Many complaints have been made against the educational system, HOWEVER what most people seem to overlook is why it was created in the first place.

During high school, I discovered a startling fact: “Napoleon created the premise of public education for the purpose of conditioning society to be a subservient culture. To follow orders and not question them.”

In the Land of the Free, and Home of the Brave, does this system foster a generation of free thinkers? No, it creates two separate classes of youth:

1. Those who ingest and regurgitate information.

2. Those who rebel against the system.

Very rare is it to see an individual who thinks for them self and can create new and exciting ways to navigate through society.

Just a thought.

I’m disgusted. What’s more depressing than the economy? What’s more of a bummer than all the people losing their jobs, their homes, their hope, their fucking everything?

I’ll tell you what. Walking down to Stillwater’s infamous FORMERLY FREE Lumberjack Days celebration and seeing it barred shut. Getting a load of the massive quantities of youngsters, huddled in huge groups, loitering, bored, and bummed on every curb just OUTSIDE the chainlink fences and gates barring them from the formerly FREE TO ALL Lumberjack Days celebration. I can’t think of too many teenagers that are going to fork over $10 so that they can then fork over another $5-$6 on the hotdog they were planning on scoring while watching a few interesting acts onstage and looking for familiar faces in the fun, festive, normally packed, sometimes weird, always entertaining crowd.

Teenagers weren’t the only people turning away from the ridiculously prison-like barrage of chain-linkfencing. In case you hadn’t picked up on it, for the first time, they’re charging a $10 cover to get inside what was before, a down-home, local, fun, free, old-fashioned small town annual celebration.

Yeah so it got out of hand when Lynard Skynard played a few years back. Whatever. Bad planning.

Hell, I won’t even pay $10 to get into the State Fair and that’s pretty big-time.

All I have to say is (edit this): City of Stillwater, you just fucked all your Lumberjack Days Vendors in the ASS. Way to stick it to the little guy trying to make a buck.

Major fucking Bummer. Guess I’ll go take my usual hike in a state park - the fee for that is only $25 a YEAR (not counting the $105 fine I had to pay for forgetting to update my annual pass in time.)

What a fucking money grubbing pathetic world we live in. I’m disgusted and ashamed Stillwater. Fucking disgusted. Take your infamous celebration and shove it up your money-grubbing touristy ass.

My job is brainless. I sit and do hand-eye coordination maneuvers with small precision tools until a tooth forms. Which is great because it allows my true genius to flourish (inside my head, for eight whole hours a day).

I was listening to the radio the other day (at work) and they mentioned that the cost of liposuction was like, I don’t know – I actually, technically didn’t hear, but I heard my boss yell out “$2,500 to $3,000 for liposuction!”. And that was all it took. My Einstein busted through the mire of my boredom and went hog-wild. Wild, abandoned, unrestrained inspiration raged from every brain cell in my head for a good five to ten minutes. Fat is big business.

Upon further research (just now), I discovered that a single-area procedure could be anywhere from $2,000 to $8,000 for a single day, and lipo-suctioning more areas over a longer period of time could run as high as $20,000!!!

Now if we could just figure out a way (I KNOW it has to be possible) to transform that product into something that could feed our cars, we could kill two birds with one stone.

Judging by the average “size” of this nation, we could wipe out the entire energy crises, cure our dependency on foreign oil (that fat has GOT to burn down to good old-fashioned oil – bacon does), boost the economy, wipe out obesity, get in shape, improve the world’s opinion of us, and make money in the process. Godd*mn –that’s even more than two birds. That’s a flock of wild geese.

Think of it. Gas guzzling would take on a whole new meaning. There could be lipo/gas stations where you could either trade your fat for miles, or simply sell large portions of yourself and – screw cars – buy a plane ticket to anywhere! (a tropical island – and now you could even wear that itty bitty swimsuit you’ve been dreaming about. And you’d have plenty of spending booty in your pocketbook to spend ..on souvenirs…drinks…and of course! Local Cuisine!!!!).

