I'm having a hard time coming up with something I want to talk about this week. Maybe it's the boring work week or the light at the end of the tunnel for school, but I just can't think of anything to say. So, I decided to write about a few things I'm thankful for. I know it's not Thanksgiving, but shouldn't we be thankful year round? First, I'm thankful for my husband. Not only has he been putting up with my constant yammering on about school, but has been DVR'ing all my favorite shows so that I can catch up with them when I won't have to worry about homework. Thanks Scott!
I'm thankful I have the resources to go to school. Car, money, time, family and friend support, and a lifestyle that pretty much lets me do as I please. Yeah, that job thing gets in the way, but I'm still thankful for that too because without it, my life would be very different. It's not the worse job I've ever had, but I am ready to give it up. That will have to wait until I'm done with school, however.
My health. We all know how much more difficult life can or could be without having good health. My home (even thought we are looking for a new house). To have a secure place of comfort is priceless. Material possessions. Let's face it, we all like our stuff. And the freedom to enjoy all these things.
I guess what is spurring this, is my artifact. I found in my father's scrapbook from his early twenties a personal accounting of his reaction to V-E Day in Europe. But, he wasn't in Europe, he was driving a 6X6 truck on the Ledo-Burma Road. I never knew this letter existed until last weekend when I was going through the scrapbook. I knew of the scrapbook, but never had the opportunity to go through it until after his death in October of 2002. Even then, all I could stand to find were his Honorary Discharge papers to prove he was eligible for a Military funeral.
Time has a way of tempering grief and I was able to really look through the book. At the end, in a well used manila folder was the letter. In reading it, I realized that I have so much to attribute to not only my father, but to all the Veterans of our Country. Crossing the Burma road was perilous, dirty, stressful, uncomfortable, and lonely. His description of sleeping in the cramped cab of the truck, with his knees doubled up, and comparing it to a feather bed makes me really thankful that I have a comfy bed, with plenty of quilts and blankets and climate controlled perfection. I don't think I could have survived what he went through, not just on the Ledo-Burma Road, but WWII in general. Which makes me very thankful for the life he gave me.
Blog for the week of April 21st.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
Bluebirds in the Spring
I realize that birds are not always interesting to everyone, but I do want to write about one of my favorites, the Bluebird. Specifically, in Wisconsin, the Eastern Bluebird. When my husband and I first moved to Random Lake, every once in a while I'd see a flash of blue zip through the yard. Before I became a bird enthusiast, I really didn't know that this was a unique opportunity. Bluebirds are very picky about their habitats, and if you have one cruising through your yard there's a very good chance you can get them to raise a family if you put out a nest box.
According to NABS (North American Bluebird Society),Bluebirds were very common in Wisconsin during the 1800's until 1875 when Old World Weaver Finches or House Sparrows, took over after being introduced to this country from England in 1850. House Sparrows were mistakenly believed to help with insect control of crops and gardens, but the obnoxious birds actually harmed the crops. They also began displacing native birds, especially the Bluebird. Cavity nesters; the Bluebird relied exclusively on Woodpecker holes to raise their families. House Sparrows were so aggressive in not only defending the holes, but killing the already nesting Bluebird parents, eggs and babies. Bluebirds are docile, but I have noticed in the past few years that they are becoming more willing to defend their nest sites and babies. The first few years of putting out a nest box in my yard I never had problems with Bluebirds dive-bombing me when I would check the nest and babies. However, the last few years, both parents have defended the nest when they had eggs or chicks in the nest box. At times actually touching my hair or hitting my shoulder.
Blog for the week of April 14th
According to NABS (North American Bluebird Society),Bluebirds were very common in Wisconsin during the 1800's until 1875 when Old World Weaver Finches or House Sparrows, took over after being introduced to this country from England in 1850. House Sparrows were mistakenly believed to help with insect control of crops and gardens, but the obnoxious birds actually harmed the crops. They also began displacing native birds, especially the Bluebird. Cavity nesters; the Bluebird relied exclusively on Woodpecker holes to raise their families. House Sparrows were so aggressive in not only defending the holes, but killing the already nesting Bluebird parents, eggs and babies. Bluebirds are docile, but I have noticed in the past few years that they are becoming more willing to defend their nest sites and babies. The first few years of putting out a nest box in my yard I never had problems with Bluebirds dive-bombing me when I would check the nest and babies. However, the last few years, both parents have defended the nest when they had eggs or chicks in the nest box. At times actually touching my hair or hitting my shoulder.
