Well, the new year is definitely rolling. I've been trying to be a better guy all the way around and I think I am off to a pretty good start. Just a few random thoughts to keep my vital blogging juices flowing.

First, I would like a new digital camera. The SeaWorld pictures didn't come out as nicely as I would have hoped. I am now torn between getting something that I will use versus getting something really nice. I think I am more inclined for the camera I can tote around and take snapshots of my day. Then again, a large percentage of my day is unphotographable....I dunno. Anyway, one thing that has inspired me is the response I have received from family about seeing my pictures online. I also saw this amazing photoblog by Travis Ruse. Granted I won't be able to take amazing pictures like his, but I think the photographic nature adds something to a blog.

A second item that struck me has been the increasing number of programs, articles and avenues I have come across dealing with masculinity and the experience of growing up as a boy. Raising Cain was a show I caught by accident on PBS. It focused on the issues boys in America face today like school, changing family situations, and industrialization. A second item I caught was an article in the New York Times Magazine entitled "Shutting Themselves In". This piece talked about the growing number of Japanese boys who lock themselves in their room for months if not years on end. "Hikikomori" is the term used for these boys. Girls sometimes exhibit hikikomori, but it's mostly a male problem and the causes are generally feelings of inadequacy, failure, etc.

What these lead me to think about is how we are raising kids these days. There has been an increase in Internet, video gaming, etc. There has been a decrease in the amount of recess play time at schools. American Boys account for over 80% of the prescribed riddlin. The foods we feed our children are increasingly coming under question (too much sugar, too much fat, not enough fiber, hormones, etc etc). I am increasingly convinced the body is a delicate mechanism that requires a careful balance, chemical, emotional, physical and so on. Keeping in perfect balance is a near impossibility, but I believe we need to better equip ourselves and our children how to try and balance.

Other sites that I have been visiting lately:

A Softer World

Toothpaste for Dinner

Juicy Fruit Lover

Blue Letter Bible