I know, I know- there is still a week left of the season, 3 weeks of post season. But as I have already bared my soul for all to see, the NORTH Michigan Snow Flurries are done. The only thing we have left to play for is pride...and screw that, I say. We've been playing for pride. Now the only thing left to play for is to not have the #1 overall pick because in a serpentine draft system, the top pick is almost more of a curse than a blessing, because then you have to basically wait 2 whole rounds before you can pick again. Plus, who wants to tell their friends that they were the worst fantasy football player in their league last year. Actually, who talks about fantasy football to their friends?
Where did it all go wrong? Some might say injuries- and while there is some truth to that, the other truth is that there are always great waiver-wire finds throughout the season. Kyle Orton, Peyton Hillis, and Michael Vick are just a few of the names that ended up being available via waiver wire. This is one of the components of being a champion- you have to know when a free-floating football player is getting ready to explode, while knowing which player on your roster is ready to be cut loose. It's a dog-eat-dog food world out there.
Was I able to find any of them- or anyone worth while? Only this exclusive inside-my-mind feature will be able to answer that question. The inside-my-mind commentary will be in italics. In case you couldn't figure that out.
Sept. 4- Dropped Donnie Avery- Possibly a prophetic draft pick, because I found out after I drafted him that he was out for the year. Maybe next season I should at least do a little bit of prep work...
Sept. 6- Added Sam Bradford- Sam actually will be starting his first game for the Snow Flurries in Week 13- but he has looked very good on my bench this season, and is definitely in line for keeper status- after all, this guy has the look of a future superstar all over him, and a great keeper can go a long way in keeping an injury-filled season afloat (see- Manning, Peyton; Johnson, Chris;Brady, Tom, etc.).
Sept. 15- Dropped Ryan Grant, added Patriots defense-Once I realized that the longer I kept Grant around, the more likely it was that his teammates would realize that he was, in fact, alive, I had to drop him like a bad habit. I don't really have anything to say about the Patriots D.
Sept. 23- Traded Patriots D, Dustin Keller, T.J. Houshmanzadeh to dad for Anquan Boldin, Heath Miller, and Tim Hightower- Ah yes. The Patriots D. I was able to throw them in this trade for what ended up being Anquan Boldin. Unfortunately, Boldin was mentally unable to rebound from the time when I benched him and he scored 33 points, and wound up in a late-season free fall. This trade ended up basically doing nothing for anyone.
Sept. 29- Dropped Mohammed Massaquoi, added Jabar Gaffney- Another inconsequential move, other than to give me a guy that I would occasionally look at on the bench and wonder 'Why didn't I play that guy?'.
Oct.2- Dropped Miller, added Aaron Hernandez- Hernandez will always be synonymous in my mind with 'what might have been'. Do you know how frustrating it is to always read the football 'experts' talk about what a match-up nightmare that Hernandez is- and to so infrequently see that show up in his statistics? Does it matter to me that his abilities make things easier for the New England offense? This isn't fantasy compassion damnit, it's fantasy football!
Oct. 13- Added Tony Scheffler and Mike Hart, dropped Hightower- The Tim Hightower Experiment wasn't one of my finer moments. See ya! Hart- well, I was just hoping Hart could recapture some of the magic that made him one of the best high school running backs of all time. Or at least not suck very much. Scheffler was another one of my failed experiments to replace Jermichael Finley.
Oct. 16- Dropped Lawrence Tynes, added Sebastion Janikowski- Tynes was not 100% sure thing to kick for the Giants that week, so I figured 'what the hey' and picked up the Raiders K. What was initially meant to be a one week trial for Janikowski ended up in a full-ride scholarship. Hey, if colleges can pay their players under the table, surely a Fantasy Football team can offer to pay for a guy's education.
Oct. 20- Dropped Hart, added Chris Ivory- Going off of memory here- I believe that the only reason that Hart was even playing was that the guys ahead of him were hurt...and then he got hurt. And the guys ahead of him were getting better. Or something like that, who knows. Only, nostalgia is no reason to keep someone around in Fantasy Football. So sayonara Mike Hart. As for Chris Ivory? Injuries waylaid him too...just long enough for me to drop him, someone else to pick him up, and for him to score 15 points in back-to-back weeks late in the season, which of course for me would have been amazing.
Oct. 27- Dropped Ravens D, added Cardinals D and Ryan Fitzpatrick- I remember, very clearly, in the draft room when I drafted the Ravens D, and everyone was like, 'good pick Parksy'...and only 2 months later, I can't get rid of them fast enough. What happened, Ray Lewis? Are you trying to tell me that it's more important for you to win real games by playing sound defense than it is for you to score me lots of fantasy points by gambling and possibly get out of position? What kind of sick, sick bastard are you? Well, just to spite you, I not only dropped you from my roster, but I picked up the very Harvard-educated QB that carved you up like a cooked bird- the immortal Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Oct. 30- Dropped Jermichael Finley, Michael Crabtree and Sam Bradford, added Josh Freeman and Mike Williams- I am not usually prone to making careless or impulsive decisions...oh wait. Yes I am. However, this case isn't all careless or 100% impulsive. Freeman ended up starting some games for me, as did Williams. And besides- I picked up Crabtree and Bradford later on in the season. Obviously they were still available not because they were not very good- but out of blind loyalty to my managerial awesomeness they rebuffed all other offers and just waited around for me to call them back.
Nov. 2- Traded Chad Henne and Ryan Fitzpatrick for Jay Cutler and Jon Kitna- This trade actually worked out well for me. No, really, it did. After Tony Romo got hurt, there was a virtual QB carousel that never seemed to stop. By trading Henne and Doogie Howser, I was able to narrow it down to Josh Freeman. And if Kutler ever decided to snap out of his funk? Then I got a top tier fantasy QB for pennies on the dollar.
Nov. 3- Dropped Ivory, Kitna, and Scheffler, added Marcel Reese, Todd Heap, and Bradford, (Sam- welcome back- we missed ya! What's that? No no no no- that's not Jay Cutler chilling on the bench. Why would I pick up another QB- you're my #2 guy!) Also, at this point my search for running backs has all of the glamor of spring break college students and one night stands. I decided that I'm done with that. From now on, I'm going to be a faithful 2 running back guy (Turner and McFadden)...and, just to be safe, I'll get their back-ups too (Snelling and Reese). I suppose this is akin to marrying a woman, and then taking her sister to be your concubine. Unfortunately, I screwed up my waiver priorities,not thinking about the fact that no one would be going after Reese. And so it is that I messed up a chance to pick up Dallas Clark 2.0 (Jacob Tamme) at TE.
Nov. 10- Dropped Reese, added Josh Scobee- With my kicker on a bye week, I figured I'd add a kicker to help fill in for those missing points. And Reese was on a bye week too, so I was 100% confident if I ever wanted to add him to my roster again, I'd know right where to find him.
Nov. 13- Added Jacoby Ford- Anytime you have a young player with a name that can be legitimately pronounced more than seven different ways- well, you have to give that guy a chance, right?
Nov. 16- Dropped Josh Scobee- Well, I would have lost by more than 2 if I didn't have him, so thanks Josh. Oh, and thanks for missing 2 field goals and costing me the game, you twit (interesting bit of trivia...Josh Scobee was my first ever fantasy football kicker).
Nov. 17- Dropped Ford, added Crabtree- Sorry Jacoby. I'm sorry.
Nov. 23- Traded Mike Williams and Josh Freeman for Big Ben, John Kuhn- Well, after last season's controversy and chaos, it was nice to report that I was the perpetrator of this years first big conspiracy theory. Never mind the fact that this desperation move to get into the playoffs was contingent on A) Me winning both of my last two games, B) Team Doomsday losing both of his last two games, and C) Big Ben racking up huge amounts of fantasy points. Of course, most of those things didn't happen. Which is why I'll be watching the playoffs at home. On my TV. Hey, maybe I can invite the Detroit Lions over!
Nov. 23- Dropped John Kuhn- Dear John- I regret to inform you that you have been waived from the NORTH Michigan Snow Flurries. It's nothing personal- in fact, it's not you...it's me. You're a great guy, a hard working player, and you've even scored some. It's just that...well, the last two Packers I had ended up on Injured Reserve, and I have commitment issues.
Nov. 23- Traded Darren McFadden for Steve Johnson and Reggie Bush- This same trade was initially proposed to me with Javhid Best included. I turned it down, and counter-proposed the 2-for-1 trade. Oh, Javhid Best. I proposed a hail-mary trade for him after he torched the Eagles in Week 2, and was quickly turned down. Who would have thought that later in the season, Best would not only be a trade throw-in, but that he would get trade thrown-out?
As far as the trade itself goes- it was really just a strategical risk for me. McFadden has been a stud this year- but he's started to slow down as of late. Johnson, meanwhile, carries the p-word that all WRs carry. No, not that one. Potential. Maybe this is all in my head, but RBs seem to be more stable in their points- fluctuating usually on their TDs week to week. WRs? Sometimes they might get you 5 or 6, but one week they might get you a couple TDs, and a couple hundred yards and have like 20-30 points. Did it work? You'll have to tune in for my 2nd half synopsis to find out!
Nov. 24- Added Browns D- At this point in the season, anytime you can find a defense on the waiver wire that is playing a historically bad offense, you have to take a chance.
