Your Baby What Am I Going To Do: Fill & Download for Free

hi babes, we are BACK with the kpop opinions!i haven’t done one of these in a FAT minute, but i am ready with a lot of opinions that i’ve thought of recently.if you’re wondering why i’m starting with #26, read these to find out: Kristy Lustre's answer to What are your current unpopular OR popular kpop opinions? and Kristy Lustre's answer to What is your unpopular opinion about K-pop?look at me, shamelessly doing self-promo LMAO. but you don’t HAVE to read these to understand my latest opinions, cause they’re all original every time i do these kinds of answers.btw, many of these are going to be about kpop fandoms/fans in general.anyways, as always, the disclaimer:these are purely my opinions so feel free to disagree. if you want to express why, you can do so respectfully in the comment section. in no way do i intend to offend anyone, fans and idols alike, with my opinions. please keep an open mind. also there will be a lot of reading. so brace for that.now let’s get into it :)26. mistreatment ≠ inequality“idol a has the least amount of lines! that’s mistreatment!”“idol b has like no screentime! that’s mistreatment!”“idol c has the worst outfit in the group! that’s mistreatment!”ok, no.i’m sure you’ve heard something along these lines before.there is such thing as being unfair.but being treated unfairly is not the same as being mistreated.mistreatment is ignoring mental health issues, starving idols by forcing them into outrageous diets, and overworking them to the point of over-exhaustion.sadly, there is almost always one member of a group who has it worse than the others, whether it be with lines, screentime, or outfits. just because that is the case, it does not mean they are being mistreated.unfairly treated idols are still given the same rights as their fellow groupmates; they just are given less focus.27. self-love concepts are important.you might think they’re getting overused/cringey, but they sincerely deliver an important message to fans.not only is it a concept, it’s a healthy idea.what all people need more than ever, especially now that depression is such a common disorder, is to be told that they should love themselves for who they are.when idols that you look up to express the importance of self-love, you are more likely to listen to them.it’s kinda like commercials; influencers and celebrities are hired to advertise a product, but in this case, it’s idols who are exerting important life ideals.so no matter how tired you get of seeing the love yourself concept being used, just remember that it could be saving the life of someone you know and love.28. cultural appropriation accusations go overboard at times.i’m not black, so i have no right to state what i think is offensive or what is not in terms of dreadlocks and other hairstyles inspired by that culture.but let’s be real,, sometimes fans (especially toxic ones) blow things way out of proportion.without a doubt, the case of red velvet’s wendy imitating how certain people speak was ignorant and borderline racist.but hairstyles? outfits? do they deserve to be bashed the way they do??blackface is a big no-no. as is disrespecting symbols that have great importance. THAT is racist cultural appropriation.i’m not calling anyone sensitive, but to go as far as to boycott and send threats to idols who are pulling off a certain style (that was probably not what they decided to do for themselves) is going too far.i have encountered many colored fans who don’t mind the braids, shawls, etc.i guess what i’m trying to say is, don’t assume the worst.most of the time, idols aren’t trying to mock you. if anything, they’re celebrating different cultures, not appropriating them.29. aesthetics play a large part in the success of mvs.something i can commend about almost every kpop mv out there is that there is a certain aesthetic that it fits.whether it lies within the outfits, the backgrounds, the scenery, the choreo formations, there is always something pleasing to the eye.i believe this plays a large role within the success/views of the mv. the prettier the set design, the more people will want to watch it over and over.it’s lowkey a clever marketing strategy.even if the song isn’t as amazing as the set itself, you still find yourself wanting to watch it.i’m not calling ice cream not amazing just cause i used it as the picture for this opinion; i just i find myself in love with both the song AND the mv aesthetics.30. skinny-shaming is just as bad as fat-shaming.skinny, fat, muscular, thin— these are body types, hun, not accessories.idols don’t get to pick and choose which body type they have; it’s genetics.bullying people over their naturally fuller/smaller frames is terrible either way.some netizens just don’t understand that their standards are ridiculous.if idols are looking healthy, they’re too fat.if idols are looking thin, they’re too skinny.it’s not easy to diet either way; larger built idols can’t just STOP eating as thinner built idols can’t just GAIN weight.people think calling idols “scarily thin” or “skeletons” is fine. it’s not.calling someone a skeleton is just as bad as calling someone a pig.either way, you are shaming them. it’s not okay at all.respect all idols and their body types, because they can’t just be expected to change the way they’re built.31. recycled dance moves are acceptable.idols do not always choreograph their own moves.it is likely that their choreographers re-use choreography that they’ve previously used in another song, which is totally fine.it’s not plagiarism when 1) they