So we're driving in the car the other day and my daughter says, "Why don't you smoke?". My wife, seeing the opportunity to pounce on this issue early in our child's life, says "Because it's dirty, ugly and makes you sick." The reply is "But Uncle Don smokes." Ah yes, throw it back in our faces. Mom says, "Yes but Uncle Don is old enough to decide whether he wants to stink of smoke and get sick and maybe die from it." "When I get bigger I'm going to smoke."
At least it'll be 12 years or so before the neighbor's oldest kid can buy her smokes. We've got time to fine-tune our spiel.

I think Bob the Builder is going to single-handedly convince millions of our children to become construction workers (not that there's anything wrong with that).

There was a parade in our fair city last week and I watched it on TV with my 3 yr. old daughter. It's a big parade with lots of marching bands and floats, horses, baton twirlers, even the lonley Maytag repairman (I guess he had nothing better to do). Asked what her favorite part of the parade was my daughter replied, "Bob the Builder!". My daughter also has a Bob the Builder construction hat and a tool set. Apparently Bob the Builder is the number 1 pre-school TV show in the WORLD! It's certainly a nice break from Barney and the Teletubbies.
I've often wondered where children's story writers get their ideas. I try but always end up with something that borders on the bizarre, like a dinosaur who goes to the video store only to discover they're all out of Barney videos. It's tragic actually, but my daughter doesn't seem to be quite as captivated as she is with Mortimer. She'll probably read my blog someday and think it's just as bizarre.

You have to read this article at SatireWire today, it's even funnier because it could all be true with the way our government chooses to do things. If the hyperlink didn't work go to www.satirewire.com/news/july02/canada_invasion.shtml