Abigail

I would live to be there as well, and pending something urgent, will be. Song do you have yahoo IM? If so you can find me there as Abigail0900 and I will help you rack em or you can email me at the same addy with the yahoo.com and I will write you back and tell you how to do it. Look forward to sharing some heart with you again - been a long time

that's easy Ron - Nerds pull their pants up to their chins. Geeks don't care about making fashion statements.

Yes, Krys, I think some teens and adults explore it simply out of curiosity. I knew a group of kids in the early 80's who were all practicing homosexual sex. Most of them are now heterosexuals. I think their homosexuality was a phase brought on in part by curiosity and in part to be counter culture.

It's too bad I can't post the other one she sent me - had a GREAT picture with it - lol

This was sent to me by my aunt, who is in her late 70's! The doctor raises both eyebrows, but he is so amazed that such an elderly couple is asking for sexual advice that he agrees. > When the couple finishes, the doctor says, "There's absolutely nothing wrong with the way you have intercourse." He thanks them for coming, he wishes them good luck, he charges them $50 and he says goodbye. > The next week, however, the couple returns and asks the sex therapist to watch again. The sex therapist is a bit puzzled, but agrees . > >This happens several weeks in a row. The couple makes an appointment, has intercourse with no problems, pays the doctor, then leave. > Finally, after 5 or 6 weeks of this routine, the doctor says, "I'm sorry, but I have to ask. Just what are you trying to find out?" > The old man says, "We're not trying to find out anything. She's married and we can't go to her house. I'm married and we can't go to my house. The Holiday Inn charges $98. The Hilton charges $139. We do it here for $50, and I get $43 back from Medicare

A lot of folks can't understand how we came to have an oil shortage here in America. ~~~ Well, there's a very simple answer. ~~~ Nobody bothered to check the oil. ~~~ We just didn't know we were getting low. ~~~ The reason for that is purely geographical. ~~~ Our OIL is located in ~~~ Alaska ~~~ California ~~~ Oklahoma and TEXAS ~~~ ~~~ Our DIPSTICKS are located in Washington DC

12 things your child should know before they are allowed to go off on their own (beyond address and phone number). 1. How to honor their feelings - if someone makes them uncomfortable, that is an important signal. 2. Your parents are strong enough to hear aboyt any experience you've had, mo matter how unpleasant. 3. It's okay to rebuff and deny adults. 4. It's okay to be assertive. 5. How to ask for help. 6. How to choose WHO to ask for help. 7. How to describe their problem. 8. It is okay to hit and even injur someone if they believe they are in danger and you will support them for it. 9. It's okay to make noise, scream, yell, and run (In fact one of the most dangerous things you can do is allow someone to convince you to leave with them = the pedophile wants you to leave because they can more easily harm you in another location). 10. If someone tries to force them to go somewhere they should scream "this is not my father/mother". 11. If someone says "don't yell" the thing to do IS yell. Likewise if someone says "don't tell" the thing to do is yell. 12. To fully resist ever going anywhere out of the public view with someone they don't know or aren't comfortable with - and particulary to resist going anywhere with someone who is trying to pursuade them to do just that.

Yeah - we do the code word thing as well. Two more things you can teach your kids, which are very simple: 1) Don't just yell for help but yell "help, this is not my parent"; and 2) teach them to say "stop or I'll tell". Pedophiles don't want children to tell (hence they threaten the child). If the child can be firm and bold about saying "stop or I'll tell" it serves two purposes. It lets the pedophile know that regarldess of what he says, the child is not afraid to tell. It also implies that if the pedophile stops now, the child won't tell, giving him the hope of an out without consequence.

