I am not eligible to serve as a juror in actress Lindsay Lohan's alleged lying-to-cops trial in Los Angeles. But like millions, I am already empaneled instead in the court of public opinion, and I have already rendered my verdict: GUILTY!
Not on the charges of fibbing to law enforcement, an alleged offense that should have merited her ten years in time out in a far corner of the globe, and a good old fashioned spanking by a responsible member of her family tree, if there are any.
But GUILTY for making a career out of disrespect, knowing full well the world is watching.
Disrespecting her family. Where I come from, the words 'black sheep' would have already been slapped on like a good housekeeping seal of disapproval.
Disrespecting her good fortune. A young talent with more promise than TMZ freelance photographers, who has squandered away career opportunities thousands only wish for.
Disrespecting her industry. Maybe Lindsay really is a cat, and has nine lives. I doubt it. Not even a future role as an Elizabeth Taylor-like Catwoman can resurrect a career that has been afforded countless third, fourth and fifth 'second' chances.
Disrespecting herself and her God-given talent. If it is a future part as a narcissist, addicted to poor influences and terrible lifestyle choices that habitually squash her God-given abilities and self-esteem that Lohan is after in her public auditions, then she has nailed it!
Disrespecting authority. This morning her inconsideration hit another low, like Florida sinkhole LOW. After getting off a commercial flight bound for Southern California yesterday, she boarded a private jet, only to arrive to court 48 minutes late. That kind of 'I am special and above the law' attitude, snubbing authorities is repugnant, bad manners and incredibly inconsiderate.
Add to that her decision to arrive in what will surely look great sometime after midnight in the VIP section of the Mondrian Hotel's SkyBar - a yard of sheer fabric left over from someone's Holy Communion dress - and Lohan's crimes against social graces far outweigh what she must answer to today in an LA courtroom.
This slow-motion trainwreck of poor behavior is as tiring as the thought of yet another season of the Real Housewives of Orange County. Where is Andy Cohen when we need him? Sentence poor Linds to a season with the women of Bravo, place her under house arrest with Lisa Vanderpump, and for the sake of us all, keep her away from Sur, Villa Blanca or Pacific Coast Highway.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Monday, March 11, 2013
HEAVEN HELP US
The dictionary defines the adjective REVERENCE as deeply respectful. Where it went is anyone's guess! My time today at noon mass was chalked full of reminders of how even the slightest acts of disrespect stick out like sore thumbs.
When entering a temple or place of worship, EVERYTHING else should be checked at the doors. Everything!
Including idle chit-chat while you are awaiting the commencement of the worship service. Others around you may be trying to pray or meditate quietly.
Including gum-chewing. Really? In some places of worship, you are going to chomp on your gum until Communion, and then, what? Disrespectful, and equally distracting as the nervous chatterboxes.
Including answering your cell phone. I leave mine in the car. Unless you are a physician on call, all mobile devices should be silenced.
Including boisterous conversation outside between parishioners who attended the previous service, but still very audible inside.
Including arriving noticeably late. Like, the service is half-way over late. Disrespectful and a major distraction. The reverence that is called for in a place of worship means showing respect and honoring one another's intimate time between them and their maker.
Most denominations don't require members to worship but once a week. Heaven help us if we can't manage to silence our mobile devices, our mouths, or reign in our actions during that short time. Afterall, ItMannersAlot!
When entering a temple or place of worship, EVERYTHING else should be checked at the doors. Everything!
Including idle chit-chat while you are awaiting the commencement of the worship service. Others around you may be trying to pray or meditate quietly.
Including gum-chewing. Really? In some places of worship, you are going to chomp on your gum until Communion, and then, what? Disrespectful, and equally distracting as the nervous chatterboxes.
Including answering your cell phone. I leave mine in the car. Unless you are a physician on call, all mobile devices should be silenced.
Including boisterous conversation outside between parishioners who attended the previous service, but still very audible inside.
Including arriving noticeably late. Like, the service is half-way over late. Disrespectful and a major distraction. The reverence that is called for in a place of worship means showing respect and honoring one another's intimate time between them and their maker.