I'm not going to go into the whole history of how Bluebird trails were started, or the finer points of one nest box over another, but during the 1970's, a movement was started to save the Bluebird. Here's a link to the history of NABS:
http://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/nabs%20history.htm
Because of all the hard work of people who want to see the Bluebird survive, the bird has been brought back from the brink of extinction by the use of proper habitat and trails of nest boxes in those habitats. But, it doesn't come without cost. Getting rid of House Sparrows is a time consuming and frustrating job.
Here is a link to pictures of House Sparrows if you don't know what they look like.
http://www.sialis.org/hospphotos.htm
or here's a close up of a male House Sparrow. My thanks to Bet Zimmerman who took the photo and gave me permission to use it and the link to her website.
I have two nest boxes in my yard and have seen first hand what House Sparrows will do with not just Bluebird eggs, but any eggs or adult bird, and I have no sympathy for the sparrow. I found a dead Black-Cap Chickadee lying on her smashed eggs because the sparrow had killed her while she tried to defend her eggs and nest. Then, the sparrow didn't even use the nest box. He just flew on to be a pest somewhere else. Mostly, after killing the bird already nesting, they will just build their nests on top of the deceased. Doesn't make for happy birding.
If you want to learn more about Bluebirds, these are two very good websites:
http://www.nabluebirdsociety.org/
and
http://www.braw.org/
If you have a large yard, with lots of flat-cut grass land, please consider putting up a nest box and monitoring it. The above websites have nest box designs, finished product for sale or you can buy the wood ones from Fleet Farm.
Here's a link to buy nest boxes on line too:
http://www.sialis.org/bluebirdstore.htm#nestboxes
Just make sure you don't let the House Sparrows nest in there, otherwise you've done no good for the birds you are trying to help.
Blog for the week of April 14th
Friday, April 11, 2008
Phobias
We all have them to some degree. Phobias. Whether it's spiders, or heights, or closed in spaces, or the number 13, chances are good that at some point in your life you are going to have an irrational fear of something. I have a few, and I'm willing to admit it. I try very hard to over come these fears when they raise their ugly heads, but sometimes it's not all that easy. This time of year is sometimes difficult for me because I don't like thunder and lightning. Rain is ok, but the storm part sets me on edge, especially if I'm outside. I have never liked the noises that go with storms, even as a kid. I remember my mom trying to tell me it was the Angels in heaven bowling that made all that noise. I didn't believe it then, but she kept telling me that anyway.
I don't like storms as an adult because I know what havoc they can produce. I was living in Jackson in 1981 when a tornado went through West Bend killing three people. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, my mother was the Disaster Chairman for the West Bend Red Cross chapter, so within an hour after the twister had gone through the family was packed up in the car, headed to West Bend to set up a shelter for all the people whose homes had been destroyed.
In 2005 I received a secondary lightning strike which was incredibly painful and terrifying. My husband and I were in Indianapolis for the Star Wars Celebration III convention. We were done for the day, and I volunteered to go get the car and pick him up because we had bought a bunch of stuff that we didn't want to get wet. It was raining steadily, but at the time wasn't thundering or lightning. The car was two blocks from the convention center and when I went to cross the three intersections leading to the parking lot it REALLY started to pour. And thunder. And lightning. I pressed the button for the walk signal, the lights changed, and I crossed the street. As soon as I got to the other side, I turned and looked from where I had been standing and a bolt of lightning struck the signal light I had just touched and been standing next to. Because there was so much water in the street, the electricity fanned out from the pole, came up through me and out my arm holding the metal umbrella.
It pushed me backwards several steps and scared the crap out of me. I have never run so fast in my life to get to my car. I thank God to this day that there was no traffic coming because I bolted into the street like a blind horse being chased by a wolf. I didn't look; I don't remember taking off, and all I know is that suddenly I was at my car with my arm numb and my hand feeling like there were millions of angry spiders crawling inside of it.
