Monday Musings...
A nice rainy start to another fantastic week...(yeah, I'm being REAL optimistic here...can'cha tell?), and before we jusp into the mix, I have to apologize for being so damn lax.
Last Wednesday, I posted a quote "If you want anything done well, do it yourself", and totally forgot to post the answer on Thursday (not that my door had to be replaced from being beat down over this)
Well, the wait is over, and you can all soon go back to bed...LOL.
This quote was originally attributed to the Duke of Wellington (and quoted in William Fraser, Words on Wellington, 1889)
So there...better late than never, hmm?
Now, having dispensed with all the preliminaries, let's move on to the main event(s)...
*** Now what was I saying the other day about people, stoves, unattended grease, house fires, and that special kind of stupid?
Seems there are more of them out there than one would imagine, as evidence by THIS:
(( Published: September 26, 2011 3:00 a.m.
City crew contends with kitchen fire - Archie Ingersoll The Journal Gazette
About 3:30 p.m., a fire was reported at 6505 Hill Rise Drive, near Getz and Covington roads. A person inside was able to evacuate the one-story home without help.
Firefighters rescued a dog from the blaze.
The cause of that fire remains under investigation.
The fire resulted in moderate damage, and was brought under control within about five minutes, the department said.
No injuries were reported at the scene.
* * * * *
Unattended grease starts kitchen fire
Updated: Sunday, 25 Sep 2011, 7:25 PM EDT
Published : Sunday, 25 Sep 2011, 8:09 AM EDT
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Fire investigators said grease left on a working stove caused fire in a home at 4202 Plaza Drive Sunday morning.
According to the Fort Wayne Fire Department, when crews arrived at the house around 6 a.m., they found smoke coming from the front of the house.
Fire was found in the kitchen area, but was quickly extinguished and under control within six minutes of crews arriving.
Patricia Gray was inside the home at the time of the fire, but she was able to get out unharmed.After extinguishing the blaze, firefighters determined the cause was unattended grease left cooking on a stove.
FWFD said the home was moderately damaged by the smoke and fire. ))
Yepper...nice to know that folks know HOW to run a kitchen...NOT!
Two house decently trashed by people with little if any knowledge of procedures in and around stoves...amazing.
Where do they FIND these idiots?
Grease doesn't cause fire on it's OWN...it (also) needs a little "help".
And it would appear we have folks more than willing to oblige.
Your tax dollars hard at work, no doubt.
*** This next story makes me wonder about a lot of things.
It's rather lengthy, so here's the link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20110926/FEAT/309269964/1011/FEAT
The story speaks to what AGE children should get their FIRST CELL PHONE...
(( *rolls eyes* ))
Whatever happened to a child's first BICYCLE? Dollhouse? Roller skates?
Cripes, I didn't have my "own" TV set (old B&W portable) in my room until I was in HIGH SCHOOL, and that was only to be viewed AFTER the homework was done...NOT before.
Got my first car when I reached the ripe OLD age of 22 (didn't have need of one before that)
Now, there's lots of reasons kids SHOULD have a cell, but more often than not, it's abused in some manner.
These phones make it easy to call the police if someone tries to abduct a child.
But when people (and kids) start using these as some constant interactive "lifeline" to mingle and otherwise detract from actual interpersonal activities, that sets them at a more distant place when it comes to such skills.
NO ONE needs to be "on the phone" all the damn time...doesn't matter if you're actually calling another person, texting, tweeting...whatever.
People are becoming more attached to the technology and more unattached to each other...face-to-face.
Look at the rise in cyber-bullying. People don't even have the cajones to bully one another toe-to-toe.
We've all but traded one form of "duck and cover" for another (hiding behind the cell phone).
There's another aspect, and that's the ability to "track" your child.
That can be a good thing, or a bad thing, depending on what the child is up to.
It's also a good way for OTHERS to track the phone (or child)...
Personally, I think it's a REAL intrusion to have "black boxes" in cars that can track your movements (Onstar can do this with any so-equipped vehicle, even IF you are NOT on the "plan"....nice, huh?), so having someone (other than myself) being able to track MY kids (or even my movements) is something I'm not wanting to entertain at this time.
The article is pretty good, and speaks to age-related aspects to cell phone use (and possible abuse).
The argument of responsibility isn't really addressed, and that's where this article comes up a tad short (imho).
Well, I suppose if kids can come to school soused out the ass, or high as a kite, or toting a gun, or even having sex with a classmate,. it's fine and dandy to have a cell phone (to record these "foibles" and later post 'em all to Youtube)...
Makes you wonder about this technology...at least it should.
*** Lastly today, we see once again that making some really piss-poor decisions can often have dire consequences...like the grease/stove/fire thing.
And deciding at what age to hand over a cell phone (and all the responsibility that comes with it) to a child is becoming more the norm.
The ages for that is getting younger (just like the alcohol, the and the sexual "adventures"), so where does it all stop?
When do we decide is the right "age" to allow things that used to be solely the realm of adults into a child's hand?
I guess we'll be lowering the driving age soon? Are kids really growing up THAT much sooner...or are we (with help from the government) "forcing" them to do so instead?
To deny a child their own childhood, is to remove a huge part of the formative years of their lives.
I just think we need to tread very lightly here...and with great caution.
ALL of our futures depend on rational thinking...and not knee-jerk reaction to making choices.
We need to make the best choices we can...for all involved.
And I believe that's a good a start as any in today's world.
Have yourselves a great week.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.