Most denominations don't require members to worship but once a week. Heaven help us if we can't manage to silence our mobile devices, our mouths, or reign in our actions during that short time. Afterall, ItMannersAlot!
Thursday, December 27, 2012
2012's BEST & WORST
2012! What a year! From a White House snub and, predictably, some celebs losing a bit of their star wattage and luster, to the prevalence of sleepwear in public and a rise in littering, this year social graces were perched perilously close to their own cliff, gone Gangnam style out of control.
But thankfully, kindness also abounded, even in the most atrotious of places.
There is no appropriate category for what happened in the innocent confines of a Colorado movie theater on a warm summer night, or inside an elementary school in an idyllic Connecticut community eleven days before Christmas. Unquestionably, it was evil at its worst.
But out of such horror, emerged stories of heroism - a boyfriend who took a bullet for his girlfriend, and a principal and teachers who lost their lives by lunging at a gunman and shielding their students.
There was a lot of good embedded in those horrific moments in Connecticut and Colorado, and elsewhere, a reminder that even in the most abominable of times, benevolence and mercy can triumph.
Likewise, Superstorm Hurricane Sandy was Mother Nature at her worst this year - paralyzing parts of the northeast and wreaking havoc on many lives. But she didn't dampen the spirit of courage and determination, even in the face of rising tides and disaster. Those affected banded together to help neighbors, and volunteer support poured in from around the world, further evidence that the human spirit of helping one another is still alive and well. We saw it in the first responders, the selfless victims and volunteers from such organizations as the Red Cross who acted quickly to stave off further damage.
Looking back over the many ITMANNERSALOT blogs and columns posted and published this year online, at BakersfieldMom.com and in BakersfieldLife Magazine, some antics and other acts of thoughtfulness stood out. Herewith, is the best of the worst, and the creme of the crop, along with the hope that 2013 will usher in more good manners. After all, it 'MANNERS A LOT'!
THE BEST OF 2012:
1. Ann Curry: The class and grace the morning show co-host displayed during weeks of speculation of her demotion was worthy of an Academy Award. She too had read the blogs, the headlines, the anonymous quotes her employers had given to the press. She continued to show up for work, held her head high, turned a cheek, and bowed out with elegance.
2. Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords: One year after a gunman interrupted her life and those of 19, representative Giffords returned to Washington to submit her resignation from Congress. She did so with true grit and a determination characterized by faith and courage.
3. Wendy Wayne - Community activist Wendy Wayne lost her battle with cancer in June. She'd battled it before, and conquered it. This time, she knew she was outmatched, and decided hers had been a life well-lived, and surrendered gracefully, making her final days and hours special for those dearest to her. A grief-stricken community held tributes, and established everlasting memorials in the name of the woman who was as much a treasure to Bakersfield and Kern County as she treasured her community.Wendy's journey taught us about the power in the pillars of strength and resolve.
THE WORST OF 2012:
1. The Device: IPad, Ipod, Iphone, Smartphone - whatever the alias, the mobile device could not outsmart bad manners. If only there was an app for that! The virtual distraction still took the place of too many face-to-face conversations. Upgrades only downgraded our real-time interaction with one another to the point that 2012 may be worst remembered for the year we stopped talking to each other. The Gadget also served as a cautionary tale, that what happens in Vegas DOESN'T stay in Vegas, even if you are an heir to the British throne caught with your pants down in a royal flush of embarrassment exposing the crown jewels.
2. The Dismissiveness and Dismissed: Vice President Joe Biden's debate with Congressman Paul Ryan made for some great political theater, but it also exposed Biden's raw hot buttons and inability to contain himself within the confines of a setting where decorum should have been the abiding rule. His ticket may have been re-elected, but his lack of disrespect for his debate partner before a global television audience was not deserving of four more years. Here's hoping he can channel his inner pit bull as he wades into the national debate on gun violence.
