Lone Star

Don't hate the haters that hate the haters! (I'm so confused by all that!)

You have to admit, self-immolation DOES make a 'powerful statement'!

Mateo, I never said you even as much as 'hinted that I was a bad parent'. There was another discussion very similar to this. Because I advocated the use of corporal punishment, I was made out to be a 'monster' and a parent who only used 'barbaric methods' to modify my children's behavior. Do I have a guilty concience because I advocate the 'tactical application' of corporal punishment? Not in the slightest! The ONLY reason I threw in that 'disclaimer' was to head off that whole train of thought before it blew up again.

Of course, I have other 'tools' in my parental 'toolbox' besides 'a gentle talking to, time outs and a can of whoop ass'! But I also realize that there are offenses that warrant more than taking a bicycle away for 2 weeks, grounding them from 'enjoyable past times' and taking away the Xbox, television, computer, etc. I can't lock them in a homemade cell for stealing cookies from the cookie jar, but at the same time, that is not a 'whoop ass offense'. Corporal punishment DOES work, but I'm not saying that I do it because it feels good, nor am I advocating it for every offense. By the same token, I can't advocate time outs, lectures and a 'stern talking to' to cover it either. I firmly believe that the punishment must 'fit the crime'. I don't advocate some of the 'punishments' I endured as a child, (some of which would make you shake your head in amazement that I actually had to endure them, and wonder how I actually survived). When I advocate corporal punishment, I'm not talking about doubling up your fist and punching the kid in the face, but I think that there are some offenses that warrant a 'firm hand to the backside'. Just because a 'punishment' doesnt 'leave marks', doesn't automatically preclude it from being classified as abuse or torture. Some of those actions are prohibited by the Geneva Convention, why in the hell would I use them on a child?!? As a parent (yes people, there ARE little "Lone Stars" running around!), I have actually postponed ANY form of discipline until I have calmed down to the point where that anger is no longer a key element of the punishment. As I've stated before, I DO have other 'tools' at my disposal when it comes to disciplining MY children, and I will use them to the best of my ability to ensure that my children are well behaved, and grow up to become productive members of society. Let's say for conversational purposes, that my son has shoplifted a pack of baseball cards from the local store... The first thing thing that's going to happen is he is going to raid his piggy bank for the purchase price of said package of baseball cards, and we are going to go back to that store and have a talk with the manager/owner of the store. He WILL explain what he did, he WILL apologize for his actions and he WILL fork over his allowance money to pay for the object. When we get home, he WILL be grounded, he WILL NOT be allowed his video games, computer, television; and he WILL NOT be allowed to keep the baseball cards. Hopefully, this will curb such actions in the future. If not, then I will find other methods to deal with the problem. If ther IS a 'repeat performance', then there WILL be more stringent methods of punishment employed. As you can see, opening that can of 'whoop ass' isn't my first line of action. Just because I do advocate the use of corporal punishment in some instances, it does NOT make me some sort of 'bad parent' or 'monster'!

Sure there was...he could have been pelted with rocks, or maybe fed to the neighborhood dinosaurs!

Jo, It sounds like your parents and My father/stepmother side of the family must have been friends! While living with them, I learned that a child didn't need to be beaten 'senseless' for every little 'infraction', but for the more 'serious offenses', a 'warmed backside' often did the trick. I've been on both sides of that 'abuse vs. discipline fence', and I DO know the difference between the 'tactical application' of corporal punishment and outright beating your child. Terri made a good point (another one of my views shaped by childhood lessons), if the mother was 'too sick' to actually keep her kid in line, then she was 'too sick' to be out cruising the local mall! The biggest problem I have with the way kids are being raised today is that the 'parents' are trying to be the kid's best friend, they're not teaching the kid that life is full of 'little disappointments' and even though these new 'trends' are SUPPOSED to be better for the child, I think that they're actually causing more harm than good. Ultimately, many of these parents are raising children that cannot cope in the 'real world'. Now before any of the 'new breed of parents' decide to draw a bullseye on my forehead and open fire, please notice that I said 'many of these parents'...not 'all of these parents'. I firmly believe that the child needs a strict structure to their lives, they have to be made aware of the fact that each and every action they do has potential 'good' and 'bad' consequences. In order for that to hapen, there has to be more in the 'discipline toolbox' than simply giving the child time-outs and 'a gentle talking to' in order to keep that child's behavior within socially acceptable standards. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate kids, nor do I think that 'all children are bad'! I've been completely impressed by some children's behavior by these methods, unfortunately, the 'impressive children' are the minority, while these 'demon spawn hellions' seem to out number them by a great margin.

