Incredibly stubborn cold + Sunday activities = no p.m. post. Sorry. I went to chair at 8:30. Going to bed just leads to coughing fits five minutes after being horizontal so I've been sleeping in my chair. And I didn't have any trouble at all sleeping through the Oscars Pam was watching. None whatsoever.
I called Geoff this morning and asked for a rain check on our lunch appointment. No need to infect him so he can take it home to his pregnant wife and three girls. But we will reschedule! That BBQ place in Mesa has a huge rep for being the best in the valley.
I putzed here at the house all day, moving slowly and stopping frequently. I varnished the frame for the galley hatch lid, trimmed out the interior side of the windows, and caulked some seams. I also ordered the anodized aluminum sheets that will be the "skin" over the top and they'll be ready for pickup Wednesday. If I measured correctly the install should go smoothly. If not, somebody is going to be very unhappy.
OK, home schoolers, 'splain this:
Flash Frozen
Tomorrow is the Republican primary here and in MI. If I remember correctly, MI allows crossover voting in primaries, meaning Democrats can help choose the Republican nominee. Seems odd. Here in AZ Romney is said to have a substantial lead. This state has a very large Mormon population. I wonder if there's a connection.
Winds topping 30 mph in the desert fill the air with dust, and that fills the house. A thin layer of very fine brown dust on everything.
The Ohio shooting today has already sparked the next round of hand wringing over the issue of bullying.
Is childhood bullying significantly worse than it was 50 years ago or are we just more worried about it? I wonder if it's the equivalent of the germiphobia obsession. There aren't more germs, and probably no more germ induced disease, just more worrying about it.
I doubt there's more bullying. Why would there be? More evil in the under-16 set? Naw. Technology offers more ways to bully, but take from someone who was there - I'd much rather get flamed on Facebook that punched in the gut by a guy twice my size.
If the current focus on eliminating bullying keeps one kid from a bloody nose I'm all in. But knowing human nature it seems like tilting at windmills. So why? Why is the anti-bullying campaign getting so much attention? Is it the hubris that thinks we can solve all the problems that sinful human nature creates? Is it the latest manifestation of idealism? I don't understand.
And sometimes it's not about bullying. Sometimes it's a messed up kid with anger issues who can't and shouldn't blame it on anyone else.
(the usual caveats and disclaimers apply)
3 comments:
Very cool! If you look in the comments, the first 5 or so explain why it happens.
I have to wonder if bullying is drawing so much attention because of the seemingly more drastic reactions to bullying. More violent outcomes such as suicide and murder as "retaliation" for said bullying. I have to wonder if any of this is tied to the increased violence associated with violent media exposure to adolescents. As anyone who knows me I'm not against guns and the like but we do have a problem desensitizing our youth with violent video games, TV and movies. Many organizations have brought this to the supreme court that it is dangerous to our children but it continues to be protected by "free speach". Slippery slope, see for yourself, just one of many sources.
http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/developmentor/the_impact_of_media_violence_on_children_and_adolescents_opportunities_for_clinical_interventions
I don't think you can blame video games or other media. Human societies have amused themselves with violence or semi-violent entertainment since at least the beginning of recorded history.
I simply wonder where the parents are.
I was bullied quite a bit when I was in elementary school and early junior high. But with some very simple instructions from my dad, I was able to establish a reputation among the bullies that I was not to be bullied. Occasionally, that reputation had to be reinforced, but it worked. I was a skinny, awkward, klutzy, nerdish kid and yet I was able to handle it on my own with some encouragement and instructions from home. If that had not worked, I'm sure the school authorities could have helped.
Stories like this illustrate that there are no laws or programs that can ever substitute for a parent who gives half a care by being even nominally involved in their children's overall well-being. As much as we don't like it, some people will be poor parents.
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