The Stephen Fowler Chronicles

If you aren't aware of who Stephen Fowler is then come on out from under your rock. Fowler has rocketed to infamy because of his stint on a tawdry reality show, Wife Swap, (part 1 of 5 of the show here, links to other parts are there) in which his wife switched places with another wife from Missouri.

Normally the show has some sparks, some reconciliations, some lessons learned and happy reunions.

But Stephen Fowler took it several steps beyond the norm and spent much of the two weeks demeaning, insulting and basically being a complete and utter elitist asshole to his swapped wife.

It was bad enough that the outrage caused people to start a StephenFowlersucks.com website, he's gotten death threats, he's been forced to resign from two boards he was on and I wouldn't be surprised if he and his deeply embarrassed wife have to move away from Noe Valley.

Having now just sat through all five parts of the episode in question, I'm possessed of a strong urge to drive up to Noe Valley and go kick Stephen Fowler's teeth in. I won't, of course, though his address and cell phone have been posted on the internet. He's getting his own payback for his own disgusting elitism and rampant assholery.

There's a difference between being an intellectual, caring about the environment and trying to raise the most awesome overachieving kids possible and being a prick. He's a prick. An embarrassing wanker who represents the worst of what the Bay Area has to offer. If he were a friend of mine, I'd delete his number from my cell. Seeing how unspeakably rude he was over the course of two weeks to a woman who'd swapped places with his wife was just shocking and sad.

His children are going to grow up knowing that they have Stephen Fowler for a father and he's a prick. Sure, a smart and, previous to this infamy, successful prick but a prick with an ugliness that surpasses any positive good he's effecting in the world.

That and those incredibly annoying shirts that he rotated. All black shirts with eco-slogans like Go Solar, Sus-tain-abi-lity (on four lines). I'd like to sustainably introduce his tiny British balls to my large American foot.

On the other hand, his wife, Renee, seems like a truly genuine and good person. She connected with the Long family, she helped to enlighten them, open their eyes to other possibilities and ways of living, that exercise isn't evil, that eating decent healthy food doesn't have to suck and that she wasn't sitting in such horrid and grotesque judgment as her asshat husband.

On Renee's blog for her show, Inside Out Weight Loss, Stephen posted an apology. It appears that he is possessed of genuine remorse for his hateful actions and perhaps he will get help and learn what made him behave in such a colossally ugly fashion. Renee posted about the show and her husband's actions as well.

The sad thing is that there are many, many other Stephen Fowlers around the world. People that think their intellect, education, breeding, money, their big expensive car or big dick gives them the right to demean and denigrate other people.

Judge not lest ye be judged yourself.

Stephen Fowler is being judged and he is being found deeply wanting.

The 80% Compliant Dog

That might be too generous really.

We have a dog. She's a rather good sized hound with a big personality and a dominant streak in her. She believes that she's the alpha with pretty much everyone she's around. With me being the partial exception.

As she's grown up over the last couple of years, she's developed a strong spirit that makes her less than wholly compliant with all commands. She takes her time sitting, she takes her time turning around and coming back, she is a willful and headstrong creature.

Sometimes it gets her, meaning me, into trouble. The other day, the mailman was several houses down the street and still out of sight. I was outside talking with my neighbor, Nande was playing around with her two dogs. And then, bam, like a bolt, she takes off toward the mailman. She means no harm, she's just excited to see someone new. The fact that she's 90 pounds of teeth and dog coming at someone who may or may not even like dogs doesn't really play into her choice of actions.

She's also changed when we go for walks at the dog park with the two boys. She treats the double stroller (fighter style, not that side by side stuff) like home turf and will keep other dogs from getting too close. And, from reports from my wife, she's less controlled and controllable when I'm not out with them.

Part of this lay off time is being spent working with her to reinforce her training again. Reinforce to her that she really isn't in control and has never been the one in control. But she remains pretty skeptical.

With another nice day like today, we'll be hitting the beach tomorrow and that should be a really good time. Its been a little while.