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what is it with boy bands...

i've wondered over the years what type of impression all of these boy bands are having on our female youth. i can't help but gasp when i see how mesmerized some of these little girls are when they catch a glimpse of their favorite idols onstage, or better yet trying to carry on a normal existence away from the spotlight. honestly, i'm not jealous. i would admit to it if i were. my concern has so much more to do with anything of that nature. i'm legitimately worried about the level of obsessed girls who give their lives (literally, in some senses) to these little boys. when one of them is interviewed they immediately talk about how life would be grand if they were married to one of the jonas brothers. seriously? how could one even possibly imagine what life would be like married to a little kid, simply because they are "popular" and in the public eye? i doubt any of the jonas brothers or their boyhood counterparts would have the first clue how to behave in a somewhat committed relationship, let alone any thought of them sharing vows. the lives that many of these kids lead has paralyzed their ability to see life's imperfections. it makes it absolutely frightening to think that any of them might actually feel like they have a clue. i'm going to give credit where credit is due. even if i personally don't feel like the attention is warranted due to what ultimately is poorly written and shallow music, i can admit to respecting their talent to deal with all that comes with the career they chose. i can't begin to understand their world, nor would i expect them to comprehend mine. i'm not the least bit interested in trying either. what i do find intriguing, however, is to continue unpacking this influence that these pop stars have on our society in general. it basically goes to show that our youth has a warped sense of attachment. instead of judging them (which it might seem to late to do) i would rather try and help them see things for what they are. it's not that i would want to take away the concept of dreams and lofty goals, as every boy and girl should have these. no, i'm just genuinely scared of the examples that are being set for these kids. there seems to be a lack of childhood role models available to kids these days. perhaps some of this is because i never had (nor desired to) a "girl group" equivalent that i looked up to... it just wasn't important during that time of my life the way it is today. that is to say that i simply cannot relate to why is so vital for these young kids to idolize their favorite pop stars. can you?

this all comes on the heels of my ex wife making a very valid and important point the other day. she has been engaging in the reading of stephanie meyers' vampire classics. as a result of these books, she's been given a first hand account of what young girls (mostly, some boys) are being told (and in some cases taught) through these books and others like them. these kids are being sold a distorted perception of reality. the little girls in these books are so quick to throw themselves at these boys, and i do mean "all" of who they are and what they have. now, you and i both know that these books aren't necessarily supposed to be PC or teach moral beliefs or values, however should they be absent of them? i'm not necessarily against these books or similar offerings. i'm just advocating that parents and guardians spend the necessary time with their kids, to clarify the "fairy tale" realities that stories like these paint in their minds.

it does really come down to (as a lot of things do) the quality time you are spending with your kids. given that we have more 14 and 15 year old girls willing to give up their virginity to the first boy they feel "loves" them, we have a problem. this is a day and age where we must be very careful about the messages being sent through our media and other forms of tabloids/social circles.

i get that this is an age old debate but it doesn't warrant laying it to rest completely. there are of course other factors not mentioned here that are equally disturbing, not the least of which might be the recent propaganda behind Jessica Simpson's attire. she's not even in her teens any more but the impression she has on many is no different than when she was considered their immediate peer. let me just say this... Jessica is absolutely beautiful. i would prefer her newly exploited body over any of these hollywood food-starved women any day, period. i might not go for the wardrobe she chose but the facts are the facts... she is not fat.
having said that, i know several girls (and some boys) disagree and therein lies the problem. societal pressure for women to be rail thin is pathetic and unhealthy at best. it needs to stop. so... as long as we have the latest hollywood by-products strutting their eating disorder-like bodies around for all to see... what can we do?

well, again... it all comes back to what takes place in the home. parents, wake up! pay more attention to what your kids are doing/saying. the same goes for me so this is not an indictment where i won't stand in the same line with you. we ALL have this responsibility and cannot expect anything to change unless we are more active in our kids' lives.

