I think it is called denial sm

hubby just called our 5 year old a dumba__ [2008-10-27]
He was in the living room making a fire and my son kept touching things he told him not to and i heard him say, I said quit touching the wood, dumb__ I came out of the bedroom stomping down the hall and took my son back here with me. I am in tears, I can't believe he would call him that!!!! am i over reacting??

Called the doctor's office [2008-10-21]
and they suggested this too. Also said to try Gatorade. Any idea how to make tonic water taste better? It is nasty stuff! I will suck it down but ick!

Hubby called - didn't get one but his friend did [2008-10-12]
They are going out again next weekend. I know what you mean about the jerky - I love it!! In fact, we are hoping he gets a deer because we were going to make jerky for Christmas gifts!

The department you deal with in Michigan for things like this is called "Friend of the Court". [2008-09-22]
You need to get in touch with your version of this in your state and tell them what is going on and file a form for re-do the visitation agreement. You may even have to see your original divorce attorney. We went through this with my husbandin pro per form. Which basically is a DIY form. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but you need to get started now to get your ducks in a row. Have you thought about talking to somebody at the local VA office in your state or city? Those guys are a wealth of information. Good luck to you.

That is why it is called compulsive/pathologic -sm [2008-09-18]
They can't tell the truth to save their soul, they actually believe their lies and have told so many they no longer know what the truth is. BTDT, sad people feel the need to do that just to seem better than they are or to have people feel sorry for them.

That is called fraud. [2008-09-09]
x

Mom called friends?..........who are these [2008-09-08]
xx

I just called and they said they haven't been [2008-09-01]
grrrr

I once called in a pizza order to be picked up [2008-08-18]
and the guy on the phone said off-handedly....I don't need to charge you the extra dollar since it is not being delivered. I asked if that dollar went to the delivery person and he sheepishly said no. Really ticked me off.

We used to do that, we called it junkin' [2008-08-12]
Then werake it in. We also used to cut grass. My Dad did hauling jobs and we got a pool table one time. He

It's called Prey Drive [2008-08-04]
Yes, there are things you can do, especially depending on breed. In particular, if your dog is a large breed like a GSD or Rotti, please get on the web and research prey drive.Virtually every breed has at least 1 great web site dedicated to itwhere you can lurk or join and learn tons of stuff. Prey drivecan escalate if unchecked, no matter how sweet and nice your dog is.High prey drivedogs may kill cats, dogs, etc. Most dogs simply want a job. If they get to do their job each day, some of their behaviors can be modified and changed. I understand how frustrating it is, but try to remember your dog is doing what is absolutely normal for him. Working on the problem now may really save you and your dog heartbreak down the road. I wish you both the best of luck!

I would have called the police right from the start, especially with underage drinking. [2008-07-07]
the mother could be brought up on charges of furnishing aldohol to minors for starters. Don't put up with it for another minute. The police will not tell who called, they just show up on the door step and take care of business. Good luck.

There is something called the MDR1 gene...sm [2008-07-03]
MDR1 (multi-drug resistance gene). Itfound in herding breeds likecollies, aussies, etc., and somel other breeds as well. It The only way to know is to test the dog to see if has the gene or is a carrier. (I think that just involves a cheek swab.) Were these dogs related to each other? I wonder if that gene was the cause, or if the vet was negligent, or if it was just terrible luck. It Beforesurgery,Italk to the vet and make sureI understandwhat kind of drugs and anesthetic they use, and how the dog is monitored during anesthesia and while recovering. Just like with people, there is always a risk. Some vets have all the fancy, high tech equipment for monitoring, but others relymore onan assistantto do it manually. I prefer There are not nearly as many vet anesthesiologists in the vet world as there are in human medicine. II I just read about this gene when I was helping a friend research the breed. Her first aussie died at a ripe old age of about 14 yrs old, I think, andshe has one thatyear old and has had no health problems that I know of. Isorry for your friend. To have a dog die after a flea dip of all things... and then another after routine teeth cleaning. There is always a risk with anesthesia, but we get so used to thinking it She took her current Aussie to the vet for neutering. When he came home he was lethargic. They took him back and the doctor put him on an IV to flush his system of any anesthesia? This s/l either the dog had a bad reaction to the anesthesia, or the vet went overboard and gave too much...

I called them today and begged and practically cried. [2008-05-21]
I also posted on the Folger And it I can I guess life could be worse, but at the moment I cangetting stiffed on child support, no economic stimulus rebate, and now no latte.

