The Next Step

Fake news is better than real news. Actually, it’s as good as reading a newspaper. Which is pretty good when you consider that the shows are only half an hour long counting ads.

So who knew you could import blog posts into facebook? Not me, certainly.

As my first act since introducing facebook-visibility, let me present to you Dougie’s Going Deep Tonight. Because let’s face it. Dougie is the man.

I find it very interesting that the government doesn’t let you pay your ticket using the only means of payment that the government itself provides. How ironic.

Well, that’s not quite true. You could go to the city hall and pay with cash there. They just don’t trust the USPS not to steal it. Oh wait.

Edit: I just went to pay this parking ticket online, and apparently it’s not on file (yet?). The efficiency of the city never ceases to amaze.

This brings back memories of the bathtubs backing up last year after our two straight months of rain or so. Well, I suppose it’s not quite that bad yet.

Also, nice opening day, Red Sox. You managed to hold a lead against Kansas City for a whole half inning, and only ran yourself into outs at second base twice (that I saw).

This brings me to my annual Red Sox season starting… thing, where I talk about the Red Sox. This time I’m going through the lineup to give praise and criticism where it is due. Mostly criticism.

1. Julio Lugo – No doubt about it, we’re going to miss Alex Gonzalez’s miracles at shortstop. However, from what I hear, Lugo can actually get some hits. That’s a trade I’m willing to make.
2. Kevin Youkilis – I have a hard time saying anything bad about Youk. I fully expect to see him outperforming Loretta’s performance of last year if he stays in the number 2 spot. Of course, we know he could be productive anywhere in the lineup.
3. David Ortiz – I don’t need to say anything.
4. Manny Ramirez – Same as ever. No reason not expect his trademark brand of superproductive laziness.
5. J.D. Drew – I admit that I have a certain bias against J.D. Drew. Everybody says he’s a clear upgrade from Trot Nixon, but… I miss Trot Nixon.
6. Mike Lowell – I hope he can produce like he did last year, and I hope he’s not lonely on the left side of the infield without Gonzalez. He’s getting old, though, and he needs to stay healthy.
7. Jason Varitek – Jason, I really need you to bounce back from last year. Really. The Jason Varitek I know does not bat seventh.
8. Coco Crisp – Does anybody else remember that when we got Coco, we were promised a Johnny Damon caliber player? Well, I do.
9. Dustin Pedroia – I have no idea. His salary is listed as “N/A” on ESPN’s website. I suppose I can give him a chance. On a side note, how did Mark Loretta end up with the Astros?

I find this hilarious, and I think that it is high time somebody started yelling at this state’s legislature.

That, combined with this ridiculous bill, has gotten me thinking about the whole “boomerang generation” phenomenon that my classmates have so lovingly embraced. Economic factors aside (and don’t underestimate those. I’m looking at you, Dick Cheney), I think that legislation has played a big part in this.

In order to truly understand this, you have to gain an appreciation for the term “The Real World.” And no, I don’t mean the tv show. Regardless, going through school, students are constantly told about how when they enter The Real World, they are not going to get away with just getting detention for doing X. They’ll have to take responsibility for their actions, the principal is like your boss and if you put a stink bomb in your boss’s office you can be damned sure you are getting fired, and so on. The real problem is that there is no longer a clear line that one crosses into adulthood. I have a bunch of theories as to why that may be, but more on that in a minute.

As I understand, it used to be that you became an adult when you turned 18. Period. There didn’t seem to be any recognition of any kind of “adolescent” stage, which perhaps was the wrong idea, but nevertheless. You knew exactly when people were going to start expecting you to act like an adult. Over the years, that line has become extremely blurry. You can smoke, vote, and serve in the military at 18, but you can’t drink alcohol until 21. You can drive at 16 (sort of), see R-rated movies at 17, and you can’t rent cars from Hertz until you’re 25.

All these mini-milestones only serve to confuse. Teenagers (and even those in their early twenties) have a hard time figuring out when exactly when they have entered the Real World, in a society that doesn’t seem to ever want to give them respect. And it’s true, a lot of teenagers are tremendously irresponsible and stupid, which I am sure doesn’t help in the effort to gain respect. But, in my opinion, it’s our duty to give them the benefit of the doubt first, and take it away when they show themselves unworthy of it. It’s the only way kids can make the transition smoothly.

So-called “protecting teenagers from themselves” does nothing of the sort. It merely puts off the bad decision-making until later, effectively making children out of your 18-year-olds and your 21-year-olds. All you need is a month or two of undergraduate college to see that. So why not let them make the mistakes in high school and get it over with? You’re supposed to know how to act like an adult after high school, you’re supposed to be ready for the workforce. We shouldn’t lose sight of that just because more people are going to college.