Nov. 30- Dropped Steve Smith, Cardinals D, Browns D, and Hernandez, added Rob Gronkowski- In what historians will likely call The Day That the Snow Flurries Waved The White Flag, I decided to waive the injured Smith (a solid possession receiver who would be a valuable playoff asset...if I was going to make the playoffs), my reserve defenses, and a rookie TE who could have been my amazing waiver wire pick-up. Unfortunately, Bill Belichik decided that I should have picked up the TE that his team drafted higher, and decided to mess with my mind by making Hernandez an integral part of the game plan just long enough to hook me in, and then BAM- he pulls him from relevance with the mere wave of his hand. Sheer cruelty. from the hand of the master. You win Belichik. This time.
Well, that's all the time we have for that. I hope you enjoyed it- or at the very least, you still want to be my friend. Like I said, tune in next time. For stuff.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
The Snow Flurries made it out alive except they died.
Well, that's it. We're done. Despite superhuman efforts from nearly everyone on the roster, The Snow Flurries of NORTH Michigan are not going to the postseason dance. Oh, we'll still be dancing, don't worry about that- it'll just be of the middle school variety. (technically, at the time of this publishing, there is still a puncher's chance at winning the game. I just need Michael Crabtree to score 36 points tonight, which would be half of what he has scored for the entire season).
It was a taxing season, to be sure. From the apparent death of Ryan Grant, to Tony Romo breaking his clavicle (what is a clavicle, really? Is that a member of the woodwind family?), my roster was never fully operational, and unfortunately they don't give fantasy points for heart. And now my season, smashed on the rocks, torn and beaten and stampeded (with a 2-5 division record to boot), has nothing to play for. Pride? Please. We spent the last nine weeks playing for pride, while also fighting desperately for a miracle shot at the playoffs. A shot that fell short. Way short.
Understand, this is not being written in bitterness or scorn. It's actually a bit of a relief, actually. Like putting down an old dog, the Snow Flurries have been fighting with everything they have just to reach a point where we could maybe be a playoff qualifier. It gets to a point where you have to say "I've forgotten what I started fightin' for".
We overcame injuries, and some terribly bad roster moves by me and nearly battled back to .500 on a couple occasions. I'm so proud of my team- and if I could draft this team as is for next season, I probably would. Actually, scratch that- I would have drafted much better. But perhaps more so than good drafting, being a champion in fantasy football involves luck, avoiding injuries (read: more luck), and having favorable match-ups (read: even more luck), and the chips simply did not fall my way this year.
Even though my fantasy season is over, my blogs about my fantasy season are not. After all, there is no way I could let you get out of reading my second half synopsis, transaction report, and final player grades. And I know you wouldn't want to, even if you could.
It was a taxing season, to be sure. From the apparent death of Ryan Grant, to Tony Romo breaking his clavicle (what is a clavicle, really? Is that a member of the woodwind family?), my roster was never fully operational, and unfortunately they don't give fantasy points for heart. And now my season, smashed on the rocks, torn and beaten and stampeded (with a 2-5 division record to boot), has nothing to play for. Pride? Please. We spent the last nine weeks playing for pride, while also fighting desperately for a miracle shot at the playoffs. A shot that fell short. Way short.
Understand, this is not being written in bitterness or scorn. It's actually a bit of a relief, actually. Like putting down an old dog, the Snow Flurries have been fighting with everything they have just to reach a point where we could maybe be a playoff qualifier. It gets to a point where you have to say "I've forgotten what I started fightin' for".
We overcame injuries, and some terribly bad roster moves by me and nearly battled back to .500 on a couple occasions. I'm so proud of my team- and if I could draft this team as is for next season, I probably would. Actually, scratch that- I would have drafted much better. But perhaps more so than good drafting, being a champion in fantasy football involves luck, avoiding injuries (read: more luck), and having favorable match-ups (read: even more luck), and the chips simply did not fall my way this year.
Even though my fantasy season is over, my blogs about my fantasy season are not. After all, there is no way I could let you get out of reading my second half synopsis, transaction report, and final player grades. And I know you wouldn't want to, even if you could.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Black Hole Friday- A Love Story
There are moments in a person's life where they can point to a change or transformation where they rose above the ruckus and ascended to a sort of 'higher' level of existence. Maybe it is coming into manhood. Possibly the birth of a child. Some people find some sort of mystical medallion that grants them magic powers.
This blog is not about any of that. This blog is about a dude (namely, me) who went Black Friday shopping for the first time yesterday- well, technically today. Black Friday has power to warp the perception of time.
I'm not sure how, or why I was persuaded to go Black Friday shopping- after all, I've managed to live through 30+ years of existence without being sucked into the universal emptiness that is Black Friday. (oh wait, I remember. Sara told me that I needed to go. Happy wife trumps happy sleepy time)
I imagine that the mental preparation of Black Friday is akin to that of a professional football team. You have to formulate a good game plan (here, let me see that Wal-mart ad). You have to manage your time well (Wal-mart at 12 am, Kohls at 3 am). You have to be patient (how long are we going to be waiting in line?). And finally, you have to attack the defense at its weakest point (there's the DVDs. I think I can muscle through that dude).
So we decided to attack Wal-mart first, because they decided to open their Black Friday (most of it) at 12:01 a.m. 12:01? What the hell Wal-mart? So basically you have decided to turn Black Friday into a graveyard shift endeavor. It probably doesn't help that we realized this at 9 o'clock p.m.- so any sort of meaningful sleep was out the window. And if you know me, you know that power naps are synonymous with sissy naps. A real nap should encompass hours. It should take you through a sleep cycle or two.
Why Wal-mart instead of rest? Aside from being a glutton for punishment, Wally world had a great deal on some DVD/Blu-rays (Bourne trilogy for $2 each, Lord of the Rings on Blu-Ray for $10 each), video games (Madden 11 for $29), and a really good deal on a vacuum cleaner. I can sleep every day- I'm not always going to be able to support capitalism like this.
This being my first Black Friday experience, I had NO idea what I was getting into. I knew it would be busy- I mean, humanity is not often prone to excessive exaggerating, so when you hear about Black Friday craziness multiple times from multiple sources, you have to believe it a little bit. But I still had NO idea of what I was getting into.
I thought that there'd be a few people standing around, waiting to snatch up some DVDs. I figured most people would wait until Wal-Mart put out their big electronics stuff at 5 a.m.
I was wrong. Dead wrong.
We got their about 20 minutes before midnight- and the parking lot was full. FULL. Not like, busy- it was FULL. And when we got inside, it was worse- way worse. There were these sacred temples of 12:01 goods set up all over the store, and people were jam packed all around them. Okay- so obviously I underestimated the desire of people to get great deals on stuff that is essentially useless.
Sara and I wandered around for a few minutes, trying to locate the DVDs and video games. Like any type of rational people, we checked the electronics section first. Because that's where they sell DVDs and video games every other day of the year, right?
Naturally, they put the DVDs in the produce section, which we didn't realize until the buzzer sounded and the people began to gut the temples of their precious innards. Frantically, we began to tear through the masses of bodies in order to get to the only thing (other than the vacuum) that we came for- digital Hollywood.
I won't bore you with too many details, other than that we were able to muscle our way in and secure all three of the Lord of the Rings on Blu-Ray (although I had to go back into the lions den when Sara realized that she had grabbed some without the special stickers on them), Madden 11, and 33 percent of the Bourne movies. We also got a real good deal on some avocados.
In the end, the actual experience at Wal-mart was much better than I expected- other than the terrible misdirection and the fact that there was no traffic controller for the people wanting to check out. So we stood in line for over an hour when we probably could have been done in like a half-hour if Wal-mart would have had one or two employees whose only job was to tell people that 'hey, you can go here, because this line is open'. Really I think it's a passive aggressive jab at we, the people. "We have to get up early, and cater to you pricks? Well, you can stand around in line for exorbitant amounts of time for no reason". Well played, Wal-mart, well played.
After a quick (and fairly out of the way) pit stop at Mickey D's for some coffee (which ended up being more trouble than it was worth, thanks to their hot beverage and iced coffee machines being out of order) which ended up with me getting a McFlurry and a Frappe', which is basically like a McFlurry without the ice cream or toppings, we ran to Kohls.
I blame Kohl's for this escalation of Black Friday. This statement is in no way based in any sort of empirical way, but feel free to assume that it is true. See, last year, Kohl's opened at 4 a.m. That's pretty reasonable- I mean, 4 is almost 5, and 5 is a legitimate time in the morning to be awake (at least, that's what society tells us- realistically, I'm not sure any a.m. time should be experienced unless it involves sleep). However, this year Kohl's decided to open at 3.
Do you see where this is going? It's going to be an arms race of Black Friday times. Wal-mart already upped the ante by opening at 12:01. Pretty soon, Black Friday is going to be the Friday before Thanksgiving. It's just ridiculous.
And I would hate to be an employee at one of those places. I have to work when? 3 o'clock? In the morning??? Yeah right. I think that this is what Marx envisioned when he talked about the dictatorship of the proletariat. Eventually, minimum wage workers all over the United States are going to get pissed and do something about it. And then, only then, can Black Friday really be called Black Friday.
But that is not where we're at right now. Right now, we're all lemmings, and so we file into Kohl's at the ungodly hour of 3 a.m. Actually, this was probably the best bad-ass moment of the night (morning?). We got there right at 3, eschewing the traditional waiting in the line. I'm sorry- it's cold out. It's really late (early?). I am not going to stand in line outside just to go inside and stand in another line.
So we start walking in right towards the doors. Rather than keep going to the left and get to the back of the line, we just go right for the door. Screw it, this is Black Friday, and there is no reason to completely adhere to all the social norms, right? Not only that, but a group of us stormed the door that said "Do not use this door". Yeah, that's right- your signs are meaningless to us.
