I wish everyone a happy Memorial Day. May we never forget those who gave their lives for freedom. Last week some students and I had the privilege of placing flags by veteran’s graves at the local cemetery. We had some go as far back as the Civil War. It reminded me of the sacrifices many good folks have made for our country.
Eternal Rest grant unto them,
O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May they rest in peace.
Luther Punk wrote an interesting post about male bonding, and it reminded me that I have been involved in some serious male bonding as of late. Honestly, I think men need time with other males.
For the past few weeks, I have been golfing with some male buddies of mine, including my dad (although Jennifer came along once). I admit I wasn’t too sure how I would like golf, since I only played once from 1994-2006. However, I signed up for a charity golf outing with a buddy of mine (that I exercise with frequently), and thought I should actually practice for it. It turns out I love golf, especially seeing how hard and far I can hit the ball each time (minus putting of course). And it is cool to just hang out with friends on a gold course.
Second, I have been getting into target shooting since December. Last week in the evening I took a firearms safety/pistol training course with three other guys and two instructors. Honestly, it was some of the most fun I have had since high school. It was nothing too academic, nothing too deep, but just some good hanging out with some genuine guys.
Getting into shooting and golf has also had the effect of getting Jonathan and dad into them (or in the case of dad, “back” into them, since he was a pretty active golfer in the 1980s), and it has given us things to do together, along with tennis (which we played a lot of last summer). My dad and I have always had a good relationship, but for awhile it seemed as if Jonathan and I came and went while he watched TV (sometimes with mom). However, now he is out and active, and we are hanging out together. Plus, we all really need the exercise.
It is urban legend that there were twins named “Orangejello and “Lemonjello” (pronounced Or-AHN-juh-lo and luh-MON-juh-lo). However, when I searched for the names recently, I did find some interesting things.
According to Intelius People Search, there are a couple lemonjellos around, including a Lemonjello Jackson in Missouri, a Lemonjello Snarfblat in Arizona, and a Lemonjello Snicket in Georgia. Funny, there is an Orangejello Snicket in the same town in Georgia (Buena Vista). That is the only record of either name I can find in the whole U.S., and honestly the names sound a little suspicious. After all, “Lemonjello Snicket” sounds a little like “Lemony Snicket.” Who knows, maybe there is a “Limejello Snicket” around who is their triplet!
As to the “legend” there are people named “female” (fuh-MOLL-ee), a search in California alone reveals 135. The reason for the name? Supposedly immigrants lacking English skills saw “female” on the birth certificate (or hospital wristband), and thought it was an American custom for the hospital to name babies. Perhaps we’ll never know for sure if these “name legends” are real or not, but they do make for interesting discussion! I am not even going to get into the supposed name “Shithead” (pronounced “Shi-THADE).
Today, I was getting some change out to pay for some things at school, since the DMV drained all my cash ($24.00 for a driver’s license renewal!! It was $11.00 three years ago…why are we electing Republicans if they are going to raise taxes and fees???). At any rate, as I was getting out change I remembered back in 1998 when I was in college, and my dad would give Jonathan and I gas money every so often, and would say “keep the change to eat out on.” We would actually have money left over to spend at local restaurants. That was when gas was 99 cents/gallon. Now, at $3.19, we have no money left over, and that extra $32.85 (2.19 x 15 gallons) per fill up is going to pay super-rich oil execs, oppressive communist leaders, terrorists, and so forth, and NOT our local American business owners. Now if it is costing me 32.85 more per fill up than in 1998, multiply that number times the number of people in the U.S. and you can see how little money is going into the local economy and how much is going into the pockets of a few. Oh…and I am still waiting for the Democrats to do something about high gas prices. Could it be that even the Democrats and celebrities harping about energy issues are themselves unwilling to change their lifestyles significantly, and cannot even fathom life without their private jets or mansions with exorbitant electric bills (think Al Gore). Well at least they are harping I guess, since you can’t seem to convince most Americans that funding the governments of Iran and Venezuela with our oil addiction is a problem.
Here is a quick update about what I am up to
- I am finishing up school. Overall it was a great first year. I really enjoy my job, location, and friends here. Sadly, my interest in getting a PhD is eroding, unless of course some school gets an online one up. I am in the middle of a post-Master’s certificate in religious education though, which I think is practical for what I need.
- I went golfing last week for the first time in over 10 years. Last time was in 1994, and I did really poorly. Now I have my own clubs. I really enjoyed it.
- I have been running about everyday, getting ready for a 5k coming up in June. I have lost about 8 pounds in the process.
- On my Yahoo Music Engine: Bright Eyes, Rick Nelson, Bobby Darin, Badfinger, Jay and the Americans and Townes Van Zandt.
- The wedding is coming up on September 29!
- The weather is warm, and I am getting a tan! It is so nice to be out in the sun after that cold snap in winter. The photo below is a spring sunset photo I took last week.
I covered the Arthur Buford / Damon Wells controversy in Cleveland, so I thought I would update everyone about it. Cleveland is still buzzing from the shooting, and it seems like it has become a chance for Cleveland (and other major urban areas) to deal with the crisis of unsafe neighborhoods. Just today, Arthur Buford’s accomplice is being charged with murder because his criminal actions helped result in Buford’s death. It seems as if Clevelanders are sick and tired of living in neighborhoods controlled by thugs, and many are also tired of the things that lead to this sort of behavior.
Regina Brett wrote an article, Silence of Pain, Harsh, Deafening, that looks at the effect this incident has had on the local community, with some friends of Buford defending him, and others sick and tired of living in fear because of punk-kids just like Buford. What this case does highlight is the failure of Buford’s parents (drug-addicts), and community, to raise him and protect him. And let’s not just blame the “inner city” environment here, because suburban youth are suffering from similar broken homes, and turning to drugs, crime, and suicide. I definitely support Wells’ right to defend himself, and agree with those who want to see “thug culture” die a quick death. I think it is high time communities stand up against the criminal elements that are destroying once beautiful neighborhoods, just as Damon Wells did. However, I think this issue is not just about whether a man has the right to defend himself, but about whole communities and generations destroyed by broken homes, drugs, and the glorification of drug/gang culture that results.
Rich, white academics may have pioneered the sexual and cultural revolution that told us we don’t need two-parent families, that dad’s don’t matter, or that all is relative, but it is the poor and middle-class that bear the brunt of this hastily-proclaimed revolution. I think it is time for us to examine ourselves and look at why a generation of “liberated” persons relies so heavily on anti-depressants and feels such anger toward their own communities and families.
Kevin O’Brien of the Plain-Dealer asks similar questions in his article, How shall we answer Arthur? How is it that a boy of 15 can get to the point of practically “raising himself,” living in an abandoned house? O’Brien writes:
Too many minority neighborhoods are thugocracies. And the thugs aren’t old. They are, in many cases, the neighborhood children, recruited young and initiated into crime while they’re at their most impressionable.
Now before we cry “racism” here, I think many white neighborhoods end up this way as well. How in the world have we gotten to a point where neighborhoods can be run by teens with illegal guns? I think the social policies and assumptions that came about in the 60s and 70s have failed. Perhaps, as O’Brien suggests, we need to return to the most basic solution: strengthening the family. Again, the rich have weathered the sexual revolution pretty well, with the money and resources to treat, cover-up, and medicate the damage done by unstable families, but the poor and middle-class have not been so fortunate.
