Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Fare Thee Well, Charles

Charles Nelson Riley passed away last Friday at the age of 76. I grew up watching him on tv Saturday mornings on the kids show H. R. Puff 'N Stuff. With his openly gay persona he was years ahead of his time and most likely his career suffered due to this. Over the top sporting big glasses and ascots he was never without a double-entendres for his audience.


Facebook

Following the lead of my darling sister, I signed up for facebook. It's freaking me out. I think I prefer a modicum of anonymity with the blog over airing it all out on facebook. Maybe if I was drunk I would like it more. We shall see.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

How to Properly Excuse Yourself from Dinner

Braids: Cassidy, stop watching the movie. It's time for supper.

Cassidy: Uh Dad, I'm not so hungry. I'm feeling a little gassy.

Monday, May 21, 2007

On the Environment

I would like to write about issues of environmental import to our world, but then most of you wouldn't read it anyways.

Friday, May 18, 2007

Geriatrich Wisdom

See, we are having company over this long weekend. Mother-in-law, brother-in-law with his girlfriend and the dogs. Seeing as how my wife's family isn't all that enamoured with me anyways, I thought this would be a good time to build that addition to the fence. I am picking up my building supplies shortly and should be busy most of the weekend and my wife won't say a thing because she's getting her fence extended. As I get older I begin to understand why men love their workshops and garages. Believe me it has nothing to do with any actual work. We much prefer playing with our toys and being as lazy as possible. Still, sometimes work can be a salvation.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Troubled Youth

My wife, being a teacher, keeps me in the loop about the goings-on of today's youth. Yesterday she told me about a teen boy who was found in his garage dead hanging from a noose. It was first thought to be a suicide, but it cam to light that this boy and his friends often played "pass-out". Not the drinking game I played in my youth. No no. This game consists of cutting off airflow until the person passes out. So, they think this boy was just playing pass-out alone. Maybe he thought he could cut himself down before he passed out. Who knows? A teacher friend from Toronto calls this sort of thing "culling the heard". I can't argue with his cruel outlook. I can only feel for the kids family and wonder at the need to play such games. Another anecdote was that it has become quite common for girls to give oral pleasure to guys in groups of kids. Grade 8, 7, high school. It's seen as no big deal apparently. Just getting high and letting off steam. Relieving the boredom. I often see parents pointing fingers at teachers and blaming them for all matter of things, but little accountability on their side when it comes to raising their children. I understand the days of having a parent at home full-time is not as viable in today's world, but even so you have to take an interest in what your kids are doing. Where they are going. Who they are playing with. Also, you have to look at media and how they bombard kids with negative messages from appearance to attitude to life choices. They are selling sex to pre-teens and getting away with it. Unfathomable. Seems everybody just passes the buck on these issues. Little to no accountability seems to be the rule of the times. Wow.