Thread: This is Lame! More Neutering of the American Male!

May be it's just that world in general isn't the same, and the children are pretty smart to figure that out. After all, running outside all day long is the path to a career of intermittent low paying ($20k/year or less) jobs in say regular sports, while staying inside playing games on a computer leads to a career of $100k/year programming jobs where there's a shortage of labour even as 'unemployment' remains a big problem. Even on the star level the 'compensation' between the runners and the nerds is immensely disproportional.

The middle class isn't what it used to be, and choices do matter.
Since women don't like to live in caves anymore, thick wallet is nowadays more attractive than thick biceps, and even if the general physical condition of a nerd may be worse than that of a runner more money = better health care = longer life.

Originally Posted by 1OldGI

We're heading towards another one of my pet peeves. Our kids have become such wussies that we need NFL football players and the first lady to encourage them to play outside for an hour a day. When I was a kid anyone who spent that much time inside the house was considered some kind of a freak. His hour a day would have probably been spent getting his ass kicked by the normal kids who spent most of the their lives outside (playing contact sports, swinging sticks at each other, dirt clod wars, riding bikes without helmets, etc.) Ah those were the days. Come to think of it, staying inside used to be a form of punishment. Who from my generation hasn't sat in their bedroom after some particularly stupid stunt, watching their buds playing outside and thinking, "Gee, why can't she just whip my ass and get it over with, I'd really like to be outside right now."

Kids are not the only ones to blame, imo. It's their parents who have their responsibilities to raise and take care of their kids. Sadly so many parents these days are busy running after their work or even hobbies or just plain fun that they have no time, energy, skills, patience or even sense of duty to show an example of their children. Easy way to raise a kid is to buy him/her some play console and then forget him sitting there, watching screen, hour after hour. Of course game consoles are not to blame either, but again parents. Where could kids today learn how to play outdoors with their friends as even their parents do not tell them to do so.

When my kids were young i bought them PS1 and told that it is 2 hours every weekend and that is all. No playing on weekdays. Every now and then they complained and i said that the only alternative is to live without console at all. So they learned to play like kids, outdoors with their friends. Of course me and lady spend a lot of time with them as well. Still do. Now as they are young adults they are not doing so bad.
Of course i do not live in a place where i couldn't send my kids out, playing with their friends or bicycles or whatever.

If I would have had an XBOX when I was a little kid, I probably would have needed dragged outside.

Fortunately I suppose the alternative was play outside or do housework.

Originally Posted by gugi

the children are pretty smart

Ha! I knew under the cynicism there was an optimist trying to get out

Woo-hoo! Look at us!
We are WAAAYYYYY better than our kids!

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

Ha! I knew under the cynicism there was an optimist trying to get out

It's Halloween, I always get out for the children!

Originally Posted by jdto

The problem is, my city isn't the same anymore. I could be out most of the day running around the neighbourhood, but you can't do that with your kids anymore. At least in Toronto I'd be hesitant about letting my daughter run around all day.

Funny, Michael Moore is a really smart guy and he says everyone in Canada leaves their doors open and there's no violent crime at all. According to him, pedophilia and people getting shot and robbed are a phenomena unique to the horrible, capitalist United States of America. Then again, this guy says health care for the rank and file Cuban is fantastic. You're probably right though, the kind of liberty we had as kids is probably not possible in a city of any size today.

Gugi, it's not a jocks vs. nerds arguement. As a kid I was probably more closely aligned with the later (in case you were wondering). Amazingly enough, even though my knuckles drag the ground and I'm just not as enlightened as you, I somehow managed a college education and a decent job (making a bit over $20K a year.) I didn't meet my wife at a family reunion and I don't live in a double wide. Now for the shocker, although I am a huge supporter of 2nd Ammendment rights, I do not own a single firearm I do however own several Bibles. So, if I'm understanding you properly, a kid that plays video games 20 hours a day is on his way to a six figure income. If that was indeed the case, every shiftless, lazy pothead in this country would be at a six figure job. Look, not intended to be a political discussion, I'm just saying kids should have more time away from the glass nipple and out experiencing the real world. Playing football or catching a huge fish on a video game is fun but doing those things in reality is far more satisfying and if you're not careful you might just learn something (i.e. a new skill, something about yourself, something about people in general or whatever.) Imagine doing daily straight razor shaves on a video game, now imagine learning how to use and maintain a real straight razor and doing it for real every day, (not much comparison, huh?) Too much of anything isn't good for anyone. And the point has been made that parents have a huge responsibility as well, my childhood was NOT 100% running buck wild in the street, there were family obligations, chores, and academic expectations were high.

Sailor, sounds like the pragmatic approach in action. All things in moderation.

Originally Posted by 1OldGI

Funny, Michael Moore is a really smart guy and he says everyone in Canada leaves their doors open and there's no violent crime at all. According to him, pedophilia and people getting shot and robbed are a phenomena unique to the horrible, capitalist United States of America. Then again, this guy says health care for the rank and file Cuban is fantastic. You're probably right though, the kind of liberty we had as kids is probably not possible in a city of any size today.

Actually the most common place to encounter pedophilia, adultery, genocide, theft, socialism, etc. is the Bible, but I'm sure you've already noticed that, given the number of Bibles you own.

Originally Posted by 1OldGI

So, if I'm understanding you properly, a kid that plays video games 20 hours a day is on his way to a six figure income. If that was indeed the case, every shiftless, lazy pothead in this country would be at a six figure job.

Nope, you're understanding me incorrectly. I was just suggesting to compare the salaries of the regular nerd type of jobs and the regular outdoorsy type of jobs. Or the celebrity nerd jobs with the celebrity outdoorsy jobs.
But I'm not a kid, I don't know what they think. If you will, take it as me presenting another 'theory' that is alternative to yours. As long as nobody cares to argue by providing facts and reason, one is just as good as the next.

If you prefer to build arguments out of exceptions there was a lazy pothead who died few weeks ago, he created the most valuable corporation in america.

Originally Posted by 1OldGI

Look, not intended to be a political discussion

Then perhaps don't bring politics into it? Was it about religion, or I just got mistaken?

Once again, you attempt to press buttons that aren't there based on pre-conceived notions. I'm a conservative who isn't a gun nut, I'm not a racist and although I own bibles, I'm not an evangelical Christian. In fact, I own a Koran and a book of Mormon too.

Absolutely not. Conservatism, guns, bibles, pedophilia, incest, government oppression, socialism, etc. every single thing was brought up by you, I'm only trying to discuss what you apparently want to be discussed. It should be pretty obvious that I don't have preconceived notions - on the contrary, I have not made any broad generalization, or stereotyping.
I'm not sure where you see hot buttons, or preconceived notions, or even why you felt compelled to point out that you don't fit in some 'stereotypes' which weren't even part of the discussion, but that doesn't really concern me.