A Shot Across the Bow of America:

As my time as a stay-at-home Dad draws to a close (more on this in the future, but yup, after 8 weeks of sending at 7-9 resumes per week, I have finally found a job) I have been reflecting on some of the basic observations that I have made over the years.

Women are better at staying home and caring for the kids. I have tried it, and for 4 year I didn't really like it. Yeah, in some ways it was better then some of the other jobs that I have had in the past, but I can't wait till Michelle is home full-time and providing a regimented schedule and stimulating activities. I was never able to provide that for the kids. I am proud of the discipline and solid behavior that the children possess. But it is time for me to re-enter the work force.

Society is still not behind men staying home with the kids. That may have been one reason why I didn't really like staying home as much as I imagined I would. The kids (and I) weren't invited to participate as much, for certain activities in the community as I feel that they would have been, had I had breasts. I know that is a bold statement to make, but a bunch of clucking mothers just don't want to approach a guy with his kids as much as they will gladly go out and strike up a conversation with a new mother who brings her kids to the playground. This may be a little too much emotion, but I always felt like a bit lonely. It even happens now, there is another mother (I know that a statistical sample of one isn't really that significant but listen up anyway) that lives up the street. When Michelle is outside with the kids she always gets a smile and a wave from the lady as she drives by. But if I'm not quick enough getting the kids out of the road, I'll get a front bumper up my ass as she speeds by with a scowl and tunnel vision. And for the most part that really illustrates the entire position of how I felt "society" treated my during my stay-at-home experiment.

Music.

If you like bagpipes, definately check out the Saor Patrol.

Editor's Note:

Over the last couple weeks, and probably in perpetuity, I have been adding to and organizing my links. So keep an eye on them, because they might change from one day to the next. Usually they are just things that I'm in to now, or neat places that I check in to frequently.

Ouch.

5 AM IS WAY TO EARLY TO GET UP.

It is like a train accident. You can see it happening, and you know it is going to be a really bad experience, but there isn't really anything that you can do to prevent it. Once it is set in motion, it is nearly inevitable.

---

I have had a near migraine-level headache since last night, pounding then ebbing, and I have taken two zomigs, but it has barely taken the edge off. Of all the mornings.

They don't make quotation dictionaries for nothing.

Yeah, I forgot to blog this earlier today, but they just talked about it on the news again, and I had to run out here and shout about it now.

How could this happen? There is a fire department in the area, their main fire house was total destroyed by...........a fire.

I know karma is going to give me a heart attack when it catches up to me......but come on!!!!! (I am trying to channel Jon Stewart) That would be like........hum........uh.........um, well. Words fail me.

Music

The CD that I have been listening to the most over the last couple weeks is James Blunt's Back to Bedlam. The melodies, the lyrics, all make me enjoy it every time that I listen.

Dear George Jr.,

I had a thought yesterday that I had to run with. I apologize up front, because this might get deep.

I was thinking about how some decisions or choices that we make are good and how some choices that we make turn out, ultimately, to be the wrong one. How do we get to that point? Is it a result of a head injury, or questionable parental skills? Do we wake up one morning and start making criminal choices? I guess I have this naive assumption that a large majority of people who are in any given situation, given an equal opportunity, would make a decision that could be considered "good".

But I guess it starts with an analogy. If you think of all decisions that you make being somewhat akin to points on a compass rose, with north being "Good" or ethical. And south being "Evil" or immoral then I have a bit of a trip for us to take together.

Well, as I was thinking about this, I thought about how it might come to pass that people
go from one end of the spectrum to the other, and I have a feeling it is because we need to focus on two perspectives at the same time. Only in our minds can we conceive that a decision could be completely independent of any other influences. So I think that we have to recognize that each decision can be focused on "good or bad", but then that decision also has to considered in respects to the broader picture (Where you started from). I was thinking that you could very well make a series of decisions where each one was pretty good (each one vaguely North by Northeast). Each individual choice was a pretty good one, but after 4 or 5 choices if you look as a whole, you would be pointing toward the south.

So I was thinking of taking this analogy and relating it to the War in Iraq, or the events in the Middle East, or some other wildly political topic in the current news, but I guess that would just be too easy.

What a difference a few miles can make:

Wow, I just had the opportunity to watch a bit of some Scottish Football (Gaelic Football?). All I can say is that it was quite a contrast to what I guess I should call conventional world-wide football. (Not American football, I am really not interested in that.)

They use their hands, there is some dribbling involved. A whole lot of physical contact, and these massive poles that stretch up over the goal net. They can get points for kicking the ball over the goal's crossbar between the poles.

I couldn't take my eyes off of it!

Don't forget about New Orleans.

A quote I instantly fell for:

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
So is a lot.

-Albert Einstein

Brit Posting

Well, I may have found the first chink in the armor of my love of all things British. I looked up their National Anthem and was surprised when I was reading the lyrics.

The first verse: 4 out of 7 lines end with "Queen". I know that their Anthem is "God Save the Queen", but I guess not many things rhyme with Queen. Or maybe they didn't glean that sheen or preen weren't regal enough.