It may actually turn out that I'm a hypocrite, but let's wait and see until we get to the end.
I think I've reached the limit of my tolerance for the popular pastime of bashing anyone or anything that you don't like. You know, like making facebook groups against some pop icon, or filling message boards with all the reasons something is SO stupid, Or writing long blog posts about why anyone who would like or support such and such or so and so clearly isn't playing with a full deck.
Of course I don't expect all people to like and love the same things, but for pete's sake, why does not liking something give you the right to go on and on about how horrible it is and to bash the people who do like it? Why do you celebrate the negative? Don't you have things that you love that you could celebrate instead? Or do you just love hating?
I once referenced a popular TV show in conversation and the reply was, "We don't watch that show," in that judgey tone you use to say "Don't you wash your hands when you use the bathroom?" Jeesh. I don't even particularly like the show and I was offended.
I realize that I'm being a little vague here about what sort of bashing is driving me crazy, but that's because I don't want this to turn into a defense of something I like but other people like to bash. That's not my point.
What's my point? Well, I guess it's that not much looks exactly the same to everyone; after all, we're all standing in different places and so we have different views. Maybe we could accept that whatever it is that we don't like has some value to a person standing in a different place. There's no need to pass judgment on the person who likes the thing that you think is stupid, or over rated, or whatever. Lighten up! Enjoy the things you enjoy and let other people enjoy the things that they enjoy.
So am I a hypocrite? Am I a hater of haters? I'm trying really hard not to be. I'm just offering something to think about. Really. I won't judge you if you want to go on bashing, but I'm not saying I'll listen to you though either.
And after all that, I should probably make one confession. If I'm going to really not be a hypocrite, I may have to stop making fun of Russ and Jeff for watching the UFC all the time!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Saturday, December 13, 2008
The house was warm, what with the oven set at 450 and everyone home; it smelled good, that comforting yeasty smell of baking bread, and it was quiet. I tried not to pay attention to the quiet because that would surely jinx it. I could hear the kids playing an invented game not far off, so there were no worries. Russ and I worked quietly on our own pizzas, mine was gorgonzola with pine nuts and Russ's was chicken and mushroom.
"How did the Habitat thing go today?" Russ's staff Christmas party was to spend a half day at a Habitat for Humanity build and then go out to lunch.
"It was great, really great. Everyone was really impressed by the whole organization."
In my head I thought, "Maybe the Y could take notes here," but I kept that bit to myself.
"Had any of your staff done a build before?"
"Tom, I think. He was pretty funny. Dan might have done it before too. I think everyone was happy to be doing it though."
As we continued to talk about how the day went, I noticed how relaxed and excited Russ sounded. That's when it occurred to me.
"I feel a blog post coming on."
Raised eyebrows.
"I think the secret to not freaking out in scary economic times is to give yourself away. Give away your time, energy and stuff. It's counter intuitive I know. When you think you might not have anything soon, you want to horde what you do have. My theory is that that makes you more freaked out. If you give away freely, I think you feel more calm."
I bet I'm not the firt person to think of that. I bet great thinkers and teachers before me thought of it. But when you think of it yourself, it still feels like a revelation!
I didn't have a lot of time to dwell on it.
"Is my pizza done yet? Let me look in the oven!" was the next bend in the conversational road.
"How did the Habitat thing go today?" Russ's staff Christmas party was to spend a half day at a Habitat for Humanity build and then go out to lunch.
"It was great, really great. Everyone was really impressed by the whole organization."
In my head I thought, "Maybe the Y could take notes here," but I kept that bit to myself.
"Had any of your staff done a build before?"
"Tom, I think. He was pretty funny. Dan might have done it before too. I think everyone was happy to be doing it though."
As we continued to talk about how the day went, I noticed how relaxed and excited Russ sounded. That's when it occurred to me.
"I feel a blog post coming on."
Raised eyebrows.
"I think the secret to not freaking out in scary economic times is to give yourself away. Give away your time, energy and stuff. It's counter intuitive I know. When you think you might not have anything soon, you want to horde what you do have. My theory is that that makes you more freaked out. If you give away freely, I think you feel more calm."
I bet I'm not the firt person to think of that. I bet great thinkers and teachers before me thought of it. But when you think of it yourself, it still feels like a revelation!
I didn't have a lot of time to dwell on it.
"Is my pizza done yet? Let me look in the oven!" was the next bend in the conversational road.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
More Fighting Evil and Reading Books
I have more evidence of the evil fighting properties of book reading.
I just heard on Satellite Sisters the a study written about in New York Times says that the only activity that improves academic test scores is reading novels for pleasure. Hah! I knew I wasn't wasting time reading Mary Higgens Clark in ninth grade algebra!
JD and I sometimes have more than a little trouble getting along. There seems to be a lot of nagging involved in getting him through a day and, not too shockingly, he gets bitter about that. However, we both know that there is one place that we can meet together and get along perfectly. Actually it's not one place, it's many because it's in the pages of books. Sometimes it's me reading to him, sometimes it's him reading to me and sometimes it's just us discussing a book we've both read. It's nice to have a safe place to hang out together.
Monday, as I was driving to work, I got a call on my cell phone that went like this, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" The voice was very squeally and the person on the other end sounded like she was bouncing. What brought all this gratitude and joy? I put the second Harry Potter book in Rachel's backpack a whole four month before she expected it. Now come on, what fights evil more than joy and gratitude?
There you have it; i bet I'll find even more evidence as time goes by.
In case you're curious, we are currently reading The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Penderwicks. I just finished Fairest and Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life. I don't know what I'm going to read next; I've had like a million recommendations.
I was thinking of doing a blog book club in January. I was thinking of reading Jane Eyre. Can you believe I've never read it? Anybody want in?
I just heard on Satellite Sisters the a study written about in New York Times says that the only activity that improves academic test scores is reading novels for pleasure. Hah! I knew I wasn't wasting time reading Mary Higgens Clark in ninth grade algebra!
JD and I sometimes have more than a little trouble getting along. There seems to be a lot of nagging involved in getting him through a day and, not too shockingly, he gets bitter about that. However, we both know that there is one place that we can meet together and get along perfectly. Actually it's not one place, it's many because it's in the pages of books. Sometimes it's me reading to him, sometimes it's him reading to me and sometimes it's just us discussing a book we've both read. It's nice to have a safe place to hang out together.
Monday, as I was driving to work, I got a call on my cell phone that went like this, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" The voice was very squeally and the person on the other end sounded like she was bouncing. What brought all this gratitude and joy? I put the second Harry Potter book in Rachel's backpack a whole four month before she expected it. Now come on, what fights evil more than joy and gratitude?
There you have it; i bet I'll find even more evidence as time goes by.
In case you're curious, we are currently reading The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Penderwicks. I just finished Fairest and Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life. I don't know what I'm going to read next; I've had like a million recommendations.
I was thinking of doing a blog book club in January. I was thinking of reading Jane Eyre. Can you believe I've never read it? Anybody want in?
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Twilight- Living Up to the Hype
NO SPOILERS HERE!
So, does Twilight live up to the hype? For me, yep. I was quite satisfied. Everything that was important was done right. There were even some things that I liked better than the book. I thought Charlie (the dad) was more interesting in the movie, and they gave Jacob a few more scenes than he had in the book. Since I've been team Jacob all along, I was glad about that. (On a side note, if the make New Moon, I won't have any trouble watching a whole movie starring this Jacob.) Bella was great too- better than Edward I thought, but Edward was still good. He smolders.
I laughed a lot, which was a pleasant surprise. There were lots of lines and expressions on Edward's face that were especially funny if you already knew the story.
There's only one steamy scene, and Stephanie wasn't off the mark when she said to bring a paper bag. Wow. I think the whole theater was trying to decide whether to breathe at all.
I guess the best way to describe it over all is that it's a bit uneven. Some of the scenes were perfect, luckily those were the ones that mattered the most. Some scenes, though, revealed the inexperience of the cast and the low production budget. I'm not positive that you'll enjoy it if you didn't read the books. This movie was definitely made for the book fans, and as much as movie makers have ripped us off over the years, I'd say we deserve it.
It doesn't push Pride and Prejudice off the top of my list, but I absolutely will be seeing it again. It may not be the same quality crack as the books, but crack is crack people. (Or coffee, if you're worrying about me Charlotte!)
So, does Twilight live up to the hype? For me, yep. I was quite satisfied. Everything that was important was done right. There were even some things that I liked better than the book. I thought Charlie (the dad) was more interesting in the movie, and they gave Jacob a few more scenes than he had in the book. Since I've been team Jacob all along, I was glad about that. (On a side note, if the make New Moon, I won't have any trouble watching a whole movie starring this Jacob.) Bella was great too- better than Edward I thought, but Edward was still good. He smolders.
I laughed a lot, which was a pleasant surprise. There were lots of lines and expressions on Edward's face that were especially funny if you already knew the story.
There's only one steamy scene, and Stephanie wasn't off the mark when she said to bring a paper bag. Wow. I think the whole theater was trying to decide whether to breathe at all.
I guess the best way to describe it over all is that it's a bit uneven. Some of the scenes were perfect, luckily those were the ones that mattered the most. Some scenes, though, revealed the inexperience of the cast and the low production budget. I'm not positive that you'll enjoy it if you didn't read the books. This movie was definitely made for the book fans, and as much as movie makers have ripped us off over the years, I'd say we deserve it.
It doesn't push Pride and Prejudice off the top of my list, but I absolutely will be seeing it again. It may not be the same quality crack as the books, but crack is crack people. (Or coffee, if you're worrying about me Charlotte!)
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Advent Conspiracy
I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but no matter how much you don't want Christmas to start until December, something always draws you in. So...... something to think about while you're gearing up. If this is already your philosophy, made you're with me in wondering what the next right step is. Maybe we could wonder and step together. What do you think?
Thursday, November 13, 2008
In Honor of Thanksgiving
In Rachel's Sunday School class they learned that God blesses you so that you can bless others. To make the idea more real for the kids they listed their blessings. The idea was that God has given you a blessing bank and then your job is to deplete that blessing bank by blessing others. Rachel's list of blessings might be hard to pass on, but the depth of feeling behind her choices ought to be a blessing to someone, in some way, anyhow.
Rachel's blessings are her blankie, her bear-bear and her bike. I guess that means somehow we need to help her bless other people with security, unconditional love, and freedom. Whenever I get lulled into a false sense of my own goodness, a kid comes along and challenges me to go deeper. And who says that God doesn't have a sense of humor?
Rachel's blessings are her blankie, her bear-bear and her bike. I guess that means somehow we need to help her bless other people with security, unconditional love, and freedom. Whenever I get lulled into a false sense of my own goodness, a kid comes along and challenges me to go deeper. And who says that God doesn't have a sense of humor?
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Waiting...
In case you thought that I'd gone all serious and let my childish obsessions go . . . no. I can't believe that I have to wait until July to see the new movie! Only my other obsession, Twilight, is distracting me from the pain at the moment. Of course, I might not be quite as impatient as Rachel, who has to wait until March to read Chamber of Secrets, and then until July to read Prisoner of Azkaban. In the meantime, we troll the internet looking for other forlorn fans.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Put This In Your Pipe
I learned something the other morning that is to important to keep to myself. I was listening to NPR's morning edition on Tuesday, if you're interested in looking it up for yourself
here.
Apparently some years ago the government started giving illegal, or undocumented, immigrants a tax ID number so that they could pay taxes even thought they are not even supposed to be here, let alone working. That in and of itself should be eye opening for some people. Apparently there are illegal immigrants who are contributing to the welfare and safety of my life. The whole idea that they are a drain on the system might need some reconsideration.
It gets better. That tax ID is called an I-10, and based on that number some banks started making home loans. You already know that there was a recent housing boom and so of course I-10 loans boomed right along with it. In California there are whole real estate firms based on this market.
Here's what you might not have guessed; the average default rate on those I-10 loans is .5%. That's right now, in the current housing implosion. The current national average for housing loan defaults is 6%. Yeah. Bring that to the Thanksgiving table this year.
here.
Apparently some years ago the government started giving illegal, or undocumented, immigrants a tax ID number so that they could pay taxes even thought they are not even supposed to be here, let alone working. That in and of itself should be eye opening for some people. Apparently there are illegal immigrants who are contributing to the welfare and safety of my life. The whole idea that they are a drain on the system might need some reconsideration.
It gets better. That tax ID is called an I-10, and based on that number some banks started making home loans. You already know that there was a recent housing boom and so of course I-10 loans boomed right along with it. In California there are whole real estate firms based on this market.
Here's what you might not have guessed; the average default rate on those I-10 loans is .5%. That's right now, in the current housing implosion. The current national average for housing loan defaults is 6%. Yeah. Bring that to the Thanksgiving table this year.
