Funny, but not really

Ya know, sometimes I have to laugh at the news. Even when it’s really not funny.

Take Canada AM this morning. In one segment, we have a doctor on, from Toronto’s Sick Kids’ Hospital, talking about food allergies and kids. (News Story HERE)

We get a teaser before the interview, letting us know that we can now introduce our infants, as young as 6 months, to potentially deadly foods, like peanut butter and eggs. Interesting. When my kids were that young, doctors were telling us NOT to introduce these foods until at least a year, to give the child’s immune system a chance to mature.

But this morning, the doc comes on and the first thing she tells us is that doctors, or research, or whatever, have had it all wrong for the last little while. Seems we may actually have been harming our children’s immune systems by withholding these foods. We didn’t give their little bodies a chance to learn how to fight an allergic reaction. 

By failing to introduce these foods at an early age, we were almost promoting food allergies where they might not otherwise have existed. Huh. It’s almost logical. And I have noticed that there just seems to be a LOT more kids with deadly food allergies than there were when I was a kid.

So . . . the punch line.

The interviewer asks the doctor how we, as idiot parents, should introduce these foods to our six-month-old children. The answer . . . in consultation with your doctor. 

The same doctor who, a week ago, would have told you NOT to feed your infant these possible poisons. The same doctor whose advice last week might have actually caused your child to develop a potentially deadly allergy.

Okay, maybe it wasn’t so much of a laugh as a groan; perhaps a snarl.

Have a good Tuesday.

Swim Time!

Okay, so a day or two back, I sympathized with the plight of the younger of my two boys, following a diminished level of enthusiasm, on my part, for the loss of his first baby tooth. And fair enough.

But today we'll look at one of the advantages to being the youngest.

On Wednesday, I accompanied Sontoo's Kindergarten class to the indoor swimming pool here in town. I had a blast and I'm pretty sure Sontoo was glad to have me along. It was my first time being a parent helper at one of these events.

You see, when Sonwun was in Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2, I never got to go along on these outings as I was not allowed to bring Sontoo. But now I can. And I am really sorry I missed the chance to do this with Sonwun.

It's one thing to hear his stories after school, and watch him for a bit at the playground, but it's another thing to see him interact with his fellow students and his teachers for a whole hour in a swimming pool.

I thought it was pretty cool that he didn't cling to me the whole time. In fact, most of the time I'm sure he forgot I was even there. Little Mr. Independence ditched me the second the water slide opened. I remained on rope duty, ensuring none of the little ones made it to the deep end. 

It was fun, relaxing and I got a chance to get to meet some of Sontoo's classmates and some of their parents. My Time-Talking-To-Adults quota hasn't been even close to full over the last several years. So, very welcome.

Really wish there was more to this story. You know, some hilarious or brilliant way to close. Something that will make you think, ponder and perhaps find blah, blah blah.

Have a good Thursday.

Caught up on Blogtober

You know, blogging ain't what it used to be, and I think I know why.

It's about the mind. And mine is less focussed than it used to be. Too much stuff in my face in the morning. TV news is on. Kids are wanting to show me stuff, too many windows open on the computer. No wonder I can't think straight.

And I guess that's what Blogtober is all about. By forcing ourselves to write daily (or as close to it as we can), we can figure out why we stopped blogging daily. I mean, I had a good run going for a while, when I first started. It was easy, the subject matter came easily. Ideas flowed. It was cool and I liked it.

But enough about that. (Shuts down distractions.)

So Sonwun, the elder, came home last night intent on hitting the streets for Unicef. Fortunately, I had resisted an urge earlier in the day to toss his pledge sheet in the garbage. Yay me.

I guess the whole competition (the class that raises the most gets a fabulous prize) works for kids his age. Fair enough. Unicef has been at this for many years. I'm sure they know just how to suck the maximum amount of money out of school children and their victims.

One more negative. I just don't like this approach. Kids hit the streets and basically beg for cash. They're not selling anything. They just take their sweet little faces to the doors of my unsuspecting neighbours and ask for money.

Now that being said, I was proud of Sonwun. It's not easy to go door-to-door asking, essentially, strangers for money. Especially if your father's rolling his eyes and muttering the whole time.

But he did it. And he raised $47 for the cause. What's more, he filled up his pledge sheet and was hoping the teacher would give him another one today so that he could continue raising money tonight.

