AP just covered the story so quite possibly true comment. How sad.

My daughter mentioned True Blood before [2008-11-18]
but I told her no way. She's only 14. I heard about the series, but I haven't had a chance to watch it. If I had a moment to read, I'd like to read the Twilight books myself, but I just can't seem to find a minute to do any reading. My daughter is going on Friday with her Twilight school group and then again on Saturday.

Yeah, the True Blood series is basically like soft porn... [2008-11-18]
definitely not advisable for a 14 year old!!!

If soft porn could possibly be more [2008-11-18]
NM

If soft porn could possibly be more [2008-11-18]
NM

Great story! NM [2008-11-17]

This Is So True [2008-11-15]
When I took an IQ test and scored 166, I thought it was a huge mistake.I struggled in school, which I believe is because I was bored. I am very good with technical things (computers and such), but I learn by doing not by reading. ThereI have had depression my whole adult life, but Iwrote about those with higher IQsare just like me. I always thought I was dumb because I did not get As or Bs in school and could not retainmost of whatI read. Of course, like I said, ADD plays a big role in that. Thanks for your post. Made me realize some things that I hadn Only my husband knows my IQ score...I don't want my friends or other family members to know (I don't think they would believe it).

True....nm [2008-11-14]
ss

The whole story is just sicko.......sm [2008-11-14]
I am not going to watch either, it makes me nauseous; they are all lunatics, including BW. Lately she is so interested in sexual stuff, she makes herself ridiculous.

This story is so weird to me, I can only wonder... [2008-11-13]
I watched 'The View' today. How did this man get pregnant? This is a puzzle to me. And how come that his wife, who had an hysterectomy is BREASTFEEDING the baby? How did her body produce milk? Isn't it that one must be pregnant before producing milk? t is all a hormone thing. This is all so weird to me, downright scary and I do not like it a bit.

Love movie "A Christmas Story" when dogs eat the turkey and they go out for Chinese. We love d [2008-11-13]
nm

No I didn't see that story. lol [2008-11-13]
That would be my cat. She is very protective and acts very much like a dog. It's funny to see people's reactions to her, even though they hear me speak of her. She's my princess and I'm sure that is part of the problem. :)

LOL at the elf story. [2008-11-12]
What a cute story about the Elf! I love that! My sister once had a friend call my nephew and saw she was Mrs. Claus. Omg, it was so cute. He was so serious on the phone talking to her. He must have been about 4. He was perfect that year waiting for Christmas and doing everything Mrs. C asked him to do. I think everyone puts the bag of marshmellows on the oven. That's too funny the things you remember. I'm sure it was funny at the moment though. I have finally given up shopping the day after Thanksgiving too. Itgreat deal so I vowed never again from that day. Unfortunately, from what I have heard, my mom was one of those mean people trying to get my cabbage patch kid that I spoke of earlier. lol It's very unlike her but I guess you'll do anything if you know it will mean that much to your kids.

Loved the clown-box story! AND.... - sm [2008-11-11]
there are ways to regift that can actually make you totally grateful that you got that gift in the first place! One year my brother (whose heart is in the right place, but who always finds the most notoriously bizarre and useless gifts) gave me a bright red, fuzzy laughing Elmo toy. (Tickle-Me-Elmo?) Anyway, it had this really annoying, creepy laugh. I only tickled him once, heard that laughing banshee-shriek come out of him, and nearly threw him in the dumpster, I hated that sound so much. Well, later on Christmas day, I saw a little 5-year-old boy that lived in my apartment complex. The kid was a real cutie, but I couldn't stand his mom. Then, an evil, Grinch-like thought came to mind.... I told the kid to wait a minute before going upstairs, because 'I had something that I thought Santa had delivered to my house by mistake'. Then I ran into my apartment, grabbed the offensive Elmo, and asked the boy if that was something Santa should have brought to him (giving him the option to say 'heck no!')... but he said yes, he was hoping he would get an Elmo, and Santa hadn't brought him one! So, I said, 'Well then, here ya go - this must have been in Santa's bag for you.' Heh heh.... It did my heart good later that evening, when I went outside and could hear that evil 'Hahahahahahahahahaha' coming from the apartment of that lady I didn't like.

Thank you for you comment.......sm [2008-11-11]
and I wish you all the best. People who think that they can deliberately destroy their lives, are inconsiderate, selfish and unthankful towards people who love them. Self-destruction is a sin, because it is a slow suicide.