Of course, Kohl's flexed their bourgeoisie muscles by giving the boot to the guy walking around giving out Free Hugs. Thanks for the 3 free hugs Free Hug guy- but I'm not about to give up my spot in line in order to fight for your right to give out free hugs.
Kohls definitely had their crap in order. There were dudes all along the way telling us where to go to stand in line. Which was good, because it was like this long snake-like line all the way through the store. BTW, well played Kohls- we probably spent another $40-$50 as we wound our way through the store waiting in line.
In the end, we wound up with everything that we wanted from Kohls. But I do have something about Kohls that I want to say. It's not exclusive to Black Friday- but it's definitely a Kohls thing.
I have come to realize that Kohls is basically a fancy dollar store. That can be the only explanation for the fact that not only is everything on sale all the time- but they also offer additional coupons (15% off yesterday) and Kohls cash as well ($30). Our cashier told us that we saved like $240 when it was all told.
Yeah right. You think you can mark stuff way up so that you can mark it way down, and then tell me that I saved money? What you mean is that you bamboozled me for goods that I could have secured at any Family Dollar- you just have name recognition, so you can get away with it.
(Note: I do think Kohls has quality items- Their only crime is that they assume that people are stupid.)
(Shut up)
Well, that's about all I have to say about losing my Black Friday virginity. Will I do it again? I'm sure I will. I can see how experience could lead to securing even more and more things that we don't really need at really good prices. And isn't that what Black Friday is all about?
This blog is not about any of that. This blog is about a dude (namely, me) who went Black Friday shopping for the first time yesterday- well, technically today. Black Friday has power to warp the perception of time.
I'm not sure how, or why I was persuaded to go Black Friday shopping- after all, I've managed to live through 30+ years of existence without being sucked into the universal emptiness that is Black Friday. (oh wait, I remember. Sara told me that I needed to go. Happy wife trumps happy sleepy time)
I imagine that the mental preparation of Black Friday is akin to that of a professional football team. You have to formulate a good game plan (here, let me see that Wal-mart ad). You have to manage your time well (Wal-mart at 12 am, Kohls at 3 am). You have to be patient (how long are we going to be waiting in line?). And finally, you have to attack the defense at its weakest point (there's the DVDs. I think I can muscle through that dude).
So we decided to attack Wal-mart first, because they decided to open their Black Friday (most of it) at 12:01 a.m. 12:01? What the hell Wal-mart? So basically you have decided to turn Black Friday into a graveyard shift endeavor. It probably doesn't help that we realized this at 9 o'clock p.m.- so any sort of meaningful sleep was out the window. And if you know me, you know that power naps are synonymous with sissy naps. A real nap should encompass hours. It should take you through a sleep cycle or two.
Why Wal-mart instead of rest? Aside from being a glutton for punishment, Wally world had a great deal on some DVD/Blu-rays (Bourne trilogy for $2 each, Lord of the Rings on Blu-Ray for $10 each), video games (Madden 11 for $29), and a really good deal on a vacuum cleaner. I can sleep every day- I'm not always going to be able to support capitalism like this.
This being my first Black Friday experience, I had NO idea what I was getting into. I knew it would be busy- I mean, humanity is not often prone to excessive exaggerating, so when you hear about Black Friday craziness multiple times from multiple sources, you have to believe it a little bit. But I still had NO idea of what I was getting into.
I thought that there'd be a few people standing around, waiting to snatch up some DVDs. I figured most people would wait until Wal-Mart put out their big electronics stuff at 5 a.m.
I was wrong. Dead wrong.
We got their about 20 minutes before midnight- and the parking lot was full. FULL. Not like, busy- it was FULL. And when we got inside, it was worse- way worse. There were these sacred temples of 12:01 goods set up all over the store, and people were jam packed all around them. Okay- so obviously I underestimated the desire of people to get great deals on stuff that is essentially useless.
Sara and I wandered around for a few minutes, trying to locate the DVDs and video games. Like any type of rational people, we checked the electronics section first. Because that's where they sell DVDs and video games every other day of the year, right?
Naturally, they put the DVDs in the produce section, which we didn't realize until the buzzer sounded and the people began to gut the temples of their precious innards. Frantically, we began to tear through the masses of bodies in order to get to the only thing (other than the vacuum) that we came for- digital Hollywood.
I won't bore you with too many details, other than that we were able to muscle our way in and secure all three of the Lord of the Rings on Blu-Ray (although I had to go back into the lions den when Sara realized that she had grabbed some without the special stickers on them), Madden 11, and 33 percent of the Bourne movies. We also got a real good deal on some avocados.
In the end, the actual experience at Wal-mart was much better than I expected- other than the terrible misdirection and the fact that there was no traffic controller for the people wanting to check out. So we stood in line for over an hour when we probably could have been done in like a half-hour if Wal-mart would have had one or two employees whose only job was to tell people that 'hey, you can go here, because this line is open'. Really I think it's a passive aggressive jab at we, the people. "We have to get up early, and cater to you pricks? Well, you can stand around in line for exorbitant amounts of time for no reason". Well played, Wal-mart, well played.
After a quick (and fairly out of the way) pit stop at Mickey D's for some coffee (which ended up being more trouble than it was worth, thanks to their hot beverage and iced coffee machines being out of order) which ended up with me getting a McFlurry and a Frappe', which is basically like a McFlurry without the ice cream or toppings, we ran to Kohls.
I blame Kohl's for this escalation of Black Friday. This statement is in no way based in any sort of empirical way, but feel free to assume that it is true. See, last year, Kohl's opened at 4 a.m. That's pretty reasonable- I mean, 4 is almost 5, and 5 is a legitimate time in the morning to be awake (at least, that's what society tells us- realistically, I'm not sure any a.m. time should be experienced unless it involves sleep). However, this year Kohl's decided to open at 3.
Do you see where this is going? It's going to be an arms race of Black Friday times. Wal-mart already upped the ante by opening at 12:01. Pretty soon, Black Friday is going to be the Friday before Thanksgiving. It's just ridiculous.
And I would hate to be an employee at one of those places. I have to work when? 3 o'clock? In the morning??? Yeah right. I think that this is what Marx envisioned when he talked about the dictatorship of the proletariat. Eventually, minimum wage workers all over the United States are going to get pissed and do something about it. And then, only then, can Black Friday really be called Black Friday.
But that is not where we're at right now. Right now, we're all lemmings, and so we file into Kohl's at the ungodly hour of 3 a.m. Actually, this was probably the best bad-ass moment of the night (morning?). We got there right at 3, eschewing the traditional waiting in the line. I'm sorry- it's cold out. It's really late (early?). I am not going to stand in line outside just to go inside and stand in another line.
So we start walking in right towards the doors. Rather than keep going to the left and get to the back of the line, we just go right for the door. Screw it, this is Black Friday, and there is no reason to completely adhere to all the social norms, right? Not only that, but a group of us stormed the door that said "Do not use this door". Yeah, that's right- your signs are meaningless to us.
Of course, Kohl's flexed their bourgeoisie muscles by giving the boot to the guy walking around giving out Free Hugs. Thanks for the 3 free hugs Free Hug guy- but I'm not about to give up my spot in line in order to fight for your right to give out free hugs.
Kohls definitely had their crap in order. There were dudes all along the way telling us where to go to stand in line. Which was good, because it was like this long snake-like line all the way through the store. BTW, well played Kohls- we probably spent another $40-$50 as we wound our way through the store waiting in line.
In the end, we wound up with everything that we wanted from Kohls. But I do have something about Kohls that I want to say. It's not exclusive to Black Friday- but it's definitely a Kohls thing.
I have come to realize that Kohls is basically a fancy dollar store. That can be the only explanation for the fact that not only is everything on sale all the time- but they also offer additional coupons (15% off yesterday) and Kohls cash as well ($30). Our cashier told us that we saved like $240 when it was all told.
Yeah right. You think you can mark stuff way up so that you can mark it way down, and then tell me that I saved money? What you mean is that you bamboozled me for goods that I could have secured at any Family Dollar- you just have name recognition, so you can get away with it.
(Note: I do think Kohls has quality items- Their only crime is that they assume that people are stupid.)
(Shut up)
Well, that's about all I have to say about losing my Black Friday virginity. Will I do it again? I'm sure I will. I can see how experience could lead to securing even more and more things that we don't really need at really good prices. And isn't that what Black Friday is all about?
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
News Flash- Ohio State President is Idiot
There are things that I am, and things that I am not. And one of the things that I am not is afraid to sit here at my computer and say mean things about people. After all, isn't that what we bloggers do? Sit behind our fortresses of facelessness and beef up our bravado?
I read an article today on ESPN.com where The Ohio State U president E. Gordon Gee (Is that his real name? Was he born on Sesame Street? Thank you Santa for the early Christmas Present), or EGG as I will dub him, spouted off his opinion about mid-majors Boise State and TCU and their unworthiness of a national championship game appearance despite their undefeatedness. Now, the presidents of Boise State and TCU have already responded (which makes me smile), but I, the nameless and faceless hero, have not. But I can take it no longer- the silence has made my blood boil, and now I must unboil the blood by being unsilent. Besides, surely an NMU graduate calling out a major college president isn't the silliest calling-out to happen today.
First of all- let it be known that Gee is obviously biased in his assessment. After all- if Boise State and/or TCU get at-large bids in the BCS- well, there is a good chance that OSU is on the outside looking in, since they trail Wisconsin in the most recent BCS standings (and the BCS standings would determine the Big 10 champion if it ended in a 3-way tie), and they trail Boise State and TCU as well. There is a lot of money to be made, and right now, EGG is only in a position to window shop that money.
