Middle-Aged Mindset

Proposed Spanking Ban in Massachusetts

2007-11-28T15:23:00.000-05:00

ABC News Article - 11/28/07

What a load of garbage! If you read the article, you will notice that Kathleen Wolf, who wrote the bill, states that she has "swatted my kids a couple times." So, I guess that she is responsible and mature enough to make the decision to spank and discipline her children, but the rest of us are incapable of making the same decision. Sure, some parents make bad decisions regarding spanking and are abusive. Clearly those parents should be punished. However, most parents who spank use it as a deterrent. A deterrent, by definition, discourages unwanted behavior. The possibility of the occasional spanking will discourage most unwanted behaviors from most children. Should children be abused? Of course not! But, this proposed legislation is a prime example of political correctness gone wild.

The article also explains that Wolf does not think the would-be lawbreaking spanker's should be punished, fined, or jailed. She thinks that they should be provided the support that they need. Huh? Well, that clearly illustrates that she does not understand the concept of deterrents as explained in the above paragraph. Punishment, fines, and jail time are deterrents for law breakers and a law without a deterrent is just about useless. If you don't believe me, look at the illegal immigrant issue. Many immigrants choose not to follow the harder, legal route of immigration because there is no deterrent to choosing the easier, illegal route of immigration.

Sure, this is an important issue but this is just not the answer.

Mike Huckabee

2007-11-28T14:49:00.001-05:00

Wow! I have been out of touch with the political world and the presidential race for the last few months with work, personal life and holidays. I was kind of leaning toward Fred Thompson until I did some research on Mike Huckabee the last couple of days. Here is a regular guy (not an elite politician) who holds the same views as me and, I hope, the same views as most Americans. I am a Christian who values family and country and believe that we have been slipping into moral decay and a political-correctness-gone-wild method of governance. I will be careful not to put words in the Governor's mouth and say that he is just like me. However, I do feel that he is the person to provide the sound, common-sense leadership that America so desperately needs. I encourage you to visit mikehuckabee.com and give him prayerful consideration. Read the issues page for straight talk answers on all the critical issues facing our country.

No Longer Discouraged

2007-11-09T09:21:00.000-05:00

I have been discouraged for the last week or so about my foray into the blogging world. I have enjoyed my endeavors but felt that my blog would never been seen by others. A week or so ago I learned about Blog Carnivals. If you are not familiar with them, they are topical listings (almost like newsletters) providing links to different blog postings about a particular subject. I submitted a couple of postings to some different carnivals. This morning, I had my first comment left on my blog. While looking a the blog of the person who left the comment, I saw a posting that he made about the Carnival of Education. I looked at the carnival and found out that they had accepted my submission and linked to my blog post in their latest issue. Follow this link to the Carnival of Education and look for the first line below the 3:30 - 4:30 heading.

Moral of the Story: Be persistent and enjoy the experience.

Slow Cooker Potato Soup Recipe

2007-11-05T13:13:00.000-05:00

4 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
1 large onion, chopped
42 ounces of chicken broth
¼ cup butter
2 ½ teaspoons salt
1 ¼ teaspoons pepper
4 cloves minced garlic
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1 cup half-and-half
6 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
3 tbs. chives
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Sour cream
Crumbled bacon or BaconBits
Shredded cheddar cheese

Combine the first 7 ingredients into 5 quart slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Mash potatoes with masher until course and soup in slightly thick. Stir in the next 3 ingredients. Dip into bowls and let each individual top as desired with the last 3 ingredients. Makes 12 cups. Great served alongside cornbread!

This recipe is courtesy of my friend, Teri.

Proper Role of Parents in Sports

2007-11-01T10:56:00.000-04:00

Let me begin by stating that I have coached for ten years in two different sports (soccer and track and field) and that I have two daughters that were very involved in several different sports. The youngest is currently playing soccer in college. I have been a gymnastics dad, a soccer dad, a t-ball dad, a cheerleading dad, a basketball dad, a softball dad, and a track dad. So, I have been parent and coach (and even both simultaneously).

I feel that the proper role of parents in sports in that of PARENT! A parent is defined by Merriam-Webster as a person who brings up and cares for another. Parents should be supportive of the child's endeavors (athletic, spiritual, academic, or otherwise). Take an interest in what the child is doing. I had absolutely no interest in gymnastics but became a gymnastics judge to better understand gymnastics and to create a bond with my daughters. It was part of bring up and caring for them. It was a way to open communication, to spend time together, and to share.

Parents should model desirable behavior to their children. Do you want your child to talk bad about others? To be disrespectful to others? To yell at those with whom they disagree? Do you want your child to question and undermine those in positions of authority? I am assuming that the answers to these questions are a resounding "no".

The following behaviors are modeled by parents daily: complaining about the coach/official, arguing with the coach/official, talking bad about the coach/official, telling their child that the coach/official is stupid, incompetent, biased, etc. Hello! If you model this behavior to your children, they will adopt that as their behavior.

Are coaches and officials ever wrong? Yes, frequently. After all, they are human. And, that is exactly how you should discuss these matters with your children. Tell them that the coach/official is human, may have or have not made a mistake. Explain that you may or may not agree. Admit that you may be biased. Teach them that proper behavior dictates that we accept the difference in opinion and move on.

