Watcha Doin' - 2016.1 Showing 901-950 of 3,910

[Sandra, Moderator]

My 3 years old is reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? to my 17 months old right now... I feel I might eat both of them.

[Peggy]

Ahw, that sounds super cute Sandra!

[Travis]

My kids love that book Sandra.

Cool info Peggy. Maybe vampires were cooler in 1970 though. I think twilight ruined the vampire market

[Janice, Moderator]

KimeyDiann wrote: "The pepper spray restrictions are so interesting to me. I guess growing up in the Southern United States where guns are in more households than not, I've never thought about pepperspray being a res..."

We have a "bear spray" which is like pepper spray. I'm not sure I'd use it. I'd be afraid I'd just make the bear mad, and a mad bear is nothing to tangle with. I've done a lot of camping in my life, seen a few bears up close and personal, but never had a problem with them. We've had bear in the yard. I've even golfed with a bear (and I'm not talking about my ex). Bear attacks are few and far between. People just need to be safe - be noisy, don't keep food in the campsite, etc.

I do not think guns should be readily available and in the hands of every person. It opens the doorway to crimes of opportunity. Yes, the criminals with intent will still acquire illegal weaponry. The problem with anyone and everyone having a gun is that they don't know how to use them properly, and they especially don't know how to use them in a crisis situation. There are likely more accidental deaths involving guns than realized.

I'm comfortable with Canada's restrictions and licensing procedures. In order to purchase a gun or ammunition, you need an FAC (Firearms Acquisition Certificate). There are specific requirements to be approved, and you must keep the licence current for the entire time you own the weapon.

Then there's the Restricted Weapon Licence. There's additional screening required - psych evaluations, background checks, etc. When my ex applied for his (we were married at the time), I received a registered letter that would only be released to me. I had to complete the survey and return it. I was questioned as to whether I felt I was in danger if he was to own a restricted weapons (which include handguns).

Personally, I think we live in a fear fueled society. Sometimes there a reason for the fear, but most times I think the fear creates the danger.

[Anne (Booklady)]

Lisa, sorry to hear about your hand. I agree with someone who mentioned that it may be a pinched nerve. When I get something similar in my "good" hand, my sister in law massages it with warm baby oil and I pull out my soft cast from when I sprained my wrist. A couple days of that routine and I'm back to being right as rain.

As far as the firearms discussion goes, when I lived in Mobile years ago, I had a pearl handle Saturday night special. One night I heard glass breaking and saw an arm reaching down to unlock my door. I warned the guy that I was going to shoot him if he unlocked my door. He told me to shoot, so I accommodated him and hit him twice. When the police got there, they told me that he was the main suspect in a string of burglaries/rapes in our part of town. I'm glad I had my small pistol.

[Travis]

yeah Anne. Can't beat them little 38's. Well as long as you're within about 20 feet but still

[Travis]

So I feel like I'm going to stray on about 10 side stories here but I guess that's normal. I've been listening to this program which is quite humorous but the main point is to be an intervention. the main guy has had a lot of problems with heroin and pain killers and this is to help keep him clean. The weird thing is how I can relate or find similarities to some of these happenings of his. Although I never did heroin and never was into pain killers. I mean I might snort a line or 2 of ridilin or oxycoton on a rare occasion if people were doing it or smoke some crushed up codeine mixed in the weed occasionally but not often at all. Now my girlfriend was big in the pills. she would take handfuls of codeines and 4-5 Demerol at a time which 1 Demerol for a backache and I'd be knocked out all night. Anyway this guy as he discusses these things has these revolations of like why didn't I think of that back then. So that is kind of the back story I guess. Somehow I got to thinking about this one night my girlfriend and I were at her parents little camp. 4 people and you couldn't move in this little thing. It was just us and were waiting for this dude to show up. We either had nothing or were sitting scraping bowls smoking resin I don't know anymore. long time ago now. We're sitting there and she starts searching for pills cuz her mom was on a lot of meds so she had pills everywhere. Wasn't anything good but she finds these 2 green pills. asks me if I want to take 1 with her. Now I never take pills but for some reason I said sure. That's the last thing I remember next morning dude is banging on the door of which we were sleeping maybe 2 feet away. We let him in ask why he never came last night. He says I did 3 different times. I yelled and banged on the door you 2 were right there never flinched I thought you were dead. So I was thinking about that tonight and started to have one of those revolations myself. First her mom never took green pills and how convenient 2 pills and 2 of us. Second she had a habit and never shared pills. Third for me to black out is fine but her with her habit. How strong of a pill would it take to knock her out and why would her mom have something like that anyway. The whole thing suddenly seems very odd to me and to this day I have no idea what the thing was. I'm actually surprised I have never thought about it before. This was years and years ago now but all of a sudden I'm wondering what the heck did I take. I actually think that was the first pill I ever swallowed recreationally. I can only think of maybe 3 other times after that I did and I knew what those ones were. so weird.

