There has been a lot of "buzz" recently about the latest missing child case, baby Lisa. I remember hearing about it last week. I generally try not to keep up on current events, especially ones I find depressing, but this one happened to catch my attention. Maybe it hit home because recent changes in life have made the event more relate-able.
I'm sorry to say that my initial reaction was one of suspicion. Afterwards I had to wonder if I was genuinely suspicious or just predisposed towards certain conclusions based on media coverage of previous cases. I empathize with the parents if they are innocent, because they must realize or at least suspect that everyone is secretly wondering if they had something to do with it. I can imagine the frustration of going to everyone and anyone for help and feeling like I needed to add, "and no dammit we didn't do anything to her." to the end of every request.
I had higher hopes in the first week that she would be found. Some part of me has a hard time getting my head around just how small we as individuals are. It feels like it "should be" as easy as, "Hey everyone! Stop! Look around! Where is this girl?" and for a brief moment the national consciousness would shift to the task at hand. At least in the world in my mind that's the way it comes together!
I sincerely hope they find her and discover what happened, but I hope even more that her return exonerates the parents so society has example to hold on to that doesn't involve the parents the next time this kind of thing happens.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Conner Prairie - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
I have become a big fan of Conner Prairie's Symphony on the Prairie over the years. It's a great chance to get together outside with friends and family. The atmosphere is picnic style and the performance is always well done. Several performances also feature fireworks at the end of the night. In my personal opinion the fireworks have been some of the better displays I have seen. I love the sense of family I get from these outings. I think my only lament is that my side of the family does not participate in similar activities. I feel like these kinds of outings provide a strong bonding experience for Izzy.
I think Isabelle is going to be musically inclined. Last weekend performance featured Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and she really seemed to enjoy it. She seems to really like music in general and loves to dance. It absolutely warms my heart to watch her get so excited. She loves to play with everyone and seemed to have a good time with her older cousin Mollie.
We picked her up a new toy before the show that lights up and plays music. It has quickly become her new favorite toy. She did very well despite being up way past her bedtime. She seemed to enjoy the fireworks as well. I have noticed that she is not as bothered by loud noises and bright lights as one my expect. She has a very signature look of overwhelming curiosity that causes me to grin from ear to ear whenever I see it. I absolutely love everything about my baby girl. I don't think I could ever have imagined how truly awesome it is to be a father.
We picked her up a new toy before the show that lights up and plays music. It has quickly become her new favorite toy. She did very well despite being up way past her bedtime. She seemed to enjoy the fireworks as well. I have noticed that she is not as bothered by loud noises and bright lights as one my expect. She has a very signature look of overwhelming curiosity that causes me to grin from ear to ear whenever I see it. I absolutely love everything about my baby girl. I don't think I could ever have imagined how truly awesome it is to be a father.
Friday, August 5, 2011
How to win friends and exhaust yourself
Lately I have been reading what some might consider a classic tome: How to win friends and influence people. Although I have been familiar with the work and even owned a copy or two in my youth this is the first time I have set aside the time to read it. Although I am only a fourth of the way through I have thus far found myself reminded of the lesson I already knew but have let fall into disuse.
As early as my childhood I had always related well to adults. My mother always commented that I was, "quite the little charmer." but truth was more complicated than simple charm. Adults were comfortable around me, often too comfortable which lead to me being privy to discussions far beyond my years. My role in adult conversations was more often that of an active participant than a quiet observer. Towards the end of a particularly adult topic they would often blush at the realization that the content was more than likely inappropriate.
The biggest hurdle in maintaining a healthy separation in the relationship between adult an child was that adults genuinely liked talking to me. Conversely just as any child wants to "belong" I had a genuine interest in them. On numerous occasions I found myself privy to countless secrets and even confessions well beyond my years. Sadly my rapport with adults never seemed to translate to my relationship with my peers.
The affects of my upbringing had a lasting affect on my demeanor. People often felt comfortable around me or gravitated toward me. My friends can regale you with countless tales of complete strangers randomly approaching me to share some intimate detail of their lives with me as though we were old friends. Friends and family found it humorous and yet annoying at the same time.
One day a few years ago now everything just slowed down and eventually stopped. What changed? I just got tired and stopped caring about other people. In retrospect I think I just felt overwhelmed. I had enough to deal with in my life and families life without adding to the burden with other peoples problems. Admittedly I was / am being selfish. Everything began to come down to a simple estimation of time and effort per interaction.
