get over 100,000 hits. Loads of anecdotal descriptions of selfish, controlling and downright hard to believe behavior.
"Bridezilla (brid zil/a) n. a bride who is greedy, thoughtless and rude, thinks nothing of etiquette and believes her friends and family should cater to all of her desires, no matter how outrageous."
And the latter part is proving true - making me wonder, with about a half year to go, what's next?
Peanut Butter and Matching Socks
My eldest daughter announced that she doesn't like nutty peanut butter. She wants the creamy stuff. Imagine that! Quite a rebellious position to take in our house. But that isn't all. Not only did her socks match each other today, but they matched her other clothes. No color cacophony today. She actually looked well dressed.
As a Dad with 2 daughters, I know that bigger changes are afoot. But that won't stop me from enjoying a good sideline commentary...
The Winds of Fate
by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
One ship drives east and another drives west
With the selfsame winds that blow.
'Tis the set of the sails
And not the gales
Which tells us the way to go.
As we voyage along through life:
'Tis the set of the soul
That decides its goal,
And not the calm or the strife.
20/20 ... It's Clear To Me
Our local electricity provider has a special conservation program. If you reduce your electric usage for the month by 20% from the previous year they will reduce your energy bill by another 20%. Nice sentiment, but the message I get is that it is a special program to reward past energy hogs. Since we were energy conscious in past years, there is no way to cut our electric usage by a fifth without disabling major appliances. So the message is clear. I need to increase my electric usage this year by 25% so I can take advantage of the program next year, when electricity rates are even more expensive...
Big Box Mart
If you haven't seen the Big Box Mart parody over at Jibjab, it's a hoot (and somewhat thought provoking)!
The Holiday $ea$on
Even before Halloween there was Christmas merchandise on the shelves. I know that most retailers rely on the Holiday season and Christmas spending to get them into the black (profitable) for the year. But when I see all the knick knacks and promotions, it looks to me like the holidays is all about merchandising and gift lists...
But I know this isn't true. People bring the spirit. Merchants are only doing what is expected. Merchandising and promoting. Holiday spirit isn't measured by how much we spend or buy. It is measured by something much more precious. The best things in life aren't things...
Speaking of which ... I have a bunch of Halloween and special occasion photos to prepare and send off to brighten the day of a distant Grandma...
Monday, September 26, 2005
Planning for the Unplanned
There is purported to be a Chinese curse that goes "May you live in interesting times". The gist of the curse is that the time periods that people find most interesting are those of war, pestilence, and natural disasters. In that regards, recent history has been interesting. How can we plan for future "interesting" events? Should we all start hording food, medicine, and building bomb shelters?
I remember the Boy Scout Motto: Be Prepared. In Boy Scouts we talked about that motto and what it meant. In a nutshell, it means being ready for anything that happens. In a simple sense it means thinking ahead and being ready for what might happen (i.e. bringing waterproof matches for a camping trip where it might rain). But in a much larger sense it means ready to cope with life's events, both planned and unplanned (i.e. learning how to start and tend that campfire in the rain ... it takes a lot more than just waterproof matches).
So planning for the unplanned goes well beyond stocking car kits and home survival kits. Well beyond having things that are ready. It starts with knowing what to do. Learning how to cope with unplanned events. A good dose of first aid and survival training can really come in handy. Planning includes plans for contacting and reuniting with loved ones if separated, plans for obtaining needed medicine or care, dealing with pets, dealing with dangerous situations like gas leaks and exposed electrical wires. It involves knowing how to dealing with emotional and possibly frantic or unethical people. Then you can make preparations and get things ready.
There are many websites for disaster preparedness, including FEMA and their preparedness library. Planning for the unplanned starts with educating yourself.
It is yours to choose how prepared to be. I certainly don't have a bomb shelter. But my family has plans and items in place in case something dramatic does happen. I know that in times of major crisis it is delusional to think I can rely soley on emergency services or on others. Yet that is what most people do...
Remember, there are three kinds of people: Those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened. Which are you? The distinction can really become evident during times of crisis...
I also learned to be ready for the small things. While in college I bought a used car from a couple. When I got it home and was cleaning it out I found a tupperware container stowed under the seat filled with all sorts of stuff I hadn't thought of carrying in a car. There was a pad of paper, pencil, change for a payphone, safety pins, string, sewing kit, plasticware, a small pocketknife, flashlight and other useful items. That was in addition to packets of aspirin, ointment, tweezers, first aid tape, antiseptic wipes and bandages. All in a small kit. Yes, I called them about finding it but they never got around to picking it up. So I used that kit for many years for many things (mostly helping other people) and now carry it behind the seat in my truck. It taught me that it is good to be prepared for the small things as well as the big.
Are you prepared for interesting times?
There is purported to be a Chinese curse that goes "May you live in interesting times". The gist of the curse is that the time periods that people find most interesting are those of war, pestilence, and natural disasters. In that regards, recent history has been interesting. How can we plan for future "interesting" events? Should we all start hording food, medicine, and building bomb shelters?
I remember the Boy Scout Motto: Be Prepared. In Boy Scouts we talked about that motto and what it meant. In a nutshell, it means being ready for anything that happens. In a simple sense it means thinking ahead and being ready for what might happen (i.e. bringing waterproof matches for a camping trip where it might rain). But in a much larger sense it means ready to cope with life's events, both planned and unplanned (i.e. learning how to start and tend that campfire in the rain ... it takes a lot more than just waterproof matches).
So planning for the unplanned goes well beyond stocking car kits and home survival kits. Well beyond having things that are ready. It starts with knowing what to do. Learning how to cope with unplanned events. A good dose of first aid and survival training can really come in handy. Planning includes plans for contacting and reuniting with loved ones if separated, plans for obtaining needed medicine or care, dealing with pets, dealing with dangerous situations like gas leaks and exposed electrical wires. It involves knowing how to dealing with emotional and possibly frantic or unethical people. Then you can make preparations and get things ready.
There are many websites for disaster preparedness, including FEMA and their preparedness library. Planning for the unplanned starts with educating yourself.
It is yours to choose how prepared to be. I certainly don't have a bomb shelter. But my family has plans and items in place in case something dramatic does happen. I know that in times of major crisis it is delusional to think I can rely soley on emergency services or on others. Yet that is what most people do...
Remember, there are three kinds of people: Those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened. Which are you? The distinction can really become evident during times of crisis...
I also learned to be ready for the small things. While in college I bought a used car from a couple. When I got it home and was cleaning it out I found a tupperware container stowed under the seat filled with all sorts of stuff I hadn't thought of carrying in a car. There was a pad of paper, pencil, change for a payphone, safety pins, string, sewing kit, plasticware, a small pocketknife, flashlight and other useful items. That was in addition to packets of aspirin, ointment, tweezers, first aid tape, antiseptic wipes and bandages. All in a small kit. Yes, I called them about finding it but they never got around to picking it up. So I used that kit for many years for many things (mostly helping other people) and now carry it behind the seat in my truck. It taught me that it is good to be prepared for the small things as well as the big.
Are you prepared for interesting times?
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Sex at the Checkout Stand
My gradeschool aged daughters and I went for a quick trip to the local Safeway grocery store. While waiting in the checkout line I gazed at magazine covers. On one cover in eye-catching print "Hot New Sex Tricks" and then in smaller print just underneath something about just needing a couple of props and then something about being ready to act very naughty. The imagery it conveyed in a grocery store... The word very was underlined. Okay... Let's not explain this to my kids.
Cosmopolitan Magazine is the correct answer for those that guessed.
I decided to check out their website. Woah... Sex tricks, sex games, sex positions. Lots of descriptive sex... Oh looky, an online kama sutra game that moans (I'm not making that up)... "Carnal Counselor"? "Guy Candy"? A porn site for women? I sure hope Net Nanny blocks this one!
Now I'm not against better sex, healthy sex or adventurous sex. Nor am I against having appropriate sex education. Heck, I'm all for all these things! I understand some adults enjoy this sort of adult entertainment. A lot of them, if you believe the subscription numbers. But the place for it is not the grocery store checkout rack. Cosmo isn't the only one "pushing the limits".
But they certainly will help broach the subject of smut with the kids...
My gradeschool aged daughters and I went for a quick trip to the local Safeway grocery store. While waiting in the checkout line I gazed at magazine covers. On one cover in eye-catching print "Hot New Sex Tricks" and then in smaller print just underneath something about just needing a couple of props and then something about being ready to act very naughty. The imagery it conveyed in a grocery store... The word very was underlined. Okay... Let's not explain this to my kids.
Cosmopolitan Magazine is the correct answer for those that guessed.
I decided to check out their website. Woah... Sex tricks, sex games, sex positions. Lots of descriptive sex... Oh looky, an online kama sutra game that moans (I'm not making that up)... "Carnal Counselor"? "Guy Candy"? A porn site for women? I sure hope Net Nanny blocks this one!