admit to using the same moves or 2) it is the same choreographer, but the moves aren’t EXACTLY the same.just don’t bash the idols for it, because let’s see you come up with new and improved moves that are completely original and actually cool.32. choreography is one of the most important aspects of kpop.let’s think about this one…what distinguishes korean boy bands from american boy bands?what do kpop artist groups have that popular western artist groups like one direction don’t?one direction has vocals, visuals, and personalities from each member. ok, ateez has that as well.but what puts ateez’s talent above one direction’s? one word: choreography.kpop is not kpop without the outstanding dancing abilities that idols have.sure, some western artists have their HUGE performances (concerts/award shows) where they dance and have back-up dancers, but i don’t think you can compare some hand gestures and hip thrusts to the technicality of full-on kpop choreos.the difference is huge.no hate to western artists, though. they’re famous for a reason :)33. debuting big groups has both pros and cons.there are both positives and negatives to big groups.a pro would be a larger opportunity for more trainees to make it big!! bigger groups = more idols having their hard work pay off.a pro for the company is the marketing strategy behind debuting big groups; it’s incredible.the more the members, the more the merch, the more the sales. the technical side of money-making in kpop is beyond mind-boggling.although, this strategy can backfire. i bring you to the biggest con of big groups: new fans being intimidated by the size :(people think that seventeen has 17 members, and that sometimes turns them off from getting into the group.when there are less fans, there are less profits for the company.another con would be that there would be more room for inequality among members, because solo stans and other sorts of fake fans are quick to point out injustices.34. big3 privileges have always/will always be apparent.no matter what you say regarding the biggest korean entertainment companies, you cannot change my mind.even with the scandals that have occurred, the impact of the big3 will always be there.people are thinking bighit belongs among the biggest companies because of bts, but that’s not true. if you think about it, the history of successful idols runs the longest between sm, jyp, and yg.you may think they are no longer the big3, but i’ve already seen how smart some fans are, with them openly knowing that if it weren’t for the big3 privilege, some groups would not be as widely known as they are.success is a matter of reputation. but in some cases, it’s a matter of impact.i.e., you have a group that is popular internationally like monsta x, coming from starship, which unfortunately is not with the big leagues, that got recognized from impact alone.i’m not saying that all big3 groups don’t deserve the attention they get, but i DO have a feeling that as groups continue to debut, they will receive more attention than other groups that are under non-big3 groups.35. homo happened; that doesn’t mean you and oppar/noonar will.homo is heechul and momo, if you didn’t already know.anyways, just because these two cuties have a 13-year age gap, doesn’t mean you have a chance with your oppars or noonars who are 10+ years older than you.take into consideration the following:homo consists of two consenting, mature ADULTS.these two are both idols that have interacted a lot.they’ve known each other for a long time.they don’t have a language barrier.now let’s see, you, y/n and your oppar and noonar:are most likely not both CONSENTING adults. most i-fans who think they can get with their idols are still TEENAGERS or even younger.you and your idol have probably never interacted. even if you did, it was once, and i doubt it’ll happen again since your relationship is between a fan and an idol.you’ve known them, but they probably don’t know you exist.you probably have a language barrier. and even if that idol is fluent in english/whatever language you speak it’s still not as simple as you might think.so yeah, homo = #couplegoals and y/n x oppar/noonar = nosome delulus needed it to be spelled out for them.36. kpop fans are entitled to their own opinions.you should never feel the need as a fan to defend your own opinions.you know yourself more than anyone else in the world, so you are allowed to have different thoughts OR to agree with someone else’s.if your expectations for a comeback are low or high, it doesn’t matter. because in the end, it’s up to you what you want to think.i included this as an opinion because i feel like people forget this.some people are either too lazy or mindless to think for themselves. or maybe they like to be sheep-like followers. i’m not saying there’s anything bad about that because to each their own.even though others are hopping on the same bandwagon, you don’t have to. or maybe you want to. up to you.i just think some people should be reminded, that’s all.37. fans cannot fight all their idols’ battles.no matter how loyal of a fan you think you are, some things are issues that you shouldn’t be meddling with.seungri’s burning sun scandal could not be justified by vips.exo-l’s cannot change the minds of k-netz who disapproved the news of chen’s future wife and child.and recently, there’s the woojin scandal. some very ignorant stays are blindly defending him. while nothing has been confirmed yet, you cannot just accuse the victim to defend an idol you love.idols will face the consequences to their actions, be it good or bad.us fans