The Wine Bottle Project
I've been working on this project for almost a year and it's nearly finished. I have about a foot or so to go, but I left that out of the pictures. I've collected the wine bottles from my friends and neighbors and of course made my own contribution! I've put it up on the blog mainly for all those contributors who don't get to see it live in person. Credit for the original idea goes to my brother Josh, who will probably look at it and tell me that I didn't get them in far enough, but Josh, on the inside they ARE in deeper, so there. Enjoy the pictures!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
I've been thinking about Obama all morning. I keep alternating between grinning and being teared up. I've tried so hard for the last 11 months not to get too worked up about this election and so I didn't realize how much I cared. It really means a lot to me that Barack Obama is going to be our next president. I am not anti-McCain, it's just that the Republicans should have had him as their candidate eight years ago. It's a different country today because they didn't. I'm going to reign in my tongue from saying anything more on that matter.
It's not Obama's policies and positions that have me so excited this morning. It's the possibility of leaving cynicism behind and moving forward, of trying new ways of working as a country, new ways of being a world citizen. I'm not so excited about what a new government can do for our country, but what a new leader can inspire people to do in their own communities.
In my community there is a strongly held belief that we should "never tire of doing good". Barack Obama inspires me to live more fully the faith that I claim to have. Whatever his personal spiritual state is, there is still truth and goodness in what he has to say and in the way he conducts himself. All that is true and good is of God. I don't know that Obama and I are the same kind of Christian, but I don't think it matters much because he's not calling me to follow him as a saviour.
Obama didn't run to save us, he ran to lead and inspire us to become the country we've been claiming to be for 200 years. That's going to take each of us asking God, "What's the next right thing? Where would you have me go? How would you have me serve?" Of course Jesus has been telling us that for 2000 years, but sometimes I get discouraged and worn down. I don't believe for a second that I'm the only one who gets discouraged. Barack Obama encourages me to "seek justice, love mercy and to walk humbly with my God." No, I've never heard him use those words, but he asks all of us to live our best lives, and that is my best life.
I know that there are many people who are not excited this morning; they're nervous, unsure, maybe even depressed. I'm sorry that you're feeling that way. I hope that you become encouraged over time and find a hopeful way forward. If you believe that God is in control (and I'm willing to bet that you do) then all is still well in your world and you have nothing to fear.
Let's find our way together.
It's not Obama's policies and positions that have me so excited this morning. It's the possibility of leaving cynicism behind and moving forward, of trying new ways of working as a country, new ways of being a world citizen. I'm not so excited about what a new government can do for our country, but what a new leader can inspire people to do in their own communities.
In my community there is a strongly held belief that we should "never tire of doing good". Barack Obama inspires me to live more fully the faith that I claim to have. Whatever his personal spiritual state is, there is still truth and goodness in what he has to say and in the way he conducts himself. All that is true and good is of God. I don't know that Obama and I are the same kind of Christian, but I don't think it matters much because he's not calling me to follow him as a saviour.
Obama didn't run to save us, he ran to lead and inspire us to become the country we've been claiming to be for 200 years. That's going to take each of us asking God, "What's the next right thing? Where would you have me go? How would you have me serve?" Of course Jesus has been telling us that for 2000 years, but sometimes I get discouraged and worn down. I don't believe for a second that I'm the only one who gets discouraged. Barack Obama encourages me to "seek justice, love mercy and to walk humbly with my God." No, I've never heard him use those words, but he asks all of us to live our best lives, and that is my best life.
I know that there are many people who are not excited this morning; they're nervous, unsure, maybe even depressed. I'm sorry that you're feeling that way. I hope that you become encouraged over time and find a hopeful way forward. If you believe that God is in control (and I'm willing to bet that you do) then all is still well in your world and you have nothing to fear.
Let's find our way together.
Wow.
Maybe it's because it's three in the morning, but as I'm reading that Barack Obama has been elected president, I can't stop the tears. I can't believe that when I go to wake up JD in the morning I will actually be able to tell him that America is place where we can elect anyone to be president, no matter what color he is. Maybe I really will see the day when I can tell my daughters that a woman can be president and it won't just be hopeful talk.
I've waited my whole life for us to really be the country that I learned about in elementary school, the one where all people are created equal.
I've waited my whole life for us to really be the country that I learned about in elementary school, the one where all people are created equal.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
This Stuff is Like Crack, People!
I purchased a copy of Twilight after I had already read it. When I read it I had it on loan from Ginger. I bought it mainly because it's dumb to own books two through four of a series and not book one. We came to own book four because there was NO WAY I was waiting for Ginger to finish it when it came out this summer. We came to own books two through three because Russ wasn't waiting around to find copies when he read the books this fall. I may have mentioned on this blog before that I'm kind of a backwards person and here is further evidence. Apparently I married a backwards person as well, although he may be somewhat less backwards.
The second reason that I bought the book was because I have former students to whom I need to loan the book because one library copy isn't going to cut it. Pat has a book to loan out, but that still wasn't enough, so I got one too. It still hasn't made it to the kid I originally was going to loan it to though because on the way it got loaned to a mom at a birthday party I went to.
When the book came back to my house this past Thursday I decided to reread the beginning. Sometimes I like to do that because certain things are funnier when you know what's coming later. For example, as Bella is psyching herself up to get out of her truck on her first day of school she says, "I can do this, I lied to myself feebly. No one was going to bite me." Ha! Too true. Somewhere around page 23, " He was leaning away from me, sitting on the extreme edge of his chair and averting his face like he smelled something bad. I sniffed my hair. It smelled like strawberries, t he scent of my favorite shampoo. It seemed and innocent enough oder," I decided I was rereading the whole thing. I wanted to get to, "'It would be more...prudent for you not to be my friend,' he explained. 'But I'm tired of trying to stay away from you, Bella.'" And then there's the dinner conversation in Port Angeles, and of course my favorite, the meadow scene.
In other words, I was completely and helplessly sucked back in again. I lost two days to the world of Bella and Edward, and I sure as heck don't miss them. I'm cutting myself off though; I am not rereading New Moon again, for the moment. I am, however, dying to see the movie now.
The second reason that I bought the book was because I have former students to whom I need to loan the book because one library copy isn't going to cut it. Pat has a book to loan out, but that still wasn't enough, so I got one too. It still hasn't made it to the kid I originally was going to loan it to though because on the way it got loaned to a mom at a birthday party I went to.
When the book came back to my house this past Thursday I decided to reread the beginning. Sometimes I like to do that because certain things are funnier when you know what's coming later. For example, as Bella is psyching herself up to get out of her truck on her first day of school she says, "I can do this, I lied to myself feebly. No one was going to bite me." Ha! Too true. Somewhere around page 23, " He was leaning away from me, sitting on the extreme edge of his chair and averting his face like he smelled something bad. I sniffed my hair. It smelled like strawberries, t he scent of my favorite shampoo. It seemed and innocent enough oder," I decided I was rereading the whole thing. I wanted to get to, "'It would be more...prudent for you not to be my friend,' he explained. 'But I'm tired of trying to stay away from you, Bella.'" And then there's the dinner conversation in Port Angeles, and of course my favorite, the meadow scene.
In other words, I was completely and helplessly sucked back in again. I lost two days to the world of Bella and Edward, and I sure as heck don't miss them. I'm cutting myself off though; I am not rereading New Moon again, for the moment. I am, however, dying to see the movie now.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
I Didn't See It Coming...
When I was in high school, actually for my entire childhood, I shared a room with my sister. We were two girls in a small space with a LOT of stuff. At least that's the excuse I always made for why our room was so messy. We did clean on occasion however. Once, after I had cleaned, my friend Janel came over. When we went upstairs to my room she said, "You have a desk? I never knew you had a desk!" As sarcastic as she is, I still think she was serious. That desk was always piled high with "not quite dirty" clothes. Come on, you have a pile like that too.
When I was in college you couldn't even see the floor to my bedroom most days. That's particularly alarming because my bedroom was nearly all floor; I had a loft for my bed. I used to come in, dump out my bag, load it up with whatever I needed next, and leave again.
My first several years of teaching, before I started job sharing, my teacher's desk used to be buried under piles of papers. I never sat at the thing,and so I just kept setting things on it. About twice a year I'd get it all cleaned off. Kids used to tell me on my end of the year teacher report card that I need to work on "finding things." I bet that was the most common response.
But now, now everything has changed. I found myself standing in front of our futon, which is in the main room of the house, hyperventilating on Monday evening. It was piled high with sleeping bags, pillows, jackets, backpacks, books, papers, dolls, bags, markers, crayons, and on and on. I had asked for it to be cleaned off on Sunday and Saturday already, and yet here it was Monday and now it had even more stuff piled on it.
The hyperventilating must be becoming a common occurrence because I didn't even get out the first sentence of my sentence of my rant before Russ put his hands on my shoulders and said softly, "I got it. Don't worry." Since I was actually in the middle of six other things, dinner, homework, chores times three, I walked away and let it go.
Actually, by 7:30 it was all cleaned up and I felt much calmer. When did I become a person who had low clutter tolerance? When did I require the main space of my house to be spartan in order to have inner peace? Huh.
When I was in college you couldn't even see the floor to my bedroom most days. That's particularly alarming because my bedroom was nearly all floor; I had a loft for my bed. I used to come in, dump out my bag, load it up with whatever I needed next, and leave again.
My first several years of teaching, before I started job sharing, my teacher's desk used to be buried under piles of papers. I never sat at the thing,and so I just kept setting things on it. About twice a year I'd get it all cleaned off. Kids used to tell me on my end of the year teacher report card that I need to work on "finding things." I bet that was the most common response.
But now, now everything has changed. I found myself standing in front of our futon, which is in the main room of the house, hyperventilating on Monday evening. It was piled high with sleeping bags, pillows, jackets, backpacks, books, papers, dolls, bags, markers, crayons, and on and on. I had asked for it to be cleaned off on Sunday and Saturday already, and yet here it was Monday and now it had even more stuff piled on it.
The hyperventilating must be becoming a common occurrence because I didn't even get out the first sentence of my sentence of my rant before Russ put his hands on my shoulders and said softly, "I got it. Don't worry." Since I was actually in the middle of six other things, dinner, homework, chores times three, I walked away and let it go.
Actually, by 7:30 it was all cleaned up and I felt much calmer. When did I become a person who had low clutter tolerance? When did I require the main space of my house to be spartan in order to have inner peace? Huh.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
"Whatever!"
I know I already did a post with the same title. Tough.
I've now declared that, "Whatever," when said by my husband means, "You're right honey. I completely agree with you, but I'm too wrapped up in being manly to admit it."
When I told Russ that I would now be thinking this every time he says, "Whatever," he just replied, "Whatever!"
I've now declared that, "Whatever," when said by my husband means, "You're right honey. I completely agree with you, but I'm too wrapped up in being manly to admit it."
When I told Russ that I would now be thinking this every time he says, "Whatever," he just replied, "Whatever!"
Friday, October 10, 2008
This Makes NO Sense to Me
I've mutter about this before, often if you're Christi I suppose.
What does this bumper sticker mean?
"Not fooled by the media!"
If you think the media is trying to fool you, where do you get that information? Do you do a first hand search and talk to primary sources on every topic currently in the news? Surely not, especially if you're the bumper sticker plastering kind of person. So, then didn't you get your information that the "media" was trying to fool you from just another media source? How do you KNOW that THEY aren't trying to fool you?
Huh.
What does this bumper sticker mean?
"Not fooled by the media!"
If you think the media is trying to fool you, where do you get that information? Do you do a first hand search and talk to primary sources on every topic currently in the news? Surely not, especially if you're the bumper sticker plastering kind of person. So, then didn't you get your information that the "media" was trying to fool you from just another media source? How do you KNOW that THEY aren't trying to fool you?
Huh.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Since I Doubt Newsweek Will Publish My Contribution
I thought that the Perspectives page in Newsweek should publish this quote from Julie Dolan of the Satellite Sisters. She said in on the October 3rd podcast. She, of course, was referring to the current financial meltdown.
"Well, last week was bad, but this week is worse because Congress is involved."
I couldn't have said it better myself. Isn't there a Mark Twain quote along the same lines? Something about nothing and no one being safe when Congress is in session?
Ginger- I still haven't looked up who's running against "our guy," but I'll get on it.
"Well, last week was bad, but this week is worse because Congress is involved."
I couldn't have said it better myself. Isn't there a Mark Twain quote along the same lines? Something about nothing and no one being safe when Congress is in session?
Ginger- I still haven't looked up who's running against "our guy," but I'll get on it.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
I Can Actually Ride a Bike and Think At the Same Time
It's cold here in Michigan today. Not like winter, but too cold to ride your bike without gloves and hat. It's breezy on a bike. Unfortunately I didn't wear a hat today. Fortunately my sweatshirt has a hood. Also fortunately I'm not too worried about my appearance and so I was ok with tying up my hood for my bike ride home from the Goodwill store.
