something new to visit

[Kimm]

So Thursday some of my students were talking about what is appropriate for themselves and if you dont like it too bad. Now of course being their teacher I dont share fart stories with them and in a way that might be the perfect example but what I have done instead is we discussed freedom of speech, consequences to expressing yourself as you may have the right to say what you want but if it offends others there may be ramifications to that.

Phil Robertsons name entered the discussion.

What was more discussed was if you have multiple piercings, tattoos. Not so much if you have piercings and tattoos but where you have them and what the tattoos are of.

Language. If you have poor grammar, your dialogue is coarse or excessive swearing you might not be taken seriously. All the other things that turn off potential employers. Also turned off could be landlords if your renting. Ways to sell yourself in any kind of interview you would not want to come across as too rebellious or irresponsible.

Not surprising but to my disappointment most of this group seems to think they are who they are and thats not changing for anybody.

What they dont understand or seem to misunderstand is nobody is saying they need to change who they are. But self oriented attitudes that show that the world should change to meet their needs will not get them where they want to go. Explanation of how you have to accommodate the world and not the other way around was almost taken as sucking up.


I really went home with second thoughts if I can help in development of some people.

[Classicblast]

I don't know where to begin other than to say it does get harder to get younger people to mold in like we were all trained to do.

I can say this though. I played 16 seasons of pro ball from rookie league to AA and I played for a dozen managers they all have their own gameplan. If you don't learn it you don't play. I lasted til age 34 in AA because I was able to conform.

I was always more or less a long ball hitter. Managers had in certain at bats wanted me to bunt or aim for a base hit to move runners. I may have felt that the pitcher is throwing offspeed breaking balls I could probably take this guy deep. Obviously failure to do what you're told has punishments. Since I don't want to watch the game from the dugout or end up 7th or 8 on the batting order the managers orders are law.

[Jersey]

Arrogance and rebelliousness amongst those in their teenage years is nothing new. What Kim saw on display was the attitude that the world revolves around them and everyone else needs to bend to their will, accept them for who they are, and that they should get to do what they feel like doing. While this kind of mentality has always been there, it's definitely getting worse in recent years. More and more we see kids and young people having their lives supervised by the television and the computer, while mom and dad are at work or don't take the time to teach them how to behave in society. That in reality is to root cause of the problem; how to act around other people, the skill of being respectful and courteous, is something I firmly believe is NOT the job of the schools. That kind of training is up to mom and dad. In all reality, school is nothing more than training to learn a few skills while also getting children used to the idea of going to a workplace and doing work there.

Home is where social skills are taught, and if no one is paying attention to these kids they're going to seek attention and approval elsewhere. It's the idea of wanting to belong that we run into trouble from a societal standpoint. Whatever is cool to do is what young people try to emulate. The ones that turn out successfully are ones who come from stable households with clear lessons on good behavior. Manners and respectfulness are part of the basics, but what we wind up seeing on TV or news stories and on social media are instances where it wasn't part of the plan.

[Phil]

Jersey raises an honest fact that youth does think they are the focal point. We all go through it. My dad didn't know anything when I was 15 either. Somewhere along the line you come to realize you don't know it all. I, like so many teenagers thought I had everything figured out in those days too.

And Jersey raises another point. I was taught from a young age that if you want any privilege you must take care of responsibilities. I never expected to ask for anything if the lawn wasn't mowed on time and to my mother's satisfaction. If what was expected of me wasn't finished and done right, don't even ask for anything. I learned that young. In fact, doing the right thing didn't guarantee privileges but not having good grades and staying out of trouble woudl assure not getting anything extra.

It often aggravated me in 1986, but I think I'm a better man now for it. Even now at age 42 I don't rest easy if there's unfinished work to do. I feel like a caged animal if I'm not somewhat busy. I try to do the same with my children. that doesn't mean horse whip them or slave drive them. But Jersey is right parenting is important. Some neighboring kids Jason's age I stopped letting Jason be with them because at 13 their parents would let them drink beer at home. Now they're 16 and their parents have no problem letting them have their girlfriend spend the night.

Modern world? Huh! Not to this 42 year old Pollock.

So many of Jason's age group are products of broken homes fathers with new wives/girlfriends mothers with new boyfriends/husbands sometimes kids of the non-parent in their life its just berserk.

These parents don't keep track of their kids over the weekend. So and so is staying at something or other's house and the parents don't even really know they just assume that's the arrangement.

My kids know there are no house guests unless I or my wife have talked to one of their parents. Unless the deal is made through one of us there is no sleep over. One of the times some kid called and tried to trick me. Jason didn't see him for a while. And Jason swears to this minute that he wasn't involved in that.

I often take the kids to a near by skating rink and or a mall. I pick them up at a certain time its not uncommon for their friends to not be picked up til very late or have to rely on someone else to take them home to where their parents aren't there when they get home.

