Millenials in the News – Helicopter Parents

Via the AJC - An article on Millenials and Helicopter Parents

Reading this article makes me glad my mom is not a helicopter parent – I would go nuts if she was.   But there’s a more serious issue here, in my mind, than the subject of the article.  I think the AJC is unfortunatley extrapolating sterotypes about our generation through some kids who just haven’t grown up yet.  You get the feel from the beginning of the article that these helicopter parents are in a distinct minority, yet the author of this piece uses it to say this -

From the moment they were born, millenials — those born between 1982 and 2002 — have been praised, pampered, prodded and protected. Every step of their lives — from preschool to college, from band practice to prepping for SAT exams — has been structured by their mostly baby boomer parents.

“These have been the ‘Buckle Up for Safety’ kids,” said Michele Borba, an educational psychologist in Palm Springs, Calif.

They were the first group of kids required to ride in car seats and later wore bike helmets. They redefined success as accomplishments that could be measured in GPA averages and SAT scores. Their parents heralded their milestones in the window or on the bumper of their SUVs.

Cellphones, instant messaging, e-mail and other technology has reattached the umbilical cord for this group. Helicopter parents just charge right past federal laws aimed at giving students more privacy.

I think this gives a pretty negative impression of Millienals, when it’s more of the parents’ doing than the Millenials’ doing. Yes, it’s interesting to see an article in the local paper about my generation – I just wish they hadn’t made it sound like we’re all stuck up asses in no hurry to grow up.

Hmm. A Pickle. How to deal with eating disorders.

Ok, Kinsi finds himself in a pickle.  On a lark, he decided to google his sister’s AOL nick name.  I don’t know what called me to do that…but I did.  And what pops up but about 5 message boards all for people with bulimia.  I checked out the posts – there is no doubt whatsoever that this is my sister – all the details match up with my sister.  The posts are not current – they’re from a year ago.  She’s already a twig – I guess this is why.

So.  What to do, if anything.  Do I bring it up?  Make it clear that I know and she shouldn’t do it again, if she still does it?

WAHOO!

Time to celebrate!  Kinsi got a promotion tonight…one that was promised a few months ago but he thought had been forgotten.  It was between two new jobs/salaries and he got the higher one.  He got a 13% raise!  And his whole job description is changing (down to tutoring 2-3 days a week, training new teachers the other days) and some days might just be traveling to the likes of Texas and California to train new teachers.  Wow!  He’s never been to either of those states!

Now, he’s kinda nervous about the traveling.  Well, not the traveling and not the job part…but the being gone for three days at a time with his boss part.  That’s kinda intimidating.  Traveling with a boss.  Hmm.

But that parts probably just for the summer.  The raise is here to stay.  Wahoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dear American Idol,

I watched.  I voted.  I blogged. I have to watch y’all on Tivo because I work until 9:30-9:45 and y’all don’t replay it later on the evening.  I’ve been loyal this season, even talking it up to my friends.  Alas, you decide to royally screw me and every other person who had to tivo it by running late.  Way late.  We got to miss the entire ending where you announce the next American Idol and they sing their song.  We were instead treated with ending in the middle of a commercial.  Why bother cutting one of those stupid Golden Idol awards when you can just run epic late and piss off a large percentage of your viewing audience.
I will most definitely not be going to the Idols tour and not buying any of the mp3s of my fav. songs.

Thanks a lot for capping a crappy day with a crappy ending.

Kinsi’s American Idol Recap – Finale

Well its time.  Time for the last AI recap for season six – well, the last from here, not like these were very regular.

I still love Blake and want him to win – I thought his performance of the Bon Jovi song was awesome and the best of the night.  You just don’t expect to see that on Idol, which is why I loved it. He’s puuuurrrrdy.

Jordin, however, blew him away in the other two songs, including the eventual single, which sucked.  And it was definitely a belt it out ballad – not Blake’s style, and that I think severely hurt him.  I don’t think its the only thing that cost him the competition, but its up there on the list-o-reasons.  So I’m pretty sure Jordin will win this and will have probably a fantastic career and sell oodles of records.  Blake, I think, develop more of a cult following and not as much airtime, ala 311.