A friend called me today on my break SM [2008-05-19]
and says she and her husband visited her husband My friend went out to the desk and asked why . . . The patient has MRSA. No sign on door, no special instructions or precautions given to the public about visiting this patient. She says they were there for about an hour or so and she touched him different times during the visit. What do you think? The souce of the MRSA is unknown at this point. I told her to call her primary care and discuss this issue with him.

Yeah, Tried to... even called the state attorney general's office [2008-05-13]
to see if a medical facility could get away with charging that kind of interest and they said as long as they notified you prior to the bill, it's okay because you basically agree to the terms when you accept that form of payment option, which I didn't but... They advised me that I would have to hire a personal lawyer to fight it and I figured it wasn't worth it for a balance of 200.00. Pretty bad because that is the closest hospital. The next closest is almost 200 miles from here so they really stick it to the people who live in this community when health care is already sky high and the care is not entirely satisfactory either.

One of those so-called miracle teeth whitener kits on TV. SM [2008-05-06]
This one came with a special light . . . OH, RIGHT! I stood in the bathroom holding this stupid light (which I am sure was not more than a regular flashlight) up to my teeth, running to the kitchen where the light was better and swearing my teeth were getting whiter! Did this for a few days, applying the solution (which had no color, no smell) and NOTHING. After a few days of this exhausting procedure my teeth looked absolutely no better! TOTAL RIP OFF!

Called another medical office.... [2008-04-08]
to ask a question and the secretary said I I think that is very unprofessional. If you are at lunch, then I think one should either not answer the phone or put it in voicemail mode!

Just called the ASPCA yesterday to renew my membership [2008-03-31]
I was with them several months ago but changed banks. I appreciate the work they do with the animals and commend them and glad to be a part of their work.

Thats a new one. Being called the "T" word for being [2008-03-11]
x

Couldn't you have just called animal control? [2008-03-10]
xx

It was called Hawiian White Ginger..sm [2008-02-26]
and I wore it too! It perhaps we should petitionavon to bring it back. Cat

That was not called for. She copied this from an internet site, she did not write it. nm [2008-02-19]
nm

The so called movie stars of today are a big laugh [2008-02-19]
LL has nothing going for her in the way of the blond bombshell, Marilyn Monroe. Not the figure, not the status of being a real bonifide star, nothing. I know of no actress these days who can start to fill the shoes of actresses of years gone by. I miss the glamour, the mystique. These spoiled brats they have now that apparently like to show everything and in no class like the oldies. I cannot get past pics in my head of LL passed out in a car looking like a dopehead. Some class, huh?

I just called my friend and sang happy birthday on her lunch hour...sm [2008-02-15]
Juliet is a kindergarten teacher in NYC...She said, We just had our Valentine...All I could say was They She said, Well yeah, that. I said, Getready for a barforama!....If I hadnthroughitI couldCat

Boobage - SM [2008-11-21]
I feel ya, girlfriend...I wear a 32DD and the choices are so limited. Believe it or not, ICurvation. I bought a couple of them when they were on sale because they were really cute (black with pink ribbon trim and leopard print demi-cup with pink ribbon trim), but didn't really expect much from them and figured they'd just look nice. Imagine my surprise when not only did they look great, they actually provided support, lol!!! I found that the demi-cup is actually even MORE supportive than the full cup style, which I hadn't expected. Have fun and show those girls off to full advantage :-)

Sorry you are feeling so down (sm) [2008-11-20]
First of all, relax. You need to go to a doctor and get on an antidepressant? No insurance? If you can get the money to go to the doc for one visit, you can get them to prescribe an antidepressant that is on Walmart's $4 list and get it for $4 a month. Call United Way and see if they can direct you where to get help with your rent. Don't worry about whether or not you have cable, you'll be okay without that unless you need it for your job? Don't worry about not being able to give Christmas gifts...just explain that you don't have the money. People will understand and your grandson can have it explained to him. I have the same isolation issues that you do because of the job. Can you go to a temp agency and see about getting a job outside of your house so you can be around people more? There is a website called Exercisefriends.com where you can meet people in your area who want exercise buddies, maybe just someone who is starting out trying to walk every day or something like that (not sure what your fitness level is). Or advertise on Craigslist for a walking buddy (but be careful of course when first meeting the person). I met one of my best friends this way and have known her for 4 years now. If you want an email buddy feel free to email me. I think everyone is struggling right now and it is hard. I would be happy to have you vent to me via email all you want. :-)

