Sparky, that's bothersome enough to make me need a mouth guard, against the teeth-grinding I would be doing.

Nora, back~ma for you. I'm glad Taz is there to keep you company. Maybe he will purr you better.

Stephanie, I'm glad Ellie is ok today.

There was more, but I forgot.

P.S. I'm not crazy about tater tots. Probably because I first encountered them as school food.

Tater tots are one of those things that I'm surprised I still like. It was certainly a staple comfort food in my house growing up, but some of those I ate so much that I just can't eat them anymore (like rice with cream of tuna sauce). We usually ate tater tots in tater tot casserole, which was tater tots, cream of mushroom soup, and ground beef. I don't eat them that way very much any more, but do get cravings for it every once in a while.

I need someone to talk me off a ledge before I go postal on all the anti-vaccination nutjobs on my local parenting list.

It is not a "complicated issue." The only question you need to ask yourself is "Do I want my child to die of [insert childhood disease here]?" If the answer is no, GET THE FUCKING SHOTS. How many times does the autism myth need to be debunked before these people get it through their thick skulls that VACCINES SAVE FUCKING LIVES??????

Nora's back had better start behaving. Glad Taz is coming out of hiding, though.

I must say, my thought was whoever names a pet Taz (and I realize he was already named when you got him) is really kinda asking for it. Even if it's meant ironically.

A lot more if John McCain has anything to say about it.

Jessica, come off the ledge! Ignore the crazy talkers!

Vaccinations are just so simple, if you ask me. Do I want my kid to get polio? NO. And chicken pox may not kill you, but if you can avoid the itching and scarring and general ICK, why wouldn't you?

Don't explodiate the idiots, Jess. It won't make them any smarter, and we don't want you in jail. (That said, I second your ARGH)

Yeah, Jessica, I don't get that one either. Step away from the crazy.

Edited to delete discussion topic. Nebbermind!

Vaccinations are just so simple, if you ask me. Do I want my kid to get polio? NO.

EXACTLY.

Part of the problem is that the current generation of parents is extremely lucky to have grown up in a post-vaccination era where most of us have no firsthand experience with polio/measles/mumps/etc. And because of herd immunity (which I'm not entirely convinced exists in Brooklyn, based on the posts to this list), they'll never have to, so they can go happily ignorant and unvaccinated and probably be fine anyway. Not that I'm hoping their kids get polio of course, but COME THE FUCK ON.

people who had their tax refund direct deposited are the first to get their stimulus payments issued, and will receive the payment by direct deposit to the same account.

t does the dance of taxes completed/refund direct-deposited

How many times does the autism myth need to be debunked before these people get it through their thick skulls that VACCINES SAVE FUCKING LIVES??????

The problem is that recent government decision to pay the family of the girl in Georgia who developed autism after getting vaccinated. Her case is exceedingly complicated, but of course the news stories don't really get into that, so it's dumbed way down and ends up being ammunition for the anti-vaccination cartel.