I'd also want to try to make her read the bleeding books before setting out to burn them

me too. I am struggling with my SMASH! reflex.

She's a teenager, right?

nope. She's 25. Has amazing skills with kids, is an EMT, part time.

Especially since this is someone Iris actually likes and is happy with, which ought to be worth its weight in gold. Sending an email like that in the first place, let alone cc'ing people she doesn't know that well and whose beliefs she can't begin to guess at, speaks poorly for (at least some aspects of) her judgment.

truth. but the first thing that hit my brain upon reading was - You Will Step Away From My Child NOW. Even though she has not spoken like this to us at any time, and, as Iris is a complete parrot, we have pretty good reason to expect that she's not (yet) trying to 'save' anyone here. Besides, if she hasn't taken a look at my bookshelves yet (then she's nothing like me)... and if she has, she hasn't tried to burn any of my books because I would sense it immediately. There's been one other case where she's forwarded an email, about cellphones and driving, and in that case, she was completely factually off base. It seems as if she's just passing on what she gets. With. No. Filter.

She's babysitting one evening a month for us - so I have some time to think about it and figure out a way to have a face-to-face conversation about, you know, freedom. and, um. Mindfulness. Not to mention .... (ok, yah - here I go, with the losing of a babysitter)

If her mom finds out, I am so dead.

If her mom finds out, she should read the website herself! She'd find considerable comfort there for the I'm-worried-that-my-child-is-too-emo syndrome!

Also, yay babygoth and yay you for being that teacher we all needed (and were sometimes lucky enough to have) in High School!

serial: oh my god I've committed exclamation points

She probably got it as a forward, skimmed it briefly, and went "yeah!" and forwarded it without a whole lot of thought. (I have found this to be the history of most mass-forwards).

A polite note along the lines of "I was pretty offended by X, Y, Z, in that email" might let her see the light and you keep the sitter.

(Though I'd be tempted to "reply all" and blast her.)

I'm less sympathetic now that I know she's 25. My only thought then would be that if you do decide to say something to her about it, I might say somehting along the lines of "even if this was what you really feel, it's presumptive to assume that everyone you know feels the same, it upset me to receive that email, and it's not good business if you want to keep your clients."

(Though I'd be tempted to "reply all" and blast her.)

Hah.

ok, OT - hivemind question. Sparky and a couple others have already given me huge feedback on other parts of this... but now I have a more general internet safety question. I'm starting to blog about a near-and-dear topic - traveling with DH and Iris. It's a way to do some writing of my own, and it has been very fun (though rusty!) so far. I want to make sure I'm working within some safety perameters, though - and I know if other people join in the blog to write or comment, they will probably have the same concerns.

- I am keeping her name off of what I write, though I am posting photos. My byline is my first name and last initial. - the site domain information does not contain our address or name. posts may indicate our general location, but that seems to be within reason. Philly's big. Baltimore too. - if I post about recent trips, I am delaying by a few days.

I know there are other things I'm doing, but if anyone has ideas and/or wants to send me a 'ok, you're doing fine, don't let your mother freak you out,' I would be (again) very grateful.

eta: jaisus Stephanie - that's really good.

Happy birthday to Daniel!

Happy Anniversary to Pete and Jilli!

Happy Halloween to all!

I really want to wear my kitty ears today but I have class and already feel like an old granny. I'm worried they'll think I'm not only old, but incredibly dorky. You'd think I'd be over all that kind of nonsense at my age. If I were working instead, I'd totally wear them. They already know I'm 37 going on 10!

I will never ever be caught up in here, will I?

Sparky! Happy house-buying day!

Jilli and Pete, the happiest of anniversaries to you both, with many more to come! ::throws bat-shaped glitter and pours absinthe::

Happy birthday, Daniel!

Robin, happy ... just post moving in to new house! (God, I suck. But the sentiment counts, yes?)

Sox, to be quite honest, my reaction would have been your "step away from my child." Not sure what advice to give you there, or about net safety, because I ... am pretty bad about that.

Phew. I still have a pirate costume to assemble, and now I'm exhausted.

happy birthday daniel happy anniversary reasons. happy house buying sparky

I had maybe 5 solid hours of sleep last night. more than I have had in a week. Sadly they weren't all strung together.

I would only say - do not send us mass forwards. I find them annoying ,irritating and offensive. I don't have time for such time-wasters.

Easy closing~ma to Sparky, Cashmere, and Kalshane!