I admire his bravery. I admire his commitment. 

Still not wild about these folks using my kid.

Have a great Tuesday.

(See? One screen on computer, TV off, kids locked in their cages. So much easier to blog!)

yay

10 minutes until the end of Blogtober 7th. No pressure.

Um, let's see. Oh, right.

Sontoo lost his first baby tooth today. Yay, excitement and all that stuff.

I feel a little bad, cause there just wasn't the same fanfare for him as there was for Sonwun. When he lost his first tooth, at the age of barely 4 I think, we pretty much threw a party. There was a video, high fives all around, a call from the Prime Minister . . .

Well, maybe not all of that. But it was very exciting because it wasn't just HIS first baby tooth lost, it was ours, as parents, as well. Sontoo's older brother has now lost at least 7 teeth (six naturally, one cause he was a little slower than the swing). So we're kind of accustomed to the whole losing a baby tooth thing. Sonwun even introduced us to the whole breaking-of-an-adult-tooth fiesta. But that's another blog.

The point is, I recognized, seconds after I'd helped the tooth out of his mouth, that it was just a chore now. Put it in the bag, set aside for tooth fairy, move on. I had to remind myself to take a picture. And I felt a little guilty.

With Sonwun, we had the video rolling before the tooth came out. We followed him to the mirror where he looked at his gap-tooth smile with awe. He was quite excited!

And I guess I console myself with the fact that Sontoo looked at the event a little like I did. He was a little matter-of-fact about it, didn't demand a photo, didn't suggest we call mom at work. But I still feel a little guilty.

Anyhoo, we're two minutes in to Blogtober 8. We'll call it a win. Have a great Tuesday.

Blogtober the 6th

Good Day and welcome to Day 6, Blogtober, 2013.

The good news is that I'm not camping. It's cold out there. 

Anyhoo, I'm sitting her at the computer, once again listening nervously to the noises in the house. It's 7:30 a.m. and the sounds coming from the kitchen. I'm trying to ignore them. I can't.

There are bowls banging, drawers opening, chairs sliding. It's Sonwun.

I'm proud of him. He's always poking around when I'm cooking stuff, asking why I'm doing what I'm doing. Asking to help. I try to accommodate whenever I can.

It started a few years back, when he demanded to pour his own breakfast cereal. That was okay for a while, and then he needed to add the milk as well. Yeah, a few major spills later, and he was climbing on to the counter to get bowls, for both he and Sontoo, filling them, adding milk and grabbing spoons. I began to understand why I had children.

And now, as I sit here, he's making pancakes. 

He's been making the batter now for about a year. He does it from scratch and he does it from memory. No recipe cards, no mixes. Cool eh?

And, this morning, he's gonna cook them, in the frying pan, on the stove, all by himself, for the first time. And I get to sit here and play on the computer. And think about where I put that fire extinguisher.

I love that he has, at least, an interest in cooking. He comes by it honestly as my brothers and I all love to mix stuff up, bake it, grill it, smoke it, sauté it and whatever else we can imagine. Comes from our mom, who is still doling out recipes and advice when I find myself in need.

Hot breakfast, cooked by someone else. Life is good. 

Waiting for inspiration . . .

It's 5 a.m. All is quiet. I'm at the computer. Waiting for blog inspiration.

I hear the soft pitta pat of one of the cats' paws on the floor. It stops.

I hear bruuurrrk bruuurrrk bruuurrrk bruuurrrk bruuurrrk bruuurrrk bruuurrrk blaaaaaaaaark SPLASH.

If you own a cat, you know this sound. There has been some regurgitation of last night's meal, maybe a hairball. Whatever it is, it's something you do NOT want to step in, in the dark.

Seconds later I hear the somewhat less dainty clomp of my Golden Retriever. I hear her making her way up the stairs . . . she stops. Slurp lick slurp lick slurp lick . . . silence.

It's 5:01. All is quiet. I'm at the computer. Blogtober Day 5 is complete.

Questions

So . . . October 4 and the Unicef envelope came home today.

Hmmm. What's the lesson here? We need to help those in need? We need to do what we're told? We need to bow to peer pressure?

I wanna be a good parent, I really do. And I think that means teaching my kids to ask questions. To understand what they're doing. 

