~ Zeldapie's Comments
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Mar 4, 2009 | rating: 10 | comments: 23
~ Zeldapie Mar 5, 2009, 1:43pm EST
Well said, auntie and Alisha!

I was listening to the radio the other night, and heard the tail end of a discussion on religious indoctrination of children - i.e., what most of us had as kids - going to church every weekend (or synagogue or whatever). And I thought, what an odd thing... indoctrinating youngsters into a certain religion.

Why do parents feel they have to indoctrinate their children into a certain religion, anyway? Raising children to be moral, kind, caring human beings can certainly be done without bringing religion into it.

A synonym for "indoctrinate" is "brainwash." Obviously, brainwash is a forced indoctrination of one's beliefs onto another person, but how much power do children have, anyway? Aren't parents, in a way, forcing their children to attend church and bible study and bible camp? Isn't that a (gentle) form of brainwashing? Another synonym for indoctrinate is "catechize." LOL. We ex-Catholics all know about Catechism, don't we?

I think people should wait until adulthood and full maturity to decide if they want to become indoctrinated into a certain faith (or not).

I'm not an atheist. I'm a spiritual person, but not religious. I guess you could say I have my own Zelda religion, and I don't feel any compulsion to force it on anyone else. I'd be glad to discuss it with people, but indoctrination/brainwashing/catechizing? No way.
May 27, 2008 | rating: 9.9 | comments: 45
~ Zeldapie May 30, 2008, 4:31pm EDT
Some bragging from zpie:

The Ramones - First Ave., 1980 (my left ear has never been the same)

The Cars - Midway Stadium, 1978 (they opened for the Doobie Bros, but I went to see them. I was 3 feet away from Ric!)

The Who - St. Paul Civic Center, 1981 (for free!! an ex-bf was taking tickets at the door and he snuck my bf and me in)

I'm tewtally showing my age, aren't I?
May 27, 2008 | rating: 9.5 | comments: 12
~ Zeldapie May 30, 2008, 10:49am EDT
I agree -- there's no compelling need for light rail on University Avenue!
May 29, 2008 | rating: 10 | comments: 13
~ Zeldapie May 30, 2008, 10:04am EDT
Winston, I've gone to protest marches and rallies since I was a child (Vietnam era), and I don't recall seeing profanity-filled signs.

There will always be a handful of young people at protests who don't look like you -- maybe they do have dreadlocks. Maybe they do have long hair and beards, or tattoos ... so what? And my goodness, how do you know they are "property-destroying" people? Do you have special x-ray glasses or perhaps a super power that tells you if a dreadlocked person has destroyed property? Wow, that's pretty neat!

My parents, who took my siblings and me to the Vietnam protests (and *gasp* Pete Seeger concerts!) are middle-class, professional, "normal" people. They probably look like you and your wife. So do the millions (around the world) who are currently protesting this disgusting, uncalled-for war in Iraq.
May 28, 2008 | rating: 10 | comments: 81
~ Zeldapie May 29, 2008, 5:05pm EDT
Mary, I'm so very sorry about Branden. I know what it's like to lose a beloved pet. Well, they are MORE than pets... they are true family members. He sounded like a wonderful, special little guy.

When I lost my cat Ava last year (May 11), I found comfort at the Rainbow Bridge site. You might, too. It's a supportive forum for people who are grieving the loss of their furbabies.
www.petloss.com
May 29, 2008 | rating: 10 | comments: 13
~ Zeldapie May 29, 2008, 4:53pm EDT
"I'm going down to video all the angry, white, dreadlocked, unshaven, unbathed paid political "anarchists" who will have outlandish and very obcene posters."

Gee, I'll be there protesting, Winston, and I'm not unshaven, unbathed, or dreadlocked. Actually, I'm quite attractive and intelligent, bathe daily, and oh dear, I'm a liberal! Imagine that!
May 27, 2008 | rating: 9.5 | comments: 12
~ Zeldapie May 29, 2008, 4:51pm EDT
Yes, JOHNNIE'S BAR! Oh wow, I'd forgotten about that wonderful little place. My friend Sarah and I discovered Summit pale ale there, and felt kind of cool knowing it was brewed across the street. We'd sit in an old wood booth and talk and drink for hours.
May 27, 2008 | rating: 9.5 | comments: 12
~ Zeldapie May 27, 2008, 5:09pm EDT
I love University Avenue, too. I remember going to Gopher basketball games with my dad, all the way from Brooklyn Park to the U of M campus. We'd take 494 to University Avenue and head south. There were lots of stoplights along the way, but back then, there was no easy highway to get there... but it meant seeing how the houses changed in character as we got closer into the city and seeing the little mom 'n pop storefronts, bars, and restaurants that lined the avenue. Taking a leisurely route like University Ave. meant having more one-on-one time with my dad, which was fine by me!