My other phobia is basements. Well, specifically bad basements. I think it has something to do with claustrophobia as I'm not too fond of closed-in spaces or large packed-together crowds. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem except, as I've mentioned before, my husband and I are house hunting. If I don't like the basement, the house is a NO. Especially since the laundry room or my sewing room will probably be down there. My husband is a saint about this, because he doesn't have problems with basements. He's got height issues, and I don't make him live in a loft type house where the upstairs is open to the whole floor plan. Back to basements though. Have you ever noticed in horror movies that the proportion of evil is directly associated with the nastiness of the basement? And why on Earth do people run into the basement, WITH NO EXIT, and think the bad guy won't find them there? Run outside you idiots!!!! Scatter to the four winds!!!!!
As I write this, a thunderstorm is passing overhead and I realize that at some point this spring there's a chance I'll have to take cover in the basement from a bad storm. Talk about your maximum overload of phobia damage.
Blog for the week of April 7th.
I don't like storms as an adult because I know what havoc they can produce. I was living in Jackson in 1981 when a tornado went through West Bend killing three people. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, my mother was the Disaster Chairman for the West Bend Red Cross chapter, so within an hour after the twister had gone through the family was packed up in the car, headed to West Bend to set up a shelter for all the people whose homes had been destroyed.
In 2005 I received a secondary lightning strike which was incredibly painful and terrifying. My husband and I were in Indianapolis for the Star Wars Celebration III convention. We were done for the day, and I volunteered to go get the car and pick him up because we had bought a bunch of stuff that we didn't want to get wet. It was raining steadily, but at the time wasn't thundering or lightning. The car was two blocks from the convention center and when I went to cross the three intersections leading to the parking lot it REALLY started to pour. And thunder. And lightning. I pressed the button for the walk signal, the lights changed, and I crossed the street. As soon as I got to the other side, I turned and looked from where I had been standing and a bolt of lightning struck the signal light I had just touched and been standing next to. Because there was so much water in the street, the electricity fanned out from the pole, came up through me and out my arm holding the metal umbrella.
It pushed me backwards several steps and scared the crap out of me. I have never run so fast in my life to get to my car. I thank God to this day that there was no traffic coming because I bolted into the street like a blind horse being chased by a wolf. I didn't look; I don't remember taking off, and all I know is that suddenly I was at my car with my arm numb and my hand feeling like there were millions of angry spiders crawling inside of it.
My other phobia is basements. Well, specifically bad basements. I think it has something to do with claustrophobia as I'm not too fond of closed-in spaces or large packed-together crowds. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem except, as I've mentioned before, my husband and I are house hunting. If I don't like the basement, the house is a NO. Especially since the laundry room or my sewing room will probably be down there. My husband is a saint about this, because he doesn't have problems with basements. He's got height issues, and I don't make him live in a loft type house where the upstairs is open to the whole floor plan. Back to basements though. Have you ever noticed in horror movies that the proportion of evil is directly associated with the nastiness of the basement? And why on Earth do people run into the basement, WITH NO EXIT, and think the bad guy won't find them there? Run outside you idiots!!!! Scatter to the four winds!!!!!
As I write this, a thunderstorm is passing overhead and I realize that at some point this spring there's a chance I'll have to take cover in the basement from a bad storm. Talk about your maximum overload of phobia damage.
Blog for the week of April 7th.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Long Live the Malibu
Our 1998 Malibu has roughly 278,000 miles on it. Yes, that is correct. It has also had a long list of normal repairs and several repairs that should never have been needed (three transmissions, but we only paid for one. It's a good story, ask me and I'll tell you about it sometime). Today I took it in for an oil change, and lo and behold, the Mighty Malibu has a broken rear spring on the left side. I'm guessing it's from the massive amount of pot holes and giant crevasses that have plagued the area since the end of winter. Both my husband and I have come to the conclusion that we probably won't fix it again. It also needs brakes soon, has a leak in the head gasket and a leak in the steering pump. I travel with a box of every fluid that the car could possible need in the trunk. The AC has been broken since 2000, so summer commutes have been miserable. I think we have gotten our money's worth out of this car, and it is time to let it go into the light.