Simple interactions like saying hello to an acquaintance meant giving them a piece of my time and my energy. Let alone factoring in the horrifying possibility that they may want to relate some trivial experience to me. That meant allocating even more time and effort to the conversation in addition to any afterthoughts or lingering considerations or the time it would take later to relate the experience to someone that inquired. The final irony of course being that afterwards you now possess a pointless account of some trivial event of so little importance that even the storyteller forgets not only the exchange but the event in which was discussed as well.
You may be wondering what any of this had to do with reading a book. In short, the author promotes an overall attitude that is the antithesis of what I have currently adopted. To his credit he is correct, a healthy interest in other people will make you far more likable. I am certain I have failed to cultivate to the fullest many friendships and as such have missed numerous opportunities. What he has so far failed to mention however is the sheer amount of effort, time, and will that it takes on the part of person wishing to "be more liked".
I can only hope that as I continue reading he has developed some method of making the process easier or at the very least more manageable. Thus far the book has reminded me of my selfishness as well as the consequences it confers. I have long since realized that it is probably time for a change but I have been putting off like a child with homework.
As early as my childhood I had always related well to adults. My mother always commented that I was, "quite the little charmer." but truth was more complicated than simple charm. Adults were comfortable around me, often too comfortable which lead to me being privy to discussions far beyond my years. My role in adult conversations was more often that of an active participant than a quiet observer. Towards the end of a particularly adult topic they would often blush at the realization that the content was more than likely inappropriate.
The biggest hurdle in maintaining a healthy separation in the relationship between adult an child was that adults genuinely liked talking to me. Conversely just as any child wants to "belong" I had a genuine interest in them. On numerous occasions I found myself privy to countless secrets and even confessions well beyond my years. Sadly my rapport with adults never seemed to translate to my relationship with my peers.
The affects of my upbringing had a lasting affect on my demeanor. People often felt comfortable around me or gravitated toward me. My friends can regale you with countless tales of complete strangers randomly approaching me to share some intimate detail of their lives with me as though we were old friends. Friends and family found it humorous and yet annoying at the same time.
One day a few years ago now everything just slowed down and eventually stopped. What changed? I just got tired and stopped caring about other people. In retrospect I think I just felt overwhelmed. I had enough to deal with in my life and families life without adding to the burden with other peoples problems. Admittedly I was / am being selfish. Everything began to come down to a simple estimation of time and effort per interaction.
Simple interactions like saying hello to an acquaintance meant giving them a piece of my time and my energy. Let alone factoring in the horrifying possibility that they may want to relate some trivial experience to me. That meant allocating even more time and effort to the conversation in addition to any afterthoughts or lingering considerations or the time it would take later to relate the experience to someone that inquired. The final irony of course being that afterwards you now possess a pointless account of some trivial event of so little importance that even the storyteller forgets not only the exchange but the event in which was discussed as well.
You may be wondering what any of this had to do with reading a book. In short, the author promotes an overall attitude that is the antithesis of what I have currently adopted. To his credit he is correct, a healthy interest in other people will make you far more likable. I am certain I have failed to cultivate to the fullest many friendships and as such have missed numerous opportunities. What he has so far failed to mention however is the sheer amount of effort, time, and will that it takes on the part of person wishing to "be more liked".
I can only hope that as I continue reading he has developed some method of making the process easier or at the very least more manageable. Thus far the book has reminded me of my selfishness as well as the consequences it confers. I have long since realized that it is probably time for a change but I have been putting off like a child with homework.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
+2 str
I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about a comment that was made to me during a get together last weekend. To summarize, I was discussing with a friend a recent situation in which during a disagreement with someone, that person brought with them 5 of their friends as a means of intimidation. I made the comment, "If its a game of numbers, why not pick up the phone as you have friends of your own?" It was his response that resonated with me and continues to preoccupy my mind. He commented, "No offense, and I appreciate the gesture, but your not all that intimidating!"
There is truth in his statement of course. The question I asked myself (and subsequently answered) is why? It seems no matter how advanced we get everything still comes down to raw strength and physical appearance. Originally I was tempted to limit my observations to the male gender but it applies equally to the female sex. I would go so far as to say that had I been both taller and more muscular I would have had a much easier and happier childhood. That is not to say that the more physically inclined get a free ride, only that they have less obstacles to overcome.
When you are physically more intimidating people behave differently around you. While not an absolute, people are naturally and almost instinctively inclined to avoid conflict with you. Physical appearance can intrinsically provide a basic level of respect based on simple fear. The opposite is also observably true. When the subject is not perceived as a threat the incentive to avoid conflict is lessened. How often do you see a group of high school students making fun of someone who appears to be capable of grinding them to a pulp. This response doesn't stop with high school. A large part of how you are treated throughout life is directly tied to a persons physical presence and by extension their intimidation.
