Archive for the ‘Featured’ Category:
Should I Stop Holding Back?
Believe it or not, I hold back a lot. Should I stop? Is it time to to really tell the world (whoever is listening/reading) what I actually think?
Some have told me that no good will come of me expressing my views. Not that I’ve never expressed an opinion. I was particularly harsh to Lance Armstrong, but I felt that he deserved it. (Plus I was ahead of the curve on that story.)
Ultimately this is a parenting blog. It is called DaddyTips. The original idea was to offer, you know, tips. That isn’t always easy because a lot of parenting advice comes from my actual experiences as a father. Why is this an issue? Because I don’t like writing about my kids too much. I don’t use their names, I don’t post their photos, and I think they have a right to privacy.
Note: I know this isn’t what everyone does, and I respect people who make different decisions on this matter. Except for Jon Gosselin and Kate Gosselin. Them I find irritating and always did. Here’s the proof. Notice what I wrote at the end, that perhaps Jon could get a regular job. I wrote that in 2009. This has now happened.
At least he’s not in a van down by the river! http://t.co/177BmifUp6 MT @ABCNewsEnt Jon Gosselin…living in a cabin http://t.co/fQE8P7bZYT
— Brett Singer (@brettsinger) September 19, 2013
And yes, quoting yourself is tacky but it makes fact-checking easier. I will keep writing that until somebody tells me to stop.
Anyway, back to the original topic of whether or not I should hold back. Someone suggested to me recently that they thought I was out of control. There’s a lot more to that story that I’m not going to share because it’s too personal and involves details I prefer not to discuss in public. I have always felt strongly that one way to avoid being “out of control” is to vent. Get it out. Rant, if that helps.
I don’t know. It’s difficult to decide.
Is there a tip here? There is. The tip is to consider whether or not sharing certain things on the Interwebs is good for you or for your kids. It might be. Or not. But like Dora says, let’s stop and think for a minute.
Kids Trash Former NFL Player’s Home, Parents Defend Them
This is why I need to find a new Internet. One that doesn’t have stories like this.
What the hell, parents? Your kids pull this crap, take pictures, post them online, and then you defend their behavior? This is indicative of a very real problem: parents who don’t discipline their kids, and allow them to behave like jerks. If this news report is accurate (that’s a disclaimer in case it isn’t, but there are, you know, PHOTOS), the parents should pay a fine and perhaps go to jail if the law allows for such a penalty.
If you feel like getting more irritated, read the comments. Some morons are actually mad at Brian Holloway, the NFL player in question, for posting photos that WERE ALREADY POSTED ONLINE BY THE KIDS WHO BROKE INTO HIS HOUSE. Allegedly. In case the report is wrong.
Either way, I have noticed a lot of “my son/daughter would never do that” when in fact said son or daughter did in fact do that in front of dozens of witnesses. Or perhaps they posted a picture on the Internet of said action. You defend your children against bullies, stand up for their rights, love them unconditionally. You do not defend offensive behavior and make excuses.
Grrrr. And people wonder why I’ve seen the Avengers movie 12 times. Beats reading the news.
Teens trash home of ex-NFL player, teens parents threaten player (CBS Sports)
HelpMeSave300.com (website set up by Brian Holloway)
Kindle Fire HD Limited Time Deal (Again)
DaddyDeal for you — Amazon is selling the Kindle Fire HD for $159, $40 less than the regular price of $199. Again. But that’s a good thing!
You might remember this DaddyDeal from such deals as Kindle Fire HD Limited Time Deal. To continue our Simpsons references, there’s this gem from the episode “Radio Bart”:
Announcer: … But order now. Supply is limited.
Homer: Gasp! Limited!?!? [frantically dials the phone]
Do you have any of those microphones left?
Clerk: [standing in a warehouse filled to the roof with boxes of microphones] Yeah, a couple…
(Above via SNPP.com; see also DeadHomerSociety.com, which is the best name for a website ever so far this week.)
Now that this Kindle Fire HD Limited Deal has returned, we would forgive you for thinking, “Limited? Oh please. I can get this price anytime I want.” We can honestly say that this is not the case. We don’t recall the exact moment that the price on the device (hey, that rhymes!) went back to $199 from $159, but it did happen. And now it’s back down again.
Bottom line: if you want an Amazon Kindle Fire, you may as well get it now while Amazon is offering it to you for a cheaper price.
Check out our original DaddyDeal page for more info on the Kindle Fire HD.
Handy links to buy these things (aren’t we nice?):
Kindle Fire HD 7?, Dolby Audio, Dual-Band Wi-Fi
Join Amazon Prime – Watch Over 40,000 Movies
Joe Flacco Should Play Today (UPDATED)
Baltimore Ravens QB Joe Flacco’s wife gave birth this morning. Congratulations! For the record, it is totally okay with me if he plays football today.
Not that anyone has asked me. But I wanted to let y’all know my opinion anyway.
