"Trying To Find Humor For The New Year" written by Carolinian on estrip.org

Category: humor

10/08/08 09:05 - ID#45988

Trying To Find Humor For The New Year

Happy Year Of Our Lord 5769. As a new year's resolution, I'll try to find the humor in ugly things. After hearing more dismal financial news on NPR today, something occurred in my head and made me chuckle.

If there was a merger between the two largest mortgage companies, you'd get

Freddie Mac + Fannie Mae = Frannie Mace.

Permalink: Trying_To_Find_Humor_For_The_New_Year.html
Words: 56
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: politics

09/03/08 12:41 - 71ºF - ID#45544

Rare political post

A conservative vice-presidential candidates who has fought for abstinence-only sex-education as only effective way of combatting teenage pregnancy finds out that her own teenage daughter is pregnant.

That's irony for you. Or karma, depending on your belief system.

tinypliny writes at 07:29:53 09/03/08 - Comment #38510: @metalpeter: I just read your comment and something else came to mind. I was walking home from Guercio's a few days back and I was at the crossing in front of Lafayette high school. There was this little boy - around 9-10 years old purposely dribbling his ball across the road and stopping every motorist going past. I thought it was a one time thing and he was just crossing the road and playfully dribbling his ball. BUT NO. He was at it a whole half hour or maybe more! I could see him still stopping cars and annoying the hell out of drivers as I reached the roundabout. It was just so bizarre. He was doing all of it on purpose. Now what if a motorist had not been paying attention and had come zooming through the intersection? Was the boy looking for trouble? He was certainly old enough to understand that what he was doing was wrong.

I see this sort of behaviour as examples of poor parenting. I know it's a little harsh but what you are reflects on your kids. If you are irresponsible, so will your kids. You could argue that parents can't forever be watching kids and I agree. But if your kids respect you, then your constant presence would not even be required. If you have been a good parent then respect alone would make good habits a way of life, rather than a way of forced education. Environmental influences (including parental guidance and care) weigh in a lot on behavioural attributes of an individual.

tinypliny writes at 07:09:20 09/03/08 - Comment #38507: A few days back, in response to my question on when it's right to judge politicians on their family and personal issues, (e:zobar) commented that it's okay when they make it an agenda/selling point for themselves. I agree. Did Palin make an agenda/selling point out of good parenting? Is she not practicing what she is preaching? If yes, then this is a nasty turn of events for her campaign, indeed.

If not, I would say that it's her family and thus it's her business, just as Hoyt's affairs are his business.
While it's not for us to say (or even point fingers), it definitely is high time she shook herself out of this ill-informed reverie and change her stance on sex education - having seen its effects first-hand.

@(e:janelle): I see your point of view. The approach to sex education matters a LOT. Just going through the motions and reciting stuff from a pamphlet or viewing a video has never been and never will be effective. For any education to be effective (Abstinence/safe sex/whatever), good parenting and quality time with kids is an ABSOLUTE necessity. It takes a lot to be an educator. Lip-service just doesn't cut it. :/ You could push out safe-sex education and condoms with the whole state behind you and yet have teenage pregnancies. It all boils down to how much time you are willing to spend with your children and how much of a guidance and role-model you are to your kids. If you don't worry about when they are coming home and what kind of company they keep, then I am afraid no sex-education, however intense, is ever going to help.

metalpeter writes at 06:56:17 09/03/08 - Comment #38505: Here is my problem with not teaching kids about sex in school, it is just silly. It is like when you have a kid and they cross the street what do you tell them look both ways. You learn that before you know a green light means go and red means stop. The reason that is taught is because if you teach them to only cross at a light the second a toy or ball goes into the street they won't know what to do so like a kid they chase the ball into the middle of the street and if they are lucky they live and if not then the there buddy gets to watch his friends brains get splatered in the middle of the street. The same thing is true about sex. When that sexy boy or girl likes them and they are willing to go behind the bleachers they are now the kid who brings a Knife to a gunfight. I'm not saying you should say go out and have sex. But when it happens the kids won't know what to do to be safe.

ajay writes at 06:44:07 09/03/08 - Comment #38502: I think "karma" might just edge out "ironic", but it's too close to tell. Maybe we can call it "karmic irony"?

janelle writes at 12:00:33 09/03/08 - Comment #38479: I really don't find it that ironic. I think whether you as a parent encourage abstinence or choose to teach the basics of safe sex, your teenage son or daughter can end up with a pregnancy on their hands. It's just particularly unfortunate for her due to her public life and public stance on abstinence education.

