Gloria

"To determine the true rulers of any society, all you must do is ask yourself this question: Who is it that I am not permitted to criticize?" Kevin Strom This is what shows in the box just prior to this comment. Just find that amusing on some level. Stefan, in my mind, provides much of the content by way of his you tube videos, his body language one could argue, is a part of his presentation (allowing for the consideration that what I think I witnessed was true and not a mistake , as one pointed out he often puts his fingers to his mouth, etc.). I attempted to direct a question to him in my original post (naive given his rise in popularity) It never occurred to me that some would take it as a false accusation if you will. The discussion has unraveled far more important considerations, I think. And so , to use a hook if you will, in a headline, doesn't meet kindly with all participants. I will try to tame my poetic license. As to the , "only matters in a sitcom" ...statement. I take exception to such dismissal of what could be a potential "red flag" to someone exposed to a high level of stress, good or bad, yet to be determined. We can not help children if we simply dismiss them and frankly to observe their physical condition , including body language, is something I would like to promote as something we can all be mindful of. Thank you. I am unfamiliar with the upvote/ downvote concept , and would like to learn. I see there are reputation points. That seems intuitive. I do think there were originally downvotes that were removed, or counteracted by positive votes. Is that correct?

I started it and am not sure either :-) An onion perhaps. I am very new to this forum and any kind of a blog like this. I mean no harm, just trying to participate.

Thanks. This is helpful information. Let me rewind a little. It is a philosophy forum, on which, one of the predefined categories or subjects is peaceful parenting. I did use that tag, or certainly it was my intent to do so ...allowing for user error. I sought simply to see if there was a correlation between the behavior of nail-biting and how one was raised. Allowing for erroneous and immature deviations from the original point (on the part of myself and possibly others), is this point a valid point to bring up in this forum? If I understand your point, it is not. Are you also saying that the effect of one's parenting "style" is outside the conversation, or was the original establishment of "parenting" as a subject, outside the subject of philosophy? ( it having already been established upon my arrival and hearing Stefan speak of it, I "assumed" it was within the universe of the forum's topics. I am curious, for instance, had I originally posted a question about; the physical posture of a child that is beaten repeatedly versus the posture of a child that has never been beaten, would that have been worthy of discussion?

I found this totally amusing as well :-) Probably true :-) Good call !

Thanks! I watched the entire video and will ponder this further ...hope this doesn't post twice! LOL Great video!!!

I will further ponder your position. My deeper concern at the moment is if we truly have the freedom to discuss this topic while allowing for change of heart and moreover the confidentiality one needs to openly discuss such subjects so as to mediate in good faith without fear of some future retaliation. My fear is not of you, clearly you have based your position of some reflection, but I am new to this forum and as of now not knowing and secure in the agenda of all participants, etc. Thanks for sharing! I watched the entire view and will contemplate these thoughts :-)

Wow! That is a mouthful ...Thank You :-) I identify with Kelly Ann ...what greater compliment can one pay. Complaining about posts getting attention ...totally lost on me ...not sure what provoked this response. Please comment further. I hypothesized that perhaps the interest was because of Stefan, and left it open at that. Please either conclude, for or against, with some discussion. Maybe you aren't cut out for this ...ahhh yes ...the left shoe drops. Let's tidy things up with an insult. Balls in your court!

Where does one begin ...concern trolling ...great term, first I have heard it. I agree for a guy, i.e. Stefan ...no one gives a damn if he bites his nails. Ahhh ...but the judgements seem different for females ...perhaps?? I saw some take a shot at Kelly Ann Conway over this pic: I see Mother of Four ...successful career and nails that show it. Others are not so kind or understanding. I myself look this bad more often than not. I had a reoccurring dream as a kid and the only way out of "the danger" was to bite ones own nails ...and so I comply. I can often with intense consideration for my reputation, or will to appeal to my husband, overcome it for a few months ...but inevitably one breaks and as they say ....the rest is history. I find it amusing this topic took such attention. Is that because I took a hit at Stefan or for some other reason? Love it ...sometimes to test the waters ..one needs to throw a curve ball :-)

It takes one to know one and I did notice. Does it concern you Stefan? I try to stop; as it is a very unbecoming look for a woman, but I am guessing that , much like weight issues, these vices come from less than peaceful upbringings. Do you agree? Or, perhaps, this is simply a indicator of something else. I have often noticed it in people I would describe as high achievers, but I have also noticed it in people with severe drug or alcohol dependencies. It could just be a quirk that some of us have and others do not. It "runs in my family."