In this economy, still crawling its way back from its own fiscal cliff, job layoffs are still common. They are unpleasant for everyone involved. But perhaps no demotion played itself out on the national stage more painfully than NBC's mishandling of the Today Show's Ann Curry and her reassignment. The backlash continues against the network, its venerable morning show, and its star Matt Lauer, widely considered to have placed the knife into his co-host's back. See #3 above.
3. Pajama Partiers: There was a time when sleepwear never saw the light of day outside the confines of one's residence. Probably the same era before cellular phones and the internet. Today, it seems to be the rule, not the exception - wearing pajamas in public. Never a good look, and always in poor taste. I can't help but wonder what will be next?
4. The Litterbug: Back for the second year in a row, the Litterbug was more like an infestation, especially in Kern County. Parking lots, auditorium seats and roadways were used as trash cans with increased frequency. Littering is a violation of local ordinances, and the ultimate sign of disrespect to our beautiful community. I heard too many complaints from out-of-towners who were aghast at the debris that littered the on and off ramps to our highways. Let's exterminate the Litterbug infestation in 2013!
5. The Famous Behaving Infamously: Besides the usual suspects like Lindsay Lohan, there were others who once again gave celebrity a black eye. Olivier Martinez gave Halle Berry's ex, Gabriel Aubry a shiner on Thanksgiving day, Angust Jones threw his own meal ticket - the hit TV show "Two and a Half Men" under the bus, actress Kristen Stewart felt compelled to purge herself of the secret the "Twilight" star had been harboring, her affair with her "Snow White and Huntsman" director, and Stanley Cup goalie Tim Thomas' inexplicably decided to turn down an invitation from the White House. Memo to all of the above: Your adoring fans are watching. Think FIRST before speaking, slugging or snubbing!
But thankfully, kindness also abounded, even in the most atrotious of places.
There is no appropriate category for what happened in the innocent confines of a Colorado movie theater on a warm summer night, or inside an elementary school in an idyllic Connecticut community eleven days before Christmas. Unquestionably, it was evil at its worst.
But out of such horror, emerged stories of heroism - a boyfriend who took a bullet for his girlfriend, and a principal and teachers who lost their lives by lunging at a gunman and shielding their students.
There was a lot of good embedded in those horrific moments in Connecticut and Colorado, and elsewhere, a reminder that even in the most abominable of times, benevolence and mercy can triumph.
Likewise, Superstorm Hurricane Sandy was Mother Nature at her worst this year - paralyzing parts of the northeast and wreaking havoc on many lives. But she didn't dampen the spirit of courage and determination, even in the face of rising tides and disaster. Those affected banded together to help neighbors, and volunteer support poured in from around the world, further evidence that the human spirit of helping one another is still alive and well. We saw it in the first responders, the selfless victims and volunteers from such organizations as the Red Cross who acted quickly to stave off further damage.
Looking back over the many ITMANNERSALOT blogs and columns posted and published this year online, at BakersfieldMom.com and in BakersfieldLife Magazine, some antics and other acts of thoughtfulness stood out. Herewith, is the best of the worst, and the creme of the crop, along with the hope that 2013 will usher in more good manners. After all, it 'MANNERS A LOT'!
THE BEST OF 2012:
1. Ann Curry: The class and grace the morning show co-host displayed during weeks of speculation of her demotion was worthy of an Academy Award. She too had read the blogs, the headlines, the anonymous quotes her employers had given to the press. She continued to show up for work, held her head high, turned a cheek, and bowed out with elegance.
2. Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords: One year after a gunman interrupted her life and those of 19, representative Giffords returned to Washington to submit her resignation from Congress. She did so with true grit and a determination characterized by faith and courage.
3. Wendy Wayne - Community activist Wendy Wayne lost her battle with cancer in June. She'd battled it before, and conquered it. This time, she knew she was outmatched, and decided hers had been a life well-lived, and surrendered gracefully, making her final days and hours special for those dearest to her. A grief-stricken community held tributes, and established everlasting memorials in the name of the woman who was as much a treasure to Bakersfield and Kern County as she treasured her community.Wendy's journey taught us about the power in the pillars of strength and resolve.
