Mr. Caliburn, do you realize that for centuries before either of our countries was founded, young children have been educated by puppet shows that keep them interested in whaat was being tought. (I assume that a "Muppet" is some form of pupeteers aperatus, with the look of a monster.) Traditionally if the audience was young enough to frighten easily a more.... palatable puppet was used. (Start with the idea that "we are not alone", move on to "don't fear them" and then to "this is how you stop them" I just wish that even in earlier eras more people had been willing to open their eyes).

Mr. Caliburn, perhaps you would like to stick to the supertraditional Noh, and Kabuki plays, unlike the real world, the demons are .....perfect. Perfectly ugly, perfectly evil, and perfectly doomed to die when they meet the hero. (I really wish it was more like a Noh play out there, I am tired of watching the shadows swallow so many)

But with that historical reference I do hope you have another view to consider (and then discard if you wish, I am merely proposing an alternate view that was true once.)



Can someone show me these "muppets"? I am curious how much puppets can have advanced since I was a child.

Shang Li, if you come down to the shore come August you can watch 'em there. Or if you meet up with me before then I'll be keeping the DVDs on me because apparently very few here know what a Muppet is and need enlightening.

Ya know,

I say for shits & giggles we kiddnap ol' Ronny Boy there;
bind & gag his ass, and bring him to "Seasame Place" for his birthday.

We get him there, take off the blindfold and I can see what happen's next.

"Ron meet The Count."

"Count meet Ron."

(BANG..BANG..BANG)

"Ah hahaha..3! 3 Fatal Gunshot wounds! Ah hahahaha" (Thud!)

I can almost see the kids screamin', the parents divin' for cover, muppet character's runnin' for their lives as Ron goes on a bloody rampage.

Ah the sweet, sweet chaos of it all.

Kind brings a tear to ya' eye don't it.

Happy Huntin'

Amen Ron, Amen.

It would be akin to teaching children that car accidents are fun.

You mean we don't teach them car wrecks are fun? (on TV and in the movies how many times is someone seriously hurt in an automobile accident - heroes and innocents, not villains? How fast do most people drive on television and in movies? How often are the heros seen sitting around joking about something that, in the real world would have killed them?)

He is right when do TV and the Movies have much to do real life.

Ron Caliburn wrote:The good news is that Ben has recovered and is back to his old self.

The bad news is that Ben has recovered and is back to his old self.

"Ah, Its wonderful to be loved. Im so glad to be back "

Shadowstalker wrote:He is right when do TV and the Movies have much to do real life.

They don't, and that's the problem. It's taching the next generation that their lives are consequence free and everything will work out fine in the end.

It teaches them that vampires are attractive beings who can become good

It teaches them werewolves make good pets.

It teaches them driving at high speeds is fun.

It teaches them that drugs are cool.

It teaches them all sorts of thigns that could get them killed.

Whoa there Hass....

As a parental figure, I teach my kid right from wrong, good from bad, and smart from stupid, not the entertaiment industry. My Molly sits there and smiles and laughs when she watches The Muppets, that is a child moment Ron. One of those few brief anf fleeting moments where as a parent we can see our kids safe and happy. I seriously do not see Molly running out and hugging' a lupine just because she watches Seasame Street.

Just because you had a F'kd up childhood, and were never one (a kid) yourself Ronny Boy, don't go preachin' the gosphel unless you know what your talkin' bout.

Damn, now I remember why I wanted to kick your ass so bad
a month ago.

If you teach Molly so, then all is good.

I agree with Ron and Kolya - it can be dangerous. Too many parents not teach so, and it ends with problems in teenage years and/or much later in the life.

I think also it is not necessary to bark at our fellow members, and friends.

Well BARK BARK then.

It gets my royal goat to see guys like that preach on about what is right and wrong, and then tell us good, God lovin' parents what is best for our kids.

I just think Ron never actually left that cult compound of his, he's still livin there. Day after day after day.

He never got over what happened to him, so the rest of the wrold must be like him?

Give it up Hass...the world ain't so damn black & white as you'ld like it to be.

I not preach, and I not tell you how to raise the child.

I tell that these things can be dangerous. Just like the bottle of alcohol or the car or the gun........

The problem is not with the muppet or the movie or whatever. The problem is the parents not teach the kid the important differences. Like you told, you teach Molly, not muppets. But many times the parents fail the children and are not the teachers... muppets are the teacher, and that is what bothers Ron and Kolya, and me.

Think about it.

When I ever said you the bad parent? I praised you, if you read my words at all.

I think everyone agrees, good parenting is essential.