When I was a kid, they handed out the Unicef boxes and we were supposed to take them around on Halloween and collect pennies. At the time, my understanding was that the money would go to little black kids in Africa. Forgive me if that sounds offensive. It's not meant to be. It was just my understanding as a child, based on the pictures we were shown. 

I didn't know how the money would help, how much of it went to administration and advertising, versus actual aid to those in the pictures. I didn't even know to ask the questions.

And now, in the package my son brought home, there is just a sign up sheet. Donate please . . . receipts will be issued for donations over $25. They ain't looking for pennies any more. 

I asked him what he was supposed to do with it. He said WE, his family, were supposed to pony up some dough. I hope he's wrong. 

I asked him what it was for. He told me it was for the people in Africa.

Sigh. 

I swear I'm gonna change the name of this blog to Cynical Old Grump. I know there are those who think it would be appropriate.

What am I teaching my son here if I just throw in some cash? What am I teaching him if I say no? I'll be honest. I lean toward saying no. Just because I do not like ANY organization to be endorsed by a school board, and then allowed to obligate my child to raise money for it. Without telling me why. We are all just supposed to follow the leader, be a good flock member, and throw in some cash.

Is there ANY due diligence taking place? Do we know exactly how much money is going where? My son does not. He does not know how much is being used to pay salaries of folks right here in North America. He doesn't know how much is being spent to advertise all the wonderful things Unicef does.

Maybe I just ask too many questions. 

Then again, maybe that's not a bad thing.

Well rested . . . still cynical

Got a decent night's sleep last night for the first time in a while. So hopefully this will not read, as much, like insomnniacal raving.

I'm thinking of moving the computer. It sits beside the television right now. And the news is on. And I want to comment on everything I see. Like the commercial I'm seeing right now. Bunch of teens vowing to take a stand against violence. Super. They'll be easy to eliminate by those that have taken a vow of power, greed and wealth. You know, politicians, senators.

Sigh. So cynical so early in the morning. Maybe if I sleep well for a full week. I'm willing to experiment.

I think the computer would be better downstairs. There I can sit quietly, without TV, and muse about the hilarious things my children do and dispense my child-rearing wisdom; my political genius and my moral outrage. Those are the things that make blogging fun.

On the news now? Further attempts to destroy Toronto Mayor Rob Ford. Apparently a friend of his, or someone he once knew, has been arrested for some drug thing. Ooooo. The reporter is practically drooling. It's kinda sad. Seems if you shook hands with his dentist's receptionist's, boyfriend's, mother's auto mechanic, you better watch out. Toronto media is watching you, hoping, dreaming, that when you pray in church, you don't kneel correctly. It'll be front page news.

I mean, so the guy is facing drug charges. If police were a little more on the ball, Justin Trudeau would be facing drug charges. I mean, the boy admitted to it. (A lawmaker breaking the law? Shocking!) That was news for a day or two. If he'd been a friend of Rob Ford, we'd still be hearing about it. But he's not. We're hearing more about some guy who drove Ford's car a couple of times. How screwed up is that?

It really is difficult to stay on a theme when the news is on.

Have a good Thursday.

Breaking the Rules of Interesting Writing

Must admit, it's kinda nice to get back to the routine of school season.

Don't get me wrong, we enjoyed an awesome summer vacation. Took the old family Prairie Wagon, hooked it up to the Manly Minivan, and headed west this year. Made some new friends, met up with some old friends; saw places we'd never seen before and a revisited one or two others. In a word, Awesome!

We also headed back over the Ontario border a couple of times, to recharge our batteries in the vacation paradise of our youths - the wife and I that is. It's all still pretty new to the boys. But they love it. And they especially loved our last trip of the year, 'cause we brought some Manitoba friends.

That particular trip was almost the perfect storm of camping. Good weather, good water temperature, good campsites, great friends, no uncontrolled bleeding, relatively few bears . . . good times!

Note to working dads here: "Vacations" are a little different for you, than they are for your stay-at-home spouse. "Work" for us is putting up with . . . check that . . . taking care of the kids 24-7. So it's not exactly a break from the office during summer time. It's just a change of location, a temporary transfer.

Now, where did this start. Oh, right, routine.

So, end of summer, kids back to school. Am adjusting to having my mornings "off" as Sontoo started Kindergarten this year. Kids are signed up for winter fun, including dance and judo. It's nicely spread out during the week this year, with Monday, Tuesday and Thursday being sports nights. Last year, everything was on Wednesday. Very inconvenient and not at all relaxing.