Which brings up the point… given the possibilities, people – everyone – would probably buy and consume WAY MORE FOOD! Here in Minnesota we all put on at least a good twenty pounds over the winter. A few more tater tot hot dishes a week, couple more pounds of meat and potatoes, double the gravy, hell YES to bacon, and we’d be rolling in the dough by the time spring trickled in. By adding only a few more items to our winter diets a day, we’d have some serious pounds to leverage that spring vacation on. And we wouldn’t even have to sweat the frantic getting-in-shape-before-we-try-to-get-in-that-d*mn-swimsuit trauma. We just roll by the Lipostation on our way to the airport, swimsuits in hand. Yippy-ki-yay Mehico - here I come!! (well.. maybe not Mehico)

Anyways…BTW – no offense to anyone struggling with their weight…Honestly, if there was a way to do it, I’d be the first in line to trade my ass in for a road trip. It might not get me to the In-n-Out burger I’ve been dreaming of (for three years now, going on four) but it could get me a day or two off.

D*mn this has been a long winter. And I’ve had WAY too much time to think.

Miss California (Carrie Prejean) has been accused of posing for semi-nude photographs when she was 17 years old. She may be stripped of her title if the accusations are proven to be true. Many people believe the charges are just a pretense to get revenge against Miss California for making anti-gay marriage remarks during the Miss America pageant where she won the first runner-up position. After the Miss America pageant, Prejean said the reason she believed she did not win the pageant was because she publicly stated her politically incorrect, Christian belief which is - Marriage is between a man and a woman (after officially being asked a question on the subject during the pageant by a gay judge).

Whether Prejean loses her Miss California title may depend on the definition of “semi-nude”. The photographs in question are taken from Prejean’s side, only reveal the side of Prejeans exposed breast and do not depict any nipple area which is covered by her strategically placed hand. Prejean displays a pair of pink panties in the photographs and she may argue that the photographs are tasteful boudoir photos which innocently depict beauty rather than pornography.

All of the Miss America contestants paraded around in skimpy bikinis this year during the swimsuit competition segment. Their white bikinis could easily have been percieved to be white longerie had they been worn in bedroom scenes instead of on stage at the beauty pageant.

Some bikini designs (skimpier than the design used by the Miss America pageant) cover the nipple area but do not cover the sides of breasts. (See example in photo below; model is not Prejean).  If Miss California is found guilty of posing for “semi-nude” photographs (in violation of the Miss California rules), then it seems to me that any model who poses in a teeny weeny bikini runs the risk of violating beauty contest rules and would not be elligible to compete in a Miss California beauty pageant.

Of course, pageant officials may define semi-nude photos to include all topless photos even when hands cover exposed breasts. (See example in photo below; model is not Prejean.)  If a hand is covering the nipple area, how would anyone know if there was a pastie covering the nipple area or not? Are breasts covered with pasties semi-nude? What percentage of a breast has to be covered with some kind of material so as not to be in violation of beauty pageant rules? Teenagers who dream of being crowned beauty queens some day need to know the answers to these questions.

How would you define semi-nude?   Do you think Miss California should be stripped of her crown?

(You can see more photographs by Mountain Dude at: www.dporterdvd.com)

76% of Filipino adults say they understand spoken English; 75% say they read English; 61% say they write in English; 46% say they speak English; 38% say they think in English; while 8% say they are not competent in any way when it comes to the English language.

Every year we are faced with survey results of Filipino’s English competency. With the presentations of these results, are we also informed why we have to be competent in English?

Today, labels of basic commodities from sacks of rice to the cheapest candies found in groceries even in sari-sari stores are in English. If you couldn’t understand English then you might die of poisoning or might misuse a medicine and impair an illness.

English is programmed in today’s technological advancements such as laptops, flash disks, MP4s and digital cameras. You want to manipulate and maximize the use of your gadgets? Consult your manuals, and how are instructions written? In English.

