I will be the first to tell you that I don't have much to complain about when it comes to getting sleep through my sons first few months of life. My gracious and loving wife wakes up to feed him without complaint and Elijah, for his part, usually only wakes up once a night and goes to bed at 7:30. Yes, we (I) have it easy.
However, last night was a different story. As my wife likes to say, going backwards is one of the more difficult parts of being a parent. When you are used to your child sleeping pleasantly through most of the night it is especially stressful when he decides to wake up and scream again, and again, and again.
I awoke sometime last night around ten thirty to my son proclaiming he was unhappy. He is, if nothing else, very persistent. I think he takes after his father in that regards and so he cried for what seemed like decades, nay centuries (in actuality 15-20 minutes) before Katie decided that she would just feed him so he would cease and desist. I shut my eyes, only to open them again about 5 minutes later to him pontificating on the unfairness of the world. I had a cavemanesqe conversation with Katie consisting of a series of grunts that conveyed my amazement the boy was still crying...despite being fed a few minutes earlier. Katie was smart enough to look at the clock and tell me that he had had an hour and a half of sleep since he was fed and that it hadn't been one extended scream session. So Katie again got up, worked her magic and the boy went to sleep again.
I cannot imagine what it is like for all you poor dads out there who have children who scream regularly throughout the night...after just one night of multiple screamings I was beginning to nash my teeth, contemplate sending him to boarding school and soundproofing his room. So...to all you dads out there who have (or have had to at some point) lived on 2 hours of sleep a night, my heart goes out to you...keep on keepin on!
Friday, December 26, 2008
A change of direction...
So...after perusing some of the more prevalent blogs out there I have come to the conclusion that most successfull blogs have a specific theme as opposed to general ranting...while I enjoy to rant...to anyone who will listen...I am going to attempt to focus my ranting to being a new father. Although with that in mind...in all honesty our son Elijah is quite well behaved for a 4 month old and so my postings will likely be less ranting than musings...until he gets old enough to get into things, break things, pull things off shelves and generally cause havoc.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Thanks Allot....
In the spirit of thanksgiving...
To the city of Seattle, that can't figure out how to properly synchronize stoplights or regulate traffic, resulting in me sitting in front of a red light at 5:30 a.m. in the morning when there are no cars in sight....Thanks Allot!
To the guy who drove up behind me while I was on my bicycle at 5:00 in the morning just so you could honk at me for going slow when there was an open lane to the left in which you could have passed me...I really appreciated it, thanks.
To Nintendo, who loves to release sub-standard products (like wiimotes that take AA batteries instead of internal rechargeable batteries like the X-Box 360 and the PS3, or the original game boy advance that ran off batteries and had no back lite) and then release better products a year or two later, prompting all of us who bought the substandard product to slap our forehead in frustration....and inevitably spend more money buying a product that should have been released at the get go. Thanks.
To the Seattle Seahawks...you single handedly ruined by football season, and to the rude fans that sat in front of me during the one game I was able to attend and who harassed the poor Greenbay family that was sitting a few rows from me, you made my one home game so much more enjoyable. Thanks.
To all you Starbucks haters out there; way to root against one of the few large companies that has a strong social conscience, cares about its' employees and does its' best to be a good steward of the environment. You make my day.
To the 700 billion dollar bills that will be given out by the federal government. Each and every one of you is a slap in the face to hard working and responsible people like my Dad who was wise with his finances and investments. For you we are especially thankful.
And last but not least, to my right knee. You are a pain. Thanks!
To the city of Seattle, that can't figure out how to properly synchronize stoplights or regulate traffic, resulting in me sitting in front of a red light at 5:30 a.m. in the morning when there are no cars in sight....Thanks Allot!
To the guy who drove up behind me while I was on my bicycle at 5:00 in the morning just so you could honk at me for going slow when there was an open lane to the left in which you could have passed me...I really appreciated it, thanks.
