I feel a rant coming on

I told my dad the other day that I needed to quit watching documentaries and reading books, because it was freaking me out and pissing me off. Apparently I've got to quit reading my sons monthly school newsletter as well. The last few have each had a little article about freedom, this month it is on the impact of freedom on the economy. I think Glen Beck would be very proud of this article. "When government intrudes upon trade, one or both parties are forced to sacrifice their choice in the terms of the trade, as in the recent government mandate that banks lend financially unsound mortgages. Such actions lead to the loss of property rights and therefore a loss of LIFE.". What? I must have missed that mandate. But wait, there's more. "Over the years agents of the US government have exerted more control over the economy, claiming that a free market of labor and wages would result in massive unemployment. Their "logic" says that when people save their money, they hurt the economy and cause unemployment. This is why they believe that the government must step in and redistribute the wealth." Again, what? There has been massive deregulation for the last 20 plus years, many of which have at least partially caused the economic problems among other problems as well. And who in the hell are the "agents", "they", and "their" in that paragraph. I'm beginning to wonder if my boys are attending the Fox News of private schools. The article also contends that US fiscal policy "promotes unreal economic stimulation through invented public projects (the bridges to nowhere). This Keynesian economic approach has resulted in
-a national debt of almost $13 trillion, an increase of 50% since 2006
-severe mortgage defaults, with a new wave on the near horizon
-1.41 million Americans filing personal bankruptcy in 2009
-a perceived devaluation of the US dollar, threatening its world status
-37 million Americans on food stamps and 50% of the population who pay no income tax
-decreased corporate profits, resulting in 55% reduction in September 2009 tax receipts
-unemployment of 15 million people, 6 million for 27 weeks or more"

I'm no economist, but seriously, how can you blame all this on Keynesian economic policy of the government. I'm pretty sure we've been involved in an overseas quagmire of a war contributing a large amount of that debt. I'm worried that I'm going to have to check to see if my son's textbooks are being printed in Texas. Next the article says " 'Un-free' economics leads to rights violations---just consider how, in order to bail out General Motors, the government confiscated and appropriated shareholder and dealer property. Such injustice would never be upheld by free enterprise---the only true economic system for a free society." Really? Pretty sure GM was begging for money and would have done anything to get it.

I'm not advocating for the downfall of capitalism, I just think this article takes quite a bit of liberty and huge jumps in logic. I'm also wondering what place it has in a school newsletter (it's a private school with many campuses in 4 states and this is the whole group newsletter). The point made at the very end is that the school's mission to "prepare children to become self reliant, productive individuals is not just an abstract idea. We encourage them to think and work for themselves and to cherish their freedoms and defend their individual rights." That last sentence sounds like my son is part of a militia (a quick Google search of the school founder pulled up her political donations, which were heavily conservative and included donations to the Minuteman PAC, so no suprise there), but I do hope my boys do learn to think and decide for themselves. I don't want them to believe the overly simplistic load of crap in this article. I'm not even going into the economic allegory (Mr. Capital in Free Isle) that goes with article the tells of the honest capitalist businessman whose life is brought to ruin by government interference. Not that I wasn't before, but I am obviously going to have to pay attention to what my sons are being taught. I'm not going to pull the boys out because of this, we've been very happy with the education they've been receiving, but I do question the judgement shown in printing the article. I find it unconscionable that a learning institution can play so loose and fast with the facts, I'll make sure my boys learn to properly research what they write for school.

Whole Paychecks

I've been at this attempt to exercise and be healthier for 11 weeks now. I've lost over ten pounds, changed around the foods we've had in the house, and driven everyone a little crazy. I think it's gotten to where you can see a difference in the way I look, my jeans I bought 6 months ago are definitely looser on me. The exercise has become easier too. Instead of avoiding them, and the workouts being a chore, I now want to go work out and do more and for longer as well. I worked out 6 days last week, of course I gained a pound too, we'll say it must be muscle. What I decided with all of this though is that I have chosen the hard way of things. You have to plan and take the time to workout, that's part of it. What is really the hard part (and it turns out to be the expensive part too) is the eating. It's not so much the missing out on fatty foods or sweets or things like that, it's more the inconveniences. It is easier to buy prepared foods or go out to eat. I have chosen to try and eat and cook for me and my family organically as much as possible. Now I am not militant about this or a zealot about it, I'm not willing to make those kinds of sacrifices or put my ideas on anyone else (sometimes I wish I could). I also don't think anyone needs to make accommodations for me if I come to their house. I also like to eat out at restaurants, and not too many are organic, so I have to overlook that when we go out. For the summer we will have fresh produce from a CSA, but for now without it means shopping mostly at Whole Foods or Whole Paychecks as I recently heard it referred to. It's no wonder that obesity is rampant in poorer communities, it's expensive to try and eat healthy. It's a lot easier and cheaper to hit McD's. That brings up another difficult aspect of this, my kids. On the whole my kids usually eat pretty healthy, but they are constantly bombarded with advertising to do otherwise. Fast food and their toys are the worst. The boys have not been happy about their reduction in happy meals. I'm not so mean that they can't ever have them, but I've also made it clear that it will be rare. I also still let them have the kids cereals (Lucky Charms and the such), we all grew up on them, so it's hard to deny them those. But I'll also cook them eggs or pancakes anytime they want instead. I don't want to deprive them of anything or make something more desirable by forbidding it. It still is hard to make them understand what is and isn't healthy and why it is important to try and be healthy. In the long run I think we'll all be better off for my efforts, and I think it will get easier as I do it more, and as society shifts its views as well. As for me, I still have a ways to go in my healthy efforts and exercise as I work towards looking like Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. I can have my pipe dreams still can't I? I also have to survive vacation next week too, not sure what's going to happen with the diet and exercise there.

