I posted on a simliar thread (perhaps the one that you spun off) where my family growing up never hugged....and when I had children I brought them up to hug freely, and often. But....I totally agree with the others that say if someone says no to a hug, that should be respected (and that goes for adults or children). My children are slowly learning the body language of others to know if a hug would be welcome or not....they're not always right and I have noticed people stiffen when they are hugged by my kids and my kids break the hug off quickly. It's a learning process. BUT....your little one made it clear before the hug started that she didn't want it. THAT should be respected without exception. THe family dynamics are not always fun to deal with....but yeah, if BIL can email his disapproval over your hair color (Huh????) then I totally think it appropriate for DH to write and let him know that your children deserve his respect (and your DH requires it) and request that he back off from the insensitive comments to your son and that he allow your daughters to warm up to him naturally without forcing affection. Of course, if DH is comfortable with a phone call to discuss this shortly before the next visit, that would be better as it can't be as easily misconstrued as an email might. I think it's important that children's right to refuse affection be respected and allowed, even when it's their own dad (referring to your mention of your daughter's refusal because they had a disagreement). Our failure to protect and honor that may give the child the thought that they must give in to any unwanted affection.....and for some children that of course can lead to being a victim. Obviously, I'm not saying those are your BIL intentions, any more than they were your husbands of course.....but a child can only go by their instinct and feelings, and must learn where that is....if they don't learn it from us, where do they? Yes, sometimes we know that the child simply needs a hug.....I'm sure that's how your DH felt when daughter rebuked him in anger.....and I can think of times that my own kids have been mad at me and refused a hug and I have forced it because I knew it would be what broke down the emotional wall. It's a fine line to walk and only knowing the child very well makes that possible.....so it's not the same as with BIL. Hopefully, it won't be an issue next time even if your DH does talk....I can remember one of my kids (probably the one I'd call most shy in our outgoing family, lol), very young, preschool age at most, not wanting to go near a relative. We thought it odd, until we realized it had been a year or more since we'd been together and of course little one was barely a toddler then and so this person was really a complete stranger to him even though none of us felt that way. Fortunately by the end of the trip they were best buddies, and hopefully next time your daughter sees Uncle, she'll think of him not as a stranger. Hopefully.

I use a mixture of ground sausage and hamburger meat to give it a little more pizzaz.....brown together with a chopped onion, minced garlic, fresh chopped mushrooms. Drain grease. I typically use leftover rice, but of course you can make it fresh....about the same amount as meat mixture (eyeballed). Mix in one small can of diced tomatoes (or dice up fresh). Sprinkle with some spices (I have made my own blend of our favorites, think Italian seasoning types). If you buy the diced toms with spice already in, you can skip. A few generous dashes of Worchestire or red pepper flakes to add some zing (not both, I typically choose red pepper, the kids when they make it choose Worch). A cup or so of Parmasean cheese. Mix it all really well. I make double/triple batches and at this point will freeze the mixture for another meal or two. Tried freezing in the bell peppers and it wasn't successful, lol. I use the red/orange/yellow peppers because I find the green to be bitter when cooked. Fill the pepper about half way with meat mixture....pour in a little tomato sauce....fill to top with meat. Put in casserole dish, add remaining sauce to the tops. Bake in 350 oven for about an hour. Sometimes we'll add some Asiago cheese the last 5 minutes until melted.