To me, physical strength is not nearly as intimidating as the will to do what others won't. Some of the worst conflicts result from the inability to assess anything other than physical presence. No sane person enters willingly into a conflict they don't believe they can win. Yet whenever we see mismatched opponents we fail to take this into consideration.
We wonder sometimes what causes students become violent and lash out, but sometimes it seems so obvious. Knowing you are unable to win in a fair fight is hardly an incentive to fight fair. Kids are simply doing what man has done since the beginning of time. If you can't beat you opponent hand to hand then lie down and die or find a stick with which to strike him with.
I have come to terms with reality concerning this issue. Whether it is fair or not is irrelevant. Might makes right, and to a certain extent human beings are programmed at some basic level to respect strength. The most basic observable manifestation of strength will always be physical appearance. I must accept that I can not change this. The only real decision I have is whether my understanding compels me to change.
There is truth in his statement of course. The question I asked myself (and subsequently answered) is why? It seems no matter how advanced we get everything still comes down to raw strength and physical appearance. Originally I was tempted to limit my observations to the male gender but it applies equally to the female sex. I would go so far as to say that had I been both taller and more muscular I would have had a much easier and happier childhood. That is not to say that the more physically inclined get a free ride, only that they have less obstacles to overcome.
When you are physically more intimidating people behave differently around you. While not an absolute, people are naturally and almost instinctively inclined to avoid conflict with you. Physical appearance can intrinsically provide a basic level of respect based on simple fear. The opposite is also observably true. When the subject is not perceived as a threat the incentive to avoid conflict is lessened. How often do you see a group of high school students making fun of someone who appears to be capable of grinding them to a pulp. This response doesn't stop with high school. A large part of how you are treated throughout life is directly tied to a persons physical presence and by extension their intimidation.
To me, physical strength is not nearly as intimidating as the will to do what others won't. Some of the worst conflicts result from the inability to assess anything other than physical presence. No sane person enters willingly into a conflict they don't believe they can win. Yet whenever we see mismatched opponents we fail to take this into consideration.
We wonder sometimes what causes students become violent and lash out, but sometimes it seems so obvious. Knowing you are unable to win in a fair fight is hardly an incentive to fight fair. Kids are simply doing what man has done since the beginning of time. If you can't beat you opponent hand to hand then lie down and die or find a stick with which to strike him with.
I have come to terms with reality concerning this issue. Whether it is fair or not is irrelevant. Might makes right, and to a certain extent human beings are programmed at some basic level to respect strength. The most basic observable manifestation of strength will always be physical appearance. I must accept that I can not change this. The only real decision I have is whether my understanding compels me to change.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Day 1 of ...
Every year around this time my wife leaves to go scrap booking with her family at a cabin down south. She gets to spend some quality family bonding time and I get to hang out and do my own thing. This year is a little different however since our daughter was born.
I think at first she considered taking our daughter with her. Eventually however she realized it might be somewhat impractical. I have no reservations about watching our daughter by myself. After all I'm a big boy and a parent so I think of watching our daughter as less of a task and more of a responsibility and a privilege. I may be projecting, but I can't help but to sense a general feeling of apprehension about the arrangement from my mother and to a lesser degree my wife.
Yesterday was my first day taking care of her myself in the afternoon. Overall it was uneventful and normal. We played, she peed, she ate, she barfed on me, the usual. Once all her needs were taken care of and she had gone to sleep I was free to pursue "me time".
The only event that really stood out to me was her bath. As I sat beside the tub washing her and playing with her my mother came upstairs to "observe". At one point as I leaned her forward to wash her back she began to slide around the tub which is normal. When it happened my mother commented, "It's not so easy is it?" I looked up to see her smiling smugly as though reveling in some vindication.
I must admit, I was really irritated and after I moment I told her so. I have never insinuated that caring for a child was an "easy job". By her smugness and sense of vindication however I felt as though I had somehow been cast into the stereotypical mindset of an American male circa 1950. I had been type cast in a very unique way, not directly, but by this perception that any struggle I might undergo somehow provided a feeling of satisfaction.
I find it interesting from a mental standpoint just how intricate and subtle the implication was. Something as simple as exacting satisfaction at something could create a perception about someone else. I actually think that without realizing it, if someone then felt attacked it would invoke a defensive reaction them. Suddenly the person finds themselves defending a position they never actually had in the process of fending off what they believe is a personal attack, only later to wonder how they ended up on that side of the argument to begin with.
