The Green Lantern, and other life lessons

I don't mean to always speak in code when it comes to my professional life.  However, I feel that "the walls have eyes" down here in Jacksonville, much more so than in New Jersey.  It's just one of those regional differences that I've touched on from time to time.  Hey, you roll w/ it, right?  You suck it up, giggle a bit about it, and just refer to things, as "it" and "the thing" and "the deal".... and stuff like that!

I gots to start this blog posting by talking about the recent brouhaha regarding The Green Lantern and his coming out.  DC Comics made this decision; to bring one of their major characters out of the closet, and into the forefront of comic hero's.  All in all, not such a hyoooge deal, right?  Just another day at the office for a superhero that is busy spending his day fighting crime, and making sure that the earth is safe from evil doers...

Well, boy was I (not) surprised to hear some of the ol' workplace folks to react w/ furor over DC Comic's decision to bring this character out of the closet.  "Nature vs nurture" and other assorted phrases were tossed out.  Sigh, not very Progressive, right?

Look, I'm not a geneticist, nor I a shrink.  I'm just a Workin' Joe (The Plumber, right!?), I'm not a  politician either.  However, I do remember Matthew Shepard, and what happened to him.  He was a gay kid, who was beaten to death just for being different.

My take on the whole Green Lantern thing is this: It is a good thing. Plain and simple.  Much like The Huxtable family was some of "Flyover Country" America's first introduction to a  nuclear Black family whose members were all professionals, or students; this may very well be the same demographic's introduction that there is a guy (w/ a partner, they are monogamous, in a marriage) who just happens to be gay, but also fights crime, and makes the world a better place as best as he can.

Maybe the same folks who may have never (knowingly) met a gay person before can read The Green Lantern Series, and think "Hey, gay people are people just like me, just like black kids, or Jewish kids, or Chinese Kids". 

Talking with the Taxman About Poetry (or the difficult post for this week)

So, I'm trying to update his blog more often.  I think that I'm achieving that goal sloowly but surely.  I'm finding it very cathartic to just put my thoughts down here.  Not for anyone else, not for notoriety, or for shock, or for whatever. Just for me.  Kind of interesting for me to say that, right??  I don't know why that it should be a big deal that I'm doing this just for me, but I am.  Truly. In no way do I want to get a reality show out of this.  Or get more followers or anything.  If I get 0 web "traffic" or if I get a skadillion hits, it's all groovy.

Now, to get something off of my chest:

Not to point fingers, but I have to wonder out loud: is "THIS" (life)  all about making money? 

I mean,$ is great and all....  I love my UFC PPV's as much as the next guy.  However, shouldn't someone be into making the world a better place, or trying to enact social change in the exact way that they want it?  I don't get it.....

 No matter what side of the political spectrum that you may lie on.... BE INVOLVED. I don't get this sort of slovenly, laissez faire kind of lifestyle and belief(s)  Stand up for something..... Why not? I'm not even talking about Republican or Democrat..... believe in your beliefs, and fight for them.  You can make change. All it takes is a little passion.

Again, not Left or Right Wing. Just empowerment.  Those who do not get involved in the process of changing the way the country gravitates politically are doomed to just endure, and grit their teeth

' Cos you can't be a beast if you are not fighting, boyee.

Old People! What's up w/ them!!!?

It's Saturday.  Having a really really really nice day. The family and I went on a nice hike. Toby dug it.We checked out butterflies,AND the St. John's River. You can't beat that, right?  I wish we  had time to explore more of the area; Castaway Island Preserve.  Pretty cool place. Pretty awesome to get away from The City, and not even leave the city!!

So, on to old people...(or should I say, "old person").  For ages, and ages, my Dad has been saying "let me take you out to Dinner".... "I want to take you out to Dinner"....  "You always treat me , why can't I take you to Dinner?" etc.etc.etc.  Nice sentiment.. Right??   A true passing of the torch, of one generation, a member of "The Greatest Generation" reaching out to a younger, perhaps less accomplished bunch of peeps.     

Dad, that sounds like a great idea!! Where do you want to go... some new Jacksonville hotspot? Some hip, underground off the beaten path bistro??...

Nope... I want to go to The Olive Garden....  Um..... what??? :)  Out of  all the restaurants.... from classic cuisine type places, to family type places.... THAT'S where you wnt to go???

I guess that Dad wanted, because that is where I just found myself eating  on a Saturday night.  In fact, ONE Olive Garden was so busy, and we were unable to get into it to eat... SO we drove 15 minutes to go to ANOTHER Olive Garden!!  Gotta love it right? The food was edible, and it was fine... however I don't need to go to another one for another 15 years or so....  Once you hit the age of 15 or so.. I don't have the desire to hit a chain restaurant!!