make a call [2008-11-20]
Look in the phone book under Alcoholics Anonymous and call the central office. Tell them you need someone to make a 12-step call. Someone from your local area who is in AA will come over to your house and talk to your husband and you can leave with the kids during this time. By the time you get back, your husband will have decided whether or not he will sober up. Usually the person he talked to will assume responsibility for taking him to the meetings or finding someone who will sponsor him. So you are off the hook at this point. On the other hand, he may decide no thanks and then you will have your real answer. AA is free and pretty crowded with new people around the holidays, so the timing is good. The average age of a person coming into AA is 25 to 45, so there should be plenty of people for him to talk to. At the same meeting place there should be meetings for you called Al-Anon and for your son called Alateen. Good Luck!

Gift card to a game store? (sm) [2008-11-19]
You could hardly go wrong with that. Here we have one called Gamestop and that is always the birthday gift everyone requests.

My daughter is 14, and her favorite gift [2008-11-19]
is a gift card. We have them here that are called All Mall Gift Certificates so they can be spent at any store in the whole mall.

Eating Out - About the Same as You [2008-11-18]
We usually get take out on Friday's because I don't cook on Fridays (it's my day off so to speak). Then we go out on Saturday nights just my husband and myself and our best friends and usually spend about $40+ depending on where we go. The kids get together with their kids and they usually get some sort of take out. Then on Saturdays we usually either eat lunch out (fast food) and then Sundays either lunch or dinner out (fast food - I hate to say sometimes it's both). We have been trying to cut down the Saturdays and Sundays as far as the fast food goes. My daughter who is a vegetarian doesn't usually get much from the fast food restaurants so our bill usually isn't that large (About $10). We always use coupons, though (buy 1 get 1 free - we have what is called Entertainment Books that the schools usually sell). My husband will cook, and I hate to say he cooks better than I do.

Mexican Chicken soup [2008-11-18]
Ingredients 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 medium rib celery, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 6 cups chicken broth, low-sodium canned 1/4 cup canned green chiles 1 (15 1/2-ounce) can posole, drained or frozen corn kernels 4 canned whole peeled tomatoes, roughly chopped 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 cup cooked skinless shredded chicken breast (about 4 ounces) 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves Juice of 1 lime Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Directions Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, garlic, chili powder, and cumin, and cook until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil, reduce the heat slightly, and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add the green chiles, posole, tomatoes, and oregano and cook for another 5 minutes. Pull the saucepan from the heat and stir in the chicken, cilantro leaves, and lime juice. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve hot. I normally buy 2 of the already roasted chickens at the store (Wal-mart) and eat most of one chicken for dinner and then use the leftovers as well as the next chicken for the soup, I know that is more chicken than what is called for, but it just really makes for a wonderful soup. I don't always have cilantro on hand so I usually leave that out. Also, for the whole tomatoes, I usually use a large can of crushed tomatoes. Sometimes the soup is a little to thin so I might throw in a handful of instant rice. My family can't get enough of it.

Anonamiss, you are a sweet person too [2008-11-16]
and you I I had a neighbor drop 2 elderly ponies offin my pasture under the pretense of needing a place for them to stay for a week until she sold them.I fed and cared for them for half a year before my husband called her and demanded she come pick them up. They went to a really good home at a therapeutic riding stable that same day, thankfully, but it turned out she was trying to get money for them all that time and HER husband didnUGH. I would have kept them myself if it came down to a choice between that and letting them go back to her. Blondie, men don Women are caretakers by nature. I think your husband and his friend are inconsiderate and immature, but my husband is like that too. So glad to know the dogs don't hurt the rabbits!

Hope venting made you feel better... [2008-11-16]
The thing that struck me the most in your post is that you help a friend by listening to dictation. Is this during *your* work hours? If so, try not to answer the phone. I know, it sounds so simple, but if you have kids, this can betough. Anyhow, if the friend asks why you are not answering, tell her you need to focus on getting lines so you can pay your monthly bills (stress this!). Maybe she will get the hint. I had to do this when a coworker called me constantly. I As for the friends working when they were asked not to, well, unfortunately, it is a supervisors/managerHopefullys/he will take care of this. Good luck.