Now I'm not against better sex, healthy sex or adventurous sex. Nor am I against having appropriate sex education. Heck, I'm all for all these things! I understand some adults enjoy this sort of adult entertainment. A lot of them, if you believe the subscription numbers. But the place for it is not the grocery store checkout rack. Cosmo isn't the only one "pushing the limits".
But they certainly will help broach the subject of smut with the kids...
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Insensitive? Who, Me?
My dear wife seems to think that I am insensitive to the special issues of overweight people. Or fixated on them. Or maybe it's just a latent need to vilify me in her blog.
I keep telling her that weight doesn't matter as much as fitness, but that seems to get overlooked. At her gym, they track weight lost and inches lost. So I know these measurements are important to her and the group she exercises with. Tracking them are useful if the goal is to lose body mass, but weight gain or loss by itself is not a good measure of fitness (No, I am not saying that those are all she pays attention to). I have told her on several occasions that I would rather she gain weight and add inches ... as long as she keeps improving her fitness. She does track body fat, which is useful. In my own exercise regimen, I track improvement in flexibility, strength and aerobic capacity. Right now my goal is conditioning with a focus on firming the tummy. Alas, the tummy ... probably a life-long endeavor ... but I digress.
In public, I see irresponsible and indulgent actions around me and question them. Call me a jerk for making assumptions if you must... I see men and women, adults and kids. Especially parents and kids and the use of junk food and treats as rewards and the use of treats to placate bad behavior. I see the impulsive, indulgent, and consumptive motivators in our society and question the intelligence of it. I question why healthy eateries struggle and go out of business while McDonalds and Ice Cream shops spring up all around us. Am I somehow immune to all this? Hell no!
Yes, it is personal to me. I know that it takes concerted effort and discipline to eat healthily and exercise healthily. To become fit and stay fit. To not give in. If we cook for ourselves there is the added expense of time and effort, if we eat out there is the added $ cost, large portions, scarcity of healthy selections and general lack of nutritional info to begin with. I am used to others shrugging off my efforts as me somehow being blessed. How lucky I am to have my metabolism. Yeah, right... As if I were destined to forever be in good shape without effort.
You see, in my family heritage there is a history of putting on weight with the years. Both sides of the family have the "pot-bellied friar" tendency for the guys and "plump double-chin Rubenesque" for the gals. My dad, a college football player and ex-army is a good sized guy to begin with. But with his appetite and the lifestyle changes that came with a desk job and marriage with kids, for the first 10 years or so of my youth he gained weight. Muscle gave way to bulk. By the time he hit the low 200s he was obviously out of shape. Then came the years of diet and exercise. Now that he is retired, his weight is on the rise again. To give you a perspective, my Dad, uncle and aunt cannot comfortably fit in automotive seat belts today.
I have a daughter that is almost 10. My dad's scenario could easily be mine to deal with today. Today!
Call it insensitive or a fixation, but I don't want to get like that. I don't think my wife wants me to get like that, and I don't want my wife getting like that.
Healthy diet is important. But as I've said many times before, most so-called diets are focused on weight loss and do it in unhealthy ways. I grew up with 4 sisters. I've witnessed dietary weirdness close up.
No, I am not singling out overweight people. Or those with eating disorders. I question lots of things I observe. Like those people we see always scowling or workaholics or people that always seem to need to be victims... But again, I digress.
I sympathize, empathize, and support people that strive to reach worthy goals. I can directly relate. Seriously, my goal is not to mock or belittle. I know it is difficult to counter even the natural appetites and cravings present in every human. But I have also learned to put results and actions before words. I have had the fortune to support people overcoming alcohol, drug, and temper problems.
So if I seem critical of what I observe ... I am. If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and waddles like a duck, I'm going to call it a duck. My apologies to penguins that look, sound, and act like ducks.
While critical, I do also keep my assumptions in mind. Yes, the out of shape overweight woman my wife and I saw at the grocery just this last weekend who had only a large package of ice cream sandwiches and fresh filled pastries in her cart may just be getting those for her husband and kids before she gets fresh vegetables and weight watchers for herself or a zillion other scenarios ... but most likely it just might be what it appeared to be...
My dear wife seems to think that I am insensitive to the special issues of overweight people. Or fixated on them. Or maybe it's just a latent need to vilify me in her blog.
I keep telling her that weight doesn't matter as much as fitness, but that seems to get overlooked. At her gym, they track weight lost and inches lost. So I know these measurements are important to her and the group she exercises with. Tracking them are useful if the goal is to lose body mass, but weight gain or loss by itself is not a good measure of fitness (No, I am not saying that those are all she pays attention to). I have told her on several occasions that I would rather she gain weight and add inches ... as long as she keeps improving her fitness. She does track body fat, which is useful. In my own exercise regimen, I track improvement in flexibility, strength and aerobic capacity. Right now my goal is conditioning with a focus on firming the tummy. Alas, the tummy ... probably a life-long endeavor ... but I digress.
In public, I see irresponsible and indulgent actions around me and question them. Call me a jerk for making assumptions if you must... I see men and women, adults and kids. Especially parents and kids and the use of junk food and treats as rewards and the use of treats to placate bad behavior. I see the impulsive, indulgent, and consumptive motivators in our society and question the intelligence of it. I question why healthy eateries struggle and go out of business while McDonalds and Ice Cream shops spring up all around us. Am I somehow immune to all this? Hell no!
Yes, it is personal to me. I know that it takes concerted effort and discipline to eat healthily and exercise healthily. To become fit and stay fit. To not give in. If we cook for ourselves there is the added expense of time and effort, if we eat out there is the added $ cost, large portions, scarcity of healthy selections and general lack of nutritional info to begin with. I am used to others shrugging off my efforts as me somehow being blessed. How lucky I am to have my metabolism. Yeah, right... As if I were destined to forever be in good shape without effort.
You see, in my family heritage there is a history of putting on weight with the years. Both sides of the family have the "pot-bellied friar" tendency for the guys and "plump double-chin Rubenesque" for the gals. My dad, a college football player and ex-army is a good sized guy to begin with. But with his appetite and the lifestyle changes that came with a desk job and marriage with kids, for the first 10 years or so of my youth he gained weight. Muscle gave way to bulk. By the time he hit the low 200s he was obviously out of shape. Then came the years of diet and exercise. Now that he is retired, his weight is on the rise again. To give you a perspective, my Dad, uncle and aunt cannot comfortably fit in automotive seat belts today.
I have a daughter that is almost 10. My dad's scenario could easily be mine to deal with today. Today!
Call it insensitive or a fixation, but I don't want to get like that. I don't think my wife wants me to get like that, and I don't want my wife getting like that.
Healthy diet is important. But as I've said many times before, most so-called diets are focused on weight loss and do it in unhealthy ways. I grew up with 4 sisters. I've witnessed dietary weirdness close up.
No, I am not singling out overweight people. Or those with eating disorders. I question lots of things I observe. Like those people we see always scowling or workaholics or people that always seem to need to be victims... But again, I digress.
I sympathize, empathize, and support people that strive to reach worthy goals. I can directly relate. Seriously, my goal is not to mock or belittle. I know it is difficult to counter even the natural appetites and cravings present in every human. But I have also learned to put results and actions before words. I have had the fortune to support people overcoming alcohol, drug, and temper problems.
So if I seem critical of what I observe ... I am. If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and waddles like a duck, I'm going to call it a duck. My apologies to penguins that look, sound, and act like ducks.
While critical, I do also keep my assumptions in mind. Yes, the out of shape overweight woman my wife and I saw at the grocery just this last weekend who had only a large package of ice cream sandwiches and fresh filled pastries in her cart may just be getting those for her husband and kids before she gets fresh vegetables and weight watchers for herself or a zillion other scenarios ... but most likely it just might be what it appeared to be...
Thursday, August 25, 2005
DW @ Nashville CATS
My dear wife recently got back from a trip to the Nashville CATS get-together. No, it had nothing to do with feline mammals ... at least not that I know of. From what I can tell, it's a cult gathering for cross stitchers, the vast majority of whom are women.
DW had minor adventures crossing between Western and Eastern US. This mostly involved air travel foibles, of course. From what I gather, she had 2+ wonderful days while she was there. She got home bubbly, happy and excited about all the online friends and acquaintances whom she finally got to meet in person. As well as the antics of her group. That was followed by announcing that she was sore, tired, worn out, etc.
Before DW left, we talked about the trip with the kids. Mom would be going away for a few days and I was staying home with them. "Mommy is going to go to a stitching show to have fun with her stitching friends". A "slumber party" of sorts. Of course, that just made the girls want to go too, but we told them it was far, far away and just Mommy was going. Later, I think I put it in another perspective as a "big girl's slumber party" and "stitchers wild weekend out".