cannot keep that from happening; you can’t expect for them to always be innocent.when they need support, we offer it. when the situation has nothing to do with us, we butt out. simple.38. there is no “chillest” kpop fandom.contrary to popular belief that carats and monbebes are the “chillest” fandoms, the truth is, they’re not.as a big monbebe and an even bigger carat, i’m admitting this out loud.EVERY fandom has a batch of bad cookies. that’s just facts.maybe the toxic fans are not as exposed and do not go at the same lengths to be toxic that other fans of other groups do, but in the end, there is always that negative person.i don’t mean to drag bts and blackpink into this, but we all know very well that armys and blinks are among the largest fandoms with a LOT of toxic people.in retrospective, these two fandoms are known to be the most toxic because of their size. their handful of toxic people are magnified by how big the fandom is and how exposed it is.seventeen and monsta x DO have toxic fans and sasaengs.bts and blackpink do as well.but the reason it is more noticeable in them is because 1) they are more popular groups and 2) people tend to focus on the bad.people easily forget that despite the large amount of toxic fans, these four fandoms still have some of the most loyal, respectful, and kind fans out there.39. snowflakes and overly defensive stans ruin fandom reputations.i said what i said.some fans just cannot accept any criticism against their idols.any opinion that places another group above their faves cannot be accepted by snowflakes.we call them snowflakes because they’re so delicate. they overdo it when trying to prove others wrong.some fans go too far and make it their life’s goal to make people think their faves are the BEST and no one else compares.i’m sure your idols don’t want you putting them on a pedestal, because they probably don’t even consider themselves to be the best.something i respect is humility. if your idols are humble, maybe you should learn from them as a fan and be humble as well.wait, wait, but as a defensive fan myself, let me just say—it is not overprotective fans ALONE that ruin the reps; that also comes with sasaengs, akgaes, etc.as long as you can respect other people’s opinions (even though you disagree), you’re fine as a defensive fan.40. idols should not be babied.no matter how cute you think they are, you’re babying men and women who are full-grown adults.they might be older than you, too.also i wouldn’t doubt that more than a handful of them aren’t virgins, hunties.it’s ok to be SOFT for idols, but don’t pull up with a binky and expect them to suck on it.^^that picture of jungkook haunts me. i feel SO freaking bad for him.he must’ve felt humiliated.an adult wearing a bonnet?? what the actual flying fuck, fansign army???he was just too good of a host to say no and honestly i respect him for that. i’m cringing, aren’t you?????you might say “kristy, he looks like he’s having the time of his life in that pic.”no.he just has decency. if it were me, i’d flat out say “get that away from me juseyo >:(“let this be a lesson; i hope no idol has to deal with this kind of embarrassment again.41. sexual dances/lyrics aren’t that offensive at all.uh hate to break it to you but, the previous point pretty much speaks for this one as well.your idols ain’t little children !!if you think their lyrics have dirty undertones, that’s none of your business. you can have opinions on it, but don’t make it a reason to hate on them or their music.maybe like 90% of idols that have already debuted are ADULTS who can do whatever the hell they want.if they wanna twerk, floor hump, hip thrust, or shake their tatas around, i mean, that’s fine. and again, like i said somewhere up there, they probably don’t choreograph their routines a lot of the time.you’re not their mother, are you, karen? no?? i didn’t think so.42. no merch ≠ fake fani think this opinion should speak for itself.just because some of us are broke af doesn’t mean we’re fake fans!i, for one, have never been to a concert (i was going to bts in may but COVID) so you’re not alone if you haven’t either.we support our idols by stre@ming their content and supporting their activity.if you don’t buy albums or lightsticks, that’s fine. i’m sure they’d understand that you show your love not through purchases, but by being a wholesome fan :))and when you do have the money, it’s up to you whether you want to purchase merch or not.it’s not like you’ll be blacklisted for watching mvs without paying a fee… or will you? o_o43. every fan is different.EVERY👏FAN👏IS👏DIFFERENT👏no two people are exactly the same, but i’m sure you already know that.there are MORE than two kinds of people; there are the ones who laughed at the meme i placed up there, there are the ones who realized it is a line that yoongi said, there are the ones who didn’t even notice it, there are the ones who did not find it funny at all, there are the ones who are wondering why i even used that picture for this opinion, and there are the ones who were pretty much a combination of everything i just stated. and there are even people who applied to none of the things i just listed.maybe you think i’m rambling about stupid nonsense, but i believe truly that all kpop fans are different.maybe we have the same ideals and maybe we make the same mistakes— but in the end, we are all original.the reason i say this is because ignorant people tend to generalize fandoms as a whole.“fandom a is SOO toxic.”“fandom b is flawless!”