So, what kind of car to get? We absolutely need high gas mileage. I'd love to get a hybrid, but we do mostly highway driving so we wouldn't be able to take advantage of the electric half. I love our Matrix, but my husband doesn't, so we won't be getting another one of those. It gets 35mpg on the highway, and as I do the majority of the miles that car will probably become my car. We have had only one car for the first 16 years of our marriage, first a Cavalier that we sold to my sister when it had 252,000 miles on it (she drove it until it had 325,000 miles on it), and then after that, it was the Malibu until Nov. 2006 when we got the Matrix.
Anybody have any suggestions? We are thinking about a Hyundai Sonata, and also like the new Impalas. It must get above 30mpg minimum and have enough horsepower to let us merge onto the freeway easily.
We are still carpooling when we can, as we both work in Milwaukee, kind of in the same area. When class schedule allows, or if he isn't going to work late or have a meeting. I am still adapting to the whole two car thing, and I know that's the norm for almost everyone these days, but Scott and I have been "green" before it was fashionable. It also allowed us to save a considerable amount of money that wasn't spent on a second car payment, extra insurance, extra gas and extra wear and tear. But, now that I need to go straight to Sheboygan on Mondays and Wednesdays, we need two cars. And, once you have that luxury of two cars, it's really hard to go back to one. Especially when both people need the car at the same time in different directions. I'm also at the age where begging for rides from friends and coworkers all the time is somewhat embarrassing.
Blog for the week of March 31st.
So, what kind of car to get? We absolutely need high gas mileage. I'd love to get a hybrid, but we do mostly highway driving so we wouldn't be able to take advantage of the electric half. I love our Matrix, but my husband doesn't, so we won't be getting another one of those. It gets 35mpg on the highway, and as I do the majority of the miles that car will probably become my car. We have had only one car for the first 16 years of our marriage, first a Cavalier that we sold to my sister when it had 252,000 miles on it (she drove it until it had 325,000 miles on it), and then after that, it was the Malibu until Nov. 2006 when we got the Matrix.
Anybody have any suggestions? We are thinking about a Hyundai Sonata, and also like the new Impalas. It must get above 30mpg minimum and have enough horsepower to let us merge onto the freeway easily.
We are still carpooling when we can, as we both work in Milwaukee, kind of in the same area. When class schedule allows, or if he isn't going to work late or have a meeting. I am still adapting to the whole two car thing, and I know that's the norm for almost everyone these days, but Scott and I have been "green" before it was fashionable. It also allowed us to save a considerable amount of money that wasn't spent on a second car payment, extra insurance, extra gas and extra wear and tear. But, now that I need to go straight to Sheboygan on Mondays and Wednesdays, we need two cars. And, once you have that luxury of two cars, it's really hard to go back to one. Especially when both people need the car at the same time in different directions. I'm also at the age where begging for rides from friends and coworkers all the time is somewhat embarrassing.
Blog for the week of March 31st.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
House Hunting and Conformity
My husband and I are currently looking for a new house. We’ve been looking for several years now and have had no luck. Part of the problem is us, and the other part is subdivisions with restrictions or covenants. We started out looking for a lot to build on that had city water and sewer hook-ups, but all we could find were overpriced lots with tons of restrictions. Now, if that’s what people are looking for, then more power to them. Me? Fewer rules in my life would be ok. And these aren’t the laws and rules that are on record with the village, city or town government.
Where we currently live, a subdivision with covenants went up behind us. It has five pages of rules that a person would have to live by in order to build a home and live there. The most ridiculous one I think is that you cannot have garish lawn ornaments. It doesn’t say what constitutes as garish, so that part is open to interpretation. Say, for instance I want to put my 500 piece gnome collection out on my lawn. It might not be garish to me, but what if my neighbor doesn’t like them? Or what happens if you want to put a gazing mirror ball in the middle of your flower bed? What if you don’t like your neighbor’s patio furniture? The other silly one is that you cannot have your garage door open for any length of time. Ok. So, when you are cutting your grass you have to close the door? Maybe working in there and you want to have the door open so you aren’t over come with fumes? And, of course that’s followed with no cars are to be parked in your driveway overnight.
