Nightingale

so people who want to have children but biologically can't accomplish this because they weren't born with the means to do so should not be able to adopt? my mom and dad weren't given the biological means to create me. are you saying they shouldn't have been able to adopt me because of that?

Happy Birthday, Kate!

it sounds like you're saying that someone can't be a parent without biology involved. As an adoptee, I can tell you that is flat out wrong. Parenting isn't about biology. It's about love.

have you told him you want him along, and why?

when I finish school, my education debt will be around $200K. It's worth it.

this is off topic, but I gotta ask... dude, is that the LITTLE MERMAID you're quoting in your sig line??? someone's gonna try to revoke your guy card for that.

I think a society where only the criminals have guns would be a pretty scary place. I don't want a criminal breaking into my apartment, knowing that I most probably don't have a gun. Seems like the criminals would get a whole lot bolder when they can be more than fairly certain that their victims can't shoot at them.

I agree with you. As a non-smoker, I have absolutely no problem with people smoking, so long as I don't have to: 1. breathe it. 2. look at cig butts scattered all over 3. have my stuff smell like smoke or be damaged from burning cigs. I don't usually walk up to someone smoking, but if I do, I'll just stand upwind, and wouldn't be rude and ask them to put it out. they were there first. On the other hand, if the guy sitting next to me in a hockey game lights up, you bet I'm going to say something, because I paid for my seat, and the arena is non-smoking. Does anyone have any suggestions for what to do about my upstairs neighbors...they sit on the steps in front of their apartment, which go right above my front door, and smoke. I have no problem with this... what really bugs is that when they're done with their cigarette, they toss the butt down right in front of my door. I'm getting sick of picking up their trash! I've politely asked them to use an ashtray, and they were apologetic and said they would, but next day, there's cigarette butts all over my front door mat again. sigh...

Very true... Around here, the districts in nicer areas will not hire a teacher without experience, even if they're credentialled. The demand to get into those districts to teach is high enough that they can afford to be very picky. The districts in more economically depressed areas tend to get a lot of brand new teachers, because the ones with experience can, and do, go elsewhere. New teachers stay in the poorer district for a few years, and then leave for greener pastures.

I'm not sure what it's like at your US destination, but my experience in California is that it's a royal PITA to exchange money. I've still got about 80 euro from my trip to Ireland over a year ago. The average bank won't do a currency exchange.

hugs and vibes. Let me know if I can do anything.

Happy Birthday, Sparky!!!!

I've had this conversation in the abstract with my family. What I told them is that I don't feel I have the right to baptise a child. Religion is something deep inside that you have to choose for youself. Belief isn't something that someone else can choose for you. Should any of my future kids choose baptism, I want it to be a special thing for them. Sacraments should be moving experiences for the person involved, and it can't possibly be a moving experience to someone too young to remember it who didn't have any choice in the matter whatsoever. Faith is something you have to nurture in yourself. it's not something someone else can just give you. If necessary, you can cite back to the early days of christianity, where baptism was something chosen by adults, not something that parents chose for their children.

why make your kids go through the expense and inconvenience of changing their names? It's hardly fair to them, and it costs a couple grand if you're changing your name for a reason other than marriage.

because they've got to get someone's last name or things get rediculous! example: Ms Smith marries Mr. Jones. Their kid is Mary Smith-Jones. Mary Smith-Jones marries Walter Butler. The kid is now John Smith-Jones-Butler. John Smith-Jones-Butler marries Candice Walker-Julian. Their kids are now Smith-Jones-Butler-Walker-Julian, which is just plain stupid. I figure the woman gets to carry the kid around for 9 months and give birth, and the father can give the kid his last name.

what some of my friends have done: keep their own names legally, but socially go by Mr. and Mrs. his-last-name, and the kids get his last name. seems like a decent compromise to me.

the ACLU will assist anyone whose civil rights are being trampled on. They don't care if you're christian or not, white or not, or whatever. It's just more often that non-christian minorities get their rights stepped on, so that's what more ACLU cases are about.

I agree. Someone's right to smoke ends where someone else's right to breathe begins.

actually, I haven't... it just seemed like the obvious answer.

I'd give the car to the friend, and let her take the old lady to her destination, while I stayed at the bus stop and waited for the bus with the partner of my dreams.

from ivillage.com # Fifth anniversary Traditional gift: wood gift ideas: # Bonsai plant # Weekend away in a log cabin # Wood plaque engraved with words of love # Take a walk in the woods # Photo of you or of the two of you in a wooden frame # New fence or decking # Wooden furniture # Wood sculpture or carvings

best thing to do with a troll is just ignore them, because they're out for attention.

hmm... maybe, instead of having a skydiver under the parachute, put a house under the parachute, and your company logo on the canopy. That way, it looks as if the realtor will be the buyer's parachute and help them land a great house. dunno... probably silly.

If the system is ok, they're out 150K. If the system is NOT ok, they've given the American people a much more valuable gift.