This is a Stop Sign

It’s not too often I get furious; I mean the the type of furious that is accompanied by yelling. I’m also not a stickler for every single driving rule in the book. I’ve been known to go above the speed limit, but typically never do I go more than four or so miles above the limit. I believe the police aren’t going to stop anyone unless they’re traveling at least five or more miles above any posted speed limit.

While I don’t do it myself, I also never get very upset about people turning on right when the sign right in front of them says not to make that right turn until the light turns green.

HOWEVER…….

I’ve been getting very furious about the lack of respect drivers have for stop signs in my neighborhood. One day I drove my wife to work, five miles to her job and five miles back. As I drove that route, I witnessed 21 different cars run stop signs. In that inventory of non-stops, I am not including those drivers who approach a stop sign, slow down, stop for a second and then keep going. That is not a legal complete stop, but I’m okay with that (however, I don’t do that myself). All twenty-one cars I saw slowed down at the stop signs but never stopped, not even for an instant. Some didn’t even slow down at all, driving through at the same speed they approached the sign.

When I saw this, once or twice, I actually looked at the driver of the other car and pointed to the stop sign. If the driver looked like he or she could beat the living daylights out of me, I let it go, but for those I looked tougher than, the one or two that day which fit that description, I absolutely pointed to them and at the stop sign they’d just ignored. Maybe they didn’t see it. No, I don’t believe that either, but this is crazy. How many of you ignore stop signs. I think if we’ve come to the point where we just ignore stop signs, what other little laws are we ignoring? What kind of example are we setting for our children when we ignore rules of the road so often?

Am I a crazy for wanting people to stop at stop signs?

Hit me with your best shot in the Facebook comments section below.

In Texas, it’s odd to have had so many rainy days in the middle of the summer. It’s July in Texas and we even had a 78 degree day a couple weeks ago. This is pure joy for someone like myself who would prefer the weather of Portland, Oregon to the dog days of summer usually experienced here in Texas.

What makes a great day for you? For me, it’s definitely clouds and rain, not to be confused with severe thunderstorms, hail and tornadoes. If you enjoy the rain or clouds, please let me know below why you like them so much. I hope you’re not depressed and that’s the cause for enjoying dark and foreboding skies. I don’t classify myself as a depressed person. I think my joy for rain and clouds is because it reminds me of fall, my favorite season.

I am really enjoying today. Too bad so many people have to complain about days like this. I just don’t understand their complaints.

By the way, have you seen the www.rainymood.com website?

I’m often contacted by PR firms and publicists to write about various topics or interview people for my interview website. People are always looking to promote something or someone. I now find myself in the same boat.

One of my most recent contacts was with a publicist/owner of a a boutique PR firm named Mona Elyafi. She has such an interesting bio and after I provided her with some interview questions for her client, I mentioned that I should be interviewing her. Yes, I found her that interesting.

I already know one question I’ll ask. It’s a selfish question too. I want to know if there has ever been a time she’s had to promote herself or her company. I’m sure the answer is probably a “yes.” I want to know if publicists find it more difficult to promote themselves or a project they are closely associated with or if it is easier to promote clients and their work.

As for me, I’ve done promotion in the past, I’ve been on the promoting end of PR for other people and it was fun. But doing so for myself, either as a fundrasier for our ministry work or in promoting my new book Purple Ducks, I have always found it difficult to toot my own horn.

How about you? Do you find it difficult to promote yourself? I’d like to know.

It’s just so pretty isn’t it? Not so much the cover, but the fact that it’s finally on Amazon.

I hope to get some reviews on the listing soon. If you’re interested in posting a review, please let me know. Maybe we can work out a discount for a review copy.

Thanks,
Brian