Hello and welcome to The Alliance! I am glad you are visiting the alliance website. But there are, of course, rules here. So everyone please go to the "New to The Alliance?" page. I am your Creator, (leader) James Bird.
If you have any questions or comments please comment here, send me a Facebook message or write on my Royal Wall.

Before we get started, you must be instructed how to run the Wordpress system. As a matter of fact, you'll only need to know how to sign up, add a comment and add a post.

Signing up

Enter this link: http://wordpress.com/signup/, provide your username and password (remember that each password should include not only letters but also numbers). If the system accepts them, you instantly become a Wordpress user and consequently a member of Wordpress community (whatever it could mean).
Remember to you sign up once only.

Adding a Comment

After logging in to Wordpress, which you can do on the main page, you are free to select the blog and post a comment. On the bottom of the page there is a link entitled 'Comments'. It may have a number before it e.g. '5 Comments' depending on the number of users that have taken the liberty to share their opinion on the post. Here provide the details and a comment. Then, click 'Submit Comment' after which everyone will be able to cherish the intellectual depth of your thought.
Remember: to add a comment you must be logged in. What is more, any comment should be at least 50 words long and deal both with the content and structure of the post.

Adding a Post

Just send it via email to abc5fce@gmail.com.
Remember that a post must be ca. 180 words long and written in an appropriate style. It should
also be signed with your name.
Should you need any help, feel free to contact me by email.

Earlier drafts of the guidelines met with strong criticism from civil liberties groups concerned about the prospect for abuse. This led the Justice Department in its final report to include what it called significant new restrictions on the tactics that agents can use in handling large-scale demonstrations and civil disturbances that could require federal intervention. Instead of broad approval to use any technique considered lawful in such demonstrations and disturbances, the final guidelines spell out the allowed tactics and limit such investigations to 30 days.

Among the most controversial aspects of the guidelines is a section that allows F.B.I. agents to open so-called threat assessments to look into general patterns or suspicions about terrorist activity without any specific evidence of wrongdoing. Justice Department officials say this section of the guidelines, which remains virtually unchanged from earlier drafts, will allow agents to be more aggressive in identifying possible terrorist threats.

• Full Article
• FBI Press Release
• See Also

When it comes to the issue of dress codes for an election, I can honestly say that the thought never once crossed my mind. I have seen people vote in everything from mini skirts to suites to "Lenin Lurves Me Babe!" t-shirts! (Well maybe not that last one but you get the point...) Imagine my surprise when I was perusing MSNBC this morning, and learned that Pennsylvania was at odds over a proposed dress code. The first thing that crossed my mind was the exclusion of saucy vixens from being able to exercise their right to vote, I must say I was appalled! I was prepared to drive to Pennsylvania and defend the rights of those less verbal than myself! Then I learned the truth, the dress code had nothing to do with length of dress but with content of said dresses' message.

A lady named Sue Nance, whilst voting in the primary earlier this year, was asked to remove her shirt or she wouldn't be allowed to vote. Her shirt, being in support of Obama, was considered "inappropriate electioneering". Although I don't recall hearing anything about this during the primary and the length of months that have passed since, it has resurfaced as another issue that is further dividing the two major political parties. Naturally I have an opinion about it, I have an opinion about everything, hence the name of this blog! None-the-less I think that there is a very clear and noble position to take on the issue and that position is thus... Who really cares?

States across the union have had people come to vote for years with any manner of political garb adorning their bodies, and it has never been a national issue before. I understand a perceived need to separate the campaigning from the polls, and allowing voters to feel as though they are in a hostility free environment where they can vote without feeling pressured, but when has this ever been an issue? Where are the thousands of voters that feel that their vote was compromised because Betty Sue Jenkins wore her Reagan shirt into the voting booth in 84? Where are the hundreds of voters than ran from their Scranton, PA voting place in haste because Bob Smith had every inch of his torso covered in Gore buttons in 2000? If you didn't already figure it out, they aren't coming out because it isn't a problem.