So what else to do, except go out into the media and plead your case to the masses. I remember Nebraska doing the same thing in 1997- Michigan and Nebraska were both undefeated, but Michigan was number 1, and there was no BCS back then, no way for them to actually settle it on the field. Naturally, what else is a Cornhusker to do except make a lot of noise about how they would just destroy Michigan on the football field (well, that and to have legendary Nebraska coach Tom Osborne retire just before their bowl game. Interesting timing Tom).
Now that we've established that EGG is at best unreliable because he is too close to the situation to be a really objective observer, we can begin to rip on the things that he said.
Far be it from me to judge another human being though. So while I allow the very words of EGG to echo throughout all of teh interwebz, I'll let you make the call. Well, I'll let you make the call after I tell you what he said and then provide my own possibly-slanted commentary.
The following are actual EGG quotes
-"Well, I don't know enough about the X's and O's of college football"- No commentary. Slam dunk. Anytime someone admits that they are ignorant about something, you just slide into 'pretend to listen' mode. If you are trying to speak authoritatively on a subject and then admit that you don't really know much about that subject- then you just laid an egg. EGG.
- "I do know, having been both a Southeastern Conference president and a Big Ten president, that it's like murderer's row every week for these schools." First of all, I've seen The Longest Yard. Both of them. So I can definitively say that you do not play murderer's row every week. Maybe armed robbers row? Or white collar criminals row? I don't know- I'm sure Ohio and Eastern Michigan are not perpetrators of any violent crimes.
-"We do not play the Little Sisters of the Poor. We play very fine schools on any given day."-Oh right, how silly of me to forget that the Big 10 is home to such football goliaths as Indiana (4-7), Purdue (4-7, lost to Toledo), and Minnesota (2-9, lost to South Dakota). On second thought, I believe you owe Little Sisters of the Poor an apology.
-"So I think until a university runs through that gantlet that there's some reason to believe that they not be the best teams to [be] in the big ballgame."- Aside from structurally being a confusing statement- you've already admitted that you don't know much about football. There's much more to the game then the name of the school, or the name of the conference.
-"If you put a gun to my head and said, 'What are you going to do about a playoff system (if) the BCS system as it now exists goes away?'"- What kind of sick masochist thinks of this kind of stuff? Why would somebody ask you a question like that with a gun to your head? They aren't making you do something against your will- they're merely asking for information. 'Give me your opinion or I'll shoot you'. Yeah, that's not how it works- trust me, I've seen Taken.
-"It's not about this incessant drive to have a national championship because I think that's a slippery slope to professionalism"- Because there aren't any athletes getting paid in college sports at this time.
-"I'm a fan of the bowl system and I think that by and large it's worked very, very well."- Let's ask 1994 Penn State about that bowl system. I guess the success depends on how you define your goals. If you want a bunch of meaningless games played in warm weather locations in front of sparsely populated stadiums? The bowl system has been amazing. If you want a definitive national champion? The bowl system sucks ass-assin.
-"You know, it's a mystery," Gee said. "We were No. 1 then No. 11 then No. 7 and we ended up playing for the national championship. I think I kind of like that mixed-up mystery."- You know what else would have mystery and intrigue? Putting the names of all the colleges in the country onto a dartboard, and then putting on a blindfold and throwing darts until you hit the name of a school on the dartboard, and then proclaiming that college as the National Champion.
Mr. EGG, I don't know much about you, other than the fact that you have an amazing name and that you are president of one of the most prestigious universities in all the land. As sole owner and contributor to this blog, I have made many posts that ended up making me look like a fool. This is, of course, in addition to the countless accolades of foolishness I have accumulated over a lifetime of being a fool. When it comes to being a fool, I am peerless as an expert.
So believe me when I tell you that your comments about college football- well, they made you look like a fool. Admittedly, there is no love lost between me and your university (well, there was a little love lost when my bestest cousinfriend Chris went to your school)- but please- I am extending the olive branch now. Leave football alone, and concentrate on the academics of your fine institution
If you continue to put your nose where it doesn't belong- you might just end up poached. Oh come on, I was on a roll. You know you love it.
I read an article today on ESPN.com where The Ohio State U president E. Gordon Gee (Is that his real name? Was he born on Sesame Street? Thank you Santa for the early Christmas Present), or EGG as I will dub him, spouted off his opinion about mid-majors Boise State and TCU and their unworthiness of a national championship game appearance despite their undefeatedness. Now, the presidents of Boise State and TCU have already responded (which makes me smile), but I, the nameless and faceless hero, have not. But I can take it no longer- the silence has made my blood boil, and now I must unboil the blood by being unsilent. Besides, surely an NMU graduate calling out a major college president isn't the silliest calling-out to happen today.
First of all- let it be known that Gee is obviously biased in his assessment. After all- if Boise State and/or TCU get at-large bids in the BCS- well, there is a good chance that OSU is on the outside looking in, since they trail Wisconsin in the most recent BCS standings (and the BCS standings would determine the Big 10 champion if it ended in a 3-way tie), and they trail Boise State and TCU as well. There is a lot of money to be made, and right now, EGG is only in a position to window shop that money.
So what else to do, except go out into the media and plead your case to the masses. I remember Nebraska doing the same thing in 1997- Michigan and Nebraska were both undefeated, but Michigan was number 1, and there was no BCS back then, no way for them to actually settle it on the field. Naturally, what else is a Cornhusker to do except make a lot of noise about how they would just destroy Michigan on the football field (well, that and to have legendary Nebraska coach Tom Osborne retire just before their bowl game. Interesting timing Tom).
Now that we've established that EGG is at best unreliable because he is too close to the situation to be a really objective observer, we can begin to rip on the things that he said.
Far be it from me to judge another human being though. So while I allow the very words of EGG to echo throughout all of teh interwebz, I'll let you make the call. Well, I'll let you make the call after I tell you what he said and then provide my own possibly-slanted commentary.
The following are actual EGG quotes
-"Well, I don't know enough about the X's and O's of college football"- No commentary. Slam dunk. Anytime someone admits that they are ignorant about something, you just slide into 'pretend to listen' mode. If you are trying to speak authoritatively on a subject and then admit that you don't really know much about that subject- then you just laid an egg. EGG.
- "I do know, having been both a Southeastern Conference president and a Big Ten president, that it's like murderer's row every week for these schools." First of all, I've seen The Longest Yard. Both of them. So I can definitively say that you do not play murderer's row every week. Maybe armed robbers row? Or white collar criminals row? I don't know- I'm sure Ohio and Eastern Michigan are not perpetrators of any violent crimes.
-"We do not play the Little Sisters of the Poor. We play very fine schools on any given day."-Oh right, how silly of me to forget that the Big 10 is home to such football goliaths as Indiana (4-7), Purdue (4-7, lost to Toledo), and Minnesota (2-9, lost to South Dakota). On second thought, I believe you owe Little Sisters of the Poor an apology.
-"So I think until a university runs through that gantlet that there's some reason to believe that they not be the best teams to [be] in the big ballgame."- Aside from structurally being a confusing statement- you've already admitted that you don't know much about football. There's much more to the game then the name of the school, or the name of the conference.
-"If you put a gun to my head and said, 'What are you going to do about a playoff system (if) the BCS system as it now exists goes away?'"- What kind of sick masochist thinks of this kind of stuff? Why would somebody ask you a question like that with a gun to your head? They aren't making you do something against your will- they're merely asking for information. 'Give me your opinion or I'll shoot you'. Yeah, that's not how it works- trust me, I've seen Taken.
-"It's not about this incessant drive to have a national championship because I think that's a slippery slope to professionalism"- Because there aren't any athletes getting paid in college sports at this time.
-"I'm a fan of the bowl system and I think that by and large it's worked very, very well."- Let's ask 1994 Penn State about that bowl system. I guess the success depends on how you define your goals. If you want a bunch of meaningless games played in warm weather locations in front of sparsely populated stadiums? The bowl system has been amazing. If you want a definitive national champion? The bowl system sucks ass-assin.
-"You know, it's a mystery," Gee said. "We were No. 1 then No. 11 then No. 7 and we ended up playing for the national championship. I think I kind of like that mixed-up mystery."- You know what else would have mystery and intrigue? Putting the names of all the colleges in the country onto a dartboard, and then putting on a blindfold and throwing darts until you hit the name of a school on the dartboard, and then proclaiming that college as the National Champion.
Mr. EGG, I don't know much about you, other than the fact that you have an amazing name and that you are president of one of the most prestigious universities in all the land. As sole owner and contributor to this blog, I have made many posts that ended up making me look like a fool. This is, of course, in addition to the countless accolades of foolishness I have accumulated over a lifetime of being a fool. When it comes to being a fool, I am peerless as an expert.
So believe me when I tell you that your comments about college football- well, they made you look like a fool. Admittedly, there is no love lost between me and your university (well, there was a little love lost when my bestest cousinfriend Chris went to your school)- but please- I am extending the olive branch now. Leave football alone, and concentrate on the academics of your fine institution
If you continue to put your nose where it doesn't belong- you might just end up poached. Oh come on, I was on a roll. You know you love it.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Election Day
This is the second poem that I wrote for submission in a social work journal poetry contest. As the title would indicate, it was written as my perspective of the state of politics in our country. Whether you are Republican, Democrat, Independent, etc., it's very obvious that there is a significant negative energy associated with the political scene, and that energy is completely counter productive. Both sides are more interested in mud slinging and making themselves appear above reproach- and it's frankly sickening me.