i've been asked a lot lately about the new direction our nation is taking under president Obama. all i can say is this... he's not Jesus and he's not the antiChrist either. he is but one man that requires us to be successful. case in point, he cannot succeed without our help. what i will do is pray for him. do i agree with some of his ideology and platform? sure, SOME. he is not the complete answer but he does appear to have the best ability between all of the candidates that had a prayer in the first place of being elected. i think McCain was doomed from the beginning given his close interpersonal relations with the Bush administration. this election had more to do with anti-Bush activism rather than pro-Obama lobbyists. even so, i believe our new president has begun to do all that we could expect of him in the short time he's been in office, and i certainly hope he will do his part to repair the historical debacle that has come from the white house ever since Reagan departed.

in all adversity we face, truth wins. regardless of the situation, this always remains true.
we must seek the absolute truth and continue our own pursuit of what is right and just.
it's less important that we all do this the very same way but we simply must stop preoccupying ourselves with partisan politics and DO SOMETHING.

*spinning*
the killers - day & age

new year, carryover from the last...

2009 begins... well, awhile ago. i'm a little late in reporting. the holidays wrapped up nicely and was time well spent by all. BJ's affinity for santa grows steadily each season but the quest continues to draw his attention back to the real reason for Christmas. no rush, he's entitled to his childhood fantasies and the like, and i wouldn't have any interest in taking away the experience of staying young and naive. nevertheless, in time we'll sit around the traditional holiday reading for a different purpose besides paying homage to the old white-bearded fellow known as saint nick.

the subject heading isn't nearly as dismal as it may seem... it just means that i'm not buying into (like any other year) the whole resolution phenomenon. i choose to believe that what is worth forwarding into the new year will rightfully come with me and what should stay behind will hopefully do just that. thankfully, i don't have near the same amount of unfavorable circumstances to grandfather into 2009. amen!

as time passes so too does my desire to focus on the past. this preoccupation never really existed by design but i tend to be good at fumbling this basic principle of life. you might group this with being my own worst enemy when it comes to the influence and impact i've had on others than i would soon forget. it takes me awhile to realize that i am but a human being, prone to brokenness and well capable of falling short in my good intentions. after all, its only been several years now that several of you have been reminding me of this fact, and not because you're cruel or acting with malice but rather you genuinely care to open my eyes to a common truth that takes me awhile to understand. i never claimed to lack my dense moments.

BJ will be celebrating his 4th birthday at the end of next month. i'm thrilled to have had a close-up perspective on his growing into a young man. ok, that might be a stretch at this point in his life but it sure feels like he is wise beyond his years. if i'm not careful he might just ask for the car keys and take himself to work in my place fairly soon. ah, the proverbial exaggeration to state my claim... you get the idea. he's growing "like a tumbleweed," as he often says.

the social scene has lately resembled its pop culture counterpart (broken) social scene. i imagine this is for different reasons, not the least of which is still some ridiculous fear that i can't quite explain. it will pass, i'm sure. i have, however, found myself checking into the local city/county "clubs" pages for anything that might catch my attention. it couldn't hurt to meet a few others with like minded interests, if only to strike up a different degree of conversation than i might regularly have with my peers. we'll see what comes of this and perhaps i'll have more to report in the future, who knows.

i'm excited about the forthcoming album entitled "approaching normal" by one of my favorite bands, blue october. they've long since become a household name on the heels of their hits "hate me" and "into the ocean" but i can honestly say i predicted this to happen years ago, days after i picked up their major label debut "consent to treatment" and heard "HRSA" and "drop." the guys have become family men in many ways and that should make for an interesting flip to some of their writing. i'm eager to see what may come of the more joyful side of their master craftsman, justin furstenfeld. maybe you'll join me come early march and see for yourself as well, no?

another long anticipated release i've been chomping at the bit for is the first solo effort from former lead singer of dishwalla, JR richards. i've heard a few songs from their time just after preproduction and was blown away, to borrow a common action movie cliche'. the emotions that eminate from the studio on this release (at least from what i've heard thus far) are haunting, in a completely positive way. i was stunned as i listened on repeat for what seemed like hours. each go round brought new life to something i might have otherwise missed initially. i believe the title of this yet to come gem was recently changed to "the end is near" but i don't know if that will make it through final approval. just google JR richards and you're bound to enjoy the discovery.

looking forward to seeing the latest pixar offering "up" with BJ...

*spinning*
"unlucky 7" by glen phillips