To Nintendo, who loves to release sub-standard products (like wiimotes that take AA batteries instead of internal rechargeable batteries like the X-Box 360 and the PS3, or the original game boy advance that ran off batteries and had no back lite) and then release better products a year or two later, prompting all of us who bought the substandard product to slap our forehead in frustration....and inevitably spend more money buying a product that should have been released at the get go. Thanks.
To the Seattle Seahawks...you single handedly ruined by football season, and to the rude fans that sat in front of me during the one game I was able to attend and who harassed the poor Greenbay family that was sitting a few rows from me, you made my one home game so much more enjoyable. Thanks.
To all you Starbucks haters out there; way to root against one of the few large companies that has a strong social conscience, cares about its' employees and does its' best to be a good steward of the environment. You make my day.
To the 700 billion dollar bills that will be given out by the federal government. Each and every one of you is a slap in the face to hard working and responsible people like my Dad who was wise with his finances and investments. For you we are especially thankful.
And last but not least, to my right knee. You are a pain. Thanks!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
to be a hero
I enjoy reading Gregg Easterbrook on ESPN.com. While he can be insufferably arrogant at times, for the most part I like what he has to say. In this weeks itteration of Tuesday Morning Quarterback, he had this to say about what it means to be a Hero. I just thought I would pass it along.
"NFL Network is advertising Thursday's Jets-Patriots pairing with a commercial that shows Hackensack Brett (see below) and the word HERO in big letters, then talks about Favre as a "hero." People who make millions of dollars for chasing a ball are not heroes. Athletes work hard and can be role models, but nothing they do is heroic. A hero is someone who takes a risk, or engages in sacrifice, to serve others. Soldiers, firemen and police officers can become heroes. Teachers, social workers and religious figures can become heroes. By no stretch of the imagination has any NFL player ever done anything heroic on the playing field. It's one thing to admire NFL players and enjoy watching them perform. To hero-worship someone earning $12 million this year? Please NFLN, show a little perspective."
Right on!
"NFL Network is advertising Thursday's Jets-Patriots pairing with a commercial that shows Hackensack Brett (see below) and the word HERO in big letters, then talks about Favre as a "hero." People who make millions of dollars for chasing a ball are not heroes. Athletes work hard and can be role models, but nothing they do is heroic. A hero is someone who takes a risk, or engages in sacrifice, to serve others. Soldiers, firemen and police officers can become heroes. Teachers, social workers and religious figures can become heroes. By no stretch of the imagination has any NFL player ever done anything heroic on the playing field. It's one thing to admire NFL players and enjoy watching them perform. To hero-worship someone earning $12 million this year? Please NFLN, show a little perspective."
Right on!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
On Passing a Video Game
I just finished Super Mario Galaxy last night. I should put a qualifier with that statement as I just defeated the final iteration of Bowser and so I have passed it in the traditional sense. All in all it was a fun game, probably would give it a 7.5 out of 10 on the fun o' meter. It was somewhat anticlimactic though as the final level was a little to easy. Made it through on the first try without losing a single life. Thankfully there was no "Spring Mushroom" requirement. Can I just say that the "spring Mario" was the bane of my existence for a few levels. It made Mario very hard to control, and when you have to navigate through some very narrow corridors with a character that bounces every which way....it is a recipe for a busted controller.
I have not unlocked every single level, nor collected every single star. It seems now adays making it through a game is not enough, almost every game adds extra little accomplishments that you can do after defeating the final boss in order to fully "complete" the game. Why? I guess some people find the game so much fun that they just cant stand it when the game ends.
Maybe there is even a little bit of bragging rights in saying that you found every single item, passed every single level, unlocked every single character etc. I don't fully understand it. As a moderate gamer I sometimes feel guilty about not fully completing a game...as if beating the final boss was not quite good enough....and then I realize that it is a computer game...something I do fore entertainment! I am playing this thing for fun!!!! If it isn't fun I am perfectly free to stop playing immediately and shouldn't feel guilty about it!
I have not unlocked every single level, nor collected every single star. It seems now adays making it through a game is not enough, almost every game adds extra little accomplishments that you can do after defeating the final boss in order to fully "complete" the game. Why? I guess some people find the game so much fun that they just cant stand it when the game ends.