[Janice, Moderator]

Oh the things we did when we were young and stupid. I think you're lucky that green pill didn't kill you.

[Sarah]

I agree Janice. I think the media fuels fear dramatically. I think I said earlier in the discussion that I don't watch the news or read local newspapers. I might go online to see the news when I feel like it but that may be once a week. So I'm not constantly bombarded with all the bad stuff that's happening around me crime wise. I guess that means it's not constantly on my mind what might happen to me. If we think it negative what ifs, we;d never leave the house! Yes bad things happen but doesn't happen to the majority of people.Yes I know people who have been burgled, mugged, beat up etc. but not many.

I read Anne's post and now I'm curious how many of you who carry or have carried guns have actually needed to pull your gun out on someone and/or shoot them!

As for those green pills Travis?! You were very lucky. I too would be wondering what that pill was. It sure had a huge effect on you both. Prescription meds being used recreationally is becoming more popular here in the UK but it's nowhere on the scale as it is in the US. Tramadol, Ridilin and Valium are the ones I'm aware of most. When I went to Thailand, people I had met there took a trip to the pharmacy on their last day to "drug shop" as most things which are restricted in other countries aren't in Thailand. Crazy!

[Rusalka, Moderator]

KimeyDiann wrote: "@Sarah and Rusalka.... you can't even carry pepper spray?! That is not normal. Maybe you should start carrying a cane when you are out walking alone. Or at the very least take a self defense class...."

Lol different worlds. Don't need to carry anything when walking alone. Especially during the day. Night time I stick to lit paths or crowded areas, and don't walk down dark alleys for example. I do tend to avoid walking alone late at night however, and when I was out lots when younger, I would walk to my car with the keys between my knuckles just in case. But things are just so incredibly rare, there's no point stressing about it.

Helps also when you take guns completely out of the equation.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Here you go. Australia and gun control with John Oliver. Part 1 here: https://vimeo.com/97417009

I don't like John Howard at all, this is the one thing I think he was completely right.

Part 2: https://vimeo.com/97566849
Part 3: https://vimeo.com/98027509

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Also, here is a great video of interviewing young Australians about the last mass shooting they remember.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/a...

Just easier to show you these than explain myself.

[Travis]

I think Americans are just more violent. I'm thinking back a few years where this officer responds to a domestic call. There is a woman out of control. She attacks the officer with a 2foot long dildo. He actually had to arrest her for assault with a deadly weapon. I mean we are a people who will attack with anything. But also this was in town where there is a lot of crack and heroine so you read it anf its more like man see that crackhead who beat the cop with her dildo. Its almost not even an odd event really with so much crack, heroin and meth around.

[Tasha]

Sandra wrote: "My 3 years old is reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? to my 17 months old right now... I feel I might eat both of them."

too cute!!

[Rusalka, Moderator]

What a metal image, Travis!

Look, don't get me wrong, there are still lots of social issues in Aus. One of the things we're dealing with here is young guys getting pissed, and then coming up to randoms on the street and king hitting them. A lot of young kids have died to this, as they aren't expecting it and smash their heads on the footpaths/road. "A lot" means probably about 10 a year? Maybe? But it's horrid, violent, antisocial behaviour.

Also, throw in an Ice problem all over the shop, which makes people more violent. The benefit is though, as I said before, it's hard to access guns. So at least you don't have these high as kites and violent as all hell people pulling firearms on people.

Unlike the UK, our police do carry guns, and they are used. But tasers and pepper spray are used first. But as soon as someone has a weapon and moves towards police with the intent to attack, the guns come out.

[Stephanie]

I'm not sure how I feel about guns. I don't have one but if we decide to get one, I want to be trained.
I'm glad you had your fun, Anne! What a scary thing to happen!