So who has 12 year olds out on the town after 10pm or even later and isn't home when the kids get home? Is it ok to drip the kids off at a rink while you and your kids off at a skating rink and then you and your wife/husband catch a movie? Sure pick them up at a reasonable hour. Not go out and get blitzed not caring how the kids get home and not being there at that hour for them to be alone at that age.

When I work overnight shifts as I have for 23 years and 17 of which I've been married for. If there came a time when my wife was going to be away for a day or 2. Not often but its happened once or twice in 17 years of marriage. Then a grandparent or my brother would come and stay with them.

[Classicblast]

It has to start at home. My boys are a bit younger than Phil's but I see some issues with their school friends. Like they're not necessarily with both parents and a parent isn't in their life. Its terribly a shame and part of the result is not having parenting til they're high school age they haven't had much parenting and feel they don't need it now.

[Blastgirl]

They're all pedigree in their own thoughts. Like the World was created for them. Classic and I are hoping our kids don't develop delusions of grandeur but like Jersey said that's kind of up to us to prevent that.

[eric2003]

my dad was mad at a poster on facebook that said
i am 18 so I will not take any more something
from others

my dad brings that up sometimes and says they have no idea they havent begun to take the sh-- from the world yet.

he says that to me and my brother too he tells us that you will never keep a job if you dont show you are dedickated. that you dont have to suck up to bosses but you have to show you care more about the job than just how much you get paid for it.

[Beangirl]

I will comment on the whole Duck Dynasty thing. Being gay of course it affects me. I have no problem with people expressing there opinions and first amendment rights. All for them. But if you are a "public Persona" Keep it fair! Don't say anything if it's going to offend.How someone judges my life and sexuality doesn't define me as a person. It defines them.

[Classicblast]

Beangirl I wholeheartedly understand the post. Obviously that you are entitled to our opinion but its all in how and when we voice it.

It was made very clear to my colleagues and I in my baseball years. There were some subjects you can't touch when asked by the press. In fact that's why I remained as anonymous as possible in discussion boards. Now that I'm not under contract I have told my name but I never did before. A few people figured out who I am though. And that was ok, but the discussion boards while only known as Classsicblast allowed me to take stands and discuss things without being the face of the Mississippi Braves, the Chattanooga Lookouts or the Huntsville Stars.


I guess I see both sides of things but I have also been in situations where you're not allowed to comment on various topics too.

[Phil]

I'm glad to see in a way my kid understands things. Even if that was a way of expressing disapproval and I don't know if that was the idea he still sees the importance of duty.

[Classicblast]

I saw a very interesting poster that showed a kid and his parents in a conference with a teacher.

The left side said 1969. The parents and teacher had of the era hair and outfits on and were staring at their kid saying "Explain low grades" The kid was a bit ashamed.

The other picture on the right said Today
and this time the question was addressed to the teacher. The kid was just pleased as punch.

Obviously that's exemplary of how the attitude has changed.

[Phil]

It has changed. Its parents having totally terrible attitudes and the 'not my kid mentality.'

Goes on everywhere. We had some stupid father trying to bring a lawsuit against a local sports organization called Trailblazer football. My sons play in the group. Well anyway this guy feels that his kid didn't get exposure that might have landed him a scholarship. Who knows, but that's what this guy thinks. I saw his kid play I thought he was on the good side of average but that's all I'd give him.

He feels those coaches didn't play him enough to get him exposed. I don't think this kid was scholarship materiel but his father does.

And he thinks that's on the Trailblazer organization. If his high school performance didn't land him a scholarship I really doubt the Trailblazer group could. But that's more of the disgruntled parent thing again.

[_glitch_]

Jan 3, 2014 14:29:52 GMT -5 Phil said:

It has changed. Its parents having totally terrible attitudes and the 'not my kid mentality.'

Goes on everywhere. We had some stupid father trying to bring a lawsuit against a local sports organization called Trailblazer football. My sons play in the group. Well anyway this guy feels that his kid didn't get exposure that might have landed him a scholarship. Who knows, but that's what this guy thinks. I saw his kid play I thought he was on the good side of average but that's all I'd give him.

He feels those coaches didn't play him enough to get him exposed. I don't think this kid was scholarship materiel but his father does.

And he thinks that's on the Trailblazer organization. If his high school performance didn't land him a scholarship I really doubt the Trailblazer group could. But that's more of the disgruntled parent thing again.

EVERYONE IS SO ENTITLED THESE DAYS

And I know it makes me sound like some old, out-of-touch curmudgeon - but it's true, and it drives me crazy.

Good things come to those that work harder than everyone else and never give up.

[Classicblast]

It goes on especially in sports. I lived it.

I played in the minors til I was 34 years old. Why? Because baseball is a big part of my heart and I wasn't ready to give it up unless or until I had to. In September of 2009 that day came and it was coming for a while.