So true! [2008-11-03]
Me too! I always figured I must be the only poor schmuck out there hooked on a product, because they pull it from the market!

Um..it was my ex-husband's story, not mine. I just retold it. [2008-11-02]
x

Home Alone 1, A Christmas Story, Home for the Holidays, Chevy Chase's Christmas, sm [2008-10-27]
There The Gift of the Magi, He sells his gold watch to buy her a comb for her hair and she sells her beautiful long hair to buy him a chain for his gold watch. It used to be on Short Stories by O but thatIt -- too depressing, especially with banks closing, too intimidating right now!!!

Home Alone 1, A Christmas Story, Home for the Holidays, Chevy Chase's Christmas, sm [2008-10-27]
There The Gift of the Magi, He sells his gold watch to buy her a comb for her hair and she sells her beautiful long hair to buy him a chain for his gold watch. It used to be on Short Stories by O but thatIt -- too depressing, especially with banks closing, too intimidating right now!!!

Christmas Story is my number one off all time - never get sick of that flick! nm [2008-10-25]
nm

This is true scripture. However, I made a point [2008-10-16]
when the parishioners in Sunday School elevated themselves as better than the people who were not at church that day. I pointed out there are many reasons, such as having to work, or having to tend to a sick person, or being ill, including emotionally challenged. THey had no clue what I, as the Pastorus versus them disgusts me. Truly it does. BTW: I have to transcribe on Sundays, because my husband's Pastor job does not pay enough for me to quit and guess what, as MTs we have to work weekends. I work because I have to. And not because I am avoiding regular church, which BTW our denomination does not offer services other than Sunday morning.

How true. It is such a shame for some of these breeds to all [2008-10-13]
be put in a category of being dangerous, etc. Like I stated in my post above in reply to the Pitbull in the Halloween costume some breeders play on some of the traits of the ones they feel will be more aggressive, larger, more muscle, etc. Then they breed them with another dog they feel has that potential, and so on. A responsible breeder who is concerned only for the well being of the dog and loves the breed will breed only the ones who do not display aggression or the potential for it. I once went to the house of a friend whose dad had a Doberman for years. The dog was there that night, and to be honest I was afraid. I entered the house cautiously to find that the dog was afraid of ME. She had a squeaky toy and lay under the chair all night playing with the toy. She was a thing of beauty. I will never forget her and I learned new respect and to do some reading and research before coming reaching conclusions.

How true. It is such a shame for some of these breeds to all [2008-10-13]
be put in a category of being dangerous, etc. Like I stated in my post above in reply to the Pitbull in the Halloween costume some breeders play on some of the traits of the ones they feel will be more aggressive, larger, more muscle, etc. Then they breed them with another dog they feel has that potential, and so on. A responsible breeder who is concerned only for the well being of the dog and loves the breed will breed only the ones who do not display aggression or the potential for it. I once went to the house of a friend whose dad had a Doberman for years. The dog was there that night, and to be honest I was afraid. I entered the house cautiously to find that the dog was afraid of ME. She had a squeaky toy and lay under the chair all night playing with the toy. She was a thing of beauty. I will never forget her and I learned new respect and to do some reading and research before coming reaching conclusions.

A sad story...sm [2008-10-13]
I have a sad story to tell. My husband She was coming from a night out and was drinking and wrecked. She was ejected from the vehicle and suffered severe head trauma. She was put on life support and was found to be brain dead. Her parents had to make the decision to pull the plug. The doctor assured them she had no brain activity and could not breath on her own or anything. So they unplugged her yesterday. This young woman was I think if not mistaken 29 years old. She had 3 children ages 8, 4, and 2. They have no mother now. She was so disfigured from the accident that her boyfriend went in ICU to see her and hit the floor as he passed out from the shock of seeing her face. She never dreamed when she left to go out last Friday night that she wouldn I had the pleasure of knowing this woman for her brief time here on Earth. She will be so missed by her children and the rest of her family. The 8 year old boy is taking it by far the worst because he comprehends what death means and that he won The 4-year-old just knows mommy is in heaven but can The 2-year-old just doesn She just misses her mommy. Brief story about what the 4-year-old said to her mawmaw yesterday: They were going down the road and she had learned earlier that day her mama was gone to heaven. She was staring out the window at the sky because she was told that was where mommy was. She was just desperately hoping for a glimpse of mom I guess. Then she said mawmaw that And she pointed to the sun. It was shining really bright inside the car on them. It was a really sunny day. Her mawmaw says where baby? She said do you see the sun mawmaw? She said yes baby I see it. She said that She is watching me mawmaw. This is from a 4-year-old. Now if that don Pray for these children who have suffered probably the greatest loss they will know. And please don