Could this be the reason that even in the commercials on television, they say: “Job placement ASSISTANCE offered upon graduation.”; as opposed to saying: “Job placement GUARANTEE upon graduation.”? Things are tight, and since there are a lot of people that are going for IT jobs, (as well as other computer related jobs), you should expect that things are going to be very competitive, and just because you did something to bomb an interview; that’s NOT the college/school’s fault! I would be very surprized if this actually sees the inside of a courtroom....

Oxy Clean or Ka-Boom?

Considering this was the results of a toxicology report, I'm pretty sure there IS evidence to support the claim. I didn't post it to 'ruin anybody's name', just merely pointing out that even as beloved as he was, no matter how big of a 'following' he had, he was still fallable. As far as that lady is concerned, again, toxicology reports showed a BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) of 0.19 (more than double that states 0.08 limit for drunk driving), PLUS she also tested positive for THC. Whether or not her husband 'defends her honor', the point still remains; she was drunk and 'high' when she caused the accident by driving on the wrong side of the expressway. Slander is defined as: 1. Law. Oral communication of false statements injurious to a person's reputation. 2. A false and malicious statement or report about someone. Since the statements that have been made were backed up with accepted and proven forensic evidence, slander does not apply.

Jet, My prayers and best wishes for you and your wife. As Chase said, reach out to the community. Have your department set up a fund drive, you'll be surprized at the response from the community; even in these hard times. The department I used to belong to, one of our firefighters had been diagnosed with leukemia. The community support was overwhelming! LS

Remember this: It's not the medium of the test (computer based, written, oral) that matters. It's the same information either way. What you should be concerned with is the content of t he knowledge. From what I've been told, the computer asks progressively harder questions based on your previous answers. If you miss a question, it 'backs down' a little bit and brings you back up to the 'next level'. Don't make the mistake that many others have before you; and assume that because you only answered 60 (random number) of questions, that you've automatically failed. Once the computer has been able to determine your level of competence, it ends the test. I'm currently in GA, and they have the following levels: EMT-B EMT-I EMT-CT (Cardiac Tech; I'm not sure if they're even testing/licensing this level any more) EMT-P There are very few services that will hire an EMT-B, and if they DO, you'll only be a 'chauffer/gopher'

Having recently worked at the local NR test site (for the practical skills assessments); yes, the practical skills section is broken down into 'stations'. I got to speak with several of the proctors, and they pretty much all said the same thing: "We're not here to fail anybody. We're only here to guage your knowledge in this field." I know they have a trauma assessment station, a medical assessment station, spinal immobilization station and an airway station. I'm pretty sure there's a CPR station, and I think there's a pediatric station as well. I haven't seen the actual written test site, but have been told by several people that they were driving themselves insane worrying about the fact that it was a CBT (Computer Based Test) for nothing. The went on to say that it wasn't as bad as their imagination percieved it to be....