THE WORST OF 2012:
1. The Device: IPad, Ipod, Iphone, Smartphone - whatever the alias, the mobile device could not outsmart bad manners. If only there was an app for that! The virtual distraction still took the place of too many face-to-face conversations. Upgrades only downgraded our real-time interaction with one another to the point that 2012 may be worst remembered for the year we stopped talking to each other. The Gadget also served as a cautionary tale, that what happens in Vegas DOESN'T stay in Vegas, even if you are an heir to the British throne caught with your pants down in a royal flush of embarrassment exposing the crown jewels.
2. The Dismissiveness and Dismissed: Vice President Joe Biden's debate with Congressman Paul Ryan made for some great political theater, but it also exposed Biden's raw hot buttons and inability to contain himself within the confines of a setting where decorum should have been the abiding rule. His ticket may have been re-elected, but his lack of disrespect for his debate partner before a global television audience was not deserving of four more years. Here's hoping he can channel his inner pit bull as he wades into the national debate on gun violence.
In this economy, still crawling its way back from its own fiscal cliff, job layoffs are still common. They are unpleasant for everyone involved. But perhaps no demotion played itself out on the national stage more painfully than NBC's mishandling of the Today Show's Ann Curry and her reassignment. The backlash continues against the network, its venerable morning show, and its star Matt Lauer, widely considered to have placed the knife into his co-host's back. See #3 above.
3. Pajama Partiers: There was a time when sleepwear never saw the light of day outside the confines of one's residence. Probably the same era before cellular phones and the internet. Today, it seems to be the rule, not the exception - wearing pajamas in public. Never a good look, and always in poor taste. I can't help but wonder what will be next?
4. The Litterbug: Back for the second year in a row, the Litterbug was more like an infestation, especially in Kern County. Parking lots, auditorium seats and roadways were used as trash cans with increased frequency. Littering is a violation of local ordinances, and the ultimate sign of disrespect to our beautiful community. I heard too many complaints from out-of-towners who were aghast at the debris that littered the on and off ramps to our highways. Let's exterminate the Litterbug infestation in 2013!
5. The Famous Behaving Infamously: Besides the usual suspects like Lindsay Lohan, there were others who once again gave celebrity a black eye. Olivier Martinez gave Halle Berry's ex, Gabriel Aubry a shiner on Thanksgiving day, Angust Jones threw his own meal ticket - the hit TV show "Two and a Half Men" under the bus, actress Kristen Stewart felt compelled to purge herself of the secret the "Twilight" star had been harboring, her affair with her "Snow White and Huntsman" director, and Stanley Cup goalie Tim Thomas' inexplicably decided to turn down an invitation from the White House. Memo to all of the above: Your adoring fans are watching. Think FIRST before speaking, slugging or snubbing!
Sunday, December 2, 2012
KIDS _____THE DARNDEST THINGS
Art Linkletter and Bill Cosby were right: Kids, even famous ones, say the darndest things. Add a couple more verbs, and you have the trilogy of bad form that played itself out - where else - in headlines and online this past week.
Angus Jones, the young actor from "Two and a Half Men", infamously referred to his bread and butter job as "filth" in an online video that has since gone viral, encouraging viewers to turn the channel from the hit television show that is Jones' meal ticket.
Where was his mama? Unless he knew he'd have the winning powerball ticket, why throw your own job under the bus? Had he thought for a second, which obviously he didn't, about the potential long-term consequences of his ill-advised exercise at freedom of speech, maybe he wouldn't have SAID the darndest of things.
Perhaps he was taking a cue from another youngster, Justin Bieber, who WORE the darndest thing when meeting with the Canadian Prime Minister. I like that kid. I spend every weekday morning with him and my swooning teenager in the car on the way to school, but again, I wondered, where was his mama?
A small army of people make a lot of money protecting the Biebermachine, his brand and image. Wasn't there ONE person in his circle of handlers that thought the Biebermeister might look better in a collared shirt instead of overalls, and undone at that? Dear Mr. Greenjeans: Your fame may eclipse that of the prime minister, but it shouldn't be an excuse to disrespect the Canadian leader by leaving decorum back in the dressing room and WEARING the darndest of things.
