Sunday, May 11, 2014

Sunday morning stream of consciousness

I thought I'd try an experiment this morning.  It's just before 5:00 a.m. on what is supposed to be a quiet Sunday morning.  Rather than plan a few topics and follow my normal structure, or in the alternative, write about the headlines, I'm just going to write whatever is in my head at the moment I happen to be at the keyboard.

As this idea came to me, I was watching the end of a movie from 2001 with Keanu Reeves and Diane Lane. It's about a flawed man who finds redemption by coaching a little league team of kids from the Cabrini Green Housing Project in Chicago.  It isn't a great movie, but it is uplifting.  I'll watch it again from start to finish at some point.  He (Reeves) is actually pretty good in this role.

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I wrote a little blurb about thanking everyone who had some kind of "mothering" role in my life and included two of my "work mothers."  One of them thanked me and we exchanged memories of how much we accomplished there, doing the job with far fewer people than work in that office today.  Reminded me of one of my favorite military aphorisms.  "We've accomplished so much with so little around here, eventually they will have asked us to do more with less until we're doing it all with nothing."

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With the amazing success being enjoyed by Candy Crush Saga, I can't help but wonder what is taking the maker of the game so long to come up with levels beyond 575 in the "regular" game.  The "dreamworld" thing is a nice diversion, but people want the real thing

* * *

"Ice Princess" was on as I channel-surfed this morning.  I like this movie, because it's such a great metaphor on how to parent and not to parent all at the same time.  Joan Cusack and Kim Cattrall are mothers who intend to make damn sure their daughters achieve the future goals their mothers have set for them.  The only problem is that those goals aren't necessarily the dreams of those daughters.

Parents have a duty to give their kids every opportunity they can.  I'm not so sure that this duty includes determining what future is best for the child.  I am of the mind a parent's highest duty is to allow their kids to choose their own dreams and support them in trying to achieve them.

There are some dreams that are unrealistic.  We won't see a young boy grow up to be Miss USA in this or the next couple of generations.  Maybe someday.  We aren't going to see a young girl starring in the NFL as a linebacker or free safety anytime soon.  Again, maybe someday.  But just because a parent thinks their child is best suited to be a scientist doesn't mean she wants to be a scientist, or a teacher.  She might want to be a figure skater, even if her mother thinks those cute little outfits are actually degrading and objectifying.

Let your kids chase their dreams.  Don't you wish your parents had let you chase yours?

* * *

I've been promising myself a steak and eggs breakfast for over a year now and decided today would be the day I'd treat myself to it.  Naturally I made this spur of the moment decision without regard to the fact today is Mother's Day and every place I would normally go to have that kind of breakfast was going to be packed today.  Fortunately I chose a place with a counter, so I didn't blow 30 minutes waiting to be seated.

Ran a few errands afterward but the frustrating one remains undone.  My fanny pack has finally given up the ghost.  The last zipper of the only remaining compartment large enough to hold a wallet and glasses case ripped.  It is over ten years old, so that's to be expected. 

What is so frustrating is finding one that that isn't gigantic that has a belt that's long enough and sturdy enough for my needs.  I went to two places looking for one and came up either too short or too thin when it came to waist straps.  There was one that was only slightly too large, but I wasn't about to spend $85 on this project.  Off to shop on the web.

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I'm tired of Donald Sterling saying this and Shelly Sterling saying this, blah, blah, blah.  The NBA is a private business.  Unlike the NFL, which is actually a not for profit corporation, and MLB who was a not for profit until 2008, the NBA is a private, for profit enterprise.  Private businesses that sell franchises get to decide who can and can't own a franchise.  If the NBA owners want the Sterlings out, they are out. 

The two of them should just go away.  No one wants them to own the team, except maybe the ghost of Tom Metzger. 

* * *

Alright, enough stream of consciousness, here are some headlines that caught my eye:

Anderson Cooper interviewed Donald Sterling, who denied being a racist during the interview.  It will air on CNN on Monday.  Reporter's note:  Did the denial come before or after Mr. Sterling denied that there was any merit to the lawsuit filed against him by the U. S. Department of Justice for racial discrimination in renting to minorities?

Is Shelly Sterling thinking about divorcing her husband or has she already decided to do that "eventually?"  There are conflicting reports on this subject.

As predicted, "Neighbors" dethroned "The Amazing Spiderman 2" atop the weekend box office.  "Chef" won the per screen average, with $34,000 per screen on the six where it opened.

Senator Marco Rubio was asked if he's ready to be President when he appeared on "This Week" and he said that he is.  Reporter's note:  Just what does he think he's ready to be President of?

Health officials are now warning that there is very likely a link between exposure to camels and MERS, the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome.

Inquisitr.com has published an article claiming that French actress and activist Brigitte Bardot has been prosecuted and fined on five separate occasions for "inciting racial hatred" in a ten year period.  Some are disputing the claim as inaccurate, but the piece does cite sources.

Did the WWE lie to Batista by offering him the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXX and then double-cross by having Daniel Bryan win instead?  It's a legitimate question, if any question regarding scripted wrestling events can be considered legitimate.

The owner of a Portland, OR area bar that has been shut down after being fined $400,000 by the state's Bureau of Labor and Industries for discrimination against transgender patrons is now waging a write-in campaign to oust the labor commissioner allegedly behind the fine.

The New York Times is reporting that the CIA probably has a large, secret arms cache at a U. S. Army facility near San Antonio. 

Target's outgoing CEO will get an exit package worth more than $9 million.  He'd have gotten three times as much if he'd been fired rather than quitting.

After being closed for nearly three years for repairs to damage caused by an earthquake, the Washington Monument will reopen this coming Monday.

During an 11-2 drubbing of the Cincinnati Reds by the Colorado Rockies, Marty Brennaman, the Hall of Fame broadcaster for the Reds apparently wanted to let the Rockies broadcasters that they will always be #1 in his book. 

A man in Kentucky killed himself rather than face questions from a sheriff's deputy about the fate of his mother.  Apparently she died of natural causes and rather than lose her Social Security benefits, he froze her body and kept on spending the benefits.

The NFL is warning its rookies not to spend their money too quickly.  Reporter's note:  Maybe the league is tired of hearing about former players who went broke