[Travis]

I guess maybe in the city or suburbs it would happen. I don't know. People being uneducated on firearms. I grew up in the country so I'm trying to think if I kbow anyone who doesn't know how to safely use a firearm. I'm thinking I must but they would just never want to be around guns. So all the people I know who shoot were basically born with the knowledge. I mean my dad was a police officer so he always kept a loaded pistol in the house and you never touched it. You understood gun safety by the time you could walk basically. So many oeople hubt that most people I know also were around guns their whole life. But I'm sure there are people who just pick up a gun and go ciz they want to be a gangster or something. Just saying for me its weird. If my buddy goes and gets a new gun lets say. Brings it to my house. First thing is where is the safety, how does it load, unload. You take time to go over quick operation then you go outback and shoot a little. Again I live in the country my closest neighbor is a mile away. I literally just go throw a target up and do my thing. In populated areas you jist don't have that freedom. You need a friend in the country or a shooting range or something. Never thought about it. Although I have this old freestall barn we don't use for animals and we are actually buikding a shooting range in it. My wife wants to learn how to ahoot better. Which is funny because she is actually really good. But we need aomewhere to go and shoot and be able to watch the kids and stuff so this barn will be perfect. The whole famiky has hearing protection. I'm jist thinking back and I think my son has been around me shooting since he was either 2 or 3. So again here is the learning firearm safety from birth ao its engrained in him. And neither he nor my 2 year old daughter go near my guns. They are locked in a safe but it I set one down ro tie my shoes or something they just don't touch them. They just know. Now.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Farms are different though. You can have rifles on farms, you just need to prove you need them, and you're not crazy or have a criminal conviction. I *believe* (but will research tomorrow as it's late) you may need to do a course or competency test and have safe storage.

My cousins grew up on a farm and both can shoot very well. But that's for keeping foxes, pigs, feral dogs and cats off the land. And herd control, but they don't have livestock on their farm.

So you can have guns for a reason, and you would qualify over here, Travis.

[Travis]

I will also add I live in NY so we have the toughest gun laws ib the country. You can't order a firearm or ammo online or anything. If you go to the store and even look at the pistols the clerk is right there let me aee your pistol permit. Just looking at them

[KimeyDiann]

Rusalka wrote: "Lol different worlds ..."

I guess I said that about carrying a cane or something because I imagine most everyone here living in or around large cities which "typically" have higher crime rates. I live in a very rural area with very low crime rates. The biggest city near me (population around 30,000) would be considered a tiny town to most. Memphis is the next biggest city around and even it isn't that huge (although it does have a ridiculously high crime rate and not somewhere I enjoy going). Being the country girl that I am, I don't think I would feel as safe in a large city if I were by myself at night, which is why I made the comment that I did. (Plus I'm pretty sure I've watched way too many movies and crime shows!)
Where I live, I have very rarely ever felt unsafe. Even when I lived in the most populated area of my state (about 110,000 people), I don't remember feeling unsafe. But I was also cautious about where I went by myself after dark, and like you, kept my keys between my knuckles.

And like Travis, in my area, we grow up around guns and safety is ingrained into us. I was doing the same thing Travis was, trying to think of if I know anyone that doesn't know proper gun safety and I can't. Those that don't, are purposefully never around guns.

I do wish guns were much harder to get. In Mississippi, you don't even have to register that you have one. If you go to a store to buy one you do, but there are no laws preventing gun shows or private sales. We own a .22 that my husband traded some car parts for. The only reason we have it is because my husband wanted a little pistol to carry when we go canoeing/camping to shoot snakes.

[Janice, Moderator]

As in Australia, there are legal requirements here. Both my father, my ex, and my son have gun safes which are kept locked. There is a shot gun and rifle in my ex's that are supposedly mine. They can stay there. I've gone duck hunting and target shooting with them - not my thing. I have no interest in owning one or handling one. I prefer to do my shooting with a camera.

When my friend's daughter got married, a number of her family from Scotland came to the wedding. We had them all out at the farm for a bbq one afternoon. My ex set up targets in the barnyard where they could try target shooting. One woman who was a high ranking police officer in Scotland at the time freaked us all out! She had a loaded rifle in her hands, poised for shooting, safety off. She swung around to face us, gun in the ready, to ask a question. Jerry quickly grabbed the barrel and pushed it to point to the ground then took the gun from her. She had no idea how to use a gun! The police officers are not armed in Scotland. She, and everyone else, got a very quick and firm gun safety lesson.