Ever feel like you're rambling and, if this wasn't Blogtober, you'd just hit the delete button. Enough said.

Happy Hump Day.

Blogtober 1th

Okay, it's October 1. Time to give in to the peer pressure from Keener Mom, and participate in the joy that is Blogtoberfest. 

I don't think it's a real thing. (Sound of googling) Okay, it's a real thing.

So yay, woohoo, let's begin.

It's 4:43 in the blessed a.m. and I've been up for about two hours. And I'm not happy about it. Been sleeping on the couch for a week and a half, as my mom's been visiting. Not complaining about that, mind you. It's been nice and it's over today. She's heading home.

I won't pretend I'm not happy to be getting my bed back, but I will miss mom. Sonwun and Sontoo like having her around and it's just been nice catching up, playing cribbage and just kinda hanging out. It's tough living so far from family, so it's nice to get together once in a while.

We capped off her visit last night with Christmas in September. Why? Why not? In the 12 years or so that we've been removed from family, Grammas and Grampas have faithfully sent gifts, but they rarely get to see the kids open them. Not fair. Part of the joy of giving, after all, is seeing the little faces light up when they tear through the paper and find "just what I always wanted."

While Gramma was out for her visit, she and Neomom took a trip to Winnipeg to do a little shopping and, rather than pay for shipping later, Gramma picked out Christmas presents for the boys. Then we decided she should see them open them. Thus, Christmas in September.

We cooked up a turkey, with all the trimmings and we feasted. I stuffed myself. Which is probably contributing to the insomnia.

Anyoo, gonna work my way into this Blogtoberfest slowly. So that's it's for today. Don't want to let all the magic happen on Day 1. 

Merry Boxing Day. And have a great Tuesday.

Day 5

Winding things up that dinosaur provincial Park this morning. The trailer is packed up and we're ready to move on to Kinbrook provincial Park.

Dinosaur Park has grown on me. The bug level diminished a bit and the scenery is absolutely beautiful. That being said the bug level is still well above average and there is nowhere to swim here. So we're ready to move on.

The plan this morning is to restock and do laundry in the little town of Brooks Alberta and then get to our new campsite. 

Day 3

I'll be honest. I'm not exactly wild about dinosaur provincial Park. But more about that later.

We spent Day 2 on the road. We drove through Saskatchewan. Driving through Saskatchewan is not the cure for boredom. Nor is it the cure for insomnia. Which is not good when you're driving.

But in spite of what my prejudiced Manitoban friend said, Saskatchewan has more hills then Manitoba. Way more. But to be fair Manitoba has far more trees. I think between Regina and the Alberta-Saskatchewan border there are four trees. You can see for miles in all directions. I think I even saw into the future at one point. 

So there's not much else to tell you about Day 2, Other than the fact that we arrived at dinosaur provincial Park.

The first thing that concerned me was that they handed me a brochure about mosquitoes. I've been camping before. I expect mosquitoes. They're part of the deal. Why am I being handed a brochure?

I got my answer about 30 seconds after being handed the brochure. There are quite a few mosquitoes at dinosaur provincial Park. 

Quite a few as in, say, plague-level mosquitoes. We're talking biblical type stuff here. High-quality repellent is a necessity.

I practically bathed in Muskol, which has 23.5% DEET. These mosquitoes didn't even seem to notice. It wasn't until I bumped up to 25% Deep woods Off that they started to back off. This morning we all sprayed down with 30% DEET stuff that I've never heard of before. But it seems to be working.

This morning after a fine campfire breakfast, we went climbing in the mountains surrounding the park. Well they're not exactly mountains but I don't know what to call them. But I got to say the terrain is amazing. 

That being said, next time I will book a campsite at the nearby Kinbrook Island provincial Park, and jjust make a day trip or two into the dinosaur park. There are fewer mosquitoes at Kinbrook, and the trailers are not stacked in like cordwood.

Anyhoo, day three is now well underway and it's going to be a good one. Have a great Thursday.

Camping - Day 1

So for this years super fun family summer vacation we decided to head west. We want the boys to see the Rockies this year. Specifically the Alberta side of the mountains, Jasper Banff and all of those beautiful places.

We were supposed to leave with Wednesday morning but decided that we couldn't wait and hit the road late Tuesday afternoon. 