“fandom c are a bunch of solo stans.”i hate these kinds of things. it’s like everyone in that fandom is being labeled.only you can label yourself, so don’t ever forget that. you’re original no matter how similar you possibly are to someone else.and for my final opinion of this answer,,,44. fanwars are IMMATURE AF.your idols are besties, so why shouldn’t your fandoms be???like i said in #39, some snowflakes won’t take any criticism against their faves.they think that their ults are the best, perioodt. they don’t take anyone else for an answer.i’m not generalizing any fandoms, but y’all get TOO aggressive over wins, sales, views, popularity, etc.your idols aren’t sore losers— you are doing more harm than good by “defending” them.one of the biggest clashing fandoms are army and exo-ls, but have you SEEN your faves???they’re literally spending time together outside of idol life, too. not only in award shows, isacs, and co-mc gigs.who you think is the best will not be agreed on by EVERYONE. it’s simply impossible.so for the time being, stay kind. don’t ruin your fandom’s reputation by sabotaging things. that’s plain disrespectful to the rest of your fellow fans AND the groups involved.congratulations! you made it to the end!brace for more of my opinions, because at the rate i’m going, i wouldn’t be surprised to expect some in a couple of weeks or so.hope i didn’t bore anyone… as always, i’m open to respectful debates in the comments if you disagree with something. but also feel free to AGREE as well! i love seeing the feedback overall.have another yukhei, cause he’s beauty, he’s grace, and he’s more than welcome to slap me in the face:~kristy

The Eight Amendment as it currently stands is an English solution to an Irish Problem . We don’t confront problems head on or directly in Ireland we kick the can down the road and procrastinate the difficult decisions . maybe its something to do with post colonial inferiority and an in ability as a society to make decisions for ourselves .We won our freedom after 800 years and what did we do with that freedom we handed it over to the church which dominated society for the better half of 20th century .The Prods up North were right about “Home Rule = Rome Rule”Dev had the Bishops whispering in his ear when he was drafting the constitution The Ireland that he dreamt of , of comely maidens dancing at the crossroads. was largely a fantasy .The Ireland That We Dreamed Of“The ideal Ireland that we would have, the Ireland that we dreamed of, would be the home of a people who valued material wealth only as a basis for right living, of a people who, satisfied with frugal comfort, devoted their leisure to the things of the spirit – a land whose countryside would be bright with cosy homesteads, whose fields and villages would be joyous with the sounds of industry, with the romping of sturdy children, the contest of athletic youths and the laughter of happy maidens, whose firesides would be forums for the wisdom of serene old age. The home, in short, of a people living the life that God desires that men should live. With the tidings that make such an Ireland possible, St. Patrick came to our ancestors fifteen hundred years ago promising happiness here no less than happiness hereafter. It was the pursuit of such an Ireland that later made our country worthy to be called the island of saints and scholars. It was the idea of such an Ireland - happy, vigorous, spiritual - that fired the imagination of our poets; that made successive generations of patriotic men give their lives to win religious and political liberty; and that will urge men in our own and future generations to die, if need be, so that these liberties may be preserved. One hundred years ago, the Young Irelanders, by holding up the vision of such an Ireland before the people, inspired and moved them spiritually as our people had hardly been moved since the Golden Age of Irish civilisation. Fifty years later, the founders of the Gaelic League similarly inspired and moved the people of their day. So, later, did the leaders of the Irish Volunteers. We of this time, if we have the will and active enthusiasm, have the opportunity to inspire and move our generation in like manner. We can do so by keeping this thought of a noble future for our country constantly before our eyes, ever seeking in action to bring that future into being, and ever remembering that it is for our nation as a whole that future must be sought.”The reality of Dev’s Ireland was an economic basket case socially conservative isolationist . agrarian ,backward and stifling our best and brightest left , that insular society gave us the Magdalen laundries , mother and baby homes ,fallen women were shamed , homosexuality was Illegal , our best authors books were banned , censored , The church dominated everything with the facade of moral authority dictating from the pulpit , contraception was banned leading to large families . my grandmother had 11 kids , 8 survived thats what happens when you deny women contraception and body autonomy .Dev built an Ireland that was an Irish version of Gilead from The Handmaids Tail . Fallen women were thrown in to Laundries , their babies taken from them they were sinners , full of shame rejected by the morals of such a pious self righteous it was basically a theocracy. The ban on abortion is a byproduct of such a religious state.That Ireland gave us the X case , the Y case , the C case , Kerry babies , Magdalen laundries , Fallen women .Sphenoidotomy ,Hep C scandal . Savita Halappanavar. Cervical cancer check scandal . Thats a litany of how we have treated women as a society , we have been a deeply misogyny