Mark Wahlberg got a lot cuter as he got older.

So did Donnie.

And my poor Joey? NSM.

All the Israeli children get an ID number (the Israeli equivalent of the USA's SSN) at birth. That's how they're written in their parents' IDs, too.

You're right, it is possible to fall between the cracks in the US. SSNs are not national IDs, or even state IDs. You have to have an SSN to do anything tax-related, like work legally, accrue interest in a bank account, apply for financial aid to college, file taxes/be claimed on taxes, and probably inherit. But if you chose to, you could keep your kid from getting an SSN for a long time. (Illegal immigrants go their whole lives without SSNs, sometimes.) You just have to resign yourself to working "under the table" or illegally, and not have an investment portfolio.

(We Hardy American Individualists are very wary of national IDs, although I think the idea has gotten more traction recently. Part of the problem with using SSNs as IDs is that identity theft and fraud have made keeping one's SSN secret more and more important.)

I think the equivalent English expression is 'fall between the cracks.'

Thanks, tommy. It's pretty similar, but not exactly, the same, the way I understand "fall between the cracks", at least. Also, nicer "scary visual place".

t Waves at Aimée I wasn't online when you posted in "Beep Me", so I didn't know anything at the time, but you were in my thoughts once I did.

But there's still a chance that a child may 'fall between the chairs' (Hebrew expression, meaning 'not here and not there') and not have any sort of 'official' recording?

Absolutely. I'm sure that the survivalist families out in Idaho don't register their children with the government, and many of them probably homebirth as well.

I wasn't online when you posted in "Beep Me", so I didn't know anything at the time, but you were in my thoughts once I did.

Thanks, love. How've you been?

Just this weekend, I was talking about a friend's ex who was living "off the grid" in NYC. He worked under the table under an assumed name, and sublet his room from the tenant of record. As far as I know, he had no credit, no bank account, nothing in his name.

From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs, Aimée. I wish you as much peace as is possible. In fact, a little bit more.

On the other hand, I've been getting ready to replace my mislaid SSN card (Tending to the paranoid by nature, I'm sure it's been procured by some wily grafter who will collect millions by absconding with my number.) and it's been ridiculously a) easy and b) circular. Also, because I am my own company, I can generate about half of what I need to in order to establish an identity. I'm tempted to create a whole new person just for the fun of it.

It's kinda scary.

(love to you, Aimée.)

A friend gave me a catalogue which started off about weaponry and useful fighting techniques, and by the end was all "living off the grid" and kinda scary. I wonder if I still have it...if I disappear, it's either due to that, or some stupid fainting thing.