I think I was shy about this post last weekend. It is very sensitive to me. I would like to introduce a consideration. Any treatment of an individual that reflects any preconceived opinion based on anything other than previous experience with said individual is prejudice, and if it's specific to the person's race it's racist. Let's call this micro racism. The problem I think we are having now is upon reflection of a group's (when a certain demographic is in the majority) behavior, especially when that reflection takes on a negative tone or is critical; while although based on observations of systemic behaviors or outcomes, some still try to say this is racist. i.e., public schools in the inner city are failing. some would say that is a racist statement. It may in fact be true, and it may in fact be an analysis of a population that is homogeneous. Any true analysis, based on facts, is not racist. Does this sound correct?

I'm not proud LOL I picked my husband up on line , close to twenty years ago. I am a born conservative. I did not however , put my pic and profile out there ...oh no ...I am not that bait. No lady would shame herself! LOL Put your own pic out there with a well written profile ...hook in the water and wait. Now ...times have seriously changed ...if the majority of the women are liberal ...your hook may be in the wrong pond. A very, very dear friend of mine once said ...find a man with a hobby! Cars, etc. The oldest joke in the book about college is the Mrs. degree ...nice girls know where to look ....I think :-) Good Luck!

Smart analysis, well done.

I thought Predestination rather than Free Will was the Corner stone of the Protestant Reformation. I find it an impossible argument to completely resolve for either position.

WOW! First a prayer...may God help you and your family. You have asked for opinions and so I feel comfortable offering you mine. I don't seek to tell you what to do or make you feel insecure, just trying to help. I will be brief, as these tips are based on my own experience. Based on an analysis of outcomes ...my kids all very healthy and highly successful in school, I consider my opinion at least as valid as any other. 1. never strike any one in the household ever again! 2. ANYTIME a child awakes during the middle of the night they should immediately be taken, gently, to the bathroom and allowed to use the potty. 99 percent of bad dreams etc. is simply the body's way of waking us up because some biological issue needs to be tended to. They may not realize this is the problem so please be patient. Too much cuddling in the middle of the night should not be necessary. It's about ; peeing, needing fluids, or possibly a sense of security which frankly you as the father need to address by simply telling your kids you are there to protect everyone. 3. They need a better diet. I strongly recommend an increase in protein and total removal of pure sugars. My favorite for kids is liverwurst! (try different ones until they find one they love) Yes you heard that right. Try it ..try red meats, peanut butter (if there is no allergy), turkey, chicken. Anytime is the right time for this if the kid is having tantrums. Using the clock to decide when to feed your child is foolish. If you ever see them biting at themselves, this is definitely the problem. You need to improve your own diet and high protein low sugars will be good for you also. Get them on daily vitamins for a while with IRON!! Lack of IRON is probably your number one concern for behavior type issue. In the U.S. they sell vitamin drops for babys that contain iron. Usually a couple dropper fulls over the course of one week will bring immediate correction to crazy behavior. 4. Once the kids diets have been corrected and peace has been restored (no more than two weeks if you make #3 happen), you need to focus on getting yourself off the pain killers. This will be the most difficult thing you have ever attempted (most likely). Turn yourself into a health food nut and make exercise your religion. You will be a beast for probably 72 hours. Get yourself a "cleanse" at the vitamin store. PRAY often. Alcoholics discuss this at length if that helps any. 5. Hug your wife and thank her for all of her care and support!!!!! Go and be happy :-)

I am curious about any risk to you professionally if it does or doesn't work out. That could be the sub conscience thing holding you back and you do not recognize it. If there is no risk professionally for either of you ...ask her out. You never know until you try.