Unless someone is standing there with a gun in their hand and demanding you vote for a particular candidate, then they are not affecting the electoral process. There are many things that we do need to worry about, such as; the disenfranchisement of African American voters, the fake phone calls informing people that the election date has been changed and police roadblocks in impoverished neighborhoods that are more likely to vote Democrat. These are real and present dangers to Democracy and they should be the focus of our efforts, not attempting to keep all campaign material out of the polling place. If we are going to ban political shirts, why not the colors red and blue? Or maybe ban the color green in progressive neighborhoods? Maybe we should just demand that all voters wear gray and never speak a single word on election day?

My only question is, how much money are they spending on this debate? Also, whether they ever thought that that money would be better used updating voting machines or providing the electorate with information about the candidates? While I imagine the respective answers are something similar to "a lot" and "no", unfortunately there isn't anyone that's going to raise those questions and the fight will continue. A decision will be reached and it will be enforced. One side will call foul and the other will scoff. Welcome to 21st century politics.

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In Seattle the parking strip is owned by the property owner, and the City expects it to be maintained according to certain guidelines. Of course, there is not a huge amount of enforcement, and I've never heard of anyone's garden being condemned or ordered to be altered for any violation. Most people leave it alone but a growing number are using the space in a more creative fashion.

It interested me to read, on the City of Portland site, that in their city the parking strip is considered "part of the public right of way" but the adjacent property owner is responsible for maintaining it. Perhaps any hesitation by Portlanders to get into digging in this part of the dirt is partly attributable to this, and also to the fact that planting, pruning, or removing a tree out there requires a (free) permit from the city. The site doesn't give much information about what kinds of plantings are permitted or encouraged - they mostly seem concerned about keeping tree limbs from blocking visibility and signs (hence the site's depressing picture of a rainy day street scene with an offending tree branch keeping a school crossing sign from view).

Here is a blog post about starting a drought-tolerant parking strip garden - maybe this is just the tip of the iceberg. This one near Reed College sounds like a beauty, too bad they only put in one tiny picture. At least there are lots of plant names and great advice on soil amendments for making it drought tolerant. I think that one's going to have to go on my field trip list. And one of my fav blogs, Nest Maker, has a funny post about goings on in the parking strip.

Wondering what your city's regulations are about getting going on a parking strip garden? Check out its municipal web site, sometimes listed under the Department of Transportation, and if you have an Urban Forester or City Arborist, that's another good place to start.

For example:

I am = I'm
he will = he'll
she will = she'll
who is = who's
should not = shouldn't
do not = don't
can not = can't
will not = won't
is not = isn't
it is = it's         

This last one is important to note.

This contraction is often mistaken for the possessive noun, its. It's = it is. Always say it is in your head when typing it out. If it doesn't fit, take out the apostrophe because it is the possessive noun.

And there you have rule number 2. Any questions?

For example:

This crayon belongs to Suzie. It is Suzie's crayon.

Which way to Lover's Lane?

That is James's telephone number, I am sure of it.

My mother-in-law's sense of humour is surprisingly well developped.

That is the children's game! Stop playing with it!

The only exception to the apostrophe followed by an s to form the possessive is if it is a plural form that ends in s.

For example:

I have decided to give you two weeks' notice.

If all six of those houses' foundations are all sound, we have a big decision to make.

Note that you do not need to add the apostrophe to words that are already possessive nouns, such as his, hers, its, my, yours, ours.

And that is rule number one.

So here is the part that sounds good but has a back bite you may not realize.

The plan calls for banks participating in this program, accepting money from the government bail out plan, to soften the blow to the defaulting borrowers, the home owners in default and fearing the loss of their homes and thus wanting some form of relief to save their homes for them.

The government is suggesting (not compelling) that the participating banks refinance the bad defaulted home mortgage loans at 85% of current fair market value...and that sounds terrific, finally a break for the borrower.