When I started at the U, I had a job (for one quarter) at 1919 University (where the Purchasing department resided for the university). I'd catch a bus after my last class and head straight to 1919, and liked watching out the window on my way - and when I spied Porky's drive-in restaurant, I knew I'd reached my destination. Porky's wasn't open back then, but thankfully, someone renovated it and it's been in operation for years. I also love the Axe Man on University, and the funky vintage shops (go to Swank, folks, you'll love it!).
Apr 21, 2008 | rating: 10 | comments: 8
~ Zeldapie Apr 22, 2008, 11:44am EDT
I think Frick should do his Rasta impression, too.
Apr 14, 2008 | rating: 10 | comments: 51
~ Zeldapie Apr 16, 2008, 5:06pm EDT
No, I don't like it, honey. You and Greg are so full of sh*t, it's hard to wade around in here. Where are my Wellies?
Apr 14, 2008 | rating: 10 | comments: 51
~ Zeldapie Apr 16, 2008, 12:23pm EDT
Let's just say men are half of the problem. You can't make a baby without them.

There's a distinct anti-woman feel to this thread and to these arguments. Just because she ends up carrying the child and (usually) care for it, doesn't mean the woman is a slut, a whore, a floozy, a loose woman. The man is equally culpable.

BTW, my nephew... the one raised by a single mom... makes straight As, is always on the honor roll (10th grader), and recently won a short story contest. He's one of the most mature, kindest, coolest young men I know.
Apr 14, 2008 | rating: 10 | comments: 51
~ Zeldapie Apr 15, 2008, 2:29pm EDT
I'm sorry I missed this thread yesterday.

I have a question for some of you: my sister became pregnant by a man who then dumped her. What would you have her do? Get an abortion, or raise her son as best she can? From the sound of it, she should've chosen the abortion. After all, that would mean one less single parent, right?

And what's this bullsh*t about "shack-up honeys"? Nothing like boxing up people in tidy, insulting categories.

I was married for nine years, and have been divorced for four. No children (though I wanted one). When I saw all of the legal paperwork my attorney and I had to go through, I realized that a marriage is simply that: a legal union that gives straight people privileges. Period. The committment and love don't come from the paperwork that protects the couple. It comes from their hearts.

The institution of marriage as we know it today is actually of recent origin. The traditional model of marriage as a political and economic bond contracted by families was replaced just a couple hundred years ago, with the "love bond" form of marriage - the overly-romanticized hearts 'n flowers Victorian model we Westerners believe is the only way marriage is and ever has been. If you've gone through household items and the myriad of financial issues that divorce calls for, you realize that despite the romantic aspect of marriage, it is still (at its basic level) about legal rights.
Apr 10, 2008 | rating: 10 | comments: 13
~ Zeldapie Apr 11, 2008, 1:30pm EDT
Tenola, Frick and Auntie!

I'm glad E sang "I Like Birds," myself. Maybe 'cos I like birds, too, and it's fun to sing the chorus. Auntie, I'll admit, I have a little crush on E, too! He's given the world dozens of lyrical, funny, poignant songs, despite (or because of?) a rather isolated, sad childhood that would likely put most people into permanent therapy.

I really enjoyed the documentary and the tunes, and lurved "Flyswatter," with the handoffs between The Chet and E. I'd see Eels again, absolutely.

(Frick... OMGOMGOMG... Flight of the Conchords?! I'm THERE!)
Apr 7, 2008 | rating: 10 | comments: 15
~ Zeldapie Apr 9, 2008, 12:04pm EDT
Sorry to join in late (I've been sick)... anyway, I have a few daffodils coming up, and some "mystery" plants. And now, it's going to SNOW! Predictions are for 3 inches by Friday afternoon.
*sob
Mar 27, 2008 | rating: 10 | comments: 11
~ Zeldapie Mar 28, 2008, 10:03am EDT
I saw my first Robin a couple of weeks ago, in a snowstorm. Poor little fatty-fat. He looked pretty miserable, sitting in my crabapple tree.

I can't wait 'til the first good rain... the next morning, the grass looks so green it almost hurts my eyes!

With most of the gray, dirty snow melted away, I find myself obsessively walking along my gardens, looking for signs of life. Actually, I'd worry if things started popping up THIS early, 'cos they'd end up freezing at some point between now and May. I just want to see COLOR again! Is that too much to ask?
Mar 25, 2008 | rating: 8.4 | comments: 11
~ Zeldapie Mar 27, 2008, 10:52am EDT
Old Dutch, potato chip!
Old Dutch, the happy chip!
Crispy
Crunchy
Light 'n snappy
Old Dutch, potato chip!

(Anyone else remember that jingle?)

My dad makes a hot dish every Christmas, called "Texas Hash" (should perhaps be "Minnesota Hash")... I'd miss it, but not the meat version he makes. I've used TVP instead of hamburger for the past 20 years, so we serve two version of Texas Hash for our Xmas Eve dinner. Yum.
Mar 21, 2008 | rating: 10 | comments: 95
~ Zeldapie Mar 21, 2008, 4:58pm EDT
*sob
That boy never DID appreciate me!
Mar 21, 2008 | rating: 10 | comments: 95
~ Zeldapie Mar 21, 2008, 4:24pm EDT
You smelt it, you dealt it! hee hee
Mar 21, 2008 | rating: 10 | comments: 95
~ Zeldapie Mar 21, 2008, 4:24pm EDT
*Z flips Auggie a dime.

Don't spend it all in one place, kid. Now scram, and do that homework like auntie says, or you'll get what for!
Mar 21, 2008 | rating: 10 | comments: 95
~ Zeldapie Mar 21, 2008, 4:13pm EDT
Oooh!
*claps hands

Auggie! Yay!!!
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~ Zeldapie
Minneapolis, MN
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