My oldest son shattered his screen. I found a local repair shop with a great reputation to replace it for $70. Before I had them do it I took it to Apple and the kind genius replaced it for free. It was only four weeks old, and I'm sure that mattered. I will return to the local repair shop if we ever need another repair, but we all have otterboxes for our iThings now. Get one for the iPod as well. They are relatively inexpensive through Amazon. I also informed my kids that any more broken phones mean they get a junk drawer phone until they can pay for the repair or replacement.

I may have them do a few chores, or if you can't find anything for them to do I'd have dh supervise them working to clean up trash and weeds in a local park (equal to the amount of time dh spent looking for his clubs). However, I think if I were your dh I'd consider scheduling a grueling (made up) work schedule to scare them, but taking them our for a coke and a good talking to by a police officer friend instead. Since they returned the clubs and they were not damaged, treating them with grace and forgiveness may set a better example than anything else. Kids make mistakes and do stupid things so making a good impression of forgiveness may go a long way in how they interact with children when they are adults.

The money I would have to spend on gas driving back and forth to the library and bookstore, and the extra books I'd have to buy would more than offset the savings by getting rid of the internet. I say a big NO here.

Look around the Orange Beach/Perdido area. They have very nice places to stay, plenty of things to do, and great places to eat and shop. Trish- why would it not be safe?

Crock pot with any of the recipes mentioned. They all sound great! To keep it from getting dry don't trim it before. Cook it fat side up. Trim off the fat before you shred it.

After Katrina hit New Orleans the media was pretty harsh at times, portraying the citizens as a group of gun packing, looting, loose cannons. I'm glad to see at least one positive look into how the people of south LA really are. We stick together, help one another, and appreciate all that we are and all that we have. Thanks for posting the link.

We are a tough bunch of people; we'll be ok! It's startling, but the spillways were designed to do exactly what they are now doing. The residents at risk have had years to plan, and over a week to implement. I walked the levee on Saturday. The water is very, very high and there are some places where water is seeping under or through but overall the levees are holding up well.

Does this person have the name or family name of the other person dh could be with? Goodness, I'd be beside myself too!!

I've had IPL (not laser but pulsated light) and it's been great. It took 5 treatments. I was a little red for a day or maybe two but no bruising and nothing a light coat of makeup wouldn't hide. The light targets reds and browns so it really helped sun damage and freckles too. I just wish my insurance paid for it; you are very fortunate!

Uh-oh. Mine expires 11/2012. :svengo: I wonder how I'm gonna buy all those end of the world supplies over the following weeks, because everyone knows that when the world ends we all need batteries....

I think she was posting under so many names (and posting as friends of those names) that everyone was getting confused. She also announced that her daughter died of a rare disorder. The inconsistencies and IP searches did her in. The old board didn't have the registration accountability of this one, so people could type any name they wished and the post would display as such.

This is what is so hard for me. My very dear friend Janet and I were around during the jgemom days, though I didn't post much at all. Shortly after that incident, Janet had some horrible things happen to her (lost her home in New Orleans to Katrina, sued by the person buying the home, scammed by her hubby's employee..the list goes on). She was very open about a few of her problems but a few people here made hurtful comments questioning her authenticity (I was living it with her, I knew she was real). She stopped posting but unfortunately was diagnosed with cancer. I told her to post and ask for prayers but she didn't want the hurtful comments, and because of the "friend-posting" of jgemom she wouldn't let me solicit prayers on her behalf. We lost her less than a year after diagnosis, and the board lost a very kind generous poster who was afraid to open herself up again. It can be hard to know given the anonomyous nature of the internet. This taught me that it's sometimes better to err on the side of kindness than to risk hurting a legitimate person going through a rough season of life.

I think at least one line to the main room or the lower landing area near the stairs. If you lose electricity, the cordless phones will not work.

If I were to receive the gift, I'd want to know who it came from so I could either properly thank them or pay them back when I'm able. If I were to give the gift I'd want it to be anonymous and hope they would pay it forward when they are able.

I don't understand this, but I've lived it. My grandmother, when invited to the ceremony awarding my doctoral degree, told me she hoped I could teach at the elementary down the street from her because they were hiring new teachers right out of college. I'm still a disappointment to her, but my cousin who is the switchboard operator at a local walkin clinic is a source of pride because she's a nurse (I guess wearing the office uniform and working in a building with the doctor = a nurse, in my family). :)

To me this is not about differing levels of comfort. It's about common sense safety precautions for your child. The fb friend in my original post has an open page where anyone in the world has access to her pictures and info. She has her kids names and ages listed. She has pictures taken with her phone, and each picture is geotagged. Anyone with an interest in the nek kid little girl can use the information in the pic to locate her (even down to the family's home, school, and other places they visit). I don't have a problem with anyone wanting to take tasteful (wiping is not included in this imho) pictures of their child, but to put them on display for any creature with a not-so-innocent interest is very disconcerting. I've mentioned all of this to the mom and she doesn't see anything wrong with it. To her, it's all in fun!:glare:

:rant::boxing_smiley::cursing::banghead::mad: I just saw a fb friend post pictures of her totally unclothed three-ish year old daughter sitting on the toilet wiping herself. :svengo: The mom was so proud of her daughter for finally potty training...:001_huh: I've seen more nek kid pictures of her kids in the bathtub, pool, and whereever than I care to think about. I can't fathom posting pics like this of my kids.

