Category: the parenting bunny

Why should we bother?

Posted on

Technology is the key to our advancement as a species.

We invent things using technology.
We improve them using technology.
We simplify processes using technology.
We overcome society’s problems using technology.

There’s a lot of work, a lot of brains and a lot of money that goes into developing these technologies so that they can benefit humankind.

And yet, sometimes all of that seems so very unappreciated.

And it does seem that parents are particularly unappreciative of the things that could literally save their child’s life.

Like the mother driving her squabbling kids home from school yesterday: both of them 8 or 9 years old and climbing around the footwell and passenger seat of her car – not a seatbelt in sight.

To the parents in Gaines County in Texas,

It seems that in this case, religious beliefs may have been a strong reason behind many of the (now 24) cases: all of whom *shock* are unvaccinated. Gaines Country has a high population of Mennonites, and all of the cases in Gaines can be linked to Mennonite schools. Traditionally, Mennonites reject “modern” technology (which would likely include vaccinations), which is all well and good until it backfires and a wholly preventable measles outbreak maims or kills their children.

According to this from MennoniteUSA.org:

Mennonites believe in simple living but express that simplicity in a spirit of stewardship and awareness of the needs of others rather than completely separating from society

But if I was the parent of a baby in Texas right now (the first MMR vaccination is at 12-15 months), I would be very worried. I certainly wouldn’t be thinking very kindly about the Mennonites and their alleged “spirit of stewardship and awareness of the needs of others” BS.

Look, religious or not, as parents we deserve to give our kids the best chance in life. And that should start with the right to health and life. Willfully ignoring or rejecting the proven technologies that we have developed to keep our children safe and well is tantamount to child abuse. As one commenter points out:

It’s difficult to have sympathy for an adult who refuses a vaccine and then gets the disease.
The children didn’t have a choice.

Yep. The children deserve better.
And everything they need is right there. It’s readily available.

They’re just not being used.

And that does raise the question: Why should we bother?

Horses

Posted on

Another Hout Bay horse show this morning. A near perfect day for it, too. Sunny, breezy, pleasant.

As ever, I was there as the ‘tog, trying to get something decent for each of the riders to see as a memory of their round(s). The team were only jumping in the lower classes today – meaning that they were jumping lower jumps. And I did wonder if that would make it more challenging to get those full-on dramatic images.

But it turns out that while the height they were jumping might not have been so great, the determination and the effort the horses and riders put in was no less impressive.

A really good morning out with some really brave performances from the younger participants, and some really solid, quality rounds by the more accomplished riders.

Well done, team!

Let’s go away

Posted on

A few days away after what has been a fairly hectic year.

As alluded to here, we’re heading a couple of hours north of Cape Town for a few days, and hoping to chill out completely for a little while. It’s well deserved.

I’m not sure what the connectivity is like up there, so I’m popping a couple of posts up in advance, but I’m hoping to have some time to write and ‘tog while we’re away, so look out for new stuff on here and on my Instagram.

But in the meantime, the beers, wine and braaivleis are all loaded up, and we’re ready to go.

Let’s go away. See you on the other side.

Tag shoot

Posted on

We were out for dinner on Saturday evening. The Greek place near the local shopping mall. Parking was tight, so we parked up the street and walked down to the restaurant. And as we wandered past, there in the trendy looking building on the right was a giant canvas print of one of my photos. Looking past it, and peering into the now smudged windows (sorry) in the darkness, there were several (or more) more.

Always cool to see them on display.

And there was more photographic work to be done before yesterday’s festivities (literally) kicked off. Little Miss 6000 has been putting some more of her skills to work and has come up with a range of Xmas gift tags to sell to family and friends. And you could just tell people about them, but why not show them? And you could just show them, but why not lob in just a bit more effort and show them off properly?

So we raided the Xmas decorations box early, dragged out a lamp or two, and made a mini set in the bar.
And then we took a couple of photos.

The flyer went out to appropriate contacts yesterday, and sales are booming.
It’s called the 6000.co.za Photography Effect.

I dunno. I just made that up. But it was a bit of fun to play around for a half hour and get some atmospheric Xmas shots in the middle of the sunny day. And it kept my mind busy and off the pre-game nerves which I now know I never needed.

If it helps sell gift tags as well, then we’re golden.