Posted on 03/03/2005 10:54:41 PM PST by Former Military Chick
BUMP
And after the last 4 years, you are now wondering if GWB is serious about the WOT?
And you take a liberal journo's opinions as gospel?
Give yourself a slap on the head, man!
"The last thing he needs is your approval and participation in his illegal street racing where it "isn't busy."
You are so right. The wife was right in what she said to the cop. And, let's face it, we were all teens, we all had parties we shouldn't've. Most of us had the brains to clean up the place before the parental units got home.
Obviously, Stein should have turned around, fetched the kid, and gone back to the house to make Tommy clean it up. Teenagers are the bear, but you can't get lazy and give in to them. There is no mention of any punishment meted out, he doesn't even say (possibly rhetorically): that's the last time he uses the beach house alone!
If Stein has told us the whole story he's made a serious parenting error. His son WILL grow up to be a conscienless creep if there are never any consequences for bad behaviour.
And as for the spread of Islamofacism, I hardly think George W. Bush can, or should, bomb all the Mosques in Africa. That is a cultural war too, not just a military one. Non muslim people need to build their own faith(s) and HAVE MORE CHILDREN. Oh yeah, and raise the little rug rats up right. The US Military can't really help in some aspects of this war.
As for his Tommy. . .maybe Ben should just share his own 'lessons learned as of his 60th Birthday. . .might help. . .
. . .also to Ben. . .as long as you blame yourself; and 'pick up Tommy's respsonsibility' for him. . .he will let you. . .and one more. . .NEVER drag race with your son!
In the meantime, I will both keep and share Ben's 'lesson's' . . .;^)
Hey there- I love your nick (I am a Hatfield- yes those Hatfields.)
I think Ben has some issues with his son and it sounds like he needs to kick some realism into his 17 year old butt. Why would you go clean a Mailbu beach house he had trashed while he is at home in bed giving you sass? Yeah right!
It's only natural for an adult to worry about the world, but those thoughts are seldom shared.
Not that it will necessarily help, but it might - get him into HS sports, and keep him there even if the coach says - not interested. All kids can learn, can train, etc. Rule of life.
As for the 'new economy', and the 'great economy' which Eleanor Clift touted every week during Gore's run, well . . she's still around, and he's still around. But I don't pay either the attention I used to. Both were frauds, then. Gore's been acting even worse, since. Clift - who cares?
The dot-com crash was really a crash of investment capital. This, people need to be reminded constantly, is what is known as a capitalist system, and economy. Basically, that means large chunks of millions are needed to finance new ventures in the hopes that it will eventually generate millions more in profits (what some term, revenues) for those doing that financing, or buying in as shareholders in some manner. The dot-com bust marked the end, for a while, of active involvement of capitalists in this, a capitalist economy. Guess what? But things are looking up. The thing about those with capital - they want more. Call it the 'Midas' complex. Another rule of life.
Buy one of those stylish "No Fear" hats Ben. Put it on your head. Fear. It's all in your head.
My oldest daughter is a couple of years younger than Tommy Stein. I remember reading those Spectator columns when she was little, and thinking, "I can't believe he's letting the kid do this stuff!" It was like "How NOT to Raise Your Kid" lessons.
"4. Almost any "problem" I have can be dealt with by rest, reflection, and conversation with someone who cares about me, usually my shrink, the genius Paul Hyman."
Anybody who has a shrink has major problems.
my brother is soon to be 73 and we STILL call him Joey. :)
Sister is 70 and we still call her cookie. :)
Does age really matter when we call those we love by certain names?
Been doing the same. . .handwriting has been on the wall. . .in the Spectator (!) since Tommy began on the pages there.
Obviously, Ben is not the diciplinarian. . .in which case; usually the 'other ' parent gets the responsibility to insure some responsibility.
ITMT. . .maybe Ben could ask Tommy to write what HE is thankful for. . .and include Tommy thougtts in his next article - witih permision, of course. . .might help - couldn't hurt.
I mean Tommy is there anyway, whether he personally contributes or not.
Parenting can be a tough call. . .but really, compared to Ben's honest and often painful sharing. . . that 'call' is probably a whole lot easer. Ben just needs to try it.
I'd say in this Tommy kid's case, he definitely needs help maturing. "Tom" would be in order for him.
save to savor later
Some of us are not at all surprised about the brat's selfishness and loutishness. Hope he grows out of it before he hits the headlines.
But then, what can we expect when his two buds are named Boris and Vlad, lol.
Leni
Tommy LIED and BETRAYED Stein's trust. Then Tommy went to bed and rest while Stein cleaned up the mess.
Memo to Stein: Get the liar out of bed and oversee him cleaning up the house HE messed up. Let HIM feel guilty.
When I tell friends that I think the Islamofascists are going to nuke NY and DC, they don't believe me. When I tell them Islam is at war with Western civilization they don't believe me. "Liberals" are detached from reality. They're all naive and I think active traitors.
There's a major cultural war going on between the "liberals", leftists and America. They all want us dead. Simple as that.
Tom or Tommy isn't going to be the key. It's how he is being raised and what kinds of responsibilities he is being taught. I think Ben Stein is doing this tongue in cheek, dont you? I bet he has a loving relationship with his son Tom/Tommy and it's nothing like he jokes about.
There's a Ben Stein ping list?
Sweet Jesus!
I think "Tommy" is perhaps indicative of "how he is being raised." He's being treated, still, as the baby, as the overly doted-upon only child. My concern is that he's not being taught many responsibilities. With a wealthy father, he may not have to work to earn any of his perqs. I don't know, and perhaps it's not my place to presume, but from this brief essay, at least, I get the impression that Tommy is spoiled rotten.
I do not think it is tongue in cheek. I believe Ben does have a loving relationship with Tommy, but perhaps not a parent-as-authority-deserving-of-respect-and-obedience relationship.
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