The weather is getting cold. Which, I’m learning, this means more burgers in Cool Baby’s nose.
Why burgers, you ask?
It started with a cute mispronunciation from one of the Cool Grandmothers (who wasn’t born in the US).
CG: “He has burgers in his nose!”
CM: “Really? Burgers? Like hamburgers?”
CG: “Look–burrrgers!”
I looked up in there and saw what I would call “mucous.” I prefer not to use the word boogers.
Then I got to thinking…Burgers! That’s genius!
The name stuck because 1) I don’t like to say that italicized word above, 2) I prefer not to hear Cool Baby say the italicized word above, and 3) perhaps he will forever have a negative association when he hears the word burger in the future, leading to more fruit and vegetable consumption for the rest of his life.
Think it will work? At least until he is school-aged and learns about the italicized word above?
In this month-long railroad apartment, the owner has her wireless router in her office on end of the place. Now that we have two laptops, we occasionally surf Ye Olde Web in the kitchen, on the other end of the apartment. Unfortunately, the wireless signal doesn’t reach that far.
So, we’ve resorted to “borrowing” some wireless from a neighbor who conveniently left their network unsecured. Don’t fret – we use VPN to encrypt our session, so our data is protected.
The ethics of using a neighbor’s wireless network has been debated ever since home wireless networks came on the scene. Is it stealing? Or is it fine since their signal is coming into your home?
Do you “borrow” wireless from a neighbor? Is it unethical?
Kacy Stuart is an Atlanta-area 14-year old who made it onto a local school’s football team for place-kicking duties. And she’s a girl. Female place kickers are not new, but her story has a twist. She was sidelined for most of the season by an athletic league official because she’s a girl.
The first team she played cited verses from Romans to express their disagreement with her participation. Her team won 38–7 with her doing all kickoffs and 3 extra points. Her team was scheduled to play this Saturday, but their opponent has withdrawn for unstated reasons.
My gut reacts with: “If she made the team and the coaches want her to play, let her play!”
But two points also stick out to me:
1) If football is strictly a boys’ sport in this league, should a girl be allowed to play? Can a guy play on the girls’ soccer team if he wants to? Is there a double-standard or does it imply athletic inferiority to say that girls can play on guys’ teams, but not vice-versa?
2) It’s not like the place kicker position is a safe one. On every kickoff, the kicker is the last line of defense. They’re expected to battle and make a tackle if the play reaches them. Some kickers run headfirst into the action.
Will opposing players pull up when it comes to engaging Kacy on the field, thus giving them a disadvantage? Or will they take a hard shot at her, likely putting her in more danger than her male teammates?
What do you think about girls playing football with guys? Are there biblical verses that suggest that they shouldn’t?
(reference: Atlanta Journal-Constitution; photo: Kathy Jefcoats)
“Live blogging” is a popular thing going right now. Bloggers live blog sports events, election debates, and dog shows, providing useful and funny commentary on what’s happening. Well, in my eternal effort to try to be cool, I’m figured I’d live blog… um… me writing a blog post!
8:41 PM EST – Cool Dad is sitting with the new “netbook” computer that they just got, despite CD not having a job. He said that the internet deal was just too good to pass up. Maybe he’s not as frugal as he loves to act like he is.
So, a couple of weeks ago, I was perusing one of my favorite online deals websites, and I saw a sale on the Asus Aspire One netbook (slang for the new ultra-portable laptops). This sale was good. Really good.
This was when CM and CB were in Florida, and I knew that I had to act fast to get in on the deal. However, that nagging conscience of mine remembered that I’m unemployed and that we didn’t NEED another computer (although there’ve been times when both CM and I had to look stuff up).
8:47 PM EST – There goes Cool Dad talking about computers. Great, another “geek dad” post in the making. According to the tags, he already has 16 ‘geek dad’ posts. I think someone who’s posted about how much he loves the internet and Lord of the Rings need not ask if he’s still cool. CD: the answer is no.
So, I hemmed and hawed and justified and rationalized, and I finally decided: “It’s so cheap that I can turn it around and sell it on eBay and make a tiny profit.” You know, that plan actually sounded pretty good. I could’ve made $50 on the whole deal or so.
However, the kicker is that I never really intended to sell this little baby on eBay. I’ve used this excuse to accumulate so much guitar gear and Cabbage Patch accessories, that you think I would’ve learned by now.
8:52 PM EST – Cabbage Patch?? Please tell me that’s a joke. Where is CD going with this? He seems to grow more incoherent as the night and this post drag on.
OK, so I’m joking about the Cabbage Patch thing. Anyway, I rationalized myself right into ordering this li’l laptop. And it’s great! It’s nice to have two computers again. The Computer Lab is officially open!
But before you declare us hopeless web junkies, just know that there’s purpose behind all of our computer time.
CM has been researching our next place to live as well as ways to take care of CB in the cold and other important ideas for taking care of her 2 guys. And I have been following my creative dreams: researching how to sell my screenplay and writing blog posts.
8:57 PM EST – So CD hasn’t completely gone off the deep end. Both he and CM are spending time learning about how to improve their lives during their transition into NYC. That’s something I can admire.
And last night, while we were both engrossed in our work, the boy did the cutest little thing: he started his very first bonfire in the middle the kitchen. How cute!
9:00 PM EST – Whaaa??!
Just kidding. Anyway, these computers are tools, and they’ve been very useful in our adventure and life in general. However, they can easily steal from our time with God and with each other if we’re not careful.
Hopefully, by posting this now, we’ll feel accountable to make sure that the computers serve our lives, not get in the way of them!
9:05 PM EST – CD wrapped it up in a nice, feel-good don’t-waste-your-life kind of way. I’m still not quite sure what to make of him, but I guess there’s still hope in his pursuit of coolness.
Frodo & Sam for life,
cool dad
9:08 PM EST – Maybe not. Thanks for joining me for this live blog of a blog post. See you around the blogosphere!
