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| I have thought long and hard before writing this,just as I thought long and hard about if I should renew my membership here. I have not used this page much over the last three years. Some of that was personal and professional reasons but, in all honesty, most of it was because I have found this page increasingly uncomfortable. I have watched it become increasingly more narrow minded, illiberal and religiously extreme. I once loved this group, thought it a valuable source for constructive criticism of my writing. Two of my novels have changed, improved significantly through interaction with people here. I have made good friends and I thank the forum for this opportunity. At the same time, I suspect this will be my last year on here. I am sorry for that. |
| How can such a small body contain so many bodily fluids that "overflow"? On the plus side he found it very funny. |
| Haha, as a father of four, I have experienced many different (how did you say it?) "overflows." Having both male and female children, I thought I had seen it all. Then I got a new grandson, who seems to possess the immortal power to poop at will, and thinks it funny to wait until after I have started changing his diaper. As a side note, I am writing to the diaper companies to complain. I don't care what it says on the box, their diapers fall off; long before they have reached the posted weight load. |
| Quick question (story related): How does one become a paralegal in the US? Is there a form of on-the-job training? |
| There are correspondence courses available through the web and mail you can take. Stratford Career Institute out of Vermont. Other schools include Ashworth College in Georgia. They each have payment plans you can make or you pay for the full tuition in one payment. The full payments are around 500.00 for the full course you get at least a diploma possibly an associates. This is probably more information than you wanted or needed. I hope it helps. |
| Ex was one twenty'ish years ago, so things may have changed in that time here in the US, but... You take courses on the college level. Classes on research, legal procedure, I don't remember the others right now. There is only limited amount of extra courses per each legal speciality since a paralegal's work type is pretty much the same across all specialities. But it helps to know the differences between immigration, corporate, criminal, etc. etc.. There is a certification process to get your certification to work as a paralegal that ends in a licensing fee. I know ex was also a notary to help with her paralegal duties, but I don't think it was mandatory to being a paralegal. |
| So, Christmas .... can we please do this only every second year? |
| I hate Christmas leftovers and presents I can't use. I won two black slim candlesticks and the nursing sister at Father's home said she would have loved them.... She now owns them. 'Christmas is out of control and has lost it's meaning.' Might be a good title for a story/poem. Mmm. People are left penniless, deflated and burnt out.  |
| Summary of the day: the heater seems to be on the fritz (which means we are cold) and the fridge is broken (so at least the food is warm). Not my day. |
What do I do when life throws me challenges?  Stand back from the situation and.... Always look on the bright side of life  Going for a walk is better than being in a cold room. Or... A hot water bottle and blanket, your favourite book and there's always... Phone a friend and get them to take you for a meal in a warm place. I once had a candle on bare floor boards in a cold flat, a small cup of wine and two friends sharing one hot piece of fish and some chips. The laughs we shared in that echo filled cold room remain in my memory to this day.  Just trying to take your thoughts away from the real situation and make you feel loved.  |
| After being interviewed for a feminist blog I have received 11 threats (majority of a sexual nature), 2 proposals and uncountable abuse. I have also made some new friends. Is it sad that I consider this a successful morning? (In case anyone is interested: the only thing I clarified is that yes, legally it is rape if your partner is too drunk to consent or simply unconscious. Before anyone comes up with the car analogy - no, if I give you the keys to my car when drunk you are also not its legal owner. Sorry.) |
| Yeah, it is amazing the level of hatred women get whenever they speak in any arena considered feminist. The sheer number of stories female friends have told me... Though I find it more disturbing that not only do the people sending these threats find them perfectly legal and acceptable, but law enforcement majority of the time ignores them OR contributes to the threats. And yes, legally and morally, the only time someone incapacitated is considered "capable of giving consent" is by rapists, criminals, and those that prey on the vulnerable as a way of life. |
| Dear All, Due to some website issues my website had to be rebuilt. I am sorry if we have lost your details for the newsletter - so if you would like to sign up again, come visit the new site: http://christineblackthorn.eu Christine |
| Terrorism in any form is horrible. The people dying in senseless attacks are a tragedy and the fault of human stupidity. Another tragedy is that we are getting lost in discussing whose dead we bemoan. Every day people die under the stupid and senseless axe of an ideologically motivated murderer. Just because someone read about a bomb in Beirut the day before and lived their lives and took a moment to mourn when hearing about Paris does not make them a bad person. What matters is to remember the dead and the living - and remembering one is better than none. And a thousand times better than discussing if you are allowed to show solidarity at all |
| I have people, very smart critical thinkers, telling me how running in and busting heads doesn't fix the problem, but yet neither does diplomacy, since the region itself needs to learn to grow beyond this stuff. But every time we humans allow some monster like this to roam our world freely, extinguishing hope, enlightenment, and community... We all diminish some. Yes, more "infidels" over there (westerners) will fuel more violence "somewhere", but leaving these bastards to freely do as they please will only encourage more violence elsewhere ANYWAYS. Deal with the real evil now, and worry about the nation building later. How does anyone think we dealt with Hitler? Dealing with the Nazi produced the cold war, yes. But... It also produced a democratic Germany and central Europe decades later. |
| ember_rain, Oh yes, I am well aware that the only way right now open to us humans to get rid of cancers to society HURTS the people around that cancer. The Syrians, by no real fault of their own, are the ones who have and will pay for the "dealing with" ISIL. But when there is no means of talking, negotiating, or mediating with someone who is hellbent on killing and destroying everything they hate, feel is wrong, needs to change... Hopefully one day we will have a better answer, so the hell the Syrians (amongst many other peoples around this world) are going through and will continue to go through for years to come (rebuilding is a slow process), won't have to happen. Until then... *sighs* I do not know any better nor even good solutions here. It is as a one Bulgarian friend said recently, a lose - lose situation. |
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Happy WDC Anniversary!! 
Happy March Account Birthday, 
This makes me sad to see. I don't even know Geoff
Life and people are so different. Take for instance me, I love to keep my garden immaculate to the point I weed more than others. I have neighbors who are not so fussy about their garden and some who don't bother at all.
They are different and have different reasons for their choices.
People come in all shapes and sizes, some excel in school and life and some don't. I never judge a book by it's cover as the contents might just surprise one.
Editing is the best way to avoid dissapointment and create better roads to walk on.
I once sat on a bench with a... not very well educated young mother who had a couple of children running riot on the grass opposite us. We talked for a while and I found out that her life was one long list of sadness and tragedy. I gave her some money to by food as she was in dire need.
A couple of weeks later she came towards me as I sat on the same bench pondering life. Her children gave me a hand written card coloured with rainbow coloured crayons. The words drew a tear from my eye.
It said, "Thank you lovely lady for feeding us when we were hungry." and they signed it love with a heart and kisses.
That card meant more to me and I still have it, than any others I have.
Please remember that we are all different and that's just the way it is. We all share the same planet.
I hope you stay.
I tend to surround myself with people who are likewise liberal... many atheists as well. The site is full of them. You just need to block or manually ignore those who you find less than desirable, love. That's what the feature is for, after all. And hey, if you want some more liberal and non-trad, non-religious-freak types to talk to around here, hit me up. I know lots of them.
Geoff