Apricots

Summertime means fruits, and my kids now are into apricots ("angelcots" according to the brand name I think). I wonder if this infusion of sugar during summertime due to eating lots of fruits is something to be wary of. I will probably limit their amount of fruit. Still, eating fruit is probably better than eating candy or ice cream.

Badminton

My kids love playing badminton. I set up the net at the start of summer and now the kids love playing it every time we go outside. The reason is probably because the rackets are light enough for kids to hold, and the birdies are light enough to hit. In fact, badminton is probably a great game for kids because they can really can hit the birdie and participate fully in the game.

Salem Day Trip

We took a day trip to Salem's Bush Pasture Park where the kids rode their bicycles on the trails. The park is near Willamette University's track and we saw track and field competitions for grade schoolers and high schoolers. One athlete we saw was during the javelin throw. He threw it quite a distance on his second try. Then we went to the Salem downtown mall area for lunch. Afterward, we spend some time at the Woodburn Outlet Center and then at the Wilsonville Family Fun Center. For dinner, we headed home where I cooked up some fried rice and we ate it outside. It was a wonderful day trip.

Transition

Transitions that involve a person leaving are always hard. Today I attended an event for a pastor who was leaving for to teach after serving at a church for over a decade. There were heart-felt well wishes mixed with sadness over memories of friendships, acts of kindness, and everything else that constitutes a journey together in life.

Swimming

My kids are watching reruns of Michael Phelps' swimming victories during the last summer Olympics. Hopefully, watching the skill and grace and Phelps and other Olympic swimmers will motivate my kids to excel in swimming. I'm sure these Olympic swimmers do inspire a generation of kids to aspire to be their best.

Subtlety

The differences between "overt" and "subtle" can be discussed in various ways. One is through the prism or racial bias. I read that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was deeply frustrated when he shifted from battling overt Southern racial discrimination to battling subtle Northern racial discrimination because the subtle Northern discrimination was more entrenched and intractable. This shows that what is more hidden in the subtle can therefore make it that much more formidable, whether it is subtle arguments or subtle racial bias.

Make a Difference

I heard Jo Ann Bowman give an inspiring talk about following one's passion and making a difference. She is executive director of Oregon Action and the former representative who served three terms in the Oregon legislature. I respect Rep. Bowman and others who have that "fire in the belly" that motivates them to run for office. It takes a lot to sacrifice privacy and more to try to make a difference.

Trees

Trees get big. I'm specifically referring to the tree in the middle of my backyard that has grown large and tall with branches that go up and some that go out. It takes a lot of work to trim tree branches. Falling branches can break wooden fences and other things. My kids want to climb trees. But the ones in the backyard are too large for them to climb. So perhaps a play structure in the backyard is an alternative.

Cherries

Someone gave me a big bag of fresh cherries picked from Washington State cherry trees. They were sweet and delicious. Fresh fruit is always the best. I know this is not always possible in this day and age when so much of our food is handled by large companies that reside in distant parts of the country or globe. So I like the "grow and buy local" trend where local growers produce local fruits and produce for the local consumers whose local purchases sustain the local economy.

Cartoon Tattoos

My kids have begun playing with tattoos for kids that depict cartoon characters. The tattoos go on the skin by pressing the wet tattoo against the skin for about 15 seconds. I'm okay with the kids playing with these tattoos because I recall playing with these when I was a kid. It's just something fun to do, and after a while the tattoo wears off.

Communal Gatherings

I went to a church today to hear a student giver her "senior recital" on the cello. Other people use churches for other reasons. Of course, the main reason is to congregate and worship. But other reasons include marriage, concerts, sports (when the church has a gym), and playground (when the church has a play structure for parents with kids). These various uses show how churches (and other houses of faith) are integral to community building because these houses of faith allow the community to come together for various communal goals. Houses of faith allow modern-day people to still find ways to get together when other community institutions (e.g., bowling) are falling by the wayside.

Thursday:

Simple things add up. I mean that a small expense can add up. For example, I pack my own lunch for work. But if I bought a lunch every day, let us say a $6.00 per lunch, which is $30.00 per week, which then becomes $240.00 per month, this becomes a lot of money. I know many have already made this point--that a little expense can add up over the long haul. But it is so true that it is always good to remind ourselves of this truth every now and then.

Friday:

Private schools can be expensive. I'm talking about private elementary and secondary schools, not even college. For example, I heard one private K-12 school charge about $20,000 per student per year. This is an incredible amount. This kind of money could pay for college tuition. But I also realize that education is important, and that for some parents, a good education starts from the very beginning, so that all that money is an investment in a solid education from the very beginning.

Hurdles

I heard a female judge of color give an inspiring talk to a group of students. The judge recounted how she grew up in the South where racial prejudice caused people to not view Blacks as capable of succeeding, much less succeed to be a judge. But she overcame racial prejudice and other obstacles to become a judge. So in life, there are numerous hurdles, including racial bias hurdles, but hope remains because of the stories of those who ran through and over those hurdles.

Civil Rights

Oregon's new Attorney General John Kroger is proposing restoring the Civil Rights Enforcement Unit at the Oregon Department of Justice. This seems like a good idea. The Unit had existed but was cut in the 1980s because of budgetary reasons. It seems unlikely that the Oregon Legislature this session will approve funding to restore the Unit. This is too bad. Enforcing the laws to ensure equality seems like a high-priority item that should take precedence over other items.