I understand that we have to have laws and rules to have a society that we can all get along in. And I feel that’s what ordinances with the village are for. If I have someone stay overnight, I will park their car in my driveway. Do I really need to build a four car garage in order to have my cars, my guest’s car and all my outdoor stuff crammed in there? We have had several Realtors try to find us houses and most of them have given up because they don’t understand our problem with these covenants. Several were on the neighborhood association for their subdivisions, so I guess they wouldn’t understand my claustrophobic feeling of living under all that restriction.
I’m not sure I understand why some people want to live under those rules, other than they get to brag about where they live. I couldn’t care less about the name of a subdivision, and I certainly am not paying money every year just to live there. Isn’t that what property taxes are for? Do I really need to fork over more cash just so I can state I live in jail like setting that won’t even let me park my car in my driveway overnight? Have we gotten so used to being told what to do all the time that we can’t even have our homes to ourselves? We’ve had several folks tell us to just get over it, it’s not a big deal and we are being too picky. My response is always the same. My husband and I do not want to live with that, trying to remember the rules every single day; what we can and cannot do. Knowing that ahead of time will save us a lot of aggravation in the long run. But that doesn’t mean other folks don’t want to. They obviously chose to live there, so they must want that. Why should we move into that, and resent it, and then get into trouble for doing something that is completely harmless. Even if we find a subdivision that doesn’t have many restrictions, that doesn’t mean the association can’t get together and make more rules.
So, our search continues. I know there’s got to be houses out there that aren’t under dictatorships and tyranny. I wonder sometimes if the associations who run the subdivisions are people who really need to be in control of not only their lives, but everyone else’s too.
Blog for the week of March 24th
Where we currently live, a subdivision with covenants went up behind us. It has five pages of rules that a person would have to live by in order to build a home and live there. The most ridiculous one I think is that you cannot have garish lawn ornaments. It doesn’t say what constitutes as garish, so that part is open to interpretation. Say, for instance I want to put my 500 piece gnome collection out on my lawn. It might not be garish to me, but what if my neighbor doesn’t like them? Or what happens if you want to put a gazing mirror ball in the middle of your flower bed? What if you don’t like your neighbor’s patio furniture? The other silly one is that you cannot have your garage door open for any length of time. Ok. So, when you are cutting your grass you have to close the door? Maybe working in there and you want to have the door open so you aren’t over come with fumes? And, of course that’s followed with no cars are to be parked in your driveway overnight.
I understand that we have to have laws and rules to have a society that we can all get along in. And I feel that’s what ordinances with the village are for. If I have someone stay overnight, I will park their car in my driveway. Do I really need to build a four car garage in order to have my cars, my guest’s car and all my outdoor stuff crammed in there? We have had several Realtors try to find us houses and most of them have given up because they don’t understand our problem with these covenants. Several were on the neighborhood association for their subdivisions, so I guess they wouldn’t understand my claustrophobic feeling of living under all that restriction.
I’m not sure I understand why some people want to live under those rules, other than they get to brag about where they live. I couldn’t care less about the name of a subdivision, and I certainly am not paying money every year just to live there. Isn’t that what property taxes are for? Do I really need to fork over more cash just so I can state I live in jail like setting that won’t even let me park my car in my driveway overnight? Have we gotten so used to being told what to do all the time that we can’t even have our homes to ourselves? We’ve had several folks tell us to just get over it, it’s not a big deal and we are being too picky. My response is always the same. My husband and I do not want to live with that, trying to remember the rules every single day; what we can and cannot do. Knowing that ahead of time will save us a lot of aggravation in the long run. But that doesn’t mean other folks don’t want to. They obviously chose to live there, so they must want that. Why should we move into that, and resent it, and then get into trouble for doing something that is completely harmless. Even if we find a subdivision that doesn’t have many restrictions, that doesn’t mean the association can’t get together and make more rules.
So, our search continues. I know there’s got to be houses out there that aren’t under dictatorships and tyranny. I wonder sometimes if the associations who run the subdivisions are people who really need to be in control of not only their lives, but everyone else’s too.
Blog for the week of March 24th
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
math IS hard!
