Mobile Madness

I think the next stage will be mobile telephone implants into the ear drum!

Why do people still persist in driving with one hand while chatting into a hand-held mobile phone? Serious accidents just waiting to happen.

Similarly what conversation can be so important that you cross a road [we are now talking pedestrians] holding a young child by the hand or pushing pram or buggy whilst chatting into your hand-held mobile? No-one can be giving full concentration to the road dangers in these circumstances.

However did we manage to communicate before the "mobile" - oh yes, we met people, spoke face to face [there's a novel idea], sat down comfortably and used a land line perhaps?

Question: Do you care which footballer has used a "super injunction" to try to stop details of his affair[s] being made public in what used to be called a "kiss and tell" newspaper article?

Frankly, I don't!

All this media discussion on TV, radio, newspapers etc etc about the unfairness of those with money being able to buy extra privacy is a load of nonsense. Twitter names and shames without any real evidence at all and no-one can stop the internet sites doing whatever they like and unfortunately too many people still believe "there is no smoke without fire". It seems that even the Broadsheets [supposedly serious newspapers not tabloids] will splash an incriminating story on the front page and then when it is proved to be false, the retraction and begrudging apology appears at the bottom of a column on an inside page.

Call me old-fashioned, and many would, but I have very little sympathy for this girl [and others like her] who has been prevented from openly naming names. She has made it clear that he is just the latest in the "famous" people she has "dated" [the speech marks are deliberate]. She knew he was married and yet entered into an affair willingly. When things didn't turn out the way she had hoped [namely he leaves his wife and maybe kids] and she doesn't become the new wife/partner whatever she has the right to make as much money as possible by selling her story.

What do you think?

Extreme Parenting

OK - First genuine WOB posting.

When did it become the norm for children to rule the roost?

This morning having a quick cup of tea before coming into the office I caught part of a "Super Nanny" programme on Extreme Parenting. The mother she was trying to help had virtually bankrupted herself pandering to her children. In particular she had allowed the youngest girl [I think around 8 or 9 yrs perhaps younger] to become a monster. This child had a wardrobe of designer outfits [£3 - 4k in value], spoke to her mother like dirt, did nothing around the house and was, in fact, the "pack leader" who everyone had to obey!! Even Super Nanny was horrified. Frankly I had better things to do, so turned off the TV and came to work.

Maybe this was a very extreme case but, to a lesser degree, haven't we all noticed that discipline [and I don't mean "spare the rod - spoil the child"], rules, boundaries on behaviour etc. are becoming rarer and rarer. Frankly this kind of parenting is just as much child abuse as the physical or emotional abuse that is always condemned.

Thoughts please....

NOT GRUMPY - WORDLY WISE

I have decided that I am not prepared to be labelled a "Grumpy old woman" just because I have the occasional [OK, perhaps more than occasional] rant about current events, politicians, anti-social behaviour, dumbing down etc etc etc. I believe there are many mature woman who are merely bringing their wisdom gained over the years to bear on the 21st century.

So this blog has been started for my contempories to comment without fear of being labelled "old-fashioned" and "grumpy" on anything and everything.

We are going to be WISE OLD BIRDS ON THE WEB or WOBS ON THE WEB - for short.

Looking forward to hearing from you.