Food

I heard a news account of a child getting E. coli from eating a hamburger, and that must be careful about eating hamburgers because the average hamburger patty is a combination of a multitude of slaughtered cows. This once again shows the need to be vigilant when eating food, from salads to fruits to hamburgers. Food safety has improved since the 19th century, but there is always more that can be done.

Downpour

Yesterday, in the middle of summer, it started to just pour down rain. It came down so hard for a short while that the rainwater overflowed my gutters and started pouring down the side of my window and wall. My son saw this and said it was neat. I didn't think so. Luckily, the downpour ended shortly thereafter.

Sales

My wife took the kids to a huge warehouse sale that included books. There were great deals everywhere. Some prices were cut fifty percent. These are great sales for teachers and others wishing to get school items at reduced prices, especially during tough economic times when budget cuts abound. These are tough economic times, and sales and discounts help relieve the economic burdens.

Family

We attended a birthday/graduation party for my niece. It was a wonderful event that included family and friends. My wife enjoys these big family gatherings where everyone comes together for at least a little while to see each other and get updated on family occurrences. Family gatherings allow us to connect and to share. These are good things.

Voodoo Donuts

I finally ate some donuts from the "Voodoo Donuts" store today. They were tasty. Voodoo Donuts is known for creatively creating all sorts of donuts from cereal-encrusted donuts to bacon-topped donuts. I like their original offerings. Donuts should be fun, and Voodoo Donuts puts the fun back in donuts.

Public Sector

My wife went to the post office to get stamps and noted that the line extended to the entrance because only one postal worker was working at the counter. The postal worker called several times for more help, but did not receive help until much time had passed. My wife remarked that this is an example of why the U.S. Post Office is losing money. I think this is also an example of government indifference to the needs of customers. I'm not saying all government employees are indifferent (I used to be a government worker after having served in the military). But there does on occasion appear to be a difference between private sector and government employees in the promptness of meeting the needs of customers.

Field Day

My daughter's school had its "field day" today to mark the end of the school year. A fun time was had by all. There were hot dogs, games, and a tug-of-war between the staff and the students. This was a nice way to end the academic year--with fun and friends.

Accent

I have been looking into the issue of accents and the studies are quite interesting. Many studies show that listeners are biased against people who speak with an Asian, Spanish, or Arab accent. The studies also show that listeners are biased against Black English speakers. Additionally, listeners are biased against regional accents such as the Southern accent. Accents can trigger negative stereotypes. All of this shows that people find various ways of distinguishing between "us" and "them" (the "others"), and accent is one of those ways.

Park Patrol

I took my kids to the park today to play while mom got some "alone" time to do her thing. The kids had fun at the park--no surprise here. What did surprise me was seeing a "Park Patrol" vehicle drive by. I guess some locales have park patrols that are akin to police patrols. I like the idea. Kids need safe places to play, and it is too easy for people to use parks for other than their intended purposes.

Rose Festival Parade

My wife and the kids and friends went to the Rose Festival Parade to see the floats. They had a good time and had less of a crowd to contend with because they found spots near the end of the parade route. Some people camp out to days before the parade to save good spots. That shows dedication, but I lack the devotion needed to wait 24-48 hours for a parade spot. I'll just have to see the parade on the news.

BJ the Clown

My kids saw BJ the Clown and his show at the library today and they laughed uproariously with the other kids even though having already seen BJ at birthday parties and other library events. BJ the Clown is funny and he makes use of funny props. But it isn't that easy to keep kids entertained for a long time absent electronic games nowadays, so I respect those who can get and keep the attention of kids without technological gizmos.

Supreme Court Picks

Does the average American really care about a president's nominee for the Supreme Court? I've been following a discussion regarding this question. Certainly some groups do care such as academicians, right-wing groups, and left-wing groups. But do average Americans care? Maybe they care less when the economy is not doing well because they care more about their jobs? I guess I'll need to look at survey data to find the answer.

Social Engineering

Our choices in life are at times affected by "social engineering" government policies that we are sometimes unaware of. For example, I am thinking of buying a new water heater for my house. I might ultimately choose to buy the water heater because the government will provide me with a tax break. Also, I might choose to buy a particular brand because that brand is energy efficient and is on the government-approved list. Now I like these tax breaks and hope they continue. But my point is that government tax breaks, like other government acts that seek to affect our decisions, are a form of "social engineering" because these government acts seek to push society towards a certain path.

CE

Many toys are made of plastic, and my wife and I found out a while back that CE plastic is the safest for kids (and presumably adults). Thus, we are careful now to buy toys and cups and other items that are made of CE plastic. This is another duty of parents nowadays--to ensure the plastic that our kids touch is safe. At times, the need to be vigilant can be draining. But it is worth it for the safety of our kids.

Lost In Time

The most recent game I play with my kids is holding their feet while they walk on their hands. They act like a wheelbarrow using their hands. I used to do this as a kid and forgot all about it until recently. There are probably many more games and activities I did that are lost to the mist of time. Once we "mature," all those fun things we did as kids are forgotten to be replaced with "adult" responsibilities. Then, with kids, they come back for a new generation.