Random thoughts today.

So I'm... all over the place in my thinking and ranting tonight. 

So, to start off with, I had an amazing release day on Tuesday. I've sold a few books and I"m pretty proud of myself.


On my mind most today is the generation of children my kids are growing up in. 
They are the most desensitized generation AND the most sheltered.  Want to know how I've come to this conclusion?
Even in cartoons (Cartoon network, nickelodian, and some on Disney) there are sexual innuendos.  Some so extreme I wonder how they get away with saying it's G rated. Or even PG rated. I"m sure there are other things, but my own children are frustrating the hell out of me at the moment and I can't even think straight.

Most of them are desensitized to violence from all of the first person shooter games, call of duty, halo, what about GTA? -- yup I went there-- FINE for a teenager,  by then they're old enough to know better.

But a six year old? A nine year old? I've seen children this young get into the game playing it, killing things. My ex plays Halo with my nine year old.  both PVP and campaign.  I don't really want my nine year old learning to kill things.  (He also wanted to get her a bb gun-- rifle-- I wouldn't let him.  I'm certain that's next on his presents list.) I don't approve, I don't think it's age appropriate. 

We had games like Super Mario, Donkey Kong country, Mario Kart... (what else am I missing?) CARTOON violence. Not reality based simulation violence. We knew that when the coyote in Looney Toons strapped himself to the rocket to catch road runner he was going to blow himself up and it was a bad idea to do what good old Wile E did. 

Apparently kids of today don't get that...

Which when leads me to the "Kids are sheltered" portion. 

WHAT HAPPENED to Looney Toons?! and old fashioned Scooby Doo? Gone and made "Appropriate" for our children's generation.  Take out the violence, put in more innuendos! There, it's PERFECT!

The new grading scale... oh dear sweet Jesus!
Kids no longer have A, B,C,D, & F grading scale. 
It's
O,M,PR,S, & U

And apparently everyone starts with or has a PR grade. 

What's wrong with our old grading scale? A kid gonna feel bad about himself if he gets a D or an F? MAYBE HE SHOULD STUDY!!!! You know, make him work for his God damned grade!
OR participation trophies.  REALLY?! We're going to give the kid or the team a trophy just for being born? ... I mean seriously.  Kids get trophies just for showing up to practices.  They might be a bench warmer, but poor little Timmy's wittle feewings would be hurt if he didn't get a twophy!
Even my 9 year old sees the flaws in this logic.  I was discussing this with her on the way back from her piano lesson today, and she said this to me:

"That's not fair! What if the kid sucked? What if he didn't play at all, they still get a trophy right along with the kids that worked hard for it?"
I replied "Yep, that's the way they do it now."
She stared at me in complete disbelief. "Mom, that's stupid. If that's how it is, keep me in piano, I don't want to play sports."

Let's just hand the ego inflation over to the kid.  HOW ABOUT we teach our kids to work for what they want instead? You want a trophy kid? Go out there and work your butt off for it!

Participation trophies are simply the start of the hand outs we're going to give our kids if we keep catering to them.

It's ridiculous.

And then... THEN yesterday I saw a video on my best friend's facebook page of a woman going off on a man in a vehicle simply because he started his car and scared her kids.

First off, let's look at this... Her kids don't look frightened at all, they look bored. If the starting of that vehicle scared the kids that bad to get that reaction, perhaps they should still be trembling and crying seeing as how the video camera came out probably only a minute after the vehicle started.

Oh... wait... let's not forget the most important piece of information.

I quote this nice lady from the video. "You're a dirty disgusting nigger!" ......... wow. wow lady....

I do not like the use of this word either, but this place is not one for censorship.  the woman said it, it's out there.  okay?

Now, what was this guy's reaction? HE WAS A GENTLEMAN about this..... He pulled out his camera, to cover his own ass as she's on the phone with her husband saying "He's going to come down here and kick your ass! He's a nigger hater too!"
He replies: "Nice to know."
Now i"m guessing she's getting even more pissed off because he's not coming at her, he's just sitting there calm as can be in his vehicle, listening to music as he waits for the police she called on him!
She then proceeds to say... "I"m going ot throw my coffee in his face if he doesn't fucking shut up!" And... "We'd better get the good ones down here, we have connections, baby  how many cops have I stripped for?!" .....
CLASSY!
in front of what looks to be a 7 and 4 year old. In the parking lot of a dollar general.

It's terrifying to think of who those children will grow up to be with influences like that. 

My mom raised me right.  I don't see skin color as other people see them.  I just don't. if I want to insult someone, I"ll call them a dick, a jerk off, an asshole, a bitch.... throw in either the word "Slow" "Lazy" or "stupid" in there, mostly due to road rage. but NEVER have I used racial slurs to degrade someone. 

Simply stated.... because I don't see people in black, white, yellow, copper, tan, olive, pink with purple polka dots... I don't CARE.  What I care about is how you treat me. Me and my children.  I could never call someone by a racial slur because they may have startled my kids for starting their car.  actually I would come down on my kid, something along the lines of "Really? It was a car you bone head." and smile apologetically at the driver!

I can't imagine attacking someone in that way.  I just can't! I see beauty everywhere, maybe it's my creative mind that sees the world like that, but skin color, and shape doesn't matter (shape helps of course... but it doesn't matter.)

Wouldn't the world be nicer if we all thought this way?