A chair named Bruno, padded bras and other stuff

So here I am again, in front of the old laptop. I'm listening, by the way, to Kenny Wayne Shepherd "Live In Chicago", "10 Days Out Blues from the Backroads", Joe Bonamassa, "Live from Nowhere In Particular", and Walter Trout "Common Ground" on the old fashioned 5-disc CD Player. I enjoy music, but as I've aged (more like a stinky cheese than a fine wine, I might add), I have really connected with blues music. From Hubert Sumerlin, Johnny Lee Hooker, Cootie Stark, Honeyboy Edwards, Robert Johnson,and more, these old school blues men and the new school face-melting guitar blues of Kenny Wayne, Joe B, Walter Trout, Larry McCray have me hooked.

My son and I checked out Joe Bonamassa a week ago Monday at the DeVos Performance Center in Grand Rapids. Two-hours and twenty minutes of music. I was exhausted, Joe musta been beat. He talked for maybe 2 minutes total and played almost the entire rest of the time. While he has a unique style not necessarily totally blues, the blues are his roots,and he rocks his roots. Kenny Wayne Shepherd is probably the most commercially known here in the States, just an amazing talent. I then took my wife to see Walter Trout, and not only did he melt our faces, he lit our hair on fire, and is an EXTREMELY nice gentleman in person. This aging, pot-bellied blues guitar maestro (looks like an old biker) is a story-teller in song and a spleen-disengaging guitar virtuoso.

Anyway, we saw Walter Trout at a bar in suburban Detroit, Callaghan's. 200 people packed the place for a guy who draws thouands in Europe. For any of us who grew up with the "guitar gods" of the rock era, the new "guitar kings" are screamin the blues. And Walter stayed to greet anyone who wanted to come by and say hello. Cool. Check 'em out on You Tube or on their websites. And have a wet towel handy to put your hair out when it bursts into flames.

So that was the other stuff. The chair named Bruno is actually some of the mobility equipment I sell. This company, started by a parapelegic, the late Mike Bruno Sr. makes lifts to get scooters and wheelchairs in vehciles, turning seats that help people with disabilities enter and exit their vehicles, along with the mobility type equipment; stair lifts and wheelchair lifts.

Anyway, Bruno flew several dealers in from specific areas of the country to check out thier new stairlift prototype to get our feedback. I can't give you any details, of course because I am sworn to secrecy, but they've done a nice job providing help for folks who can't walk up and down the stairs. Mike Bruno Jr. now runs the company, and he has a disabled daughter who also uses the equipment Bruno manufactures.

Padded Bras? Yes, of course I heard the outrage as Abercrombie and Fitch, I believe, once again is encouraging young women to act like porn stars or maybe Courtney Cobain (sp?). They have in their catalog little girl bikinis for the 8 and up set with padded bras. Really? If any mom (include dad and grandma here) buys her daughter this bikini I have to ask, "why?" Lo these many years from the explosion of the feminist movement in the 1970's the biggest issue for women has been their exploitation and being perceived as "nothing but sexual objects"; except for maybe Rosanne Barr and Rosie O'Donnell. Hmmmm, how many other Rosies' are out there?

So, of course feminists won't speak out because it is certainly a woman's choice to pad her bra, even at age 8. We don't want the possibility of some 15 year old dreamy surfer boy walking by our daughters without enticing cleavage exposed to ensure said surfer boy will try to have his hands under that padded bra momentarily. You know, I just don't see why mothers and even more scarily, grandmothers want to "sex up" their children and grandchildren. Quit, already! I'm sure the pageant moms are lining up to get their little pageant princess the new enhanced bikini. Frankly it disgusts and horrifies me.

If you were to look in the Bible, 'cause I'm too lazy to figure out where it is, you would see an entry that talks about women who put on too much make-up and jewelry. The passage compares that to, basically, painting a pig. Are we encouraging our young girls, our young CHILDREN to grow up as painted pigs? Hey mom! Do you measure your make-up in brush strokes or gallons? Just asking.

Think back for one moment, back to when you were a teen. Which girls did the guys look at with lecherous desire? You are correct! The girl with major exposed (and/or enhanced) cleavage, copious amounts of make-up, the shortest skirts, hip-huggiest pants, halter tops and of course, cut-off jean shorts that makes the English term "cheeky" mean something quite entirely different. Is that a good thing? Do you as parents aspire for your daughters a life of being a sex-symbol? Do you want your daughter to be J-Wow or Snooki or Kendra Wilkenson? Is the money and fame more important than self-respect and decency? I'm betting on money and fame with many of you; I would hope deceny and self-respect.

"Bring up our children in the way they should go, and when they are older, they will not wander far from it." That's a Bible thing, too. As Pastor Mike O'Mire would say, "Bring up your children according to their talents, desires and passions, not yours, and they will be happy and productive." I paraphrase both the bible verse and Pastor O'Mire's words, but you get it.

I trust you will let your sons and daughters know they were made in the image of our Heavenly Father. That He has made no "bad people". There are people who let themselves be led off the path. There are those whose parents will encourage such a lifestyle as to really curse their children, basically creating a poisonous lifestyle for their kids to emulate.

You know, it only takes a moment of thought to make a wise decision versus one that is unwise. I truly believe we all have the ability to make the wise decision, every time, if we think, consider, and pray. Here's to parents who, even if they don't believe in God, provide a safe, comfortable, decent, thoughtful household for their children, and God Bless You all. Thanks.