They say that if you’re a foreigner, you have to know the laws of the land. How many Filipinos are caught or fall to accident because of ignorance? We aren’t foreigners but it’s as if we were. Signs, rules, and regulations of establishments such as schools, malls, and government offices are written in English.

In the academe, references that feed the world with the latest advancements in the different fields are mostly written in English. In the internet, few websites are in Filipino. Even government websites that are supposed to give us access to what was happening in the Philippines are in English. How could you extract knowledge and even enjoy those references if you couldn’t understand what it says? With these situations, it is no doubt that English proficient students outshine the others.

“English means jobs,” assumed Rick Santos president of American Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines.

In the professional sector, being competent in English is an edge. Why? From resumes, application forms and letters, to the interview and reports (financial, medical, etc.) to be submitted are required in English. Even phone calls in offices need to be in English.

To be able to produce not only locally but also globally competitive work force, a key factor (except for skills because those are prerequisites) is a good command and understanding of English.

Cards are all laid. Without being competent in English, how will you survive this modern world and age?

What is the most powerful word in the world? My daughter asked me that today. Naturally, having been raised in the Christian persuasion, I said, “Ah hell, honey, love. Duh.”

And then I thought about living in California for two years, and I couldn’t help but remember the fruity-tutti’s (newagers – don’t worry I love them all) saying that the word “hate” was so powerful and destructive that they don’t even say it. Ever. Bad vibration. That’s pretty powerful.

And then I really got into it. D*mn, hell, shit, f**k, bastard, bitch, the “c” word (that I don’t quite like but have started using on occasion while driving, but only in reference to certain bastards who deserved that extra little itty bit more…) Those words are so powerful that they’ve been banned from most mainstream media outlets…

But no; it couldn’t be swear words. Those are ultimately an expression of a persons weakness in a way…(but you gotta love them. And I do.)

So what is the most powerful word in the world? Well, my daughter proceeded to tell me that two of her friends – one guy, one girl - totally unrelated, had randomly come up with the same word.

Maybe.

The guy said he thought it was the most powerful word in the word because it left one hoping. As in, “Maybe there’ll be a good reason for getting out of bed today…if I do.”

The girl said that by using the word “maybe” one could continue holding the reins for as long as one wanted (my own paraphrasing). Which kept her in the drivers seat. Certainly a most powerful position to be in.

Such a simple conversation. But after it was over I suddenly remembered one of the things I hated most about my ex-husband: his favorite word (words): “It depends.” Which is another version of “maybe”.

He kept me dangling for ten years with those words.

Example: “Do you think you, (I, we) should (could, can, will) do this (that, the other thing) honey?”

“It depends.”

Or: “What do you think about this, dear?”

“It depends.”

I kept waiting for an answer, thinking I’d get one. But I never did. Talk about treading water. Until I left the pond for happier shores (horizons).

After much thought, it turns out that I do believe that “maybe” is the most powerful word in the world. Only I tend to subscribe to the “masculine” persuasion: the idea that “maybe” holds a promise of something good to come if I do something to make it happen (as in get out of bed, leavea bad marriage, etc.)…

…as opposed to the “feminine” persuasion: the idea that one can hold onto control indefinitely by refusing to take a stand.

What do you think is the most powerful word in the world? I’m curious.

Okay Warcorpse here with something that’s almost killed him and many of you on the road. I was in McDonald’s yesterday. Yes once in a while I eat there, I was to hungry to wait until I got home. Anyway so I’m standing in line and ahead of me is an elderly couple taking FOREVER ordering. Which I don’t really get because McD’s menu hasn’t really changed in the last 25 years and everything still tastes the same. So after so many years of life you’d pretty much know what you want right off the bat, I do. But what the hell I suppose after so many years you get the right to take as long as you want in line. So I patiently waited and got to the register and ordered my food to go. While I’m walking out I almost get run over by a grandma in of course a Buick because she’s not feeling the need to look behind her as she backs out.

