Weather? Don't Talk To Me About Weather!

Well...

Here I am in my flat, watching another snowstorm (nah, only kidding, though it'd be more interesting than having my TV wasting power, wouldn't it?!), wondering what to write in the next entry. 

I've spent a good couple of hours playing the videogame 'Dead Island' and whilst I'm not surprised they're having another crack at it, it will be a chance to put a few things right (namely the collision detection system which was atrocious in certain circumstances!), but it still is an enjoyable affair to play nonetheless.

Take the numerous, numerous ways that you can dismember the infected (and don't talk to me about those blasted annoying 'scream first then rush headlong at you' infected!) folk of Banoi! My favourite at the moment has to be an electrified machete I've crafted with the workbench and when it scores a critical hit it's za-za-za-zappin'!!!

Why would I bring this up from an entry titled about the weather...?


Simples... so I can have a dig at those that like to pass the buck and blame media in its forms for the way their children are behaving!

I could create another rant out of this, but I've seen how I went on in the last post and I'm not repeating that any time soon. Needless to say, it has come time for me to address this because I've seen enough mention made over the thirty odd years I've been around.

You blame media for 'this' and 'that' which is wrong in your child's life... let me ask you one question...

Why are you letting TV/games consoles be the parent for your child?

Some wash their hands of their children simply because they cannot be bothered to spend time with them (the greatest way you can show someone you love them being 'TIME' spent with them), yet to bypass these feelings of guilt, so many resort to bribery ie. buying their affection instead because it's quicker!

Things have an age-rating for a reason, so don't come crying to us when you've let your child play games unsuitable for them and then wonder why they start acting up! You can pass the buck all you like, but it DOES NOT alter the fact that you have the right and the power to say 'no' every once in a while, so for the sake of your child use it!

Someone once said that a person has to be pretty messed up to begin with if they go and play a game and then decide to go out into the real world and re-enact their favourite scenes because it's cool... SPOT ON, bro'!

If you've brought your child up the right way (teaching them first the difference between what's right & what's wrong and that whatever they do will have consequences, no matter how far down the line they go!), then they will not depart from it in a hurry.

I speak from experience here as there were games/CDs that I wanted when I was younger that my parents denied me and it never did me any harm because now I am older & infinitely wiser, I see the light of why they were doing what they were doing (and because I know that it is NOT cool to kill people just because I have the right weapon!).

It's not about denying your child what they want, it's about making sure they understand that there are reasons they cannot have it and those reasons being that it can and likely will affect their development if they haven't been brought up properly.

So before you sit your child in front of the TV and go off and do your own thing next time... think how much effort you'll need to make a connection with them... not a lot, I'll wager and again I speak from experience as I've become a male role model to my nephew, a damn fine example if ever there was one.

Take an interest in what they're interested in, show them you give a cr@p about them and their circumstances and you watch what happens when they grow up... kindness is returned in kind! I'm living PROOF!!!

And now? Now I've elevated myself to a more than human, higher plane of existence in thought patterns that mean I'm better able to pick & choose the fights I take up in my daily walk and crush the rest of those fights like the proverbial ants that they are!

Ha, looks like I failed in the stemming of the rant! Ah well, spit happens!

Time to make tea, methinks...

Peace out!


S.R. Cook
(aka The Lanky Penguin)