intimidating subject for me ..people will say we are crazy etc. I never once contemplated the existence of fake news until a few years ago. One morning ...for whatever reason, I cannot recall ...I was watching the news ...probably CNN ...at the time I had the tendency to flip back and forth between CNN and Fox ...I did recognize the slant difference. But that morning was very unique, because at the same time I also had my laptop on and was on Facebook. I won't mention the exact incident, but it was a "mass shooting." The odd thing was a few minutes before they broke the story there was something running on the ticker ...it reminded me immediately of the game CLUE. Was it Mrs. Plum, in the kitchen with the knife kind of thing. It was the same crime if you will, but different setting and different weapon. When the primary story broke ...the other story disappeared. I immediately confirmed this over Facebook with an old friend ...she confirmed seeing the exact same thing and "felt" something was very odd about the primary story. God forgive me If I am wrong ...but honestly it seemed staged. Till this day ...looking back ...I still question the authenticity of the event. You can start to notice themes ...or brands ...scroll thru Linkedin over the past two weeks and it has been trendy to see a post ....help this person ...which looks better type thing ...they all seem to have a similar flavor to layout/message/purpose ...mentally I conclude they are all fake. All coming off the same press, if you will. I try to watch foreign and domestic now. Just participating here is rather new for me as I am trying to adopt new methods and habits.

refraining from comment

For whatever it's worth ..I was attracted to my husband by a few different things. First, during our first meal ...I giggled and he said with a firm tone ..."we aren't going to embarrass ourselves?" as if he were the disciplinarian. To someone's who's biological clock was going off this was huge. It also helped that although his earnings potential were stable as evidenced by his education and employment ...his clothing was off or quirky ...I think he actually had a hem out or something. It made me feel needed ...I saw a need (being able to sew) ...I could contribute. You folks are all correct about the liars and I apologize for the behavior of too many females. I always feel it is very wrong to misrepresent yourself ..although ..I do use some makeup to enhance rather than radically alter ...but while tall ,educated and upon meeting a professional (Later quit for kids) (All serious potential deal breakers) ...I am OK looking and thankfully don't need the cosmetic overwork. The one really interesting thing is my own brother(S) first of all they took a huge interest in how I was raised, they were very protective and made sure my head was on straight. One of them actually tracked down a professional reference about the guy I had just met (now husband). Really...he called everyone he knew (long before social media) to get the real story. He gave me the thumbs up and that has had an amazing impact. It makes me question if we didn't lose something in the concept of arranged marriages , etc. The other interesting thing I noticed is to put yourself in a situation where you compete with the person you are dating. Competition seems to be the quickest way to vet out serious mental problems. The real problem children will reveal themselves quickly. One guy I dated (he was a very smart and good guy ...but said I was too tall)..anyway ..his rule was to not buy gifts for each other ...not even at Christmas ...but instead you should make something. Super good way to get a feel for their skill set and sincerity. Some folks are just drawn to the bad boy or the bad girl or whatever ...Carl Jung writes about it ...usually one person is more "complicated" than the other ...the question is will you make it over that hump when it comes out ...or do you break apart. Men raise your daughters /sisters and more men will be able to find good women.

Pretty sure the Federal Gov't kicked off the modern day "prepper" movement with the anthrax scare (if memory serves me correctly), they came out with the plastic, tape, and water, etc. list. We do know at least one family that did it decades ago, fueled by Russia/Nuke fears ...really just a refab of an old concept. A gun seemed like the smartest thing in the world to buy on 9/11. East PA has seen two week long power outages in past 10 years. Food, water, popup port a john and shower all part of the fun of having it all. For us, there is no fantasy, just the genuine interest fueled by fear to be able to protect our young. I am thinking every guy on this forum had a Dad that kept an emergency kit in the trunk of his car ...too bad this generation didn't have the same practice when 100's were stranded on I78, maybe 2007 or so. It's a smart thing to do in moderation. The military surplus stuff often is inexpensive and durable. Pretty sure my 20$ camo parka that is already 8 years old, is warmer than that 150$ Northface jacket for shoveling snow, etc. No slave to fashion LOL

