Tuesday
Perry came over this morning and we made our way north to visit The Bookshelf; he seemed to like it. A lot. I also showed him the way to Pineview Reservoir; I had told him that it made for a nice, get-out-of-the-Salt-Lake-Valley drive. He seemed to agree.

I met up with for coffee and chat this evening. It was a good way to spend a couple of hours.

News
Morning Edition: ‘Ordinary Wolves’: Tales from the Alaskan Wilderness
Morning Edition: Encountering the Old Racism in a Bar
Talk of the Nation: Making and Keeping Resolutions
All Things Considered: In Defense of High Ideals

Random Access
“Those who know what’s best for us must rise and save us from ourselves.”

I’m watching Wolf’s Rain on Cartoon Network’s “Adult Swim.” It’s anime. And it’s unabashedly violent, as are many, although not “all,” anime programs. That made me think about other non-anime toons that I enjoy, such as Justice League Unlimited, The Batman, classic Jonny Quest, The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers and the various cartoons linked to the X-Men and Spider-Man universes. They are “violent,” but in a totally different way. The violence is kept to an minimum on-screen, although silhouettes and shadows can be used to “show” an off-camera act of violence.

I’m not sure exactly when American censors decided to step in and minimize the violence on TV, but I think that it was somewhere in the mid-70s. I’m not trying to say that kids should necessarily be subjected to Grand Theft Auto-like violence in cartoons, but by the same token, they shouldn’t be told that the world is just “smurfy” all the time. That’s right kids… go out, pick smurfberries, skip and sing; and all will be right in the world.

Maybe I missed something, but… when did the “parent” get taken out of “parenting?” I’ve heard and read many adults bemoan what’s become of the next generation and blame it on everything from Britney Spears to Grand Theft Auto to Dungeons and Dragons… but I can’t recall hearing any of the naysayers opine: “Maybe I should have spent more time getting to know my kid, the things that she or he likes and what makes my kid tick.”

I’ve said this before – and feel that it bears repeating – I think that parents should take responsibility for knowing what their kids are watching, reading or seeing online. It’s part of that “parenting” thing. If there’s something that they don’t want their kids to see, most electrical/electronic devices come equipped with an “On/Off” or “Power” switch. Give the kid a book. Send them outside to play. Play games with your kids! (What a concept!) Take them to the local amusement park. Or museum. Or library. Miniature golf course.

But, no. That’s apparently not a viable solution. Let’s pass off the “parenting” to someone else. No. How about… a group of someone elses? Yes! That’s the ticket! And… we’ll let them come up with what they think is best for our kids to watch. Yeah! That’s a great idea! We can just plop the kids in front of the electronic babysitter and walk away! Why didn’t we think of this sooner?! Now we don’t have to do any thinking at all! Brilliant! Smashing!

Four of the most well-behaved and well-rounded kids that I know belong to , and my friends Kate and Perry and Tyanna and Joe. (There are others, but I’m telling this story, so I get to pick and choose. Thank you. Move along.) The one thing that those kids have in common is the fact that their parents take an active role in their lives. They know what their kids watch, read and play with. They take part in their kids’ lives rather than just watch it from the sidelines. It isn’t always “easy,” but they know that it’s for the better development of their children and they don’t make themselves out to be martyrs in the process. In fact, I would go so far as to say that they enjoy it. And, I’m Ivory Soap sure (that’s 99.44% for the slow kids) that if the kids don’t fully appreciate that interaction and involvement now, they will in the future. My parents did it; I didn’t fully understand it then, but I surely appreciate it now.

And that’s my 2¢ for the night.

Stray Toasters

  • I’m an overgrown kid; I freely admit that.
    I like football. *duh*
    I like LEGO®. Also *duh*
    But, I think that it’s a borderline sign of addiction that I am trying to think of friends who have daughters so that I can justify getting this watch just so that I can have purple links for my watch… thus allowing me to make a watch with the Ravens’ colors. (And I still want to know how a monkey made it into the Community Workers set.)

  • Someone on IRC posted this link to a graphic representation of the shockwaves of the Sumatra earthquake. Wow.
  • Ladies and gentlemen… I present to you: RoboShrub
  • Moab Brewery’s Scorpion Pale Ale. *swig*
  • Child’s Play Part II Kids say the darnedest things. And, there’s even a link to the original article (November 2003)
  • The other day, I saw – and had to try – some Bacon and Cheese-flavored popcorn. Despite how it might sound, it was very tasty. It reminded me of Chili Cheese Fritos.

I shall now finish my fine frosty malt beverage and contemplate the benefits of a trip to The Dreaming.

Namaste.