I'm Proud of My Son, Not His School

If you read my LAST post, you know my kids' school really pissed me off this week...And two days later I am still pissed...The school has not responded to either of my wife's emails, (one angry, one apologetic for the angry one, but explaining some of the frustration.) or my very angry email...After humiliating him at the bullshit awards ceremony on Wednesday, he didn't go to school Thursday...He was embarrassed and upset, and my wife was pissed and didn't care if he stayed home...I wanted him to go, be the better person...But really, should I have to expect my 10 year old son to be the bigger person when his teacher is 70-ish and his principal is in her mid 40's? He went today and we heard nothing from the school. He did get an apology from another student that he didn't get any awards...So if the kids notice that the adults shit on another kid, that's fucked up...

I have talked to some other parents recently and heard some things...Some unhappiness with things that go on there...We put the kids there because they promoted a "zero tolerance" policy towards bullying...I had always felt the term bullying has gotten overused...It seemed trendy...And that maybe we are making our kids too soft...But after my daughter was physically assaulted at her old school, and the kid got a tickle on the wrist for it, I was in with a "zero tolerance" policy....But from my talks, I now know of three families that have removed their kids, or a kid because of bullying and the schools lack of doing anything about it...they all seemed to get the brush off and saw no punishment for the offenders...

There was also a little girl from the school who's hair briefly caught fire at a mass where the kids were carrying in candles...No one from the school ever contacted the family just to check in and make sure everything was okay...Instead, the mother just gets dirty looks because she dropped a F-bomb in the church hallway when it happened and she putting her daughter smoldering hair out...

My son is a high-strung, nervous, sensitive, emotional kid, with eczema that makes him fidget, and A-D-D that makes him fidget more...We talked with the Principal and his teacher earlier in the year, because he said he wanted to leave...He was nervous to go to school most days...He felt picked on, and excluded, and that no one liked him...From talking things out with him, and them, some of this was built up in his head. He would hold something in that happened 3 weeks ago, and pile it onto something that happened last week, and today, and so on, and it would blow up in him...They said they would keep an eye on him, and talk with the students about how they should treat one another...There was never anything major that happened after that but there were dumb things here and there that bothered him more then the average kid...It is what it is...

But they knew all this going in, so on Wednesday when every kid in his class had their name called at least twice, and he stood there in front of the whole school not getting his name called, it hurt us as parents, and it validated all his fears...He had to work his ass off, and his grades were good...There was no justification for what they did...

Was he that difficult? I doubt it...

Is it because we aren't sending them back there because we can't afford it, and because he was unhappy there? 

Is it that they don't like me, and they took it out on him? I hope not...If so, I'll personally drive them to hell and watch them burn...

The fact that they have remained quiet and not even, at least offered an apology just makes me more angry and frustrated...It doesn't seem like the right actions from people that teach  Christian morals...Love, respect, forgiveness, kindness, compassion...Sure, I sent and angry email, and wrote an angry blog, and I stand by those...But I'm not the one riding around on a religious high horse with a "zero tolerance" policy...I have my own Zero Tolerance Policy...You fuck with my kids, I'm gonna light you up!

I'm hoping this is the last I have to say about this...My wife wants me to just drop it...But if I don't vent My heart might blow out of my chest while watching what I'm sure will be a stressful Rangers hockey game tonight! 

Now, My boy is looking forward...

It's Time to Start Giving Dads Some Respect

This is something that has bothered me for a little while now, but it really got stirred up today...With the kids switching schools, I had to stop by the Pediatrician's office and get their Immunization records...On the counter they had a stack of magazines called "Baby Talk" with a note saying "Free, take one!" So I did...Later in the evening I sat down on the crapper and started taking a look at this magazine...There was something that was really standing out to me, and I couldn't shake it...

It was totally geared towards moms...Now, I'm not here to dump all over moms, or my wife...She's great, and I'm sure you're all great...But 99% of the ads were aimed at mom...The articles, aimed at mom...The staff was moms...There was one male writer, who writes a blog for the company...He got a one page blurb in the back...It started out on the same path as I'm on, but finished weak, basically telling all the Dads like me to relax, and stop looking for any credit for being active fathers, because of the years and years of our fathers, and grandfathers reclining in their chairs, and drinking beers while mom took care of everything...

Well, I'm here to say, kiss my ass!

In our oldest daughter's first couple years, I was working 70 hours a week...My wife wasn't just the primary care-giver...She was the care-giver...Then here career path started to change for the better...She was climbing the corporate ladder...My career path has always sucked...So I stared working less, while she worked more...We now had two kids and were splitting the care giving duties evenly...

Now she makes 3 times what I do...I have cut my hours to just 30 a week...I get the kids ready in the morning...Off to school, and take the baby to the sitter...I go to work, and slam out some food to people in a much higher tax bracket then I...I pick up the kids...Often we hit a park...Help with the homework...I make dinner, or at least place the order...I do the dishes...We split up the baby's bath time...She does more laundry then me, but I do some...I put the baby to sleep...I have always gotten up with the baby...(I also handled the majority of the Little Beeze's getting up in the night when he was a baby)...She hasn't gotten up with the baby since her maternity leave ended...(the baby is almost 2, but I can't stop calling her a baby yet)...It's best for everyone if my wife gets a good nights sleep...

I take the kids to their doctors appointments...Dentist, and eye doc too...I coach the baseball team...I'm the one that deals with the teachers, or principal, if necessary...If they get hurt, I'm cleaning up the blood and patching them up...I would say, that at this point in time, I'm the primary care-giver...And I have no problem with it...I love it actually...But with the exception of a few blogs out there, written by dads, about dads, for dads, the rest of the world gives no credit to us hard working, active dads...