Entry to Megan's Law Pa website requires the user to agree you will bring the people listed there no harm. They make life most unpleasant. They know their rights and they "tease" or "taunt" it. Perhaps not, but I think they also network. PA has a huge problem and I don't know a solution other than to be very vigilant. Punching them will not change them. Nothing will change them. I think it is best not to agitate them. It does seem to be a slight improvement over when I was a child. As a child, I was flashed by perverts at least twice. Today, my children know who they are in the neighborhood, have a greater awareness to stay away from them. although the "worry" is more of a constant threat, but we have had No actual "incident." I do get very concerned however, when traffic picks up at their residence and one may suspect wrongdoing, but there is really nothing you can do about it. My greatest other concern , is systemic organizational abuse (Catholic Church, etc.) and situations like Penn State which has been devastating to the entire state financially even if the liberal college administrators won't admit it. Millions in legal fees causing the closure of some of the lessor known campuses reduces access to education, etc. The denial is very bad. Victims already tend to keep it inside, and this example makes the hush an actual gag. There has been an uptick in arrests since Trump came into office...hopefully not fake news ...hard to tell anymore.

I appreciate your need for closure and I suppose that's why you still go. A wise man told me, when there is an emergency, fire, drowning, etc. don't rush in to save them if you won't be able to get yourself out. Causing two losses is just that increasing the loss. No disrespect intended for firefighters and such that make these sacrifices for the rest of us every day. But, mentally, try to remain a spectator and not part of the accident. Easier said then done! My Mother-in-law passed last year and it was a mess. You are actually doing well, in that you got to the truth about your Dad. Save energy for the end, and clean up after, you will need it.

I totally understand your interest in this. I have the same interest for different reasons. My youngest son downloads much like a kid would have climbed trees 30 years ago except scraped knees come in the form of viruses. Impossible to stop and other than a pile of dead laptops , not sure I want to stop him. Anyway, newegg.com sells plenty of re-furbed Windows 7.0 machines . Thankfully I bought 7.0 and Office when it was still available on disk. The huge problem is when you go on line. I have not figured out a way around that. So lets say you use this solitude machine to do your work. Even if it can burn your work to a drive you then need to take that media to an online computer (and newer online computers don't come with drives anymore ) so it can be submitted to whomever is to receive the work , i.e. email, etc. It's impossible for kids. Teachers want Google docs submission, etc. Browsers going stale is another issue. I swear there are bugs that can blowout wireless cards too. Good luck. I keep a typewriter in my prep closet LOL

Good Morning All, Thanks to everyone who has contributed and more are always welcome. The project I am currently working on is for young boys, grades 2-5. The second grade readers are strong readers.I have not studied this beyond my own experience raising my own kids in PA. It really jumped off the page when my daughter participated in a reading Olympics last year, she was in 5th grade. Try to imagine a rural school hosting several other districts in the area. I am guessing there were at least two hundred kids. I could not help but notice the ratio of boys to girls seemed to be at about 1:12. Other Mothers remarked having the same observation. I asked my older boy what he thought and he told me the book list is horrible. Asking around over the past year, here and there, and many people have commented the same thing. Then I found this ...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFpYj0E-yb4 For whatever it's worth, I am optimistic that this is a culmination of factors and most (teachers, mother's , women in general) are willing to assist in helping to correct, although I don't really know that, again just my personal experience in this area. There is a list referenced in the you tube video but the site is either down or has changed. The disconnect there is the list is full of newer material. Unless Dad has the time to sit and read everything first, adults simply are not familiar with this newer material. New material is good for writers and publishers and so the world goes round, but we can't let this continue either. I have no end game in mind, just peeling back an onion. THANKS :-) !

Thanks! I will look into these and get a list started.

Hello, Please suggest any literature you recall reading as a boy that you enjoyed. Today there is a serious imbalance in the literature being made available and being promoted. Such being the case, more young girls like to read and they excel at reading focused tasks in school (or so it appears that way locally). I am hoping to identify a list of books, essays, poems, etc. that appeal to young male readers. Recently, I more clearly see the problem that modern works often promote leftist thinking. The big problem is that older works also promote leftist thinking. I suppose this was done in an effort to promote higher thinking civilizations, perhaps trying to pull men away from thoughts of war, but it seems to me we have over corrected to the point of emasculation.