I certainly wouldn't single out Israel as a country where this kind of occurrence may happen.

Dickens' David Copperfield is another.

...and, yes, well, don't be surprised if those same moms are themselves secretly planning to get extra holes too, eventually!

black_midori: I'm sure lawyers wouldn't decrease their billing hours on the basis of being-hired-but-not-really, in case they merely waited outside the court-room! I can sympathize.

MHowell: Sounds a sensible solution (if you can remember all those passwords and log-ins!) We get vouchers emailed (many go unused) but when we are ready to go shopping, we print them off, sometimes.

It's a pity that millions of over-billed families have to bear the brunt of over-billing because of those 85% frivolous malpractice lawsuits. The answer isn't Enron style creative accounting. Legislators, rather, need to grasp the nettle.

KatieinMich: Well, I guess if large numbers of emails in the inbox are annoying (they don't actually bother me), then after the date of the coupon has passed, this would be the time to do periodic deleting. But it's definitely not worthwhile using ink to print off a coupon if you're not about to use it.

Well, they are worth signing up for, in large numbers, while you don't have to print them off when they arrive. But then if 1 in 20 of them results in a saving, then in the long run they are worth it, I think, anyway. (Two cents'.)

Ms Alice: I'm sure malpractice isn't the only issue. In fact, it's a pity that conscientious physicians have to spend so much time, attention and resources on malpractice insurance. Also, from a billing perspective, I reckon that the definition of malpractice has somewhat imperceptibly shifted over the years, if not officially, then in the popular mind. For example, families on the receiving end of hugely inflated, yet legally watertight, billing, might well draw comparisons to Kenny Lay's Enron method of inflating offshore subsidiaries' assets by mixing the credit and debit columns in their accounts, at the time not illegal, but in nature predatory upon unsuspecting investors. So the issue isn't just whether inflated billing is technically allowable; it's also whether its ethical shortcomings are being adequately addressed by a political class which defends corporate interests more closely than those of average families. It is this lacuna which is ultimately needs addressing, rather than the mere actions of some physicians (maybe operating under tight margins themselves) in over-billing.

In Indiana someplace there's the Dan Quayle Vice Presidential Museum, too (if you're actually interested, that is). Also the Michigan National Lakeshore, in the north of Indiana.

In2why: Thoughtful response showing misgivings about this particular type of jewelry for dental reasons, though clearly far from hostile to piercings as a whole. It only goes to show, I think, that with the OP there really are various unrelated issues going on, I reckon.

Classics such as the Bible, R L Stevenson's Kidnapped, Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Anna Sewell's Black Beauty, and many others.

nrg: You're right: a bit of good humor — epsecially if it's mutual — can ease tensions considerably. There is still the nagging idea lurking that if it weren't this piece of jewelry in question, then would it be another? and how does this make sense, when it comes to an adult's personal jewelry preferences? (Thinks ... )

EvergreenStateSue: Well, sounds like a good, solid reason to me! Of course, it also raises the issue of whether courtrooms are b-feeding-friendly, but this is another issue. For some moms, they would almost prefer that they were not ... .

mm: Yes, it's clear just how wretched the system is. And it's nothing new. I was reading about how, about a century ago, a young Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower lost a baby in hospital. A family tragedy. Then they were sent the bill for the privilege of the 'care' received. (Not that, years later, the Eisenhower Administration did much to improve the situation.)

ScoutTN: Truly a rip-off, and if politicians were really representing the people of the districts instead of corporate interests they would do something about it, but - guess what? - it doesn't happen.

Ottakee: Yes, well tattoo piercing places abound now, in many places, seeing as they provide a service that is widely desired. You might not be 'ready' for a faith based tattoo design, though, but the piercing aspect of the service might be an alternative to the mall kiosk, even though it would be more expensive. Having been done at the mall not long ago, you could always go get your triples done at a tattoo piercing place, couldn't you? seeing as you seem to be seriously considering having 3rds.

WendyK: Well, exactly. Some of the good folk who administer the system, are in fact perfectly nice people without any agenda, and are thoroughly reasonable, although maybe not everyone comes into this category; it's hard to legislate against attitude.

NittanyJen: Hope it works out for you. The disposition of the official that one deals with does have a lot to do with it, sometimes, I think. It's hard to deny otherwise, I reckon.

melissa: Thanks, Yes, I see what you mean. Like you say anyway, some sons do choose for themselves if they get studs. Some parents might think this is actually a nice thing for them to do. Others might not, at all. I think that relatively few parents would in the final analysis try to throw a son out of the house because of studs in his ears, though. I think that the OP (whose full circumstances, like you say, are not completely known to us) is somewhat concerned about a manipulative stance that she may be facing.

jjhat: Some of this excessive pricing seems predatory, if it's simply a matter of administrators redefining things to charge a huge amount for a small procedure.

Mommy22alyns: yes well the matter of respecting adulthood is the reason why I voted for keeping it in (not for aesthetic or whatever reasons, which is far more subjective).

swellmomma: Well, this, at any rate, is one way of doing it! (whether or not in some jurisdictions they may be small print which discourages people from doing it.) Interesting ... :)

Yes, it's really just nice and classy to have them like this, isn't it. (Whether they are acquired 2 by 2, in stages, or even 2 or 3 pairs at once, which can surprise friends and family if they're not expecting it. :) )

KFP: I reckon you were quite a bit embarrassed (and anxious, at first). I guess the outcome would depend a lot on which jurisdiction the forgettee was in.