However if you continue to read the small print, it further says that if the borrower who participates in this restructuring and reduction of the mortgage,  sells his home within five years,  he will share the profits with the government in the following way: 100% of the profit will go to the government if the home is resold within one year of the adjusted refi and then this sharing will be reduced by 10% per year for five years until it reaches a 50% split were it remains indefinitely.

In other words, the government has become a 'co-owner' of your home equity and will share the profits with you as described above when and if you sell the home.  This may be a huge cost in the long run, and obviously an attempt to once again lay the cost of the plan on the shoulders of the small borrower the mortgage holder. 

Clearly these rules have not yet been formalized and released so they may change dramatically, but this is the direction we are headed, so yes there may be relief but at a huge cost. It is unclear how this bill will apply to business lines of credit and other commercial loans, but it will apply, we will have to wait and see.

Fortunately this is a voluntary program and many lenders will not participate thus opening the door for viable workouts without having to give up the future equity described above. There will be choices for those who know how to navigate this mine field. In fact some options and strategies may be very beneficial if carefully implemented.

I am quite certain there will be many more twists and turns before we see the entire plan and what is in store for us, however whatever the plan calls for there will be strategies to maximise the benefits and reduce the detriments. Further there is the implementation of the plan by the banks. We have seen this before with the  Resolution Trust and RECOLL. The best meaning plan was implemented without care or concern for the borrower and thus resulted in the borrower suffering huge losses and paying for the mistakes of others...which is likely to incur again.

Unfortunately greed remains the controlling factor in out financial services world and until this is routed out there will always be losers and winners disproportionate to the risks taken. This is the sad truth. Thus the borrower must stop trusting and fight fire with fire, get effective representation and perform a workout negotiation that results in a favorable result for you...this can be done.

Take a stand for yourself, your family and your business, refuse to be the victim. Get smart and protect yourself. Get  professional workout help. 

Call me if you are stuck within this mess, I will provide you with some alternative paths that may be far more beneficial to you. 413-687-8388.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth ~ Acts 1:8

This is from an article that I originally wrote in July of 2007 and after reading through it again, I found that now was a very good time to re-visit the subject as it mainly deals with what I perceive to be nothing more than dogma and doctrine; another rule that has to be followed.  At least that's what I see within the denomination that I have been a member of.   What happened was I really got to thinking about that verse.  As you are going to see, there are two sides (maybe more) to my point.  There is also scripture which supports each side of the issue.

We will be witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all of Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. That part is not at issue here since to me is supports the Great Commission.   It is also for certain that when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you have power.  Call that zeal, motivation, excitement, passion or any of the thousand other descriptive words that each individual might use to express their particular experience.  That is not what is at issue for me either.  What is at issue and what is at the heart of this particular verse for me and at this particular time is the seven words in the middle.  When is it then that the Holy Spirit comes on you?

Within the Community of Christ, confirmation, otherwise known as baptism of the Spirit follows baptism by water and completes a person’s initiation into the church. So let's start with this.  What is confirmation?  The dictionary definition is "something that supports, validates or verifies something else".   A religious definition is "a ceremony which marks a persons formal acceptance into a church." In Reformed Judaism, confirmation marks the end of someones religious training and entry into full adult membership in the community.  In the Community of Christ, confirmation is a celebration.  You and the people you love, together in fellowship, give praise for the presence and work of the Holy Spirit in you.  It is a reception into the community of the church.  I question how this ceremony supports and validates an agreement that you entered into with Christ.  If a public show is required, that was most certainly fulfilled by your baptism.  It seems to me that a confirmation service is simply another hoop to jump through before you are allowed to be a member of your community...AS IF!!  Is that all it is, what amounts to nothing more than sacramental hazing?  What really gets me is that often, this ceremony is referred to as "the laying on of hands for receipt of the Holy Spirit." That's what makes me begin to question it.

