Wednesday, January 12, 2005Resolutions for 2005I will spend more time with my children, taking them to the zoo and to the park, reading to them, and just revelling in their presence. I will be more nurturing and more playful, remembering that they are children for only a short while, and that I must nurture our relationship now, because tomorrow... Sign in to see full entry.Tuesday, January 11, 2005Have We Lost the Concept of "Bad"?I don't know exactly how it happened, but we no longer have "bad" in our culture. Not "bad" as a stand-alone concept, anyway. We have "bad, but...." Harris and Klebold were bad, but people were mean to them. Lee Malvo did a bad thing, but he was under John Muhammed's spell. Michael Jackson does bad... Sign in to see full entry.Monday, January 10, 2005A New Year's Resolution for Those Living in the Shadow of AbuseAre you in an abusive situation? Is there someone who tyrannizes you, tells you that you are stupid or worthless, or who physically attacks you? This year, promise yourself that you will not allow this behaviour to continue. Resolve that you will free yourself, and protect those whom you love, from... Sign in to see full entry.Friday, January 7, 2005What Is a Parent?Argee asked a really thought-provoking question in October 2003, on a topic that is close to my heart: What is a parent? (Please go read his blog, it's really a good background to what I have to say.) 1. A sperm/egg donor is not a parent. You can drop your seed all over creation, but that does not... Sign in to see full entry.Thursday, January 6, 2005Spanking....Abuse or Discipline Tool?There is a lot of debate regarding whether spanking is a legitimate tool of discipline or whether it is, or can degenerate into, abuse. Here are my thoughts on the subject. Spanking is sometimes necessary for most children. At some point in most children's development of a "self," they will test... Sign in to see full entry.Tuesday, January 4, 2005Raising Boys.............................it came in my e-mail.......................................... a) For those with no children - this is totally hysterical! b) For those who already have children past this age, this is hilarious. c) For those who have children this age, this is not funny. d) For those... Sign in to see full entry.Friday, December 31, 2004Things I Wonder AboutI wonder why my children love Barney but are terrified of clowns. I wonder why Blue is a girl dog, and Magenta is a boy dog. Shouldn't it be the other way around? I wonder why my candles never burn down straight like my friend's do. My pillar candles always burn down into shapes vaguely reminiscent... Sign in to see full entry.Thursday, December 30, 2004Music in the WorkplaceAre you for it, or against it? Here's my thing. I like music. A lot. But there is some music that is distracting and that detracts from one's ability to accomplish one's tasks. The mood that a given piece of music evokes can have disastrous effects on productivity, or it can boost productivity... Sign in to see full entry.Monday, December 27, 2004And Then There Are the Perfect Christmas Gifts....I got exactly what I wanted for Christmas this year. How many people can say that?! But I did. And I didn't think I was going to get either of the two things I wanted most. There is a local steak place called Buckley's, and the wife of one of the owners is a painter. She has a particular style of... Sign in to see full entry.Friday, December 24, 2004Ludicrous Holiday GiftsMore weird and inappropriate gift-giving at the holidays. I work for three Jewish men. One is Orthodox and keeps kosher; one is Conservative and doesn't keep kosher but does avoid forbidden foods like pork and shellfish, and one who is Reform and eats pretty well whatever he wants. So, among the... Sign in to see full entry. |