The plan, as we so carefully threw it together, was to stop wherever, grab a nights sleep and finish the journey in the morning. The entire trip should take about 9 1/2 or 10 hours driving time. Or about 12 hours with bathroom breaks.

Well we made it as far as Moosejaw, Saskatchewan on our first day. Not much to tell you about the drive through Saskatchewan. But we tried to make the best of it.

Anyway, neither Neomom nor myself slept much last night but we're up bright and early and plan to finish the trip to Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta this morning. 

That's all I've got for day one. Like I said, we were driving through Saskatchewan.

SUPER DAD

Yesterday I forgot to mention that Sonwun was forced to wear a dirty baseball shirt to his game Tuesday night. Why?

On Tuesday morning, before school, I decided the mountain of dirty clothes in the corner of his room needed some attention. I had spotted his baseball shirt in the mix and I knew he needed it that night. And so, in an effort to be a good parent and instill a little responsibility, I told him he needed to get his clothes down to the laundry room, so that he would have clean stuff for baseball. 

I passed the same message along to Sontoo who, not wanting to be left out, immediately grabbed his hamper bag and ran downstairs in order to beat his brother to the punch.

Fast-forward to 15 minutes before it's time to leave for baseball and soccer. Sonwun, as I knew he would, came out of his room wearing his dirty, grass-stained baseball shirt. He'd dug it from the pile of dirty laundry still occupying the corner of his bedroom beside the dresser. And he got a lecture about responsibility, about doing his part, doing little chores to make the household run efficiently. I explained the importance of us all working together for the common good. I told him "I forgot" is not an acceptable excuse. And I gave him my best disappointed look. 

I think it sunk in. I think he learned a valuable lesson. Parenting complete. I am Father the Wise.

So, to summarize, Sonwun had to wear dirty clothes to his baseball game because he did not get them to the laundry room in time for washing, as he'd been asked to do. 

Sontoo, on the other hand, did as he was asked. He gathered all his laundry and got it to the laundry room, with LOTS of time to spare. 

And he got to wear a dirty soccer uniform because I forgot to wash it.

I'm an awesome parent!

Another Day (More creative titles coming soon!)

Okay, let's try this again.

6 a.m.

Neomom is working night shift and will be home in an hour. Sonwun sleeps. Sontoo has been up for half an hour and is watching Curious George. I've been up for an hour and am drinking coffee.

Now you're up to date.

Last night was baseball and soccer for the boys. Sonwun's in baseball and Sontoo in soccer. They both love their respective sports and, I think, are well suited for their choices. Unfortunately, they both play on Tuesdays and Thursdays, at the same time. 

Fortunately, they play at fields pretty close to each other. So, on nights like last, when Neomom's working, I can load my bike in the back of the truck, drop Sonwun off at baseball, drive to the soccer field and park. I watch Sontoo play soccer for about half an hour, then bike over to the ball diamond to watch Sonwun play for about half an hour. Then I bike back to the soccer field, pick up Sontoo and we both drive over to catch the end of Sonwun's game and all drive home together. 

Sometimes we stop for Slushies.

And tonight, it's swimming lessons. Sontoo at 6 and Sonwun at 6:30. Each time I sign them up, I hope against hope that I can get them both in the same time slots. It's possible, but the planets have yet to align in my favour.

So, to summarize, baseball and soccer on Tuesdays and Thursdays, swimming on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Today's festivities will include washing swim shorts, baseball and soccer stuff so it's all fresh and fluffy for the next two days. 

I also have to pick up, and begin installation of, three new interior doors as part of the ongoing renovation festival. It is nearing the end. As usual, by the time we are transferred to our next fun-filled location, the renovations will be complete for the next owners of this home to enjoy. Such is the life.

Anyhoo, that's all I have for this morning. Have a great Wednesday.

Drivel

Haven't blogged for a while. Having a tough time getting started again. So, prepare for yet another stream-of-consciousness blurb. It's kind of like the writers way of turning over an old engine again and again and again, hoping against hope it will spring to life. It was more common in cars 30 years ago. Sigh.

Anyway . . .

Was listening to the TV yesterday when a commercial came on for some insurance company. It opened with the cheesy line "In these uncertain times . . ."

It got me thinking. What's so uncertain about these times? Have there ever been certain times? When and what were they like? And when did they end? Did they end suddenly, or were there semi-certain times as kind of a bridge?

