Very interesting article on the impact Nostalgia is having on our culture. And this is very true for me. Although what is interesting is that my dad was not the type who could show me how to fix a car or build a go kart etc. And yet I still want something akin to that for my kids. One of the points that it makes about how people get this idea that their Dad's were always around, when today's generation is actually far more involved than their parents were in their lives is valid. Today's media is geared to make parents feel bad for not being around, doing stuff with our kids. Included in that is the advertising etc. on kids shows. Which makes the kids think that their parents should be the sole focus of their time. Which has the unfortunate side effect of making the parents feel guilty all the time. Kim is a classic example of this, the reality is she probably gives the kids more time and attention than either of us got from our parents, and yet she always seems to feel like she should be doing more, 'working with the kids'. The reality is that James picked up things like potty training and speech much quicker than Daniel, and yet James in Day Care while Daniel was at home with Mommy. So I don't really buy it. Yes as a parent I have a certain responsibility to my kids. But I don't think it is a requirement that we should be doing 'something' with them every spare minute or every weekend. This weekend I had a chance to have a friend who teaches martial arts talk to James to gauge if he is ready, but Kim pointed out that he really is overloaded right now and that taking on martial arts might be too much, and I agreed. So the upshot is childhood is special, especially for the younger kids, let them enjoy that time, but don't try to force enjoyment by scheduling 'fun things' every single minute. I was home with the kids on Friday and Saturday while Kim was at work, we didn't do anything special, and I think they had more fun those 2 days than the days when we are running around to baseball, then the library then parties etc. So if there is any one thing the nostalgia craze that brings us books like the Dangerous Book really teaches us parents is that kids really can and do fun things when they have the time, and it doesn't all have to be scheduled fun 'play date' time.
An unapologetic bashing of Jesse Helms obituary. Jesse was one of those Republicans who almost made me embarrassed to be a Republican in the 80's. And I have no qualms with linking to this obituary as a fitting obit for him. He really was a national disgrace, to have someone as obnoxiously ignorant as him in such a position of power as he was for so long was really ridiculous. The thing that separated him from George Wallace or even Strom Thurmond at some point was that he never ever admitted he was wrong on segregation, and that he never really did anything for the 'poor folk'. Wallace and Strom actually did live up to their 'champion of the little man' title to some extent. While Jesse was a classic race baiting politician of the old post reconstruction south. Reading his biographies is like so many of the other stories I read about the old southern politicians from the one party Democratic South.
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