Author Archive
How Dad Looks In Kiddie Books
I’ve noticed something about a lot of the books I read to my youngest son.
Dad usually looks the same.
There are variations, but certain themes seem to pop up.
Here are some examples: Read more »
People Are Spending Less This Father’s Day
The LA Times says that people might spend a little less on Dad this year.
The article quotes Tracy Mullin, president of the National Retail Federation: “Along with the usual ties, gift-givers will be looking into items that dad can enjoy with the whole family. Retailers will offer specials on new grill sets, sporting and gardening equipment and even electronics as the holiday rolls around.”
You know what I want? For you not to spend a lot of money on anything.
Getting gifts is great. But let’s be honest. I’m an adult. When I was a child, I got all excited about my birthday. Oooo! I’m getting presents! What’d you get me? Huh? Huh?
Now that I’m older? I’d rather save the cash.
Don’t get me wrong, family o’mine. I’ll be very happy with whatever you get me. But please don’t feel like you have to get me anything, especially something that costs a lot of money. My favorite Father’s Day gift so far is a bookmark I received from my oldest son back when he was in nursery school. It’s a print of his actual foot, laminated, with a little poem on it that I can’t remember at the moment. (Getting older sucks.) But even writing about it now, I’m getting a little verklempt. (“The Spanish Inquisition was neither Spanish, nor an inquisition… discuss.”) It cost nothing. (Well, there was tuition for the nursery school. But that wasn’t explicitly for the bookmark.)
As for the suggestions from Tracy Mullin of the National Retail Federation, let say this. Ties? Nah. Any tie that fits into the category of “I can afford this” is probably not worth buying. Maybe if it’s funny. But otherwise, anyone who wears a tie on a regular basis probably knows what he likes, and unless you know what that is, don’t get involved. Even if you DO know what type of tie dad likes, what kind of present is that? Why not get him some nice boxer shorts? That’s both lame AND non-traditional.
As for “gifts the whole family can enjoy” — what is this, Homer’s bowling ball redux? (For the uninitiated, in the “Life on the Fast Lane” episode of “The Simpsons”, Homer buys Marge a bowling ball, thinking that she will give it to him because she doesn’t enjoy bowling. She responds by taking bowing lessons from a guy named Jacques, with whom she almost has an affair. Good times, good times.) A “gift for the whole family” is not a gift for dad. Can you imagine if someone said the same thing about getting gifts for mom? There woud be protests. Mommy Bloggers would be up in arms. Public apologies would be demanded, and offered. An outcry not seen since that stupid Motrin ad. Getting dad a grill is like getting mom an iron. Try that one next Mother’s Day. Then take a picture of the iron-shaped imprint on your head and send it to me.
So buy dad someting if you want to but don’t feel like you have to spend a lot of money. At the same time, don’t buy him something just because it’s cheap. If it feels like a cheap gift, if probably is. If you want to get him something nice without spending a lot, how about a day of rest and relaxation? Works for me.
Americans expected to scrimp a bit on Father’s Day | California Consumer | Los Angeles Times.
Thoughts on Gay Marriage
I’ve been thinking about this for awhile now and after writing this post on Babble about Dick Cheney’s stance on the issue I decided to go a little further.
Here’s my question: how is it that this is an issue at all?
Let me explain. I think anyone who wants to get married should be able to do so. Radical, I know. Because who cares? The borscht-belt-esque joke of “if gay people want to suffer the same as us straights, I say go ahead” isn’t all that funny but that’s right. Please. Get married. Have a party. If it’s someplace fun, invite me. If I can get a babysitter, I’m there.
I have a friend who says that she can’t understand how anyone can be against gays getting married. What’s the problem, she says. My answer is always the same: religion. At the core of every gay marriage protester is “God Gave Adam Eve, Not Steve”. When politicians say that they believe that “marriage is between a man and a woman” but are in favor of civil unions, they mean that they don’t care if people get together and reap the benefits of a “union”, but they don’t want that union to be recognized by their church. (This is President Barack Obama’s stated position, although I personally think that’s just what he thinks he needs to say politically.)
So here’s my point. Why is it an issue what a religious organzation does? Wasn’t the United States founded, in part, on the “separation of church and state”? With that in mind, isn’t it weird that religious people have any say at all when it comes to this matter? If you get married before a Justice of the Peace, that’s a legal marriage. End of story. There is no reason why that marriage can’t be between two men or two women. Whether or not you have a church/temple/mosque wedding is irrelevant.
One way to go, of course, would be to pass a law saying that religious marriages are no longer recognized by the government. THAT would go over big.
Weekly Stack – Static Shock, Batman, More
This week: a long-awaited (by some) reprint comes back, more Batman stuff, and a Teen Titans “aftermath” that no one really needed.
Static Shock Chapter Books
I love me some comic books, and I encourage my son to read them as well. That said, I’d like him to expand his horizons a bit.
Not that he doesn’t read enough. He reads constantly. But a lot of it is comic books, and the same ones over and over again.
So what to do? Read more »
Weekly Stack – 5-20-09
19 books, which is too close to 20 for my taste. I added a couple that I shouldn’t have. Big title of the week: Herogasm, a mini series with characters from Garth Ennis’ The Boys. Here’s the stack this week: Read more »
Canon PIXMA MX860 On Sale at Amazon
Great deal on the Canon PIXMA MX860 Wireless All-In-One Photo Printer at Amazon — the price is listed at $199.97, but when you Add to Cart, it’s $159.99. Read more »