The laying on of hands for receipt of the Holy Spirit is supported by the Acts of the Apostles. Peter and John laid hands for receipt of the Spirit in Acts 8:17 and Paul laid hands on twelve in Ephesus for receipt of the Holy Spirit in Acts 19:6.  In 2 Timothy 1:6, Paul also reminds us through Timothy to “fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands”.

On the flip side, Jesus himself was baptized and the Holy Spirit just came upon him.  One could argue that John the Baptist had his hands on Jesus at the time but then that would adding to the scripture; wouldn't it?  The twelve disciples were baptized by the Spirit at Pentecost and nobody laid hands on them.  Directly following that, Peter says this to the crowd:

“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”

What he didn't tell them was to get in a line so he could lay hands on them.

For my brothers and sisters within the LDS faith, Moroni said this:

“After they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost, they were numbered among the people of the church of Christ.” ~ Moroni 6:4

I always get a good chuckle out of that particular verse because "wrought upon" essentially translates in current language to "work over" which really does reflect institutional church.  For the purpose of this post though, it pretty much sounds like receiving the Spirit just happened.   Moroni didn't say anything about the laying on of hands. Even Christ himself said that the Lamanites had been baptized at the time of their conversion and knew it not; 3 Nephi 4:50. I'm sure that they probably knew something was happening, they just didn’t know what it was.

It’s my belief that when we are born, there is a part of the Spirit that resides in each of us. We were each created spiritually by God and therefore, we are each born with some of God in us. God makes himself known to us through the Spirit in his own time and his own way and it is, in my opinion again, the Holy Spirit in us that leads us to Jesus Christ and into the waters of baptism.  It is not my desire to allude to the sacrament of confirmation as not being important because I feel that the sacraments are there to help us to experience God more fully in our lives and to bring us closer to Him.  My biggest point is this; I can't support the idea that the Holy Spirit comes upon us simply because some person places his hands on your head and prays. For some, it might happen that way but not for all.  Everyone experiences the Holy Spirit entering their lives differently.

In my case, the Holy Spirit came upon me the night I surrendered myself to Christ.  When I was humble enough to fall upon my knees and tell him that there was no way I could do anything without him and ask for his help and his forgiveness; at that moment, the Holy Spirit entered me with power.  I had felt the leading of the Spirit before, but at that moment, he entered me with power and I was on fire AND it happened a long time before I ever made the decision to be baptized.

I would like to quote Peter Judd, the Chair of the Theology Task Force for the Community of Christ from his comments on the Sacrament of Confirmation.

It is not for the church or individuals to say when the Holy Spirit is first present in an individual or even when a person has their first experience of sensing that Spirit working in their lives

That about sums it up for me.  It's just too bad that this information gets lost somewhere between the leadership and the congregations.

Bible Verses are from the New International Version
Book of Mormon Verses are from the RLDS 1908 Authorized Version

1. When quitting there is no need to roleplay your character(s)' disappearance.

2. Pack is family. Family comes first.

3. Pack members obey their leader at all times unless they have a VERY good reason not to.

4. No power-playing or god-modding.

5. If your post includes both out of character and in character, use bic to show back in character.

6. Every time you speak out of character use ooc.

7. Suggestions for plots are allowed.

8. No straying from the plot.

8. b) While waiting for someone to login and roleplay so the plot can continue, a seperate roleplay is allowed. (e.g. talking idly, hunting, playing)

9. Side stories are NOT allowed unless they are completely separate from the roleplay.

10. When roleplaying about mates, NO FURTHER THAN AFFECTION. Do NOT roleplay the inappropriate, lovey-dovey stuff.

11. Have fun! ^_^

Please don't tell anyone. I'm trying to keep it under wraps. The truth is, I've done this before and it didn't really work out and for me, that's kind of a big deal. I had a blog. I wrote. I thought. I professed. And in the end, it sucked. I hated it. If you were there, you would have hated it to. So here's me starting over.