A sad story...sm [2008-10-13]
I have a sad story to tell. My husband She was coming from a night out and was drinking and wrecked. She was ejected from the vehicle and suffered severe head trauma. She was put on life support and was found to be brain dead. Her parents had to make the decision to pull the plug. The doctor assured them she had no brain activity and could not breath on her own or anything. So they unplugged her yesterday. This young woman was I think if not mistaken 29 years old. She had 3 children ages 8, 4, and 2. They have no mother now. She was so disfigured from the accident that her boyfriend went in ICU to see her and hit the floor as he passed out from the shock of seeing her face. She never dreamed when she left to go out last Friday night that she wouldn I had the pleasure of knowing this woman for her brief time here on Earth. She will be so missed by her children and the rest of her family. The 8 year old boy is taking it by far the worst because he comprehends what death means and that he won The 4-year-old just knows mommy is in heaven but can The 2-year-old just doesn She just misses her mommy. Brief story about what the 4-year-old said to her mawmaw yesterday: They were going down the road and she had learned earlier that day her mama was gone to heaven. She was staring out the window at the sky because she was told that was where mommy was. She was just desperately hoping for a glimpse of mom I guess. Then she said mawmaw that And she pointed to the sun. It was shining really bright inside the car on them. It was a really sunny day. Her mawmaw says where baby? She said do you see the sun mawmaw? She said yes baby I see it. She said that She is watching me mawmaw. This is from a 4-year-old. Now if that don Pray for these children who have suffered probably the greatest loss they will know. And please don

true story lol [2008-10-09]
We had a neighbor who used to work for a vending machine company. Well he retired, and I guess they get to keep like so much candy or whatever, or maybe he owned the company, I don't know. Anyways, he gave us a five POUND box of runts. You know the candy that is shaped like fruit (which always was kind of an oxymoron to me...) anyways, when we bought our new house, the realtor gave us a candy dish as a housewarming gift (is that common practice?) Well long story short, I totally attribute that box of runts to my ten pound weight gain when we moved in! Fortunately some renegade mice got into it and we had to throw the rest out!

DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO [2008-11-21]
I don't usually post anything on the internet but I was hoping to maybe get some positive feedback. I started as an MT in 1990. I worked for Kaiser in So CA for 15 years. I transcribed all work types and all specialties for hundreds of doctors.I took pride in my work and found it challenging on how to find ways to get the reportsdone faster. I had a very good job -$22.00per hour when I left - (they are union.) Ihad to leave because I had to have asubacromial decompression for impingement syndrome on my right and left shoulder. I still have flare-ups from pain. It was due to my job, and they could not honor my work restrictions when it was time to go back (I could only work 4 hurs a day)so I had to leave. That was okay with me - I had been commuting 100 miles round trip for years and I was burned out.I started a small transcription business of my own and had a few accounts - (I did them all myself.) I also have worked for a few transcription services throughout the years. I am not bragging by any means but I was always told that I did a very good job and I had very particular doctors. About a year ago my husbandcontracting businesstook off and he told me I did not have to work anymore. That was fine with me. Only now, due to theeconomy, the contractingbusiness is down. Anyway, I have to go back to transcribing as we have no money. I mean NO money, and we owe a lot. I have never been in this situation in my life and I am very scared. My point being - asyou all know when you stop transcribing hospital transcription for a time you lose a lot of your skillsI guess you would say. My confidence is way down. I have failed a few tests. I am 51 years old and I am scared to death. I have to find a job. Why can I am so down and I thought maybe some of you had been through this before. I did not mean to tell my life story, but when I explain to my husband or my friends they don Anyway thanks for listening....

Hot chocolate mix [2008-11-20]
My sister-in-law to their homebound friends at church. They used powdered hot chocolate mix but added creamer and milk chocolate chips to it. They put it in a Mason jar covered with fabric and tied a ribbon around it. It was really cute and it really does taste wonderful!! I don't know if you would want to give that to your boss, but I might make some for neighbors and keep some on hand for unexpected gifts we receive.

