What's on your mind?

[FatherAlabaster]

Oh man sorry to hear about your knee. Hope that heals up quick. Yeah, I don't know life any other way but as a damn roller coaster. Good luck with everything Soooo yesterday I got a call from the Assistant Principal of the Middle School. Michael is now suspended from riding the bus for 5 days because he was defending his friend who was being bullied and shoved a kid out of his friends face. They consider that gang activity (???) Whoever is making these rules is a fucking moron

Did you say GANG ACTIVITY?! Holy shit, that's completely brainless. I'm not sure that would have even been a blip on the radar when I was in school. Grrr.

[Iceni]

he was defending his friend who was being bullied and shoved a kid out of his friends face. They consider that gang activity (???) Whoever is making these rules is a fucking moron

You know, the biggest irony is that considering the history of some gangs it is technically gang activity. The Crips were formed to protect African-Americans in LA from racist cops, and then when they started messing with the people they professed to be guarding the Bloods were formed to protect the neighborhood from the Crips. The Bakassi Boys in Nigeria were formed because people were sick of limp-wristed policing. PAGAD is a gang from Cape Town whose acronym means People Against Gangsterism and Drugs; they started out conducting attacks on illegal drug dealers. This nation's Second Amendment enshrines the right to self-defense (and the means by which to exercise that right) and yet the school's getting antsy about this kinda thing? Ridiculous.

[~Mere~]

It is totally ridiculous! I have always taught the boys not to instigate but if they need to defend them self or stick up for the right reason then to do so. I keep wondering if Michael would have done this for his own brother would the resulted punishment been the same. To make things clear though, EVERYONE got in trouble, even the boy who was being bullied. So apparently if someone decides to target you, you have to endure that harassment and then be punished for it too. Zero common sense indeed. FA, it made me think back to when I was in school....my my how times have changed. Just wait till your little one is in school

[jfk36]

I know how your lad must feel. Unfortunately, by the time I was 14 I figured if I was going to be punished for defending myself, I might as well do a bloody good job of it so it didn't happen again. I hope this all turns out alright anyway.

[Midi]

I've been having loads of blackouts lately, which have always been a major disadvantage in daily life. On the bright side, they usually go away after a period of a few months and tomorrow I'm off to discuss my design of a sampler (the Little Box of Horrors) with a member of the Engerling Ensemble.

[FatherAlabaster]

You know, the biggest irony is that considering the history of some gangs it is technically gang activity. The Crips were formed to protect African-Americans in LA from racist cops, and then when they started messing with the people they professed to be guarding the Bloods were formed to protect the neighborhood from the Crips. The Bakassi Boys in Nigeria were formed because people were sick of limp-wristed policing. PAGAD is a gang from Cape Town whose acronym means People Against Gangsterism and Drugs; they started out conducting attacks on illegal drug dealers. This nation's Second Amendment enshrines the right to self-defense (and the means by which to exercise that right) and yet the school's getting antsy about this kinda thing? Ridiculous.

I don't think that interpretation of the second amendment is supported by either history or semantics, and I certainly don't think it's applicable to a discussion of a (hopefully weapon-free) school bus scuffle. My problem in situations like this is with small-minded administrators writing and following statutes that cover every eventuality, so they don't have to think about the nuances of an individual event or make any moral choices of their own. It looks like buck-passing, and like Mere's kid will suffer because of a stupid technicality.

[FatherAlabaster]

I've been having loads of blackouts lately' date=' which have always been a major disadvantage in daily life. On the bright side, they usually go away after a period of a few months and tomorrow I'm off to discuss my design of a sampler (the [i']Little Box of Horrors) with a member of the Engerling Ensemble.

Blackouts? Man... Have you seen a doctor about that?

[Midi]

Blackouts? Man... Have you seen a doctor about that?

Not really. It's been a few years now since they first started to come in periods of some time and then don't occur for even longer. They never really posed big problems, except for memorising certain stuff, so I can manage.

[FatherAlabaster]

Not really. It's been a few years now since they first started to come in periods of some time and then don't occur for even longer. They never really posed big problems' date=' except for memorising certain stuff, so I can manage.[/quote'] You should really get it checked out if you can. My two cents, anyway.

[Midi]

You should really get it checked out if you can. My two cents' date=' anyway.[/quote'] Hm, I guess you're right. It wouldn't hurt to have it examined.

[~Mere~]

I've been having loads of blackouts lately' date=' which have always been a major disadvantage in daily life. On the bright side, they usually go away after a period of a few months and tomorrow I'm off to discuss my design of a sampler (the [i']Little Box of Horrors) with a member of the Engerling Ensemble.

Sometimes I blackout when I drink to much too Seriously though, you def need to find out why this is happening.