I'm currently working on word problems in my algebra class, and suddenly I find that Barbie might be right. Math IS hard! Several years ago, a talking Barbie doll was put on the market that among other sayings repeated math IS hard and other stereotypical sayings. The doll was reprogrammed to say math IS fun! after several parent groups complained that it was reinforcing beliefs in their daughters they were trying to dispel. Girls and math, for one. I have struggled with various forms of math in my school life, whether it was grade, middle, high, technical and college. No other subject gives me the dreads as much as this one does. You would have thought I would have chosen a career that didn't deal with math, or a hobby that is practically nothing but math. You try making a king sized quilt without math AND fractions at that.
My husband seems to do this stuff in his head, without even giving it a second thought. I'll yell the problem down the hallway to him and seconds later he yells the answer back all the while surfing several sites on the Internet. No paper, pencil and giant eraser for him. This leaves me with the thought that there must be something wrong with me. Why do I struggle so, when he seems to know the answer without even really thinking about? I'm sure a scientist some where has figured out why some people are good at one subject versus another, but that really doesn't help me right now with my word problems, does it? Did he or she find a solution to that problem? Can I just get a shot or take a pill and suddenly math IS fun!?
Until then, I will be studying like crazy, doing problems over and over again until it finally sinks in. That's how I passed my last two tests, and I see no reason to mess with success. Other than the time commitment. Our algebra textbook recommends two hours of study for every one hour of class. I seem to need a bit more time than that, or else this is the perfect case of how younger (20 somethings) learn faster than us "non-traditional" students. Or maybe it's the full time job, full time house chores, and everyday life problems that demand attention too. Do I regret going back to school? No. My regret of not finishing is greater than worrying about the sink full of dishes or thinking I can't finish because of word problems. Stephanie's blog from last week put it perfectly, I know I'm doing the right thing!
I did, however, come to the realization that life experience does change one's view of word problems. One question asked how much Maria could spend on her food if she only has $30 and wants to leave tip and tax. My reply was that Maria should have checked her wallet before going into the restaurant to make sure she had enough money so she didn't have to worry about it. Problem solved and no math involved! I somehow think though, that my math teacher won't think this is the right answer, even if he does agree with it.
Blog for the week of March 10th
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Live Long and Prosper
I am continually baffled how one persons activities can be another persons ridicule. Specifically, how Science Fiction and Fantasy fans have been ridiculed for years. On a popular radio station I listen to in the morning, the three morning show people continually make fun of, ridicule and belittle Sci-Fi fans. Sarcastic comments about 40 year olds living in their parents basement are the most often heard comment, followed by how strange and unable fans fit into society, and how somehow these fans are wasting their lives by pursuing something they like.
Constant comments about how there's not something right about fans who will wait in line to see a movie or go to a convention. I will admit there are always people on the fringes of ANY common interest that do not fit into what is perceived as "normal" social behaviors. However, it's not relegated to just Sci-Fi and Fantasy. Sports, Anime, shopping, gambling, gaming, online chats, blogging, car enthusiast, tv reality show watchers, concert goers, etc all have a segment of fan base that don't "fit in". Over this past weekend (Feb 23 & 24), opening day tickets went on sale for the Brewers. How are the folks who stayed in line, some for days in freezing weather, any different than the fans who waited to get into the Star Wars movies or the Star Wars Celebration conventions? Or Comic Con? Or a Star Trek convention? Anyone whose ever spent a small fortune to go to a Packer game, let alone season tickets has no right to belittle any fan of any other interest. Yet, somehow, sports is never held to the same standard that any other hobby or interest is held.
My husband and I usually go to Gen Con. I had no clue what that was when we first met, when it was still here in Milwaukee like it should be. But I digress. It's now held in Indianapolis, and when it first moved we didn't go. We've gone the past few years and every year it's the same conversation with my co-workers. "Why are you going to that, don't only weird people go?" "You must be going because your husband is making you go." And so forth. Truth is, I enjoy going. There's lots to do, not just gaming and believe it or not, there are normal folks there too. I don't pretend to know any person's mind, but to all outward appearances, they appear normal. I bet some even like sports. Don't get me wrong, I like watching football on Sundays just like everyone else, but the hypocrisy of some sports fans is appalling. An entire day spent watching a game on tv, eating junk food like there's never going to be anymore and drinking a silo of beer is just as "weird"to me as I appear to them. At least at Gen Con, you have to walk everywhere.
