Save a tree… part deux

Posted on October 23, 2007 · 4 Comments

Last year, LatteGirl rather than allowing me to throw out a little sapling that had begun to grow in the cracks of the patio, decided that we needed to save it, and I discover that I have a Treehugger in the Making.  Well, those plans got screwed up a bit when TheWife was cleaning out her annuals, saw the little tree sans leaves in the fall, and figuring it was dead, threw it out.  Needless to say, LatteGirl was not please with this and despite repeated apologies from TheWife.

Fast forward, to this spring, once again, we have started a new sapling tree, pulled from the same little crack in the patio block.  As we were cleaning up the yard, and TheWife was putting some dead annuals into the compost, LatteGirl stopped her, took her over to her little tree and said:

“Now Mommy, don’t forget this year.  This is a tree.  The leaves fall off of it in the Autumn.  That is why it is also called ‘fall’.  So please do not forget this and throw away my tree again!  Can you do that for me, please?”

Filed Under: Earth Friendly, Humor, Kid Quotes

But what about the fan?

Posted on October 22, 2007 · 1 Comment

This week, the new Prudential Center or “The Rock” as it will be called, opens in Newark. Only about 6 miles from my home, and available via short ride on public transportation, this new arena, home of my New Jersey Devils should be a dream come true for me. And from the perspective, I mentioned above, it is… sort of.

The public transportation is spotty in the best of times in that area, as New Jersey Transit is lacking in foresight. I really am afraid of what that is going to look like, at least until they get a clue and add more buses and trains on event nights. For example, I am actually lucky in that there are two separate bus routes that happen to pass my block. At around 10:30 or 11:00 pm (typical time for a hockey game or a concert to end), one bus is running at about 1 every 45 minutes, the other is about every hour or hour and 15. Bus full? Oh well wait another hour and hope you can get on. While it is easier for them to add a couple of cars to the trains, they also are running very intermittent at that hour. So if the event runs a bit long, or you have trouble navigating the crowd out and miss the train, Oh well, now you can wait another hour before you can even start your ride home.

But as a hockey fan, the hardest part for me to swallow, is something that I’ve known was going on, but tried denying it (to myself) for the longest time. Professional sports don’t give a damn about the fan. In today’s local paper (I don’t link to them, because they remove their stories behind a paid archive after 2 weeks), the headlines about the new arena read, “it is built, but will they come?” Referring to the “illusive fans” that it was believed did not attend the games in the Meadowlands because it had almost NO public transportation or easy access. But, rarely was the trouble in the Meadowlands really the fans.

With Tickets upwards of $95 (last time I went a couple of years ago), sure there were some seats empty. But the perception was really off. On a typical non “event” (i.e. playoff, games against the Rangers, etc), when TV cameras panned around, you saw a lot of empty seats. A lot of empty high priced or corporate owned seats. If the camera ever went up to the upper level (where the best seats were about $50), it looked far more “packed” But camera crews don’t pan the upper deck, all you see are the seats around the ice.

Fast forward to the new arena, those seats that were expensive (I think) at $95 in the old arena, now carry a face value of $200. Yes, you read that right. $200 for a single ticket for a single game. A regular season game. But this is exactly what I mean, when I say they don’t care about the fan. These seats are mean for “making deals” These are the seats that Prudential, and other corporations will own and give as perks to clients, partners, elected officials (did I say that?) etc. As a matter of fact nothing in the arena, short of an “upper balcony” seat goes for less that $65.  Yes, there are actually a few $10 and $20 seats in the upper corners.  But you better bring binoculars if you want to see anything more than “dots” moving around the ice.  Any story about the new arena talks about the Two club lounges, the “goal bar”, terrace area, as well as the 350-seat gourmet restaurant, and 76 luxury suites that are all off limits to “ordinary people” that can’t afford Season Tickets.

So where does that leave “the fan?”  Will they say “it is New Jersey”  (again) and that New Jersey just doesn’t support its local team?  Or will somebody realize that they are just pricing out the regular fans?  Tell me… honestly… am I wrong?  Can you imagine bring a family of 4 to a hockey game, getting mediocre balcony seats, and being out $260 on tickets alone?  How many games would you be attending a year?

I know other sports have done it too.  Football has been that way for quite some time.  But unlike football, hockey doesn’t not have football’s following.  Nor does it translate as well to television.  And now they are cutting out the fans actually going to their games.

Is there nothing anymore that is just for normal people?  Does it all have to be about corporate sponsorships, and corporate boxes, and corporate whatever else?  What about the fan?

Filed Under: Rantings

Sometimes it is the simple solutions

Posted on October 19, 2007 · 3 Comments

The problem with America is stupidity. I’m not saying there should be a capital punishment for stupidity, but why don’t we just take the safety labels off of everything and let the problem solve itself?

-Author Unknown (to me anyway)

Filed Under: Quote of the Day

Friday Focaccia

Posted on October 19, 2007 · Leave a Comment

Boobs all around – I am not sure who qualifies as the bigger boob. Dentist Mark Anderson, who is trying to keep his dental license by arguing that his breast massages were appropriate because he was “treating” women for TMJ (without telling them about it I presume), or at least some of the women that were his patients. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not saying they “deserved” what they got, but in one example, they talk about a woman that was “fondled” six times over a two year period. It goes on to say she took to wearing tight shirts (probably not the best idea) with high necklines, and still he managed to get under her shirt and bra. You think at some point, if you are that uncomfortable (and rightly so), that perhaps… just perhaps… you stop going to that dentist?