And finally, this three-ringed circus of bad behavior wouldn't be complete without perennial problem child Lindsay Lohan, a human magnet for trouble, who this week again found herself in hot water by allegedly DOING the darndest of things in the pre-dawn darkness at a New York City nightclub. Accused of punching a patron, I wondered again where her mama was? I know, probably down the street at another club. Even Liz Taylor knew that NOTHIING good happens at 4 a.m. at a NYC nightclub!
If these overgrown kids, idolized for their fame and antics, had only thought before speaking (into a video camera), looked in a full-length mirror, or hailed a cab after last call like nice (not mean) girls do, they'd be doing a great service to the legions of fans who follow them like puppy dogs, and no doubt now have the mixed message that speaking your mind, wearing what you want, and settling disputes with limbs doesn't matter.
News flash: It 'MANNERS' a lot!
Wonder what Linkletter and Cosby would think?
Angus Jones, the young actor from "Two and a Half Men", infamously referred to his bread and butter job as "filth" in an online video that has since gone viral, encouraging viewers to turn the channel from the hit television show that is Jones' meal ticket.
Where was his mama? Unless he knew he'd have the winning powerball ticket, why throw your own job under the bus? Had he thought for a second, which obviously he didn't, about the potential long-term consequences of his ill-advised exercise at freedom of speech, maybe he wouldn't have SAID the darndest of things.
Perhaps he was taking a cue from another youngster, Justin Bieber, who WORE the darndest thing when meeting with the Canadian Prime Minister. I like that kid. I spend every weekday morning with him and my swooning teenager in the car on the way to school, but again, I wondered, where was his mama?
A small army of people make a lot of money protecting the Biebermachine, his brand and image. Wasn't there ONE person in his circle of handlers that thought the Biebermeister might look better in a collared shirt instead of overalls, and undone at that? Dear Mr. Greenjeans: Your fame may eclipse that of the prime minister, but it shouldn't be an excuse to disrespect the Canadian leader by leaving decorum back in the dressing room and WEARING the darndest of things.
And finally, this three-ringed circus of bad behavior wouldn't be complete without perennial problem child Lindsay Lohan, a human magnet for trouble, who this week again found herself in hot water by allegedly DOING the darndest of things in the pre-dawn darkness at a New York City nightclub. Accused of punching a patron, I wondered again where her mama was? I know, probably down the street at another club. Even Liz Taylor knew that NOTHIING good happens at 4 a.m. at a NYC nightclub!
If these overgrown kids, idolized for their fame and antics, had only thought before speaking (into a video camera), looked in a full-length mirror, or hailed a cab after last call like nice (not mean) girls do, they'd be doing a great service to the legions of fans who follow them like puppy dogs, and no doubt now have the mixed message that speaking your mind, wearing what you want, and settling disputes with limbs doesn't matter.
News flash: It 'MANNERS' a lot!
Wonder what Linkletter and Cosby would think?
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
FEAST ON FAMILY, NOT FEUDING
Thanksgiving is like the marriage vow: For better or for worse.
In the coming hours, family and friends will descend upon us like the coming of the Locusts. We will greet one another with voices pitched so high that animals in neighboring counties will hear, like an old 78 RPM record on a carb-high. And as sure as there will be pumpkin pie on the dessert buffet, someone will say something that may offend somebody else, and the people we couldn't wait to see may be hurling verbal molotov-cocktails at each other.
For some reason this holiday, more so than any other, tends to bring out the best and the worst in people. Maybe it is the absence of gifts and colored eggs, or the presence of too many adult beverages mixed with heaping amounts of utopia-like expectations.
If you are hosting friends and relatives, remember that you set the tone. Don't fret over what is over-cooked. Frankly, it is the coming together with the people we love that matters most.
If someone else is putting on the spread, be a good guest and bring along a nice bottle of wine - you'll be granted immunity.
This year my wonderful sister-in-law will host our family - the size of a football team: 2% her side, 98% ours. I am grateful for her hospitality - and plumbing.