The return of crabby daddy

It's nearing the end of another of my pseudo-single parenthood periods, aka J's busy season at work. I have to say this one hasn't been too bad. It is only recently that there have been intermittent visits from "crabby daddy", my cranky alter ego. Crabby daddy comes out when every little thing his boys do drives him crazy. It wasn't until after a week of spring break togetherness that he appeared this year. He comes about naturally, because after hearing a nagging voice for 24/7 for week (ie, stop that, don't do that, be quiet, get off your brother, put down the knife, for the love of god please be quiet for two minutes), it's easy to tune out that voice. Tuning out the voice and not listening brings out crabby daddy. Maybe it's the boys getting older (or me getting older), or maybe it's that they are back in school again this week, but crabby's visits have been brief and fairly rare.

One other result of this time of year appears to be my complete lack of accountability in keeping up the house. I'll start the dishes, but then not finish, or clean off half the kitchen table. Children's toys are scattered every which way. The place looks like a tornado hit it, but I guess that happens when J is too tired to say anything about it when she gets home. Since she's too busy to do anything about it, I also don't have to feel guilty about her cleaning up. I know I should keep things up, but my conscience alone hasn't been enough to do it. The cleaning lady comes Friday, so I'll have to have it picked up by then, I just hope I can.

This year we are heading straight out on vacation at the end of busy season, no lag time, which means I'll be doing all the prep for the trip. That's fine as long as the boys cooperate and don't get too worked up. Not sure who I'm kidding with that last sentence, it's a trip and children, they'll be bouncing off the walls. We may remember why we usually don't leave immediately... too stressful! It's a trip we've taken before so hopefully that will help, because nobody wants crabby daddy on the trip.

What my 3 year old thinks of me

This could be the funniest picture I have ever taken. I could see this on the front of a greeting card, maybe not a very nice card. To start there is the obvious single finger salute, coming from a three year old=comic gold. Then you combine that with the chocolate covered mouth and spoon in the other hand. What truly makes the picture is the eyes, look at those eyes, what mischievous eyes those are. You can almost picture a little devil sitting on his shoulder, whispering in his ear to give his dad the finger. I didn't see anything but the chocolate when I snapped the picture, it wasn't until I checked that I noticed everything else, and then about fell over laughing. To be fair he doesn't know about flipping the bird, he actually points with that finger (a habit I'm trying to break). And the picture came out that way because he was licking the chocolate off his finger and I told him to take it out of his mouth. Guess he showed me. Looking at his eyes does make me wonder if he didn't have a little clue of what he was doing. The picture is much funnier without the context, but I felt I should explain to lessen the idea that I am a degenerate parent. So enjoy and make up your own story to go along with the photo, it's better that way.

Mid-life peanut butter crisis

The other day my wife asked me if I was going through a mid-life crisis. Did I go by a sports car? Start dying my hair? Try dating college age girls? No, I changed the kind of peanut butter we get. I guess it's not quite that simple. I've been exercising (which she's been trying to get me to do more for years) and trying to eat better and buy healthy food (kind of driving the family a little crazy with that, i.e. quinoa instead of rice recently). I also haven't cut my hair in 3-4 months, but nothing that would constitute a crisis. Really what this change stems from is a book I've been reading, The Omnivore's Dilemma. It's a fascinating look at what and how we eat, and where that food comes from. It's not like I've suddenly turned vegan (not that there is anything wrong with that), but I'm trying to be more aware of what kind of food I buy, where it comes from and how it is grown. I even just purchased a half share in a CSA (community supported agriculture) for the summer and fall, so that we get fresh locally grown produce. My wife will tell you I have become a little obsessed about the book. For me, I just find it so interesting, that I want to talk about it, with any body and everybody, anytime they will listen. For instance, I knew the U.S. grew a lot of corn and that it was subsidized by the government to a great degree, but to get the history of the corn and how it came to be such a huge part of everything, was eye opening. I also never knew cows were not supposed to be eating corn, that their stomachs can't process it and that's a large part of why they need so many antibiotics. It shouldn't have surprised me, but I never realized how industrial "organic" growing had become. I don't want to blather on and get preachy, people can eat however they want, I just want to try and make good decisions for not only my families health, but for the better health of the earth too. Right now that means peanut butter made from peanuts (and maybe some salt), with nothing hydrogenated in it. Hopefully the boys and J can live with some of the changes to our diet (they aren't fond of the new peanut butter), and be healthier for it in the end. As far as the hair goes, not sure why I haven't cut it, that may be a sign for the mid-life crisis. Maybe I should start wearing my earring again, or get a tattoo that says organic in Chinese letters. In the meantime, I highly recommend The Omnivore's Dilemma, thanks to all that told me about it.