Maybe there is even a little bit of bragging rights in saying that you found every single item, passed every single level, unlocked every single character etc. I don't fully understand it. As a moderate gamer I sometimes feel guilty about not fully completing a game...as if beating the final boss was not quite good enough....and then I realize that it is a computer game...something I do fore entertainment! I am playing this thing for fun!!!! If it isn't fun I am perfectly free to stop playing immediately and shouldn't feel guilty about it!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
On "Censorship"
Today marks the day that Little Big Planet was supposed to come out for the PS3. Alas, it was delayed because someone in their development team failed to realize that quotations from the Koran in the background music would be offensive to Muslims ac cross the globe. That person should (and will likely) be fired. Not necessarily because they did something so offensive, but because this is simply a gross oversite that will cost the company millions as all the offending discs have been recalled and will be reshipped next week.
Within the gaming community I have noticed a number of comments lamenting that such censorship could occure. It has even been suggested that this is just another example of how freedom of speech/expression has slowly been eroded; an utterly false statement. This has led me to realize a pet peeve of mine. Self censorship has nothing to do with freedom of speech. If the government stepped in and forced a recall, then we could lament the loss of freedom of speech. If for any reason, the makers were forced against their own will to recall a game because of said content we could rightfully begin to worry about the loss of some of our freedom. If a company censors itself in order to provide a more profitable product and avoid controversy it is not a freedom of speech issue.
Of course, I am also slightly bitter that I have to wait another week for Little Big Planet to come out.
Within the gaming community I have noticed a number of comments lamenting that such censorship could occure. It has even been suggested that this is just another example of how freedom of speech/expression has slowly been eroded; an utterly false statement. This has led me to realize a pet peeve of mine. Self censorship has nothing to do with freedom of speech. If the government stepped in and forced a recall, then we could lament the loss of freedom of speech. If for any reason, the makers were forced against their own will to recall a game because of said content we could rightfully begin to worry about the loss of some of our freedom. If a company censors itself in order to provide a more profitable product and avoid controversy it is not a freedom of speech issue.
Of course, I am also slightly bitter that I have to wait another week for Little Big Planet to come out.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Welcome
Welcome to my blog,
The name will probably change. The set up will probably also change as I learn more about set-up, blog creation, etc. I realized a few months back that there are some things I would like to talk about, discuss, rant about, but have no method to do so. Hence the blog. I will thus spout my opinions out into cyberspace and imagine thousands of nameless faceless readers being astounded by what I have to say.
Really, besides ranting about random issues there are two things that I will probably be discussing on a regular basis, burgers and video games. I love myself a good burger and will keep a list of all the burger places I have tried and my thoughts on all of them. I will also post (sometime in the future) my philosophy on burgers (yes, i have a whole philosophy on what makes a good burger) as I think it is usefull and comprehensive. I also like a good video game, and am a moderate gamer. Those aren't my only likes, but just two things which I often want to share my opinion about and don't really get the chance to do so.
You, poor reader, will also be subject to my thoughts on driving a scooter, my new son, marriage, religion, politics, family, education, life in the Northwest, you name it.
The name will probably change. The set up will probably also change as I learn more about set-up, blog creation, etc. I realized a few months back that there are some things I would like to talk about, discuss, rant about, but have no method to do so. Hence the blog. I will thus spout my opinions out into cyberspace and imagine thousands of nameless faceless readers being astounded by what I have to say.
Really, besides ranting about random issues there are two things that I will probably be discussing on a regular basis, burgers and video games. I love myself a good burger and will keep a list of all the burger places I have tried and my thoughts on all of them. I will also post (sometime in the future) my philosophy on burgers (yes, i have a whole philosophy on what makes a good burger) as I think it is usefull and comprehensive. I also like a good video game, and am a moderate gamer. Those aren't my only likes, but just two things which I often want to share my opinion about and don't really get the chance to do so.
You, poor reader, will also be subject to my thoughts on driving a scooter, my new son, marriage, religion, politics, family, education, life in the Northwest, you name it.
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