FKB

Wouldn't it be a wonderful world if not only were it always true that "Father Knows Best" (as this week's objet d'eBay single by the 50s/60s doo-wop/soul foursome, The Radiants, would have it), but that everyone always listened and followed that advice? And by everyone we mean even the fathers.

In U.S. presidential politics this past week, there was daughter McCain committing to tattoo herself with the New Hampshire motto if papa became prez and the "granite state" went his way. Since, she probably now needs to make that same promise and keep the commitment to every other state in which she appears she is possibly setting up an inky and painful future for herself — which seems unlikely to have been guided by advice from a dad, even one steeped in the naval tradition of tatting up.

And on the other half of the ballot there was soccer dad Barack watching part of daughter Malia's game and breaking into that (by one report) to chat on his cell phone, although another made no mention of the chat, saying only that he was late because he worked out and only stopped paying attention to Malia's game when he raced younger daughter Sasha. Would he really be okay with them texting friends or running around during his State of the Union speech?

The point is while (probably? often?) fathers do know best, knowing and doing and/or doing what they say is not always so easy ... which may be the main reason this isn't always a wonderful world.