Like my first poem, the premise of this one is that as the human nation, we share so much with our fellow man and yet we throw all those commonalities to the curb in the interest of our differences. I'm not trying to say that we should all be the same- because aside from being boring, that would be counter-productive. We need a degree of conflict and tension in order to keep the machine humming along. However, this can occur without the needless attacks and finger pointing.
As you read this, try and hold hands with someone and sing 'Kumbaya'.
Election Day
We’re all a “they” to “them”
To some men
Each side firing the weapons of “their” demise
At the other guys
Insults like boomerangs, we fire away with blind eyes
But aren’t “we” the “other” guys?
Oh, no time to sit and discuss, because of this mistrust we let fester
This unity we’ve sequestered
We cast votes, we cast stones
United as alone
Let’s abuse the issues until the hatred is diffused
So we can win and “they” lose.
Meanwhile the walls around us crumble and fall
And still we point the finger at “them” all
The world we live in together can still be saved
But we’d rather take our pride to our graves
Like my first poem, the premise of this one is that as the human nation, we share so much with our fellow man and yet we throw all those commonalities to the curb in the interest of our differences. I'm not trying to say that we should all be the same- because aside from being boring, that would be counter-productive. We need a degree of conflict and tension in order to keep the machine humming along. However, this can occur without the needless attacks and finger pointing.
As you read this, try and hold hands with someone and sing 'Kumbaya'.
Election Day
We’re all a “they” to “them”
To some men
Each side firing the weapons of “their” demise
At the other guys
Insults like boomerangs, we fire away with blind eyes
But aren’t “we” the “other” guys?
Oh, no time to sit and discuss, because of this mistrust we let fester
This unity we’ve sequestered
We cast votes, we cast stones
United as alone
Let’s abuse the issues until the hatred is diffused
So we can win and “they” lose.
Meanwhile the walls around us crumble and fall
And still we point the finger at “them” all
The world we live in together can still be saved
But we’d rather take our pride to our graves
Monday, November 22, 2010
When there's nothing else to say- you poem it!
So I know that I need to write. Only- I don't know what to write. My interests are far too varied to focus in on any one thing, as some other bloggers do- which works to my advantage and my disadvantage. On the one hand, I feel like I can write on any number of topics- which keeps you, the reader, in constant suspense. The suspense is constant, right? On the other hand, with a singular focus, there can be a driving passion that spurs one on towards that one, singular goal, which can make it easier to press on in those times when motivation and time are lacking.
I know that I need to write, because I feel like it's my connection to my soul. Writing helps me to know that I'm alive, in my mind. I write to unscramble the labyrinth of thoughts in my head- to lay hold of the man that I know that I am, and yet somehow am not. Right now, it's just not happening. Call it hangover, call it backsliding- but I know that I can be so much more than I am, and while the circumstances of my life might be static, my mind should be constantly be moving forward. Right now- I'm not there.
This song and dance is tired, and I know that I've repeatedly chronicled this struggle in this very blog- the desire to write, the absence of writing, the whys of the absence of writing, and the plan to move forward. I realize that every time I do this, I lose credibility. My retort to that is- this is a blog. A blog written by me. How much credibility did I even have to start with?
In some ways, I bask in the glory of my failures. I am proud of myself for being able to pick myself up off the carpet, grab the 'top, and start hammering the keys, even as the aftertaste from my latest serving of humbled pie is still lingering in your mouth.
I'm not going to use this blog as a springboard into more production. There will be no 'I'm going to write X times about Y thing' statements, or anything like that. I need to write more- this I know- I just don't know when or how that's going to happen. But I'm going to keep giving it what I got. Some days, that might mean that the beer will flow like wine. Other days- I will be phoning it in. But either way- I will still be me- a 31 year old married father with a social work degree, a part-time society job, and an affinity for entertainment. A normal guy that is trying to figure out what life is all about.
Sorry you had to read all that internal monologue that spilled out on the page. Really the only thing I wanted to do was to post a poem that I wrote. It was written as a submission for a Social Work journal (there is another one that I will post later this week- maybe even tomorrow!). I won't know until Marchish if they will be published- but even if they don't, I'm pretty proud of them. Unless they suck- and then I will probably delete this post from existence.
Anyways, without further adieu, here is my poem. I hope you enjoy it- and if you hate it, I hope you keep your mouth shut.
I know that I need to write, because I feel like it's my connection to my soul. Writing helps me to know that I'm alive, in my mind. I write to unscramble the labyrinth of thoughts in my head- to lay hold of the man that I know that I am, and yet somehow am not. Right now, it's just not happening. Call it hangover, call it backsliding- but I know that I can be so much more than I am, and while the circumstances of my life might be static, my mind should be constantly be moving forward. Right now- I'm not there.
This song and dance is tired, and I know that I've repeatedly chronicled this struggle in this very blog- the desire to write, the absence of writing, the whys of the absence of writing, and the plan to move forward. I realize that every time I do this, I lose credibility. My retort to that is- this is a blog. A blog written by me. How much credibility did I even have to start with?
In some ways, I bask in the glory of my failures. I am proud of myself for being able to pick myself up off the carpet, grab the 'top, and start hammering the keys, even as the aftertaste from my latest serving of humbled pie is still lingering in your mouth.
I'm not going to use this blog as a springboard into more production. There will be no 'I'm going to write X times about Y thing' statements, or anything like that. I need to write more- this I know- I just don't know when or how that's going to happen. But I'm going to keep giving it what I got. Some days, that might mean that the beer will flow like wine. Other days- I will be phoning it in. But either way- I will still be me- a 31 year old married father with a social work degree, a part-time society job, and an affinity for entertainment. A normal guy that is trying to figure out what life is all about.
Sorry you had to read all that internal monologue that spilled out on the page. Really the only thing I wanted to do was to post a poem that I wrote. It was written as a submission for a Social Work journal (there is another one that I will post later this week- maybe even tomorrow!). I won't know until Marchish if they will be published- but even if they don't, I'm pretty proud of them. Unless they suck- and then I will probably delete this post from existence.
Anyways, without further adieu, here is my poem. I hope you enjoy it- and if you hate it, I hope you keep your mouth shut.
Portrait of a Humanity
I am just like you
I am nothing like you
I am light
I am dark
I love
I hate
When you fall, I will pick you up
When you fall, I will kick you.
I give the children good gifts
I give the children scorpions
I hug them
I hit them
I bought her flowers
I smashed the vase
I am simple
I am complex
I work hard
I am lazy
I’m driven
I’m listless
I have the world in my hand
I have the world against me
I am sacred
I am secular
I am safe
I am reckless
I build
I destroy
I am strong
I am weak
I am me
And I am you
And we are humanity
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Agony and Ecstasy
It's been a crazy week. Originally I was going to write this blog last week because of news that I got on Saturday (11/6), but as usual life happened (illness) and I didn't. But that's okay- because there were more things to happen over the past week that really tie into what I was going to write about. (of course, I then proceeded to wait an additional five days before finishing the blog. Man I am awesome).
While there are innumerable differences between all of us, we are also bound together by types of events that are not discriminant. Birth and death are chief among these- and the beauty of humanity is that we take these mundane commonalities and flavor them with our own perspectives.
This blog is about a day in my life when joy and sorrow intersected in my life on a normal Saturday. This is about the meaning that I have attached to it. Let's get this party started.
In the morning, I took the kids grocery shopping at Wal-Mart. I do this often, because apparently we do not live in a magical land where food automatically replenishes itself while it sits in your cupboards. Also, we do not live in a normal land in which food mates with other food and bears offspring. While shopping, we ran into some friends and found out that they were pregnant.
Congratulations! Apparently they've been trying for a couple years now, and now their "hard work" has paid off. They been very active in helping out with the baby explosion at our church, so it's nice to see them get their due (date). They are a great couple, and they're going to be excellent parents.
Interesting aside- when you're talking to people who have recently become pregnant...let's just say that they will tell you things about themselves that they probably wouldn't normally tell you- and unless you're a real sicko you probably wouldn't want to know. For instance-they might tell you "we've been trying for awhile to get pregnant"- well, I'm assuming that your preparations didn't involve brushing up on your ornithology. And I've seen your apartment- it definitely isn't big enough for a lab to fertilize eggs in vitro.
I wish that was where my story ended. Good news doesn't sell, though, and life is all about homeostasis- and when life is going good, unfortunately it is something bad that will bring things back into balance..
That evening, we were just chilling at the house (which is an amazing reality for me- having come from a job that sucked away my weekends like vampires suck away blood, I am just pleased as punch that I have weekends off), when we got a knock on the door. Well crap- if you know me at all, you know that I'm rocking the boxer-briefs when I'm in mi casa and there are no plans. I'm sorry if that's an over-share- I guess I figured after the whole pregnancy talk, we could all be adults and be open about things.
So I grab some pants real quick, run down to get it, and it's a friend of ours from the townhouses. A simple neighborly courtesy call about their noise level turned quickly south when she told me her son (who is only a year or so older than Delaney) has been diagnosed with cancer.
It came as quite a shock to me, to say the least- especially with the juxtaposition of the earlier pregnancy news. When you have kids, and you find out something like that- it tends to rock you. You realize that life is often a game of Russian Roulette, and sometimes it's your turn and you get the empty slot- and sometimes you get the bullet.
Being a stay-at-home dad has offered me a degree of safety. It's been fairly easy for me to build a bubble wall that I live my life in, and spin the wheels of my routine. Sometimes I go back and forth- is my life this way because I'm blessed? Or is my life going so smoothly because things are wrong? I know it sounds messed up- and I know that I am messed up. And the world is the most messed up place in the world.
