As the world spins, gas goes up and the prices on everything rises. Dinner being the only meal many of us have together has been found to be the actual difference between having a criminal as a child or not. As most crime occurs between the time of 3-8pm. But not everyone and everything can work out between sports, schools, work and adolescents, but making the effort is the most important part. Anyone can become a good cook regardless if you have a history of burning water. There are countless of recipes out there to improve your repertoire from cereal and peanut butter and jellies sandwiches to Sesame Chicken and homemade BBQ Sauce. Even if you don't like to cook dinner after a long day putting forth the effort will decrease crime, improve your relationship with your family and most of all teach you new skills.
1. Own the Kitchen. The biggest trick to cooking is making the kitchen yours. Own the space and having good tunes on the radio will only help reduce your desire to sit on the cough and watch a game. Making the kitchen a place you want to be rather than the dungeon of hell were you feed the monsters you call kids is the first step. In my experience women are no longer the masters of the kitchen. More and more men are taking the responsibility of making good food. Plus if you cook the food you don't have to do the dishes!
2. Make a Menu. Knowing what you are going to cook is better than looking at your fridge and throwing something together. Granted there will be nights of such events with cold cereal, they shouldn't be every night. As long as there are more hot meals than cold your on point. Make a menu for the week or if you got a screwed up schedule make it for the length you need it to be (I work on a 2 week meal schedule). Not only will this allow you to have a game plan saving you 20 minutes or more for the TV, it will also decrease your grocery bill along with the number of visits which will put more money in your pocket than into the pocket of the Asshole Gas Companies.
3. Learn the Skills. Take the time to learn the skills necessary. Learning the basics such as how to cut/dice an onion and slice your meat along/against the grooves allows you greater variety in your menus. Youtube.com has videos galore on how to train you without taking a class. Instead of watching TV, watch a video on how to dice an onion. Scroll the websites for interesting things to make. Jalapeno Poppers and homemade fries are awesome. Cooking is all about practice. Plus cooking from scratch removes many of the preserves that make you fat and bloated. Here are a few of the best sites I know of:
www.allrecipes.com (My favorite)
www.food.com
www.ifood.tv
4. Everyone Participate. Have the kids set the table and learn the basic skills in manners, serving and dinner etiquette . Making them involved in the meal and preparing the food helps them feel connected to you and invest themselves in positive eating habits. If you get grief and anger from trying this make them sit at the table eat a with bowel of cereal why you enjoy a plate of something delirious. Being a parent doesn't mean you will tolerate disrespectful kids. The next time give them the option of setting the table so they may be part of dinner. Younger kids will find the idea of being old enough to have the responsibility to set the table a great drinks for everyone a great gift.
5. Converse. Promoting conversation between you, the kids and the wife promotes a happier life. Make sure your skin is thick and take the good with the bad. Talk about the food: find out how it could be better, why they hate their teacher and what would be an alternative to your meal. Cooking is a process and without critiques and criticism you can't get better. What it also does is allows you to test your taste against those of your family. Just because you love garlic and cheese in everything doesn't mean they will to. By sacrificing your tastes to align with yours, you will find they will sacrifice their tastes to be more in line with yours. Which if you believe in harmony will create less strife and a more cohesive family unit.
RudestDad
Thursday, April 19, 2012
What the Hell
Why the hell does everyone in your life suck? From the guy driving in front of you to the toddler screaming who just likes to scream. Join me as I explore the endless debacle we call fatherhood with survival tips.
1. No matter what your child says it is not relevant to anything. But making the appropriate sounds that you are listening is not only a great trait to have your kid receive the necessary love and care they want and skills to mustering through the boring conversations you have with other people including your wife.
2. Kids yell because their kids. They don't need a reason and will yell and scream because they have no control of themselves. Yelling back or arguing with a child is the most useless thing you can do. Walk away or turn the music up louder than their scream. I recommend a good sound system or earphones for your ipod. Remember what they say is irrelevant. (P.S. This is more effective when the wife is not around.) and by engaging in this behavior you only reinforce it.
3. Utilize your Time Wisely. Driving in your car is the only vacation you get without your kids. Driving and screaming at the dumb ass in front of you means nothing except mo' problems. Take the time to scroll through your hair rock collection and play something fun. Because the drive to work is the only time you get to be by yourself. Find a way to enjoy it. Also kids love music even if you don't. Don't put in Farmer Fred and the other shit your shrink helps stimulate your child. Give them some practical knowledge and Rock out to your favorite tunes. Not only does this teach your kids the difference between shitty music and may prevent stupidity.