Thanksgiving has its own awkwardness, and all the ripe and ready ingredients for some ribbing, rubbing the wrong way or stepping on toes. But it doesn't have to devolve into an episode of Family Feud.
Carve out time to engage in authentic conversations with people whom you haven't seen in some time, offer to help, and feast on the blessings of family, friends, health and prosperity - afterall, "It 'Manners' A lot"!
In the coming hours, family and friends will descend upon us like the coming of the Locusts. We will greet one another with voices pitched so high that animals in neighboring counties will hear, like an old 78 RPM record on a carb-high. And as sure as there will be pumpkin pie on the dessert buffet, someone will say something that may offend somebody else, and the people we couldn't wait to see may be hurling verbal molotov-cocktails at each other.
For some reason this holiday, more so than any other, tends to bring out the best and the worst in people. Maybe it is the absence of gifts and colored eggs, or the presence of too many adult beverages mixed with heaping amounts of utopia-like expectations.
If you are hosting friends and relatives, remember that you set the tone. Don't fret over what is over-cooked. Frankly, it is the coming together with the people we love that matters most.
If someone else is putting on the spread, be a good guest and bring along a nice bottle of wine - you'll be granted immunity.
This year my wonderful sister-in-law will host our family - the size of a football team: 2% her side, 98% ours. I am grateful for her hospitality - and plumbing.
Thanksgiving has its own awkwardness, and all the ripe and ready ingredients for some ribbing, rubbing the wrong way or stepping on toes. But it doesn't have to devolve into an episode of Family Feud.
Carve out time to engage in authentic conversations with people whom you haven't seen in some time, offer to help, and feast on the blessings of family, friends, health and prosperity - afterall, "It 'Manners' A lot"!
Friday, October 12, 2012
DEBATE OVER DISMISSIVENESS
Last night's vice-presidential debate may have provided great political theater, but it also served up a wonderful lesson on the importance of the art of listening on a silver platter, especially for law professors, and mock trial and debate coaches everywhere.
To be clear, this blog is NOT about partisan politics. I enjoyed every second of the 90-minute debate. It was engaging, thought-provoking, and terrific public speaking. And at its conclusion, at least one thing was crystal clear: Paul Ryan is a dead-ringer for Eddie Munster.
But it was also an hour-and-a-half of cringe-worthy live television. Reportedly both sides had been prepping meticulously in the days leading up to the debate. But surely NO ONE coached vice president Biden on the type of behavior he couldn't seem to keep a lid on last night.
At times, dismissive and condescending, his inability to listen to congressman Ryan in silence without rolling his eyeballs, giggling or smirking became this circus' side-show. Even first-year lawyers with no trial experience know not to react the way Biden did when opposing counsel is up at bat!
At first, the bad form could be chalked up to the vice president being, well, very Biden-esque. His reputation precedes him. But it wasn't long before his reactions when the congressman was responding were just plain rude. I for one, was embarassed for him.
By the end of the boxing match, the substance the two sparred over was overshadowed by the way the vice president conducted himself on the national stage.
The. Vice. President!
Effective communication, conversation and civilized disagreement hinge not just on the words spoken, but on how they are absorbed as well. The art of being a good, polite, and gracious listener is waning these days. We see it across all media platforms.
But a passionate and lively debate is one thing. Habitually interrupting, mocking and laughing as the other person is speaking is really bad manners. It is juvenile and unbecoming, especially from someone a heart beat away from the highest office in the land. Too bad Mr. Biden didn't extend Paul Ryan the courtesy of being a polite listener as the congressman had.
Today, all sides are claiming victory, with the exception of social graces, which sadly, came out the biggest loser in last night's fiery display of bad form. Memo to Mr. Vice-President: It really DOES 'Manner' A lot!
To be clear, this blog is NOT about partisan politics. I enjoyed every second of the 90-minute debate. It was engaging, thought-provoking, and terrific public speaking. And at its conclusion, at least one thing was crystal clear: Paul Ryan is a dead-ringer for Eddie Munster.