The date that ended all other dates

Yesterday was the 18th anniversary of my first date with my wife, so I thought it a good time to remember that fateful day. A few days earlier at work a cute girl had come in with her mother shopping. At the prodding of her mother she asked me out for the following Saturday, and with that, fate had been set in motion. Due to the little we knew of each other, we decided to both bring a friend to make it a little more comfortable. We met up in a central location, and then went all together in one car. We parked across the street and then walked to the Salt Palace (see how long ago this was, back before it was the convention center, goodness I am getting old!). We were there to attend a very special event, the travelling version of American Gladiators! That old TV show was so good they made a new version a couple of years ago, and they hardly ever do that with old TV shows. I haven't seen any remakes of the A-Team! What's that? There is a new movie coming out? Oh. What about Knight Rider, that was classic. That too? Dukes of Hazzard? Bewitched? Never mind, there is no originality left in the media. Back to my story, we attended this holy event, I really don't remember much of it. I know they had local people competing including some local frat boys. I do remember liking my date, and that our friends were far from hitting it off. So after the show we ditched them and continued on together. We must have eaten something, I'm sure my wife could tell you what and where. I should have done a fact check with her before I wrote it, but where is the fun in that, much better to have things as I remember them. After dinner we went back to her house and I met her parents. J seemed quite conservative (read LDS) to me so I was quite happy to see her dad drinking beer when we met. Not that at 19 I drank beer, because that would have been against the law (just in case my boys ever read this). It went well, of course it did, parents always loved me. I know we ended up watching Saturday Night Live, and I think I got lucky too. Okay not really, there was no way that was happening. I can't even remember if I got a kiss, but if I did that was waaaayyy out of character for J, and probably was me taking one. She was/is much more sweet and innocent than I have ever been. After that I went on one date with another girl and that was the end of it, there was no comparison. What started as an all-day date, ended up being an all-life date. I couldn't be any happier or luckier for that. So I write this to commemorate the last eighteen years with the love of my life my wife. And a big thank you to my mother-in-law for picking up on me for her shy daughter and forcing her to ask me out. I will always have a fond place in my heart for those American Gladiators.

Trippin to Utah State

Last week my wife and I went away overnight without our boys for only the second time ever. For a quick twenty-four hour trip it sure seemed to require a lot of planning. However, there was not enough planning on my part, since about an hour into our drive, my mother called to inform me I had not provided a means for entering our house. After some phone calls to my in-laws on vacation in Maui, we were finally able to procure a key for her. Fortunately that was the only hiccup for my mother and the boys, except for O and her mutually deciding his act class attendance wasn't necessary.

As for the getaway for my wife and I, it was nice, stressful, and over very quickly. The drive up was nice, quick and uneventful, just like any good drive should be. We checked into our hotel, which was nice, and then left for dinner with some other speaker and administrators from the conference my wife was speaking at. We were a little late, but not too bad. We had introductions and everyone was quite nice, but I was quite disappointed that no one was drinking (wine or beer). So I went with the flow (or lack there of), and just drank water. As we talked through dinner a couple of things became apparent, why they weren't drinking (all but one were LDS), they were all intelligent and well spoken, and the other guest speakers were much more experienced than my wife. One had written over forty books, one had written books plus invented a couple of things, and another was flown in from Virginia to speak. My wife was a little intimidated and nervous on our drive back to the hotel. So for her the trip was quite stressful, since she doesn't really speak in public and her nerves were rattles anyway. Neither of us slept well, her from nerves, me from discomfort. Despite her nerves, J did a great job with her speech. I'd post some video of it, but I don't think she would like that. I was able to spend some nice quiet time reading while she was in other seminars. As a reward for the good job she did, we got her ice cream on the way home. It wasn't until we were home with our boys a few hours later that we realized we didn't have her lap top. Needless to say she freaked out a little bit, since not only does it have all her stuff on it, but also our personal tax returns she already worked three hours on. She was able to find someone, who found it for her the next morning and sent it to Salt Lake with the speaker from Virginia who was going to the airport to catch her plane. All in all, a successful little trip, and I actually didn't mind being away from the boys. I just have to remember not to lock them out of the house next time.