Gen Con is held at the Indianapolis Convention Center, and last year a Colts pre-season football game was held on one of the days Gen Con was in session. The RCA dome is part of the convention center. Football fans decked out in their best Colts adornments were actually sneering and making rude comments to the Gen Con goers. Why they can't see that they are the same person, just a different event is baffling. Is it because sports is "acceptable" in our society?
When Gen Con was in Milwaukee, the same morning show used to comment about the freaks downtown. A pretty harsh word, and one I'm sure they would not liked used to describe themselves. They, however had no problem using it for people they have never met, never tried to meet or even bother to understand. Yet, these same hosts can spew out baseball and football statistics like Rainman. But here's the thing. Even though I understand there's a double standard here, I don't think they are freaks because of what they like. I understand that even though I have a hobby, well several hobbies and interests that they wouldn't even think twice about calling me a freak, I understand their obsession with their interest and hold nothing against them. It's their interest, something they care about, something that occupies their free time. Double standards.
When viewed in something like the above blog may cause a smile or two, or a shake of the head and denial, but when put into context of say, racial issues it becomes discrimination. Is it any wonder why we will always have discrimination when we can't even leave hobbies and interests out of our judgements of other people?
Blog for the week of March 3rd
Constant comments about how there's not something right about fans who will wait in line to see a movie or go to a convention. I will admit there are always people on the fringes of ANY common interest that do not fit into what is perceived as "normal" social behaviors. However, it's not relegated to just Sci-Fi and Fantasy. Sports, Anime, shopping, gambling, gaming, online chats, blogging, car enthusiast, tv reality show watchers, concert goers, etc all have a segment of fan base that don't "fit in". Over this past weekend (Feb 23 & 24), opening day tickets went on sale for the Brewers. How are the folks who stayed in line, some for days in freezing weather, any different than the fans who waited to get into the Star Wars movies or the Star Wars Celebration conventions? Or Comic Con? Or a Star Trek convention? Anyone whose ever spent a small fortune to go to a Packer game, let alone season tickets has no right to belittle any fan of any other interest. Yet, somehow, sports is never held to the same standard that any other hobby or interest is held.
My husband and I usually go to Gen Con. I had no clue what that was when we first met, when it was still here in Milwaukee like it should be. But I digress. It's now held in Indianapolis, and when it first moved we didn't go. We've gone the past few years and every year it's the same conversation with my co-workers. "Why are you going to that, don't only weird people go?" "You must be going because your husband is making you go." And so forth. Truth is, I enjoy going. There's lots to do, not just gaming and believe it or not, there are normal folks there too. I don't pretend to know any person's mind, but to all outward appearances, they appear normal. I bet some even like sports. Don't get me wrong, I like watching football on Sundays just like everyone else, but the hypocrisy of some sports fans is appalling. An entire day spent watching a game on tv, eating junk food like there's never going to be anymore and drinking a silo of beer is just as "weird"to me as I appear to them. At least at Gen Con, you have to walk everywhere.
Gen Con is held at the Indianapolis Convention Center, and last year a Colts pre-season football game was held on one of the days Gen Con was in session. The RCA dome is part of the convention center. Football fans decked out in their best Colts adornments were actually sneering and making rude comments to the Gen Con goers. Why they can't see that they are the same person, just a different event is baffling. Is it because sports is "acceptable" in our society?
When Gen Con was in Milwaukee, the same morning show used to comment about the freaks downtown. A pretty harsh word, and one I'm sure they would not liked used to describe themselves. They, however had no problem using it for people they have never met, never tried to meet or even bother to understand. Yet, these same hosts can spew out baseball and football statistics like Rainman. But here's the thing. Even though I understand there's a double standard here, I don't think they are freaks because of what they like. I understand that even though I have a hobby, well several hobbies and interests that they wouldn't even think twice about calling me a freak, I understand their obsession with their interest and hold nothing against them. It's their interest, something they care about, something that occupies their free time. Double standards.
When viewed in something like the above blog may cause a smile or two, or a shake of the head and denial, but when put into context of say, racial issues it becomes discrimination. Is it any wonder why we will always have discrimination when we can't even leave hobbies and interests out of our judgements of other people?
Blog for the week of March 3rd
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