Do any of you have a spouse [2008-11-20]
who can How do you work it out? Are you just stuck always being the bad guy? Unfortunately, the entire United States is having a difficult financial time. It is obviously not just our household. We have cut back everywhere we can, and I mean everywhere. Our families are having difficult problems as well. We also have an ex-spouse and have had unexpected increases in child support, etc. recently along with unexpected additional expenses where this is concerned. Basically, the child needs new glasses, etc. even though the child really doesn It just seems like it is one thing after another and I know it is for everyone, although the circumstances may be slightly different. My problem is that I have been telling my husband for months that this was coming, along with Christmas, birthday, etc. He hasn Although we have cut back on many things, on my initiative, it just has not sunk in for him until now...when everything finalized and we dont To top this off, he can Ibad guy because he is ok with all of it although he admits he has no idea where the money is going to come from. I have been upfront with my family and when people ask me but is it too much to ask that he do the same? I dont But of course he wants to constantly remind me (the cheap skate and tight-a$$) to cut back on groceries, etc. which I cannot possibly do any more than I have already. We have nothing left in savings. We have no Christmas fund. I I donI told you so but I did tell him and he had no concerns until now...when we are seemingly headed towards financial trouble. I have been working OT but his OT has been cut indefinitely from his employer. I I must say he doesn't buy things for himself..its just the piddling away of $20 here and $20 there on top of our already mounting unexpected expenses.

My husband is oblivious to our finances [2008-11-20]
Sometimes that It sounds like maybe your husband is too proud to tell his family that he can I I would suggest talking to the leader of his family, the person who hosts the get-togethers, and let them know that you do the finances and you just don It doesn I would certainly let your husband know that you are going to say something beforehand, but he doesn I For birthdays, we take the time to call and wish that person a happy birthday. We don My brother lives about 2 hours away, so we don Unless his family is loaded, I'm sure they'll understand. As for the glasses, I just took my son for new glasses yesterday. The eye doctor said he needs a new prescription, but I asked if just the lenses could be replaced and the frames reused. He said absolutely. Our insurance covers new frames, lenses and the exam, but my son has a tendency to break things at the most inopportune time. We just bought him these glasses in June because he broke them and according to the insurance, it wasn Now that he is eligible for everything new, we asked for just the lenses. If he breaks his frames later in the year, we can just get new frames (covered by insurance) and pop the lenses in. The only problem there would be is they discontinue his frames because the new lenses probably wouldn So, something to consider here is, if your stepchild needs a new prescription and already has glasses, then I would check with your lawyer to see if you can just buy new lenses for the current frames. The frames are what normally cost the most anyway.

there is a parallel universe! [2008-11-20]
Depressed is the right word for what he feels, so you can shut your mouth right now. This is all about guilt. I am a step-mom too and I swear you are telling my story down to the glasses! I would love to tell you that you are in this together and partners, etc., but the truth is my husband did not come around until he got a good job, a really good job that had status and paid a lot of money, and he had to do that all on his own. I let him buy expensive clothes, because for some reason, every time he got a raise it co-incided with buying a nicer suit or tie, so you can help him there. All the nightmarish gift exchanges, arguments about buying lotto tickets, not eating out, step-kids, all the horrific details and arguments just came down to him deciding to step up. Then it all just went away, the depression, the lotto tickets, and the give away the farm stuff too. Good luck to you! Don't give up on him!

I agree with the posters below. [2008-11-20]
You need to move closer to family and see a doctor. You can also find the local social services department and they will provide free medications for 6 months. you will have to see one of their doctors but and fill out some paperwork but that's the only catch. Depression is higher around the holidays. The weather, finances, family, on top of every day stresses can be overwhelming. Being in this antisocial job doesn't help either. I have often thought of getting something a few days a week just to get out of the house. I think it would do anyone good. Know that things could always be worse and they will get better. Your grandson is young, he doesnwhere as this is a common occurrence in kids. I thought it was only my child but since have found many others are the same. Keep your head up and do what you can. It's ok to cry and vent to others. Don't keep it all bottled up inside. You will be surprised to find who your true friends and family are when you open up and really need them.

AA [2008-11-20]
Not someone from AA, a bunch of people! They love 12-step calls! They fight over who gets to go! It is a treat to help someone, to tell their horror stories to the new guy. They don't even care if they get the door slammed in their face! They will think is hilarious and tell the story in all their meetings! They are a happy bunch of guys and would love to help you out.