While she was there she hooked up with a good number of online stitching buddies, did the stitching show, did the town, reveled in the "power of perky puppies". Apparently Nashville survived...
So DW got back and was telling us how well she "behaved herself" and showed "restraint". Yep, that was just before pulling out her treasure trove of acquisitions. Oh, and I shouldn't forget the nice tee shirts as gifts for me and the girls. Thanks dear!
What Ever Happened to So-and-So?
The local paper carries a column called "Male Call" that has humorous anecdotes from the guy perspective in response to letters sent in. In a recent one, they talk about googling old girlfriends online and who hasn't done it. Well, I hadn't, but since they mentioned it...
I did a google search for my highschool girlfriend. I knew that after highschool she went into college as pre-med and later got married to someone there. But I had lost track long ago. Well ... remarkably enough I found her. There she was, going by her maiden name with a Dr and MD, PhD around it. A medical research associate.
Atta way! It is always good to see hopes and dreams achieved. No contact info though.
How can something so good be so bad?
I'll admit it. I enjoy being a bit irreverent. At my house, the name used for the local donut chain's shop is "Krusty Kreme". Krispy? Krusty? When it comes to Kreme (if it's anything like cream) what's the difference? The local Krusty Kreme makes Sugar Coated Fat Pills. Yes, even my dear wife and the girls call them that now. It doesn't seem to have dampened the appeal much. We'll be shopping nearby and there will be that enticing aroma. "Hmmm, fresh sugar coated fat pills. Yum!".
At the local indoor mall there are strategically placed shops with Cookies or Candies or Ice Cream or Cinnabons or smoothies or... You can't go more than a couple stores without a new aroma and visual enticements. Oh come on, you know you deserve it, treat yourself... And there seem to be a lot of people who can't make it more than a couple stores without indulging themselves.
Direct marketing to the indulgent consumptive. Or is that the impulsive indulgent... Anyways, I've even offered to educate the people in line. "Hey, don't you know those things make you fat?" But somehow my instinct for self preservation takes over...
My dear wife recently got back from a trip to the Nashville CATS get-together. No, it had nothing to do with feline mammals ... at least not that I know of. From what I can tell, it's a cult gathering for cross stitchers, the vast majority of whom are women.
DW had minor adventures crossing between Western and Eastern US. This mostly involved air travel foibles, of course. From what I gather, she had 2+ wonderful days while she was there. She got home bubbly, happy and excited about all the online friends and acquaintances whom she finally got to meet in person. As well as the antics of her group. That was followed by announcing that she was sore, tired, worn out, etc.
Before DW left, we talked about the trip with the kids. Mom would be going away for a few days and I was staying home with them. "Mommy is going to go to a stitching show to have fun with her stitching friends". A "slumber party" of sorts. Of course, that just made the girls want to go too, but we told them it was far, far away and just Mommy was going. Later, I think I put it in another perspective as a "big girl's slumber party" and "stitchers wild weekend out".
While she was there she hooked up with a good number of online stitching buddies, did the stitching show, did the town, reveled in the "power of perky puppies". Apparently Nashville survived...
So DW got back and was telling us how well she "behaved herself" and showed "restraint". Yep, that was just before pulling out her treasure trove of acquisitions. Oh, and I shouldn't forget the nice tee shirts as gifts for me and the girls. Thanks dear!
What Ever Happened to So-and-So?
The local paper carries a column called "Male Call" that has humorous anecdotes from the guy perspective in response to letters sent in. In a recent one, they talk about googling old girlfriends online and who hasn't done it. Well, I hadn't, but since they mentioned it...
I did a google search for my highschool girlfriend. I knew that after highschool she went into college as pre-med and later got married to someone there. But I had lost track long ago. Well ... remarkably enough I found her. There she was, going by her maiden name with a Dr and MD, PhD around it. A medical research associate.
Atta way! It is always good to see hopes and dreams achieved. No contact info though.
How can something so good be so bad?
I'll admit it. I enjoy being a bit irreverent. At my house, the name used for the local donut chain's shop is "Krusty Kreme". Krispy? Krusty? When it comes to Kreme (if it's anything like cream) what's the difference? The local Krusty Kreme makes Sugar Coated Fat Pills. Yes, even my dear wife and the girls call them that now. It doesn't seem to have dampened the appeal much. We'll be shopping nearby and there will be that enticing aroma. "Hmmm, fresh sugar coated fat pills. Yum!".
At the local indoor mall there are strategically placed shops with Cookies or Candies or Ice Cream or Cinnabons or smoothies or... You can't go more than a couple stores without a new aroma and visual enticements. Oh come on, you know you deserve it, treat yourself... And there seem to be a lot of people who can't make it more than a couple stores without indulging themselves.
Direct marketing to the indulgent consumptive. Or is that the impulsive indulgent... Anyways, I've even offered to educate the people in line. "Hey, don't you know those things make you fat?" But somehow my instinct for self preservation takes over...
Saturday, August 20, 2005
Another Ribbon
Today I saw one of those red, white & blue ribbon stickers on a car that had a full statement on it. It said "Support our President and our Country".
Just as I am reminded that all "terrorists" consider themselves patriots and rally around similar banners, I am reminded:
"That we are to stand by the president, right or wrong is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." - Theodore Roosevelt
"Our country is not the only thing to which we owe our allegiance. It is also owed to justice and to humanity. Patriotism consists not in waving the flag, but in striving that our country shall be righteous as well as strong." - James Bryce
"Naturally, the common people don'’t want war, but after all, it is the leaders of a country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag people along whether it is a Democracy, or a Fascist dictatorship, or a Parliament, or a Communist dictatorship. Voice or No voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. This is easy, all you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism And exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country." - Herman Goering, Hitler'’s Reich-Marshall, at the Nuremberg Trials.
Today I saw one of those red, white & blue ribbon stickers on a car that had a full statement on it. It said "Support our President and our Country".
Just as I am reminded that all "terrorists" consider themselves patriots and rally around similar banners, I am reminded:
"That we are to stand by the president, right or wrong is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." - Theodore Roosevelt
"Our country is not the only thing to which we owe our allegiance. It is also owed to justice and to humanity. Patriotism consists not in waving the flag, but in striving that our country shall be righteous as well as strong." - James Bryce
"Naturally, the common people don'’t want war, but after all, it is the leaders of a country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag people along whether it is a Democracy, or a Fascist dictatorship, or a Parliament, or a Communist dictatorship. Voice or No voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. This is easy, all you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism And exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country." - Herman Goering, Hitler'’s Reich-Marshall, at the Nuremberg Trials.
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Do Guns Really Make People Bad?
I recently bought a Ruger 10/22 target rifle from my brother-in-law. It was well kept, complete with original manual and a nice gun case.
The reason he sold it is a bit unusual. He and I have gone out target shooting numerous times. He handles guns well and enjoys shooting. By "well" I mean exemplary safe handling and always respectful of the gun and those around him. But his kids play with the kids of a neighbor who is, for lack of a better term, "firearm sensitive". They wouldn't let their kids even visit the house if they knew there was a gun inside. "Why don't you just get a good secure gun safe (a safe that you keep guns locked securely in) like mine?" I asked him. Apparently, that would make things worse. He has kept his guns well hidden and getting a gun safe would make it obvious he had guns. Just having a gun in the house makes it bad...
Yet another paranoid rationalization. Guns are bad and dangerous. You can't trust someone who has guns around ... Um, unless of course they are police or military and then they are miraculously virtuous.
Ironically, they trust that my BIL doesn't have guns in the house, but if they found out he actually did they wouldn't trust him...
Yes, guns can be dangerous. Very dangerous. So can cars and trucks and a myriad of common household items. Knowledge and safety is important. But the idea of the mere presence of a firearm making a house a bad place or a person bad? My BIL didn't even have any ammunition. Such a dire threat!
So, when I picked up the rifle I asked, half in jest, if I had to sneak it out to my car unseen to avoid having the neighbors call the police on me...
I recently bought a Ruger 10/22 target rifle from my brother-in-law. It was well kept, complete with original manual and a nice gun case.
The reason he sold it is a bit unusual. He and I have gone out target shooting numerous times. He handles guns well and enjoys shooting. By "well" I mean exemplary safe handling and always respectful of the gun and those around him. But his kids play with the kids of a neighbor who is, for lack of a better term, "firearm sensitive". They wouldn't let their kids even visit the house if they knew there was a gun inside. "Why don't you just get a good secure gun safe (a safe that you keep guns locked securely in) like mine?" I asked him. Apparently, that would make things worse. He has kept his guns well hidden and getting a gun safe would make it obvious he had guns. Just having a gun in the house makes it bad...
Yet another paranoid rationalization. Guns are bad and dangerous. You can't trust someone who has guns around ... Um, unless of course they are police or military and then they are miraculously virtuous.