Ironically, to get to and from the Goodwill store I have to pass through two neighboring school districts, both of which serve families from higher tax brackets than most of the families in the district where I live and where my children attend. Both of these districts have very good reputations in our county, while our district is generally feared. When I say "feared" I mean both in terms of academic competence as well as physical safety. I just heard someone today worrying about her children being surrounded by a lot of kids doing bad things because there had been a shooting involving two high school kids from our district this week.
Back to my bike ride and my appearance. (And you thought this wasn't all going to come together!) As I was riding back home with my hood up and my little shopping bag hanging from my handle bars, a car of four high school boys drove past me. Before I could even see them they shouted at me, "Grow up already!"
I'm pretty sure that they had no idea that I'm nearly forty years old. Not to brag, but from the back, which was all they could see when they yelled, I could have been just about any age. Regardless, it was rude. Besides, they scared the crap out of me and what if I had veered into them because I was so startled.
I still had about two miles or so back to my house, plenty of time to ponder, and here's what I came up with. It doesn't really matter where you send your kids to school, as far as keeping them safe goes.
I started wondering what the ratio of gun accidents to car accidents involving high school kids in our county is. Maybe gun deaths to car accident deaths would be a closer comparison. My suspicion is that more kids are killed or permanently injured in car accidents. I also think that kids in more affluent districts have more access to cars than the other kids have access to guns.
I started thinking about my cousins who grew up in rural communities. I don't think their parents worried a lot about gun violence, but I know they worried about car accidents. They have lost many kids in their small communities to car accidents.
I think the way you keep your kids safe is to teach them how to keep themselves safe and then after that you just pray like crazy. Sometimes that will be enough, and sometimes it won't.
I guess I've sort of slipped into a ramble here, so maybe I should be more explicit with my point. I think more people should give our "scary" district a chance. Maybe if more people had a stake in how well we do, the district would improve in many ways. It's not fair to be more afraid of guns than cars. It's just easier.
Ironically, to get to and from the Goodwill store I have to pass through two neighboring school districts, both of which serve families from higher tax brackets than most of the families in the district where I live and where my children attend. Both of these districts have very good reputations in our county, while our district is generally feared. When I say "feared" I mean both in terms of academic competence as well as physical safety. I just heard someone today worrying about her children being surrounded by a lot of kids doing bad things because there had been a shooting involving two high school kids from our district this week.
Back to my bike ride and my appearance. (And you thought this wasn't all going to come together!) As I was riding back home with my hood up and my little shopping bag hanging from my handle bars, a car of four high school boys drove past me. Before I could even see them they shouted at me, "Grow up already!"
I'm pretty sure that they had no idea that I'm nearly forty years old. Not to brag, but from the back, which was all they could see when they yelled, I could have been just about any age. Regardless, it was rude. Besides, they scared the crap out of me and what if I had veered into them because I was so startled.
I still had about two miles or so back to my house, plenty of time to ponder, and here's what I came up with. It doesn't really matter where you send your kids to school, as far as keeping them safe goes.
I started wondering what the ratio of gun accidents to car accidents involving high school kids in our county is. Maybe gun deaths to car accident deaths would be a closer comparison. My suspicion is that more kids are killed or permanently injured in car accidents. I also think that kids in more affluent districts have more access to cars than the other kids have access to guns.
I started thinking about my cousins who grew up in rural communities. I don't think their parents worried a lot about gun violence, but I know they worried about car accidents. They have lost many kids in their small communities to car accidents.
I think the way you keep your kids safe is to teach them how to keep themselves safe and then after that you just pray like crazy. Sometimes that will be enough, and sometimes it won't.
I guess I've sort of slipped into a ramble here, so maybe I should be more explicit with my point. I think more people should give our "scary" district a chance. Maybe if more people had a stake in how well we do, the district would improve in many ways. It's not fair to be more afraid of guns than cars. It's just easier.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
An Odd Thought
If you know me reasonably well you already know that rules and limits are not something that I embrace whole heartedly. When I took basic programming in high school I almost drove Mrs. Bun Lady nuts because if she said to write the program like so in order to achieve a certain result, then I thought, "Huh, I bet if I write the program this other way I can achieve the same result."
Even now as a teacher I find it challenging to follow all the rules and stay on the script. If I see that a rule is just a time waster, busy work, cookie cutter producer, then I really have to weigh out the consequences of not following the rule before I can bring myself to do it.
Recently I decided that my family needed a spending freeze, or at least a spending slow down. I had checked our account on Monday as well as the bills that had to be paid that week and decided we were cutting it close. We needed to put off all purchases until Friday. I had a little cash in my purse that could cover any small emergencies.
This summer I've been trying not to use less electricity, because I wanted to offset the pool, and I've been trying to use less gas, to offset the four dollars a gallon. I also set these rules up for myself because I do care what happens to God's creation.
I'm pretty well employed and so is my husband, so these rules are entirely self imposed. Self imposed, for good reasons, but certainly not brought on by the crush of poverty, and I certainly don't intend to compare myself with those who find themselves making very serious choices between food and medicine.
As I was out walking to the store with JD today I was surprised to find myself thinking that setting limits on yourself can actually make you creative. Right after I had decided that we couldn't spend any money, I discovered that we were out of bread and the next day that the car was out of gas. It was tempting to just throw up my hands and take money out of savings to cover these necessities. It's not like it was really life and death that we stick to this spending freeze.
Instead, after I fussed about in my head for a little while, I realized that I actually know how to make bread and that I have all the ingredients in the house because we make pizza crust every week. Luckily there were hot dog and hamburger buns leftover from last week that Russ could use for the kid's lunches until I had time to make the bread. Equally lucky, I had the next day off which gave me time to make the bread and meant that I didn't need gas to go all the way to Holland.
The car was super empty, but Russ had just filled the van before I declared the freeze, so I told him to sleep in on Wednesday and wait to go to work until I got back from taking the kids to school in the van. When I brought him the van, then he took it to work. It was not at all difficult to convince him to sleep in. Another day I threw my bike in the back of the van and hitched a ride to the Y with Russ in order to go to yoga, then I rode back home again.
Setting limits on myself, giving myself a box so to speak, actually made me think more creatively. I'm sure the fact that I put the limits on myself is part of why it was a good thing and not a bad thing, but still, I do wonder if there has to be a box in order for you to think outside of it.
Even now as a teacher I find it challenging to follow all the rules and stay on the script. If I see that a rule is just a time waster, busy work, cookie cutter producer, then I really have to weigh out the consequences of not following the rule before I can bring myself to do it.
Recently I decided that my family needed a spending freeze, or at least a spending slow down. I had checked our account on Monday as well as the bills that had to be paid that week and decided we were cutting it close. We needed to put off all purchases until Friday. I had a little cash in my purse that could cover any small emergencies.
This summer I've been trying not to use less electricity, because I wanted to offset the pool, and I've been trying to use less gas, to offset the four dollars a gallon. I also set these rules up for myself because I do care what happens to God's creation.
I'm pretty well employed and so is my husband, so these rules are entirely self imposed. Self imposed, for good reasons, but certainly not brought on by the crush of poverty, and I certainly don't intend to compare myself with those who find themselves making very serious choices between food and medicine.
As I was out walking to the store with JD today I was surprised to find myself thinking that setting limits on yourself can actually make you creative. Right after I had decided that we couldn't spend any money, I discovered that we were out of bread and the next day that the car was out of gas. It was tempting to just throw up my hands and take money out of savings to cover these necessities. It's not like it was really life and death that we stick to this spending freeze.
Instead, after I fussed about in my head for a little while, I realized that I actually know how to make bread and that I have all the ingredients in the house because we make pizza crust every week. Luckily there were hot dog and hamburger buns leftover from last week that Russ could use for the kid's lunches until I had time to make the bread. Equally lucky, I had the next day off which gave me time to make the bread and meant that I didn't need gas to go all the way to Holland.
The car was super empty, but Russ had just filled the van before I declared the freeze, so I told him to sleep in on Wednesday and wait to go to work until I got back from taking the kids to school in the van. When I brought him the van, then he took it to work. It was not at all difficult to convince him to sleep in. Another day I threw my bike in the back of the van and hitched a ride to the Y with Russ in order to go to yoga, then I rode back home again.
Setting limits on myself, giving myself a box so to speak, actually made me think more creatively. I'm sure the fact that I put the limits on myself is part of why it was a good thing and not a bad thing, but still, I do wonder if there has to be a box in order for you to think outside of it.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Back to People of the Book for a Minute
You might recall my earlier post on
People of the Book.
The character, Hanna Heath, says that she doesn't restore books, she preserves them. When she works with an old book she does whatever work needs to be done on it to keep it held together and to slow or even halt its aging. What she doesn't do is fix, replace and touch it up so that it looks like it did when it left the original bookbinder. Her mentor taught her that the scars left on the book have become part of its story and to take them away is to change or hide the book's story.
That is such a good illustration of my own philosophy of old things. I look at an old desk and all it's scuff marks, dents, carvings and scrapes and it tells me the story of all the people who used that desk before me. I imagine them working at that desk, making plans, calculating costs, recording dreams, taking in stories, all the things that I do at that desk, and I feel connected to their story. I want to get an old stove or dry sink to keep our backpacks and shoes in.
I love old things that belonged to other people and old things that were originally mine.
It's so hard for me to get rid of some of my possessions because there are so many stories wrapped up in those items. I know that the story is still part of me, but the thing helps to tell the story. I once teared up as I threw away a VERY worn out pair of red flats. I have a sweater that I never wear because it is coming apart at the cuffs and collar, but I just can't let it go.
My attachment isn't limited to clothes either. I have a massive dresser that I have had since I was kid. Actually there are two dressers, and even though they are large and dark and don't really fit in the rooms where they are, I just can't let them go. I've never tried to change how they look or even put on new pulls so that they all match. I do have to say though, they show very little of the wear that you would expect from such old pieces of furniture (They were used when they came to me as a kid.) because they are so well made. I think they date back to when making furniture was still an art. Come on! Who could let something like that go?
I hope that as I get older- forty is right around the corner- that I get to apply this philosophy to myself. I hope I like all the marks that living leaves on me and that I don't try to hide or remove them. I hope that as I look at myself and others and see those signs of aging, that I see stories and wonderfully rich histories. After all, smooth, new and perfect has no story yet, whether we're talking people or chairs. I sure hope my love of story beats out vanity.
People of the Book.
The character, Hanna Heath, says that she doesn't restore books, she preserves them. When she works with an old book she does whatever work needs to be done on it to keep it held together and to slow or even halt its aging. What she doesn't do is fix, replace and touch it up so that it looks like it did when it left the original bookbinder. Her mentor taught her that the scars left on the book have become part of its story and to take them away is to change or hide the book's story.
That is such a good illustration of my own philosophy of old things. I look at an old desk and all it's scuff marks, dents, carvings and scrapes and it tells me the story of all the people who used that desk before me. I imagine them working at that desk, making plans, calculating costs, recording dreams, taking in stories, all the things that I do at that desk, and I feel connected to their story. I want to get an old stove or dry sink to keep our backpacks and shoes in.
I love old things that belonged to other people and old things that were originally mine.
It's so hard for me to get rid of some of my possessions because there are so many stories wrapped up in those items. I know that the story is still part of me, but the thing helps to tell the story. I once teared up as I threw away a VERY worn out pair of red flats. I have a sweater that I never wear because it is coming apart at the cuffs and collar, but I just can't let it go.
My attachment isn't limited to clothes either. I have a massive dresser that I have had since I was kid. Actually there are two dressers, and even though they are large and dark and don't really fit in the rooms where they are, I just can't let them go. I've never tried to change how they look or even put on new pulls so that they all match. I do have to say though, they show very little of the wear that you would expect from such old pieces of furniture (They were used when they came to me as a kid.) because they are so well made. I think they date back to when making furniture was still an art. Come on! Who could let something like that go?
I hope that as I get older- forty is right around the corner- that I get to apply this philosophy to myself. I hope I like all the marks that living leaves on me and that I don't try to hide or remove them. I hope that as I look at myself and others and see those signs of aging, that I see stories and wonderfully rich histories. After all, smooth, new and perfect has no story yet, whether we're talking people or chairs. I sure hope my love of story beats out vanity.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
I Think We've Got the Wrong Sin City
I suppose Las Vegas' title of "Sin City" is well earned. People have put a lot of time and effort into the partying that has gotten it that name, so I don't want to strip them of their tightly lightly.
However. I'd like to nominate Wall Street for the title of Sin City. I know it's only a part of a city, but I believe it looms large enough in the world's imagination to be considered a city. Whatever it's actual status as a city, Wall Street has enough bad behavior to make Las Vegas strippers blush. I'd like to thank
Satellite Sisters
and
This American Life
for giving me the evidence I needed to make this nomination.