Welcome GnuUU to the UU blogging world

Yesterday GnuUU joined our church, UUCA.  He posted to our 20s/30s group his plans for blogging his new spiritual journey.  So welcome him and give him much love all -

 http://gnuuu.blogspot.com/

Only at Church

I was coordinator of this year’s flower communion…so after the efforts getting it organized and getting it all set up, I was looking forward to taking back the flower because I actually really dig the symbolism of it.  Well, I grabbed a mum from the first service, put in my vase off to the side, and grabbed a daisy from the second.  Alas, when I went to go get them after cleaning up the sanctuary from the flower commuion…my flowers were gone.

My flowers, the flowers of the flower communion coordinator, got jacked at church and I didn’t get to take home those flowers…while someone with a bouquet they took away surely grabbed my flowers to add to their bouquet on their way out.

So to the persons who jacked my flowers – who I’m sure don’t read this blog – thanks a lot.  Next time I just might think twice about putting in all that effort and just protect my flower.

Quiet Kinsi

Yup, quiet times here – I got delegated the setup and semi-organization of the flower communion at our church tomorrow, there was a rather heated and personal e-mail discussion about the future of our 20s/30s group, any my boss in his infinite wisdom gave me what really should be a month of work to do in a week.

So, a stressed Kinsi equals a quiet Kinsi…so if I don’t get back to this before Tuesday Night…..vote for Blake

On the “Hallmark Holiday” syndrome

“Hey you – that’s right, you over in the corner of the sanctuary with the roses and plans to go out to have a nice brunch.  You can’t do that on [insert holiday here]!  It’s just another holiday with Unitarian roots that Hallmark’s bastardized in order to sell cards.  You very clearly don’t belong here, so take your roses and your good intentions and get the hell out of here.”

Ok, so that wasn’t actually ever said at any UU service that I can recall.  But today, for example, we were told how Mother’s Day was all about pacifism and peace and how the person who started one of the incarnations of Mother’s Day was so horrified how it turned out that she wish she had never thought of it.

Trashing Americana, which at these points these kooky holidays have become, generally isn’t terribly conducive for growing our denomination or making people feel warm and fuzzy upon leaving the sanctuary doors.  I’d rather not go to church and come away feeling guilty for partaking in Americana (can we say…pop-UU?)

I’d rather not go to church or delve in a religion where angry!liberal!activists are hellbent on educating us on the true origins of a holiday.  If we Unitarians truly cared about the origin of things, I do believe we UUs would all be Christians, since, after all, that’s the origin of both Unitarianism and Universalism.   This is not a crusade against ignorance these angry!liberal!activists are waging – it’s a campaign for them to feel better by putting down the opinions and beliefs of others.  If your version of celebrating a holiday hinges on destroying it for others, maybe you should just skip church that day, stay at home, glaring at the phone just in case someone calls you to wish you a happy holiday…oooo the nerve of them…but if they do at least you can yell at them over the phone and educate them on the real reasons for the holiday…even if it’s just a telemarketer.
This isn’t just about Mother’s Day – For example, I’m not a huge fan of the alternative reading list Beacon Hill has up on their website for Memorial Day.   Memorial Day is about honoring those who died in the Armed Services, no matter what you think about war, about cookouts, and about the Indy 500.  Americana.

UUs seem to have an obsession with what I call the “Hallmark Holiday syndrome” – trashing holidays not based on their chosen religion or one that they particularly care about, in order to try in vain to make some statement about American Culture that will do nothing other than offend people…or at least make they feel guilty about wanting to celebrate said holiday.  What a fun place to be.

Now sure, I thought the history of Mother’s Day was interesting [and still love the person who said it from the pulpit] since I have been known to be a angry!liberal!activist [I ran the 04 Kucinich state campaign for goodness sakes], but this is just an example of a larger problem I see with Unitarian Universalism.

I can’t see how this general attitude helps UUs create a positive public image and create a warm, welcoming environment.

So in case you don’t hear it anywhere else – Happy Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, and any other “Hallmark Holiday.”  And if you feel anyone’s giving you any guilt over wanting to celebrate…be sure to buy them a nice big Hallmark card for the occasion and give it to them the next time you see them.

It’s ok if it’s late.  I think they’ll still…appreciate…it.

Happy Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day, especially to those fellow Pop-UUs (who all seem to be mothers except me )

I might not have had the best experiences with my own mother growing up and still nowadays, but that doesn’t stop be from appreciating motherhood.

And yes, it had activist roots.  And yes, it’s sad that is so commercial that people just want to vomit and rage against the machine.  However, I think I’ll choose the less angry!activist route and simply wish folks a happy mother’s day.