4. Just be there. Kids need and want parents to show them even when their cranky little snots. Have the understanding that a 3 year old is not going to be able to play Modern Warfare 3 with you. Put they can recite the entire collection of semi-automatic guns with you and what's Daddies favorite load out and why. Make them feel involved with whatever your doing won't stop you from getting your shit done.
5. Remember your the hero. The number 1 problem we forget is that kids look up to their fathers. If your a dead beat you have two options the kid wises up and goes in the opposite direction or becomes a deadbeat too. Boys want to be their fathers and girls want to marry their fathers. Place this into perspective and act how you want your kids to. This is by far the thing we as men forget the most. We don't have to be Superman, but we should be at least someone worth knowing.
RudestDad
1. No matter what your child says it is not relevant to anything. But making the appropriate sounds that you are listening is not only a great trait to have your kid receive the necessary love and care they want and skills to mustering through the boring conversations you have with other people including your wife.
2. Kids yell because their kids. They don't need a reason and will yell and scream because they have no control of themselves. Yelling back or arguing with a child is the most useless thing you can do. Walk away or turn the music up louder than their scream. I recommend a good sound system or earphones for your ipod. Remember what they say is irrelevant. (P.S. This is more effective when the wife is not around.) and by engaging in this behavior you only reinforce it.
3. Utilize your Time Wisely. Driving in your car is the only vacation you get without your kids. Driving and screaming at the dumb ass in front of you means nothing except mo' problems. Take the time to scroll through your hair rock collection and play something fun. Because the drive to work is the only time you get to be by yourself. Find a way to enjoy it. Also kids love music even if you don't. Don't put in Farmer Fred and the other shit your shrink helps stimulate your child. Give them some practical knowledge and Rock out to your favorite tunes. Not only does this teach your kids the difference between shitty music and may prevent stupidity.
4. Just be there. Kids need and want parents to show them even when their cranky little snots. Have the understanding that a 3 year old is not going to be able to play Modern Warfare 3 with you. Put they can recite the entire collection of semi-automatic guns with you and what's Daddies favorite load out and why. Make them feel involved with whatever your doing won't stop you from getting your shit done.
5. Remember your the hero. The number 1 problem we forget is that kids look up to their fathers. If your a dead beat you have two options the kid wises up and goes in the opposite direction or becomes a deadbeat too. Boys want to be their fathers and girls want to marry their fathers. Place this into perspective and act how you want your kids to. This is by far the thing we as men forget the most. We don't have to be Superman, but we should be at least someone worth knowing.
RudestDad
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Boundaries
Today everyone has an opinion on what we should do to "minimize the risk to their psyche". That's a pile of shit in giving kids more control, something they shouldn't have. Remember the saying "because I said so". Than the argument was over. Now they think they can argue back. The hell with that. Debate yes, whine, pout, stomp their feet and cry. Hell No. Kids in most states are still considered property. Granted it does not mean you can toss them out the window, throw them in the trash, etc (granted thinking such things does not make you bad, when you do such a thing, then it does make you an awful person).
Kids need limits. Kids who don't have limits placed on them will become delinquent in searching for those limits. No child will know how to make a sandwich without you teaching them. No Child will learn how to interact with people in positive ways if all they see is hitting, screaming, fighting and being allowed to do what they want when they want. Kids mimic you right down to the clothes you wear and the food you eat. Limits are placed on us for a reason. Some are done to hinder us, others are to give us guidance in how we should behave.
When placing limits on kids certain things are easy. No, you may not jump off the roof. As they get older those limits become complicated and blurry as they start pushing those limits as hard and often as they can. The question is, as a parent how strong are you able to place a barrier and reinforce that barrier consistently. When you have shifting barriers your kids only learn how to manipulate you and others to push get what they want to instantly gratify themselves. Picking your boundaries is the most important part of being a father. Kids need structure they can rely on as they develop there own foundations they will rely on for the rest of their lives. By not giving this consistent structure to your kids you limit their ability to become productive members of society with strong ethics to live by.
By indulging your kids (by giving in) every time they want something they come to expect you are to give them something say every time you go to the store. Every time you give in to your kid they gain traction. Is the traction they gain something positive that will help them later in life or is it traction toward being a bum in your basement?
