SHAMEFUL STUFF

There are many shameful things going on in the world around us. Some affect us all and some affect us on a personal level. Here are a few that have poked me in the eye in the last while.

SHAMEFUL PARENTING
A little while back my brother-in-law and my niece flew in from Vancouver to visit for a couple of days. One evening my niece and I were in the living room watching TV; I stretched out my arm and pointed to her with my index finger and said "Pull my finger." She looked at my finger, then to me, tilted her head, her face registering puzzlement and said "Why?" I was stunned. Why? Why? You don't know why? What is wrong with you? I then proceeded to explain and asked her if she had really no idea what this was all about. She didn't have a clue.

This is just, plain and simple, shameful parenting. How could anybody raise a child and exclude the "Pull my finger" lesson. Thank God I was there to correct this. I am, however, very concerned what else is missing from the poor girl's education.

SHAMEFUL FOOD
Oh, the foods I eat. Shameful, simply shameful. Weenie beanies, fried Spam, pizza, fast food burgers by the truckload. Vegetables and fruit are only consumed by accident. And I can't even spell exercise without spellcheck, let alone do any. It is a tribute to God and good genetics that I am still alive to write about it. Thanks Mom and Dad.

SHAMEFUL PRODUCT RECALL.
The other day I came across a product recall for an off road machine with a safety problem. Doesn't matter who built it or what the problem is, that's not the issue. I  thought to myself, how could the manufacturer let that happen? Then I read the recall notice really closely and what it said, in English, as opposed to "lawyer speak", is this...

"If you don't do the pre-ride inspection like we told you to in your manual and then you take the machine into an environment where your manual said you shouldn't take it and then do things with it for which it was not intended as per your manual and then don't clean it like your manual said and then ignore the required maintenance as scheduled in your manual...then there could be death and destruction. So, because you are an illiterate moron, bring the machine in and we will make the change required, at our cost, to save you from your idiotic self."

SHAMEFUL READERS
I was at an event this weekend that featured about 40 different, published authors from our very own city. This was an opportunity to see what a diverse and talented writing community we have in our own backyard. A chance to meet, and talk to, some very interesting people...and spend some money in support of the arts and personal literacy. Even though several media outlets (print, radio and TV) were asked to cover, or mention, the event , none bothered...Shameful. This event should be huge. I have high hopes for next year.

On the up side, I got to spend several hours having one on one time with some amazing people. Time well spent.

SHAMEFUL PROCRASTINATION
People have been asking how my book is coming along...so here you go.

1) Found a notebook to jot down ideas...wrote down some TV shows I didn't want to miss...lost the   notebook.
2) Figured out how to use my cell phone as a recorder so I could record ideas...lost my phone.
3) Got new phone but got no ideas.
4) Grew a goatee so I would look more authorly.
5) Went to a "Meet the Authors" event. Got motivated so went home for a nap.
6) Wrote this instead.
7) Had another nap.

See? Progress!