Another travel adventure book by Rachel Field is A Road Might Lead to Anywhere. As I recall the little girl goes to sleep and dreams about walking to all the places she could visit....there was a cave, a seashore, a witch's house and into stores, probably more that I can't remember right now. It's a very short book, but the illustrations are marvelous and the story is a great intro for a child just learning that there is more to the world than their city. Probably the K-3 group. Hitty is much longer, a couple hundred pages. Be sure to get the book titled Hitty: Her First Hundred Years. THere are several reprints with just "Hitty" as the title and they have been (in my opinion) poorly revised. Hitty is a delightful doll that travels with her owners on many adventures. Obviously it would probably be enjoyed by girls more than boys since the main character is a doll, but it a sweet story and has glimpses into many different places. Amazing Animal Adventures....Brian Keating, the author is a wildlife expert and the photos and stories are real life adventures he took to many different countries. He also has books on specific regions, like deserts, rivers, islands, etc. Not really a novel per se as each adventure is a stand alone story. The True Adventures of Charley Darwin tell of a young Charles Darwin's 5 year trip by ship exploring the natural world. (Obviously if you object to evolution theory, you may want to pre-read this....as he is 'that' Darwin). Magellan Voyage Project is a hilarious tale about a race around the world (no flying allowed). All the contestants are children, no adults allowed. Definitely fiction/fantasy. Great Race by Gary Blackwood....set at the turn of the century (1900) it's an auto race around the world. Remarkable Voyages of Captain Cook by Rhoda Blumberg, tells the story of the British Explorer who discovered Australia, Hawaii and other Pacific islands. Stowaway by Karen Hesse, tells a fictionalized account in journal format of a stowaway aboard Captain Cook's ship. To the Edge of the World by Michelle Torey tells a fictionalized story of a teenage orphan who becomes cabin boy to Magellan. Around the World Who's Been Here by Lindsay George is about a teacher who went on a 9 month around the world adventure and wrote back to her science class. Focuses on animals and nature mostly. Sailing Around the World by Joshua Slocum. True life story of the first man to sail around the world. There are several other stories about Slocum, but this the one he wrote about his adventures. The Boy Who Sailed Around the World Alone by Robin Lee Graham. True story of a 16 year old boy who sails around the world for 5 years.

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Been there, lived that, changed for my kids. I remember hugging my parents before bed. Period. No other times....not even when my heart was broken by a boyfriend who told me the night before prom he was taking someone else. A pat on the back and a hand off of tissues and even at that age I could see both my parents' eyes darting toward the door wondering how to get there. I REFUSE to be that way with my children. My lack of ability to hug dear friends hello and goodbye is still an issue for me....I'm stiff and awkward with them. But with my kids......the very first thing they do when they get out of bed in the morning is come find me and we have several minutes of close cuddles and hugs....including my almost teen. We hug many times during the day, and they will all vie to hold our hands when we're out and about (kinda funny to see them jockey for position as we only have more kids than hands! They will hug friends, adults or children, and even people that are really just acquaintances often time. A part of me wonders if I need to talk to my almost teen about appropriateness given her age now....but I choose instead to wait to see if it becomes awkward or somehow inappropriate. Obviously her hugs are warm and friendly, not s*xual, but her age and ummm, books are definitely developing and I wonder if sometime it may be awkward for a male friend. Anyway...crossing that bridge someday. I refuse to ever tell them not to hug.....my plan is to explain appropriate hugging. I'm sorry that your mom can't see what she missed out on.....my parents are not still alive so they missed out on terrific hugs from their grandkids too, which I sincerely choose to believe would have broken through their barriers. (la la la la, I can't hear you if you don't agree, lol). You (and I) CHOSE to spend all day with our kids. No one forces us, it's not a duty, it's a choice. I also chose not to have sitters (I can count on one hand the times my kids have been in another person's care). Many homeschool moms can't understand that. But the truth is that I enjoy my children's company, even the almost teen, lol. Sure there are occasions that I pass something up because it's not kid worthy but they are rare and someday way too soon I'll have wayyyy too much time to do these things when my nest is empty. I'm not looking forward to that day. In fact, I've made my kids promise to live near each other so I can homeschool all my grandkids! :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

I would let her know. Your past experience says that she wasn't happy with you about not letting her know. It sounds like she is even closer to her brother than she was to the aunt who died. I think it should be your mom's choice of whether to come home or not. If she has not had the chance to say goodbye (and even if he had cancer the fact is that most people don't do this until they realize it's almost too late).....she will be even more devastated. Yes there is a part that says she can't really do anything if she came home....and she deserves a fun cruise. But the fact is that she'll never have good memories of this trip if she comes home and finds out he died while she was having fun. It's not a good situation and there is no answer that will make it good. My heart goes out to your family. But if it were me, I'd want to be home and I'd be very angry if no one let me know.