Kids need limits. Kids who don't have limits placed on them will become delinquent in searching for those limits. No child will know how to make a sandwich without you teaching them. No Child will learn how to interact with people in positive ways if all they see is hitting, screaming, fighting and being allowed to do what they want when they want. Kids mimic you right down to the clothes you wear and the food you eat. Limits are placed on us for a reason. Some are done to hinder us, others are to give us guidance in how we should behave.
When placing limits on kids certain things are easy. No, you may not jump off the roof. As they get older those limits become complicated and blurry as they start pushing those limits as hard and often as they can. The question is, as a parent how strong are you able to place a barrier and reinforce that barrier consistently. When you have shifting barriers your kids only learn how to manipulate you and others to push get what they want to instantly gratify themselves. Picking your boundaries is the most important part of being a father. Kids need structure they can rely on as they develop there own foundations they will rely on for the rest of their lives. By not giving this consistent structure to your kids you limit their ability to become productive members of society with strong ethics to live by.
By indulging your kids (by giving in) every time they want something they come to expect you are to give them something say every time you go to the store. Every time you give in to your kid they gain traction. Is the traction they gain something positive that will help them later in life or is it traction toward being a bum in your basement?
Tech in the Home
100
years ago you were considered ahead of the game by having a radio. In that 100 years the world and the
technology in it has changed so much someone transported from 1912 would think
the future was something straight out of a Julies Verne Novel. Today the opposite is occurring. Rather than having a piece of technology in
your house you are pressed to have every piece of new and updated piece of technology:
from your TV to your cell phone to the latest and greatest video game, Blue Ray
Player, internet and the other pieces of technology that would make someone
transplanted from the past believe the world was…what awesome and cool or we
have lost our minds. Technology is
innovation that makes our lives easier.
Some people would disagree others couldn’t live in a world without their
gadgets and gizmos while others think perspective on the topic is necessary but
full out zealot revolt is a little much.
Is Technology the magic of today or is it the thing that is going to
ruin the world.
The
first thing we need to understand, what precisely is technology. Technology is anything that we use to help
ourselves, this is the best layman’s explanation. When man first figured out a sharpened stick
could kill, or that meat cooked over a fire tastes so much better than off the
carcass. Fire and a sharpened stick show
to examples of two basic pieces of technology.
Without them our species would still be grunting in caves or
extinct. The technology in the world as
changed so dramatically since the invention of the computer chip and air
conditioner we are able to see the license plate of a terrorist in Istanbul
while sitting in an air conditioned room in Washington DC... We also take Technology for granted such as
the average #2 pencil to the light in our house or the simple fat we can take a
dookie without having to go outside to drop it in a hole in the ground. Me, personally, I love technology and revel
in the fact I have a watch with more computing power than the first manned
flight. My regret is that I didn’t live
all those years to invest in Apple, Microsoft and all the rest of the companies
that invent the stuff I use on a daily basis down to the toilet paper that is
soft and absorbent for my dairy-aire.
Technology
has many upsides but it also has many down sizes as well. That is the nature of things, the catch
22. If there is an up there is a
down. The down to most of technology is
that fact that a whole generation will not understand the concept of
patience. Technology allows us to
instantly get what we want. From buying
a new book to knowing about something we didn’t even know existed. We are able to be entertained always with a
game, a song, or some type of new information.
The coming generation of the Industrialized Nations will not understand
what it means to delay their gratification.
Which means that innovation will most likely not come from a country
that has everything, but rather come from developing countries. To be the best we must have some drive and
some desire to improve what we have. To
become complaisant is to become extinct.
The
upside of Technology is boundless. From
my couch with the use of the Xbox 360 Kinect I don’t even have to use a
remote. I can yell at the TV and it will
do what I want. Movies, Video Games and
music no longer require the use of my hands, fingers or intelligence. I remember sitting on the floor in front of
the TV so I wouldn’t have to get up to change the channel from the one I had to
the other one I had. And with DVR technology
I don’t even have to watch commercials anymore.
I’ve been using the DVR technology for 4 years now and it is by far my
favorite. I click a show to record and I
never have to think about it again.
Technology is fabulous as it allows me more time to spend on my couch
doing nothing but digest sitcoms, movies and the like.
Technology
at this point in human life is all about making it smaller or bigger. One of the first computers occupied an entire
basement, now one can fit in the palm of your hand. 60 years ago having a 22” colored TV meant
you where rich now everyone has a 42” flat screen with 1080p weighing 10lbs or
less. But the issue with all this
wonderful technology is the lack of creativity that will take us to the next
level. Not since the invention of the
integrated circuit has technology truly advance. Granted we are innovating the circuits to new
heights but the technology is still based on what was invented 50+ years
ago. The question posed is what is it
going to take to spring back to the invention of new technology rather than making
existing technology better. The universe
is limitless, as should our ability to create.