Am I the only one who wonders these things?

Probably.

So, I stepped into the, I don't know, early 2000s last week. I got an iPhone, 4S to be specific. And I learned I'm old.

Let's forget that the damn thing retails for around $700. Yeah, I know, cheaper when you sign up for three years of usage. I was kind of prepared for that. Wasn't prepared for the chipper little boy at the MTS store to try and justify the cost of the 3-year plan.

"Well sir," (little fucker called me sir), "the phone company does absorb most of the cost of the phone."

"Yes son, I'm sure it does. And I'm sure it does so out of the goodness of its cold little heart, NOT because it's making gobs of money. Stop talking, grow up and show me how to turn the damn thing on."

So why get a new phone? I don't know. I guess it's because I was at the first practice of my son's baseball season a week or two back and the team manager told me that news of rain-outs and stuff would be texted to parents.

I have never understood texting. Why do it? Too much work. Why not call? It's more personal. And in these uncertain times, we all need more friends, more personal contact, blah, blah, blah.

Well, bottom line here is, apparently, the bottom line. It's just cheaper to text. Or "free" to text, according to Chipper. So what am I paying for? Nothing's free son. It's built into the cost. Stop saying "free." Now how do I turn it off?

Anyway, I am enjoying the new phone. Was pretty sure I would. I love the way it works with my computer. It talks to my computer and they share stuff. It's nice. They have the same taste in music, friends and leisure activity. Perfect match. And they share it all with me.

Vomit. Engine failed to start. If I keep trying, I'm gonna burn out the starter. And my will to blog.

Will try again tomorrow. Maybe.

Bandwagon . . . kinda

The Boston Marathon bombing. I guess it's all anyone can talk about right now. So I'll jump on the bandwagon. BUT, before you read on, please understand I don't like bandwagons. Keep that in mind.

I've been reading a lot - blogs, tweets, news stories, Facebook updates . . .

There are some things I can't escape. First, who makes up those little pictures on Facebook? You know, the ones with a candle burning for the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing, asking to be passed around on social media? I've seen three different ones so far. Somewhere, this is someone's initial reaction to tragedy - must make Facebook thingy and see how many shares it will get.

Strange world. Stranger that people keep sharing it. I don't understand the point. Does it make a difference? Do people think they are "doing something" about the tragedy, or "raising awareness" or "sending love" to victims. I have no idea. I don't get it. If one of my family members had been killed or seriously injured, a candle being shared on FB wouldn't do much for me. Maybe it's just me. And the cynic asks, is it just an ego thing, to see how many times it will be shared? Can I beat the other guys' candle thingies?

And yes, celebrities are quick to tweet their thoughts about the bombing, condolences, "thoughts and prayers." And why wouldn't they post the same meaningless stuff. They're the same as everyone else I guess. They just get more exposure, due to their elevated social status. When they tweet their thoughts and prayers, it's quickly picked up by major news media; saw a headline: "Celebs tweet from Boston Marathon, offer support." There were other similar stories reprinting what celebs were tweeting.

Patton Oswalt, I see, is getting a fair bit of play for his published thoughts on the bombing. (He's a comedian, been on TV, a few sitcoms, most recently Two and a Half Men, I think. Google him if you really want to know). Anyway, if I had to summarize his stuff, it was basically, there are more good people than bad. Bombers bad, people helping victims good. Honestly, a nice read at first blush.

Memorable finale: "So when you spot violence, or bigotry, or intolerance or fear or just garden-variety misogyny, hatred or ignorance, just look it in the eye and think, 'The good outnumber you, and we always will.'"

Yeah, nice thoughts I guess. He'll probably raise his celeb status a notch or two for the next week or so. Look for him on Ellen, or something. And the cynic in me has to ask . . . was that the goal?

And I must also point out that the definition of "good" is way up for grabs, depending on your geography, religion, social status, skin colour, sexual preference, cell phone choices, sock material and how much food you have access to in any give week.

Ugh, I feel like such a cynical grump. Can't help it. I yam what I yam.

But hey, I've already gone this far . . .

Anyone know how many children died of starvation around the world today? How many child soldiers were "recruited?" How many people were executed for belonging to the wrong political party?

Sorry kids, "the good" are busy tweeting right now, sending thoughts and prayers, creating candle thingies for Facebook. They are making a difference, raising awareness and sending love. Can ya feel it?