Last month I spent $321 for 3 of us. [2008-11-18]
It's just DH, 18 year-old son, and I. We live in the Philadelphia area. We generally eat far less meat than most American families, but we aren't vegetarian. My son commutes to a nearby university and works there, as well. He provides his own lunches, and probably only eats breakfast at home half of the time. Now, if you want to factor in what we pay for the meal plan for our son who lives away at college, well then... that's a whole other story! KA-CHING!

I try not to even think about it until after Thanksgiving [2008-11-18]
It annoys me just a little that everyone forgets about Thanksgiving. It it a true American tradition/holiday that has pretty much just a prelude anymore to the commercial, overrated Christmas. The people across the street have their glitzy white shimmering tree up. I just don't get it...

thank you! [2008-11-17]
you can read his story here: http://www.dogster.com/dogs/600278

Pitbull Hero [2008-11-17]
Stray Pit Bull Saves Woman, Child from AttackerPet Pulse Staff Reports Browse NewsFront Page BY CATEGORY:Alerts Notices Animal Attacks Care Safety Crime Law Cruelty Abuse Deaths Accidents Entertainment Health Science Heroes International Lost Found New Trends Petlanthropy Strange But True Survival BY PET:Dogs Cats Fish Birds Horses Reptiles Small Pets Other Pets November 5, 2008 A dog came out of nowhere and stopped a knife-wielding robber from accosting a mother and her young son on Monday afternoon. (Pet Pulse Illustration by Tim Mattson) PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- The wandering 65-pound Pit Bull mix might have seemed menacing to some passerby, but one woman will always remember him as her guardian angel. The dog, which authorities think is lost and not a stray, successfully thwarted a robbery attack on a mother and her 2-year-old son, who were held at knifepoint Monday afternoon. The Florida woman, who has been identified by authorities simply as Angela, was leaving a playground with her toddler son in Port Charlotte when a man approached her in the parking lot with a knife and told her not to make any noise or sudden movements. Angela didn't have to do either to protect herself and her child -- a dog mysteriously ran to the scene and charged the man, who quickly fled. I don Animal Control Lt. Brian Jones told Pet Pulse. I don The exceptional part of the story, Jones said, is that the dog had never met or even seen the people it quickly jumped to defend. You hear about family dogs protecting their owners, but this dog had nothing to do with this woman or her kid, Jones said. He was like her guardian angel. After the alleged thief ran away, Angela quickly placed her son, Jordan, in the car and tried to drive off. Before she could, though, the dog jumped into her backseat, waiting with her for the police and animal control officers to arrive at the scene. The dog was transported to a local shelter and if his owners donAngel. Animal control officers and shelter workers believe Angel is lost, and not a stray, because of his good health, sturdy weight and mild temperament. It Jones said of Angel's possible owners. For Angela, it doesn't matter where the dog came from, just that he was there when she needed him most. I don Angela told NBC2 News. For a small town with a population of 46,452, animal control officers were kept busy Monday afternoon. Jones says they department also responded to a report about a boa constrictor in a church parking lot. The snake found its way into a car engine and was able to be removed without being harmed. It took three people to move the massive, seemingly random placed snake. It he said of the Gulf Coast town. And we can go for four or five months without the media contacting us about a story. It Officers from the responding county sheriff's office canvased the area and were unable to locate the suspect described as being in his 20s, tall and dark haired. Tell us what you think about Stray Dog Saves Woman, Child Held at Knifepoint below. Share your favorite videos by clicking on the ZootooTV tab. Send us your story ideas by e-mailing us at news@zootoo.com or by calling us at 877-777-4204. Pet Pulse reporter Amy Lieberman and NBC-2.com contributed to this article.

Need some advice on an old friendship -- [2008-11-16]
I got divorced 7 years ago. Started out as a friendly divorce and then I started dating a man that my ex did not like (because he is black) and we quit speaking at all. Then, one of my very good friends started backing off from the friendship andI thought it was because I was openly dating a black man. Well, 4 months later, I heard that she was dating my exhusband. I called her and asked her about it and of course she denied it, could not believe I accused her of that, she would never do that to me..... on and onand on. To make a long story short, of course 2 months later I found out it was true, they had bee seeing each other for about 6 or 7 months. Anyway, during that time period after I knew that they were together but before they broke up, I would call her occasionally if I needed information on my son (who lived with his dad and would not speak to me at that time becaue of brainwashing) and we stayed friendly on the phone, felt like old times, etc. Then they broke up and now occasionally I get the urge to call her or she will call me for something, and it is like nothing ever happened. We laugh and cut up and it I have some thoughts though about when it really started, before we were even divorcing or during the divorce, and then sometimes I get really mad because she lied to me in the first place and let me keep trying to have a friendship, and then sometimes I miss her and think it does not matter because we were divorced and he was free and I definitely did not want him back. My problem is what to do? Forgive her and forget her... forgive her and be friends again... ask her the questions I need answers to and then decide whether to be friends??? And the other big problem is my new husband gets very upset every time I even speak to her because she did thatto me when she was my friend and he says you never go behind friends to their love interests. Advice please....

