The Soothing Sounds of Heroin Addiction
07 Feb
Posted in Music 2 comments

The Soothing Sounds of Heroin Addiction

This weekend, I came across a company called Rockabye Baby. They create lullabys based on popular music so you can indoctrinate your child with your favorite tunes before he can even speak.

Not entirely sure I’m on board with stripping these artists of many of the qualities that make them relevant in the first place – which is what is necessary in order to make most popular music compatible with infants, but whatever. It’s a decent idea – nothing warms my heart like the thought of my son growing up to like the same music, movies, books and other assorted pop culture that I waste so much time obsessing over – but there’s just something questionable about the execution here, not the least of which is the fact that it doesn’t seem like the people at Rockabye spent too much time considering the lyrical content of some of their selections.
Read more about The Soothing Sounds of Heroin Addiction …

Raising Kids With Religion – or Not
28 Jan
Posted in discipline 15,520 comments

Raising Kids With Religion – or Not

I was raised Catholic. And like everyone else who was raised Catholic, I am what you might call “lapsed.” (In reality I am actually just “not a Catholic anymore,” but my parents might read this, so let’s go with “lapsed.”)

I don’t put much truck in religion these days; it has its purpose for many, and I don’t begrudge them their beliefs, except of course when they use those beliefs as a rationale for violence and intolerance and hatred and war and etc. Which is a lot of people, but it certainly isn’t the majority. So go ahead and pray if you like; I just won’t be joining you.

But my son might.
Read more about Raising Kids With Religion – or Not …

Balancing Act
25 Jan
Posted in Rules 2,699 comments

Balancing Act

Not everyone likes me. I’ve done some bad things.

I didn’t get straight As. I swear too much. I am not religious, I am not even particularly kind. I may or may not have been arrested. I’ve been unemployed for long stretches. I drink a lot. And I once killed a man for touching my fries.

Are those failings my parents’ fault? And, more importantly, will my sons’ shortcomings, personality defects and general life mistakes be my fault? Conversely, how much credit should we take for our kids’ success? And how much should we care about it?

Read more about Balancing Act …

Matter of Perspective
21 Jan
Posted in Lists 323 comments

Matter of Perspective

My life has changed immeasurably since I had my first (only?) child in September. I’ve spent a fair amount of time detailing how I’ve had to make sacrifices, how my free time has dwindled, where my money goes, etc. But I knew all that was coming.

What I didn’t expect was to have the way I view the world altered as much as it’s been. I just don’t see things the same way as a father as I did when I was childless. For better and worse.

Click below and together we can take a look at how my outlook on things has (or hasn’t) changed!

Read more about Matter of Perspective …

Let’s Get Physical
20 Jan
Posted in Sacrifice No comments

Let’s Get Physical

So my son turned four months old the other day. And today was my first day back at the gym since he was born. I’d like to type more but my arms just fell off. Give me a second. … Okay, I’m better now. (Hint: my arms didn’t actually fall off.) I’ve spoken before aboutRead more about Let’s Get Physical[…]

e9afe31c5a7577fdf2fc8f15bd5008856c363ba4adcd73a03f