Ironically, they trust that my BIL doesn't have guns in the house, but if they found out he actually did they wouldn't trust him...
Yes, guns can be dangerous. Very dangerous. So can cars and trucks and a myriad of common household items. Knowledge and safety is important. But the idea of the mere presence of a firearm making a house a bad place or a person bad? My BIL didn't even have any ammunition. Such a dire threat!
So, when I picked up the rifle I asked, half in jest, if I had to sneak it out to my car unseen to avoid having the neighbors call the police on me...
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Fashionable Gestures
Oh my! Yesterday I saw a car without an "awareness ribbon" on it!
I recall the old pop song that sang of tying a yellow ribbon on the old oak tree to let someone know they were welcome home. A while ago this romantic ideal was extended to car stickers as a show of support for troops abroad. But now it seems that there are special ribbons for just about every cause. A veritable color-coded ribbon of the month club. Oh, and fashionable arm bands, lapel pins...
Now, I don't mean to belittle the causes; support our troops, support our nation, HIV, stop child abuse, Alzheimer's, breast cancer, etc, etc, etc... But it has reached the point of being just another fashionable gesture.
There is a SUV around the neighborhood that has 4 ribbons lined up across the back. Yep. The message is lost in the medium. Time to put the ribbons away with the old Save the Seal bumper stickers and Baby On Board window hangers. Don't lose sight of the cause, let's get back to what's important.
I'm Being Downsized
And I say it with a laugh! During a recent trip to a Mervyn's clothing store I pulled a couple of shirts off the rack in my normal size and found they were too big. What? Am I shrinking? Nope, apparently the shirts grew. The size they used to call Large is now called Medium. At least for those brands. I guess I'm just not keeping up with the trend. If this keeps up I'll have to go back to shopping in the boys section.
Happy Birthday
My youngest daughter turned 8. It's mind boggling. Each birthday brings a new wave of remembrances.
This year we let the birthday girl choose where she wanted to go for lunch and dinner. For lunch she chose Burger King. Now we've coached her well in the junk food messages and she will tell you that the food isn't that good for you. But given her pick, a burger, apple sauce and milkshake it was. For dinner she chose Taco Maker, another local fast food burger/taco crossover place. But they were closed for unknown reasons. Second choice was McDonalds. But this got groans (and thumbs down) from my wife and I. We finally talked her into a local place that we like that has a children's grilled cheese sandwich plate that she likes. By "talked her into" I mean that's where the car ended up (I was driving) and she relented...
I know, we should count our blessings that we made her happy and got off fairly cheap. In the end, she had a happy day.
Oh my! Yesterday I saw a car without an "awareness ribbon" on it!
I recall the old pop song that sang of tying a yellow ribbon on the old oak tree to let someone know they were welcome home. A while ago this romantic ideal was extended to car stickers as a show of support for troops abroad. But now it seems that there are special ribbons for just about every cause. A veritable color-coded ribbon of the month club. Oh, and fashionable arm bands, lapel pins...
Now, I don't mean to belittle the causes; support our troops, support our nation, HIV, stop child abuse, Alzheimer's, breast cancer, etc, etc, etc... But it has reached the point of being just another fashionable gesture.
There is a SUV around the neighborhood that has 4 ribbons lined up across the back. Yep. The message is lost in the medium. Time to put the ribbons away with the old Save the Seal bumper stickers and Baby On Board window hangers. Don't lose sight of the cause, let's get back to what's important.
I'm Being Downsized
And I say it with a laugh! During a recent trip to a Mervyn's clothing store I pulled a couple of shirts off the rack in my normal size and found they were too big. What? Am I shrinking? Nope, apparently the shirts grew. The size they used to call Large is now called Medium. At least for those brands. I guess I'm just not keeping up with the trend. If this keeps up I'll have to go back to shopping in the boys section.
Happy Birthday
My youngest daughter turned 8. It's mind boggling. Each birthday brings a new wave of remembrances.
This year we let the birthday girl choose where she wanted to go for lunch and dinner. For lunch she chose
I know, we should count our blessings that we made her happy and got off fairly cheap. In the end, she had a happy day.
Friday, June 24, 2005
Farrter's Day
Fathers day was very low key this year. It started with my grade school aged daughter giving me a handmade card. She's been into frogs lately and the card has a cute green frog drawn with big blue eyes saying "Rrrrappy Farrter's Dayrr!". Now, I know I'm supposed to say it as "Happy Father's Day" sounding like a frog, but somehow I find the unintended meaning to be so much more irreverently amusing. Aw, this is a keeper!
The Doggy Days of Summer
It is summer and the dog is confronting her arch nemesis regularly in the morning; the back yard lawn sprinkler. The sprinkler is the kind that has the jet of water that pulses to move it in an arc. The dog goes after the jet of water at the source. She gets absolutely drenched. Cheap entertainment for her, as well as us - if we keep our distance.
Support Escalation Hell
Our DSL line went belly up. It drops on rare occasion, but generally comes back shortly. So I waited. I tested to make sure everything at my end was working OK.
The next day I called Earthlink support. There I ran into the most extensive teleprompter I've ever had to navigate through. Seriously, it took on the order of 20 selections to get to their support person. Plus listening to all their messages. Then that person, with a strong India accent, started running me through their troubleshooting process. Step by step by step... With a fair amount of repeating so I could understand what she said. During the process I had to disconnect my home network, disable all firewall and virus software, and reconfigure a good number of system settings. In the end, I was escalated to a "senior technician".
That meant calling another number with my handy dandy ticket number. No teleprompter this time, but I got another person with a strong India accent. Then we did more testing. More questions. Once again I got escalated. My ticket was submitted and this time they would call me...
I didn't have to wait too long before I got a call from someone who actually sounded like English was their primary language. They ran through some of the same checks and let me know that everything on my side was checking out OK (like I said...). Little consolation to me that all the recabling and reconfiguring had only proven that it was unnecessary. So ... three hours into it, I was once again escalated. This time to SBC, who takes care of the actual phone lines and hardware. No phone call this time, unless things weren't working after 24 hours.
Apparently someone kicked the right machine, because the next day my DSL was working again.
Would you consider this good support?
Fathers day was very low key this year. It started with my grade school aged daughter giving me a handmade card. She's been into frogs lately and the card has a cute green frog drawn with big blue eyes saying "Rrrrappy Farrter's Dayrr!". Now, I know I'm supposed to say it as "Happy Father's Day" sounding like a frog, but somehow I find the unintended meaning to be so much more irreverently amusing. Aw, this is a keeper!
The Doggy Days of Summer
It is summer and the dog is confronting her arch nemesis regularly in the morning; the back yard lawn sprinkler. The sprinkler is the kind that has the jet of water that pulses to move it in an arc. The dog goes after the jet of water at the source. She gets absolutely drenched. Cheap entertainment for her, as well as us - if we keep our distance.
Support Escalation Hell
Our DSL line went belly up. It drops on rare occasion, but generally comes back shortly. So I waited. I tested to make sure everything at my end was working OK.
The next day I called Earthlink support. There I ran into the most extensive teleprompter I've ever had to navigate through. Seriously, it took on the order of 20 selections to get to their support person. Plus listening to all their messages. Then that person, with a strong India accent, started running me through their troubleshooting process. Step by step by step... With a fair amount of repeating so I could understand what she said. During the process I had to disconnect my home network, disable all firewall and virus software, and reconfigure a good number of system settings. In the end, I was escalated to a "senior technician".
That meant calling another number with my handy dandy ticket number. No teleprompter this time, but I got another person with a strong India accent. Then we did more testing. More questions. Once again I got escalated. My ticket was submitted and this time they would call me...
I didn't have to wait too long before I got a call from someone who actually sounded like English was their primary language. They ran through some of the same checks and let me know that everything on my side was checking out OK (like I said...). Little consolation to me that all the recabling and reconfiguring had only proven that it was unnecessary. So ... three hours into it, I was once again escalated. This time to SBC, who takes care of the actual phone lines and hardware. No phone call this time, unless things weren't working after 24 hours.
Apparently someone kicked the right machine, because the next day my DSL was working again.
Would you consider this good support?
Friday, June 17, 2005
The Fathers Day Dilemma
What to do for Fathers Day...
Last weekend I was at a school carnival with my dear wife and kids. From across the playground, one of the kids called out "Daddy!". You probably guessed it, half of the adults turned their heads. All those well conditioned fathers. Myself included. Being a father is more than having kids, it's a state of mind.
When I dropped the kids off at school today, one of the kids was telling one of the school workers "On Fathers Day, my Dad gets to do anything he wants". I thought "If only...". Okay, I'm sure the "within reason" is assumed. A nice dreamy sentiment nonetheless.