Yep, RUN, she was never really a friend to start with. [2008-11-16]
A true friend doesn Dating a friend Sounds like your new husband has a good head on his shoulders. Hope it works out well for you.

Yep, RUN, she was never really a friend to start with. [2008-11-16]
A true friend doesn Dating a friend Sounds like your new husband has a good head on his shoulders. Hope it works out well for you.

I say forgive, of course, but forget, NO WAY......sm [2008-11-16]
To be a true friend and truly care for someone, you first have to respect them and honor their dignity....how can care for anyone, friend, lover, or whatever, if you cannot be TRUTHFUL? How can you say you respect someone whiile blatantly lying to them? As a Christian and hopefully good person, I belive we always have to forgive, but to forget as if nothing had happened, that is impossible, I would think. She betrayed you by lying, not by seeing your ex, that is HER problem if she wants a second-hand loser, but friendship is a sacred bond, I am sure you can forge some newer, better friendships, can you ever feel any confidence in this woman again? Just my firm opinion, I had this done to me many years ago when very young, and although we tried, the friendship was never the same, for obvious reasons. God bless in your decision!

Yes, God bless Fred, and God Bless you in your kindness and love...sm [2008-11-16]
We had to put two of our pets, to gorgeous cats that had been our babies for 16+ years, in much the same story, they had gotten to the point where they were suffering and would suffer more. Horrible, heartbreaking decision, hurts like heck, but I do believe there have to be darling pets in Heaven, I cannot imagine how it would be heaven without them, they are so precious and give us so much love and happiness! So sorry for your loss!

I think she fancies herself [2008-11-15]
some sort of media behavioral psychologist/intellectual, and she seems to think we find the same things fascinating that she does. Me? I think it's a story about a person struggling with life and trying to find happiness in a world that's confusing if you don't fit a mold.

for blondie and forever pitbull owner [2008-11-15]
I thought you might like to read the below story. http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/27704926?GT1=43001

I need some advice [2008-11-15]
Ok this is the story: My husband is still friends with his first girlfriends family. This does not bother me. She did a couple of things to really disgrace her family when she was dating him but after a period of time he still kept in touch with them as we live in a very small community. When we met and got engaged they were all very kind to me and the mother even did the cake and flowers for our wedding. The ex is never around much so no big deal. Well this past weekend her great grandmother passed. My husband had known this woman for sometime and the mother asked him to come to the funeral and told me I was not to feel like I shouldnI. To which the ex rolled her eyes and looked at her HUSBAND. So we walked away. To tell you the truth, we didn't really care. Well we get a phone call about an hour ago from the exum we aren Well, knowing how immature the ex and her husband are, we knew they were behind this (plus we could hear them in the background). So my husband told the boy Look, it Well a few minutes later he gets a text message from the brother saying my mom can (which obviously is not true since we saw her Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon and she was obviously not mental). So my husband sent back a message saying Look, whatever issues your sister has with me and your mom having an ADULT friendship, she needs to take those up with your mom, but quit trying to start drama. Well a few minutes later the phone rings. My husband handed me the phone. Knowing how mad he was at the moment, I answered. It was the ex. She asked if she could talk to him, and I said No. This needs to stop right now, it She said well my mom is really going crazy and she can. She went on for about five minutes and I said fine, we won I'm just so angry right now! I mean this is high school drama! What would you do? I know the mom will be absolutely heartbroken if my husband and I just stop coming to see her and talking to her (since her lovely daughter never comes home). I mean except for the funeral, we never go around if she is going to be there, and we don't sit there and talk bad about her or anything. I honestly think she knows she screwed up by messing around on him SIX YEARS AGO and is just upset that he's married and happy and it sounds like her husband is a jerk.