This isn't to say, I support abstinence only education, because I don't. More safe sex education please.

jason writes at 10:24:02 09/03/08 - Comment #38475: Yes, the conservative position on sex ed is untenable. There are times, on both sides, when ideological orthodoxy trumps common sense. What's that southernism? You can hope in one hand and shit in the other, and see which one fills up first.

dcoffee writes at 09:59:42 09/03/08 - Comment #38474: Learn about Birth Control in school!! Gasp!! What do you want these kids having sex! My daughter is not having sex before she is married.. oops.

Oh, and if she gets raped she better have that baby too.

Permalink: Rare_political_post.html
Words: 49
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: politics

08/26/08 08:40 - 54ºF - ID#45456

Same as it ever was

Every so often during an election year when I get tired of spin, mudslinging, and negative campaign ads, I need to remind myself that these sorts of things have been a part of American politics since the inception of the country.

Permalink: Same_as_it_ever_was.html
Words: 53
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: crime

08/25/08 08:46 - 61ºF - ID#45446

Crime story

Today's latest murder was 0.2 miles away from our apartment.

I don't have anything to say other than "that's fucked up". Especially since the people it happened to have the same basic living situation as my family.

Permalink: Crime_story.html
Words: 43
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: life

07/31/08 10:26 - 73ºF - ID#45202

Monthly Post

Ari Met his first wikipediable person today at the Literacy Volunteers appreciation dinner.

Two weeks ago grandma and grampa took us to the Buffalo zoo.

He slept virtually the entire time.

Except when he's hungry.

They're finally cleaning up Beth Jacob Cemetery in the east side.

The last several weeks I've been volunteering to help restore the cemetery (as best we can). It's good to get outside of the house and use my muscles a little. This sunday we're meeting their again, and we might just get to expose a few overturned monuments!

Of all the monuments, this one gets to me the most, especially since I now have a child of my own. The last time I saw it this winter, it was barely visible under the substantial brush and thorns. The area's been cleared enough that the Jewish custom of placing a rock on it can be observed again.

I never thought I'd see the day where there'd be real living people in the cemetery.

A slightly better shot of overturned monuments.

Permalink: Monthly_Post.html
Words: 208
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: iphone

07/24/08 09:08 - 66ºF - ID#45117

Finally

About damned time someone said it.

Permalink: Finally.html
Words: 10
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: suburbs

06/02/08 11:27 - 61ºF - ID#44526

To move or not to move

I've been contemplating moving out of the City of Buffalo to the suburbs of Orchard Park, which is where I work.

Pros:

- If I buy the right house, I can basically walk to work. I can basically cut at least $150 off my gasoline bill. Gas is killing me right now.
- The above would also be good for the environment.
- If I bike/drive, my commute is 5/2 minutes respectively. So I get home earlier and I have an extra hour to spend with my family.
- Ari would probably get a nice backyard to play in.
- Good school system

Cons:

- I love Kenmore. One of my less grandiose dreams is to live in a cute house in Kenmore.
- I like the city of Buffalo. I don't want to be thought of as "one of those wusses who moves to the suburbs".
- If the Suburban Collapse happens because of increased gas prices, the suburbs will be a bad place to live. Especially if I end up working in the city someday. The city will (possibly) have much better public transportation in the face of this event.
- A house in OP would probably be more expensive than one in Kenmore, and definitely more expensive than one in the city.
- OP is boring. The city has lots of stuff to do.
- A place with greater population density would have more kids for Ari to play with. I don't like the idea of moving to a neighborhood where there may not be many kids for my son to play with. I want him to have the social life I never had as a child.

