Real Joe

First posts in a couple of weeks.

Why?

Read What’s Next for Real Joe? in the Real Joe Biz blog.

Comments and feedback appreciated.

While my wife and daughter are in Washington DC this week, touring the national museums and monuments, I’ve had some phone, IM, and F2F chats with my three 20-something sons that have left me feeling grateful.

Collin, in Dallas, turned to me for some work-related ethical advice that turned out well… and for which he thanked me. I turned to Tyson for some entrepreneurial advice on a business idea… which was dead-on. And Graham and I chatted about the possibilities of expanding his property maintenance company into rehabbing houses, as he and Tyson are now deep into a rehab of Tyson’s house. Collin and Tyson brought me into the loop on a business plan they’re hatching together. And I was delighted to hear that Tyson and Graham are going down to Dallas over the July 4th weekend to meet Collin’s New Jersey girlfriend who just moved in with him.

These three guys like each other. And they seem to like me… most of the time, anyway. And while I naturally love them, I can honestly say I like them. I’m a lucky dad today. I wonder if it’ll continue?

In stark contrast is the relationship struggle I have with my older sister and younger brother. We’re trying to get closer; The childhood crap that kept us apart for most of our lives have pretty much been dealt with. We’ve been going out to dinner together once per quarter for the past year or so. But nothing much happens in between. We don’t seek each other out on a regular basis, either via phone or email or stopping by. I’m not sure why, but it’s basically lifeless.

So I’m envious of what my kids have with each other.

My wife read the novel “Cold Sassy Tree” by Olive Ann Burns recently and pointed out a passage to me that’s, well, astounding. Since it’s long, I used Audblog to read the passage… using my best southern twangy voice, since that’s how the text is written. Each audio blog clip is about 2 minutes long.

In this section, Grandpa (Rucker) is talking to his newlywed Miss Love about what he thinks Jesus meant when he said, “Ask and ye shall receive.” The narrator is the young grandson.

Part I
audblog audio post

Part II
audblog audio post

Part III

audblog audio post

Walt tries to have a sex talk with son Jeremy in Zits, May 13-16.

In early May I posted a blurb titled Maxim and Cosmo: two of a kind? in which I wrote, “They certainly have the right to yank off (heh) Maxim, Stuff and FHM from their shelves and I can understand how displaying these magazines is offensive to many shoppers. But why not Cosmopolitan and its ilk? Or the trashy romance novels that women buy with the racy covers that objectify men?”

And now this week, the AP reports: First Maxim, now Cosmo: Wal-Mart to obscure covers on women’s magazines.

See, one guy can make a difference.

I can’t wait to see what The Onion or The Daily Show has to say about this:

Pope, in Croatia, Has Message for Women’s ‘Special’ Role
Pope John Paul II beseeched women here today to pay heed to what he called their “lofty vocation” as wives, mothers and nurturers, saying they possessed a special sensitivity that was needed in the modern world.

What about men and our lofty vocation as husbands, fathers and nurturers? Are we only sex and wallet objects?!!

I didn’t know till I read this NY Times Magazine piece (now archived) back in January that Coors had a hot beer ad featuring the above twins: How to Write a Catchy Beer Ad.

Miller one-upped it with babes doing some fantasy mud and cement wrestling but alas, Miller Brewing Campaign Comes to an Abrupt End.

Salon Premium has a very funny but off-the-mark piece titled: The twins thing: Coors beer ads have created a fantasy scenario with an incestuous twist that communicates brilliantly with the pig-like male brain.

Ouch!