I'll lay down some ground rules so that we start out right. No false perceptions. No lies. 

1. (restated for emphasis) I don't know what I'm doing. Things may get messy and they may not always come out the way  I want them to. But I'll try. And when I mess up, I'll apologize (maybe) and keep going.

2. I'm no expert. Or maybe I am and I just haven't figured it out yet. Either way, I'm not going to tell you things I don't know. I'm just going to write about what I do, and see, and feel and love.

3. I do know some things. I read. I write. I'm an aspiring PR rockstar and a novice social media junkie. I love to travel and cook and spend time with my friends and family. And somehow while I was spending my time doing these things (being this person) some knowledge crept it's way in. If it comes up, I'll share.

4. This is a work in progress. I don't know where this will end up. I will write from my heart and my brain about my passions and disgusts and all things in between. But I don't know what those things are yet. So let's just ride it. Maybe in a few months (years) we'll be able to look back and figure out what this is all about.

5. This is fun. So if I get bogged down in details or if I start feeling like this is work, I'm may have to pull the emergency break. I'll throw up a funny pic. Or write something ridiculous. Then take a deep breath and start over.

So here we go. (Are you ready?) This is me. Writing what I know.

In civilised society young men must learn that there are some things they should never do in mixed company.  It is a true contradiction that while it may be crossing the line for a woman to grab the overgrown boy scout's derriere at The Adventurer's Club on Walt Disney World's Pleasure Island, she can get away with it.   A man would surely be bounced for doing the same to the waitress.

And so it is true that while it may be perfectly okay for a young man to give his older brother a nipple twister in the middle of a living-room wrestling match, he must never, ever  give one to his female cousin.  No matter how much she seems like one of the guys; no matter how truly un-girly a girl she is, her nipples are 100% off limits.  This also holds true for the mothers of one's friends.  If a woman should make the mistake of asking, "What's a purple nurple?" please try to use your words.  If words escape you and a demonstration is absolutely necessary, the public knock-down, drag-out that will ensue after you've done it to your brother is truly preferable to the alternative.

But first, to benefit the uninitiated, let’s talk about basic Slingo rules.

Slingo, as the name suggests, is a game born with the fusion of Slots and Bingo. The objective of the game is to earn as many points as possible by matching card numbers that correspond to the reel numbers every time you spin the reels. You have a total of 20 spins at your disposal to match numbers, make slingos and try to fill out the entire card.

While Slingo Deluxe followed the classic Slingo gameplay religiously, and added a few twists and features of its own - like Mixed Matrices and Patterns - Slingo Supreme takes the game further with additional power-ups, enhanced graphics, sounds and gameplay, and greater challenges aimed to satisfy seasoned fans and newbies alike.

First off, the single most recognizable improvement in Supreme Mode is the number of power-ups you can use in the actual game. There are a total of 16 power-ups, including pattern makers, point multipliers and many more crazy ones that will help you clear tiles. You can choose a maximum of eight power-ups to take on each level, and just like the numbers, these will appear randomly as you turn the reel. Bringing power-ups to a particular level will cost you a specific number of stars too, thus limiting the skills you can harness depending on a power-up’s overall effect.

In fact, I think that the whole objective of Slingo Supreme is for you to unlock power-ups, slots and stars. Certain goals must be met before you can unlock these game enhancements, and each of them is easily viewable with a click of the mouse. For example, to unlock Super Multipliers, you should have the power-up prerequisite Multipliers and reach a high score of 480,000. Coupled with unlocking power-up slots and stars by reaching for more set objectives, or earning in-game trophies for reaching several milestones set by the game, these replaced the preprogrammed string of levels back in Slingo Deluxe and effectively add a greater challenge to the series.

Other things worth noting include the absence of a countdown timer in this installment, otherwise replaced by a Speed Bonus meter that gives you more points when you match successive numbers in the board. You can also choose to cash out before playing through the last 4 paid spins, thus enabling you to keep your hard-earned money or strike a gamble to complete the board through a few more spins. And the best feature of them all is the brand new devil mini-games.