There are other examples of happiness and sorrow from the past few weeks- it's pretty hard to process sometimes. Because the people in our lives don't suffer alone- we are there with them, if for no other reason than because we realize that it could have been us. And so we should celebrate when they are happy and lament when they are sad- because it could have been us. The calender marches on, but congratulations and consolations are always in season. As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, remember to give thanks to those in your life who mean the most to you.
While there are innumerable differences between all of us, we are also bound together by types of events that are not discriminant. Birth and death are chief among these- and the beauty of humanity is that we take these mundane commonalities and flavor them with our own perspectives.
This blog is about a day in my life when joy and sorrow intersected in my life on a normal Saturday. This is about the meaning that I have attached to it. Let's get this party started.
In the morning, I took the kids grocery shopping at Wal-Mart. I do this often, because apparently we do not live in a magical land where food automatically replenishes itself while it sits in your cupboards. Also, we do not live in a normal land in which food mates with other food and bears offspring. While shopping, we ran into some friends and found out that they were pregnant.
Congratulations! Apparently they've been trying for a couple years now, and now their "hard work" has paid off. They been very active in helping out with the baby explosion at our church, so it's nice to see them get their due (date). They are a great couple, and they're going to be excellent parents.
Interesting aside- when you're talking to people who have recently become pregnant...let's just say that they will tell you things about themselves that they probably wouldn't normally tell you- and unless you're a real sicko you probably wouldn't want to know. For instance-they might tell you "we've been trying for awhile to get pregnant"- well, I'm assuming that your preparations didn't involve brushing up on your ornithology. And I've seen your apartment- it definitely isn't big enough for a lab to fertilize eggs in vitro.
I wish that was where my story ended. Good news doesn't sell, though, and life is all about homeostasis- and when life is going good, unfortunately it is something bad that will bring things back into balance..
That evening, we were just chilling at the house (which is an amazing reality for me- having come from a job that sucked away my weekends like vampires suck away blood, I am just pleased as punch that I have weekends off), when we got a knock on the door. Well crap- if you know me at all, you know that I'm rocking the boxer-briefs when I'm in mi casa and there are no plans. I'm sorry if that's an over-share- I guess I figured after the whole pregnancy talk, we could all be adults and be open about things.
So I grab some pants real quick, run down to get it, and it's a friend of ours from the townhouses. A simple neighborly courtesy call about their noise level turned quickly south when she told me her son (who is only a year or so older than Delaney) has been diagnosed with cancer.
It came as quite a shock to me, to say the least- especially with the juxtaposition of the earlier pregnancy news. When you have kids, and you find out something like that- it tends to rock you. You realize that life is often a game of Russian Roulette, and sometimes it's your turn and you get the empty slot- and sometimes you get the bullet.
Being a stay-at-home dad has offered me a degree of safety. It's been fairly easy for me to build a bubble wall that I live my life in, and spin the wheels of my routine. Sometimes I go back and forth- is my life this way because I'm blessed? Or is my life going so smoothly because things are wrong? I know it sounds messed up- and I know that I am messed up. And the world is the most messed up place in the world.
There are other examples of happiness and sorrow from the past few weeks- it's pretty hard to process sometimes. Because the people in our lives don't suffer alone- we are there with them, if for no other reason than because we realize that it could have been us. And so we should celebrate when they are happy and lament when they are sad- because it could have been us. The calender marches on, but congratulations and consolations are always in season. As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, remember to give thanks to those in your life who mean the most to you.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Civic responsibility?
So I have something of a confession to make- and what better place to make an intimate confession of the soul than the internet?
The truth is- I didn't vote on Tuesday. Now, realistically, I have no one to blame but myself. But this is election season- so I'm going to blame everybody! I'm going to blame the Obama administration for not fixing all of the problems that Obama said it would. And I'm going to blame the Rebublicans for creating all those problems in the first place. I'll blame my kids for being so needy. I'll blame my wife for being so busy with school. Satan gets some blame for placing distractions and temptations in my path- shoot I'll even blame God for not giving me the strength to overcome!
Seriously though, I have to sleep with the knowledge that I didn't vote. I'm pretty disappointed in myself- this is the first election since I graduated, when I was at the height of my political awareness. Is real life my kryptonite? And if so, which type is it?
The election season really snuck up on me, and by the time I was really aware of what was going on, it was too late to fully jump right in. What makes it even worse is that this is probably the last meaningful election before the end of the world in 2012.
All that said, the reason I'm even letting you into my tormented soul is because I believe that there is denial to be made...I mean, redemption to be had.
See, I knew a couple weeks ago that there was no way in Sheol that I was going to be able to properly ingest and process enough relevant information to be able to make an informed decision (and I'm not a straight ticket voter) so I pretty much mailed in my absentee ballot right then and there. Absentee, as in I am going to be absentee from the 2010 Election season.
And by doing this, I feel like I still performed my civic duty. Yes, let me repeat myself: And by doing this, I feel like I still performed my civic duty.
I feel this way because to me, there is more to voting than just showing up to vote. I could have walked over to the armory, checked into a booth, and played a good game of name recognition. Then I would have got my 'I voted' sticker, and the birds would have broken out into song as I walked along. I would have won the lottery, and all my dreams would have came true.
But would that be fulfilling my civic duty? Punching a bunch of names that have no meaning? I mean, I totally understand that my responsibility is to be an informed voter. But to those who voted, I ask this- were you fully informed? (See what I did there? I just totally flipped the spotlight from me to you...which gives me a chance to sneak away and escape).
I'm not talking about the brief synopses you can find in voter guides- that's how I used to vote. I'd pick up the voter guide, look for a couple issues that I felt were important, and go from there.
I have a much different perspective now, though. I realize that some of the issues I felt were important are slightly less important. I see the larger picture, and how some of the hot button issues have no real relevance in the daily lives of most people. I have learned that you can't just say 'so-and-so voted against this bill, so he/she is against this issue'...because there is so much substance to each and every bill, it's preposterous to think that you can summarize someone's stance on an issue because of how they vote on a certain bill.
The fact is, we live in a sound-bite society, and our political ads play right into that. There's no real information in them- it's all personal attacks and over-simplified quotes. That might be good enough for some people- but it's not good enough for me. I'm not content to vote out of emotion, which is what the past couple of elections have played on significantly. People are turning out to the polls in record numbers- but are they voting with their heads? Or with their hearts?
Whether you're for big government or small, you have to acknowledge the fact that running a country as large as ours is a very complex undertaking. I don't think it's feasible to power that kind of operation purely on emotion- yet that's what our political system is driving towards. We aren't looking for voters who are in the know- we want torches and pitchforks! And then we wonder why Republicans and Democrats can't get anything done- because their tenures are not fueled with mandates to accomplish tasks- they are driven by the impetus to keep the flames of passion alive in their constituents.
I know that I've done a lot of summarizing and stereotyping in this blog- so in that sense I'm a pusher. And I didn't 'vote', so I realize that my words have slightly less impact in this arena. But I really do want to see the system change. I want to see overhaul. I'm tired of the two-party domination. I'm tired of being spoon-fed- I'm an adult, I can handle my own silverware. Especially when all I'm being fed is garbage. I didn't vote because I wasn't informed- but I would rather be uninformed and not vote than to be an uninformed voter.
Now, where is that acetylene?
The truth is- I didn't vote on Tuesday. Now, realistically, I have no one to blame but myself. But this is election season- so I'm going to blame everybody! I'm going to blame the Obama administration for not fixing all of the problems that Obama said it would. And I'm going to blame the Rebublicans for creating all those problems in the first place. I'll blame my kids for being so needy. I'll blame my wife for being so busy with school. Satan gets some blame for placing distractions and temptations in my path- shoot I'll even blame God for not giving me the strength to overcome!
Seriously though, I have to sleep with the knowledge that I didn't vote. I'm pretty disappointed in myself- this is the first election since I graduated, when I was at the height of my political awareness. Is real life my kryptonite? And if so, which type is it?
The election season really snuck up on me, and by the time I was really aware of what was going on, it was too late to fully jump right in. What makes it even worse is that this is probably the last meaningful election before the end of the world in 2012.
All that said, the reason I'm even letting you into my tormented soul is because I believe that there is denial to be made...I mean, redemption to be had.
See, I knew a couple weeks ago that there was no way in Sheol that I was going to be able to properly ingest and process enough relevant information to be able to make an informed decision (and I'm not a straight ticket voter) so I pretty much mailed in my absentee ballot right then and there. Absentee, as in I am going to be absentee from the 2010 Election season.
And by doing this, I feel like I still performed my civic duty. Yes, let me repeat myself: And by doing this, I feel like I still performed my civic duty.
I feel this way because to me, there is more to voting than just showing up to vote. I could have walked over to the armory, checked into a booth, and played a good game of name recognition. Then I would have got my 'I voted' sticker, and the birds would have broken out into song as I walked along. I would have won the lottery, and all my dreams would have came true.
But would that be fulfilling my civic duty? Punching a bunch of names that have no meaning? I mean, I totally understand that my responsibility is to be an informed voter. But to those who voted, I ask this- were you fully informed? (See what I did there? I just totally flipped the spotlight from me to you...which gives me a chance to sneak away and escape).
I'm not talking about the brief synopses you can find in voter guides- that's how I used to vote. I'd pick up the voter guide, look for a couple issues that I felt were important, and go from there.
I have a much different perspective now, though. I realize that some of the issues I felt were important are slightly less important. I see the larger picture, and how some of the hot button issues have no real relevance in the daily lives of most people. I have learned that you can't just say 'so-and-so voted against this bill, so he/she is against this issue'...because there is so much substance to each and every bill, it's preposterous to think that you can summarize someone's stance on an issue because of how they vote on a certain bill.
