Domestic Psychology

Astley rhymes with ghastly

// April 4th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // music, youtube

I love Nick Lowe.

news topic of the day

// September 29th, 2008 // No Comments » // music, youtube

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Don’t Panic

// September 16th, 2008 // 1 Comment » // movies, politics, youtube

Hey Knoxville, the media says the banks are out of money.

“You – you said – what’d you say a minute ago? They had to wait and save their money before they even ought to think of a decent home. Wait? Wait for what? Until their children grow up and leave them? Until they’re so old and broken down that they… Do you know how long it takes a working man to save five thousand dollars? Just remember this, Mr. Potter, that this rabble you’re talking about… they do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community. Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath? Anyway, my father didn’t think so. People were human beings to him. But to you, a warped, frustrated old man, they’re cattle. Well, in my book he died a much richer man than you’ll ever be.”

Friday Funny

// September 5th, 2008 // 1 Comment » // cartoons, music, television, youtube

for Sadcox

Noah’s karate solo

// May 10th, 2008 // 2 Comments » // video, youtube

Trying out KnoxTube.

This-ism, that-ism, ism ism ism

// March 20th, 2008 // 2 Comments » // people, politics, youtube

My father’s parents lived in a small university town in middle TN. The town had invisible racial boundaries. One of the lines was the train tracks. As children, we were allowed to roam the town freely with the only admonishment being “don’t cross the train tracks.” My grandfather worked the family from poverty up to middle class, but even when they were dirt poor, they always had a maid. Cleaning was something for lesser people to do. Sometimes, my grandmother would drive the maid home at the end of the day. Well, almost home. She stopped at the tracks and let her out there. My grandmother died believing that heaven is segregated.

My mother’s parents lived most of their lives in the rural Natchez Trace area where they were born. They both came from sustenance farming families. A military career and my grandmother’s teaching career brought them up to middle class. When my grandparents were stationed on a military base in Cuba, they had a maid. The Cuban locals were paid so little that it was a negligible expense and it didn’t matter that my grandmother re-cleaned everything to make sure it met her standards. Military families above a certain rank were expected to have household help. After my grandfather’s death, my mother made repeated attempts to hire someone to help out with my grandmother’s lengthy daily cleaning routines. My grandmother drove them all away. Household help was for the severely disabled and elderly. That couldn’t be her. She was raised that you take care of yourself and you find a way to help the truly needy. When she finally accepted help from the aides in the assisted living, it was the beginning of the end.

I will not apologize for the “isms” of other people, whether they are family, friend or co-worker. I can’t change the past. I can work toward a better future. I don’t agree with my father’s attitudes toward race and gender, but I understand where he learned them. I used to fight with my father about the power of certain words. Now, we have topics which we mutually agree not to discuss with each other. I understand my mother’s subservience toward my father, but I don’t want my daughters to think that they are the lesser gender. I have been a member of churches that used religion to justify intolerance. I do not excuse attitudes of ignorance and fear in my generation. We did not grow up in isolated communities. We were bombarded with books, newspapers, radio, television, movie and peer influences. My children have grown up with the Internet to connect them to people near and far. We make a choice to believe that all people are created equal or to hate that which is different. We have choices that didn’t exist two generations ago. I choose to believe that we are capable of loving one another.

Brad Renfro

// February 25th, 2008 // 1 Comment » // movies, youtube

Brad Renfro wasn’t included in the Oscars memoriam segment. Had he fallen behind on his membership dues? Somebody pay the dues and let his legacy be remembered for his accomplishments. Also, if Hollywood won’t do it, movie fans need to “mute the memoriam” instead of listening to the applause-a-rama of popularity. Let’s show some respect.

Santa Sarah

// December 12th, 2007 // 2 Comments » // flickr, youtube

Where did she get this attitude?

my ears, my ears

// December 6th, 2007 // 4 Comments » // flickr, music, parenting, youtube

Remember Noah’s first concert? I do. It was an experience that brought tears to my eyes. Tonight is Noah’s second concert. Don’t you think it’s my turn to stay home with the other children so that Doug can savor the very special experience for himself? I wouldn’t want to deprive him of the joy parenting moment.

Update: We both went to the holiday themed concert. I multi-tasked (do I have YOUR address?). Doug chased Evan.

christmas stuff

// December 5th, 2007 // No Comments » // flickr, holidays, music, youtube

Although I have packed away everything glass and written “2010″ on the storage buckets, Evan killed 14 ornaments this year. I should spend the next year creating fabric ornaments, but the tree needed something this year. We let the children paint some wooden ornaments. Tommy was displeased with the shapes. “Nothing cool?” Sarah was thrilled. “Can we get more?” Noah painted the holly berries purple. “I thought they were grapes.” Amy painted in layers. And more layers. “I think there’s room for more paint.” Evan painted the table, himself, the floor, the chairs, the sink and the bathtub. “More!”

Lacking the time, talent or finances to craft handmade Christmas cards, we take a picture of all the children and have a photo card made every year. Last year’s was horrible, including the bad attitudes. The previous year’s remains one of my favorite pictures of the children. This year’s cards just arrived and I am extremely pleased. I was going to publish it here once the cards were deposited in the mail, but maybe I should wait until Christmas eve. Hmmm.

I’ve been playing Christmas music to try and find my missing Christmas spirit. The song below is wrong, wrong, wrong. Just looking up the lyrics won’t clarify the horribleness. You have to hear it, but don’t buy it. Watch it here. That is no way to treat a rock icon. This one gets my vote for worst Christmas song.