PICAYUNE — As someone who likes to observe the world, sometimes I just see things that are messed up, or in the words of my brother who coined the phrase, “that’s cobbed up!”

However, my brother has informed me that it must be really, really messed up to use the phrase and that I use it in too broad a term.

Lately, I began making a list of things that were messed up.

Of course, writing down my ideas while driving or as I call it “antique texting,” is just as dangerous as the newer modern version of texting and driving. Both activities are stupid. I now must squeeze my brain and try to freeze the thought until I can find a stopping point, pull over and scribble it down. I have lost many awesome thoughts in my life time. But, I am still alive and my driving record is clean.

Stupid is as stupid does, right? My number one son relayed a stupid sighting when as he was driving down a busy highway he witnessed a cop driving along side him who was texting… stupid. I have preached over and over to my 22 year old son the dangers of such bad behavior and how you can go to jail, kill someone or die because of the irresponsible behavior. That cop was a poor influence and that’s messed up!

Recently, in my neck of the woods, we had a college shooting and the crazed professor shot several colleagues, killing three because she was unhappy with her employment status. That in itself is cobbed up, but the fact that the university could not immediately fire her was really messed up. Isn’t that a cause for immediate termination?  

With all the paperwork involved in hiring and firing, shouldn’t there be a clause in the contract that if you bring a gun to work and kill co-workers that you can expect to be fired on the spot? The woman kept asking her lawyer if she still had her job and technically he would have to answer yes.

I have heard that some workers can get away with murder and never be fired, but seriously, isn’t that just a saying?

Remember the next time you steal a paper clip, show up a few minutes late and you are fired for your bad employee behavior that Amy Bishop had her job several days after shooting to death her co workers. That’s a bit messed up.

Politics is always cobbed up. Healthcare reform is a major mess up whether you are on the left, right or middle. I find it funny that the rumor of being held accountable for unhealthy living in the new world order of health care will penalize us for being over weight, poor diet choices and bad habits come from the president who can’t quit smoking. Sounds like a smoke monster to me.  

Do you know what is messed up for burglars? Trying to steal from the middle class — the criminal stakes out a nice looking house in a nice looking neighborhood. He waits until the opportune time and breaks in looking for cash. But who in the middle class has any? The home owner is so in debt it is slim pickings for the poor criminal. Unless, the burglar looks in the medicine cabinet. That is where most of the middle class dude has invested his life savings! And that is with health insurance!

A really cobbed up situation is the pediatrician who was arrested for hundreds of child molestation incidents during office visits. After logging in hundreds of hours in pediatric offices, I can only recall one time that I had to leave the room and that was for a spinal tap. I stood outside the door and cried because it was so horrible for my child. What a sick man to use the most vulnerable time to take advantage of trusting parents.

Teenagers who are sexting are all messed up as well. Just because you CAN do something doesn’t mean you should. The headlines are filled with mild mannered teens who are being arrested for naughty behavior. Do you want your face on the billboard that announces you are a sex offender?

I think people who were shocked that a killer whale actually killed are messed up. Duh! The same people were probably shocked when Ziegfield and Roy discovered tigers bite.

And speaking of tigers and being messed up… do I have to say more? However, if you are a man who watches golf, I dare say you won’t stop watching the guy because he dated gorgeous, sexy women while married. Many of you will idolize him for it. And that is the way the cookie crumbles.

One of the most cobbed up, messed up things I have seen in a long time was the NBC handling of the Tonight Show. Let’s put it into simple perspective. Leno had a hit show, and while beating the competition, NBC listened to the advertisers who know that the younger crowd spend more money and they gave the Tonight Show to a younger guy, Conan; but only after five years had past. The time goes by, the transfer is completed and as a consolation prize, they award Leno his same show at an earlier time. His show bombs so they strip Conan of his show before he can build an audience and they give it back to the guy who had it to start with. Stupid! Now, even I don’t want to watch Jay Leno anymore and I’m not even sure why. But then, I am married to a Conan look-alike so maybe my sympathies lie there. I am loyal.

Life is filled with some messed up people, ideals, and situations. So, what do we do but tag the incident, label it stupid and with the power of knowledge we go on with our lives. Hopefully, we learn from the stupidity of others. Hopefully we better ourselves.

If we don’t learn, then we are STUPID! So stupid! (vague UHF reference)

Tracy Williams is a syndicated columnist and can be reached at her website: myhometowncolumn.com