I learned from Julie, or maybe Liz, Dolan, that the CEOs of Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac will receive a combined severance package of 23 million dollars! Did you catch the word severance in that last sentence? They are being paid 23 million dollars to go away! They are being paid to go away because they and those who work for them nearly crashed the entire world's financial markets. That has got to be the craziest business thing I have ever heard, except that it sounds vaguely familiar. I think that the CEOs of the big telecom companies that crashed a few years ago walked away with a lot of money as well. How is that not a crime?
I also learned, from Alex Bloomberg, that Paul Cox, who is the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Wall Street's police department, doesn't think that he needs more regulations to help prevent the kind of melt downs we're seeing today, nor does he need more money to enforce the regulations he's got to work with now. I heard him tell the Senate Committee that was offering him both of those, "No thanks." If you want the title of Sin City, having a police department that's not interested in enforcing any laws should go a long way towards earning you that moniker.
It sort of seems like there is an active, intentional campaign to steal Las Vegas' nickname because Wall Street insiders have even given some of their shady practices seemingly dirty names. The two that I learned about this week are "Asset Stripping" and "Naked Short Selling." The best that I can understand it is that Asset Stripping is when you buy a company, fire everyone, and sell off everything else and hope to make a profit. You do this without concern for the actual humans involved in the company. Naked Short Selling seems even more criminal to me. This is when a broker sells a stock that he thinks is going to drop soon, then when it does drop, he buys it back and makes a profit. The sneaky thing here is that the broker sells stocks that he doesn't even own! The practice grew out of regular short selling which involved borrowing the stock that showed promise of dropping, then selling it, then buying it back, then returning it to the person from whom you borrowed it. Somewhere along the line the brokers went naked and dropped the borrowing step. How do these people sleep at night?
So, while Las Vegas sure makes a flashier Sin City, what with all the lights and the sparkly tassels, I think that Wall Street certainly has a fighting chance of stealing the title. Stay tuned....
However. I'd like to nominate Wall Street for the title of Sin City. I know it's only a part of a city, but I believe it looms large enough in the world's imagination to be considered a city. Whatever it's actual status as a city, Wall Street has enough bad behavior to make Las Vegas strippers blush. I'd like to thank
Satellite Sisters
This American Life
I learned from Julie, or maybe Liz, Dolan, that the CEOs of Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac will receive a combined severance package of 23 million dollars! Did you catch the word severance in that last sentence? They are being paid 23 million dollars to go away! They are being paid to go away because they and those who work for them nearly crashed the entire world's financial markets. That has got to be the craziest business thing I have ever heard, except that it sounds vaguely familiar. I think that the CEOs of the big telecom companies that crashed a few years ago walked away with a lot of money as well. How is that not a crime?
I also learned, from Alex Bloomberg, that Paul Cox, who is the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Wall Street's police department, doesn't think that he needs more regulations to help prevent the kind of melt downs we're seeing today, nor does he need more money to enforce the regulations he's got to work with now. I heard him tell the Senate Committee that was offering him both of those, "No thanks." If you want the title of Sin City, having a police department that's not interested in enforcing any laws should go a long way towards earning you that moniker.
It sort of seems like there is an active, intentional campaign to steal Las Vegas' nickname because Wall Street insiders have even given some of their shady practices seemingly dirty names. The two that I learned about this week are "Asset Stripping" and "Naked Short Selling." The best that I can understand it is that Asset Stripping is when you buy a company, fire everyone, and sell off everything else and hope to make a profit. You do this without concern for the actual humans involved in the company. Naked Short Selling seems even more criminal to me. This is when a broker sells a stock that he thinks is going to drop soon, then when it does drop, he buys it back and makes a profit. The sneaky thing here is that the broker sells stocks that he doesn't even own! The practice grew out of regular short selling which involved borrowing the stock that showed promise of dropping, then selling it, then buying it back, then returning it to the person from whom you borrowed it. Somewhere along the line the brokers went naked and dropped the borrowing step. How do these people sleep at night?
So, while Las Vegas sure makes a flashier Sin City, what with all the lights and the sparkly tassels, I think that Wall Street certainly has a fighting chance of stealing the title. Stay tuned....
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Whatever
It usually starts the same way. You start out to be a good person; you intend to be a good friend, employee, parent. It's just that somewhere along the way it all goes horribly wrong, or perhaps less dramatically, just not the way you planned.
Abby and I stopped by the library to pick up a book about ballet. There's actually a whole long story that goes with that as well, involving reproductive health, but that is not the point of this story. The point of THIS story is that I was doing the good thing by going to the library with Abby to get a book about ballet. While we're at it, why don't we get some new Olivia Sharpe chapter books to read together? See what a good parent I am being here?
As I headed over to the computer to look up the author of Olivia Shapre, the librarian comes over to speak to me. She gestures to a box on top of the nearby bookshelf, "If you would like, you can enter our drawing for two free tickets to the circus. Just fill out this little slip and put it in the box. Of course, only if you want to."
Now let me inform you that Abby is standing right there between the librarian and the box, so when she says, "Of course, only if you want to," that is just so many words. Of course it doesn't matter if I WANT to or not, I am GOING to get sucked in.
"The circus?! Mom! Can we do it?! Let's do it! It's the circus?"
"What the heck," I think. "It will take me two seconds and what's the harm? It's not like anything will come of this."
A little voice in my head does say, "That's going to be a problem if she wins, because you did hear her say 'two' free tickets didn't you? And you, young lady, have three children."
The Whatever, Let's Just Get Going With The Business We Came Here to Do voice in my head is much louder and it says,"She'll never win, and she won't stop pestering you to do it, so just get on with it."
So I fill out the slip, drop it in the box, and get a phone call two weeks later saying that she's won two tickets to the circus and do I want them? It's in two days and will be in town for four days.
Do I want them? Heck no. I don't really like the circus, I've just made plans to go to Ohio/Indiana for a baby shower during the same time frame. I also have to/get to work an extra day in there. But do I say, "Oh, sorry we can't really use them. Call the next person on your list?" No, I do not.
I say, "I guess I could pick them up tomorrow."
What?! Why?!
I don't know! Guilt, I guess. Who turns down a chance to take their kid to the circus for free? Mean parents, that's who! Parents who are too busy to put their children first! Parents who make decisions based on the bottom line, not on the joyful glee of childhood! ARGH!
So I get the tickets. Then I make my next mistake. I don't look around carefully enough when I quietly mention to my husband that we have this voucher for free tickets (Which, BTW will involve a trip downtown to exchange the voucher for actual tickets and will have to be done on my one day off.) and somehow Abby overhears our discussion about the circus.
The next day, in the car, she says, "Was Dad just teasing when he said that he had circus tickets for me?"
And again, I remind you, I WANT to be a good parent and so I tell her the truth! "Yes, it's true, but honey, I'm not sure we'll be able to go."
Now the whole thing blows up in my face. The other two get involved, "What?! Abby gets to go to the circus? We want to go to the circus. That is SO not fair!" Well, duh, of course it's not fair, and while we're at it, it is SO not fair that I'm caught in this whole dung heap, but I don't mention that.
I call Russ at work. He says, "I don't want to go to the circus. Why don't you just take Abby and Rachel. JD got to go when he was three, so that's fair."
Are you kidding me?
So I wrestle and debate with myself all night. How much money do I want to spend? How much rushing around do I want to do? How mean is it to tell your kid that she won tickets to the circus but you just can't be bothered to take her? Is it possible to tell the other two that it's just their bad luck that they didn't win? It hasn't occurred to them yet that I might not have even entered them and that I was completely unfair right from the get go. Again, Argh!
In the end I tell Abby that we just can't swing it this weekend and that I'm really sorry and of course she cries. I do end up being a little bit of a good parent still because I do NOT tell her to quit her crying and get over it or I'll give her something to cry about. I do hug her and say that I understand that she's sad and again, that I'm sorry.
Let me be clear: I do NOT think that good parents give their kids everything they want. But I do feel awfully bad about this one situation when I could have given her a really fun thing for the low low cost of a little frustration and either a little money or a little pissing off of the other two kids- whichever I decided I was in the mood for.
So what's the lesson here? I have no clue, I'm just sayin' you always start off with good intentions, doncha?
Abby and I stopped by the library to pick up a book about ballet. There's actually a whole long story that goes with that as well, involving reproductive health, but that is not the point of this story. The point of THIS story is that I was doing the good thing by going to the library with Abby to get a book about ballet. While we're at it, why don't we get some new Olivia Sharpe chapter books to read together? See what a good parent I am being here?
As I headed over to the computer to look up the author of Olivia Shapre, the librarian comes over to speak to me. She gestures to a box on top of the nearby bookshelf, "If you would like, you can enter our drawing for two free tickets to the circus. Just fill out this little slip and put it in the box. Of course, only if you want to."
Now let me inform you that Abby is standing right there between the librarian and the box, so when she says, "Of course, only if you want to," that is just so many words. Of course it doesn't matter if I WANT to or not, I am GOING to get sucked in.
"The circus?! Mom! Can we do it?! Let's do it! It's the circus?"
"What the heck," I think. "It will take me two seconds and what's the harm? It's not like anything will come of this."
A little voice in my head does say, "That's going to be a problem if she wins, because you did hear her say 'two' free tickets didn't you? And you, young lady, have three children."
The Whatever, Let's Just Get Going With The Business We Came Here to Do voice in my head is much louder and it says,"She'll never win, and she won't stop pestering you to do it, so just get on with it."
So I fill out the slip, drop it in the box, and get a phone call two weeks later saying that she's won two tickets to the circus and do I want them? It's in two days and will be in town for four days.
Do I want them? Heck no. I don't really like the circus, I've just made plans to go to Ohio/Indiana for a baby shower during the same time frame. I also have to/get to work an extra day in there. But do I say, "Oh, sorry we can't really use them. Call the next person on your list?" No, I do not.
I say, "I guess I could pick them up tomorrow."
What?! Why?!
I don't know! Guilt, I guess. Who turns down a chance to take their kid to the circus for free? Mean parents, that's who! Parents who are too busy to put their children first! Parents who make decisions based on the bottom line, not on the joyful glee of childhood! ARGH!
So I get the tickets. Then I make my next mistake. I don't look around carefully enough when I quietly mention to my husband that we have this voucher for free tickets (Which, BTW will involve a trip downtown to exchange the voucher for actual tickets and will have to be done on my one day off.) and somehow Abby overhears our discussion about the circus.
The next day, in the car, she says, "Was Dad just teasing when he said that he had circus tickets for me?"
And again, I remind you, I WANT to be a good parent and so I tell her the truth! "Yes, it's true, but honey, I'm not sure we'll be able to go."
Now the whole thing blows up in my face. The other two get involved, "What?! Abby gets to go to the circus? We want to go to the circus. That is SO not fair!" Well, duh, of course it's not fair, and while we're at it, it is SO not fair that I'm caught in this whole dung heap, but I don't mention that.
I call Russ at work. He says, "I don't want to go to the circus. Why don't you just take Abby and Rachel. JD got to go when he was three, so that's fair."
Are you kidding me?
So I wrestle and debate with myself all night. How much money do I want to spend? How much rushing around do I want to do? How mean is it to tell your kid that she won tickets to the circus but you just can't be bothered to take her? Is it possible to tell the other two that it's just their bad luck that they didn't win? It hasn't occurred to them yet that I might not have even entered them and that I was completely unfair right from the get go. Again, Argh!
In the end I tell Abby that we just can't swing it this weekend and that I'm really sorry and of course she cries. I do end up being a little bit of a good parent still because I do NOT tell her to quit her crying and get over it or I'll give her something to cry about. I do hug her and say that I understand that she's sad and again, that I'm sorry.
Let me be clear: I do NOT think that good parents give their kids everything they want. But I do feel awfully bad about this one situation when I could have given her a really fun thing for the low low cost of a little frustration and either a little money or a little pissing off of the other two kids- whichever I decided I was in the mood for.
So what's the lesson here? I have no clue, I'm just sayin' you always start off with good intentions, doncha?
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Tots with "Style"
I haven't whined in awhile, so.....
I saw a baby at church last week with a sippy cup that looked more like a stainless steel coffee mug than a sippy cup. It reminded me of all the people that I've heard comment over the years about how much they hate baby stuff, or who have decorated their kid's rooms in the style's and colors that are currently trendy for adults- twig art on your kid's wall? And have you seen the myriad shirts for toddlers with adult phrases on them, "Chicks dig me!?" "Hot for Momma." In some ways it's funny, but in other ways, I think, "Way too much grown up humor and attitude for little kids."
