August 10, 2005
NPR - Lessons on Raising Children
Once in a while as I drive my son to school, he tries to get under my skin by switching the car radio from sports to National Public Radio (NPR). Today, he did that again, and the first story from our local NPR station was about correcting a racial disparity in our region. It seems that one out of four white families have broadband internet access while only one out of seven black families have broadband. A higher percentage of blacks have to suffer with dial-up service. Wow! Now, this raises two questions in my mind.
First, are you like me on this? Is this really a problem? People on the left (if you consider NPR left, and you should) have to really stretch sometimes for causes. Is this the best that they can do? How about the homeless? The broadband disparity has to be worse with them, and that has to be Bush's fault!
Okay, I got that out of my system. Now, here is the second question. What would be an appropriate punishment for my son's putting my car radio on NPR? I don't want him to turn out wrong...and, I really don't want to get in the car each day to hear something else like more white families have hockey tickets.
Raising kids is tough, and a lesson on NPR is just what we need.
Posted by GM Roper at August 10, 2005 08:30 PM | TrackBack>>What would be an appropriate punishment for my son's putting my car radio on NPR? I don't want him to turn out wrong...and, I really don't want to get in the car each day to hear something else like more white families have hockey tickets.
You could do what my dad (GM) did...made me listen to "Ride of the Valkeries" by Wagner at 6:00 in the morning.
___________
My son did it again this morning! This is beginning to feel like "Groundhog Day." I hope he's not really liking that station. Of course, your dad is twisted. If I want to cure my son of this then I think that I'll wake him up by playing the audio version of "Liviing History," written and narrated by Hillary Clinton. Having her shrill talk in your ear could scare the bejesus out of anyone.
Woody
___________________________
Hey Jennifer, you got up didn't you?
The Daddy-guy (GM)
Posted by Jennifer at August 11, 2005 09:42 AM
Keep up the good work, young Roper. Better dad be exposed to a wide range of opinions than listen to `fat drug user' Rush Limbaugh' attempt to disparage Paul Hackett as a REMF, not exposed to actual danger... :)
(I know, I know, it's Woody who listens to Limbaugh, but he didn't write the post).
Posted by jim hitchcock at August 11, 2005 05:27 PM
Uh, Jim, yes he did!
Posted by gmroper at August 11, 2005 05:35 PM
Whoops, that was stupid of me. Sorry, change that to `Keep up the good work, young Adair'!
Posted by jim hitchcock at August 11, 2005 06:05 PM
Whoops, that was REALLY stupid of me. Sorry, change that to `Keep up the good work, young McNair'!
By way of excuse, I'd like to blame the last screwup on noticing that the movie `Hellfighters' , which fictionalized the like of Red ADAIR, was on the tube last night.
I'm going away now...
Posted by jim hitchcock at August 11, 2005 06:10 PM
You know, when one student annoys another, I am constantly telling them "He's only doing it to annoy you. If you'll ignore him, he'll stop."
Yeah...I don't believe myself when I say it either...LOL
Posted by Jennifer at August 11, 2005 09:05 PM
That's easy. Banish him to the back seat...
Posted by civil truth at August 12, 2005 12:51 AM
He did again yesterday evening! I was dropping him off at tennis, and right before he got out of the car he switched the dial to NPR and laughed under his breath. He is doing it to make me mad. When I picked him up later, he waited about fifteen minutes and then put the radio back on NPR--after which it became a battle over the dial. We had a discussion and I told him that their information is so bad and one-sided that I didn't want it back on that station again. I don't like stations that give bad and one-sided views, so I listen to Rush Limbaugh instead.
Posted by Woody at August 12, 2005 11:05 AM
LOL, Woody.
Hey, more jokes like the Greek/Roman thing, too!
Posted by jim hitchcock at August 12, 2005 12:48 PM
The PERFECT idea. When he gets into the car next time, TURN it to NPR (be sure and have your ear plugs on) and tell him you expect a 10 page paper on what they said on NPR otherwise, no more sports, movies, treats or radio/tv until he completes his assignment. Then, each time he turns it on in the future, he has to listen to a minimum of 30 minutes of NPR and give you another 4 page paper. If that makes him late to class, sports, movies etc.... oh well!!!!
Of course, someone might turn you into Child Protective Services for making a kid listen to NPR... I "think" it might classify as child abuse... maybe!!!!
Posted by GM Roper at August 12, 2005 01:56 PM
So: Punish the kid if he wants to broaden his mind; reward him if he is content to listen to mindless, brain numbing drivel...
Yeah, THAT'S the way to create thinking conservatives :)
Posted by jim hitchcock at August 12, 2005 02:06 PM
Jim, seriously (I know that this is really hard in this thread...;-)...) a good parent teaches his kid through both positive and negative reinforcement and with punishment. If you and your child are getting ready to cross a street and the child gets ready to dash in front of traffic you give them a swift swat on the seat with an admonishment. Not to inflict pain, but to get their attention.
Woody too is protecting his kid. It is well known that listening to NPR causes all kinds of mushy thinking and a severe form of psychosis called by Dr. Charles Krauthammer "Bush Derangement Syndrome." That this is absolutely true, cannot be denied. After all, look at all the libs that regularly listen to NPR. ;-)
I know, I know, that is a logical fallicy (post hoc ergo propter hoc) but, it sure seems real. ;-) Besides, look at how a truly smart fellow like you thinks.... I rest my case.
Posted by GM Roper at August 12, 2005 05:52 PM
>>Hey Jennifer, you got up didn't you?
The Daddy-guy (GM)
Didn't make it any less EEEEEEEVVVVIIIIILLLLL!
Posted by Jennifer at August 13, 2005 12:30 AM