So when I got to be about 30 people said to me that it was now rather obvious I didn't have a shot at the majors. That boat sails away from you by age 25 unless you get really lucky and the stars align. The rookie is based on a true story of a 37 year old pitcher but that only happens about twice a century. Didn't happen for lewasite's Classicblast.

Obviously I didn't believe as if I had a chance to go higher after that. In the spring of 2003 the Minnesota Twins took a brief look at me but I didn't get out of spring training there. It was a porthole sized window but I worked my butt off that off season because they invited me to their camp. I ran more and lifted harder than I ever did for an off season.

So I didn't go to the dance. But what did happen is I got back to AA and breezed through that spring camp and had the best season of my career I hit 38 homers batted .339 and had 121 rbis never hit those numbers any other year. So the extra work did pay some dividends.

But after age 30 I had hate letters from agents, parents of young players and felt resentment from young players themselves. They saw me as a roadblock to themselves, their son or their managed as the case may be. They felt that my being there made it less likely their guy would get playing time because minor league managers have three jobs.
1. Win games
2. train young players to hopefully go higher.
3. Decide who best solves their problem for the here and now.

Those three things conflict sometimes. But that's the problem managers deal with. And they have a 30 plus year old hitting the ball that's who helps them win for the there and then.

Occasionally they get blamed for careers not going any further.

[_glitch_]

Oh yeah, dude. So many parents in BMX that are convinced that their kid is a future Olympian... they're constantly buying new parts and changing setups in hopes that they'll find the magic bullet that will make their kid faster.

Newsflash: The 'magic bullet' is called training harder.

One of my favorite kids to ride with is a 14 year old Expert that rides a really basic complete bike that's almost totally stock. He regularly crushes kids with bikes that cost 3 times as much as his did - simply because he's willing to work hard.

[Phil]

Jan 8, 2014 12:16:16 GMT -5 _glitch_ said:

Oh yeah, dude. So many parents in BMX that are convinced that their kid is a future Olympian... they're constantly buying new parts and changing setups in hopes that they'll find the magic bullet that will make their kid faster.

Newsflash: The 'magic bullet' is called training harder.

One of my favorite kids to ride with is a 14 year old Expert that rides a really basic complete bike that's almost totally stock. He regularly crushes kids with bikes that cost 3 times as much as his did - simply because he's willing to work hard.

I would agree with you about training harder but some people are just more talented at certain things than others and just can't accomplish as much. No doubt sometimes its subjective in that if a football team has 2 quarterbacks the coaching staff chose John over Mike because they believe Mike has a longer throwing arm but John has more poise and reads the field better.

And that's those coaches opinions and it is what it is. If a different set of coaches would choose Mike then the talent caliber among those 2 is very close.

Some coaches don't allow even a successful QB to keep the position if he is only filling in for an injured starter. Others say if the 'sub' is doing the job he keeps it.

I am a Buffalo Bills fan. In 2001 Drew Bledsoe was playing for the Patriots and got hurt missing 3 or 4 games. Tom Brady came off the bench and excelled. That coaching staff stayed with Brady. The AFC championship game came up. Brady got hurt early and Bledsoe came off the bench and resumed things and the Patriots won. They went back to Brady for the Super Bowl game and he won it. Bledsoe was traded to the Bills since the Patriots didn't need them both and Brady was younger and if not better, at least as good. Time proves he is better even though I am a Bledsoe fan.

So Brady found his light through a brief injury. Had that coaching staff chose not to keep him in snce he was there only during Bledsoe's injury, the starter is back and Brady goes back to the bench, another team who saw Brady's play during that time would surely either trade for him or sign him in the 1st opportunity for free agency. Your light will shine if you have it.

[Classicblast]

There's a lot of good points made by all of you guys.

Sadly and as difficult it is at times the truth is I was never quite good enough to play in the majors. I can hit a ball that far but not if it's pitched by Curt Shilling, Mike Mussina or Andy Pettite and therefore I played in the minors. Trust me I tried to find the formula. I would love to have national television attention. I wouldn't have minded a chance to be paid $3 million a year either. Lets just be honest. Sure I love baseball but I'd be lying through my teeth, or keyboard in this case if I said the major league salary wasn't intriguing even if it was dangled above my reach.

It was never the fault of a manager if I didn't get to where I was going.

I was traded a couple times and each time I had a new opportunity to establish myself as the starter and that could be changed at any time. There's hundreds of guys some younger and faster that want your job when you're in the minors.

Sometimes its even like living in a college dorm some guys want to party and figure you're spending five days in a new city and they want to drink it up.

Suddenly a new guy shows up for batting practice. This new guy hits balls that take days to land. hahaha ok bad joke.

But he creams the ball. You all wait anxiously to see what kind of glove this guy puts on and you hope to God he doesn't play your position. Happens all the time.

[Phil]

Most people couldn't have played where you did especially for that long.