Well, it looks like you can add another name to the patrons of the 'unlicensed pharmacologists'..... Mays’ family calls cocaine finding ‘speculative’ ‘We were totally unaware of any non-prescription drug usage’ TAMPA, Fla. - An official autopsy report released Friday found that cocaine use contributed to the heart disease that suddenly killed TV pitchman Billy Mays in June, but his family called the finding "speculative" and considered getting an independent look at the results. The Hillsborough County medical examiner's office previously determined that the bearded, boisterous TV spokesman had a heart attack in his sleep. His wife found him unresponsive in bed in their Tampa condo June 28. Mays, 50, was a pop-culture fixture with his energetic commercials pitching gadgets and cleaning products like Orange Glo and OxiClean. While heart disease was the primary cause of death, a report released Friday by the medical examiner listed cocaine as a "contributory cause of death." The medical examiner "concluded that cocaine use caused or contributed to the development of his heart disease, and thereby contributed to his death," the office said in a press release. Family 'extremely disappointed' The office said Mays last used cocaine in the few days before his death but was not under the influence of the drug when he died. Hillsborough County spokeswoman Lori Hudson said nothing in the toxicology report indicated the frequency of Mays' cocaine use. "We were totally unaware of any non-prescription drug usage and are actively considering an independent evaluation of the autopsy results," Mays' family said in a statement. The statement said the family was "extremely disappointed" by the release of the information by the medical examiner's office. The report "contains speculative conclusions that are frankly unnecessary and tend to obscure the conclusion that Billy suffered from chronic, untreated hypertension, which only demonstrates how important it is to regularly monitor one's health." Cocaine can raise the arterial blood pressure, directly cause thickening of the left wall of the ventricle and accelerate the formation of atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries, the release said. Tests show painkillers, anti-anxiety drugs The toxicology tests also showed therapeutic amounts of painkillers hydrocodone, oxycodone and tramadol, as well as anti-anxiety drugs alprazolam and diazepam. Mays had suffered hip problems and was scheduled for hip-replacement surgery the day after he was found dead. Longtime friend and colleague AJ Khubani, founder and CEO of the "As Seen on TV" product company Telebrands, said Mays never exhibited any signs of drug use and was always prepared for his many commercial shoots. "I'm just shocked," Khubani said. "He was the model of a responsible citizen." Mays, a McKees Rocks, Pa., native, developed his style demonstrating knives, mops and other "As Seen on TV" gadgets on Atlantic City's boardwalk. For years he worked as a hired gun on the state fair and home show circuits, attracting crowds with his booming voice and genial manner. He got his start on TV on the Home Shopping Network and then branched out into commercials and infomercials. He developed such a strong following that he became the subject of a reality TV series, Discovery Channel's "Pitchmen."

*physically throws cosgrojo under a short bus*

*tackles wendy and kisses her whole face* Happy birthday, sweets!

Happy Happy Birthday Happiness!!

That's it! I'm going to show up at the castle of King Taxi Driver and have a good venison feast!! Bring on the jesters and the dancing girls!!!

PETA: People Eating Tasty Animals If God hadn't wanted man to eat his 'woodland creatures', He would have NEVER made them out of meat!

Broiled and served with mushrooms and onions sauteed in butter is much better! To hear crotchity tell it, everyone BUT him is 'racist'..... *edited to add content*

You mean to tell me that all the time I spent 'learning to drive' while playing GTA: San Andreas was a waste of time? This is obviously a child of the 'internet age', because they seem to think that EVERYTHING can be solved 'online'.....

And you can use them as 'wandering night lights'! *begins to sing off-key*....blue moose, I saw you standing alone........

Oh great! Just what we need....little mouse juvenile delinquents and repeat offenders! I say we get tough on these mouse micreants and send an example that this type of behavior will NOT be tolerated!

There have been many cases of instructors/professors/teachers/scientists (pick your term) that have lost their jobs because they've not been 'published', or it's been X_________(insert time frame here) since they've been 'published'... I have to agree here Dwayne. They make it sound like Jesus curing the lame. One magic shot, and the mouse went from being a paraplegic to up and walking again, with no 'supportive measures' needed. Bigfoot ain't real? Obviously sir, you haven't met my ex-wife! *post edited for gramatical content*

This condition is known as argyria, and was caused by drinking a solution of colloidal silver in water. This 'cure' was touted as the 'cure all' that would fix just about anything that ailed you.... The condition is permanent.

Looks like the green M&M has some 'competition' now!