You see, to me Fathers Day is about acknowledging and honoring the Fathers in our lives. Our own fathers first, and then other important fathers. Done with a healthy dose of appreciation. It isn't what you get a father, it's what you give him. I'll spare you my commercialism of special days rant. Just to say, the best things in life aren't things...
Sometimes it's as simple as a letter, phone call, or visit. Taking the time to make dad important. Or just spending time together. Sitting and chatting over good bottle(s) of beer or wine with my dad, what could be better? Or to do something he enjoys with him. Yes, it could be giving him the day to do as he pleases (within reason - loosely translated as keeping the kids and chores out of his way). Quality futzing time is always a welcome luxury. You get the idea. The cards or gifts are just the traipsings that add to the spirit.
Last year my dear wife and kids gave me a home-made booklet of coupons. It had coupons for breakfast in bed, special dinners, hugs, kisses. Stuff like that. While there probably wasn't much I wouldn't have gotten anyway, it was a very nice gesture. It showed thought and spirit. Then I was well fed and had plenty of futzing time that day. I got some handmade cards from the kids. Nothing extravagant.
I know that I am loved and appreciated. What could be better...?
What to do for Fathers Day...
Last weekend I was at a school carnival with my dear wife and kids. From across the playground, one of the kids called out "Daddy!". You probably guessed it, half of the adults turned their heads. All those well conditioned fathers. Myself included. Being a father is more than having kids, it's a state of mind.
When I dropped the kids off at school today, one of the kids was telling one of the school workers "On Fathers Day, my Dad gets to do anything he wants". I thought "If only...". Okay, I'm sure the "within reason" is assumed. A nice dreamy sentiment nonetheless.
You see, to me Fathers Day is about acknowledging and honoring the Fathers in our lives. Our own fathers first, and then other important fathers. Done with a healthy dose of appreciation. It isn't what you get a father, it's what you give him. I'll spare you my commercialism of special days rant. Just to say, the best things in life aren't things...
Sometimes it's as simple as a letter, phone call, or visit. Taking the time to make dad important. Or just spending time together. Sitting and chatting over good bottle(s) of beer or wine with my dad, what could be better? Or to do something he enjoys with him. Yes, it could be giving him the day to do as he pleases (within reason - loosely translated as keeping the kids and chores out of his way). Quality futzing time is always a welcome luxury. You get the idea. The cards or gifts are just the traipsings that add to the spirit.
Last year my dear wife and kids gave me a home-made booklet of coupons. It had coupons for breakfast in bed, special dinners, hugs, kisses. Stuff like that. While there probably wasn't much I wouldn't have gotten anyway, it was a very nice gesture. It showed thought and spirit. Then I was well fed and had plenty of futzing time that day. I got some handmade cards from the kids. Nothing extravagant.
I know that I am loved and appreciated. What could be better...?
Thursday, June 09, 2005
Changing Course
There are a lot of lessons we learn, not from our own experiences, but from others.
While I was in college I rented a house with 3 other students. One of them had completed his 4 year liberal arts degree. He discovered that the job opportunities this presented to him were less than appealing, so he went back to school.
He entered a 3 year law degree program at a pricey local university, paid for in full by his more than proud dad. The first year was tough. The professors worked the students hard and attrition was high - something like half the class didn't make it to the second year. The second year wasn't much easier. I remember the stacks of books piled in his room and the amount of time he spent pouring over them. But if a student survived the first 2 years, they were considered golden. While the first two years whittled the body count down, the third year was smooth sailing.
My housemate survived the first two years and started the final stretch. Then he had another change of conscience. With little more than half a year to go he decided that a career in law wasn't for him. Everyone questioned his sanity. He had made it too far to quit. Even his professors tried to convince him to stay the course. "At least get the degree". His dad was especially put out.
Do you know what my housemates biggest lament was? He wished that instead of spending the outrageous amount of (his dad's) money on law school, that he had taken it to a quaint village he knew of in Mexico where he could have lived on it very comfortably for 20 years or more. "Like a king"... Of course the reality of being unemployed with little savings set in shortly after.
Was he a fool? Most certainly. But it was his to be. Sometimes we need to pursue a path to find out it really doesn't go where we want to be. There may be other lessons in the story, but the lesson I learned was respecting him for being his own person and making the tough decision. He made a decision that was right for him, even when the easy thing would have been to sell out to the expectations around him.
Random Ponderings...
My health club is in the same building as a Baskin Robbins Ice Cream store. Do you think they increase each other's business?
At my health club the treadmills and stair steppers face a front window. We watch the cars hunting and waiting for parking spaces to open up near the door even when there are plenty of spaces a row further away. Do these drivers think they're conserving energy for their workout?
Why do some women put on makeup right before working out?
Sylvester Stallone has announced tentative plans for new Rambo and Rocky movies. He is also publishing a magazine named "Sly" attempting to appeal to men. Does this count as a mid-life crisis or a late-life crisis? Can't he get into politics like the rest of Hollywood?
There are a lot of lessons we learn, not from our own experiences, but from others.
While I was in college I rented a house with 3 other students. One of them had completed his 4 year liberal arts degree. He discovered that the job opportunities this presented to him were less than appealing, so he went back to school.
He entered a 3 year law degree program at a pricey local university, paid for in full by his more than proud dad. The first year was tough. The professors worked the students hard and attrition was high - something like half the class didn't make it to the second year. The second year wasn't much easier. I remember the stacks of books piled in his room and the amount of time he spent pouring over them. But if a student survived the first 2 years, they were considered golden. While the first two years whittled the body count down, the third year was smooth sailing.
My housemate survived the first two years and started the final stretch. Then he had another change of conscience. With little more than half a year to go he decided that a career in law wasn't for him. Everyone questioned his sanity. He had made it too far to quit. Even his professors tried to convince him to stay the course. "At least get the degree". His dad was especially put out.
Do you know what my housemates biggest lament was? He wished that instead of spending the outrageous amount of (his dad's) money on law school, that he had taken it to a quaint village he knew of in Mexico where he could have lived on it very comfortably for 20 years or more. "Like a king"... Of course the reality of being unemployed with little savings set in shortly after.
Was he a fool? Most certainly. But it was his to be. Sometimes we need to pursue a path to find out it really doesn't go where we want to be. There may be other lessons in the story, but the lesson I learned was respecting him for being his own person and making the tough decision. He made a decision that was right for him, even when the easy thing would have been to sell out to the expectations around him.
Random Ponderings...
My health club is in the same building as a Baskin Robbins Ice Cream store. Do you think they increase each other's business?
At my health club the treadmills and stair steppers face a front window. We watch the cars hunting and waiting for parking spaces to open up near the door even when there are plenty of spaces a row further away. Do these drivers think they're conserving energy for their workout?
Why do some women put on makeup right before working out?
Sylvester Stallone has announced tentative plans for new Rambo and Rocky movies. He is also publishing a magazine named "Sly" attempting to appeal to men. Does this count as a mid-life crisis or a late-life crisis? Can't he get into politics like the rest of Hollywood?
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
But Will The World Get Squeaky?
I just filled the gas tank ... ouch! World oil usage projections vary, but predictions are we have enough oil around the world to last 50 years, give or take. The faster we can pump it out, the lower the price will stay (basic supply and demand). So guess what the consumer nations are focused on? Find it, pump it, keep it affordable, we'll worry about the rest later. Somehow I think my ouch at the pump is minor compared to what we face...
Bridezilla
This past weekend my family and I went to a bridal BBQ. A long-time friend of my wife is getting married in about a year. She was a Bridesmaid in our wedding. My wife has agreed to be a Bridesmaid for hers. The bride-to-be is a sweetheart, but bit of a character. Yes, she has her quirks and is fondly called Bridezilla by all involved... She decided on a rather expensive fashion name wedding gown. This means the bridesmaids also get to pay for that name for their gowns. I know this rankles my wife a bit, since she didn't let herself get caught up in the fashion extravagance for our wedding and kept costs reasonable. I am dumbfounded by the idea of a 5 figure wedding gown... My wife looked beautiful in a gown costing much less. And I have the pictures to prove it!
The Efficient Workout
I recently got a junk mail from The Blitz. The "20 Minute Total Fitness For Men" place that combines resistance machines and heavy punching/kicking bags. I'm still skeptical, it takes me at least 20 minutes to get properly warmed up and ready for a workout... I just see this as a rushed workout with high potential for strains and pains in the name of expedience. While I can see how their marketing appeals to the efficiency minded I am also reminded that it takes time to do things right. Thank you very much, but I'll take effective over efficient any day.
Also recently, I was at my gym and struck up a conversation with a woman next to me while doing warmup stretches. I mentioned how I was trying to entice my wife to try out this gym. She responded that she really didn't come there to work out very often. She prefers Yoga. Her husband is a chiropractor and deals with people with joint and back pains all the time. He's told her that if everyone did Yoga, he'd be out of a job. It wasn't exactly the testimonial I was looking for. But it got me thinking ... instead of enticing my wife, I should be revisiting Yoga myself. I did Yoga many years ago and still remember it was good.