[Sarah]

Lisa wrote: "I have really hurt my left hand but have no idea what I have done. As I was getting out of bed the other day, I got this awful burning/ripping pain on the top of my hand by the knuckles. Since then..."

Hmmm, it could also possibly be chilblains? I had that before on my hands, and like you I couldn't move my ring finger or pinkie, it was sore and felt like a burning pain and then other times it was numb and I couldn't feel it, it was rather strange. However generll speaking it would be itchy and possible red swellings. I had to warm it up but very slowly and it went away on it's own.

Lisa wrote: "I know, it's ridiculous! It's getting harder and harder to see a doctor these days. Our surgery does release a few extra appointments each day but you have to be on the phone at 8:30 in the morning and most of the time you can't get through and when you eventually do, they are all gone!
"

I agree about doctors being more difficult to visit nowadays. We have the same thing, they save a few emergency appointments and you need to ring before 8:30am. I find my doctors pretty useless, everytime I go they always miss something and try and rush me out. I had a cold 2 weeks ago and still have a pretty bad cough, and I was coughing like crazy in there and told him about it, he just ignored it and said we'll see how you go. I've been coughing like our neighbour downstairs who's an elderly lady with asthma.

Lisa wrote: "We do but our local one is next to useless tbh. My mum went down there a few months ago after a fall with chest and back pain and was waiting to be seen for hours and then they just sent her away with a few painkillers. Didn't take any X-rays or anything, just said she was bruised. She was only with the doctor for about 5 minutes. Turned out she had two broken ribs and had slipped a disc in her back! ."

OMG Lisa, that's really bad how they just dismissed it. I hope your mom is doing better now that they actually found out what was wrong.

[Sarah]

Sarah wrote: "I don't watch the news or read local newspapers. I might go online to see the news when I feel like it but that may be once a week. So I'm not constantly bombarded with all the bad stuff that's happening around me crime wise. I guess that means it's not constantly on my mind what might happen to me. If we think it negative what ifs, we;d never leave the house!"

I'm liek you Sarah, I don't watch the news it's just too depressing, it almost always negative bad stuff about all the wrong things happening in the world. Persoanlly I don't need to watch that stuff to know it's happening, you can see things going wrong in the world as it is without watching even more unsettling stuff.

[Anne (Booklady)]

Stephanie wrote: "I'm not sure how I feel about guns. I don't have one but if we decide to get one, I want to be trained.
I'm glad you had your fun, Anne! What a scary thing to happen!"

Me too, Stephanie. I was terrified. It was the first and only time I ever had to use one. The guy was sentence to Life in Prison for the prior rapes - 12 in all. The Police Officer told me after the paramedics took him away that he had been escalating in his attacks, and it was a matter of time before he would kill his victims.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

KimeyDiann wrote: "The only reason we have it is because my husband wanted a little pistol to carry when we go canoeing/camping to shoot snakes..."

... what?!? Why on earth would you shoot snakes?

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Wow, Anne. Good work on you keeping your head. How scary, but a little cool you helped catch the bastard!

[Travis]

Now there may be other makers of this but the one I know is Taurus. They make a .45/.410 pistol which you can load either .45 ammo or .410 shotgun shells. Then they actually make a snake load for that. I've seen it in magazines they don't sell snake load here. Then I think they make a disposable gun which is just for shooting snakes. Again I saw this in a magazine so I may be a little wrong with the facts. It's the funniest ad though. It's a cartoon. 2 people are in a small boat amd they show a water snake coming out of the water with its mouth wide open amd huge fangs. Of course everything on this snake is huge. Maybe its supposed to be an anaconda. The one person closest to the snake has its mouth open frozen in fright and the other guy pulls out his snake blaster amd is shooting the snake. There is a big smoke cloud coming off the barrel and in it they wrote Bang!. I haven't gotten magazines in a few years but yhat add always cracked me up

[Peggy]

I'm grading student papers and it's exasparating. I don't think I will tutor this course next year... I don't expect perfect papers, not at all, but to not even meet de required amount of pages or incorporate the most basic feedback (or simple things, like stick to the rules for referencing) makes me wonder why I even spend time giving feedback trying to improve them. And it's so hard to decide what to do with a paper that is close to passing but not quite, even though clearly the student really tried and put a lot of effort in, making big changes, when there are also papers which pass, but barely, but clearly no effort was made throughout the different versions and half my feedback was ignored.