The fact is, we live in a sound-bite society, and our political ads play right into that. There's no real information in them- it's all personal attacks and over-simplified quotes. That might be good enough for some people- but it's not good enough for me. I'm not content to vote out of emotion, which is what the past couple of elections have played on significantly. People are turning out to the polls in record numbers- but are they voting with their heads? Or with their hearts?
Whether you're for big government or small, you have to acknowledge the fact that running a country as large as ours is a very complex undertaking. I don't think it's feasible to power that kind of operation purely on emotion- yet that's what our political system is driving towards. We aren't looking for voters who are in the know- we want torches and pitchforks! And then we wonder why Republicans and Democrats can't get anything done- because their tenures are not fueled with mandates to accomplish tasks- they are driven by the impetus to keep the flames of passion alive in their constituents.
I know that I've done a lot of summarizing and stereotyping in this blog- so in that sense I'm a pusher. And I didn't 'vote', so I realize that my words have slightly less impact in this arena. But I really do want to see the system change. I want to see overhaul. I'm tired of the two-party domination. I'm tired of being spoon-fed- I'm an adult, I can handle my own silverware. Especially when all I'm being fed is garbage. I didn't vote because I wasn't informed- but I would rather be uninformed and not vote than to be an uninformed voter.
Now, where is that acetylene?
Friday, October 29, 2010
I'm sorry, but where exactly did you say you were the Prince of?
Sometimes I question the purpose of wisdom. It's frustrating because we often have to go through crap stuff in order to acquire it, which is because we don't listen to those who have already gone through the crap stuff. Then we tell our kids not to do what we did, and they do it anyways. I don't know- maybe the whole purpose is to have a built-in "I told you so" card to play at any given time.
At least having kids provides chances to utilize wisdom...but not like you'd think. I'm not talking about 'birds and bees talk' type stuff, or 'don't run with sharp objects'...I'm talking about television entertainment- specifically with Disney movies.
See, before I had kids, I had this nostalgic romanticism about Disney movies. I still consider 1989-1994 to be the Golden Age of animated Disney movies. The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King- I don't know what the numbers say (and quite frankly, I am not interested in looking because it might be devastating to my case), but these are the best, most successful Disney movies of all time. Great music, memorable characters, and excellent stories- or so I thought.
Watching these movies with my kids has opened my eyes to some discrepancies. Not discrepancies within the movie- I'm talking discrepancies with reality.
Exhibit A- As a parent and a person with marginal political awareness, I am okay with the idea that Beauty and the Beast takes place in 'a far away land'. That's sort of the fairy tale shtick. What I'm not fine with is their government structure and lack of parental responsibility.
First of all, if this is a royal family...what exactly are they the monarchy of? Isn't the whole point of a monarchy to provide the governmental structure of a particular group of people and land? I mean, if the prince was just a noble and turned into an animal, it's probably not a huge deal. But this was a prince- and his entire entourage.
I realize that this didn't take place in the Internet age, but surely someone in the kingdom would have noticed that their rulers had turned into walking/talking inanimate objects. Wouldn't that have raised at least some type of awareness that, hey, things have really gone to hell around here- where are our king and queen?
At least having kids provides chances to utilize wisdom...but not like you'd think. I'm not talking about 'birds and bees talk' type stuff, or 'don't run with sharp objects'...I'm talking about television entertainment- specifically with Disney movies.
See, before I had kids, I had this nostalgic romanticism about Disney movies. I still consider 1989-1994 to be the Golden Age of animated Disney movies. The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King- I don't know what the numbers say (and quite frankly, I am not interested in looking because it might be devastating to my case), but these are the best, most successful Disney movies of all time. Great music, memorable characters, and excellent stories- or so I thought.
Watching these movies with my kids has opened my eyes to some discrepancies. Not discrepancies within the movie- I'm talking discrepancies with reality.
Exhibit A- As a parent and a person with marginal political awareness, I am okay with the idea that Beauty and the Beast takes place in 'a far away land'. That's sort of the fairy tale shtick. What I'm not fine with is their government structure and lack of parental responsibility.
First of all, if this is a royal family...what exactly are they the monarchy of? Isn't the whole point of a monarchy to provide the governmental structure of a particular group of people and land? I mean, if the prince was just a noble and turned into an animal, it's probably not a huge deal. But this was a prince- and his entire entourage.
I realize that this didn't take place in the Internet age, but surely someone in the kingdom would have noticed that their rulers had turned into walking/talking inanimate objects. Wouldn't that have raised at least some type of awareness that, hey, things have really gone to hell around here- where are our king and queen?
But where are mom and dad in this scenario? Who knows-they aren't even in the picture! The only thing we know about them is that they were bad parents- they raised a child who was spoiled, selfish, and unkind. Granted, part of that is probably just due to the fact that this kid is a prince and an only child- but come on- a royal family that lets their son answer the door? And don't forget that this was at nighttime, during the winter! Where the heck are the Far Away Land Child Protective Services?
Really, the more I think about it, the more I realize that the prince is a victim of poor parenting and circumstance. Surely you can't fault him for his sense of self-preservation. I mean, if your royal parents are making you answer the door during a winter's night, you're probably just thinking about getting back in your nice warm, comfy, royal bed. You aren't thinking about the condition of the love in your heart. And lo and behold, who is at the door? An ugly old hag with a rose. 'Oh sure, come on in, I'll take your rose and give you a place to stay'. Give me a break. It's freezing out, it's late, and there is no way in hell you are getting through this door.
I'm sorry, Obscure Metamorphing Magic User- this is not the time for life lessons. This is the time to be practical. It is cold out, it is late, and you really seem shady. You are not coming inside- I don't care if you have a dozen roses. You do realize that this kid should be in bed right now, not answering the door for you. This is more proof that not just anyone should be in charge of powerful magic, because sometimes people have really strong and twisted senses of right and wrong- and when they decide to act on those morals, they can really destroy other peoples lives.
And you know- it wasn't just Beauty and the Beast either. Take The Lion King, for instance. Mufasa let Simba go around with Zazu as his bodyguard. Letting a lion be guarded by a bird? I know that lions are the king of beasts- but you honestly believe that if crap goes down, Zazu is going to be able to handle some hyenas? And then there is obviously the entire ensemble of dancing, browsing herbivores- that situation doesn't scream obscene danger. Look, Mufasa is a great king, and a loving father- he was just prone to lapses in judgement.
Moving on to The Little Mermaid- what's up with Prince Eric? Another case of 'what are you actually the prince of', he is victim to negligence by his top adviser, Grimsby, who lets Prince Eric take mystery-girl Ariel on an all-day outing around the kingdom, climaxing with an evening rendezvous alone in a boat on a secluded lagoon. They didn't know it was Ariel, though, because she couldn't talk. So apparently they aren't adverse to just letting Prince Eric gallivant around with any girl that washes up on the shore. I know she was pretty, but come one- she washed up on the shore and she doesn't speak! Isn't that a little suspicious? I have news for you, Prince Eric- chicks can be dangerous ninja assassins too.
Aladdin is not immune either- the Sultan lets Jasmine go around with a pet tiger. A tiger? What, were all therabid bears taken? Ask Sigfriend and Roy- even friendly tigers can turn deadly.
So what does this all mean? Is Disney against parents? And if they are, is it because parents are stupid? We must be, if we keep subjecting our kids to movies that glorify stupid parenting and the triumph of their children in spite of it. Well, I have news for you Disney- I'm onto you. I am putting my wisdom to good use. I am going to shout from the rooftops about your shenanigans. And don't look for your movies to be played on my PS3- from now on I'm going to only subject my kids to moral bastions like Dora and Diego.
On second thought...what was I saying about wisdom?
Really, the more I think about it, the more I realize that the prince is a victim of poor parenting and circumstance. Surely you can't fault him for his sense of self-preservation. I mean, if your royal parents are making you answer the door during a winter's night, you're probably just thinking about getting back in your nice warm, comfy, royal bed. You aren't thinking about the condition of the love in your heart. And lo and behold, who is at the door? An ugly old hag with a rose. 'Oh sure, come on in, I'll take your rose and give you a place to stay'. Give me a break. It's freezing out, it's late, and there is no way in hell you are getting through this door.
I'm sorry, Obscure Metamorphing Magic User- this is not the time for life lessons. This is the time to be practical. It is cold out, it is late, and you really seem shady. You are not coming inside- I don't care if you have a dozen roses. You do realize that this kid should be in bed right now, not answering the door for you. This is more proof that not just anyone should be in charge of powerful magic, because sometimes people have really strong and twisted senses of right and wrong- and when they decide to act on those morals, they can really destroy other peoples lives.
And you know- it wasn't just Beauty and the Beast either. Take The Lion King, for instance. Mufasa let Simba go around with Zazu as his bodyguard. Letting a lion be guarded by a bird? I know that lions are the king of beasts- but you honestly believe that if crap goes down, Zazu is going to be able to handle some hyenas? And then there is obviously the entire ensemble of dancing, browsing herbivores- that situation doesn't scream obscene danger. Look, Mufasa is a great king, and a loving father- he was just prone to lapses in judgement.
