In different news our holiday party tonight for ARP was cancelled in light of today's tragedy. I'm pretty bummed. I have two huge pans of Mac and cheese and I was looking forward to a distraction.

Msbelle, I see your glitter nails and raise you Santa capped nails.

Anyone hear from ita?

I left a message and haven't heard back yet.

I'm more worried about ita ! than interested in the discussion of the shooting.

But, I had already heard and read about it plenty before I got home to see what Natter held. I don't have a problem with David's information. This is where we come to touch base and discuss what's going on in the world.

But, I'm really worried about ita !.

She was all, "Well what can I do to get a C" um in the next hour and a half?

My favorite response: "There is no answer that does not have 'build a time machine' as step 1."

I was supposed to go to a fundraiser holiday party. And a Christmas wrapping party tomorrow. And host a cookie party Sunday. I've cancelled them all. Joe and I are supposed to be in court Monday because he doesn't want to pay child support. So that, plus this, was just too much.

Joe and I are supposed to be in court Monday because he doesn't want to pay child support.

Oh my god, Stephanie. He really doesn't understand that that's not a choice? Ugh.

I'm sorry Stephanie. I'm also sorry that I'm not spending as much time staying in touch with everyone. I miss you all, and think I'd be far more sane with daily keeping-in-touch.

He is several thousand dollars behind. He has chosen to use his money on other things. We have been negotiating a settlement but he hasn't signed it and court is Monday morning. It will save money if he signs it but I almost want to go just to hear the judge yell at him. But it's so stressful.

Clearing your throat and going "Tut tut tut" and outright saying speculation is bad is trying to divert or kill the conversation.

I wasn't saying tut tut tut, I was flat-out, aggressively, telling you that if we're providing them the audience, we're providing them the fucking excuse.

Me saying I think speculation is not a good thing ain't thread nannying. It's not me attempting to do a half-assed passive aggressive chilling effect thing by saying, "OMG! YOU ARE POSTING SPECULATION! IF YOU DO THAT, I WILL HAVE TO LEAVE NATTER!" That's thread nannying. Disagreement, ain't. It's adding my two cents to the discussion. You want to quote speculation from the news, go right ahead. I'm still going to think its irresponsible to enable them by giving them the page views, and that nothing good comes of speculation ahead of the facts.

And, much like I will shout at people who use vagina when they mean vulva, and threaten them with flying monkey lochia, I will be vocal about my disagreement.

I am so sorry, Stephanie. You and the kids deserve so much better than that crap.

(Monkey lochia context. I swear, not as random as it seemed. [link] )