My gym has started its spring promotions and the place is packed. I overheard a member I recognize ask one of the trainers about the crowd. The response "just wait 2 weeks and it'll be back to normal" is telling. Too many newcomers are looking for quick, easy results or are unwilling to make the time and give up. I have to admire the regulars who persist. Those who persist know that it takes time and effort. And there is never enough time unless you make the time...
I just filled the gas tank ... ouch! World oil usage projections vary, but predictions are we have enough oil around the world to last 50 years, give or take. The faster we can pump it out, the lower the price will stay (basic supply and demand). So guess what the consumer nations are focused on? Find it, pump it, keep it affordable, we'll worry about the rest later. Somehow I think my ouch at the pump is minor compared to what we face...
Bridezilla
This past weekend my family and I went to a bridal BBQ. A long-time friend of my wife is getting married in about a year. She was a Bridesmaid in our wedding. My wife has agreed to be a Bridesmaid for hers. The bride-to-be is a sweetheart, but bit of a character. Yes, she has her quirks and is fondly called Bridezilla by all involved... She decided on a rather expensive fashion name wedding gown. This means the bridesmaids also get to pay for that name for their gowns. I know this rankles my wife a bit, since she didn't let herself get caught up in the fashion extravagance for our wedding and kept costs reasonable. I am dumbfounded by the idea of a 5 figure wedding gown... My wife looked beautiful in a gown costing much less. And I have the pictures to prove it!
The Efficient Workout
I recently got a junk mail from The Blitz. The "20 Minute Total Fitness For Men" place that combines resistance machines and heavy punching/kicking bags. I'm still skeptical, it takes me at least 20 minutes to get properly warmed up and ready for a workout... I just see this as a rushed workout with high potential for strains and pains in the name of expedience. While I can see how their marketing appeals to the efficiency minded I am also reminded that it takes time to do things right. Thank you very much, but I'll take effective over efficient any day.
Also recently, I was at my gym and struck up a conversation with a woman next to me while doing warmup stretches. I mentioned how I was trying to entice my wife to try out this gym. She responded that she really didn't come there to work out very often. She prefers Yoga. Her husband is a chiropractor and deals with people with joint and back pains all the time. He's told her that if everyone did Yoga, he'd be out of a job. It wasn't exactly the testimonial I was looking for. But it got me thinking ... instead of enticing my wife, I should be revisiting Yoga myself. I did Yoga many years ago and still remember it was good.
My gym has started its spring promotions and the place is packed. I overheard a member I recognize ask one of the trainers about the crowd. The response "just wait 2 weeks and it'll be back to normal" is telling. Too many newcomers are looking for quick, easy results or are unwilling to make the time and give up. I have to admire the regulars who persist. Those who persist know that it takes time and effort. And there is never enough time unless you make the time...
Friday, April 08, 2005
Relentless Reality
This morning it was chilly outside and just beginning to rain. On the way out the front door, my younger daughter and I were wearing cozy warm jackets, my older daughter was wearing a t-shirt. So I told my jacketless daughter "You should wear a jacket today". Then I asked her after we got outside "Are you sure you don't want a jacket?". Once we got to school and she had her arms wrapped around herself I asked "Aren't you cold?". Each time, I got a "no"... So we arrived at the playground where the supervising teachers took a look at my daughter, and then at me with quizzical looks. Right away they asked my daughter "Why aren't you wearing a jacket?" while glancing at me. There she was acting cold, but saying she's fine and making excuses for not bringing a jacket... I explained it to them, and they agreed it's her lesson to learn.
Alas ... people, even kids need to take responsibility for their decisions and actions ... which brings me to:
Adventures at Target
I picked up some Easter goodies this year, and was impressed by the five short aisles at Target stacked with candies, baskets, and plushies lining both sides. Do we really consume that much? I was especially intrigues by ... and I'm not making this up ... the low-carb candy section. What intrigues me most is the conflicting compulsions working together in the marketing. The compulsion for sweets and the compulsion to think we're doing something good for ourselves. Sweets with half the guilt! These sweet aren't as bad for you as those, which somehow makes them good...
But ... we all know the Easter Bunny doesn't bring low-carb candy.
I also looked at girls panties for my eldest daughter who has fussed about her underwear showing. She wears regular, high waisted panties and pants and apparently some of the kids at school make fun of panties showing in the back when bending over or such. So she is trying to make sure they won't show. I figured a different style might be available. Wonder of wonders, not only does Target have bikini cut panties for gradeschoolers, they have fashion panties. Somehow I find this a bit disturbing...
...meanwhile, I can't wait for the day my daughter announces she needs low cut pants to show off her undies or wants a tramp-stamp tattoo as is popular now. Hopefully fashion will change by then, but I'm afraid to ponder what it will change to...
Near the toy section I came across a dumpy woman (I'm trying to be polite here) with an out-of- control young boy who was busy pulling toys out of boxes. The mom was apathetically pushing her cart along and reaching into her purse, open at the top, for cookies. I doubt they were low-carb ... or even paid for. Into her mouth they'd go. It was one of those scenes that just had me shaking my head. A blaring statement of irresponsibility in action. But what can you do other than alert the store staff to shake their heads with you.
Our target has a shopping cart conveyor between floors. It is in between the escalators and runs up and down along side them. You push your cart through some flapper style doors and it latches onto the cart and keeps it level as it conveys it up or down. Another technological marvel that makes a lot of sense. There are plenty of safety barriers and warning signs, of course, telling you to do things like remove any children. Too bad ... I could see my kids spending hours on that ride.
The carts also have radio controlled wheel locks. This Target has a single large entrance into a mall, and if you ignore the big signs and try to take a cart through that entrance into the mall the back wheels lock up. This can also happen if you get in range in the sections just to the side of the entrance, and can lead to a rather surprising jolt. They keep a security person near that entrance to unlock the wheel of people learning about not taking them into the mall. The funny thing is that you can take the carts out into the parking lot to unload. Just not into the mall.
Oh well, I'm sure many more shopping adventures await us ... and life's observations.
This morning it was chilly outside and just beginning to rain. On the way out the front door, my younger daughter and I were wearing cozy warm jackets, my older daughter was wearing a t-shirt. So I told my jacketless daughter "You should wear a jacket today". Then I asked her after we got outside "Are you sure you don't want a jacket?". Once we got to school and she had her arms wrapped around herself I asked "Aren't you cold?". Each time, I got a "no"... So we arrived at the playground where the supervising teachers took a look at my daughter, and then at me with quizzical looks. Right away they asked my daughter "Why aren't you wearing a jacket?" while glancing at me. There she was acting cold, but saying she's fine and making excuses for not bringing a jacket... I explained it to them, and they agreed it's her lesson to learn.
Alas ... people, even kids need to take responsibility for their decisions and actions ... which brings me to:
Adventures at Target
I picked up some Easter goodies this year, and was impressed by the five short aisles at Target stacked with candies, baskets, and plushies lining both sides. Do we really consume that much? I was especially intrigues by ... and I'm not making this up ... the low-carb candy section. What intrigues me most is the conflicting compulsions working together in the marketing. The compulsion for sweets and the compulsion to think we're doing something good for ourselves. Sweets with half the guilt! These sweet aren't as bad for you as those, which somehow makes them good...
But ... we all know the Easter Bunny doesn't bring low-carb candy.
I also looked at girls panties for my eldest daughter who has fussed about her underwear showing. She wears regular, high waisted panties and pants and apparently some of the kids at school make fun of panties showing in the back when bending over or such. So she is trying to make sure they won't show. I figured a different style might be available. Wonder of wonders, not only does Target have bikini cut panties for gradeschoolers, they have fashion panties. Somehow I find this a bit disturbing...
...meanwhile, I can't wait for the day my daughter announces she needs low cut pants to show off her undies or wants a tramp-stamp tattoo as is popular now. Hopefully fashion will change by then, but I'm afraid to ponder what it will change to...
Near the toy section I came across a dumpy woman (I'm trying to be polite here) with an out-of- control young boy who was busy pulling toys out of boxes. The mom was apathetically pushing her cart along and reaching into her purse, open at the top, for cookies. I doubt they were low-carb ... or even paid for. Into her mouth they'd go. It was one of those scenes that just had me shaking my head. A blaring statement of irresponsibility in action. But what can you do other than alert the store staff to shake their heads with you.
Our target has a shopping cart conveyor between floors. It is in between the escalators and runs up and down along side them. You push your cart through some flapper style doors and it latches onto the cart and keeps it level as it conveys it up or down. Another technological marvel that makes a lot of sense. There are plenty of safety barriers and warning signs, of course, telling you to do things like remove any children. Too bad ... I could see my kids spending hours on that ride.