Not to mention that on the way to the car; Dad had long sleeve jacket on.... It was not exactly arctic temperatures outside! It was 90 degrees outside, and my Pops has a jacket on....man, where is the glamor, the excitement, the "Gravitas" of growing older?? I certainly don't see it...

I'm not saying that I wan't to die young exactly; I'm just saying that I think only Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis,Jr. got growing older down pat. Yeah, they didn't take care of themselves; but they kept their fashion sense, and hipness to the end.

I bet they never even stepped foot in an Olive Garden, btw:)

The week of the Tummy Flu

Greetings. I write to you on Sunday.  Today is literally the first day I've been able to get out of bed and do anything remotely human!  It has been a tough, tough week in the Sincoff household!!  I usually like to state proudly (and loudly)  that we really keep it retty real up in this hizzouse over here.  Alas, this week has not been the case for The Sincoff's!

Well, to start, Mr.T  came down w/ this ghastly tummy thing that knocked him out for like, maybe one day.  Monday morning comes around, and I get up all nice, and how do ya do. I leave Vick w/T and I'm like "see ya" in a Don Draper kind of Monday way (minus the scotch, nice suits, cigarettes, and other stuff, of  course)  .... I left V to it, to be a trooper, and the super ma' that she truly is!

In the back of my mind, I'm goin' "Geeze, this does not bode well for my clan"... And then, being the brilliant sort that I am... I pushed that thought out of my mind.  Silly ol' me!  I should have factored the logical equation of : Toddler + Preshool = Tummy Bug that can totally destroy 2 parents!! I am so naive like that, y'know??!

Well, V, got sick first on Tuesday night. I can honestly say that I was truly,truly worried about her! I've never seen ANYONE get as sick as she did that night.  For her to ask me to stay home on Wednesday to take care of T... is a true testament to the fact that the wasn't feeling well. On Wed, I got T. up, got him dressed, took him to PreSchool, picked him up,took him to lunch and the playground to give Vick some time to chill.

Little did I know what was in store for me......

I get up and off to work on Thursday, no problem. I'm doing my work, and staying out of trouble (woo hoo!)!  However, about 2pm, the tide begins to turn...  I literally felt myself getting ill...I could feel all sorts of yucky stuff build and build up :(  Yet, trooper that I was, I did not get out of work early (to be fair, I had a conference call that I had to be on w/ my boss).

Thursday into Friday were horrible for me. I hope I was not THAT miserable!!  Saturday I began to feel  better (AND WE GOT A KITTY CAT!!! ANOTHER BLOG POST ON THAT SOON!) , and today, while sore, I'm about 75% Regular Ethan....  In fact,as an FYI, Jon "Bones"Jones fought Rashad Evans last night,and I did not even watch The UFC!! THAT's how sick I was :-P LOLOL

Oh well,finally back to normal(ish), right?!

Yo! I is a bad poster! Or, why I'm not The Bloggess

I always say that I'm going to post more and more.  I never do!  It's not that I don't want to post.. I LOOOOOOOOVE my blog, and some of the stuff that I have put on here over the years.  It's just that w/ the responsibilities of father/husband-hood, and trying to do well at my job:  I don't get inspired alot to write on here!  I wish I could be The Bloggess. I'd love to turn my musings (confusion!?) about growing older, being a Dad, and my love of boxing, and mma into something lucrative!!!  However, one has to dance the dance that brung ya!!

Alot has been going on in the few weeks since I last was here. To begin with, in the wacky world of mma, there is a bit of controversy.  Allistair Overeem, who was going to fight in the main event of the next UFC ppv,  just tested positive for steroids.  He had been plagued for years by rumors of performance enhancing drugs.  Alot of his fights in the past have taken place in Japan.  They are not as stringent in testing for performance enhancing drugs.  The dopey "schlub" had a testosterone level of 14:1, a normal level for a guy is 4:1, and the Nevada State Athletic Commission allows a level of 6:1!!

For a guy who can speak English,and that can "pop" a crowd, to fall like that is just amazing!!  I mean he just sent Brock Lesnar back to the WWE ("real" fighting retirement!) and his career was at an all time high... what a fall from grace!!

On the home front.... my Dad is now living a couple of buildings down.  To say that he is a challenge, is an understatement!  As I get older, I realize more and more how much of a social filter my mom was for him.  There just seems to be a bit of a disconnect sometimes w/ him! He's my Dad, and I love him.... but sometimes, I wish he was farther away!!

Work is work... what can you do??!  Don't hate it, at least. Still waiting on seeing what is up w/ the new organization!! We shall see :)