Still think Net Neutrality is no big deal? – You may not feel that way if you are a Comcast subscriber and try to use a program like Bittorrent or other Peer-to-Peer program.  It was reported and cofirmed by a test done by the Associated Press that Comcast blocks some internet traffic. Comcast stated that it does not specifically block any particular program, but does have “thinks in place” to keep the traffic on their network running smoothly. (Unless of course, you are the person they are “fiddling with” to keep it running smooth)  Now many (if not most) P2P programs are known as a place for the transfer of illegal downloads and music swapping, but in particular Bittorrent has emerged as a place for LEGAL software downloads, legal movie previews and such.  It is a fine example of exactly WHY lawmakers MUST include Net Neutrality.  Because even if you just follow Comcasts supposed logic, they are clearly messing with traffic for their own (make pipes appear less congested) purposes and benefit.

Somebody has been sleeping in my bed – I have seen similar stories before, and they never cease to amaze me.  A woman comes home from an “extended absence”  to find people living in her house, including a woman that was wearing her clothes.  They never in these cases say how long “extended” is, and I would really like to know this.  How long do you have to be gone to have Buglars move into a person’s home while you are away?   The funniest part being them questioning the woman who owned the home, what she was doing there, as if they had been there long enough to feel completely comfortable with the idea of this being “their house.”  Also… don’t people, in this case, in Alabama have neighbors?  Doesn’t anybody notice when somebody just moves into somebody else’s home?

Opinions Please – I am stuck.  I just don’t know what to think about the case of a Mom given a 2-1/2 year sentence after serving alcohol to minors.  The commentary in the article that the sentence does not fit the crime is well argued and I see the point, that this is not quite as “clear cut” as one would think on the surface.  But on the other hand, if I was the parent of one of the kids she served alcohol to, I would probably be livid.  The author argues that non of the kids (who were all given a Breathalyzer test) were “above the legal limit,” but technically since they are underage the “limit” is zero.   On the other hand, I get the “idea” (however misguided) of keeping the kids in a safe controlled environment rather than out on the streets drinking who knows where.  What do you think?  Does the punishment fit the crime?

Filed Under: Potpourri

Stifled… no more

Posted on October 18, 2007 · 5 Comments

Both Cathy and Dad Gone Mad brought up issues recently, that are completely separate with the exception that they are both pet peeves of mine. Pet peeves, because they both wind up making me do or act in ways that I don’t necessarily want to, but seem to bend to the will of others.

First, there is the issue of the “Helicopter Parent.” This is a tough one for me because I straddle such a thin line. LatteGirl is always initially shy around new people, once she warms up she is fine, but she will rarely do it without encouragement and would tend to withdraw if not prompted. Secondly, she wants to much to be accomodating to others she will often wind up rather unhappy when certain kids (including her cousin) tend to take advantage of this “weakness” and boss her around. I don’t want to wind up being (or even appearing to be) a Helicopter Parent, so I have in the past, not exactly fed LatteGirl to the wolves, but I didn’t step in, where I think I probably should have in the past, because of this.

I have also made her be the “bigger person” when another child is rude or such, because it was not my place. This can be quite frustrating. Particularly with some of her friends, that apparently are children of parent’s that don’t seem to see anything their child does wrong, or give the “kids will be kids” explanation.

I still don’t want to be seen as what is (really) a Helicopter Parent, but I also no longer want it to prevent me from being my daughter’s best advocate. One question that goes along with this however. How do you deal with kids that have parent’s that won’t take charge of thier kids ever? For example, is it proper to ask another person’s child to stop screaming? Or to tell them to share? I’m not talking about scolding, but more about playing peacekeeper. What do you do, when it seems like it is always your child that has to make concessions, and “be understanding” with other kids, who apparently are raised by people that don’t have the same common courtesy?

The other issue, is “bragging.” I have read plenty of books, articles and even blogs of people that do a lot of complaining about how much parents talk about (or brag about) their kids. Yet, I know as for myself, and virtually if not every single blog I read, the parents while certainly proud of their kids, often keep it very subdued, if not downright humble. We tend to minimize everything. Or we decide it is “no big deal.” We keep conversations about our kids “short and sweet.” Yes, I know there are people on the other end of the spectrum, people who are sure that their kids are gifted and bound for greatness and already enrolled in the Albert Einstein Program for the Gifted by the time they are 6 months old. But that doesn’t mean I need to compensate by keeping the spotlight off my own daughter at all times.

So, now as he suggested, I am going to put an end to that. (And I of course invite you to do the same, either in comments or your own blog).

LatteGirl is incredibly bright. She is disappointed when she comes home with a less than perfect score on a test (even though we do not in any way put any pressure on her in that way. Matter of fact, we are usually having to tell her that nobody is perfect).

LatteGirl is a good sport. She is not necessarily good at all sports, but she enjoys playing just about anything. She is not the most athletic, her athsma often hampers her, but she gives it 110% always, and has fun while doing it.

LatteGirl is a sweetheart. She has compassion to spare for anybody, everybody, and every creature she encounters. She is friendly (when she gets past her intial shy stage), she will do anything she can to try and make somebody else feel happy, loved, and welcome. She doesn’t hate anybody, and in her 7 year old philosophy, there is nothing in this world that is so bad, that it can’t be fixed with a hug and a kiss.

Your turn.

Filed Under: My Princess, My So Called Life, Proud Parent, Rantings
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