Movies Worth Watching for 2012
Hey Fellas,
Finally Hollywood got their crap together giving men a reason to open their wallets to go to the movies. For those of you like me, not every movie on the list will be seen until it hits DVD, even there I make no promises. Doesn't mean I don't want to see everything here. An "*" is being placed next to the movies I believe worth the arm to go see.
Movies Worth Watching for 2012:
*The Hunger Games - March 23rd, 2012 (Seen it. Need to have read the book or you will be lost)
American Pie Reunion - April 6, 2012
*The Avengers - May 4th, 2012
Dark Shadows - May 11th, 2012
Battleship - May 18th, 2012
Snow Whit and the Huntsman - June 1, 2012
*Prometheus - June 8th, 2012
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter - June 22, 2012
*G.I. Joe 2 - June 29th, 2012
The Amazing Spider-Man - July 3, 2012
*The Dark Knight Rises - July 20, 2012
The Bournee Legacy - August 3, 2012
Total Recall - August 3, 2012
Cogan's Trade - September 21, 2012
Taken 2 - October 5, 2012
Red Dawn - November 2, 2012
Skyfall - James Bond 007 - November 9th, 2012
Breaking Dawn pt 2 - November 16, 2012 (Sorry, knew my wife was going to make me go. All you
should suffer too)
The Hobbit - December 14, 2012
World War Z - December 21, 2012
Finally Hollywood got their crap together giving men a reason to open their wallets to go to the movies. For those of you like me, not every movie on the list will be seen until it hits DVD, even there I make no promises. Doesn't mean I don't want to see everything here. An "*" is being placed next to the movies I believe worth the arm to go see.
Movies Worth Watching for 2012:
*The Hunger Games - March 23rd, 2012 (Seen it. Need to have read the book or you will be lost)
American Pie Reunion - April 6, 2012
*The Avengers - May 4th, 2012
Dark Shadows - May 11th, 2012
Battleship - May 18th, 2012
Snow Whit and the Huntsman - June 1, 2012
*Prometheus - June 8th, 2012
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter - June 22, 2012
*G.I. Joe 2 - June 29th, 2012
The Amazing Spider-Man - July 3, 2012
*The Dark Knight Rises - July 20, 2012
The Bournee Legacy - August 3, 2012
Total Recall - August 3, 2012
Cogan's Trade - September 21, 2012
Taken 2 - October 5, 2012
Red Dawn - November 2, 2012
Skyfall - James Bond 007 - November 9th, 2012
Breaking Dawn pt 2 - November 16, 2012 (Sorry, knew my wife was going to make me go. All you
should suffer too)
The Hobbit - December 14, 2012
World War Z - December 21, 2012
Top 8 TV Shows for Spring and Summer
Alright Folks,
With summer of 2012 coming up and the kids are put down for the night, you only have so much time with your DVR. With all your favorites going off until sometime far away, gear up for your summer lineup.
Eureka - April 16,2012 on SyFy (Season 5)
Burn Notice - (Date not announced) on USA Network (Season 6)
Weeds - July 1, 2012 on Showtime (Season 8)
Nurse Jackie - April 8, 2012 on Showtime (Season 4)
Falling Skies - June 17, 2012 on TNT (Season 2)
Perception - July 9, 2012 on TNT (New Show, sounds good, might become a regular)
Leverage - July 15, 2012 on TNT (Season 5)
Suits - (Date not announced) on USA Network (Season 2)
Game of Thrones - April 1, 2012 - on HBO (Season 2)
With summer of 2012 coming up and the kids are put down for the night, you only have so much time with your DVR. With all your favorites going off until sometime far away, gear up for your summer lineup.
Eureka - April 16,2012 on SyFy (Season 5)
Burn Notice - (Date not announced) on USA Network (Season 6)
Weeds - July 1, 2012 on Showtime (Season 8)
Nurse Jackie - April 8, 2012 on Showtime (Season 4)
Falling Skies - June 17, 2012 on TNT (Season 2)
Perception - July 9, 2012 on TNT (New Show, sounds good, might become a regular)
Leverage - July 15, 2012 on TNT (Season 5)
Suits - (Date not announced) on USA Network (Season 2)
Game of Thrones - April 1, 2012 - on HBO (Season 2)
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