Yep, I'd be very concerned about it. But....I also see two places that hindsight improvement could have made a better situation..... I know I'm overly protective, but I have never allowed my children (and I'll have a teenager by month's end) to go to someone's house alone. Yep, even 2 houses down and around the corner. I have often had conversations with my kids about calling me immediately if something is happening at someone else's house that makes them uncomfortable or isn't "allowed" here at home. So I would hope that means that my kids would have called to let me know that the adult in charge wasn't there (or since there was no one home and no way to call, would have come home to tell me). Of course, if your kids have been there before you had no reason to believe it would be bad now, so I wouldn't beat myself up over it. But....I also would not allow it to happen again. I do think I'd mention to Hannah's mom how surprised you were to show up and find them all unsupervised. I'm guessing Mom didn't realize that her babysitter was so hands-off! I'd also make sure my kids understood that sitter's house was off limits, at least until I got to know her better to see if this was just an isolated incident, or if her rules are perhaps too lax for my comfort. I have no problem with how others make rules for their kids.....I have worked hard to let it go and remember that I'm not their parent....but my kids know my rules and know that breaking them even outside my view will mean punishment at our house. But they also know the WHYs for each rule, even the youngest who can't quite understand the intracacies of my why's....but knows it's because I love them and my JOB is keeping them as safe as possible. And I take my job just as seriously as Daddy takes his....maybe even more so. If this is the first time this situation has come up, then you can't really get mad at the kids (including Hannah) as they may not have understood the rules for the situation. After all sounds like they often play in Hannah's backyard.....the adult thing is not something they'd have keyed into.

There are new reports out that lead one to believe it may have been what is described in that wiki. It certainly would explain why he was nude and where the rope was allegedly tied. Though I wasn't a fan of his type of movies, I'm still saddened for his family....for their loss and for having to deal with the way he died.

You know this was my first reaction as well....someone should turn her in! But then I realized that even if OP isn't the one that turns her in....if instead a wise professor realizes that a student who gets great grades on paper can't hold her own in class....and starts nosing around......OP is going to be blamed for it even then. And the family rift that this will undoubtedly cause will be MAJOR. I mean really, if Niece doesn't care, if Mom doesn't care and if Grandma doesn't care about what it's doing to Niece's future......well, getting Niece kicked out of college isn't going to change their feelings either. In fact, it will instead give them someone else to focus their anger on....OP. And she simply doesn't need that anguish for trying to do right by her Niece. There are so many people in our life that we know are going down the wrong path....and we so desperately want to guide them back to the right path. But the fact is that you can only help people who are willing to be helped. These three generations do not want your help. So before you consider turning her in, you have to ask whether it's worth it. It's not going to change Niece (and probably not mom or grandma either), so really the one that will be truly hurt would be OP by being ostracized. Noble gesture that nets zero in return. But....on the other hand a part of me loves the idea of seeing these folks get their comeuppance. Too bad there wasn't a way to turn her in and make it clear that it wasn't OP that did it. Part of me says......Hmmm...tell me her name and college and I'll tell them. I wouldn't care about the wrath of Niece/Mom/Grandma and I'd make sure that the college told them it was me that turned her in.....let them stew for a long time wondering who I am and how I knew, lol. But at least it would get OP off the hook. Hmmmmm

How very sad I feel for your Niece. Yeah, she's quite a number....but ya'll know that in a couple of years this same girl is going to be complaining loudly about being fired from yet another job. While she'll of course complain that she was unfairly fired, the fact will likely be that they hired her because she had a degree in whatever.....and then when she started working it will be obvious she may have the piece of paper, but she doesn't have the knowledge. (Of course, maybe then they should hire Grandma!). And the sad part is that Niece will NEVER really understand it. Learning is not about having the books on the shelf....it's about opening the books and pouring the knowledge into your brain. And she hasn't done this. I also feel very sad for the Grandma.....what she's doing is absolutely wrong, but how sad that this woman craves loves so much that she'll ruin her own granddaughter's future for it.....and not even realize that she isn't truly getting the love she craves. To be honest, I hope that no one ever tells this woman the mean and hateful things that Niece has said about her. Even for all her wrongs, no one deserves that pain. As for OP...I think you already answered your question. No one will listen to you, and it obviously pains you greatly to deal with this issue. So, you need to let it go. As others have said, you can't change people. But more importantly you are doing yourself harm by taking on their problems. You may actually find that unburdening yourself onto a professional might help you to let it go....letting go is very difficult to do alone. But until you do, you will feel this rage and it does and will continue to affect other areas of your life.

Tater tots...the food of the gods.