Sorry for the rant. I'm going to have lunch.

[Sandra, Moderator]

I know it can be really annoying, Peggy. My husband hates that part of his work.

[Stephanie]

@Anne that is awesome that you caught him :) and that he is in jail! I seriously think the government or who ever is in charge ;) needs to reopen alcatraz! Put all the monsters their and let them fend for themselves!

[Peggy]

Sandra wrote: "I know it can be really annoying, Peggy. My husband hates that part of his work."

Normally it isn't so bad but I think I may have had a particularly unmotivated group of students.

[Sandra, Moderator]

That's exactly what he says, sometimes you come across an unmotivated bunch, and it's really hard. When the students don't really care, is like paddling in sand. After worrying a lot about this, a few years ago he adopted the policy of "I won't care about their careers more than they care about their own careers". It has worked better. Even the students get the message and generally improve their attitude.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Oh jeez Peggy. Do you get drafts, give feedback, and then get the final essay? I always thought, even as an undergrad, that academics who did that were crazy.

Ie. Not common in Aus.

[Peggy]

I should work on that policy too Sandra :)

@Rusalka: yes, that's the way it is for most courses/papers.

[KimeyDiann]

Rusalka wrote: "KimeyDiann wrote: "The only reason we have it is because my husband wanted a little pistol to carry when we go canoeing/camping to shoot snakes..."

... what?!? Why on earth would you shoot snakes?"

We aren't all as badass as you Aussies. ;)

[Peggy]

Lol KimeyDiann :D Especially that last one made me laugh :D

[Sandra, Moderator]

Hahaha!

[Stephanie]

I went outside my comfort zone today! There is an ad on Craigslist for a dog walker! I called about it but had to leave a message. Normally, it would make me nervous to call a stranger but hopefully it is a positive experience, lol!

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Peggy wrote: "I should work on that policy too Sandra :)

@Rusalka: yes, that's the way it is for most courses/papers."

Then that's just rude if you ignore the tutors/lecturers comments then!

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Lol Kimey, fair enough ;)

[Joan]

re: gun discussion, most of the states I have lived in don't require any real safety training for gun owners...leading to killing by stupidity. ..one lady got shot by her toddler nephew because she FORGOT she left a gun in the seat pocket of her car! another toddler shot his mom because when he reached into her handbag for candy. I wander around New York City but the one time I was scared was when visiting a rural area upstate. The sofa was lumpy and then the idiot homeowner remembered he stored his pistol under the cushion "for safekeeping" !!!

[Tasha]

Good luck, Stephanie!

[Sandra, Moderator]

Good luck, Stephanie!

[Sandra, Moderator]

Joan wrote: "re: gun discussion, most of the states I have lived in don't require any real safety training for gun owners...leading to killing by stupidity. ..one lady got shot by her toddler nephew because she..."

That's insane!

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Good luck Stephanie! I wrote this before and mustn't have pressed "post". How annoying.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Sandra wrote: "
That's insane! "

Indeed!!

[Joan]

Rusalka, are you plagued by panic grass? My newspaper had an article about Australians and the attack of panic grass...they said it can even cover a car so you have to dig it out..is that true?

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Not us. Remember Aus is nearly the same size as the US, lots of crazy things going on down here ;) Small, rural city a good 500kms south from us on the way to Melbourne in a town called Wangaratta.

And seems to be a particular part of Wangaratta that has so much of the tumbleweed. But yes, it's pretty insane! http://www.heraldsun.com.au/travel/au...

Thanks for checking on me though! Reminds me of Triffids.

[KimeyDiann]

Joan wrote: "re: gun discussion, most of the states I have lived in don't require any real safety training for gun owners...leading to killing by stupidity. ..one lady got shot by her toddler nephew because she..."

That is crazy! That is a perfect example of why it should be required for people to take gun safety courses before they are allowed to own one.

[Sandra, Moderator]

Just remembered, Lisa, how is your hand? Are you feeling better?