stateWere the Repeal the Eighth referendum to be decided on the basis of the competing campaigns, the ‘No’ side would win by landslide.The Repeal campaign has been inept and insipid.Just look at the posters. Nearly all the ‘Yes’ posters seem almost embarrassed to acknowledge what this is about – abortion and an entitlement of a mother to decide whether to terminate a pregnancy.The Labour Party posters say “For our Daughters” and “For Women’s Health”. The Social Democrats poster says “Yes for dignity, yes for compassion, yes for health”. Another pro-repeal crowd poster says: “Sometimes a private matter need public support.”How limp can you get?The rhetoric is bland and often misleading. Especially the stuff about abortion pills.There is nothing to prevent a medical doctor advising a woman whether it is safe to take one of these pills or not – yes, it would be unlawful for a medical doctor to advise a women to take such pills, or provide such pills, in Ireland but nothing unlawful about giving an opinion on their safety or otherwise.Neither is it unlawful for a medical doctor to treat a woman who has taken such pills and feels unwell afterwards and to assure women, in advance of they taking such pills that their help was available. Nor is there a requirement on the part of medical doctors to report to the Gardaí that a woman has taken these pills.It is likely that word will get around about which doctors are sympathetic and would be unlikely to report such circumstances to Gardaí.The argument about when human life begins is also confusing. The truth is we don’t know – but it doesn’t matter.The avoidance of the unambiguous and persuasive argument of a repeal of the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution gives rise to suspicions that something sinister is afoot and, in a sense there Is something sinister afoot.The unambiguous and persuasive argument of a repeal of the Eighth Amendment is simply this:Pregnancy is, obviously, a unique circumstances experienced only by women, whose bodies are required to give sustenance to another being – whether a human being or a being not yet quite human. And, sometimes, circumstances arise when the woman simply cannot continue to give such sustenance or feels she cannot.This might arise for physiological or physical reasons, for instance a women living in poverty, without support from a partner, who already has, say five children, and whose life is chaotic and deeply nerve-wracking.Isn’t there something cruel on the part of a society to demand that such a woman must persist with the pregnancy?There are many women in similar circumstances and many more women in circumstances akin to these. And many other women in less stressful circumstances but they too must be the ones to decide on whether to continue with a pregnancy.Just think of such a similar demand being made of a man.Take, for instance, a man who agrees to donate one of his kidneys to save the life of another person in circumstances in which there is not another suitable donor available to keep the other person alive.But that in the run up to the necessary medical procedure, the would-be donor found he was psychologically unable to go on with this or discovered he had a physical ailment which would be worsened by undergoing the procedure or simply that he had lost his nerve or even that he had forgotten he had arranged to go to a football match on the day of the medical procedure.Would we seek to criminalise such a man and his collaborators for refusing to have his body used for the sustenance of another human being?And yet, almost by default, for centuries, we have criminalised women and their collaborators for refusing to have their bodies used for the sustenance of another human being.Let’s acknowledge it: It is part of the misogyny that is embedded in our patriarchal culture; a misogyny that accorded women meagre legal rights for millennia, a misogyny buttressed by religions that themselves were/are deeply misogynistic – just look at the “authority” most of us were reared to respect as the source of truth and enlightenment, the bible.Remember the 10 commandments? One of them states: “You shall not covet your neighbour’s house, you shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or his manservant or his maidservant, or his ox or anything that is your neighbour’s.”That places the woman in the same category of an ox and, by the way, manservant and maidservant were slaves and they too were not to be coveted – no question of they being emancipated.All – the wife, the slaves and the ox – deemed the property of the man by holy scripture.Both the Old and New Testaments are steeped in misogyny. One of the disciples of Jesus, Timothy, wrote:Let a woman learn in silence and full submission. I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she is to be silent.The Judaic, Christian and Islamic cultures are riddled with misogyny and it is no surprise the travails of women were dismissed in these cultures as of no consequence.Nor it is a surprise that the societies that were hugely influenced by these religious traditions have been misogynistic also – although, it is fair to acknowledge that misogynypredated those religions but religion buttressed and embedded it.I am not suggesting that all those on the pro-life side are misogynist, I am saying our culture is steeped in misogyny and it is no surprise we make demands of women and would be unthinkable to demand of men.Not am I suggesting that the termination of a pregnancy is a trivial matter.In my opinion, the termination of pregnancy is a moral issue but