90% of the fathers portrayed on television, are made out to look like bumbling asses...Dolts that have no clue how to take care of their kids, and have no idea what is going on in their lives...They'll make a dad on TV struggle with changing a diaper...Let me tell you this, I can change some fucking diapers...If my wife puts the diaper on, there's going to be a leak some where...No mine...I put that little ass on lock-down...Nothings seeping out!

I know dads like me are in the minority, but there are more than you think...It would be nice to see "Baby Talk" and "Parenting" magazines show some love towards dad...It would also be great to see dads shown on TV in a more realistic light, instead of still being stuck in some 1950's stereotypical bullshit...And I'll also say this...These days, even the dads that are the primary bread-winners are a lot more active with their kids, then they were way back in the day...

It's time to give Dads some credit, and respect...Mom is awesome...My wife is an amazing woman, and a great mother...But I'm pretty fucking sweet too! (hey, I'm willing to toot my own horn!)

Later, The Beeze.

An Open Letter to Browns Fans

It's time...Time for me to sit you down, and tell you what needs to be said...I'm not the only one...There are a few guys on the new 92.3 "The Fan" that feel the same...But I don't know how many people are listening to the channel that use to be the best music station in Cleveland, and is now sports talk...Now we're left with Oldies, 80's, and ACDC and Pink Floyd being rammed down our throats...I've had enough of that...But this post isn't about Cleveland Radio...

This post is about the Browns, and Browns fans who are loyal, to a fault...I grew up a Browns fan...I lived through some tough times..."The Drive" is always talked about...But it was Earnest Byner having the ball stripped from him at the goal line that made me cry...My loyalty and devotion to the Browns left, when the team left for Baltimore...We always saw players that we loved on our teams leave for greener pastures and greener money...But the whole damn franchise leaving showed just how little loyalty in sports meant...A fan base that hadn't had a winner since before the "Super Bowl" existed, sold out it's 70,000 plus seat stadium every game...And they got screwed...My team left and went to Baltimore...

So Cleveland may have won the legal battle to keep the colors and the name, it's team was still gone...So I've never been able to fully embrace the new Browns...But many people did...No one shits on my town Cleveland, as much as me, but I'll say this...Clevelanders, for the most part are good people, and loyal...Way too loyal...And they're very hungry for a winner to cheer for...Since 1999 Browns fans have bought into multiple team philosophies...Multiple coaches, GM's, multiple presidents, and multiple QB's...

It's time to STOP!

Stop making Randy Lerner's life easy...This guy barely notices what is going on with his team...He's more focused on his Soccer team...Hell lives most of the year in New York...Yet, Browns fans never hold him accountable for how the franchise is run...Stop putting money in his pockets...It's time to stop spending money on a losing product...You wouldn't continue to dump money into any other product in your life, that gave nothing positive back to you...The Browns are a drain...They take your money, and give you heartache, pain, misery, and shitty football!

Stop making Mike Holmgren's job and life easy...It's time the Walrus has his feet put to the fire...People just want to believe that because he won "Super Bowls" as an assistant coach and one as a head coach, that he knows how to run a football franchise...When he went to Seattle front office, he drove it into the ground...His only good decision was hiring GM Tom Heckert...And Heckert had a lot of catching up to do, after many years of bad drafts and free agent moves...Luckily, he has an eye for talent on the defensive side of the ball...Stop wasting your money!

Coach Pat Shurmur clearly refuses to look at what he has talent wise, and fit his scheme to fit with the talent...Colt McCoy showed flashes of excellence last year, on a bad team...Shurmur's offense has him stifled...McCoy has regressed this year...And The O-Line has struggled all year...Some of that has to be scheme...They have refused to put McCoy in the shotgun, which would buy him an extra second before he has to run for his life...McCoy either can't throw a deep ball...Sooner or later that will catch up to you in the NFL...Just ask Tim Couch!

Last year this team was lead by a power running game, and play action passing...NONE OF THAT this year...The WR's can't get open...Some run bad routes...Some just don't have the speed, or ability to beat a DB...Too many drops has been a problem for years...I think Braylon Edwards spilled a bottle of dropsies all over Berea, and they still haven't washed it all away...

And don't forget about that 3 year stint when every time a player had an injury, he ended up hospitalized with a Staph Infection...Why are you still spending your money on this team? STOP!

Monday October 31, 2011...Coach Shurmur's Monday Press Conference...It was the first time a Monday Press Conference lasted less than 10 minutes...WHY? Because Shurmur, who Holmgren said he wants to be the voice of the organization, has been pissy with the media on the rare occasions when they ask him the tough questions...Or when they push for a real answer...He is always defensive...Listen, when dumb things are happening, and the play is awful, and the offense is moving backwards, the press and fans are going to have questions...But this dick comes in there acting like he is Bill Belichick with 5 rings...Dude you aren't shit! So Monday, the press quickly got sick of his act, and stopped asking questions...Dead air...

The Browns are alienating the media...The fans will be next...The whole organization is going backwards...Stop drinking what they are spilling!

Tell me, what have the Cleveland Browns done for you since 1999? Not Much right! So why do you keep doing for them? Respect, honor, and loyalty are supposed to be earned, not just given away...The same goes for money...Stop giving yourself away Browns fans...Make these dolts earn your respect, honor, loyalty, and money!


Later, The Beeze.