Don't know about "sweet" but dog is God spelled backward sm [2008-11-16]
I put up with a terrier mix (not a pit - just a mutt) who was hyper and ate everything, my house shingles, kitchen floor, rugs, etc., tried caging her and she bent the wires, scaled a 6 ft. fence or dug holes underneath to get out. We called her Hogan's Heroes. When she literally ate my whole couch one cold Christmas Eve with 20 people coming, I called the SPCA in tears and they said no one would take a dog like her, they would only bring her back and she'd be put to sleep. So I kept her over 16 years and she's buried in a pet cemetery nearby. I now have a 120 lb. Golden who had big paws when he was born and the last one left because he was going to be big, so I took him. People have dropped off dogs to me crying and I found homes for them. I understand how we can't turn away these beautiful animals others don't have the heart to understand. I would present your husbandbill for food, etc., but don I believe in good deeds being rewarded. It takes time but good only leads to good things coming back at you. I doesn't seem that way right now and times are tough, but hopefully you will be rewarded in other ways.

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....

I am so fustrated I am in tears...sm [2008-11-15]
Ok here goes...My husband has hunting beagles. He has about 5 of them. I love dogs and I love beagles. Well he drives an 18-wheeler and is gone a majority of the time. I take care of the dogs daily, i.e. feed them, clean their kennels, and put fresh water. It is a chore, but I love the dogs so I do it. It is for my husband anyway, and we are supposed to help each other. When he is home it is his chore. Well he has a buddy down the road who lives about 10 minutes away. They take their beagles out together and let them run rabbits. Well his buddy is bad about leaving his beagles over here and not coming to get them in a timely manner, and I have to take care of 5 more dogs. Food isn Well you have to make him come get them. A couple of weeks ago his buddy went on a hunting trip in Tennessee and needed someone to care for his beagles. Well I didn I was fustrated to learn though he brought them and left them in the kennels and left no food for them. I had to feed these dogs of his out of our food and there was 5 of them. I mentioned to my husband that I thought that was rude. I was nice enough to care for his beagles while he went away. He should have brought food for them. I felt taken advantage of. Well he came over last weekend and I thought good he has come for his dogs. Well he leaves without them. I said oh here we go again. I had forgotten to mention anything to my husband because I got busy working among other things. Well today when I went to feed the beagles I got really fustrated because he STILL has not come and got his dogs. So got downrightticked and called my husband. I said you call your buddy and tell him I am not in the kennel business. He can come get his dogs. I said first of all he is back in town and has been a week. Why hasn I said you should have made him before now. I said I was not asked do you mind taking care of these dogs for weeks. I said you should not allow your friend to take advantage of my niceness. He said well I just figure that if you are taking care of our beagles then why can What difference does it make? You are already taking care of these so what is so hard about putting a little more food out. I said I will tell you. It is twice the dogs to feed. I said he did not bring any food. It is twice thesh** to clean out the kennels, which is done, by the way, by spraying it off the concrete floors with a hose with a spray nozel. I feel like I am being taken advantage of and I think my DH should stick up for me to his friend.

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.

Has This Ever Happened To Any Of You Here? [2008-11-13]
This was unreal...I had made a trip to the store for cat food (before I became cat food LOL!) and while slowing down behind a car that was turning, I got hit in the back. No real damage, just a scruff on the bumper of my Subaru Forester, and a bit of a blow to my ego, but the dang kid who hit me was texting her boyfriend while driving and obviously not paying attention to the road. She was only 19 years old! Holy cow! I got out, she got out...still texting. She said, Wait a minute, and continued texting. I couldn't believe it. I have that hands-free voice-activated cellphone setup in my Forester that DH set up for me, so I got back in and called the police department. If she hadn't been so rude, I might have let it go, but when she pulled that, I decided to teach her a lesson. She was horrified to learn that I called the cops while she was texting. She actually yelled at me, saying, My Dad and on and on. I just stood there and looked at her. The cop got there, threw the book at her: failure to yield, following too closely, texting while driving (it's a law here now -- you can't do that) and she has a nasty fine and her insurance is definitely going to go up. She was horrified. Maybe she'll think twice before texting while driving again...before she causes real damage and people get hurt. So thatHang up and drive! Has this ever happened to any of you?

