I faced this. I signed up when my Dad was going through hospice and forgot. I emailed them and they refunded the money.

One of the students killed was a hero and tackled the gunman. https://www.npr.org/2019/05/01/719222196/unc-charlotte-shooting-victim-is-honored-as-a-hero-for-tackling-shooter?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20190501&fbclid=IwAR0qJ9b4RhhtfPWlngN829Pf23ZFBePFcRHaiZHJmN60cciu22KY0iFsmh8 " Riley Howell, 21, who was killed in the shooting, "took the suspect off his feet," said Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney in a news conference. "Absolutely, Mr. Howell saved lives." Howell "did exactly what we train people to do—you're either going to run, you're going to hide and shield, or you're going to take the fight to the assailant. Having no place to run and hide, he did the last," said Putney. "But for his work the assailant may not have been disarmed. Unfortunately, he gave his life in the process. But his sacrifice saved lives," added the chief."

I think I'm tired. I've been doing things since 9/11...and things have gotten worse, not better. I worked in domestic violence in the Muslim-American community, and while I saw some big changes in how some communities tackled it....the number of famicilides (not in the Muslim-American community but in the US) have gone up and up. It's no longer a surprise when a guy (usually) kills his wife and kids and then commits suicide himself. Actually, I'm happily surprised when the kids survive a DV shooting these days. Access to powerful guns has changed. After Reagan was shot, there was the assault weapons ban. Americans only started owning assault weapons in large numbers in 2004 when that legislation expired. The NRA wasn't omnipowerful (and that is changing), but it's also Citizen United and the power of lobbyists (on both sides) that increased. "Assessing these bans based on their brief history, however, obscures a key fact: When legislatures first restricted the guns, few civilians owned them. Americans only started buying assault weapons in large numbers after the federal assault weapon ban expired in 2004. That year, there were only about 100,000 made by American manufacturers. Production skyrocketed after Barack Obama won the 2008 election, when domestic gunmakers manufactured almost 500,000 such weapons, and then again following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. In 2013, the gun industry pumped out nearly two million assault-style rifles."

It seems like many of the shootings are because of hate and misogyny (incels, domestic violence). The incels and the hate-fueled folks...they've found their communities already that support them.

Thought this might be inspirational to some. I love the fact that her Dad pushed her. It goes against some stereotypes of Muslim men (although Malala's Dad was the same.) "Najat has eight kids ranging from 17 down to 8 years old. She’s a working mom who decided to go back to school five years ago when her father came to visit from Morocco, where her entire family still live. “When my dad came he told me, ‘where is your degree,’” Najat said. That’s when she made the decision to go to school." https://www.wxyz.com/news/mother-of-8-to-graduate-from-wayne-state-with-engineering-degree?fbclid=IwAR36v1K-AjvSGavzQ1yHwBp4HR9EkTCPCwqUUbIB2iGgGdy-8qcToKAvMDU

The recent shooting in NC did not get a big reaction. I don't even think the shooting at Chabad in San Diego got much of a reaction. Why? Is it because it's our new norm, or is it because there weren't that many victims compared to Las Vegas, Christchurch, or Orlando. Do we now need 50 victims to even care? I don't like that. That's not acceptable to me. It's not where I want to live or raise my kids. Ramadan starts this weekend. Typically, most communities have community dinners (open to the public too) every night. I don't feel safe going. At all. After Christchurch, they amped up security at both of the local mosques...but still....I don't think it's enough. I hate that. I hate that I worry about three of my kids attending the same school next year (as I have to go back to school and can't homeschool)....and wonder, maybe I should spread them out to minimize the risk of loosing them all? It doesn't seem that we'll go back to gun regulation, even though it was perfectly fine with SCOTUS and others for most of the history of our democracy. So what? What do we do?

My cousin works in admissions there and has been on lockdown. From what my Aunt tells me, she was still on lockdown in her office at 8 p.m., even though I thought the suspect had been caught?

I'm in Florida (FWIW). In the past 10-20 years or so, I've seen more and more people with sleeve tattoos, face piercings and the like show up in "normal" businesses. I'm of the age when Cher's tattoos were considered extreme. And you know what? Most people really don't care. While I'm still rocking just one ear piercing (because the other always closes up), and I have zero desire for more....I'm more used to them and they don't bother me. I personally do not like the big black spacers/disks in ears? As they're not attractive to me,, but I don't really care if somebody else does that to themselves. I do wonder, however how many young twenties/late teens tattoos are later regretted. I shudder to think what I'd be sporting now as a 51 year old. (Likely some weird Adam Ant or David Bowie tattoo.) Facial tattoos are another story. Traditional Maori or other tattoos when that's your heritage? Fine. Somethink like Takashi69? No thanks. I don't normally think gang/drug/prison, I just think unattractive.

Another one from my generation.... Another death from stroke in one's early 50s. https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2019/04/29/john-singleton-life-support-after-stroke/3 " Director John Singleton will be taken off of life support after suffering a stroke earlier this month, his spokesperson Shannon Barr told USA TODAY Monday. "It is with heavy hearts we announce that our beloved son, father and friend, John Daniel Singleton will be taken off of life support today," Singleton's family said in a statement via his spokesperson. "This was an agonizing decision, one that our family made, over a number of days, with the careful counsel of John’s doctors." The family continued in the statement: "We are grateful to his fans, friends and colleagues for the (outpouring) of love and prayers during this incredibly difficult time. We want to thank all the doctors at Cedars Sinai for the impeccable care he received. The family also said in the statement that Singleton "like many African Americans …quietly struggled with hypertension.""

