Saturday, December 1, 2007

You're so far over the line... the line's a dot to you!

Bonus points if you can identify the quote.  The more I blog the more I realize what's really hard about maintaining a blog: deciding what the hell to write about. 

A lot of topics have been running through my head.  This is the danger of drinking coffee at night: your head starts working fast, but not necessarily the way it's supposed to.

Topics I've considered for this post were:

  • Jeff Atwood has managed to stir up a bit of controversy regarding the 80/20 division of programmers.  I'm not sure what all the fuss is about.
  • He also, in a follow-up post, divided programmers into three groups: Mort, Elvis, and Einstein.  I'm somewhere between Elvis and Einstein, because I've got the powerful intellect of Einstein with the unflappable cool of Elvis.  No?
  • The foul odor that just accosted me when I opened the fridge.  WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SMELL ANYWAY?
  • The shelf life of un-refrigerated pizza.  I hope it's long, because if not I'm in for a rough night.
  • Why the hell my bullet points look like flowers in Windows Live Writer.  Will they still look like flowers when I post?  That's gonna have to go.
  • Exactly how Luke became a full fledged Jedi with what could only have been a few days of training when the other Jedis had to study for years (see Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back).  This is the danger of being a Star Wars geek and watching them all in chronological order over six nights.  I would've done them all in one day if I could have.  Still doubt my geekiness?
  • The fact that I just applied for two completely separate dream jobs, and might actually have a chance at getting an interview. 

But I think what I'll talk about is how dangerous it is to have me for a dad. 

My six year old is about to turn seven.  He's entering that age when potty humor is sublime entertainment.  The other night we all sat down to a nice chili dinner.  My wife, trying to please myself and my oldest son, made the chili a bit spicier than normal.  My poor youngest couldn't eat it, but my oldest and I pretty much snarfed it.  Afterward, and I don't really remember how we got there, but the discussion of beans and their rather dramatic effect on the human digestive system became a topic of conversation.  I proceeded to illustrate a scenario in which I could save money on gasoline by strapping a pair of roller skates on my feet and a lit match to my butt.  The ensuing propulsion would surely get me to work in record time. 

The poor kid almost suffocated from uncontrolled laughter.  I was quite graphic about it and included sound effects.  I know all kids go through the potty humor stage, but are parents supposed to encourage it?  The problem is, I'm pretty sure with me as a father this poor boy stands no chance of leading a normal life at all. 

My brain, always racing ahead, immediately painted a picture for me of a future holiday dinner with friends and family, whereupon my son stands up and re-enacts the whole spiel.  Then he proudly turns to me and says "My dad told me that."  I don't think the human face is capable of looking sheepish enough to get out of that one, but you know it's going to happen.

What do you think?  Encourage crude behavior in children for the laugh factor or always be the "Serious" parent?

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