Scene from a snowstorm

If you watched the TV series, "Get Smart," at all, you certainly remember "The Cone of Silence." That was the device that came down so that the Chief and Maxwell Smart could talk in privacy. Sadly, neither person could hear the other when the Cone was in use.

Which brings us to the snowstorm anecdote of the day.

We had about 20 inches of snow here in Buffalo over the past few days. When that happens, you have to go shovel it from time to time. Which I did.

While working on the front of the driveway, there was a guy down the street a little ways who had stopped his shoveling for a while. He was on the phone, screaming at someone.

"Why aren't you out here shoveling out your grandmother, you lazy bleeper-bleeper?" he said. "I'm bleeping sick of doing this bleep for you while you sit on your bleep."

I think the language got worse after that, as it went on for a couple of more minutes. I was glad I was not on the other end of the phone.

This isn't a comment on lowered standards of language, or on the frustrations of a snowstorm, although it could be. It is a comment on how cell phone users seem to think they are in their own private world -- in that "Cone of Silence," if you will -- when they are talking. They share details with the rest of the world whether that world wants to hear it or not.

Guess what? We usually don't.

So take it somewhere else, particularly when you don't want to be indirectly quoted in a blog.

And Merry bleeping Christmas to you all.