I will, Shell. And that is an excellent lead-in to the next part about the "myth of stranger danger". Gavin De Becker suggests that not only should you NOT teach your kids not to speak to strangers, but that you should encourage them to do so (while with a parent). Most cases of child abduction and sexual abuse are NOT perpetrated by strangers, but by someone you know. In most instances the parent and/or child was uncomfortable with the person or had an intuitive feeling that something wasn't right. But in our culture, we teach children, especially girls, that they are to be polite, they they have to kiss Uncle so and so even if they don't want to. This has tuaght us and teaches our children to ignore their personal boundaries and their intuition. Our brains are constantly processing information, even things we aren't consciously aware of. Nuances in tone of voice, facial expressions, body language. Those pieces of information that we are not necessarily aware of feed our intuition. The goal is to continue to "train" our intuition. By encouraging our children (under our supervision) to observe and talk to strangers and then discussing what they saw and felt, we can encourage them to develop their intuition and trust it. As you see a man walking down the street, ask your child what they think of the man and why (i.e. maybe he looks friendly because he is holding his head up high and smiling, maybe he looks scary because he is staring down and the sidewalk and frowning. Maybe when you asked the man what time it was, he stepped into your "body space" and that made you uncomfortable.) None of those things in and of themselves are a guarantee that a person is safe or dangerous, but as you begin to compile information you will find certain groupings of things which will definitely set off warnings. In addition, it is better to be wrong and think a safe person is dangerous than to be wrong and decide a dangerous person is safe. We need to let our children know that someone scares them or makes them uncomfortable it is ok to walk or run away even if it does seem rude.

In light of the direction this country is going, continuing to release violent offenders back into society, I thought this might be a good topic. I am currently reading "Protecting the Gift" by Gavin De Becker, who works for the FBI and thought I would share some of his thoughts on protecting your children. I would also be interested in hearing what things you do and have taught your children, in order to keep them safe. I will post this in several parts throughout the next couple of days. I think a good place to start is with some statistics . . . ** 1 in 3 girls and 1 in six boys will have sexual contact with an adult. ** Usually the adult is someone the family knows, sometimes a daycare worker, sometimes a neighbor, but most often athe sexual abuse is perpetrated by a family member. ** According to a study by the National Institute of Mental Health the average molester of girls will have about 50 victims before being caught and convicted; the average molester of boys will have 150 victims before being caught and convicted. ** After being caught, most pedophiles will have plenty of opportunity to continue their crimes while awaiting trial. Some have known to victimize as many as 300 children during the course of their lives. ** According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics 15% of reported rape victims are younger than 12. ** Nearly 100% of the offenders are believed to be heterosexual men. All of them have a process by which they gain access to and control of a child. This last statistic leads into one of the keys to protecting your child. Teaching "Stranger Danger" not only does NOT protect your child, but could actually place them in a higher risk. Instead you should teach your child that if they are ever separated from you or in a position to need help from an adult when you are not available, they should look for a female - ideally one who already has children with her. Why a female instead if a police officer or security guard? 1. Because one may not be available. 2. Because many young kids cannot tell the difference between a police officer and a security guard. Here is some scary information on security guards . . . ** Son of Sam serial killer, the assassin of John Lennon, and the Hillside Strangler are but a few of the security guards who have killed.

is this week - so let your teachers know how much you appreciate them. They need it this far into the year. And for all you teachers here at the cafe - thank you for the wonderful job you have done and continue to do!

I love squirrels. I once raised a baby squirrel whose mother must have died. He was the sweetest little thing. I used to take him outside and put him in trees to try and teach him how to live in the wild and he would run down the tree and climb up my leg and sit on my shoulder - he didn't want anything to do with those trees.

I can do weekends, but I have a very strong preference to NOT use AOL. I have a new machine which is untouched by anything aohell and would like to keep it that way if possible. Yahoo's programs are much cleaner and easier to uninstall should you ever want to get rid of them. How about - "what rituals do you practice and how do they help you feel/be more spiritually connected?" I'll wait to here more on date, time, and format.

Definitely interested. Need time, date, place etc. I am an early riser though. Best time for me during the week is between 8 - 9 p.m. I can be somewhat flexible on that though. There is a way to set up "private" rooms off the GS Cafe chatroom. I'm not exactly sure of how it works, but I know it can be done. That way if we used GS as the place we wouldn't be intruding on the regular chatters. Another possibility is through Yahoo IM - you can set up rooms through the IM and invite whomever you want into them.