Thanks for the link. Yeah, I agree this cartoon went too far. Could have made the same point in a better way.

This I blame on people labeling anything that is critical of the Israeli government as anti-Semitism. They are different, but we do not allow much debate on anything regarding Israel here without labeling it as anti-Semitism. That does not seem to be an issue in Europe AFAIK. Just saw that the NY Times got dinged for anti-Semitism today for running a cartoon of Netenyahu on a dog leash tied to Trump. I haven't seen the cartoon, but to me that is strictlly political and has nothing to do with hatred of Jews. Netenyahu has a lot of baggage....as does Trump....and should not be a forbidden topic for political cartoons.

I'm in Northern Florida.... We get ants, fruit flies, palmetto bugs (cockroaches on steroids), and bark scorpions. I can deal with all of them except the scorpions. Not deadly, but very painful stings (and scary looking). Growing up in Michigan, I remember tons of spiders...especially Daddy Long Legs...and ants.

They say he also is responsible for the mosque fire. I will say...as a Muslim Mom....I worry about radicalization...because it's often not the kids from what I would call conservative families who become radicalized. It's the converts....It's the kids from very moderate families who get indoctrinated online. One thing that has been discovered (at least among Muslim extremists) is that their knowledge of their religion is usually very basic/non existent....which makes them more vulnerable to so called scholars/Shaykhs/recruiters.

And in other hate crimes, a driver plowed into a crowd in California because he thought there were Muslims in the crowd. He was on his way to Bible class. https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-california-pedestrians-hit-20190426-story.html?fbclid=IwAR2eweZJUUOyiPG_6VHmy2C3MziQJiZa2Phv4GNu5CYFlMH7Z0NpiXOwgbI "An Iraq War veteran deliberately drove into a group of pedestrians because he thought some of the people were Muslim, California authorities said Friday. Isaiah Joel Peoples, 34, faces eight counts of attempted murder for injuring eight people, including four who remain hospitalized. The most seriously injured is a 13-year-old Sunnyvale girl of South Asian descent who is in a coma with severe brain trauma." It's not just guns. It's the hate speech and support of hate groups that happens from the highest level now. I'm sure the Iraq veteran and the synagogue shooter are all very fine people, right?

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cross-check/new-zealand-acts-to-reduce-mass-shootings-why-wont-the-u-s/ It took one mass shooting for this to happen. "New Zealand’s response to gun violence has been dramatically different from that of the U.S. Prime minister Jacinda Ardern immediately called for a ban on semiautomatic guns, assault rifles and high-capacity magazines. The government will buy back banned weapons from current owners, making exceptions for those who need guns for pest control, stock management and hunting. Ardern said more restrictions would follow, including more rigorous licensing rules. New Zealand’s plan resembles one enacted by Australia in 1996--also after a mass shooting--that is credited with sharply reducing homicides and suicides. The New Zealand law is expected to go into effect in mid-April, less than one month after the Christchurch massacre. "

No more. I am so tired of this. No more. We need leadership like NZ on this issue. Hopes and prayers DO NOTHING. https://www.10news.com/multiple-people-gunned-down-at-poway-synagogue-police-search-for-shooter

Congratulations! May she grow up healthy, strong, and happy. ❤️ So...are you changing your name to MomofSeven? 😄

Rice sock and self massage. Take a large gym/soccer sock and fill it with uncooked rice (any kind). Knot the end and nuke for 2 minutes. Place around neck. Can re-use for 6 months or so.

In the 70s, my Mom made the most horrendous tuna noodle casserole with canned mushrooms and canned cream of mushroom soup.

She was not involved in the murder of Sharon Tate's baby....FWIW. She was implicated in the murder of the grocer and his wife. She was told she must go back and stab the wife....so she did. She said that she believed the wife was already dead. An autopsy stated that some of his wife's stab wounds occurred after she had died. Were they the ones committed by Leslie Van Houten? I have no idea. Warning regarding link...describes the murder https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_Van_Houten#Murders_of_Leno_and_Rosemary_LaBianca

I think she should be paroled. She has served far longer than most murderers. Her third trial gave her seven years to life. She's been approved for parole three different times by parole boards. Forty is definitely at the longer end of that. I do not feel that she is a risk to others and she has done her time.

I've dealt with this with more than one child. Take it seriously, please (sounds like you are). Our psychiatrist was great for meds, but we found a different therapist to work with. She also guided me regarding what things to look at if they got worse.... Our children's hospital has an excellent partial-hospitalization program (Basically they're in-patient during the day and come home at night) We have a family history of depression and suicide, and I fear this will be a life long struggle for some of my kids.

It is sometimes used as a diagnosis of last resort. Also, people who are survivors of child sexual abuse can be diagnosed with it, when a more accurate diagnosis is C-PTSD. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/mar/27/are-sexual-abuse-victims-being-diagnosed-with-a-mental-disorder-they-dont-have

I heard a story on NPR a few days ago about how parents with kids who had anxiety were taught how to help them. It was really neat and effective. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/04/15/711213752/for-kids-with-anxiety-parents-learn-to-let-them-face-their-fears I was wondering if anybody knows of something similar for kids with depression....or has any advice. Thanks.

You are still legally married, so he must choose married filing singly. My STBX found out how bad that sucks. He went from a potential refund to owing $12k in taxes.