Good on ya!

Congratulations are in order for Ben and Hava for the arrival of their baby! I found out about this the other day and was very happy for the news. Kristin and I send our best wishes!!

Okay, I have to rant about something. It's just not my nature to not find something controversial and exploit it a little bit. :) I am just blown away by the fact that we're only now realizing that cell phones are a distraction. I don't get it. Couldn't the "experts" see this one coming? According to CNN, cell phone ringtones are a distraction in work and school. I just can't believe that it has taken so long for this to catch on. Of course they're a distraction!! I remember being really angry by customers when I worked at the grocery store who would stop conducting business with me and answer their dang phones. Or, what burns me up now is to see a group of supposed friends hanging out together all chit-chatting on cell phones. You know that they're not talking with each other. No, they're talking with other, unseen people. It seems that the ringing cell phone has become more important than the person in whose company you find yourself. I mean, I can get pretty insulted when I'm talking to someone and they brush me off to answer the blasted phone. I can understand if they warn me that they're expecting a call. I won't be annoyed in that case, but when it's just, "Oh, hang on; I have to take this call," then I feel put down. It's as if I am not as important as the person on the phone.

I totally support cell phone bans in schools. I mean, come on, schools are where kids are supposed to learn. My tax dollars are going to support schools. I don't want kids bringing their cell phones and causing distractions "because their parents need to be able to reach them." That's not a very good reason to send a kid to school with a cell phone. For crying in the mud, when I was in school, if my parents needed to get a hold of me, they called the office and they got a message to me. No cell phone distractions in class, no annoying ringtones, nothing. Just a note from the office. What's so wrong with that? I guess people are just too inconvenienced by that. It takes too much time out of their already too-busy days. People should slow down and learn to choose their activities wisely.

Anyway, I don't mean to sound like an old sourpuss, but I don't think cell phones have really helped us THAT much. The few times I really could have used one when there wasn't a regular phone available do not, in my opinion, merit the cost of having one.

And now for a really great show! The Rootisms page has had its first content update in over a year! Thanks Jon! It's awesome. I really liked the stuff from the VFW rehearsals. Visit the Rootisms page now! Dr. Root continues to amaze and entertain with his seemingly endless supply of whimsical, yet wise, statements.