Always, always call the cops sm [2008-11-13]
My husband was nearly killed by a tractor trailer driver who changed his story a dozen times, themedics were called but unfortunately, the other driver went his merry way and was not cited until days later for following too close, reckless endangerment, speeding, mistake in log book, and a laundry list, first he said my husband going too slow. Reconstruction said no way, but while my husband was in hospital having his scalp sewn back on, this guy ran away. Had to hire a detective to find him, went on for years before we got our bills paid, he got off with heavy fines and warnings he would go to jail if it happened again. It had happened in another state previously but could not bring that up in court. My sorrow - I should have had him arrested right that moment but I was not there. He should have been tested for drugs, etc. He went from saying husband's fault to that he dropped his coffee and was picking it up off the floor and then changed it again to something else. He still drives and my husband is totally disabled. Please get the cops involved the minute something happens - don't wait. I had no choice, I had to travel to another state to the hospital. I wish my husband were conscious enough to have him arrested right there. You did the right thing calling the cops, everyone should do that. Believe me, she could have killed you or someone else later. I hope you scared the pants off her.

Breast feeding..... [2008-11-13]
I had a child via a surrogate and I breast fed her. Sometimes just suckling the baby will stimulate milk supply but it is a very long and time consuming process. Also, I used a system called Lact-Aid that uses a small bag that holds formula and has a thin tube that is near the nipple so the baby suckles both the tube for the formula and you for the stimulation to trick your body into producing milk. And yes, I did produce some although not enough for nourishment. I used the system for several weeks just for the bonding.

Got hit from behind at a stop sign [2008-11-13]
Got out of the car and went back to see that the car that hit me hadlo more damage than mine. Went up to the car and nobody would roll down a window, three guys all on their cellphones (at that time anyway) so I stood there, got out my cellphone and called the police.Tapped on the window then and found out none of them spoke English. Told them in English not to move. The police came and went back to them, came to my car and said they were all illegal immigrants, was not their car, driver didnfriend AND of course, no insurance. His pen was flying as he was writing up those tickets in his car and asI pulled out I saw squad cars surrounding the car and I bet INH was on their way too. Didn

I love the dressing and I love lemon pie..sm [2008-11-12]
My mom's lemon pie that is. I also love this dessert called Texas Delight or some people call it different things but is is layers of chocolate pudding and cream cheese and whipped cream. The food is my favorite part besides the watching my son open presents on x-mas.

You know how they say dogs sometimes can sense things about people? [2008-11-12]
We had that ATT U-verse stuff installed in October and three installers came to the house. Not a single problem with the dogs. (We still had LouLou at the time.) They sniffed the installers and then let them go on about their business. The one installer was at our house for 12 hours. On Saturday, two ATT techs came over to fix the computer. Again, not a single problem with Duke. He sniffed them out and didn't bother them for the rest of the time. On Sunday, the ATT tech who came over called to say he was on his way. He said he was somewhat spooked by dogs and he just wanted to make sure we had a friendly one. I assured him Duke wouldn't bother him. Duke didn't care for that man in the slightest. He growled at him and the hair stood up on his back. Every time the man came in the room, Duke reacted the same way and would back away from him. I wonder what it was about him that Duke didn't like?

Perhaps did not explain sm [2008-11-11]
We have youth programs where a member of the department will come and talk tokids about the dangers of the internet. You know they never listen to parents, and you donbeing directed there.Perhaps some don't know the horrible crimes that come out of youths being lured by porn and the sooner it's dealt with, the better. I don't mean to have the police come in uniform with sirens and lights blaring. There are simple solutions to this problem and I am all for putting away these slime balls, some of them are judges, ministers, etc., so-called trustworthy people hurting our youths. Perhaps I misspoke but you may have read more into it. It's a common problem we all share and it could end up with a dead or kidnapped kid. I'd rather get tough early and save a life. Overreacted, maybe! I would never roll on the floor laughing about it but then again, we're all different.

Question for abc [2008-11-11]
You are presuming what she understands, or doesn I took it to mean she was being sarcastic and mock-humble in stating only 99.6. Her tone was a bit smart-alecky, but I found it amusing, especially since people have also called me too smart for my own good before. Usually it means watch it, smarty-pants when people say that, and is used by an older authority figure on a bright youngster that is being a brat. I So what if she doesn Personally, I think its fun to yank their chains on forums.

