Life Stories: September 2008 Archives

I hate being on hold, but even more than that I hate hold music. I like to leave the speakerphone on while I'm waiting, and hold music is distracting and irritating. It always puts me in a worse mood when I finally get through to an operator. I'd prefer it to be silent, with periodic beeps of some sort to let me know I'm still connected.

As you know, Jessica and I are having a baby in a few months, so we've been thinking about how we're going to invest in our kids' futures. Everyone at work is horrified when I tell them that we're not going to pay for our kids' collage. I know such a stance is evil and unAmerican, but hear me out.

1. People line up to loan money to college students; no one will loan Jessica and I money for our retirement. College loans are cheap, easy money with low interest rates and undemanding repayment schedules.

2. Our kids will probably be sick of my meddling by the time they leave the house.

3. There may be more efficient ways to invest in your kids... ways that most people don't think about but that can make an even bigger difference in their lives. For example, Jessica is planning to be a stay-at-home mom; there's an opportunity cost to that decision, and in the long run it will certainly be more expensive than paying college tuition.

When it comes to launching missiles in the Mommy Wars, Sarah Palin has nothing on Christopher Ruhm. On Thursday, the University of North Carolina, Greenboro, economist published a study showing that kids from high-socioeconomic-status families take a long-term hit when their moms work outside the home—at ages 10 and 11, they perform more poorly on cognitive tests and are also more likely to be overweight than those whose high-status mothers leave the workforce. ... "This comes down to a fundamental principle of economics: something has to give. We can't have it all," he says.

That's right. We think having a stay-at-home mom will be a bigger advantage for our kids than a stack of money would be when they turn 18.

Milton Seidel -- or as I know him, Uncle Milt -- passed away a few days ago after stuggling with cancer and treatment for a couple of years. He was a great man, and not just because he was a grandfather-figure in our family but also because of the tremendous contributions he made to our country over his decades of service.

Much of what Milton accomplished is public record: husband, father, uncle, distinguished Korean War veteran, Assistant Director of the Treasury, world traveler. Among many other responsibilities, Milton was in charge of printing all paper money for the United States, and he was one of only a handful of engineers who knew the printing process from start to finish and could rebuild the system in case of disaster.

Beyond all that, he taught me to shoot. He taught me about conservatism. He demonstrated to me and everyone who knew him a tireless, uncomplaining work ethic. He took his responsibilities seriously and met them.

Which is not to say that Milton was humorless -- far from it! He was serious in business, no doubt, but he didn't take himself too seriously and was always quick to laugh at the vagaries of life. We laughed about politics, sports, whatever was in the news. He took joy in his family and in sharing his wealth of knowledge and experience.

My wife and I grew a great deal by observing his marriage to my Auth Katherine. They love each other deeply and without reservation. They've always been best friends, confidants, partners-in-crime, and a tremendous example of marriage to everyone around them. They've been an inspiration to Jessica and I that the joys we find in the early years of our marriage can last a lifetime.

So farewell Uncle Milt! Not forever but for a little while. I'm sure they've got tulips in Heaven.

Until McCain's selection of Palin I didn't think the 2008 presidential elections could get even more fun and exciting, but man, I was wrong! Even aside from the strong possibility of a Republican victory in November, this election season has been hands-down the most entertaining, fascinating, and brilliant that I can remember. That said, here's my recollection of past elections -- straight from my probably-faulty memory.

1988: I have a vague memory of seeing Dukakis in a tank, but my most vivid recollection is of a joke: Don't park your Bentson under a Bush or Quayle might Dukakis on it. This was the height of comedy for a politically engaged 10-year-old.

1992: I was completely shocked that Bill Clinton was able to defeat Bush the Elder, and even as I watch the results on election night I was sure that somehow whatever mistakes had been made would be rectified by morning. I mean, c'mon, Bush had just won a wildly popular war! I don't remember thinking about the breakage of "read my lips, no new taxes" at the time.

1996: I seriously thought Dole could win, but by about a month before the election I knew he wouldn't. Pretty boring election season. I remember liking Kemp as Dole's running mate, but now I don't know why. I also remember thinking that Dole's experience as a ski trooper made me think of James Bond, and that Dole should have been given more acclaim for that, because it was awesome.

2000: I never thought Gore had a chance. I really liked George W. Bush in 2000, and I was excited to vote for him. Al Gore was a robot, and I knew people were sick of Clinton and the Democrats.

2004: Howard Dean was amusing, but the election season was otherwise pretty boring. Bush cruised to victory once Kerry was nominated.

2008: The. Best. Ever. I wasn't excited about McCain or any of the other Republican prospects until Palin came on the scene. Now it's fair to say that I'm "energized".