Ironing, Good Samaritans, and LSU Tigers

Joy of Joys!
March 23 should be made a special holiday. Actually I think it will be in Louisiana. Tonight our LSU Tigers took down #1 Duke. I know nothing at all about basketball, but that does not stop me from acting like this is a triumph of great personal value to me. I guess it is of personal value since I worked my way out of 19th place and up to 7th in the Ninetyandnine pool with the win! That’s what happens when you back your Tigers all the way (ahem… no names mentioned, Bunch).

Check out the Benchwarmers for details on the exciting game and updates on complete NCAA standings and pool notes. Geaux Tigers!

Campaign to Stop Needless Ironing
I don’t know what it says about my personality, but I hate to iron. Unlike some, it’s not a gender equality issue for me, it’s just that it takes so long, it requires such meticulous detail, and you can’t do it once and be done with it. The more you iron, it seems like the more you have to iron. I have searched and searched thinking surely there is a campaign out there to stop needless ironing. I think I deserve to be a charter member. But my search is fruitless, so I guess I’ll start my own club. Who’s with me? (Meanwhile, I’m hoping this UK invention will catch on.)

Some Good News
A real-life version of the e-mail forward and song “Chain of Love” came to life recently when a widow left a pregnant waitress a $973.65 tip. When you’re worried about the war in the Mideast and bird flu and the economy, think about widows leaving a thousand dollars tips to expectant waitresses and remind yourself that the world is not completely heartless.

Kids and TV

All this talk about the tough time parents have of it reminds me of a recent article I ran across that tries to prove that TV doesn’t harm kids. That’s a tough row to hoe, as the saying goes, since the American Academy of Pediatrics issues a pretty severe warning about television for children.

It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
My first instinct was to reflect on my non-TV childhood. Suffice it to say I was mesmerized by the those six hour Saturday mornings every couple of months at my grandparents where the networks geared up solely for the mission of entertaining me and my little brother. In a nutshell, the Muppet Babies scared me, I was convinced He-Man was of the devil, and I determined to be Smurfette when I grew up. The greater reality of it all is that I am a much different person than I would have been if TV had been my constant playmate. The obvious thing is that I don’t know the names of all the Care Bears and I can’t remember the words to the Punky Brewster theme song, unlike most of my peers. The more important difference is that I had to learn to use my own imagination for entertainment, and for that I am grateful.

Won’t You Be My Neighbor
My next thought…what about kids today and the Internet? The most dangerous thing I could’ve done with TV as a kid would’ve been to order my Mom a bunch of those awesome knife/scissors that cut through pennies and come with the bonus gift “Greatest Polka Hits of the 70s” eight-track and a money back guarantee if you’re not completely 100% satisfied. Nowadays (as if I’m 80), the Internet provides boundless territory for anyone. Even with parental security settings, it’s still alarming to think what’s available to innocent surfers.

What to Do?
All the more reason I think we need to teach self-control in lieu of policing a list of rules. With today’s fenceless technology culture, you’ll never build a list of rules long enough.

Flashback
FYI - recently Ninentyandnine featured an article on parents and TV choices. Check out "The Terror of the Tube."

Mailbag: Da Vinci Code, Parents, and American Idol

Mailbag
Our Comments section has become quite popular, and I’m certainly glad of that. (You’re still welcome to email me at lblogger@ninetyandnine.com, too.) In response to some of the questions and comments that have come up this week, I thought I would take a moment to add some comments of my own.

About The Da Vinci Code
In a recent post I mentioned some Da Vinci Code drama. Kris asked “Have you read the Da Vinci Code?”

Lee Ann writes: The answer is yes. In fact, I included a full review in my January 2005 Between the Lines column. Kris, your take was dead-on. The book portrays a lot of historically inaccurate suppositions as fact, and it’s alarming to think how many people blindly substitute entertainment as education. We have to remember that we live in the MTV generation, and people will consume whatever is marketed best. So the fabrications of the book and movie will erode the already-waning respect many people have for organized religion. However, as you pointed out, the book (and film I would guess) present many opportunities for open dialogue about religion. We should really take time to dig into Church history and use it to show again the authenticity of the Apostolic doctrine in the face of this bad press, for lack of a better term.

About Ice Cream and Starving People
Liz and Stu pointed out that my exciting new duct tape invention could become obsolete if people would just eat half gallons of ice cream in one sitting. Liz even conjured up the phrase my father invoked when admonishing us kids to make a happy plate: “There’s starving kids in Ethiopia…”

To Liz and Stu: shhh, keep quiet! I’m trying to market this thing and retire in the next five years--all part of my Five Year Plan. Don’t spoil it!

About Parents who Work
I escaped your wrath and actually received your agreement on my recent post about working parents not taking advantage of their non-parent co-workers. To add a different twist to the issue, our very own Shirley McDonald pointed out that there are so many who do not have children who don't carry their work load.

Lee Ann writes: Good point! Dare I pick up the subject of “situational ethics: how do you cope with clocking in at the end of the day after spending your work time on non-work activities”? Now get back to work, everyone!

About American Idol… Again
Thanks to everyone who validated my reasoning on letting our (individual) lights shine. I certainly wasn’t seeking out your kind comments (but I won’t complain about them either). I hope what everyone takes from the whole issue is that we have a responsibility to be active and do our part in the Christian mission. I am convinced that everyone has a place of value in the kingdom. It’s just up to us to find it and excel in it. Burritos all around on me!

Cool Blogs about March Madness and Katrina Relief

Weekend Report
I reveled in doing absolutely nothing this weekend (except a trip to the family farm for some horseback riding). So my blog is living vicariously through the blogs of others.

Vicarious Blog#1
Wendy at A Month in My Life is spending two weeks in southwest Mississippi to help with Hurricane Katrina relief. You must read the reports, including an Amish community’s experience. Check out the details of this extremely worthwhile endeavor.

Vicarious Blog#2
The Benchwarmer(s) have set up a Ninetyandnine March Madness pool. I am holding down 19th place. That’s four away from last place, so I’m pretty proud. Of course, if the LSU Tigers upset the world and win the championship with by a dramatic 20 point lead, you’ll witness my come-from-behind surprise win that will be the talk of bball pools for the rest of history. It could happen…

Hello, World
Speaking of unlikely universe happenings, keep in mind that today is Extraterrestrial Abductions Day, so watch out for UFO watchers.

A Technical Note
I have experienced some technical problems all day trying to post this entry (and even accessing the blog). Rather than spend the morning writing hate mail to blogger, I’ve tried to exercise Christian virtues of patience and all those other fruits of the Spirit I don’t naturally excel in. If you’re having problems seeing the blog, please keep trying. And to help your patience and fight the boredom should there be any future post delays because of said technical difficulties, how about playing a little fun-filled game of Fruitbasket Turnover with the 10 people nearest to your computer? It’ll be fun!