only the woman concerned is entitled to make the moral decision.There are ways we could help to minimise the incidence of abortion but society has no appetite to will the means to enable this – and this is where I get to claim there is something sinister afoot.For instance, if we had a “Swedish style child care system” (remember the shameful dishonouring of that promise to single mothers?) pregnant women probably would feel less stressed by an unwanted pregnancy.Or if no women were in poverty and relieved to the stress of that, or even if all women had a home. Or if our government paid due attention to the evidence of the mass rape of women in our society – the SAVI report of 2002 found that 200,000 women had been raped in the course of their lifetimes and hundreds of thousands more had been sexually assaulted short of rape and otherwise physically.Our politicians may promise to address these issues but, yes, they can’t be trusted. And they can’t be trusted to do anything comprehensive about providing such supports to women for doing so, inevitably, would require more taxation and there is no public appetite for this and therefore no political appetite.So, while we can, let’s do the decent thing and cease demanding more of women than we would dare demand of men. Vote ‘Yes’. - Vincent Brown .I fear that this may be Irelands Brexit , Trump moment of madness where the masses will vote for something that is Ultimately not in their self Interest , The debates on tv were little more then people shouting over one another and emotive language .We all gave ourselves a pat on the back when the same sex marriage referendum passed . it showed how far Ireland has come out of the shadow of the church . Abortion evokes far stronger divisive opinions the No side have been successful in controlling the narrative and been a bit more organised then the Yes side the result will be very close . as much as I wish for a yes vote my gut says it may not pass and we will be still exporting our problem to British hospitals .We might not be as Progressive as we think we are , let hope that the Generation that David McWilliams dubbed “The Popes children” will Ironically vote to Repeal the 8th and cast off the last vicissitudes of The Ireland that was “ The Valley of the Squinting windows’Vincent Browne: Let’s cease demanding more of women than we would dare demand of men

This is a great question. I am glad you thought to ask the question.I am in my mid-forties. I played baseball as a young child, but I didn't have the ability to play beyond 12 years old. Around the age of 12, I loved baseball so much that I couldn't stop talking about baseball cards. On my 13th birthday, my friends gave me so many boxes of baseball cards that I traded all my duplicates for all the players I was missing to make a complete set of Topps. Also had a large selection of Donruss. Not Fleer, though. Upper Deck was yet to start, as my older brother’s best friend would soon work for Upper Deck and meet several pro NFL and MLB players. But in the 1980′s, we were still teenagers, years away from work and real responsibilities.At that time, I knew every player on every major league roster. Even the so-called “generics.” The Beckett baseball card monthly called them “common players.” But we called them “generics” because we also used to watch TV pro wrestling at the time. Most matches would be a “heel” bad guy wrestler against a no-name “baby face” good guy who would use an actual name like Billy Anderson as his wrestling name. We knew even back then the match was a set up to promote the bad guy. We knew the bad guys were the real stars. To be a “heel” you had to be a good actor, like Randy Savage or Roddy Piper or Jesse Ventura, they were one of a kind personalities. In contrast, “babyface” guys like Billy Anderson were “generic” wrestlers. Not sure if everyone called them “generic,” or just us. It was the 1980s.But I could tell you all 25 players on all major league rosters. We played a rotisserie Fantasy game by hand where my brother, my best friend, his older brother and I would choose a fantasy lineup in April, and then every Sunday, when the newspaper had extensive stats printed, we would rank order and assign points to our players.I memorized the starting 5 rotations for all of the major league teams. My brother did, too. Granted, there weren't as many as there are now. There were only two divisions, East and West, in each league and only the division winners played in The League Championship Series.My hometown teams were the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland A's. Those were the years of Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire. They were Rookie of the Year in 1986 and 1987, respectively. Then shortstop Walt Weiss, also of the A's, was Rookie of the Year 1988.With that talent, the A's got to the World Series three years in a row in 1988, (when they lost to the Dodgers, last time my brother’s beloved Dodgers have won the series), 1989 when the A's actually won it (Bay Bridge series against Giants, interrupted by Earthquake, I could go on and on) and 1990 when the Cincinnati Reds won. 1990 World Series MVP Jose Rijo of the Cincinnati Reds was asked if he was a Democrat or a Republican. He answered “I’m a Dominican.” I read that in Sports Illustrated at the time. But I memorized it, like I used to be able to memorize so many things. Another cool thing, the year before and after the A’s streak, my birthplace (Minneapolis) Twins won the AL and World Series, both 1987 and 1991.Later in the 1990′s, I would play computerized strat-o-matic