The carts also have radio controlled wheel locks. This Target has a single large entrance into a mall, and if you ignore the big signs and try to take a cart through that entrance into the mall the back wheels lock up. This can also happen if you get in range in the sections just to the side of the entrance, and can lead to a rather surprising jolt. They keep a security person near that entrance to unlock the wheel of people learning about not taking them into the mall. The funny thing is that you can take the carts out into the parking lot to unload. Just not into the mall.
Oh well, I'm sure many more shopping adventures await us ... and life's observations.
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Life Is
Taking the first thing that comes to your mind, complete the sentence:
Life is ...
Even better, write down that sentence and use it as a response (comment) below.
Back during the "Happiness is..." era, I had a housemate who collected phrases starting with "life is...". It was a quirky hobby, but it was also entertaining what people came up with. He would just ask and wait for a response. The first time he asked me (completely out of the blue, as always) I remember that I was feeling a bit of a curmudgeon with my work and school load and mumbled something like "life is inflicted on us". I don't think he expected something that dark from me, paused a moment, and then wandered off jotting it down. Normally I'm much more of a "life is good" guy. Plain and simple and optimistically upbeat. Years later...
A favorite of my wife and I is Jake, the "life is good" guy that we now have on a number of our shirts. A worthy message. Because, in spite of all the detractors, life is good.
The results of completing that phrase often reflects on moods or philosophical pondering. Over the years I've run across some good additions to the collection and made note...
My list along the way:
-----------------------------------------------
Life is like a handkerchief sandwich.
Life is a bitch, then you die.
Life is a long and winding road.
Life is a game where the object of the game is to figure out the rules.
Life is what you make of it.
Life is a small boat tossed about in a big sea of hopes.
Life is a miracle.
Life is a Long Song (Jethro Tull).
Life is killing me.
Life is too short for cheap beer (booze, chocolate, etc).
Life is for living.
Life is but a dream (childrens song; Row, Row, Row Your Boat)
...life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get. (Forrest Gump)
Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans. (John Lennon)
Life is your story, and if you aren't going to be the hero then who is?
Life is good!
Please add yours below...
Taking the first thing that comes to your mind, complete the sentence:
Life is ...
Even better, write down that sentence and use it as a response (comment) below.
Back during the "Happiness is..." era, I had a housemate who collected phrases starting with "life is...". It was a quirky hobby, but it was also entertaining what people came up with. He would just ask and wait for a response. The first time he asked me (completely out of the blue, as always) I remember that I was feeling a bit of a curmudgeon with my work and school load and mumbled something like "life is inflicted on us". I don't think he expected something that dark from me, paused a moment, and then wandered off jotting it down. Normally I'm much more of a "life is good" guy. Plain and simple and optimistically upbeat. Years later...
A favorite of my wife and I is Jake, the "life is good" guy that we now have on a number of our shirts. A worthy message. Because, in spite of all the detractors, life is good.
The results of completing that phrase often reflects on moods or philosophical pondering. Over the years I've run across some good additions to the collection and made note...
My list along the way:
-----------------------------------------------
Life is like a handkerchief sandwich.
Life is a bitch, then you die.
Life is a long and winding road.
Life is a game where the object of the game is to figure out the rules.
Life is what you make of it.
Life is a small boat tossed about in a big sea of hopes.
Life is a miracle.
Life is a Long Song (Jethro Tull).
Life is killing me.
Life is too short for cheap beer (booze, chocolate, etc).
Life is for living.
Life is but a dream (childrens song; Row, Row, Row Your Boat)
...life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get. (Forrest Gump)
Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans. (John Lennon)
Life is your story, and if you aren't going to be the hero then who is?
Life is good!
Please add yours below...
Friday, March 25, 2005
Little Squaw with Big Eagle Feathers
My eldest daughter is studying Native American history in her 3rd grade class. Earlier this week she came home wearing a headdress that was a headband with feathers she made out of decorated construction paper. The next day she wore it back to school again. While I was tempted to ask "aren't you too old to wear stuff like that", I also remember back to when I was her age and the fun imaginary times I enjoyed. Given the chance, I would have worn Batman or some other superhero garb through most of early grade school. I know someday she will outgrow it, which makes it that much more precious today. Plus I can get those embarrassing photos to show later...
The reason she was wearing it? She was playing "Cops and Indians" with the boys. She was one of the chiefs that the cops had to catch. The total mismatch and disregard of stereotypes had me chuckling.
After she headed out to play I got the chance to talk with her teacher who was monitoring the playground. She told me about how careful they have to be with the materials so that they are "politically correct" and age-relevant. While I hope my daughter does learn the truthful history, I also realize that the truths of the European territorial aggression, subjugation, slavery and genocide of the native peoples that led to the North American nations we have today raises a lot of philosophical and humanity questions that she isn't ready for. So Cops and Indians it is, for now.
Yes, I do call her "little squaw with big eagle feathers" when she puts the headdress on. Sure there's a little poke of fun in there and I think she knows it. But there is also a good dose of acknowledgment and respect in there too.
My eldest daughter is studying Native American history in her 3rd grade class. Earlier this week she came home wearing a headdress that was a headband with feathers she made out of decorated construction paper. The next day she wore it back to school again. While I was tempted to ask "aren't you too old to wear stuff like that", I also remember back to when I was her age and the fun imaginary times I enjoyed. Given the chance, I would have worn Batman or some other superhero garb through most of early grade school. I know someday she will outgrow it, which makes it that much more precious today. Plus I can get those embarrassing photos to show later...
The reason she was wearing it? She was playing "Cops and Indians" with the boys. She was one of the chiefs that the cops had to catch. The total mismatch and disregard of stereotypes had me chuckling.
After she headed out to play I got the chance to talk with her teacher who was monitoring the playground. She told me about how careful they have to be with the materials so that they are "politically correct" and age-relevant. While I hope my daughter does learn the truthful history, I also realize that the truths of the European territorial aggression, subjugation, slavery and genocide of the native peoples that led to the North American nations we have today raises a lot of philosophical and humanity questions that she isn't ready for. So Cops and Indians it is, for now.
Yes, I do call her "little squaw with big eagle feathers" when she puts the headdress on. Sure there's a little poke of fun in there and I think she knows it. But there is also a good dose of acknowledgment and respect in there too.
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Life's Frailty
When does life start? When does life end? These are cosmic questions and I won't pretend to know the answer. They are questions that we may never understand the true answer to. It is the realm of beliefs and faiths. With so many different beliefs, it is certain that some must be wrong but there is no certainty that any are right.
There is a time to welcome life. There is a time to let life go. Just as it is noble to welcome a newborn, or to save a life, it is noble to accept someone's passing. It does not decrease the value of life. It accepts that a life that has ebbed will end. It celebrates a life that hopefully was well lived, while accepting that it is or will soon be gone. Death is the antithesis of life. No matter how much we resist or deny it, it is inevitable. We enjoy the life we have, and our interactions with others. For there is no other course.
No parent should outlive their kids. Many children have to deal with the passing of their parents, and the passing can never happen too late. We are reminded of the frailty of life daily. We may not want to face it or admit it, but the end is not in our control. I wish my parents would live forever but know they won't. I hope my kids outlive me and do my best to assure it, but know that it is not mine to say. And so I look forward to enjoying as long a life with them as I can.
Now we are faced with the all too sensationalized news of the parents and loved ones at odds over the fate of Terri Schiavo. Is it nobler to insert a feeding tube to keep her from starving to death? Or to let this severely brain damaged woman's body die naturally? She can not do anything to keep herself alive. But the doctors can keep her body alive. They have for over a third of her ... existence. She may have passed away 14 years ago. We can't know. But we know her body is alive. How long should they sustain her? Sometimes it is hard to let go of hope. Sometimes it is hard to let go... Her husband has let go. Her parents haven't. It has become a press and politics circus.
My condolences to all involved. May they find solace.
When does life start? When does life end? These are cosmic questions and I won't pretend to know the answer. They are questions that we may never understand the true answer to. It is the realm of beliefs and faiths. With so many different beliefs, it is certain that some must be wrong but there is no certainty that any are right.
There is a time to welcome life. There is a time to let life go. Just as it is noble to welcome a newborn, or to save a life, it is noble to accept someone's passing. It does not decrease the value of life. It accepts that a life that has ebbed will end. It celebrates a life that hopefully was well lived, while accepting that it is or will soon be gone. Death is the antithesis of life. No matter how much we resist or deny it, it is inevitable. We enjoy the life we have, and our interactions with others. For there is no other course.
No parent should outlive their kids. Many children have to deal with the passing of their parents, and the passing can never happen too late. We are reminded of the frailty of life daily. We may not want to face it or admit it, but the end is not in our control. I wish my parents would live forever but know they won't. I hope my kids outlive me and do my best to assure it, but know that it is not mine to say. And so I look forward to enjoying as long a life with them as I can.