Thank you. That is all.
Updated September 17, 2013: Flacco played. As far as I can tell, nobody got upset. “As far as I can tell” in this case means I haven’t seen any blog posts about Joe Flacco playing football on the day his son was born. I also haven’t looked.
Watch Hero Dogs of 9/11 On Animal Planet
Ah, the Twitter. It is many things. One of them is a distraction, of course. But out of distraction comes information. Sometimes information one didn’t even realize that one wanted to acquire.
For example: through a series of tweets, the good folks at Animal Planet alerted me to a show called “Hero Dogs of 9/11” that is airing tonight, September 10, 2013, at 8pm EST.
@brettsinger Hero Dogs of 9/11: Check out a sneak peek here – http://t.co/7yNIWeJkJ5 #HeroDogs
— AnimalPlanet (@AnimalPlanet) September 10, 2013
Aaaand here’s the video sneak peek. It has dogs in it.
Watch the whole thing tonight, 9/10/13, 8pm EST, on Animal Planet.
Now if you’ll excuse me, there’s something in my eye…
Meet YA Author Kristi Cook (Get Out)
As part of DaddyTips ongoing efforts to get you to leave the house, here’s an event you can take your tween/teen kids to — a chance to meet YA Author Kristi Cook on Friday, September 13th, 6 p.m. at The Voracious Reader (1997 Palmer Avenue, Larchmont, NY 10538, Phone: 914-630-4581; map link).
More details are below.
Join us for an exciting Friday the 13th evening with acclaimed YA author Kristi Cook and the finale of her Winterhaven Trilogy. Whether you’re new to the series, set in a boarding school for the paranormally gifted, or eagerly awaiting the mind-bending conclusion (no spoilers, we promise!), you’ll love meeting Kristi and her many fans as we talk about writing,romance, and spooky superstitions! There will be autographs, swag bags, photo ops and fun! And wait til you see our gorgeous butterfly adorned cupcakes! FREE event but please call ahead to reserve your spot. TEENS THROUGH ADULTS
Here are links to all of the books in the Winterhaven Trilogy.
Haven |
Mirage (Haven) |
Eternal (Haven) |
Find out more about Ms. Cook at her website, at her Amazon page, and also at this special event where you can meet her live and in person!
Meet YA Author Kristi Cook at The Voracious Reader ~ for young people with an appetite for books (Event Link)
Kristi Cook, Author
Also: Friday the 13th. Can’t help ourselves. Did you know the original movie came out in 1980 and Kevin Bacon is in it? Here’s the trailer. Note: is has nothing to do with the event mentioned above.
Video – Alabama High School Football Coaches Fighting (Stupidity)
Via Deadspin, a story about high school football coaches behaving very badly:
Alabama high school football coaches coming to blows after a game shouldn’t be that surprising, considering how seriously Alabama takes football in general, but that doesn’t make the incident any less ridiculous.
The key phrase above is “but that doesn’t make the incident any less ridiculous.” I don’t care how “seriously Alabama takes football in general,” these are adults being paid to coach kids. Yes, high school football is a big deal in some parts of these United States. Youth sports in general have become increasingly popular over the past 10+ years (my estimate), with major media coverage of younger and younger players. Remember the story about a 13-year-old QB committing to USC in 2010? (Here’s a follow-up on the now 17-year-old David Sills from June of 2013 if you’re interested; I admit to not actually watching the video I just linked to because I don’t really care.)
In case the above parenthetical was unclear, I’m not a fan of the excessive media coverage of youth sports. These are kids, most of whom will not go on to have professional sports careers, and they don’t benefit financially from the attention they receive unless they do manage to make it to the pro level. I am a fan of kids participating in youth sports, and I hope that the increased scrutiny of young athletes hasn’t taken away any opportunities for less talented youngsters to get on the field. For example, I was a sub-par baseball player — my first season I didn’t get a hit, although I was third on the team in walks because I quickly realized that 12-year-old pitchers don’t hit the strike zone all that often (at least they didn’t back then). By the time I stopped playing, I was good enough to start at first base and probably hit about .260 (guessing here). But I loved baseball. I was never going to be a superstar, but neither were most of my teammates. Why did I quit? Because the kids AND THE COACHES became increasingly hostile and hyper-competitive. Competitiveness can be a good thing on and off the field. But when a grown man screams and curses at a 10-year-old for striking out, that’s insane. A lack of sportsmanship from teammates doesn’t help either. This isn’t to say that everybody has to congratulate you for whiffing at an easy pitch and ending the inning with the bases loaded. But, to paraphrase Lisa Simpson, why would you come to our game just to boo (and curse at) us?
That’s why the video upsets me. It looks like a freakin’ bar bawl. I know these aren’t little kids; many high school football players are anything but little these days. It doesn’t matter. No one should behave like this, but for non-professional coaches it’s even more embarrassing.
via Alabama High School Football Coaches Get Into Postgame Brawl (Deadspin)