baseball on my friend’s computer when computers started to be a thing. I always took the 87 Twins because I knew their entire lineup, bench and relief corps by heart.Is it the result of technology, normal aging, or just the fact that being an adult I have so many more responsibilities, I can't memorize things like I used to. I have a hard time memorizing my work schedule. I can't name the starting 5 for any major league team except my own local Padres. And even then, I'm not sure if the guys I remember are even still on the roster or sent down to AAA El Paso, on the injured list, I just can't keep track anymore.But I can name at least one starting pitcher, at least three starting players, and the closing pitcher for almost every major league team. Some say technology is impairing our memory. Remember when you used to have everybody's phone number memorized? Now we don't know anybody's phone number off the top of our heads because it is saved in our phone. However, I get an alert every time one of my favorite Major League Baseball teams wins the game, a one-sentence summary, telling me the winning pitcher and what the player of the game did that day. So I still follow baseball closely even though nothing will ever be as special as it was when I was 12, 13, 14 years old.But I love baseball. I love the game. When I was 22 years old, I lived with a good friend from Puerto Rico (call him “Javier”) and another guy who was a friend of an old friend that had lived in the apartment the year before. My old friend and one roommate moved away, the third roommate stayed, “Javier” and I moved into the two vacant rooms.Our third roommate comes home from work. “Do you guys like baseball? My work has a team and they need more players. They told us all to bring friends.” Javier and I were pretty thrilled. We went out and played. It was your own team underhand pitch to you so I actually hit pretty well. 1 for 3, flew out deep to center once and got a clean single to the gap once.But what I remember is one of the guys on the team. We lost pretty bad. But apparently there was only 5 or 6 people at that workplace who wanted to put a team together and this one guy was the force behind it. While we were playing he said out loud to nobody in particular but so we could all hear, “Man, I love baseball.” We went out for beer afterwards and we had a great time.Now, my children are 13, 10, and 8. My oldest played baseball as a little kid, immediately decided he loves basketball, but really prefers to play golf and tennis right now. He follows baseball, NFL, NBA, and NCAA, and most of all, Olympic and International sports.My middle son was quite good at baseball but didn’t have the drive to dedicate himself to being the best he could be. Baseball is really competitive in my area - Tony Gwynn Jr went to our high school, the late Tony Sr lived here, Tony Jr still lives here - our baseball coach Tom Brunansky had to abruptly leave when he was hired as hitting coach by the Minnesota Twins, where he played on that unforgettable 87 World Championship team. The Brunansky kids stayed in school here, they are all really athletic! Also a kid from our high school went pro and got drafted by the Rockies, his name was Tyler Nevin, perhaps you have heard of his father Phil Nevin?My son didn’t enjoy baseball so I let him choose a different sport (basketball) and he is pretty good at that, too. His little league teams were the Angels, Yankees, and Astros, so we cheered for the Astros to win the series and Jose Altuve is his favorite player (it used to be Mike Trout). And he met Tony Gwynn Jr last week - Junior was volunteering at a baseball camp where my kids were having tennis camp.My youngest loves playing girl’s softball. It is so important for girls to be a part of a team that supports each other, especially she will bond with girls from other schools and will be “in” with them when they get to middle school. Some of the moms also say a sports team is important for positive body image because sports celebrate big strong girls.My oldest has experienced the bonding with kids he played basketball with. They are mostly the honor students in the advanced classes with him now that they are in middle school, at least other kids whose dads were coaches. Yeah I tried to coach his basketball team, we had one win and 11 losses my final year. After that, one of the other dads who had assisted me all along volunteered to be head coach and I stepped down because I know nothing about the game. Other than playing it myself in the gym against friends on the high school varsity and keeping up with them.I've definitely exposed the kids to baseball, and we often get Padres tickets through the Little League or Girls Softball League. The Padres sponsor all of the girls softball league teams, so all of the teams have Padres uniforms, but in different colors. The girls name their teams after the colors. This is in contrast to the Little League, we have two leagues and the one we play in is only American League teams. There are a few girls who play in the Little League, which is why I don’t call it the “boy’s” league.So we go to Padres games on the little league or girls softball nights. Here is something my kids will never forget. The New York Mets were playing at Petco Park one evening when we attended. The New York Mets fans travel well. They had a meetup day and all the New York expats who now live in San Diego bought a block of tickets and they were all wearing Mets blue and orange. The Mets starting pitcher was Bartolo Colon. He was the oldest starting pitcher, if not