Now we are faced with the all too sensationalized news of the parents and loved ones at odds over the fate of Terri Schiavo. Is it nobler to insert a feeding tube to keep her from starving to death? Or to let this severely brain damaged woman's body die naturally? She can not do anything to keep herself alive. But the doctors can keep her body alive. They have for over a third of her ... existence. She may have passed away 14 years ago. We can't know. But we know her body is alive. How long should they sustain her? Sometimes it is hard to let go of hope. Sometimes it is hard to let go... Her husband has let go. Her parents haven't. It has become a press and politics circus.
My condolences to all involved. May they find solace.
Friday, March 11, 2005
Adventure...
After I posted the blog with the Carpe Diem snippet I mentioned to my dear wife that I had a new blog up. She read that snippet and questioned my motives... Was I saying I had the urge for a mid-life crisis? What was all this about wanting an adventure?
Hmmm, what were my motives?
Now, I do have to admit that there are certain 2 seater roadsters that look more appealing lately, but I was joking about my wife's pointing out on several occasions that she is my "mid-life" crisis and how it is good to have it (just the crisis part, not the wife or life part) behind me. Always meant in good humor.
Adventure is calling. Heck, it always is. You just have to stop and listen... We all have outings or adventures that beckon us. The "spice of life" kind of stuff. Sometimes they are simple and in our own backyards. Sometimes they are complex and halfway around the world. The challenge becomes making them happen.
...and yes honey, you're invited.
The TV Trap
The broadcast marketing machine is alive and well with Americans watching more TV than ever.
Are you ready for TV-Turnoff Week : April 25 - May 1, 2005? A token statement, if you ask me. But it does bring attention to one of our societal compulsions.
The best statistics I can find online are outdated. This is ironic, considering the networks have very recent numbers. But then, they pay big bucks for them.
According to 2000 Nielsen Media Research study estimates, televisions were on 7 hours a day in the typical home and the average American spent nearly 4 hours a day watching TV. The average child spent more time over the course of a year watching TV than they spent in school. By the age of 65, if you are average, you will have spent 9 years of your life watching television! This does not count time spent watching videos or playing video games. Yikes! And apparently these numbers have gone up since then.
Other interesting TV related snippets:
House of Representatives Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2005
Facts and Figures about our TV habits (pdf)
...it sure does look like a good day to get outside!
After I posted the blog with the Carpe Diem snippet I mentioned to my dear wife that I had a new blog up. She read that snippet and questioned my motives... Was I saying I had the urge for a mid-life crisis? What was all this about wanting an adventure?
Hmmm, what were my motives?
Now, I do have to admit that there are certain 2 seater roadsters that look more appealing lately, but I was joking about my wife's pointing out on several occasions that she is my "mid-life" crisis and how it is good to have it (just the crisis part, not the wife or life part) behind me. Always meant in good humor.
Adventure is calling. Heck, it always is. You just have to stop and listen... We all have outings or adventures that beckon us. The "spice of life" kind of stuff. Sometimes they are simple and in our own backyards. Sometimes they are complex and halfway around the world. The challenge becomes making them happen.
...and yes honey, you're invited.
The TV Trap
The broadcast marketing machine is alive and well with Americans watching more TV than ever.
Are you ready for TV-Turnoff Week : April 25 - May 1, 2005? A token statement, if you ask me. But it does bring attention to one of our societal compulsions.
The best statistics I can find online are outdated. This is ironic, considering the networks have very recent numbers. But then, they pay big bucks for them.
According to 2000 Nielsen Media Research study estimates, televisions were on 7 hours a day in the typical home and the average American spent nearly 4 hours a day watching TV. The average child spent more time over the course of a year watching TV than they spent in school. By the age of 65, if you are average, you will have spent 9 years of your life watching television! This does not count time spent watching videos or playing video games. Yikes! And apparently these numbers have gone up since then.
Other interesting TV related snippets:
House of Representatives Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2005
Facts and Figures about our TV habits (pdf)
...it sure does look like a good day to get outside!
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
Fashion Statements
It's not that my wife and I don't set a good example or try to dress our girls well. It's that my daughters are trend setters. It must be.
Take the youngest one. She has always had fussy feet. We've gotten her those special socks with the almost undetectable smooth seams so that she will wear socks at all. She likes to pull them up tight. No bunching or wrinkles allowed. So tight that most of her socks have developed holes where toes stick through. She has even taken to pulling them up over her pants legs. That may be a bit outside the norm, but isn't that how most fashion trends start?
My elder daughter likes colorful but well worn clothes. Flowered pants and striped shirt are common. The more worn the better. Sometimes we have to insist they go in the wash. Sometimes we have to insist she go in the wash.
But alas, I look at how some of the older kids in the neighborhood dress and count my blessings.
It's not that my wife and I don't set a good example or try to dress our girls well. It's that my daughters are trend setters. It must be.
Take the youngest one. She has always had fussy feet. We've gotten her those special socks with the almost undetectable smooth seams so that she will wear socks at all. She likes to pull them up tight. No bunching or wrinkles allowed. So tight that most of her socks have developed holes where toes stick through. She has even taken to pulling them up over her pants legs. That may be a bit outside the norm, but isn't that how most fashion trends start?
My elder daughter likes colorful but well worn clothes. Flowered pants and striped shirt are common. The more worn the better. Sometimes we have to insist they go in the wash. Sometimes we have to insist she go in the wash.
But alas, I look at how some of the older kids in the neighborhood dress and count my blessings.
Friday, February 25, 2005
Just HotBloggin Along
The holidays seem to have a distinctive affect on people. Every cardio machine at my gym had attracted a waiting line by new years. But the weeks passed and the crowd thinned (figuratively more than literally) to the usual group. I don't know if that reflects on fitness dedication or if all those holiday specials and guilts just ran out. Probably all of that and more. This will probably last until the Spring specials and swimsuit season begins.
Me? I'm still working out. Work keeps getting in the way, so I have to keep reminding myself of the importance of health and fitness and adjusting to make things work. There is never time unless I make the time...
Carpe Diem! Seize the day! Or better yet; Carpe Mundus - seize the world! Actually, the online Latin translator I use says that Carpe Diem is "To pluck day" which sounds like fun too. But you get the gist. Get out and threaten the sanctity and security of your daily routine! Yep, I'm feeling the urge to find the next adventure. My wife keeps reminding me that she is/was my midlife crisis ... good to have that handled. But I think I hear far-away places calling... Don't you?
I went to a big local computer store today and found they had a special on a piece of software I've been wanting. $70 with two mail-in rebates, totaling $70. Now, it is an understatement to say I hate mail-in rebates, but to get $70 software for the cost of the sales tax? I bit the bait... I took it up to the cashier and found I was fodder for training day. A manager and 6 trainlings. Groan. And of course there was a problem. The register computer only showed one $30 rebate. So I resigned myself to my fate as a training example. It took a while as the manager led his entourage to the different places in the store to check, explain and fix the problem. On a positive note, I had the manager taking care of things. The store had screwed up and there was no longer a second rebate. They missed taking down the display for the special. But in a happy ending they did knock off $40 from the price ... so in effect I got the bigger rebate without having to pay sales tax on it and send in for that refund.
OK, got to mail in that rebate before it gets lost or forgotten.
The holidays seem to have a distinctive affect on people. Every cardio machine at my gym had attracted a waiting line by new years. But the weeks passed and the crowd thinned (figuratively more than literally) to the usual group. I don't know if that reflects on fitness dedication or if all those holiday specials and guilts just ran out. Probably all of that and more. This will probably last until the Spring specials and swimsuit season begins.
Me? I'm still working out. Work keeps getting in the way, so I have to keep reminding myself of the importance of health and fitness and adjusting to make things work. There is never time unless I make the time...
Carpe Diem! Seize the day! Or better yet; Carpe Mundus - seize the world! Actually, the online Latin translator I use says that Carpe Diem is "To pluck
I went to a big local computer store today and found they had a special on a piece of software I've been wanting. $70 with two mail-in rebates, totaling $70. Now, it is an understatement to say I hate mail-in rebates, but to get $70 software for the cost of the sales tax? I bit the bait... I took it up to the cashier and found I was fodder for training day. A manager and 6 trainlings. Groan. And of course there was a problem. The register computer only showed one $30 rebate. So I resigned myself to my fate as a training example. It took a while as the manager led his entourage to the different places in the store to check, explain and fix the problem. On a positive note, I had the manager taking care of things. The store had screwed up and there was no longer a second rebate. They missed taking down the display for the special. But in a happy ending they did knock off $40 from the price ... so in effect I got the bigger rebate without having to pay sales tax on it and send in for that refund.
OK, got to mail in that rebate before it gets lost or forgotten.
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