I honestly do not see what the problem is...

I appoligize Natasha, I was unclear to whom I was referrin' to. I did read your words and thank you for the kind words. It is not easy bein' a parental figure these days.

My point is the same as yours, its the parents who fail in their duties as a parent that lead to a child's ruin. The child must then find "guidance" else where. But is not right for Ron to play liberal and blame everyone else except for the bad parents.

I say we get the parents backto doin' their jobs as parents and we would not have half the problems we do now.

The classic "familiy unit" died out in the 50's and things have not improved since. Those few of us who still beleive in justice, law & order, apple pie, Sunday mornin' church, and raising our kids to be good citizens often comes under fire by those that try to tell how to lead our lives and raise our kids. It just pisses me off big time.

Holister wrote:I say we get the parents backto doin' their jobs as parents and we would not have half the problems we do now.

Perhaps even less of the problems...

Natasha, get use to getting yelled at on these boards. Till someone knocks the huge ego off Hollis shoulders (his head) it'll only continue to get worse.

But she does have a point. Last generation never learned how to raise their kids right. There are still parents out there, a large portion, who want to raise their kids right. Problem is, entertainment is playing a large part in thwarting their efforts. Then ya got parents who just don't give a damn and lets whoever raise their kids; t.v., movies, video games, the government sponsored programs.

Kinda like a half and half situation that won't go away till the people do something about it. Ron does have a point from his professional view point as a monster hunter. Instead of running him into the ground, why don't you try to think about it.

At least Im reachin' ya Ron, but you ain't gonna win this. You want a world to live in constant fear, if thats the case, why live at all period!

The world is how the world is, guys like you only see the bad, because thats all you want to see, it is all ya'll know. People has free will, an ability to make up their own minds and come to their own descisions. Those of us who do our jobs right and show our kids that principle, thats all we can pretty much do.

The wolrd can not live in a perpetual stae of fear Ron, it we did, we would still be back in The Dark Ages.

As for you Gothic, you psuedo religious, self righteous, horse's ass, go back under your rock, no body really gives a damn what you think.
I thought we made that point very clear.

At least we agree on some things Ron.

That's what I love about this Board. We can argue and debate and never see eye to eye on some topics, but still respect eachother. (With some exceptions )

I can debate, say, Ron til we're both blue in the face on some topics but it doesn't progress past those topics. (Which is one reason I'll never attack the debater, just their argument/logic/facts/etc.)

Mya, see, better to be respected than feared!

Ok...but respect doesn't trump the love of a child when she gazes up at you with those big blue eyes asking for a cookie and a hug. (awwww)

I fervently agree that the American society is a sick and diseased creature compared to what it used to be. The American family unit has gone to hell, and I am a product of that. Since about the age of 8 or so my dad was always too busy doing his own thing, except to hand out 'discipline'. Really, I view it as a poor method, sure it got what they wanted, but it didn't get any understanding.

Parents even since the 50's don't teach. They preach, and beat, but never do they really impart any understanding. Instead of giving a child a spanking because they did something, might work, but it works better if instead you tell them what they did wrong, and how to fix it, and give them a couple shots to get it right, then bring in the corporal punishment. Even that is a last resort.

From about age 11 on, I pretty much raised myself. Sure, I had a roof over my head, and such, but the mental, emotional, and spiritual development that parents should have a hand in, there was noone there for. My mother died at age 3 by a .44 magnum to the chest through the Aorta. They never found the bullet, and couldn't stop the bleeding so she died in the OR. My stepmother was an abusive cunt, though I only had to deal with her for six years and that's as far as I'll go on that subject. Dad was never around, always working. My grandmother pretty muchly drove me insane twice.

Yeah. America is fucked up, but at least I've come out of it at least fairly alright. I just hope to never make the mistakes of the previous generation.

With a young child, it needs to be the other way around.

First you slap their hand, or spank them, or whatever needs to be done to get them to stop doing what they're doing. Associate bad things with pain--not a terrible amount, I'm not condoning beating or anything... A quick slap or a quick swat will do. Then you reinforce that with reasoning and understanding. Follow that with shows of affection, and play with them...

When they're older, maybe from about 8 or 9 or so (depending on the individual child and their emotional and mental growth), then you can start reasoning first, and "punishing" second. When their reasoning abilities have improved to understanding that there are more reasons than just punishment not to do things, and can reason those things out for themselves, then you can start appealing to that reason.

Children are not "tiny adults". That mistake was made all through the Dark Ages, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance... It's being made again, now, in different ways. It's something that needs to be overcome.

wow. Perfectly stated, KT! *bow*