the oldest player in the majors. He has pitched almost his whole career in the American League, I followed him when he played for the Angels. I told my kids how he was an overweight old man but worked very hard to keep pitching at this level, so they appreciated his age and teased him a bit about his weight (we were rooting against him), but I hope they admired him.Well, in the top of the third inning, Bartolo Colon came up to bat. Easy out, we said. The oldest player in baseball hit the ball down the left-field line. It was fair all the way and it stayed in the air, and came down on the other side of the fence. Home run. Before the game was over, it was announced on the scoreboard that Bartolo Colon had just set a major league baseball record. The oldest age a player has ever been when he has hit his first major-league homer. He was 43 at the time.So my kids love baseball. The younger son remembers some of the scoreboard Antics when BJ Upton, oops I mean Melvin Upton Jr and Justin Upton were both with the Padres. Justin Upton became one of his favorite players and is now with the Angels.And we all hate the DH rule. It adds strategic substitutions in the National League, such as the double switch. In the American League there is no incentive to let a pitcher finish out an inning since he doesn’t have a spot in the batting order coming up. And you wouldn’t get to see Madison Bumgarner, Clayton Kershaw, or Bartolo Colon drive in the winning run in their own win, giving themselves run support!As far as a spectator sport, my oldest son prefers NFL to watch, but he likes baseball, too. I can't follow baseball the way I used to, but now I like taking my children to the games and telling them who the players are. Telling them Bartolo Colon is actually older than I am, and soon after I tell them, there he is, hitting his first-ever career homer.My oldest son likes baseball cards, but does not collect obsessively the way I did at his age. However, that's true all over society. Baseball cards were such a part of my childhood, and everyone else’s, that people kept buying cards that were supposed to be valuable later [Ken Griffey Jr. 1988 Donruss Rated Rookie] but they printed so many they are worthless now. When I was a kid I wanted that Kirby Puckett 1985 Topps Rookie but it cost so much, $35. When I was 30 years old I decided I wanted that Kirby Puckett so I bought one on eBay. $8 for a card that was now 20 years old. Including shipping. Not all investments go up in value. Some go down. I hear a soothing voice in my head reassuring me, because it was a line from a television commercial during my formative years, when I was 12, 13, 14 years old.Baseball doesn't mean as much to me as it did when I was 12, 13, 14 years old. But isn't that true for everything? Remember the music you were into when you were that young? Remember how you thought it was, like, the most important thing ever? Now as an adult, it seems so silly. Interestingly, my children's favorite music is from those same years (AC/DC, Van Halen, Devo, Metallica, Rush, Primus) and there is a big nostalgia market for that time period. So I am not the only parent who is passing along cultural commonalities to their growing children before those children become rebellious teenagers who hate you and everything about you is the opposite of cool.But right now, my kids still think I am cool.Sports, music, academic study, and treating others with kindness are the most important things in the world in my opinion, and I have shown that to my children by example. I love all sports. We watched a Cornhole World Championship Finals on TV one morning, completely randomly found by flipping channels, and immediately went out and played it in the yard. The Cornhole World Champion is named Matt Guy, and he pairs with his adult son, Bret Guy, as a World Champion doubles team. We saw that Matt Guy loves doing the Professional Cornhole thing because he gets to do it with his son. I watched Matt and Bret Guy on TV with my kids and immediately went outside to play the game with them. We still play it frequently.We took my son’s friends to a Monster Truck show for his birthday. We saw a Monster Truck made up to look like a 1934 Ford, driven by an older man named Kelvin Ramer, and also saw a Monster Truck called Wildflower, driven by Rosalee Ramer. Kelvin’s daughter. They are touring the country together, putting in long travel days and sleepless nights fixing up their trucks together and putting on shows. What a great way to make a living, if you had the interest and the talent to dedicate your life to it, wouldn’t it be great to make your living with your family? Rosalee Ramer loves fixing up trucks and performing stunts because she loves her father and that is part of who he is.I still love baseball, and I have passed down that love to my children I think. Nothing means as much to me as it did when I was young. But I know how much young people like my kids learn from example. I am very conscious to set good examples for my impressionable young children. I very strongly remember lots of specifics from when I was 10 to 14 years old. I know they will remember what I say and do, actions being louder than words. I believe I am teaching them honorably.So, I will end this with photo of my two boys rooms. Their mother and I don't live together. So I got to decorate their rooms at my house anyway I wanted to, and I had always wanted to make a wall chart of the American League and National League standings.We move these 3x5 cards up and down each week whenever I remember to check the standings.