I have let go of much of my feelings about the situation now. Mostly because I have come to realize that she is most likely projecting feelings about my father or others. While I don't think it is right, I don't believe it is malicious. In the end if some small satisfaction at my expense might serve as a balm for some past hurt I don't want to rob her of it.
I think at first she considered taking our daughter with her. Eventually however she realized it might be somewhat impractical. I have no reservations about watching our daughter by myself. After all I'm a big boy and a parent so I think of watching our daughter as less of a task and more of a responsibility and a privilege. I may be projecting, but I can't help but to sense a general feeling of apprehension about the arrangement from my mother and to a lesser degree my wife.
Yesterday was my first day taking care of her myself in the afternoon. Overall it was uneventful and normal. We played, she peed, she ate, she barfed on me, the usual. Once all her needs were taken care of and she had gone to sleep I was free to pursue "me time".
The only event that really stood out to me was her bath. As I sat beside the tub washing her and playing with her my mother came upstairs to "observe". At one point as I leaned her forward to wash her back she began to slide around the tub which is normal. When it happened my mother commented, "It's not so easy is it?" I looked up to see her smiling smugly as though reveling in some vindication.
I must admit, I was really irritated and after I moment I told her so. I have never insinuated that caring for a child was an "easy job". By her smugness and sense of vindication however I felt as though I had somehow been cast into the stereotypical mindset of an American male circa 1950. I had been type cast in a very unique way, not directly, but by this perception that any struggle I might undergo somehow provided a feeling of satisfaction.
I find it interesting from a mental standpoint just how intricate and subtle the implication was. Something as simple as exacting satisfaction at something could create a perception about someone else. I actually think that without realizing it, if someone then felt attacked it would invoke a defensive reaction them. Suddenly the person finds themselves defending a position they never actually had in the process of fending off what they believe is a personal attack, only later to wonder how they ended up on that side of the argument to begin with.
I have let go of much of my feelings about the situation now. Mostly because I have come to realize that she is most likely projecting feelings about my father or others. While I don't think it is right, I don't believe it is malicious. In the end if some small satisfaction at my expense might serve as a balm for some past hurt I don't want to rob her of it.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Xoom xoom
I've been pineing over a tablet device for sometime now. When Motorola offered a free blu tooth keyboard and two day shipping with the purchase of a Xoom it was all the incentive I needed to get me off the fence. We barely managed to get our order in before the deal ended a few days ago, and today they arrived. We were a little disappointed with Fed Ex as they gave the packages to someone standing in our driveway who informed them that they did not live here. Luckly the person was a friend of ours and that aside they arrived in good condition.
We were excited and eager, as is anyone with a shiny new toy. The device is lightweight and yet solid enough that it doesn't feel flimsy or cheap. True the reviews it is a fingerprint magnet! After you the initial setup and "ohhhhh ahhhhh" phase I found myself thinking, "Now what?" I have this thing now what do I do with it? Of course I immediately tried to run Frontierville. At first attempt it loaded but did not seem playable. Afterwards I was impressed when I noticed that Android had already brought over and installed many of the apps that had been using on my phone.
The interface is smooth and responsive but suffers from an issue that seems indicitive of all tablets (even the Ipad). A hot topic seems to be how the different platforms handle multitasking. To my mind neither of them currently do in a true sense. Both OS's support uses multiple applications, but only one at a time. If you are in your browser and you get a message, you click a notification and now you are no longer looking at your browser as the chat window has filled the screen. When you finish your message you switch back yet again to your browser window once again leaving the chat window behind until you receive another message. I hesitate to use the word "window" but you need to be able to resize apps or set them on top of or behind other apps. I want browse the web and have my messages appear in a semi transparent window that I can respond to by clicking in.
I need to have patience however as the medium is still young and developing. I really like the "app model" of distributing software. For the most part apps are priced in the right range. $1, $2, $5 etc is more than reasonable for most apps and even in the event that you do purchase a dud your only out one or two dollars instead $30 or $40.
I've seen a number of posts asking whether or not a tablet could replace someones laptop or desktop pc. The answer of course never simple yes or no as it really depends on what you are using your machine for. As a developer it can't replace my work machine, but I have been intrigued by the idea of replacing my everyday use platform with a tablet. I think that with right configuration and applications a tablet could in fact be a viable alternative. I'm feeling confident enough that I am going to try it and see how it goes!
The challenge: Utilize the tablet in place of a pc or laptop for everyday use as appropriate. *Disclaimer, usage pertains to where it would be appropriate. ex. My work requires the use of development tools that are not available on most mobile platforms.
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