I've read that you can also alternate ibuprofren with acetaminaphen because they two don't interact. A nurse friend recommended this to us as well when DH was in a great deal of pain due to a back injury. He would take 3 IB and then 2 hours later take 3 AC and 2 hours later repeat the IB. It's not recommended that you do this for chronic pain, or if you have other ailments (like ulcers etc)....but the same nurse friend said that it's very difficult for someone to OD on either if they're taking them for short term pain relief. It has to really build up in your body before it causes problems. I personally have taken 4 (i.e. 800mg) for cramps and other pain several times a day. Just be careful about upseting your tummy....nothing worse than being in pain and barfing!

It's pretty much a psychological thing though.....one egg has 6 grams of protein....1 ounce of most cuts of beef have 7. Throw in another egg white for the extra protein without as much bulk or cholestrol, and maybe you'll hit on the amount of protein he needs for it to register? Like i said above....I do a breakfast burrito but throw in an ounce or so of leftover meat.

I do something very similiar, but typically throw in a handful of leftover meat.....chicken is a favorite and I often cook extra just so it's on hand (if we grill I have DH do the marinaded tonight's dinner but then fill the grill to capacity with non-marinated chicken as well...I have him cook those to just done so reheated they aren't tough). Beef works too, but it's a bit harder to precook without sauce or seasoning of course.

Hmmm, I think first I'd ask for a refund of any money paid for this contradictory advice. If that's what I wanted, I'd just go to the library and read the zillion different books, oh wait, I have done that, lol. I've only gone to a dietician twice .....and thankfully both times (years apart, different states, different people) were pretty much the same advice. It made me realize after the second consult that obviously I already knew the answers....but I was hoping for someone to tell me that they'd invented the magic pill for weight loss and health, lol. Eating healthy requires a lifestyle change, not a 2 week "diet" and then a return to your unhealthy choices. But it also doesn't mean that you can never have birthday cake and ice cream again either. Just not the whole cake anymore. A MAJOR part of losing weight, eating healthy, is motivation to stick to it. If the only way you'll be able to stick to the eating plan is to use Splenda products....then absolutely do it. If real butter is one of those triggers for you where just one bite of it makes you want to melt the entire block and slather it on any food in sight.....ummm, sorry, distracted there.....then definitely stick with the margarine or whatever else isn't a trigger. If you give up on the plan before it has a chance to become your new eating plan, then it was useless. If you simply must have a piece of chocolate everyday......then do it....in moderation and buy GREAT chocolate so you only need a half ounce. No, it's generally not considered part of a weight loss plan, but if that little bit will get you through the plate of veggies without sauce and steak without butter dripping, then it's worth it. "B" sounds very strict for someone struggling......"A" isn't perfect but for most people even it would be a struggle. But either one should help you to lose the small amount of weight you want......the real goal though should be lifestyle changes so that you're not back wanting to lose 10 pounds again next year. If that means indulging in some of the "A" choices, then so be it. Yo Yo weight loss is very harmful to your body, even small amounts, not to mention what it does to your morale! As for the exercise....what is the purpose of waiting 24 hours? Don't most people exercise about the same time each day anyway? It almost sounds like she's talking about extremely intense muscle exhertion...that's the only time I've heard waiting 24 hours (not that I'm an expert, but I've read every weight loss/exercise book on the planet I think). What I've found the most reasonable advice about exercise is, like the food, do what works for you. If riding a stationary bike for an hour works go for it....but if it makes you so bored you avoid the very room it's in at all costs, then 10 minute power walks a couple times a day may do you a lot more good. I hate the very thought of exercise.....but if I don't call it exercise then somehow I can do it. I power walk whenever I'm going somewhere (thank heavens my kids are big enough to keep up, probably wouldn't have worked when they were toddlers, lol). When we go somewhere, I park as far away as safe/reasonable and we power walk to the door. In the library I purposely keep my library list UNorganized....so I pull the books in the order on my list....which usually means going from one side of the library to the other several times....always power walking. In the grocery store you would think that I was a crazy woman.....I power walk that cart up and down the aisles telling the kids what to grab, lol. I DON'T take the advice in many organizational/cleaning books that tell you to use a laundry basket or something and go through each room once during the day to move things that don't belong to the proper room. When I see something that doesn't belong I will take it whereever it needs to go....power walking up the stairs or down the hall if possible. Not only does it mean I don't have to see the offending mess a million times that day, I got in a 2 minute power walk. Make extra trips around the house instead of waiting until later. I used to wear a pedometer because I had read 10,000 steps is the daily goal......when I was consistently doing 12 to 15k I stopped wearing it. I'm fairly sure I do more now. When I was first starting with the ped if I hadn't made the 10k by dinner, I forced myself to power walk around the block before I could eat (a possibly contradictory motivation, but it worked). Power walking is obviously more intense then strolling, but if you need to start slower, go for it, building up as you gain strength motivation and confidence. If you build exercise into your daily routine so that you don't have to find a block of time, place, motiviation to do it, you might be able to stave off the reoccurence of those 10 pounds next time. And be able to eat a few things not on either A or B without guilt. Ok, I'll PM you my consultation billing, lol. Seriously though....good luck in your endeavour. I have lost the equivalent of one middle elementary child but still have another to go. But slow and steady has kept me motivated, focused and not back sliding, so it's a good thing! But, if anyone hears about that magic pill, let me know.