I hear ya Galen. A little girl was abducted from her grandmother's house, a few blocks from mine, and killed. We have two convicted pedophiles living up the street - one a repeat offender. And we have a corner store that always has gangs of teenagers hanging out in front of it. Yet I see kids as young as 5 and 6 riding their bikes in the street, totally unspervised. As for mine - we fenced off the back yard and put locks on the gates. If the kids want to go to the park or go for a bike ride, an adult goes with them. I have also (thanks ExC) begun talking to the kids about the dangers of our society, and we talk through the different tactics pedophiles will use to try and lure them away. We discuss what if scenarios and teach the kids what to do should one occur. One of the really interesting things I've learned is that it is usually not the stranger your kids have to fear, but the people they know. When we teach our kids they should NEVER talk to strangers we give ourselves a false sense of security and may actually hinder a child's ability to seek help when they really need it. Instead it is better to teach them which adults are safe to seek help from and to teach them the tactics people will use to tear down their natural insticts and boundaries.

OK - here's one where I have to wonder what the hell the parents were thinking. . . "CHEYENNE, Wyo. A train operator in Wyoming was able to stop his locomotive just inches from a young brother and sister who were crossing the tracks. One resident says the six and seven-year-olds had just been dropped off from school Friday when they began wandering their neighborhood and raced toward the tracks. One train operator was able to warn an oncoming train about the kids and that driver slammed on his brakes. The resident says the children were "no more than an arm's length from that train" when it stopped. The father of the children says it doesn't appear as if they understand what took place." If your kids are too young to understand basic safety concepts like not wandering on a train track - why are they being allowed to roam around unsupervised??????

(((Ron))) it is very good to see you!

found the story here . . . story

I think our entirely country has gone insane. Five year olds in handcuffs - 9 year olds jabbing people with needles - school shut down over giant burrito.

not sure what to think of this . . . beyond GROSS The Associated Press Updated: 5:43 p.m. ET April 29, 2005RENO, Nev. - On a farm about six miles outside this gambling town, Jason Chamberlain looks over a flock of about 50 smelly sheep, many of them possessing partially human livers, hearts, brains and other organs. advertisement The University of Nevada-Reno researcher talks matter-of-factly about his plans to euthanize one of the pregnant sheep in a nearby lab. He can’t wait to examine the effects of the human cells he had injected into the fetus’ brain about two months ago. “It’s mice on a large scale,” Chamberlain says with a shrug. As strange as his work may sound, it falls firmly within the new ethics guidelines the influential National Academies issued this past week for stem cell research. In fact, the Academies’ report endorses research that co-mingles human and animal tissue as vital to ensuring that experimental drugs and new tissue replacement therapies are safe for people. Doctors have transplanted pig valves into human hearts for years, and scientists have injected human cells into lab animals for even longer. Biological mixing of species But the biological co-mingling of animal and human is now evolving into even more exotic and unsettling mixes of species, evoking the Greek myth of the monstrous chimera, which was part lion, part goat and part serpent. In the past two years, scientists have created pigs with human blood, fused rabbit eggs with human DNA and injected human stem cells to make paralyzed mice walk. Particularly worrisome to some scientists are the nightmare scenarios that could arise from the mixing of brain cells: What if a human mind somehow got trapped inside a sheep’s head? The “idea that human neuronal cells might participate in 'higher order' brain functions in a nonhuman animal, however unlikely that may be, raises concerns that need to be considered,” the academies report warned. Mice with human brains In January, an informal ethics committee at Stanford University endorsed a proposal to create mice with brains nearly completely made of human brain cells. Stem cell scientist Irving Weissman said his experiment could provide unparalleled insight into how the human brain develops and how degenerative brain diseases like Parkinson’s progress. Stanford law professor Hank Greely, who chaired the ethics committee, said the board was satisfied that the size and shape of the mouse brain would prevent the human cells from creating any traits of humanity. Just in case, Greely said, the committee recommended closely monitoring the mice’s behavior and immediately killing any that display human-like behavior. The Academies’ report recommends that each institution involved in stem cell research create a formal, standing committee to specifically oversee the work, including experiments that mix human and animal cells. Weissman, who has already created mice with 1 percent human brain cells, said he has no immediate plans to make mostly human mouse brains, but wanted to get ethical clearance in any case. A formal Stanford committee that oversees research at the university would also need to authorize the experiment.