I'm sure an eighteen month old or a two year old doesn't really care if their clothes are cool or not, but that's really my point. They do care if it's what THEY like. I'm pretty sure no kid ever grabbed their grandma and said, "Come look at my new room! It looks just like Paige had the designers from Trading Spaces here!" I'm sure that when Dean got all his Cars decals and bedroom gear though, he showed everyone who stepped into the house. I know my son loved his Batman comforter way more than he would have 300 thread count duvet from Potter Barn.
Kids shows and music get the same bad rap. If a TV show is sweet and clean with no sarcasm and no cynicism it's only good for preschoolers. Apparently by the time you get to early grade school you better be a little edgier. I'm not saying that High School Musical is Art, but I will say this for them, they haven't forgotten that the parents are not their intended audience. It doesn't matter to my girls that the characters are impossibly sweet and the whole situation is impossibly wholesome. Why do I want my eight and five year olds to contemplate the real world of teenagers anyway?! For pete's sake, I'm not crazy about my ten year old contemplating the world of teenagers.
I'm sure someone out there is thinking, "It's just stuff; it might as well have some decent design sense," and/or "I'm just trying to give my kids a good sense of style and taste early on." I guess to a point I can go along with you; I think it matters WHY you need your kid's style to match yours.
I think that you only get about ten to fifteen years of childhood out of seventy-five years or so. It seems to me that something so fleeting deserves to be consecrated as special. Their childhood isn't for you, it's for them. You're just fortunate enough to be allowed to visit. I say it's ok for parents to sacrifice their own amazing coolness and super trendy taste for just a little while. Think of your aversion to kid's music as a sign that you've grown up, and congratulate yourself on how far you've come. After all isn't that why there's date night and why you have your own bedroom? You're the grownup! You get to leave the Dora dishes filled with macaroni and cheese for the baby sitter to deal with and take your super trendy self out for some super trendy fun!
I saw a baby at church last week with a sippy cup that looked more like a stainless steel coffee mug than a sippy cup. It reminded me of all the people that I've heard comment over the years about how much they hate baby stuff, or who have decorated their kid's rooms in the style's and colors that are currently trendy for adults- twig art on your kid's wall? And have you seen the myriad shirts for toddlers with adult phrases on them, "Chicks dig me!?" "Hot for Momma." In some ways it's funny, but in other ways, I think, "Way too much grown up humor and attitude for little kids."
I'm sure an eighteen month old or a two year old doesn't really care if their clothes are cool or not, but that's really my point. They do care if it's what THEY like. I'm pretty sure no kid ever grabbed their grandma and said, "Come look at my new room! It looks just like Paige had the designers from Trading Spaces here!" I'm sure that when Dean got all his Cars decals and bedroom gear though, he showed everyone who stepped into the house. I know my son loved his Batman comforter way more than he would have 300 thread count duvet from Potter Barn.
Kids shows and music get the same bad rap. If a TV show is sweet and clean with no sarcasm and no cynicism it's only good for preschoolers. Apparently by the time you get to early grade school you better be a little edgier. I'm not saying that High School Musical is Art, but I will say this for them, they haven't forgotten that the parents are not their intended audience. It doesn't matter to my girls that the characters are impossibly sweet and the whole situation is impossibly wholesome. Why do I want my eight and five year olds to contemplate the real world of teenagers anyway?! For pete's sake, I'm not crazy about my ten year old contemplating the world of teenagers.
I'm sure someone out there is thinking, "It's just stuff; it might as well have some decent design sense," and/or "I'm just trying to give my kids a good sense of style and taste early on." I guess to a point I can go along with you; I think it matters WHY you need your kid's style to match yours.
I think that you only get about ten to fifteen years of childhood out of seventy-five years or so. It seems to me that something so fleeting deserves to be consecrated as special. Their childhood isn't for you, it's for them. You're just fortunate enough to be allowed to visit. I say it's ok for parents to sacrifice their own amazing coolness and super trendy taste for just a little while. Think of your aversion to kid's music as a sign that you've grown up, and congratulate yourself on how far you've come. After all isn't that why there's date night and why you have your own bedroom? You're the grownup! You get to leave the Dora dishes filled with macaroni and cheese for the baby sitter to deal with and take your super trendy self out for some super trendy fun!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
People of the Book
I would like to add People of the Book, by Geraldine Brooks to my Fight Evil, Read Books list.
If the phrase, "People of the Book" means Jews, Muslims and Christians to you, then the title might be misleading. The book does have all of those represented, but the book in the title is a Jewish haggadah. A haggadah is the book that Jews use at a Passover Seder to tell their story. The particular haggadah in question is one that really exists and is called the Sarejevo Haggadah. The "People" in the title of the book are the many people through whose hands the book passes in its five hundred year history. The book is a work of historical fiction; none of the characters are real, but the events of their lives happened to real people in some fashion.
There are several themes in the book, but the one that makes me put the book on my list is the idea of, "It could never happen here." Throughout the five hundred year span of the story there are diverse communities of people who have learned to coexist and even intermix in some cases. They all believe that hatred for their neighbors could never flare up in their communities. They believe themselves beyond that. Indeed there are always a few people who buck the systematized killing of whichever group is being killed, but the massive killings happen none the less.
I believe we live in a time and place where we imagine that it could never happen here. But of course we imagine that! It means that we think well of and trust our neighbors. On the other hand, perhaps it also means that we think a little too highly of ourselves; we believe that we could never be swept away by the fear that leads to hatred. That kind of fear requires a vigilant guard. This book might help us to guard against the evil that creeps in when someone tries to lead you to fear The Other.
Even if you don't get into it as deeply as I did, it's still a darn good story with fascinating history.
If the phrase, "People of the Book" means Jews, Muslims and Christians to you, then the title might be misleading. The book does have all of those represented, but the book in the title is a Jewish haggadah. A haggadah is the book that Jews use at a Passover Seder to tell their story. The particular haggadah in question is one that really exists and is called the Sarejevo Haggadah. The "People" in the title of the book are the many people through whose hands the book passes in its five hundred year history. The book is a work of historical fiction; none of the characters are real, but the events of their lives happened to real people in some fashion.
There are several themes in the book, but the one that makes me put the book on my list is the idea of, "It could never happen here." Throughout the five hundred year span of the story there are diverse communities of people who have learned to coexist and even intermix in some cases. They all believe that hatred for their neighbors could never flare up in their communities. They believe themselves beyond that. Indeed there are always a few people who buck the systematized killing of whichever group is being killed, but the massive killings happen none the less.
I believe we live in a time and place where we imagine that it could never happen here. But of course we imagine that! It means that we think well of and trust our neighbors. On the other hand, perhaps it also means that we think a little too highly of ourselves; we believe that we could never be swept away by the fear that leads to hatred. That kind of fear requires a vigilant guard. This book might help us to guard against the evil that creeps in when someone tries to lead you to fear The Other.
Even if you don't get into it as deeply as I did, it's still a darn good story with fascinating history.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Mama Mia!
First, always trust
Charlotte
Second, three kids and a husband does not make it impossible to decide on a last minute night out with your girlfriends. Hit the speed dial and just do it. At 39 I sort of thought my spontaneous and silly days were past, but no.
Three of my girlfriends (we missed the fourth, but she already had plans, darn.) and I went to see Mama Mia! last night. We laughed until we cried, and Ginger and I even tried a little chair dancing. There was cheering and clapping- during the movie, and talking to the screen! In front of us were five ladies who about 15 or even 20 years older than us and they were also having a ball. They did keep begging Pierce Brosnan not to sing, which made me laugh even more. I was actually giddy as we left the theater.
Fourth, don't be afraid to embrace the moment, and if that means cranking Ginger's ipod and dancing in the theater parking lot, then go for it. I honestly can't remember that last time I had such free and silly fun with my friends.
Charlotte
Second, three kids and a husband does not make it impossible to decide on a last minute night out with your girlfriends. Hit the speed dial and just do it. At 39 I sort of thought my spontaneous and silly days were past, but no.
Three of my girlfriends (we missed the fourth, but she already had plans, darn.) and I went to see Mama Mia! last night. We laughed until we cried, and Ginger and I even tried a little chair dancing. There was cheering and clapping- during the movie, and talking to the screen! In front of us were five ladies who about 15 or even 20 years older than us and they were also having a ball. They did keep begging Pierce Brosnan not to sing, which made me laugh even more. I was actually giddy as we left the theater.
Fourth, don't be afraid to embrace the moment, and if that means cranking Ginger's ipod and dancing in the theater parking lot, then go for it. I honestly can't remember that last time I had such free and silly fun with my friends.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Shades of Grey, or Maybe Purple?
Does anyone remember that line in the Gettysburg Address about the government being "... of the people, by the people and for the people?" You know what that implies don't you? Right, it implies one, that WE are the government, and two, that the government is made up of human beings- frail, imperfect human beings. There is going to be no perfect government and no perfect government solution to anything, but because of implication number one, we can't just chuck the whole thing. After all, who chucks themselves?
I got an email from my mom about the laws and promises broken by the democratic party in relation to the social security system. It was the usual nanny state concerns that many Republicans have. On the other hand, I've listened to three or four episodes of This American Life that told stories of the numerous civil rights laws that have been tossed aside by the Bush Administration. I sort of think that you're going to be more upset with whichever party is breaking the laws that you hold in a higher priority, but either way something is rotten in the state of Denmark.
What makes me sad about our election system is that no one comes out a winner. By the time we elect someone he or she, as well as the losing opponent, has been torn to shreds. For some reason too many people don't feel comfortable standing by their man unless the other man, or woman, is an evil villain. It's pretty extreme and I can't say that I'm all that comfortable with it.
I was thinking of this in church on Sunday when the teacher was talking about Jesus' command to love your enemies. He was saying that you're not going to find yourself in the Kingdom of God now if you can't love your enemies. Somehow my thought train went through several stations until it arrived at the realization that, in governmental politics at least, we make enemies where there shouldn't have to be any. We divide ourselves up into groups with impenetrable boundaries and then are angry because we can't get anything done. We want people to be both compromising and uncompromising at the same time. We want there to be the side of right and the side of evil and then expect those same people to work on the same team.
I can't say that I see it happening in Washington or Lansing, but I think we need a little humility, a little seeing the other side as being made of the same imperfect humans as your side. Which brings me back to Mr. Lincoln. Since we are the government, maybe WE could start this humility thing. We could choose to stop carving things up into what we see as clearly black and white, red and blue territory. We could choose to be different in our own small circles and in the way we deal with The Other that we see every day.
I know how pie in the sky that sounds, but aren't you ready for some pie? Aren't you a little beat down by having to fight for your side all the time? Doesn't marshaling your arguments and lining up your shots just make you tired and hungry? Come on, let's just sit down together and have some pie; blueberry is a nice purple pie.
I got an email from my mom about the laws and promises broken by the democratic party in relation to the social security system. It was the usual nanny state concerns that many Republicans have. On the other hand, I've listened to three or four episodes of This American Life that told stories of the numerous civil rights laws that have been tossed aside by the Bush Administration. I sort of think that you're going to be more upset with whichever party is breaking the laws that you hold in a higher priority, but either way something is rotten in the state of Denmark.
What makes me sad about our election system is that no one comes out a winner. By the time we elect someone he or she, as well as the losing opponent, has been torn to shreds. For some reason too many people don't feel comfortable standing by their man unless the other man, or woman, is an evil villain. It's pretty extreme and I can't say that I'm all that comfortable with it.
I was thinking of this in church on Sunday when the teacher was talking about Jesus' command to love your enemies. He was saying that you're not going to find yourself in the Kingdom of God now if you can't love your enemies. Somehow my thought train went through several stations until it arrived at the realization that, in governmental politics at least, we make enemies where there shouldn't have to be any. We divide ourselves up into groups with impenetrable boundaries and then are angry because we can't get anything done. We want people to be both compromising and uncompromising at the same time. We want there to be the side of right and the side of evil and then expect those same people to work on the same team.
I can't say that I see it happening in Washington or Lansing, but I think we need a little humility, a little seeing the other side as being made of the same imperfect humans as your side. Which brings me back to Mr. Lincoln. Since we are the government, maybe WE could start this humility thing. We could choose to stop carving things up into what we see as clearly black and white, red and blue territory. We could choose to be different in our own small circles and in the way we deal with The Other that we see every day.
I know how pie in the sky that sounds, but aren't you ready for some pie? Aren't you a little beat down by having to fight for your side all the time? Doesn't marshaling your arguments and lining up your shots just make you tired and hungry? Come on, let's just sit down together and have some pie; blueberry is a nice purple pie.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Cute Kids
Head over to
my sister's blog
my sister's blog
Things I Actually Like About $4.00 a Gallon
1. It gives me a good excuse not to drive to Holland for "voluntary" work events.
2. It makes my husband think twice about driving all over creation for volleyball.
3. It gives me permission to ask people to meet me half way instead of feeling like I have to do all the driving myself.
4. It makes me do the environmentally responsible behaviors I should have been doing for years, things like drive slower and consolidate my errands. I'm not a big fan of either of those things, so I need the motivation of pump pain.