Barbara Walters [2008-11-14]
I think Barbara Walters lost it! She is so obsessed with this woman turned pregnant fatherstory, it is ridiculous. What is so 'mysterious' about it? It was a woman, who wished she were a man, got rid of her breasts, took testosterone which caused her masculine features and beard etc....andBW thinks this is all a She will even talk about it and interview this freakish creature today in 20/20. I think BW should finally call it quits. These 2 people only want to make money out of this.

Not really that amazing, is it? [2008-11-14]
I wondered the same thing - is this the most interesting thing they could come up with? I mean, when I first saw the pictures of what looked like a man with a big pregnant belly, it kind of struck me, but once you know the story, it's nothing, really. How can they make a whole show about this? There HAS to be a better story out there somewhere. Almost anything would be more interesting than this. *YAWN*

Alternative Christmas celebration and [2008-11-14]
Does anyone here NOT celebrate the traditional Christmas with their kids...specifically I am referring to the Santa portion. I am thinking about doing this with our second child (currently pregnant). Our first child is now old enough to know the truths and it is kind of a relief to be honest. I have tried and tried to stress the importance of family and the true meaning over Santa but its really hard. Recently I have just been thinking that may be next time it would be easier all the way around to not follow that but wonder how it would work with school, people asking, etc.

I agree. What is the big deal, other [2008-11-14]
that exploiting yourself on TV wanting to be a man and then wanting to have a child. My brother calls them SHIMS. It What is so hard to believe. The so-called man kept his female reproductive organs. . . end of story.

I agree ... an idea [2008-11-14]
I think it might be better to just tell the story of the real St. Nicholas who was so generous (Google for specific info on him) and tell your child that in remembrance of his special generosity, you will give some presents in his name (and can still call him the evolved Santa name). That way, there is still some special mystery feeling involved but no lies! My 2nd child really got upset too and so did my nephews. It seems it can teach a child to not trust even his/her own parents when going the old route with the whole Santa thing.

Explaining a couple of things sm [2008-11-14]
I studied IQ as part of my Masterget you because your sense of humor is probably well off the beaten track. You probably lack social skills from an early age. Your peers would play childhood games while you preferred to try to improve upon the toys they played with. In school, you didn't have to work very hard in most areas. It all came very easily. You didn't learn how to learn, which is a very valuable skill. You probably have a low frustration level and when something doesn't come very easily, you are prone to giving up. Because you see the world in completely different terms than people of more average intelligence, those same average people call you crazy or mentally ill and tell you that you should be locked up. You don't fit in and despite the higher intelligence, you are remiss to know how to accomplish the feat of being more ordinary. I alluded to this in my previous post. I have the unusual combination of being very artistic, creatively gifted AND being rather intellectually gifted. Yes, I did fall at the 99.6% percentile on the Wechsler. I know what it means and I have a firm understanding that indeed, that score suggests that I possess more intelligence than 99.6% of the people who have taken that test, and only 0.4% are smarter than I am. It has been a life-long struggle to fit in. I am too cerebral for artistic people, and too artistic for intellectuals. I literally have no one I fit in with. I have learned to tone myself down to make it work. I didn't say dumb down, I said tone down. That means I don't intentionally talk over the heads of others and I won't cram what I know down anyone's throat. I have had those people in my life who have been jealous of me. I learn quickly if it is artistic, musical, creative, the written word, history and philosophy. I struggle with math. I took piano lessons 10 years ago. I had 40 of them and had never played the piano before. In 40, 1-hour lessons I could play the Moonlight Sonata in piano solo (not a dumbed down easy version). Most people cannot do that. There many other things I have done in a similar fashion, but this is an example for you. You ask why I am an MT if I am so smart. I make very good money as an MT and I enjoy the challenge. My photographic memory comes in very handy too. I often stop and read up on a disease process I am transcribing about, so that I know what it means. Show me a word once and I'll know it forever. It makes my job easier for me to accomplish. This all sounds like I am blowing my own horn, but I am merely trying to explain. Being highly intelligent wonreally smart is not only not helpful, I think it is the root of the housecleaning issues in my life. In short, it is just great to have a good ol' high number and in the end it makes absolutely difference...if you don't count the fact that people with IQs over 150 are 3 times more likely to be depressed and commit suicide than the average population. People who are 125 to 140 are the most fortunate. They succeed in greater numbers in school, in a job, in life. They are very bright, and likely have learned how to learn. They are more likely to persevere in the face of frustration and challenge. It really isn't all you think it is.