If you find a good source for chickens in Arizona, please post it, or PM me. I've not been able to find one that is reasonably priced. If you're looking for good quality beef from a reputable ranch, I can highly recommend http://www.murphyventures.com/grassfed/. The Murphys are homeschoolers too, which doesn't matter as far as their ranch/beef is concerned, but it's one of those "oh they think like we do" moments, lol.

I look at things like this and shake my head and remind my DH that THESE are the people who are going to be in the hiring pool with my children. Well, more likely that my child's company will be using this hiring pool to fill vacancies. I guess I should be sure that my children have the skills to teach their employees how to add and subtract. I totally agree with the Jen in PA. I think maybe I'll use this example as both "current events" and "critical thinking" lessons today.

We like the Music for Little People version. It's the poems set to music. I think you can listen to samples at Amazon. If you are wanting just poetry read aloud, look for Judith Anderson.

Wow....I'm floored at the cost of your produce. Those kinds of prices are just a little bit less than the "organic" stuff here. I realized that prices vary state to state, but I didn't realize it was quite that bad (and I'm now glad DH didn't take the position in Tacoma several years ago....I didn't want it because of the constant rain, lol). Funny, because when I watch the news and they talk about the "national average" for gas, we are ALWAYS above it.....sometimes as much as 30 or 40 cents a gallon, and back when it was creeping up to $4 we saw that long before the national news reported on it. I knew that our housing prices weren't quite as bad as other major cities (SF, LA, NY), but we have so many Californians coming here because they can't afford their state anymore, making our housing prices increase, I figured that was our only saving grace. Our housing prices are $10k or so below the national average last time I saw a report comparing them....but that was before the foreclosure too. And 4 houses on our street have been foreclosed on, and several more have for sale signs. Neighbor came over asking if DH's employer was hiring. It's getting scary, lol.

Doesn't necessarily mean that the farming is done in that neighborhood.....for us a few farms are within 30 minutes drive if you want to go pick yourself (thanks but not in this heat, lol).....and they and further away farms bring it in....but the difference is they picked it this week, when it was ripe and will be at market tomorrow to sell it. The grocery store stuff was picked a week or two ago and has been bouncing on a truck for days instead of an hour or two. As for New York....you didn't say where you are specifically enough, but here is one that shows many farmer's markets in and around New York, divided by region. http://www.nyfarmersmarket.com/regions.htm

Wow...not around here! I can buy a pound of carrots for less than a dollar, but a box of twinkies is several dollars. I find in times of food budget crisis that heaping our plates with even more veggies and having the meat portion either non-existant or just an ounce or two for taste stretches the budget enormousely. Meat is the most expensive part of our food budget, bar none. We buy our meat in bulk directly from the rancher and it's cheaper per pound than the sales I see at the grocer....but it still averages about $2 a pound. And it's good quality too. The really icky ground beef (70% fat) is usually that much (maybe $1.80 on sale). Even London Broil which I consider the low end of steaks is $2.29 on sale around here. I miss living near the wharf and being able to go get fish literally off the boats......I haven't found anywhere in our land-locked state to buy it in bulk or cheap or even with a lot of flavor. Instead you spend $5 or more a pound for lifeless tasteless fish that requires a marinade before we want to eat it. When I lived in San Francisco, you could pick up a fish fresh off the boat go home and broil it and it was heavenly tasting with just a dab of butter and salt. Plain wasn't too bad either. Vegetables are so cheap.....both at the grocer and at the farmer's market....a 5 lb sack of potatoes is a dollar; a pound of squash is rarely over $1.25 (and often on sale for under a dollar); carrots, celery, brocolli, all average a dollar a pound...some weeks up some down. Red/Green/Romaine lettuce is on sale every other week for 77 or 88 cents....regular price is 99. Jicama adds a lot of oomph to a stir fry and is well under a dollar a pound. Green peppers are always cheap, but the red/yellow/orange are often on great sales as well (and when they are I buy pounds and pounds of them, chop them up and freeze them for use in stir fry when the fresh price is too high. Fruits in season tend to be inexpensive, and if bought from a farmer's market are tasty enough to be dessert. Rice and other grains are also cheap if bought in bulk...buy it at an Asian market and it's about $10 for 25 pounds. Buy it at the grocer at a one pound bag will cost you a dollar and change. We asked at the grocery bakery for an empty frosting bucket, it was free....cleaned it really well, and store our rice in that. Same with flour and sugar, buy in 20-25 pound bulk and it's dimes a pound instead of dollars.

