A Variation to My Blogging Style - Let's Talk About Recycling Body Parts

Back in February, I came across an interesting post about how most bloggers post about the life alternating issues in life rather than the light & easy going stuff. He calls it bricks & mortar respectively. I've observed that in my own blog I apparently do not fit into most bloggers. I mean, how life altering are my Friday Shuffles, right?

But yesterday's post was definitely more heady than the norm for me and today's post is just as "bricky"

To that end, today's post is about taking another life; more specifically taking the lives of those members of society that have proven they are no longer a viable part of our communities, no not Jerry Springer & Rikki Lake, I am talking about inmates who are sentenced to life in prison or are sitting on death row. I am talking about the people that are proven guilty with unmistakable proof (e.g. DNA) of heinous crimes.

Those of you that know me, you know that I am very liberal. But on this topic...not so much. I feel that these individuals should have their organs harvested and donated to those that are waiting for organs. Then we pull the plug and let the inmates go to sleep forever. I'm sorry if this sounds cruel but it makes more sense than paying to house, feed, and care for these people just waiting for them to die anyway. Also, if you had a choice to see them perish or to see innocent people in need of kidneys, livers, lungs, etc., well, it's a no brainer, is it?

Why Do We Do It? Is It Bad That We Do It? Should A Blog Title Not Have So Many Questions?

I recently read a great post about stereotyping over at Ordinary Days and it got me to thinking. You know how when you are planning a party in the ballroom of your estate, but you get sidetracked because there is a great game of lawns darts going on in the east garden and Jeeves is asking you if he can take time off to travel back to England to visit his dying mum, all along you are getting sidetracked from planing the great gala? Well, me neither. But I do know that I have been thinking a lot lately about stereotyping and why, as humans, we do it but I never got around to posting. Well, here is to getting around to it...

To stereotype. It has a such negative connotation. Well, I am here to make the point that it's not inherently a bad practice. Yes, it can cause people to misjudge others but what is the cost of not using stereotypes?

Let's hypothesize for a moment. In this hypothetical situation, you are a female (okay, this is easier for some of you to own it than others) and you are driving down a dark lonely country road. Up ahead you see a tall figure walking along the side of the road dressed in a dark trench coat. In one hand he is carrying a long silvery object and he is using the other to hitch a ride. Do you stop to pick him up? Okay folks, the resounding hell no was quite deafening.

What if I were to tell you that this man wasn't wearing a trench coat but rather he was wearing rain gear and the silvery object in his hand was a turbine blade for his plow that had broken down several hundred yards off of the side of the road in the 40 acres of farmland that he owns on both sides of this road that you are on? And you wouldn't know any of this because you just drove on by. And quite frankly, I don't blame you because he also looked like he could have been a homicidal maniac!

As grade schoolers, we were all taught the processes of categorization and inductive reasoning. If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and it quacks like a duck, well then, your science teacher will tell you, it must be a duck. Of course, it could be a platypus.

In trying to ascertain the difference between categorization & inductive reasoning versus stereotyping, I came across this interesting commentary by Steven J. Sherman of Indiana University on an article written on the subject by Robin Fox. Does it answer the question? Hell no, but it let's me know that it is being pondered by greater minds than mine.

So I ask you, is it wrong to stereotype?

Argh

"You're so lucky that your child is so well behaved in the store."

"Wow, your child is so attentive when you talk to him. You're blessed."

Argh!

Okay, so the above comments are referring to a toddler and not a teenager. Had it been a teenager to which they were referring, I'd say that the comments might have some merit. But it wasn't and they don't! Geesh!

My wife's family was over this weekend for a birthday party and her sister-in-law made one of the above comments (# 2 to be exact). And in the past, both my wife and I have been the recipient of comment # 1. Argh!

Yes, I did state it was "her sister-in-law". While I realize that it is not the fault of my wife that the woman married her brother, it is HER brother that she married. I take no ownership in the bizarreness that is that woman. But that's for a different posting.

If you couldn't tell it by now, these comments really tick me off. Yes, our 3 year old is very well behaved (most of the time) but luck has nothing to do with it. Having "good kids" does not happen by chance. It takes work, it takes the occasional slip-up, and then it takes more work.

And another thing...my child listens to us when we speak to him for two reasons:
1) It is expected that he do so.
2) We listen to him when he talks to us.

Respect begets respect.

Now I realize that all kids are born with a certain disposition and some kids are easier to "train" into positive behavior than others, but c'mon people! It ain't luck and the powers that be did not will it to happen. And when my son does act out, we act swiftly. And more importantly, we act consistently.

Okay, I'll get of my soapbox now.

Something Yucky This Way Comes - and then happy thoughts for all!

Yucky News...
My mom is back in the hospital; this time with Collitus. Not sure about the spelling here but I am refering to a yucky stomach disease that is contagious, not the stuff in the opening lines of Hotel California. Anyway, she was only out for a week. Previously, she was in there for 3 weeks due to her Galbladder - again, sorry for any spelling slipups. They're not sure when she'll get out.

On a happier note...
I was just chatting with two coworkers about US drug laws, capital punishment, the horrible rape of a nine year old, how someone can be a Christian and still think for themselves, and the idea of killing Chenney. Wow, what a happy water cooler we have, eh?! Diverse people who have their own opinions - we need more of that.

Okay, really, on a happer note...
Doolittle, from American Idol, really rocked the place last night. She is awesome. I agree with Hilda that the boys aren't offering much. We both like Chris Sligh. For a runner up in the guys, she likes the bald guy and I like the beepbop kid. We'll see.

Games, food, drink, and merriment for all....
My friend Matt is taking me and another friend, Erick, out to Gameworks tonight for our birthdays. It is sure to be a blast!