5. It makes me look for places to ride my bike, and I love riding my bike! I love how it feels. I love that sense of accomplishment as I try longer and longer rides. I love that I get exercise at the same time. I love that I see all kinds of things that I never noticed from my car. I love the good excuse to stop and get ice cream more often!
It's only five reasons, but it keeps me going in troubled times :-)
Monday, July 21, 2008
I Love My Clothesline
This may not actually be news. I've professed my love of the clothesline before. I've even admitted to standing in my kitchen, gazing out the window at the clothes blowing on the line. Some people like to watch fish in an aquarium, I like to watch cloth move in a breeze. It relaxes me.
I thought some other people might be contemplating the clothesline for environmental and/or economic reasons, so I thought I'd share some of the benefits I've observed this summer. I- or rather, Russ and my dad- put the line in last fall actually. I used it into November because the autumn was so mild. I opened it up again this April. I believe that give me three different seasons of experience with it.
First, because money is so convincing, it does save you actual money that you can see on your bill. Although, it might make more sense to compare kilowatt hours instead of dollars because the market is not a stable thing. I compared my kilowatt hours from last May to this May (my most current data) and found that I had decreased my usage by 4.2 KWH. You can't quickly change that to $ because the KWH are charged at different rates depending on the time of day that they're used. What's even more interesting about this number is that during the same time I was running my new pool filter and heater! We also added in a few more fluorescent bulbs, but not using the dryer was the big change.
Another plus to my clothesline is that I can get through the laundry more quickly. Everyone knows that a load of laundry spends more time in the dryer than in the washer, but with the clothesline I can dry two and sometimes three loads at a time. On a nice day I can dry clothes as fast as I can wash them. I also find that I get the laundry folded sooner, but this might because of the pool. I have to be out in the backyard so much anyway to lifeguard, that I find I have time to fold the clothes as I take them off the line.
I also love the smell of the clothes that have been on the line, and this benefit only gets stronger as the weather gets colder. This spring I pulled out a shirt that had been dried on the line last Fall and it smelled as fresh and crisp as that Fall day. I'm a smeller and so that joy lifted my whole day. I know that you can get good smells from fabric softener, but this just does something different for me.
I don't know that this last thing will sell a lot of people on the clothesline, but it is important to me. The clothesline brings me back into the rhythm of the natural world. Be honest, unless you're planning a picnic or a soccer game, the weather doesn't really connect with your real life. If it's too hot or too cold or too wet, you just go into your climate controlled building. With the clothesline I have to actually work with the weather. I have to plan my life, to a small degree, around how the weather is going to work out. I see that as a plus, not a minus. It is being shown by people who study these things that a disconnect from the natural world is having a profound negative impact on children and adults.
I also am more aware of the seasons and what the natural world is like during the seasons. Last Fall, for the first time ever, I really noticed the changing path of the sun through the sky as winter loomed closer. I could see the angle of the light on my clothes changing each week. It just serves to remind me that there is a whole world that I am a part of, not the point of.
There are some challenges to the clothesline, but I figure there are to the dryer too. If you want to give it a try, but are wondering how I worked out- or learned to live with- some of those challenges, let me know and I'll try to answer your questions. For now, any little step you take to live more with Creation and not to just use Creation is a good step.
Friday, July 18, 2008
I'm Just Sayin'
I listen to the Satellite Sisters' podcast. I enjoy it; it's funny and even informative sometimes. The last two episodes have had the subject of vegans and trying not to eat meat, and both times someone went on and on about all the meat substitutes that are now available. Apparently it goes way beyond toferky now.
Which brings me to an odd and long standing pet peeve of mine. If you're going to not eat meat, go for it, but why substitute with "food?" If you look at the ingredient list on the meatless chicken nuggets, it's a good paragraph in length and many of the ingredients are unpronounceable. I don't see how that's any healthier or environmentally friendly than meat. The only thing it has going for it is that it's not obviously cruel.
I think if you're going to give up meat, and I've been taking some small steps in that direction, it makes more sense to me to substitute in real foods. I like to replace meat with beans, cheese, eggs (I know these are still animal products, but I just can't go all the way.) and tofu, but not tofu that has been turned into fake meat.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Chore Time
I'm sure I'd get few arguments, except from kids, that chores are good for kids. It builds character, makes them more responsible, less selfish, blah blah blah. I think kids should do chores because it's good for their imaginations. Chores are boring and mindless at any age. Kids, who are extremely allergic to boring and mindless, have to find some way to cope.
In exchange for being let off cleaning the playroom, JD has agreed to scoop dog poop in the yard every three days. Believe it or not, he never complains. He doesn't rush out to do it, and it can take him awhile, but it gets done. The other day I looked out the window to see if he was still working and I saw him leaning on the shovel talking away to someone, someone only he could see. True, if he were a little older that would be cause for concern, but I'm pretty sure that ten year olds should still be making up imaginary scenarios. I had to giggle because I remember quite clearly talking to myself in the mirror while I cleaned the bathroom when I was a kid. I used to make up commercials for my cleaning products. Who knows what JD was talking about. Perhaps he was making up another song. Earlier in the summer he made up a little work song for himself. He used the tune from a little kids Sunday School song called, "Who needs help?" JD's version goes,
"Where is the poop?
I look and see
There is the poop
Right next to me!"
Repeat until all poop is scooped.
JD is not the only creative soul at our house. Later the same day that I had seen JD talking to himself, Abby stopped me as I was walking past the bathroom. She was supposed to be in there cleaning the sink.
"Mom, Mom! Wait! Come in here! You have to see my special scrubbing that I do! Watch!"
She then proceeded to do a scrub job that pretty much used every part of her body. You might have even called it a dance. There were large arm circles that sped around the sink in a sloshing motion and then hip circles and shoulder shrugs as well. There was also a little song that went with it, but I didn't quite catch the lyrics as they weren't all words that were known to me. It was something to do with scrubbing and dubbing and do dah do do dah scrub, something, something, something. She was very proud, and the sink, as well as the floor, were quite clean.
I haven't caught Rachel with anything too creative yet, unless I count the endless organizing of her possessions into "art studios," or "offices," or "club houses," etc., as creative. I suppose it might be.
At any rate, I see this whole chore thing as a win win. We'll see what the kids say in twenty years.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
A Story and a Few Questions
You may or may not know that I have really wrestled with prayer over the last few years. Sadly it's not that I've wrestled in prayer, although sometimes that has been the case. I've longed to find the meaning of it, the purpose of it, the peace of it. Because I've been unclear in my own mind about prayer, it's been more than a little challenging to teach prayer to my children and answer their questions.
I don't know, perhaps my children are ordinary, but to me their questions and musings are quite extraordinary. They ask me why bad things happen, is God punishing them, does God really love the people in the stories to whom bad things happen? You know, stuff like that. JD is especially thoughtful about all matters, outside of keeping track of things and everyday tasks. I don't invent answers, and I never claim to know it all. They would find me out much too quickly. I usually reply with whatever honest answer I'm at in my own journey.
JD has had two bikes stolen from the library near our house in the last month. It was particularly devastating the second time because it seemed so cruel. Both JD and I shed tears over the matter, although he doesn't know that. At dinner on the day of the second incident it was JD's turn to pray. Of course he prayed for God to find his bike for him. My willingness to try praying for anything that matters has improved lately and I joined him in his prayer, in my own heart.
This morning JD seemed pretty cheerful and didn't even mention the bike situation himself. I suggested that we both think of ways to replace the bike, jobs he could do to earn money, that kind of thing. We didn't really dwell on it though, too depressing for me.
Around 11:00 the mom of one of Rachel's friends phone to invite her to play. I know the mom pretty well and we spent a few minutes catching up with each other as we were making plans for the girls. As is my usual custom, I walked around my house putting things away as I was talking on the phone. As I came up the stairs from the basement something of JD's caught my eye, probably his shoes laying in the middle of the floor. The sight triggered a thought.
"On a completely different note," I said to Suzanne, "You don't happen to have a boy's bike that you're getting ready to sell, do you?" Suzanne has a son that is a year older and a good deal taller than JD.
"Actually," she said, "I just gave away a bike to a friend, but the last time I saw her son ride over here, he wasn't riding that bike. You know what I can do? As soon as I get off the phone with you, I'll call her up and see if her son is using the bike."
About a half hour later Suzanne called back. "Cara is on her way with Jennifer to pick up Rachel. They should be there shortly. And I talked to my friend. She's not using the bike. She'll drop it off in a little bit and you can pick it up when you pick up Rachel."
I was stunned. I actually stood still. "Seriously?! I can't believe it. Thank you so much! Will you let me pay you for the bike?"
"Tonia, I gave the bike to Patrice, of course I'm just going to give it to you! I hope JD will like the bike. It's pretty heavy duty. Actually it's a stunt bike, but it looks cool for sure."
Later, as we were out and buying a bike like, JD said something about how amazingly it had all worked out. I decided to take, in my view, a risk.
"Well, I guess this is how God answered your prayer to get your bike back. He does tend do things in unexpected ways."
"You're right mom! And I thought God was just punishing me for something bad I did. Maybe my bike was stolen because I'm meant to have the stunt bike so I can grow up to be a BMX rider!"
I went with the extremely safe, "We'll see."
Since that conversation, I've been rehashing like crazy. What do I want JD to take away from this experience? I've come down to three important questions and there are no easy answers to any of them.
Did God really answer his prayer?
Does it matter?
What will happen when God doesn't or seems not to answer his prayer?
I'm relieved to say that for now, it's just me asking those questions, but the day is coming when he's going to be right there wrestling with me. I hope when that day comes I have the strength to let him do his own wrestling and not try to hold him back with easy religious cliches.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Miss Reid, It Wasn't Enough
When I was tenish I was playing in my Grandma's backyard with my cousins. I have quite a few cousins who are right around my age so we made quite a gang. A gang like that needs organizing, so, as I often did, I organized everyone. Unfortunately, I organized whatever it was we were playing to my benefit. It seems like we were doing wagon rides or something and I was getting more rides than the other kids. We were taking turns pushing each other I guess.
I can't recall now who was pushing the wagon, but as it careened across the patio and past the sliding glass door, my Uncle Hack stuck his head out and hollered, "Hey, how come it seems like Tonia is always the one riding in the wagon? That doesn't seem fair!"
Immediately I hopped out of the wagon and reorganized the game so that I had fewer rides than the other kids. I was mortified that someone would think that I was mean or took advantage of other people. It changed my whole life in fact. A few years later when I was organizing my neighborhood friends to do a backyard play, I took great care to give the starring role to another girl. I retained the part of director, but I figured that giving up the glam job of leading lady was keeping things fair.
It seems reasonable that his was not the only comment ever made to me about my leadership style. I must have been called bossy by a lot of people. I guess you could say that Uncle Hack wasn't even saying I was bossy, just unfair, but I lumped it in with all the other, "Tonia, you're too bossy," comments. In fact his comment cut right through to my heart and have stayed with me for about 30 years becoming the representative memory of all the times I was told that I was too bossy.
I kept right on taking charge of things though. I don't think I could stop myself. It must have been pretty noticeable too because when I was in the ninth grade, my history teacher, the adored Miss Reid, told me I should run for student council because I was a "good leader."
I told her that it would never happen because, "Student council is about being popular, not about being a good leader."
I didn't even try student leadership for another five years when I went off to CMU. Then I was elected to be the floor rep for my hall council when I was a freshman. Later I took on many other leadership roles including being not only a resident advisor, but one who trained other RAs.
So it seems like I got over the comments about being too bossy and even took the good in the comment from my uncle and tried to be fair while I was being bossy. I practiced what my mother called, "The art of letting other people have your own way." They were happy, I was happy, things were good.
And then some jerk, whose opinion means NOTHING to me, told me that in our group of friends everyone always did whatever I suggested and no one else was allowed to have ideas or steer the group in any direction that wasn't mine. This person is a whiney, immature, ego maniac, and somehow he was still able to instantly kick my butt back to being ten years old. I wouldn't plan or organize anything straightforwardly again. I ceased to be a real and decisive leader. Immediately.
This time there was no Miss Reid to give me the power to lead and somehow I haven't become adult enough to take the power for myself. I never, or rarely, feel like it's my place to say something. I usually go find someone else, tell them my idea and then convince them to bring it to the group. I do it both with friends and coworkers.
I've been thrashing around for a conclusion to this post for about thirty minutes now. You might be able to tell by the length. I don't know what the final observation should be. I don't know if people without clearly defined authority given to them by a position or title should just take charge. I don't know if adults even want to be organized by their peers in the same way that kids do.
I don't know. I don't know a lot. I do like to think though that I'm not bossy because mean goes with bossy. I just have a lot of ideas and I get excited about them and I want to try them out. What do I do with all of those ideas if I don't share them?