I have often disagreed with the coaches of my daughters. If needed, this was discussed with the girls in the manner just described. Only on one occasion do I remember talking to the coach about a difference in opinion. It was a case where he had removed the team from the field because of what he felt was poor officiating. I was so upset that I had to wait three days to talk to him because I wanted to be calm. I felt that this was an serious enough issue that I needed to voice my opinion to him. I calmly told him how I felt and that it I felt it lacked sportsmanship. He explained his rationale and we politely agreed to disagree. My daughter played for him another 3 years and we had a great relationship. If the problem was serious enough and persisted, we may have had to decide if she should continue to play. However, that is an extreme that usually can be avoided.

From Kindergarten to college, many parents are the same. Cry, gripe, whine, and complain about coaches and officials if things are going bad. "Look at how great athletic child" if things are going good. Parents need to be the adults and teach their children how to fit into a civilized society. Unfortunately, many are negative role models in this regard.

1 in 10 High Schools are "Dropout Factories"

2007-10-30T10:25:00.000-04:00

http://www.timesrecordnews.com/news/2007/oct/29/more-1-10-high-schools-america-are-dropout-factori/

Well, I never heard the term "dropout factory" until now. Twelve percent of high schools have a 40% or higher dropout rate! That is based on incoming freshman who graduate on schedule four years later.

I agree with Mel Riddile, the principal who said that "we are at the end of the process. People don't walk into the 9th grade and suddenly have a reading problem." The high schools are inheriting the "problem" and are then criticized for dropout rates. Sure, the high schools share some of the blame. But, there is plenty of blame to go around! Elementary and middle (Jr. Hi) schools often don't reach many of the students. Why? I think part of the problem is the standardized testing that is designed to ensure success. School financing is usually based on these test results. While this provides great motivation, it often erroneously motivates the teachers and schools to teach the test and the core curriculum at the expense of all else. With such emphasis on testing, teachers often pass on teachable moments because it is not on the test for this year. I think we might have too much of a good thing.

Parents are often part of the problem as well. If the parent doesn't value education, it is only reasonable to anticipate that the child will probably not value education. Of course, I mean the drug addict, negligent parent. I also mean the parent who is too busy to go to teacher conferences, or school plays and activities. How about the parent who doesn't ask the kid about their homework? Parents can and do make a difference - either positively or negatively. Bill Cosby has had a lot to say on this subject in recent years.

As a society we need to address this horrible issue. I think that the best way to start is in your own home. Parents - talk to your children and become involved in their education. Go to their schools and hold them accountable. If only half of the parents were to do this, the problem would disappear. That is the opinion of this middle-aged grump. But, what do I know? Maybe your child's education isn't that big a deal and isn't worth the time and effort. It is your decision.

Old Glory Under Lights

2007-10-29T11:28:00.000-04:00

We were on a walk last night and I took this picture of the US flag in front of a local public office building. All too often we, as Americans, pay no attention to the flag. I think that it is beautiful - not just aesthetically but also because of the symbolism. I spent 10 years in the Air Force and did not have to make any major sacrifices. However, many of our military have made major sacrifices or even the ultimate sacrifice to defend the freedom that Old Glory represents. This middle-aged veteran asks you to please take a minute to reflect upon the flag. Thanks.

East Tennessee & North Carolina Trip (10/26-27/07)

2007-10-29T10:26:00.001-04:00

My wife and I went on a whirl wind, round-a-bout trip through parts of East Tennessee and western North Carolina this weekend. I saw a interesting bumper sticker and took a few pictures.

Bumper Sticker: " I am not out of shape. ROUND is a shape!" Well, I must say the the proverbial shoe fit my size 15 feet perfectly. I tried to take a picture of the bumper sticker but was not quick enough with the camera.

The above picture is taken from the top of Clinch Mountain in Tennessee on Highway 25. You can see that the dry weather has effected the water levels and the fall colors. The leaf colors are muted and not as vibrant as most years.

This picture was taken on US 11 heading into Greeneville, TN from I-81. Waht a beautiful moon!

These three pictures were taken at a scenic overlook on US 23 (I-26) in Tennessee just across from the North Carolina border. The beauty of God's creation is amazing!

This is on US 23 (I-26) around Mars Hill, NC. It is evident why these are called the Blue Ridge Mountains. I actually took this by pressing the camera to the windshield while doing 65 mph. No, I wasn't driving! My wife drives while I take pictures and sleep.

Another picture from the car. This sunset was near Newport, TN along I-75.

Introduction

2007-10-26T13:42:00.000-04:00

Greetings from Kentucky! I'm "Brad" and this is my first post. I 'm new to the world of blogging and hope to learn about blogging while using this as a forum to vent and express myself. I am not a gifted writer but hopefully my skills will prove sufficient.

I intend to use this as a place to post my observations on life. I have recently come to the realization that, at age 42, I am a full-fledged middle aged man. That means that I see things differently! Seriously, I sometimes feel like I am an old grouch but then realize that it is just a generation gap thing.

Anyway, I hope to post thoughts, observations, pictures, and etc. from my daily life. Just to give you some insight into me - I am a Christian, a husband of 25 years, a father to two young adult ladies, a grandfather, an instructor, a track and field coach, and a sports junkie.