But it was also an hour-and-a-half of cringe-worthy live television. Reportedly both sides had been prepping meticulously in the days leading up to the debate. But surely NO ONE coached vice president Biden on the type of behavior he couldn't seem to keep a lid on last night.
At times, dismissive and condescending, his inability to listen to congressman Ryan in silence without rolling his eyeballs, giggling or smirking became this circus' side-show. Even first-year lawyers with no trial experience know not to react the way Biden did when opposing counsel is up at bat!
At first, the bad form could be chalked up to the vice president being, well, very Biden-esque. His reputation precedes him. But it wasn't long before his reactions when the congressman was responding were just plain rude. I for one, was embarassed for him.
By the end of the boxing match, the substance the two sparred over was overshadowed by the way the vice president conducted himself on the national stage.
The. Vice. President!
Effective communication, conversation and civilized disagreement hinge not just on the words spoken, but on how they are absorbed as well. The art of being a good, polite, and gracious listener is waning these days. We see it across all media platforms.
But a passionate and lively debate is one thing. Habitually interrupting, mocking and laughing as the other person is speaking is really bad manners. It is juvenile and unbecoming, especially from someone a heart beat away from the highest office in the land. Too bad Mr. Biden didn't extend Paul Ryan the courtesy of being a polite listener as the congressman had.
Today, all sides are claiming victory, with the exception of social graces, which sadly, came out the biggest loser in last night's fiery display of bad form. Memo to Mr. Vice-President: It really DOES 'Manner' A lot!
Thursday, August 23, 2012
ROYAL FLUSH OF EMBARRASSMENT
The House of Windsor is no stranger to the royal flush of embarrassment resulting from leaked illicit recordings: Prince Andrew's ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson was caught on tape trying to elicit a bribe in exchange for access to her former husband; the late Princess Diana's clandestine telephone calls with a lover were intercepted and detailed by the British tabloids for all the world to read. So when photographs of her son, Prince Harry, surfaced this week, confirming that what happens in swanky suites in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas, it should have come as no real surprise. Embarrassing, yes. Shocking, no.
What was he thinking many wondered? I doubt he was, as he stood in his birthday suit, cuping the crown jewels. Royals are supposed to have handlers around to think those scenarios through FOR them. Apparently his security detail was asleep at the roulette wheel.
Hopefully, others will see his mortification as a cautionary tale in this digital age of instant snap-and-post where the underage beer pong and intimate lip-lock can be shared with the webiverse within seconds and without permission.
Remind your children, pre-teens and up, that they don't need to be famous to have their behavior captured by pixels and uploaded to the world-wide-web, where their wrong moves will live in infamy and haunt them for a long time.
Whether they are at a dance, fraternity exchange, or party, young people should be mindful that today's paparazzi need only a cell phone with a camera to catch someone in their worst candid camera moment.
Think of the internet - Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, like the front page of the morning paper or billboard at the busiest intersection in town. If you don't want to be pictured there doing something inappropriate, don't provide eager shutterbugs with the opportunities. Afterall, it 'Manners' A lot!
What was he thinking many wondered? I doubt he was, as he stood in his birthday suit, cuping the crown jewels. Royals are supposed to have handlers around to think those scenarios through FOR them. Apparently his security detail was asleep at the roulette wheel.
Hopefully, others will see his mortification as a cautionary tale in this digital age of instant snap-and-post where the underage beer pong and intimate lip-lock can be shared with the webiverse within seconds and without permission.
Remind your children, pre-teens and up, that they don't need to be famous to have their behavior captured by pixels and uploaded to the world-wide-web, where their wrong moves will live in infamy and haunt them for a long time.
Whether they are at a dance, fraternity exchange, or party, young people should be mindful that today's paparazzi need only a cell phone with a camera to catch someone in their worst candid camera moment.
Think of the internet - Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, like the front page of the morning paper or billboard at the busiest intersection in town. If you don't want to be pictured there doing something inappropriate, don't provide eager shutterbugs with the opportunities. Afterall, it 'Manners' A lot!
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