Monday, June 30, 2008
So I saw my old friend Janel last week, although I should immediately clarify that she is not old. She, as she reminded me repeatedly, is a good six months younger than me. Outside of my cousins, whom I definitely consider friends, Janel is my oldest friend. I think we met in either eighth or ninth grades. We stayed friends through the ups and downs of teen girl life and she remains my only actual contact from high school. Well, until last week when we also hooked up with our friend Roberta with whom we've been friends since the eighth grade as well. Anyway, all that to say, "She knew me when."
Just a few days before I had lunch with Janel and Roberta, I had a soul baring session with my girlfriends here in GR. We were sharing things that we struggle with. These girls already know me pretty well; I've been friends with them for ten or more years. When I commented, "I'm so needy! I hate that I'm so needy!" there were confused looks all around the room.
Heidi said, "What does that mean? I don't get what you're saying." Apparently I don't seem as needy on the outside.
Later, driving home, Heidi and I were rehashing the evening when I referred to myself as being, "so dramatic."
"What? That's the second thing tonight you've said that surprised me."
Seems that my efforts to rein in the drama have been reasonably successful.
Back to lunch with my "old" friends. (Janel, that is perfectly acceptable use of quotation marks, and even in my mind I did not do them in the air!) I repeated the story about not being seen as needy or dramatic.
It's a credit to their self control that they didn't snort their drinks or choke on their food. They merely chuckled, shook their heads and gave me the, "Yeah right," look. Of course, when Janel, Roberta and I were in more frequent contact, those two character traits were on daily display.
I'm not saying that I have or haven't grown and changed. I think you could make the case either way. I do have more self control, which all good grown ups should have, and I do have more confidence generally. On the other hand, in my head I still react with fierce drama to sometimes small things and I have a fierce need to be reassured. Wouldn't it be healthier to at least acknowledge that a little bit more? Is self control just a cover up for honesty?
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Here's a book list from one of my students this year. She and I have similar taste in books; in fact I've read about half of her list. She's a very enthusiastic reader and we used to discuss books when I was on the playground for recess duty. The books are generally fourth grade reading level through middle school, with one picture book thrown in. There's a nice mix of genre as well. If you read any of them, post your thoughts here or on
Good Reads.
In no particular order, except this is the order she gave it to me:
Stargirl (sequel is Love, Stargirl) realistic fiction, Jerry Spinelli
Good Reads.
The Sisters Grimm, fantasy series, Michael Buckley
Rules, realistic fiction, Cynthia Lord
Chasing Redbird, Sharon Creech (the genre is a little unclear and I haven't read it.)
Granny Torelli Makes Soup, realistic fiction, Sharon Creech
Ella Enchanted, fantasy, Gail Carson Levine
Fairest, fantasy, Gail Carson Levine
The Two Princesses of Bamarre, fantasy, Gail Carson Levine
Eggs (A.'s note: the beginning is a little bit boring but it gets better.)realistic fiction, Jerry Spinelli
Shug, realistic fiction, Jenny Han
The Last Dog on Earth, I'd call it science fiction, Daniel Ehrenhaft
Kira Kira, realistic fiction, Cynthia Kodohata
The Last Book on the Universe, science fiction, Rodman Philbrick
Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great, realistic fiction, Judy Blume
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, fantasy/realistic mix, Kate DiCamillo
The Tiger Rising, realistic fiction, Kate DiCamillo
A Corner of the Universe, realistic fiction, Ann M. Martin
A Cricket in Times Square, reality/fantasy mix, George Selden
The Wanderer, realistic fiction, Sharon Creech
Firegirl, realistic fiction, Tony Abbott
A Crooked Kind of Perfect, realistic fiction, Linda Urban
The Invention of Hugo Cabret, fantasy/reality mix, Brian Selznick
Zathura, fantasy, Chris VanAlsburg (note from A. See the movie! It shows Bella! (from Twilight)She's not really the star.)
The Penderwicks, realistic fiction, Jeanne Birdsall
The Naked Mole-Rat Letters, realistic fiction, Mary Amato
Ophie out of Oz, realistic fiction, Kathleen O'Dell
Monday, June 2, 2008
Boys and Frogs and Snakes and Other Dangers
I picked up my sweaty, filthy son from daycare after school today. He was radiant. It was the best day ever, he said. His class had gone on a bike trip of about eight miles. Along the way he had jumped in river and swam across a pond.
"Were you supposed to be in the pond?" I asked.
"Yes." His voice clearly said, "Duh, mom."
"How do you know?"
"Ms. Lee was standing right there watching us from the other side of the pond."
I was thinking, "So? She was probably wondering what the heck those boys were doing in the pond and what was she going to do about it now?" Aloud, I said, "What did she say when you got over to her?"
"Good job!"
Man, I love that woman. I would have been all afraid that they would get in trouble with their parents, or that I would get in trouble with my boss. I would never have let the kids in the pond, and if they had gone in, I would have scolded them. I think Ms. Lee is a far wiser teacher than I am.
JD had also caught frogs and snakes and even a snake with a fish in it's mouth. He had seen dangerous snakes and even leeches. I bet I heard him say five times that he had been bitten by a snake, but it was just a little bite. There was a turtle claw and some seaweed in his pocket, and the telling of his tale filled nearly every minute until bedtime.
As I listened and watched him I was once again reminded that boys need space to do dangerous things. (Perhaps some girls do as well, but I think they are different kinds of dangerous things.) I don't know why they need to risk life and limb, but they do. I think that's why more boys than girls play battle themed video games. We don't live in a world where there is much room for a boy to run on his own and risk much of anything, but they still have that same urge to test themselves and to explore their physical limits. All that many boys have is video games. I don't imagine that it's quite as satisfying as JD's day of rivers and ponds was.
You Could Have Been a Teacher Too
I was at my job share partner's house the other day working on grades. We've been together for so long that we are practically part of each other's family. Her husband often chats with me on the phone a while if I call when she's not home. We trade jests and insults, but lightly. Sometimes though he really yanks my chain, mostly when he starts nagging his wife to work full time, especially when he tries to insist that it's because they need the money.
I also get wound up when he starts in on teacher's unions and teacher's benefits. Saturday it was summer vacation.
"So, you ready to be out?" he asks.
"Sure," I say, "But I kind of feel like I'm done already. I only have a day and half with the kids this week."
"Man, I can't imagine getting that much time off. I've never had more than four weeks off in a year, let alone all at once." This was muttered, somewhat, but not quite, under his breath.
Without thinking, which I thought I was growing out of, I snap back, "You wouldn't last four weeks doing my job, never mind the vacation."
No reply.
Why don't people who think my job is nothing but perks, just become teachers? After all, "Those who can, do, and those who can't, teach," right? So, I'm sure that every Tom, Dick and Harry out there is qualified to do what I do. Have at it boys (and girls). I'll sit back and laugh.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Ten Most Important Americans
I'm curious, after reading an article in Smithsonian, who would you say are the ten most famous Americans? Could you use my comments section and let me do a survey of my own? I'll do it the same way the Smithsonian guys did.
Starting with Columbus, first list your top five famous Americans (Please exclude presidents and first ladies), then skip a space and list your top five famous American women (excluding first ladies). After I hear from whoever is going to participate, I'll tell you the results that were in Smithsonian and I'll tell you my personal.
(Charlotte posted an interesting question. You should read the comments.)
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
I Did It!
Last June, when my kids were taking swimming lessons, I decided that maybe this would be a good time to start getting more exercise. After all, I was there at the Y anyway and maybe more exercise would help me even out my darker moods. I chugged away all summer, swimming or running at least three times a week, sometimes four. In the back of my mind though, I thought, "When school starts, I'll never be able to keep this up."
The last week of August rolled around and I really didn't want to let go of summer and throw myself heartily into school, especially not that first week when I wasn't really teaching, just sitting in meetings and trainings, trying to hide that I was doing Sudoku and not listening. I think I worked out four times that week. After that I just kept going somehow. I don't know how I "found" the time; I just did it.
I even kept it up during my Thanksgiving trip to the Wisconsin Dells and over Christmas break. Those weren't my most productive weeks, but I never missed a complete week. Again though, I wasn't really confident that I would be able to keep going. I was sure I would get sick and be unable to do much and that I would totally lose my momentum. After all, part of what was keeping me going at this point was not wanting to lose all the progress I had made.
Then a couple weeks ago I got a really bad cold at a very busy time. Double whammy. I did nothing for almost two straight weeks. I kept thinking, "This is it. My run as a regular exerciser is over. I'll never get back into it." But then I noticed that I was so darn grouchy, and I couldn't blame PMS. I also noticed that episodes of Mugglecast were piling up on my iTunes. So, on Mother's Day, I dragged myself outside, with my kids on their bikes, and gave it a shot.
Not bad. I didn't run three miles- I know that's not very impressive either, but it's the farthest I can go- but I did go maybe two. Then I went out again on Monday night. And now on Wednesday morning I got up and ran even though I left my iPod in Heidi's car! I did it! Now I know that I can get back into a good healthy routine, even if it gets interrupted for awhile. It makes me feel almost giggly.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Twilight
WARNING! If you talk to me on any kind of regular basis, you'll probably find this post boring and repetitive, unless you like seeing your name in print, and then you might like it even if you've already heard me say it all!
It's sort of a funny story how I even came to this book. I first saw it laying around our computer lab last year at school. I was bored while I waited for something to load, so I flipped through it. It was still lying there (or is it laying there; Charlotte, help me out with this one- AGAIN!) a week later, so I took a look again. I decided that a teen angst story about a girl lying to her dad (That's what I got out of scanning the middle) was not really my thing.
Then a few months later Charlotte put it on my radar. "Yeah, yeah, I've heard of it, maybe I'll get to it." Not likely, even though I usually read what Charlotte recommends. Ginger also read and loved all three books in the series, but she wasn't sure that I would like them. She was worried that my irritation with stories about girls who have to change who they are (see Grease and The Little Mermaid) to get the boy, would prevent me from liking this book.
Then Andrew and Laura started raving about it on Mugglecast. Hmmm. A book loved by obsessive Harry Potter fans? Now you have my attention. Plus, Christi started reading it at Ginger's recommendation, and then Ginger brought it to my house and just laid it on my counter. There it sat for several weeks while I read Inkspell for the second time. I would read a few pages while Russ watched basketball, but I wasn't into it.
Then I got to a scene in the book where the vampire is most struggling with wether or not he is going to kill this girl, and the rest was a run away train. I was gone. In love. Totally obsessed. Searching the internet for more info. Crazy.
Who knew?
Thursday, April 24, 2008
The Medium is the Message
I'm sure you've heard that said before. I learned in church, yes church, that this phrase was coined by some guy in the Sixties. He was talking about how technology itself changes the world and the people in it, not the content of the technology, but the technology itself.
Apparently, "technology" includes anything that is made by people, which means clothes are technology, which means your clothes are a message. Well, dang, I've thought that for ages. It's a no brainer.
Here's where I think we run into trouble though. Let's say that you choose to dress in a black cape and nine inch platform boots, but you don't want me to jump to conclusions about you? I'm supposed to figure out that you are the opposite of the message that you're sending, the message that says, "Stay away from me. I'm angry and I might yell at you." Well, then stop sending me mixed messages! If you don't want me or my children to stare at you, why the heck did you pierce every available body part and die your hair purple?! You want to be unique but you don't want anyone to notice you? Right.
I get that sometimes people's clothing is sending a message that they didn't intend for reasons beyond their control, but no one gets a dog collar around her neck that attaches to her boyfriend's wrist by circumstances outside of herself. I am entitled to think, "That girl has gone around the bend." If you don't want me to think that about you; if you don't want me to be all "judgey," then stop sending me messages that are so darn confusing.
All I'm saying is, don't get mad at me because you can't communicate.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
JD, Where Did YOU Learn THAT!?
Driving home on Sunday Abby said something about, "I got no..." something or other and everyone corrected her grammar at nearly the same time. We laughed about that and then started joking about people's bad grammar.
After a little of that I said, "Where do people learn to talk like that?"
JD's VERY prompt reply, "George Bush?"
Friday, April 11, 2008
It May Be Obvious to You, but It's Not to Me
I might be naive, I'm sure I could easily get at least one person to agree, but our current health care debate makes no sense to me.
On one hand, I understand that state health care in Europe, Japan and Canada has some serious problems. So, I understand that people are concerned that if we copied them we would also copy their problems. Not to mention, people with money can afford to get better care than what the state provides and so large inequalities still exist. Also, many Americans don't like the government to be too involved in private affairs.