I'd be ... [2008-11-10]
pi**ed actually...since they KNOW you don't text. They should have called

I'm a dog lover, and most dogs love me. - sm [2008-11-10]
I can be walking down the street, simply make eye contact with one and smile without saying a word, and the dog will usually rush up to me, wagging his tail like crazy and acting all silly and lovey-dovey. In the past, some of the absolute sweetest dogs I'd ever known were pits & rotties. But that was in the ྌs, before the big 'gangsta-dog' thing became popular. Then people started breeding these dogs more for a surly attitude than for good temperament, and it seems to be a dominant trait that's getting passed forward, even when unintended. So fast-forard to 2 weeks ago. I was out walking in my neighborhood, and was coming up a long flight of sidewalk stairs that go up the steep hill I live on. Halfway up, I saw a big brown pit bull standing there looking at me. I had seen him running loose on my street earlier in the day, and wondered whose he was, but then forgot about him. He had an aggressive body-language that I didn't like. But I'm not afraid of dogs, and continuned on up the steps, and talked to him nicely as I reached the top. But then the dog totally went off, and began barking, growling, and making charges at me. I knew to stand my ground, and first tried sweet-talking him. Didn't work. If I tried to slowly move away from him in any direction, he'd come around and try to come in at me from behind. There wasn't a soul around. I tried scaring him off, but that only exacerbated the problem, so I decided to just stand there and let him do his thing. 20 minutes later, he was just as aggressive as ever, maybe worse, because his charges were coming closer and closer. The only 'weapon' in my possession was a single can of cat food in a plastic bag, that I'd walked down the hill to the market to buy. Considered whacking him with it, but didn't want to be in that close to him. Turns out the owners were in an apartment right across the street. A couple finally came out and called off the dog, stating Oh, we didn (I doubt that - the dog had been out all afternoon.) Anyway, I told them I'd call the sheriff and/or animal control if I ever saw him out again. When I got home, I called animal control anyway, and filed a formal complaint, so that if he bit anyone in the future, there would already be a complaint against him, and he likely would not be released from the shelter. Animal control said they'd follow up with the owner, which hopefully they did. In the meantime, I did 2 things: I programmed the sheriff's phone numberinto my cellphone, which I now slip into my pocket whenever I go out for a walk. Good thing to do, anyway. The other thing is I went to Army-Navy Surplus, and bought a cannister of professional-grade pepper spray. Not the wimpy, .02% 'dog-repellent'. I doubt that would stop a pitbull. I got the 15% stuff that will bring a 200-pound, raging crack-addict to his knees and keep him there for more than an hour. That goes into my pocket, as well. Now I can walk & bike with peace of mind. Meanwhile, those pitbull owners should consider themselves very lucky that their dog went after someone who knows dogs, is not afraid, and didn't RUN. If a timid woman, or worse, a child, had come up those steps that afternoon, the resulting attack might have made the 6 o'clock news that night. There are probably still some gentle pits left out there, but I think their numbers are declining because of the current fashion statement of being a 'big bad gangsta, with my big, bad gansta-dog'. They want their dogs to intimidate people, and then they wonder why they can't rent an apartment or get homeowners insurance to cover dog bites. In some cities you have to post a $30,000 bond in order to keep one. It's little wonder that unwanted pits and pit-mixes are clogging up our animal shelters. I feel sorry for the animals, but if I were adopting, I wouldn't want the financial liability of owning one.

Not all of us ENJOY being cellphone maniacs sm [2008-11-10]
I have gone to a friend's house for coffee. Yes, I carry a cellphone and yes, I text frequently. I talk some too. Where I live we all have to have Verizon because nothing else works. If you don't have a Verizon cell, no one will talk to you. There are only about 15 land lines in a town of 1400 people. I carry it with me and I have a tone for the text messages so I know the difference. Do I enjoy this? No! It is necessity and I consider a cellphone a necessity, but not a toy. Back to the story...at this friend's house, her daughter is there and so is another adult. That is 4 of us. During the hour I was there, each of them had more than 2 calls and many texts. They interrupted our conversation for EVERY SINGLE CALL AND TEXT. I found it very disruptive and RUDE. Your so-called friends were RUDE. If they really wanted to include you, all they needed to do was actually call you and ask you to come to them. Instead, they tried to show up by using a text when you are not a texter. When I add a new friend to my cellphone, I ask if they are text capable because you'd be surprised how many people are not. They don't understand that no everyone is a fanatic about texting or technology. So how many times did they interrupt conversations for the stupid cellphone? One way to turn off people from texting you is to use all your Expander shortcuts and all the weird stuff they use on IMs and texts. R U hom? hv u got cof on? cmg ov nw. Gets them every time!

Are you saying you have to be stupid [2008-11-10]
My IQ is 126, not quite Mensa quality. I find MT work challenging and interesting, and I enjoy it. Idisbelieve. A high IQ doesn Quite a few actors are members of Mensa (in the top 1%), including Geena Davis and Steve Martin. I People do what they enjoy, and that's not always Einstein's work.