:iagree: I have about 75-80% of the people on my friends list in a sub-list with very little access to my information. I can still watch their antics, though.

I didn't think of the mandatory attendance issue. That's a wonderful point to bring up to the speaker in an email. I think she was just befuddled how a family thought this meeting worthy of attending, but subscribed to this as a family value. Based on the two oldest daughter's reaction to the speaker telling the mom the girls should be educated beyond 7th grade, which is where she planned to stop, one girl was happy and another was upset. I guess one really enjoyed learning and another didn't care as much for it. At least *that* sounds like a typical family with many kids. :D

A thorough check by a gyn to make sure nothing is amiss is the best course, especially with any sudden increase or change in pain. If everything checks out ok have her (or you) massage her lower back just above the hip bones. Then lay with an ice pack on her back and a heating pad on her lower abdomen, until the pain meds start working. I hope she feels better tomorrow. Poor thing, I will pray for her.

I attended a meeting on requirements and opportunities for homeschooling high school on Saturday. The speaker was well acquainted with the state graduation requirements, college admissions for schools in the south, and scholarship information. The parents were varied in their backgrounds, educational style, and ages of children. The discussion was enlightening and encouraging. The parents all seemed focused on providing an excellent education for their children, enabling them to prepare their children for college, career, or whatever their future held. During the Q&A time a lone, quiet voice from the back of the room politely asked, "Are there any advantages to teaching high school to girls? There seems to be so much science and math and girls just don't need to know all of that." :001_huh: She was sitting there with her five or six daughters. Even the speaker was rendered speechless, though she did recover her composure and answered with grace and honesty. I don't have girls but I was one a long time ago. ;) I can't get my head around not preparing your child for life in the world in which we live, and a future of their choosing. As a highly motivated teen, it wouldn't have gone over very well with me to not have the option to pursue high school and beyond. Is this very common? I sure hope not!

Check the date of purchase and the warranty on your lens. Nikkor lenses have a five year warranty if they are not gray market. As for the camera body, consider this angle. The body you had lasted three or four years, right? Will you outgrow the capability of the 90 in the next three or four years? At that time, you'll likely be ready to/need to upgrade (electronic camera bodies do not have the sustainability of film bodies) and will purchase a camera with more features. If you think you'll push the limits of the camera (especially the need for really large prints beyond 20x24 inch) then you should consider the 7K. Over the course of four years you're only looking at $100 a year. Another thing to consider is that the 7K is a newer body, and part of a newer line. The 90 is older (I've had mine for two years at least) and will likely be retired soon. Have you looked at used/refurbished? I've never purchased one myself, but I have friends who will only buy used from B&H and have great things to say about them. You may be able to get a good deal on a used 90 or 300S to give you some room for the purchase of a new lens to add to your collection. You mentioned the 50 was a replacement for the 40, but I had a 50 for a year or so before the 40 was introduced. If I recall correctly, the 3K line came about when the 40 was retired. Interestingly, Nikon seemed to go through a period of time where there didn't apprear to be any logic or reason to their numbering/upgrading scheme. At least one that I could figure out. :) I wouldn't put too much focus on the product lines, but look for the features you'll really use the most. I have to say that even though the 90 is a great camera and I have two that I just love, the 7K is very tempting at its feature/price point too. ETA: I've been doing some reading on some pro forums I belong to. There may be some quality issues with the 7K because I see a lot of people reporting problems. However, I can't say if it's significant or just the ones with problems are being exceptionally vocal. I prefer to check the paid pro forums for reviews and feedback before making a purchase because they are not populated by newbie enthusiasts who are learning to turn on a camera (and can't figure it out so it must be a product issue and not operator error). ;) I like to take advice from people who do know a thing or two about the product and put it through some rigorous real world testing for me. You may want to look into this further before making a decision. Good luck!

I've seen it happen on the parents' fb page as well. I don't think it's common but I do get uncomfortable seeing it displayed so, um, proudly. My underage niece claims she drinks a beer with her dad every now and then, but he's never said anything about it. She was visiting one weekend when she told me this, and it justsohappened to be when I was enjoying a Mike's lemonade. She pitifully told me she'd never had the chance to taste one. I gave her a taste--a few drops in a medicine dropper. She wasn't amused, but I got my point across...she shouldn't expect to be treated as an adult in my home.

My parents were listed as alarm contacts by my in-laws. Apparently though they do not speak to me, their son, or grandchildren, ever, they have no problem authorizing my parents, without their knowledge, to make decisions on the safety of their home and property. :confused::glare: When the call came and caught my parents by surprise, they simply told the dispatcher their name was listed without their knowledge and they could not in good conscious make decisions on the others' behalf. And my parents requested their name be taken off the list. :) I'd never put myself or my children into a situation where a possible break in could be in progress, or even worse if someone broke in while the homeowner was there. That's one of the important roles police perform for society.

My third born son has chanced his name recently. He only answers to Red Ninja or sometimes to Buzz Lightyear if he's caught off guard. I'd probably be sad if this would be a longer lasting change. I worked hard to pick out their names, and fought a long hard battle about one of them! Their names have meaning to me, and significance to each of them.