Moving on to The Little Mermaid- what's up with Prince Eric? Another case of 'what are you actually the prince of', he is victim to negligence by his top adviser, Grimsby, who lets Prince Eric take mystery-girl Ariel on an all-day outing around the kingdom, climaxing with an evening rendezvous alone in a boat on a secluded lagoon. They didn't know it was Ariel, though, because she couldn't talk. So apparently they aren't adverse to just letting Prince Eric gallivant around with any girl that washes up on the shore. I know she was pretty, but come one- she washed up on the shore and she doesn't speak! Isn't that a little suspicious? I have news for you, Prince Eric- chicks can be dangerous ninja assassins too.
Aladdin is not immune either- the Sultan lets Jasmine go around with a pet tiger. A tiger? What, were all therabid bears taken? Ask Sigfriend and Roy- even friendly tigers can turn deadly.
So what does this all mean? Is Disney against parents? And if they are, is it because parents are stupid? We must be, if we keep subjecting our kids to movies that glorify stupid parenting and the triumph of their children in spite of it. Well, I have news for you Disney- I'm onto you. I am putting my wisdom to good use. I am going to shout from the rooftops about your shenanigans. And don't look for your movies to be played on my PS3- from now on I'm going to only subject my kids to moral bastions like Dora and Diego.
On second thought...what was I saying about wisdom?
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Dexter just ripped my heart out (there will be spoilers)
I'm probably just pissing in my sour grape Cheerios (aside- remember when there just used to be Cheerios and Honey Nut Cheerios? Now half the cereal isle is dedicated to Cheerios. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a sour grape Cheerio flavor), but we just got done watching the last episode of Season 4 of Dexter and I am pissed. The ending has rocked me to my core, probably much more than a mere television show should, and definitely more than any television show I've ever seen before has.
If you haven't seen the show, I highly recommend it- the first 3 seasons, that is. Dexter is a forensics blood spatter analyst who moonlights as a vigilante serial killer (that is, he kills killers). It is one of the deepest, quirkiest, funnest shows I've ever seen- the first 3 seasons, that is.
Season 4 takes a decided turn, and it wasn't until too late that I realized that the show wasn't a comedy dressed up as Seven- it was a full-on edge-of-your-seat thrill-drama. The last two nights we've powered through the last disc (4 episodes)...frantically getting pulled in to this race against the clock for Dexter to find Trinity (the big serial killer in Season 4). The laughs- were not really to be found.
I can't say I blame the show for evolving- in this business, you have to change, because stagnancy doesn't sell ad space. We're Generation Now- Season 3 was so Last Season ago. What have you done for me lately? That's where Dexter went in Season 4.
The reason why I am devoting a blog to this is because I want to call shenanigans on the way that Season 4 ended. See, Dexter Morgan ripped out my heart- and their will be spoilers.
See, the first 3 seasons ended nice and cozy- each season had some build-on from the others, too, but each season wrapped up with no carry over. There was no cliff hangers- it was a show that delved into dark subject matter with a light-hearted focus, and so I got to be comfortable with that.
Obviously, Season 4 was paced much, much differently. The dark subject matter was still there- but much of the frivolity that made the walking contradiction of Dexter the most polarizingly amazing character ever was left out. I suppose there were signs along the way that this season was going to be way different- Dexter's car accident, Deb and Lundy getting shot...but there's been intense moments before. This ending is different.
What my issue here is that the show Dexter established a set of unspoken rules that it was going to abide by. This is how we're going to move plots forward, this is how things will resolve, and in the end, Dexter will save the day, and everyone goes home happy. Season 4 almost ended like that. Almost.
Minutes away from Dexter leaving to get on a plane to meet up with his wife in the Keys, he comes upon a grizzly scene in his bathroom- his son, Harrison, covered in blood, as his wife Rita lies dead in the bathtub. Now, being a married father with young children, I have to admit that I might be emotionally too close to the subject material to really think about this objectively.
But still, you can't do that to an audience. That's just bad writing, looking for a gimmick to hook people in. We were strung along in that last episode, which was acting and looking like the last episode of the previous 3 seasons. And then- WHAM. COMPLETE pulling out of the floor underneath our feet.
I had someone on Facebook comment on a status of mine in regards to Dexter that his wife died. So I knew that was a possibility, and I kept trying to re-frame the events of the season in the context of his wife dying at some point- and you know what? Once he killed Trinity, then I felt like that was over. That it wasn't going to happen, and I could let down my guard a little. That Season 4 was going to finish, Dexter was going to have a romantic getaway with his wife, and voila- that was it.
Then she dies, and Dexter is not the only one left picking up the pieces. Maybe that's good writing- that I "knew" it was coming, and still didn't see it. But still, there was definitely a feeling of betrayal- that they set us up, doing things the way that they had always been done, and then at the last second, completely changing the rules on us.
I'm done with the show, done- finished. Impulsive decision? Probably (I suppose if you've paid any attention to my blog over the past couple years, you're well aware at my impulsivity). But it's not the first time we've realized it's time to move on. We left Lost. We left Prison Break. We even left The Office. Sara and I are pretty good at recognizing when a show has nothing left to offer us. We were tired of Lost piling more and more questions on top of us when we were still waiting for our first questions to be answered. When Michael Scofield was sent back to prison- we didn't go with him. And when Jim and Pam got together, we broke it off.
I really don't know what to say or how to end this. I realize it's probably stupid to get so involved emotionally with a television show- but really, to me Dexter is more than a television show. It's this ongoing commentary on the way that our society functions- the social structures that we take for granted, the rules and laws that keep things from "falling apart"- and the impact that those in our lives have on us, both in our past and our present- the struggle for who we are raised to be and who we want to be. It's a phenomenal show, I seriously recommend the first 3 seasons highly. But if you are the type of person who doesn't like to be lied to- then do yourself a favor. Don't watch Season 4.
If you haven't seen the show, I highly recommend it- the first 3 seasons, that is. Dexter is a forensics blood spatter analyst who moonlights as a vigilante serial killer (that is, he kills killers). It is one of the deepest, quirkiest, funnest shows I've ever seen- the first 3 seasons, that is.
Season 4 takes a decided turn, and it wasn't until too late that I realized that the show wasn't a comedy dressed up as Seven- it was a full-on edge-of-your-seat thrill-drama. The last two nights we've powered through the last disc (4 episodes)...frantically getting pulled in to this race against the clock for Dexter to find Trinity (the big serial killer in Season 4). The laughs- were not really to be found.
I can't say I blame the show for evolving- in this business, you have to change, because stagnancy doesn't sell ad space. We're Generation Now- Season 3 was so Last Season ago. What have you done for me lately? That's where Dexter went in Season 4.
The reason why I am devoting a blog to this is because I want to call shenanigans on the way that Season 4 ended. See, Dexter Morgan ripped out my heart- and their will be spoilers.
See, the first 3 seasons ended nice and cozy- each season had some build-on from the others, too, but each season wrapped up with no carry over. There was no cliff hangers- it was a show that delved into dark subject matter with a light-hearted focus, and so I got to be comfortable with that.
Obviously, Season 4 was paced much, much differently. The dark subject matter was still there- but much of the frivolity that made the walking contradiction of Dexter the most polarizingly amazing character ever was left out. I suppose there were signs along the way that this season was going to be way different- Dexter's car accident, Deb and Lundy getting shot...but there's been intense moments before. This ending is different.
What my issue here is that the show Dexter established a set of unspoken rules that it was going to abide by. This is how we're going to move plots forward, this is how things will resolve, and in the end, Dexter will save the day, and everyone goes home happy. Season 4 almost ended like that. Almost.
Minutes away from Dexter leaving to get on a plane to meet up with his wife in the Keys, he comes upon a grizzly scene in his bathroom- his son, Harrison, covered in blood, as his wife Rita lies dead in the bathtub. Now, being a married father with young children, I have to admit that I might be emotionally too close to the subject material to really think about this objectively.
But still, you can't do that to an audience. That's just bad writing, looking for a gimmick to hook people in. We were strung along in that last episode, which was acting and looking like the last episode of the previous 3 seasons. And then- WHAM. COMPLETE pulling out of the floor underneath our feet.
I had someone on Facebook comment on a status of mine in regards to Dexter that his wife died. So I knew that was a possibility, and I kept trying to re-frame the events of the season in the context of his wife dying at some point- and you know what? Once he killed Trinity, then I felt like that was over. That it wasn't going to happen, and I could let down my guard a little. That Season 4 was going to finish, Dexter was going to have a romantic getaway with his wife, and voila- that was it.
Then she dies, and Dexter is not the only one left picking up the pieces. Maybe that's good writing- that I "knew" it was coming, and still didn't see it. But still, there was definitely a feeling of betrayal- that they set us up, doing things the way that they had always been done, and then at the last second, completely changing the rules on us.
I'm done with the show, done- finished. Impulsive decision? Probably (I suppose if you've paid any attention to my blog over the past couple years, you're well aware at my impulsivity). But it's not the first time we've realized it's time to move on. We left Lost. We left Prison Break. We even left The Office. Sara and I are pretty good at recognizing when a show has nothing left to offer us. We were tired of Lost piling more and more questions on top of us when we were still waiting for our first questions to be answered. When Michael Scofield was sent back to prison- we didn't go with him. And when Jim and Pam got together, we broke it off.
I really don't know what to say or how to end this. I realize it's probably stupid to get so involved emotionally with a television show- but really, to me Dexter is more than a television show. It's this ongoing commentary on the way that our society functions- the social structures that we take for granted, the rules and laws that keep things from "falling apart"- and the impact that those in our lives have on us, both in our past and our present- the struggle for who we are raised to be and who we want to be. It's a phenomenal show, I seriously recommend the first 3 seasons highly. But if you are the type of person who doesn't like to be lied to- then do yourself a favor. Don't watch Season 4.
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