its a mad mad world . . . . Bum wrap School mistakes huge burrito for weapon, goes into lockdownThe Associated Press Updated: 7:43 p.m. ET April 29, 2005CLOVIS, N.M. - A call about a possible weapon at a middle school prompted police to put armed officers on rooftops, close nearby streets and lock down the school. All over a giant burrito. advertisement Someone called authorities Thursday after seeing a boy carrying something long and wrapped into Marshall Junior High. The drama ended two hours later when the suspicious item was identified as a 30-inch burrito filled with steak, guacamole, lettuce, salsa and jalape?and wrapped inside tin foil and a white T-shirt. "I didn't know whether to laugh or cry," school Principal Diana Russell said. State police, Clovis police and the Curry County Sheriff's Department arrived at the school shortly after 8:30 a.m. They searched the premises and determined there was no immediate danger. Worried parents gather at school In the meantime, more than 30 parents, alerted by a radio report, descended on the school. Visibly shaken, they gathered around in a semicircle, straining their necks, awaiting news. "There needs to be security before the kids walk through the door," said Heather Black, whose son attends the school. After the lockdown was lifted but before the burrito was identified as the culprit, parents pulled 75 students out of school, Russell said. Russell said the mystery was solved after she brought everyone in the school together in the auditorium to explain what was going on. "The kid was sitting there as I'm describing this (report of a student with a suspicious package) and he's thinking, 'Oh, my gosh, they're talking about my burrito.'" Afterward, eighth-grader Michael Morrissey approached her. ‘I think I’m the person they saw’ "He said, 'I think I'm the person they saw,'" Russell said. The burrito was part of Morrissey's extra-credit assignment to create commercial advertising for a product. "We had to make up a product and it could have been anything. I made up a restaurant that specialized in oddly large burritos," Morrissey said. After students heard the description of what police were looking for, he and his friends began to make the connection. He then took the burrito to the office. "The police saw it and everyone just started laughing. It was a laughter of relief," Morrissey said. "Oh, and I have a new nickname now. It's Burrito Boy."

WG, I have been thinking about your post a lot, and I wanted to say again, I am sorry for the awful things I said. I also wanted to say that difficult or troubled kids are NOT necessarily a product of bad parenting. Sometimes it is genetics - neurological, chemical, phsyical, whatever. Sometimes things occur which are beyond our control and those things have a profound effect on our children. I am very fortunate, despite the troubles my son has. I have an older brother who was very much like my son when he was a child. He too is a mess to this day. BUT when he was a child, they did not have nearly the same amount of knowledge about these matters as we have available to us today. Back then it truly was shameful to need help with your child. Even when your own son was younger, the medical community and society in general did not know what is known today. That is why I say I am very fotunate. Because I have information and assistance available to me that many parents before me did not have.

Thanks a bunch you guys. I cannot even begin to express how much this means to not only him, but me as well. He really has overcome a lot of obstacles and it gives me great hope for the future.

WG, I apologize, I was out of line. I deleted the last two paragraphs of my previous post. I am sure you do love your son and that you have gone to bat for him at every opportunity.

I too have a son who has been diagnosed as ADHD, among other things. I'm not convinced that he is ADHD so much as he has a processing disorder called sensory integration disorder. But regardless of the label - he does take medication and the medication has helped, though I do not believe it is the medication alone that has gotten my son from where he was in kindergarten to where he is today. He has gone from a child who was continuously getting in fights at school, was rarely getting his work down in school (during one assessment he was observed to be under a desk drawing on the underside of it during class time), and barely able to read at his grade level - to a student worthy of the honor of student citizen of the year in second grade. He is now getting his work done in the class and at home, as well as working a grade level ABOVE his classmates. I do give medication part of the credit and I'm not sure he would have gotten here without it. I also give credit to 84 and myself for doing to research to find the help he needed and for working with him. And I give a great deal of credit to the wonderful teachers he has had over the past three years who were willing to work with him patiently. Willinging to listen to what I was telling them about him, read the books I brought into them, and NOT berate or belittle him when he behaved inapproprately. That is not to say they justignored bad behavior, but they dealt with it in a manner that also took into consideration the root problem. They learned to read him so they could head off problems beofore they occured. For example, his first grade teacher set up a quiet area for him, where he could go when he was having a difficult time controlling himself. We brought in ear plugs for him to use so he could dampen the sounds of the other students, because he cannot tune out the background noise and it distracted him to no end.