Devil mini-games are five randomly-selected games that will either test your luck or your skill. You choose to wager a quarter, half or all your points before playing with the devil, thus giving you more control over how your points will turn out. I really loved this additional feature in Slingo Supreme because aside from making this sequel more fun, it adds a bit of skill to the series too, instead of just plain luck determining the course of your game.

Much is to be applauded about the game’s overall presentation, too. In terms of graphics, music and overall special effects experienced during the actual action game.

As a matter of fact, you’ll be playing this one as long as you love Slingo because when you find yourself getting tired with the Supreme Mode, you can always revisit Slingos past through the Classic Mode, or play through the infinite Daily Challenge, giving you such good reasons to turn this game on for about five minutes each day just to have a crack at the day’s latest dare.

Review by Ruff Bismonte
Gamezebo, Inc.

Have you ever wanted to close a sale or please a customer and agreed to something that you were not certain could be done? Have you ever promised something that you were not 100% certain of?

For example, saying that a certain product can be delivered on a specific date with out first confirming this with the shipping department? Or making certain that the product is in stock?

The first rule of customer service is: ALWAYS DELIVER WHAT YOU PROMISE.

Of course there is also ANOTHER rule, which is just as important: NEVER PROMISE ANYTHING UNLESS YOU ARE SURE YOU CAN DELIVER IT!!!!!!

In sales and customer service we sometimes get so wrapped up in trying to please the customer that we make commitments or say things to make them happy. This is usually done with the best of intentions. Sometimes it is done out of laziness or ignorance of the proper procedure.

In most companies there are procedures to handle this. For example, confirming that the product is there before selling it, or confirming with delivery before committing to a delivery date. These procedures are there for a reason: TO DELIVER THE BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE!

DON’T SKIP STANDARD PROCEDURE!

Efforts to please the customer with unconfirmed promises and commitments do the following:

· It makes more work for everyone

· It creates irritation with the customer

· It creates internal strife between departments

· It leaves the customer wondering if you can be believed

So, by all means do what ever is necessary to make the customer happy. But ALWAYS be certain before you make commitments and follow the proper procedure! This way you will create loyal customers AND your co-workers will love you as well!

I am a pro-juggling woman. I support juggling or non exclusive dating for those that can do it, especially when I see the position of “The love of my life” as an open vacancy. Yes, let’s take it to the business view. 

If you are to fill a position in your company, you will make sure you interview several candidates before taking one on a temporary basis to later on give them an indefinite contract. In this case, when you have clear what you are looking for (a properly written job description and a list of required experience, skills and qualifications), you will interview several candidates, dismiss some candidates while giving them proper feedback. All candidates know there are more candidates competing for the position until eventually someone receives an offer to start an exclusive temporary contract that can be extended indefinitely and the rest of the candidates are dismissed. No one would expect you to interview one candidate at the time, hire them temporary, fire them, and interview only one again and so on.

I guess the previous example shows clearly what I see are the advantages and rules of what we call juggling dates, being non exclusive, dating NY style and here in Europe is called “being friends” (which is very different to the American “non exclusivity” in the sense that it is absolutely in-transparent and no one really knows how to behave, what to expect or be allowed to feel so I really would put this concept in question as really recommended). I like the assumption of dating having a clear process. First you see some people casually, and then you become exclusive to someone. You won’t assume if you are starting to see someone that they are exclusive to you, neither can they expect the same from you.

I don’t recommend this for everyone though. If you easily get emotionally involved and easily attached to someone, seeing several people at the same time or knowing you are seeing someone who is seeing more people at the same time might bring you one step too close to insanity.

But how can one make sure to keep some dating integrity in the process?

I came up with few rules to non exclusive dating, that might be useful or insane, but somehow makes sense for me, you tell me later about it, what should be added or amended.

