I'm glad they touched on OCD near the end, because it was on my mind throughout the article. Hey! Maybe I made that paragraph appear.

I seriously wondered about whether the following is backed up by sociological research, or is an assumption, though:

“The point at which the culture withdraws support for belief in Santa and the Tooth Fairy is about the same time it introduces children to prayer,” said Jacqueline Woolley, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas.

I just wonder, because the people I know who do pray, typically teach their children to pray from very early on -- like starting at toddlerhood.

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I just wonder, because the people I know who do pray, typically teach their children to pray from very early on -- like starting at toddlerhood.

Yeah, I was taught to pray at a very early age.

I remember when I was about kindergarten age praying to God that He would take me up to heaven in the Rapture so I wouldn't have to die.

I thought about death a fair amount even in toddlerhood. Is that normal?

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I thought about death a fair amount even in toddlerhood. Is that normal?

I was fairly aware of death at that age. I remember that, for a while, I would pretend to talk to the ghost of JFK, and I asked him things like what it felt like to be shot, and if he still loved his family, and if he knew how to stop bombs. (I was about two at the time, I think.)

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I wondered about that too, Cindy. I'd like to see something to back that up, because in my experience those who believe in any faith teach it to their children from birth (thus leading to the conversation about why God is real and Santa isn't. Or maybe that was just me).

Aimee, I'm very sorry about your watch, and, ow. I'm going to have that image in my poor brain all day.

I. Want a Massage. Also, I want Hazard Pay for having to be my emotionally fragile sister's therapist. Especially when she calls me AT WORK to calm her down. I know she's in a really tough place right now, what with our mom and her ex-husband the Bastard and his Bastardly family, and I love and appreciate and want to help her as much as I can from four states away. But could she maybe not do this to me at work? Is that too much to ask? Am I selfish for not wanting my focus at work disrupted by stuff that nearly puts me in tears? I just got my workload almost doubled, I have panic attacks myself, I have problems and shit going on too, but she never listens to me for more than a minute. But never mind, I actually have a therapist! The professional kind, that she refuses to get "because she doesn't need it and besides, she has me". I can always calm her down, but then it's me that's upset. I wish this awful situation would just resolve itself somehow.

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Apparently our brains are hardwired for magical thinking.

No wonder The Auditors hate us so much t /ob. Pratchett ref.

Cindy! I had a dream about Ben last night! I was in an elementary school gym, looking for my seat, when I ran in to my college roommate. We were chatting, and then this dance recital began, and Ben & his friend did a cute as hell dance to "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades". I didn't see you or your DH there, so I was cheering extra-loud for him, when a mom came over and asked me how I knew Ben. I explained about the whole Internet friend thing, she smiled and said she had heard about us and that she was the mother of B's friend, and that you were at something for Chris and your DH was at something for Julia, so she was watching Ben. And then the three of us women and the boys met up with all y'all at a restaurant.

It was a very weird dream, and the first time I think I've dreamt about a Buffista or their sprog.

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I thought about death a fair amount even in toddlerhood. Is that normal?

I scouted locations in my parent's house to hide from the Nazis and tried to figure out what would happen if we somehow survived the first strike during WWIII, despite my dad assuring me that we were at Ground Zero and wouldn't feel a thing.

So, in my world, yes.

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I apologize for putting the images against nature into others' heads. That was rude of me. Specially when I had promised to only use my powers for good.

I'm late to the table on this, and it was covered a bit in Natter, I think, but I am so aggravated by these jackasses freaking out about Dakota Fanning and the movie "HoundDog".(Article here if yo have no earthly idea what I'm talking about: [link] )

Know what, assholes? Rape of an adult woman is just as illegal as the rape of a child and it is still shown in films. A lot. And a lot more graphic than the scene in HoundDog, from what I've read.

You don't want to see it, don't go see it.

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I thought about death a fair amount even in toddlerhood. Is that normal?

My childhood was cold war time when many of my friends had bomb shelters in the basement. Between that and scores of elderly relatives having wild and crazy Irish wakes I thought about it some. Grateful that fear has never been a part of those thoughts.

I have to agree with you on that Aimee. Particularly this part

Rape of an adult woman is just as illegal as the rape of a child and it is still shown in films. A lot.

I wouldn't watch it because I would find it upsetting. I won't watch VM anymore because it is too common a theme there too. But the uproar over this film is nuts. If groups want to put the film on their banned list go for it. But it doesn't sound at all to me like the subject matter was presented in an inapropriate manner.

(lets see how many xposts while I typed and did a zillion things) Wow! None, guess I'm not the only one working. 3 edits with the spelling stuff!

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note to self: when apologizing for putting horrible bad images into people's heads, don't follow it up with discussion of child rape. Just FYI.

t sprinkles glitter

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Yay glitter! Of course if you were really sorry you would offer chocolate too.

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