For that matter, why do we even allow white bread to be sold? It can't even be thrown into the "occasional treat" category like soda and chips. It's worthless nutritionally, so perhaps we should ban it. LOL As for your comment about not being able to afford the insulin that works better.....have you tried contacting the manufacturer of that insulin? Many of the pharm companies have programs to help low-income afford medication....especially life saving things like insulin. I don't have details, I just know several people who get their meds straight from the manufacturer at a fraction of the cost (and in some cases free) because they are low income, no insurance or both. It would certainly be worth a few phone calls to see if you qualify.

On that same thought, maybe the government should tell people that they have so much money already saved and invested wisely that they don't need Social Security when they turn 65, and so we'll just give it to the food stamp program, lol. Or....tell you how you can spend your retirement. It's a slippery slope when you started wanting regulation. Those of us old enough.....think de-regulation of the phone companies. Ack! Yep...and maybe the government should tell all of us on this board how to educate our children. Yeah, that'd go over well, lol. Most of us homeschool so that the schools aren't telling us how to teach. But I guarantee you that I could find another board that would think this was an excellent idea and that they'd sign a petition for it right now, lol.

You know, I have such a hard time convincing people that it is RARELY a better bargain to buy things at the dollar store. Not only is the ounce for ounce not cheaper, but typically other items are of such poor quality that they don't last as long as a slightly more expensive item. The other that I have a hard time understanding is people who shop at some of the more expensive stores in town....they're the same product in the same bag/can/box and yet they're more expensive....so what are you getting? The typical answer I get is that their store is prettier....or better lit. Ahhh ok, I'll pay more for that. Not. It's down right funny when I take those stores' sales ads into my store and even their SALE price is higher (granted sometimes only by pennies, sometimes by much more). Now I know some will say that the produce and meat are better quality at the expensive stores.....and that may be..... I rarely buy either at the grocery. I buy my produce directly from the farmer, so it's fresh and actually has real taste.....and I buy meat in bulk from a rancher......the meat I'm taking home today was walking around the fields I'm looking at just a couple days ago. And the taste is as good as a restaurant quality meat, which even the expensive stores can't match. It all comes down to what is important to you and your family. I hope to never go back to buying peaches that have little juice and no flavor....I want my peach to dribble juice down my face and my mouth rejoice at the flavor. Others say they don't see a difference, which floors me. I can't imagine buying any of that to-go stuff at the deli....it looks like it's sat there all day and is all dried out. I'd rather go home, have one of those lucious peaches to tide me over and wait while I prepare a scratch meal. But....I'll bet others don't understand my jello addiction, lol. So, it probably all evens out. And...I guess that's why there are so many grocery stores in a 1 mile radius, lol.

I beg to to differ...I responded to your original post, but now I'd like to clarify. If you have assets that you give to another person without compensation so that you can qualify for government aid, it's called Hiding Assets. And it is fraud. If you were to sign over your house to someone else, but still live continue to live there, and then sign up for government aid....that too is hiding assets. While this isn't food stamp related....another common way of Hiding Assets is when you think you might be sued, and so you sign over your house, car and bank accounts to another person to avoid having any assets with which the Plaintiff could collect against. Fraud. And if you're caught Hiding Assets you can go to jail for it. Of course, that's the rub isn't it....IF you're caught. It comes back around to stopping the abuse of the system.

Hiding assets is fraud....I'd recommend thinking twice (or thrice) before doing this.