1. Don’t go on more than two dates with a person you are not interested in dating.

2. All parties involved should know you are not exclusive or the very least do not lie if you are asked.

3. Never say "I've never felt such strong feelings for someone" or "I want to be with you all the time.” unless you are going exclusive with that person.

4. Be present with the person you are on a date with. Never let them feel like they are second best.

5. In order to avoid getting caught fumbling the excuses you give if you aren't free on a weekend night, write down what you said and to whom and keep expert track of your calendar so you don't double-book. Never let one person know of another date.

6. Register the name of those you’re dating in all of your phones.

7. Never confuse love with sex.

8. All brains on all the time. If feelings are coming to play it is time to evaluate what you are doing and what will your next steps be.

Which call?

The first call from the principal. I've had more than my fair share of parent-principle interactions since Haley started school. As I've mentioned she has ADHD, and really struggles with Impulse Control. She does great academically but her behavior is a constant battle.

I thought maybe it was all changing for the better this year. Everything has been excellent so far, with very few color changes, no notes or calls or serious incidents. I was actually starting to relax about the school year.

*Sigh*

I was leaving for a work lunch today with my office when I see the school pop up on my cell phone. This is really never good. Either she's in the Nurse's office, or the teacher is calling. Or, as in today, the Principal is calling.

The story was/is that yesterday during recess she dug her fingernails into some little boys arm hard enough to draw blood, for no apparent reason. I am not sure why she did this, as I have not been to pick her up yet, and am still at work as I write this. But the little boy's mother sent a picture and a letter to the principal. The story was corrabarated by two class mates, and then Haley admitted to it as well. That she admitted to it doesn't surprise me. She's never been one to try and weasel away once she's caught.

In addition to digging her nails into his arm, she told the little boy if he told anyone she would make up a lie about it. Big SIGH, again. The principal said if she had found out about this yesterday she probably would have suspended Haley, but since it is the day afterwards she is going to take away her recess for a few days next week.

for the record, this is not the first time Haley has had an issue with keeping her hands to herself, although, I usually have an issue with After-School Care, not during school. I have always completely supported the schools and any discipline they mete out, because they are the ones spending 8 hours a day with Haley. Even if I don't agree with it, I support them. I am fine with the punishment in this case as well.

BUT.....

Maybe I am being nieve, or defensive because it is my child on the hot seat, but to me it just seems like a really big deal over a scratch. Yes, it was wrong, yes, it's unnacceptable, but sometimes I feel like my kid is the only one who does these sort of things. That can't be true, can it? I can't specifically remember scratching anyone at that age, but thats not to say I didn't do it, or have it done to me. I almost wonder if Haley somehow thought she was flirting with this little boy, but the Principal seems to think it was more malicious than over-zealous playing. Again - I will find out more when I speak to her shortly.

Out of curiousity, I asked my coworkers, all men, what they thought. They seemed to feel the school was over reacting as well. Then again, if I'm that little boy's mother's maybe I don't feel that way. Maybe I feel like the school didn't do ENOUGH. Maybe I think someone is picking on my son, and then I'm horrified when I find out it is a little girl.

For the most part, I have more of a "kids will be kids" attitude.. If I don't fear for her physical or emotional well being, I'm probably not going to make too much of a fuss about it. I'm certainly not going to take pictures of every wound or scratch she receives throughout childhood.

This is just my opinion, and So I suppose I will have to think up an appropriate punishment to show her that I am on board with the principal and the rules and the school etc, even if I'm a little wishy-washy about it. The first punishment will be a nicely written apology letter.

I'm interested in what you moms think about this. Any insight? Experience? Do Tell!

This weekend, my family (except, of course, M37 (a.k.a. "Mom"), who only tolerates this behavior when she is too far away to do much about it) is celebrating a great Miller family (not our real name) tradition - "Junk Food Weekend!"