[RelentlessOblivion]

Finished 8th out of 12 in today's national time-trial. That's ok but I need to find at least six minutes for next year if I'm really going to be competitive. Road race tomorrow could be interesting. My brother finished second to the current world champions so he's very excited. Mere it's a shame about your boy. The only two times I ever got in trouble at school were either defending myself or my other younger brother. Both times the bullying stopped so mission accomplished.

[Iceni]

I don't think that interpretation of the second amendment is supported by either history or semantics

I suppose so, the Second Amendment and self-defense laws aren't the same thing.

[jfk36]

Why are the laws so complex in the USA? Or is it just me?

[~Mere~]

Finished 8th out of 12 in today's national time-trial. That's ok but I need to find at least six minutes for next year if I'm really going to be competitive. Road race tomorrow could be interesting. My brother finished second to the current world champions so he's very excited. Mere it's a shame about your boy. The only two times I ever got in trouble at school were either defending myself or my other younger brother. Both times the bullying stopped so mission accomplished.

I got more of the story yesterday. This kid has been harassed for a while now because he has red hair. Dumb. But things came to a head on the bus coming back from a class trip on Wednesday. Michael had enough and defended his friend. His friend had refused to do something about it by telling someone in authority because he thought it would only make things worse and had not stood up for himself because he would get in trouble. I told Michael that he did the right thing and if his suspension is the price to pay for doing so, then so be it. I totally agree with FA about handing out punishments without taking the time to investigate each situation. To me it's laziness and sends the wrong message.

[BlutAusNerd]

I got more of the story yesterday. This kid has been harassed for a while now because he has red hair. Dumb. But things came to a head on the bus coming back from a class trip on Wednesday. Michael had enough and defended his friend. His friend had refused to do something about it by telling someone in authority because he thought it would only make things worse and had not stood up for himself because he would get in trouble. I told Michael that he did the right thing and if his suspension is the price to pay for doing so, then so be it. I totally agree with FA about handing out punishments without taking the time to investigate each situation. To me it's laziness and sends the wrong message.

It's not necessarily laziness, it's that there's no way to fairly legislate on a case by case basis. They draw a line in the sand so that they can't be looked at as discriminatory when a decision comes down that gets someone offended, so this way their ass is covered. It likely leaves even more to be desired than having someone rule on a case by case basis, but maybe if people were capable of taking accountability in this day and age and didn't get offended by every last little thing and start hurling lawsuits, things would be different.

[deathstorm]

Bullies suck

[MacabreEternal]

Crazy situation Mere but I would take comfort in the knowledge that your son did the right thing and that he has obviously been brought up properly. On a different note went to see a great property today! A real rural retreat but the downsizing exercise was too much in comparison with the Victorian space we have now! Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

[Black Milk]

its record store day, but your boy here didnt wanna spend his beer money on adding to the stack of records i still hadnt spun so I've been spending my afternoon jamming out a small selection of oldies and new purchases (including Dissection, Bongripper, Shining, Black Tusk and more). Havent been this at peace in weeks. Then it's off to see Bill Burr perform tonight, one of my favorite comedians.

[Midi]

I finally got to finish some toys I've been working on which are now ready to be sold, except for one which I intend to give to a friend's son for his birthday. The Engerling Ensemble and I also had the opportunity to discuss the design of the L.B.O.H. Sampler I designed and although it might prove itself to be extremely complicated, it should be possible to make. We estimate that it would take about 4-5 months to complete, but it if everything goes well it should be worth it.

[BlutAusNerd]

its record store day' date=' but your boy here didnt wanna spend his beer money on adding to the stack of records i still hadnt spun so I've been spending my afternoon jamming out a small selection of oldies and new purchases (including Dissection, Bongripper, Shining, Black Tusk and more). Havent been this at peace in weeks. Then it's off to see Bill Burr perform tonight, one of my favorite comedians.[/quote'] I haven't taken part in the last couple of record store days, which is weird, as it used to be a big deal for me.

[mindy6158]

I seem to have...ahem......drank too much. This always happens to me and this is the prime example as to why I never drink, now I will most likely have to babysit with a migraine tomorrow..........dammit.

[RelentlessOblivion]

Well that's gonna cost me. Several broken spokes on the rear wheel of the tandem and the front wheel has buckled so do I repair the wheels or buy new ones? Decisions, decisions, decisions.

[jfk36]

Well that's gonna cost me. Several broken spokes on the rear wheel of the tandem and the front wheel has buckled so do I repair the wheels or buy new ones? Decisions' date=' decisions, decisions.[/quote'] How did you manage that?

[FatherAlabaster]

I seem to have...ahem......drank too much. This always happens to me and this is the prime example as to why I never drink

The more I read this, the less sense it makes.