Permalink: To_move_or_not_to_move.html
Words: 279
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: baby

05/07/08 01:07 - 53ºF - ID#44258

Name Redux

As of last sunday, Mr. Wiggles has been officially named Ari Nachshon.

Ari is Hebrew for Lion. We named him this because it was a name we could agree upon. Nachshon is from (WIKIPEDIA - Nachshon), a biblical figure who I've always admired since my childhood Rabbi gave a sermon about him doing great things even though he had a lowly name that meant "snake".

Ari is loud. And very, very demanding.

dcoffee writes at 03:41:56 07/18/08 - Comment #37162: Congratulations! Looks like a cutie. Despite being demanding I hope he's cuddly sometimes. I like the name too, it was hard enough choosing a name for our new kitties, I'm not looking forward to naming children.

museumchick writes at 11:50:50 05/11/08 - Comment #34994: That's a perfect name. I always thought Ari would be a good name for a boy!

tinypliny writes at 11:30:02 05/07/08 - Comment #34836: He looks awesome. His name sounds awesome as well.(and I mean it! I am just having a word-variety crisis because of (e:jon) viral video). It somehow sounds very much Indian and not Indian at the same time. :)

metalpeter writes at 06:42:34 05/07/08 - Comment #34821: I was going to make a Joke about if you named him after the Character on Entourage and what is kinda funny is then I read he is loud and Demanding just like the character. On a serious note for a second sometimes people really are like there names or vice versa. I was some place and they had these writings on paper it would say a persons name and then under neath maybe about a page of writing describing the person and a lot of them where right on about people I knew. Of course with things like that you notice the stuff that is spot on and forget the stuff that isn't like them. nice picture by the way.

jenks writes at 02:39:43 05/07/08 - Comment #34801: oh, thanks for posting this- I'd been meaning to ask!
Looks like he has a swollen eye- hope it's ok!!

libertad writes at 02:04:19 05/07/08 - Comment #34799: I have some friends that just named their daughter Aria Madea. I guess I could assume that means lioness?

mrmike writes at 08:52:18 05/07/08 - Comment #34790: Trust me, this is the easy part. And welcome to the world, Ari

drew writes at 08:33:11 05/07/08 - Comment #34788: Cool name. I liked reading about Nachshon (and feel bad that I didn't already know his story.)

lizabeth writes at 01:28:53 05/07/08 - Comment #34782: Ha! That's babies for you - loud and demanding. :)

Permalink: Name_Redux.html
Words: 72
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: politics

05/01/08 12:51 - 56ºF - ID#44209

Same Ol Same Ol

In response to (e:jason,44190) and (e:dcoffee,44207)

Politics has largely been about stuff tangential to real issues since its inception. We've actually progressed quite a bit considering that voters a century and half ago voted for candidates on the quality of their jawlines and candidates would routinely hold drinking parties to ply voters with booze (which is why alcohol sales on election days are banned in some places). And that's why we require a strong education system, because critical thinking is required to ignore the BS and objectively evaluate candidates' pre-political-compromise-plans for dealing with real issues.

Permalink: Same_Ol_Same_Ol.html
Words: 97
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: baby

04/24/08 09:38 - 59ºF - ID#44133

Baby's first week

Okay, so my first week of fatherhood is past me now.

We took the little guy home on the 17th. It became a little stressful when he had some difficulty feeding, but eventually stuff worked out. Right after he was born, he got jaundice, which he still has but which we're working to lower. Apparently, newborn jaundice is common, but it's a little upsetting seeing your son have yellow eyes.

(e:inscrutable)'s family came up and helped us with stuff, like laundry and keeping sane.

Lesson's I've learned:

- You really have to watch them every second
- While you want to be gentle with them, they're hardier than they look.
- The "you'll have to change them every several hours" warning is bullshit. You can change them and they'll go in the new diaper thirty seconds later, and another clean one thirty seconds after that.
- Never be more than five feet away from a pacifier if you lack the ability to lactate.
- Not being able to lactate doesn't mean they won't try to get milk from you anways.
- Having a new child is like meeting somebody new whose personality you're trying to figure out.