Mom is away at a women's retreat, hopefully able to push this tradition from her consciousness and enjoy her socks off.  That leaves D37, C14, A11.75 and S9 at home all alone with a bit of disposable income and no heavy commitments for the next two days.  On occasions such as these, Dad and the kids celebrate (no, not that Mom is away - perish the thought!) our freedom to go a little nuts.  It's a stay-up-as-late-as-you want-play-video-games-and-watch-movies-while-stuffing-your-face-free-for-all!

You see, M37 is a bit of a "rules" person.  Rules that good parents enforce, like regular bedtimes, healthy eating habits, cleanliness and moderation - rules that D37 rebels against, because they were established by The Man to make our lives miserable.  M37 is successfully (if oh, so very slowly) domesticating D37 and getting some rules-compliance while he is under her watchful eye, but when the cat's away...

By common consent, each Junk Food Weekend begins with a junk food shopping spree.  Dad and the kiddos hit the local grocery store and buy up all the least nutritious items it has in stock.  It doesn't matter if they like the taste or not - purchasing decisions are made based on what can do their bodies the most damage before the weekend ends.  In addition to the items that get full group agreement, each kid is allowed to pick out one to two personal choices that repulse the others.

This was our haul for this weekend's event.  I know, it looks a bit, uh....excessive.  And it probably definitely is, but we won't actually consume all that in two days (I don't think).  That's just to give us options.  And actually, this is the result of two junk food shopping sprees.  M37 made one for us a few days ago, but we didn't trust her judgment - you know, the whole "rules" thing - so, we did a second shopping spree just to make sure.  Looks like we might have some leftovers.

So far, it looks like our shopping choices were right on target, except S9 was not at all impressed with Thailand's version of chocolate milk.  After slamming down an entire glass, he said,

"Oh, Dad!  That was so gross!  It was so thick, it was like drinking a chocolate loogie!"

(Later, we discovered that it had expired several months ago (even though we just bought it).  When S9 poured it out, it took more than ten minutes to go down the drain - with the help of a spatula.)

It's been a few hours since he consumed the toxin, and he's still twitching eating, so I think he must be okay.  Please don't call M37 and destroy her serenity.  We've been through traumas like this one before.  This is like our fifteenth Junk Food Weekend or something, and we've never even once been to the emergency room.  (It was just a flesh wound, I keep telling her.)

No time for anymore play-by-play.  The kids are calling, and it's time to put in last The Lord of the Rings movie - the extended, sixteen-hour director's cut.  Whoever falls asleep is getting the shaving-cream-in-the hand-feather-under-the-nose-trick!

UPDATE!  UPDATE! UPDATE!  UPDATE! UPDATE!  UPDATE! UPDATE!  UPDATE! UPDATE!

I couldn't resist...

What if, at the beginning of time, God created two worlds … an experiment in morality?

In one world … setting into motion various inspired spiritual texts - “rules” if you will - such as the Bible, the Koran, the Bhagavad Gita, the Tao Te Ching, the Dhammapada etc. … and yet in the other world … giving them - NOTHING. No inspiration. No rules. No sacred text.

Imagine an experiment to ultimately discover which world will achieve greatness … FIRST.

Which world will rid itself of needless hunger and sickness, of debilitating poverty and suffering? Which world will create peace and harmony, a deep respect for all life? Which world will come together to celebrate differences, to judicially settle disputes? Which world will make life decisions based out of love instead of hate or fear? And which world will achieve all this first?

Which world - do you think - would be more willing to help a fallen brother … more willing of acceptance and respect …

- OUR world … filled with judgments handed down based upon laws of a sinful right or wrong … a moral left or right -

or

- the other world … filled with no ideas of what constitutes a “sin” but simply filled with common lessons learned through universal life experiences?

And in the end, assuming both worlds achieve greatness … which of those worlds should be considered more spiritually pleasing …

- the world that lived as such because they were told to do so or else

or

- the world that lived as such because they chose to do so ... just because?