Take Time To Be A Dad Today

The National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse is communicating great messages about being involved as a dad as they work with organizations like the Ad Council.

Worldwide Telescope

Kids have so many resources at their fingertips these days.

Microsoft’s Worldwide Telescope is just one example of the types of computer programs our kids will have at their disposal through school.

I really respect Bill Gates for his commitment to education.  It is projects like this that will have both commercial and education benefits.  What a great combination.

If you are on a Windows computer (ok – you knew one limitation was coming) download the software and check out our galaxies, planets and other terrestrial bodies.  I’m not even an astronomy freak and I think this cool.

When Creativity Doesn’t Pay

Yesterday I pulled together the family dinner.  In stereotypical guy fashion, I pulled out the Mac and Cheese.

I was interested to try the new Annie’s Rice & Cheddar pasta I found at the store a few days ago.  One of our sons is gluten and milk intolerant so I thought it would be cool to make one meal for all of us to share.

I think the rice pasta would have been tolerable had it not been for my one minor adjustment – the vanilla soy milk. 

Wow…it was terrible.  It was a twisted version of rice pudding with a hint of cheddar. 

My wife and I quietly pushed our bowls away interested to see if the kids noticed.  Of course not, they didn’t miss a beat!

Pinky Promises

I found a very effective way to communicate with my young kids (5 and under).

The Pinky Promise.

When it is something really, really important we lock pinky fingers and make a pinky promise.  This may sound a bit over the top but WOW does it work.

Now, my kids do it to me.  My 3 1/2 year old son has been missing me during the work day this week.  Last night I could tell he really wanted to hang out but it was WAY past his bed time.  Through his ingenuity, he made me pinky promise that I would come snuggle with him after he fell asleep.

We locked fingers and I quickly agreed.  As I walked out the door, I realized I needed to make sure I lived up to my end of the deal or the trust would be broken (even though I knew he would be fast asleep).

Kids learn to trust their parents very early in life.  I know the next time I ask him for a pinky promise, he will live up to his end.

Smart kid.

Seinfeld on Marketing

ChangeThis is a wonderful resource.  Unlike many websites, this one has substance and a reason to return – valuable content and [mostly] original thought.

One of the manifestos on the site translates Seinfeld into “7 Marketing Lessons from the Cast of the Show About Nothing.”

I don’t want to spoil the fun so check it out yourself.

And if you enjoyed the manifesto, you can get more Seinfeld goodies at Bill Gammell’s blog.  Thanks Bill.

Caffeine Culture and Work-Life Balance

I ran across a great article from 2005 on Teaching the Benefits of Balance.  The article talks about how some MBA programs are offering courses on managing complex relationships between work and personal life.

Not that I disagree with the concept, I just find it odd coming from MBA programs which breed the full octane, career minded business folks.  I loved my MBA program but a class on “balance” would have been low on my priority list.

However, six years after completing my program, a class on balance does not sound that bad!

Maybe a work-life balance program should be part of the alumni programs.  A few years after graduation, most MBA students have settled down and found the career that fits them.  It’s then, that the MBA graduate needs to figure out how to excel in their career and not blow themselves up along the way.

Rocky Mountain Women Get It

I have been all over the country.  I noticed women in large cities (as a general rule) wear the most impractical footwear.  The bigger the city, the more impractical the footwear.

I know that women do not buy shoes for practicality.  It is appropriate to poke fun at women for a second because this is an area that seems to be getting worse, not better.

Boot #1 – Good style but poor functionality
Boot #2 – Good style AND great functionality (unless you really are working on a ranch at which point you can cut the fun flowers because they will be caked in mud and dirt)

But this phenomena is not limited to cowboy boots.  In general, I think Rocky Mountain women just seem to have a better sense of practicality without totally giving up the style.  Thoughts?

Boots

Guys Read

Yesterday I recommended Jon Scieszka’s Trucktown book.  As I researched the author a bit more, I found an awesome site he is running to help promote reading for boys.

Guys Read is a site dedicated to providing resources and recommendations on books for boys.

I thought the best part of the site was the Guys’ Pick section.  Of the 25+ books on the list, I only saw four that I know my wife and I have for our kids.

Thanks Jon.

Smash! Crash!

I highly recommend Smash! Crash! (Jon Scieszka’s Trucktown) for all the dads with young boys.  I won’t spoil the fun, just check it out.

Cancer of All Sports

Drugs.  Performance enhancing drugs are the cancer of all sports and the demons of high performance athletes.

The 95th Tour de France starts today.  The race has struggled with rider drug use since its inception.  Phil Liggett called drug use in cycling “the cancer of all sports” during the opening commentary today on Versus.  He is 100% correct.

Cycling isn’t the only sport struggling with performance enhancing drugs.  Cycling is the sport that is most aggressively testing and moving towards a zero tolerance policy.  I would put track and field right up there with cycling.

As a father, I can only hope that my kids will grow up pushing themselves via sport.  But, I also hope they realize very early in life that taking banned substances does not make you a winner.  Marion Jones is a sad example of an athlete’s destruction.

I don’t think that seeing and hearing about athletes testing positive is a bad thing.  It means the system is working.  Anymore, if I am not hearing about positive tests in professional level sports, I am worried the governing bodies are not testing hard enough.  The cheaters won’t go away.  The cheaters don’t make the world a better place.  The cheaters don’t provide good role models for kids.  But, I am convinced we have to vigilantly pursuing the cheaters so clean athletes can excel and the athletes of tomorrow can believe in fair competition.