On the other hand, having the majority of health care funded privately isn't working out so hot here in America either. Lots of employers can't or won't pay for health care. If you wanted everyone covered privately, you'd still have to mandate that somebody, each employer or each citizen, pay for it and then you'd be back to the trouble of the government being too involved in private affairs. If you don't mandate that everyone be covered privately, the government is still involved because people's health care costs end up making them dependent on state aide.
On the other hand, there are plenty of people who believe everyone should pull themselves up by the bootstraps and take care of themselves and if you need to sacrifice nonessentials in order to pay for health care for your family, by golly, be a grown up and do it! Except, if you look back through history, the only people that's ever worked for is rich people. Poor people sacrificed and saved and did all they could to take care of their families and ended up paying for it with their lives and the lives of their children.
I know that nothing is easy and the solutions are going to have to involve some things that I don't like. I'm cool with that. I don't see how any answers are going to be put into action though, because like so many other debates going on, it seems like too few people want to work it out. Most sides just want to win.
Monday, April 7, 2008
It's Sort of Funny
Spring as finally arrived after a most wintery winter. We finally saw fifty degree weather on Saturday and even warmer weather on Sunday. It felt so good to take off my coat and gloves for the first time in months. I loved that the sunshine was actually warm on my cheek again finally. It smelled warm and damp outside, delicious. Everything about it created a sense of hope and excitement.
It's funny to me though that those same temperatures in October feel different, smell different and even conjure up different feelings. When the temperature is mid to high 5os in October it smells crisp and spicey. The air feels cool and the sunshine feels weak. I love fall, I missed it when I lived in Houston, and enjoy winter, but I can also feel a little melancholy at that time of year.
Could it really be, despite the artificial, climate controlled environment that I live and work in most of the time, that the death and rebirth of the earth still has a strong hold on me? Could it be that even though I enjoy things about all four seasons, my heart and mind are still tied to creation and so I also follow a cycle of death and rebirth that no amount of logic can dismiss?
I'm fascinated by the thought.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Cheesey Delicious
Last week I somehow got the song "Any Dream Will Do" from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat stuck in my head. At the time I only knew a few of the words so it was driving me especially crazy. Enter my good friend Google. I found the lyrics easily, but then I couldn't remember the tune to the bridge; back to Google. Then I saw a Wiki article on a BBC show of the same name.
Hmmm... I checked it out and discovered that the BBC had done a reality show last year to cast the part of Joseph and called it Any Dream Will Do. This lead to even more good news: clips available on You Tube! So, we watched lots of clips from this contest and the one from the year before that cast Maria for Sound of Music. There was even a little something for JD- Lee Mead, the Joseph winner, sings Paint It Black by the Stones.
Anyway, it all lead to lots of singing and dancing around the house. My kids are either having a magical childhood or one that I should be saving up for therapy! Only time will tell....
Book to Movie News
I really loved the books Inkheart and Inkspell, and I'm looking forward to the English release of Inkdeath this fall. These books are about a father and daughter and their literary adventures. Perhaps to say more is too much. Let's just say that they have unusual talents which naturally cause complications. I thought the books were smart and thought provoking. I thought the first book anyway had something to say about the relationship between the creator and the created.
I was in the process of looking up the release date of the final book when I discovered that a movie of the first book has been made. This is probably old news to some. Russ knew that it was going to star Brendan Frasier and so he had already written it off. It's not to be released until next January, but there is good news to look forward to. The bad guy is going to be played by Andy Serkis! In case that name doesn't ring any bells, Andy played Smeagol/Gollum in Lord of the Rings. And there's more good news!
One of the heroes, of the book is being played by Paul Bettany. Actually whether or not the character is a hero is somewhat debatable, making Paul Bettany another great choice. If you've forgotten where you know him from, he played Chaucer in A Knight's Tale and one of John Nash's visions in A Beautiful Mind. (I'd like you to their IMD profiles, but I'm having a little trouble with that feature at the moment.)
On the not so good news side, I looked at the preview and I can tell already that they are going to take serious liberties with the plot, but I guess that's what happens when you don't have a rabid fan base like HP or LotR.
Friday, March 28, 2008
My Good Idea
I may have mentioned this before, but I always want to send my good ideas to Family Fun magazine. They have a whole section called "My Great Idea!" I'm sure the get hundreds of submissions and I would just be lost in the crowd. So, I thought I'd go see my editor at blogspot and see what she says. She says, "Let's hear it!"
Ok, if the whole truth were know, the genesis of this idea actually came from Family Fun. But I have given it my own special Tonia touch.
I know my kids are not the only ones who aren't too crazy about doing chores and cleaning the house. We have a game that we use whenever I want to get a sustained amount of work out of them. It doesn't work if you use it for everyday work, but if you've been busy and the clutter has just piled up around your house, this is just the thing.
I write different jobs that I want done on slips of paper. I write, "clean your sink," "put away 5 things from a kitchen counter," "hang up the coats," "organize the CDs," whatever needs to be done. I also take big jobs, like clean the playroom, and break them into smaller pieces. I might say, "pick up the baby doll clothes," or "pick out ten things made from paper that are on the playroom floor."
I make two piles of jobs. One pile is for the eight and ten year old to draw from and one is for the four year old. I expect harder work out of the older two. To these piles I also add about six "fun" slips. These are things like, "eat a piece of candy," "kiss your mother," "sing Chitty-Chitty Bang Bang," "go outside and turn somersaults on the front lawn," etc. I also put in a slip that says, "Kid's choice," and they look around the house for a job that needs to be done and then do it. I also have a discard box to put the slips in after they've drawn them.
The last thing I make is a "penalty box." I put jobs in there that don't really have to be done, or jobs that I would ordinarily do myself.
Now the kids draw out slips of paper and do whatever the job is. The older two kids take turns drawing out the paper, but then they both do whatever is written on it. Abby just works away by herself. Usually if they draw a fun slip first or right after they've done one, I tell them to wait two jobs and then draw again. If there is whining, fighting or if the slips are left laying around, then they have to draw from the penalty box.
The beauty of the game is that I stay in control of the work, but the kids feel like they are in control or at least Luck is in control. I'm not standing over them saying, "Do this, pick up that, get a move on!" I do have to also be working in some of the same areas where they are working. They like to feel like we're all working together. Paying the bills, or doing work on my computer does not look like work to them and they slack off! They also need to have their work inspected frequently. We don't always have the same mental picture of what the completed job looks like.
If you're willing to be working along side them, I think this game is good for ages three and up. It's at least good through age 10. I'll let you know in a few years when it doesn't work anymore!
Harry Potter and Other Book to Movie News
You've probably heard, but we haven't discussed it yet, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is going to be a two part movie. It's going to be directed by the guy who did 5 and is doing 6. I did NOT like five, so I'm not too thrilled about that, but what I didn't like was that so much of the book was cut. Making it into two movies should solve that problem. I am very excited about the two movie plan. Not to thrilled to have to wait six months for the end of the movie, but then again, it's not like I don't know who the story ends. I'd love to put a couple questions to you, and of course I'll give you my opinions as well. If you haven't read the books, and only see the movies, STOP READING NOW! or don't say I didn't warn you.
1. Do you like the idea?
I already answered that one.
2. Where would be a good place to split it?
I've heard some good ideas on this. One good idea that I heard was to end it with them being dragged off to Malfoy Manor after being grabbed by the snatchers. I didn't like this one at first because I would prefer and ending that wasn't a cliff hanger. I would prefer a movie with some resolution. That's how Lord of the Rings one and two both are. The resolve one part of the story and then make you hold your breath about what is yet to come. I started thinking this was a good idea though when I remembered that just before this Ron comes back, resolving that conflict- at least with Harry, Herminone has to wait for her resolution a while longer yet! Also, the first horcrux is destroyed just before this, which is also a good resolution.
I had previously thought that them escaping Voldemort at Godric's Hollow was a good place to end it. It felt like closure to some issues of Harry's family and there is certainly a big exhale to be had as they escape Nagini and then Voldmort himself. It doesn't leave a cliff hanger really, just an unresolved story. I'm ok with that. Having watched Lost and 24 for so many years now I'm kind of burned out on cliff hangers.
3. Does having to pay twice for the same story make you cynical (more cynical) about greedy Hollywood studios?
No, not really. If this is what it takes to get the movie I want, then I'm all for it. I figure that if they are going to give me four to five hours of movie, then that's going to cost them a lot of money to make. Therefore, they have to make their money back and the way to do that is to charge me twice. Whatever. It will be worth it.
Ok, so answer those questions for me. I have some other news, but this post is getting long and so I'll post again tomorrow about the other news. Hey, if you'd like to add some questions to the discussion, you absolutely should!
1. Do you like the idea?
I already answered that one.
2. Where would be a good place to split it?
I've heard some good ideas on this. One good idea that I heard was to end it with them being dragged off to Malfoy Manor after being grabbed by the snatchers. I didn't like this one at first because I would prefer and ending that wasn't a cliff hanger. I would prefer a movie with some resolution. That's how Lord of the Rings one and two both are. The resolve one part of the story and then make you hold your breath about what is yet to come. I started thinking this was a good idea though when I remembered that just before this Ron comes back, resolving that conflict- at least with Harry, Herminone has to wait for her resolution a while longer yet! Also, the first horcrux is destroyed just before this, which is also a good resolution.
I had previously thought that them escaping Voldemort at Godric's Hollow was a good place to end it. It felt like closure to some issues of Harry's family and there is certainly a big exhale to be had as they escape Nagini and then Voldmort himself. It doesn't leave a cliff hanger really, just an unresolved story. I'm ok with that. Having watched Lost and 24 for so many years now I'm kind of burned out on cliff hangers.
3. Does having to pay twice for the same story make you cynical (more cynical) about greedy Hollywood studios?
No, not really. If this is what it takes to get the movie I want, then I'm all for it. I figure that if they are going to give me four to five hours of movie, then that's going to cost them a lot of money to make. Therefore, they have to make their money back and the way to do that is to charge me twice. Whatever. It will be worth it.
Ok, so answer those questions for me. I have some other news, but this post is getting long and so I'll post again tomorrow about the other news. Hey, if you'd like to add some questions to the discussion, you absolutely should!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
This Is Not a Crisis People!
You've heard that TV's are changing, yes? They're all going digital, no more "airwaves." Were you worried? I wasn't. I have satellite and so I'm already digital. Good news because I won't risk missing Lost, Monk or Psych. And if 24 ever comes back I know I'll get sucked in no matter what I say now. I say this, because I don't want there to be any confusion about whether or not I like TV.
However. When I was listening to a story on NPR a month or so ago about the TV change over, I learned that there are ADVOCACY GROUPS (sorry, couldn't stop myself from yelling) to be sure that people get all the SUPPORT (again, sorry, blood pressure rising) they need in getting switched over. There are folks filing complaints with God only knows who because not enough MONEY is being spent to assist people in being ready to change over their @$#&* TVs!
We're not talking about being sure that everyone gets their SHOTS FOR #@%#$'S SAKE! It's entertainment! And I include the news in that word! (unless we're talking about school closings, and then that's a whole other ball o' wax) If your TV is not ready for the switch and it suddenly goes black a year from now, NOTHING BAD WILL HAPPEN TO YOU! You would think that the writer's strike would have taught people a thing or two about surviving with out TV.
The thing that kills me (ok, the whole thing kills me) is that I heard serious NPR reporters tell this story with straight faces, as if I should actually be concerned. As. If. Should I actually lose Lost, (ha. ha.) I'll just do like I do when the #$%& president messes up my DVR. I'll go to itunes and buy it, or to abc.com and watch it there. And if I didn't have highspeed internet, I still wouldn't die. Maybe I would go READ A BOOK!
Ok. All done. Got that off my chest. I feel much better now.
However. When I was listening to a story on NPR a month or so ago about the TV change over, I learned that there are ADVOCACY GROUPS (sorry, couldn't stop myself from yelling) to be sure that people get all the SUPPORT (again, sorry, blood pressure rising) they need in getting switched over. There are folks filing complaints with God only knows who because not enough MONEY is being spent to assist people in being ready to change over their @$#&* TVs!
We're not talking about being sure that everyone gets their SHOTS FOR #@%#$'S SAKE! It's entertainment! And I include the news in that word! (unless we're talking about school closings, and then that's a whole other ball o' wax) If your TV is not ready for the switch and it suddenly goes black a year from now, NOTHING BAD WILL HAPPEN TO YOU! You would think that the writer's strike would have taught people a thing or two about surviving with out TV.
The thing that kills me (ok, the whole thing kills me) is that I heard serious NPR reporters tell this story with straight faces, as if I should actually be concerned. As. If. Should I actually lose Lost, (ha. ha.) I'll just do like I do when the #$%& president messes up my DVR. I'll go to itunes and buy it, or to abc.com and watch it there. And if I didn't have highspeed internet, I still wouldn't die. Maybe I would go READ A BOOK!
Ok. All done. Got that off my chest. I feel much better now.
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