I thought as you get older, wiser you get better at the things you do everyday. That’s the attitude that half of the old people have. Then they pull out with out looking, run red lights, cut across the parking lot at a high rate of speed. Go either 5 or 500mph on the highway. Do U-turns in the middle of the street, how are any of theses considered safe driving practices from the wisest members of society.

Then most states put restriction after restriction on teen drivers and their justification is that “they don’t have enough experience”. Yet the ones with the most experience are just as bad. I’d venture to say the number of safe teen drivers to elderly drivers is about the same. Would it really be so bad for some elderly people to re-take the drivers test at lets say 80 to see if they still got what it takes to operate a car safely. And in some cases put them on a restricted licence.

This is not to say that all old people are bad drivers about half of them are wonderful drivers fully capable of operating a car normally like about half the teens out there. Just if we’re going to continue to target and restrict one group of people then we should acknowledge that there’s another group that’s just as bad.

Anyway that’s my view point feel free to disagree

Warcorpse

I know what you’re all thinking (half of you). “The best exercise in the world is watching TV…”

The other half is thinking something along the lines of “Hmmm, what designer wear should I put on to go down to the gym?”

Let’s face it, none of you give a crap about exercise. You just do it to show off your fancy clothes. Minnesotans, I’m writing to you now because first of all, I got attacked by a designer-gear wearing freak at Willow River State Park last winter, for walking on the wrong part of the path. All I was doing (besides exercising) was trying to stay as far off the path as I could, (to let the cross-country-skiers pass), and this designer-clad stress-basket went off on me for being in his way. How was I supposed to know that those park pathways are friggin’ freeways in the wintertime, with their own set of driving, sledding, walking, skiing, and snowshoeing rules? (On a side note; I can’t believe people actually snowshoe for fun. There’s something wrong with that. I mean, don’t you have to walk with your feet spread about two feet apart in those things? Is that enjoyable? I can see snowshoeing if you were starving and you had to go hunting back in the olden days in four feet of snow in the middle of winter to feed your family, but for a pleasant walk through a state park, where the snow has already been well-packed by all the psycho skierboys in tights? What is up with that? Anyways…not the best exercise.)

There are a large portion of people all over the world who believe that shopping is the best exercise in the world. I disagree. Shopping is too d*mn stressful to be good for you, and I believe that fundamentally, exercise should be good for you. I used to consider shopping meditation, but here (where people plan everything from their meat buying to their campsite reservation a whole YEAR in advance, shopping could very well give you a heart attack, and it is not fun at all. I know a girl who buys meat twice a year (by the truckload) because she gets a better deal. Whatever. What she saves in meat per pound I’m sure she more than makes up for in her electric bill. Not to mention paying off that massive freezer that she put on her credit card. And who the hell plans a camping trip a YEAR in advance? Are you people crazy? I am a camperaholic and I don’t even do that. How can you bloody well know you’re going to feel like camping on this particular weekend exactly one year from today???

Minnesotans, you’ve ruined shopping for me. Even if it was the best exercise in the world, I can’t keep up with you.

Which leads me to the original question: what exactly is the best exercise in the world? Before I answer that, I’ll name my criteria for any exercise to even be considered to be do-able (let alone the best).

1. It has to be fun. If it’s not fun, I’ll never do it.

2. It has to be challenging. You have to be able to improve your skills over time. This eliminates walking. Walking is walking. No one can get better at walking, unless they’ve lost their ability to walk and have to start from scratch. But that’s a whole nuther deal.

3. It HAS to de-stress you and leave you feeling happier than when you started. This is the whole point of exercise, as far as I’m concerned. To feel better, happier and healthier. This eliminates pretty much everything that is considered exercise (with the exception of walking, which I’ve already eliminated).

4. Running should be against the law. This has nothing to do with anything, but I just felt that it needed to be stated.

5. It should require no special talents or skills. Anyone should be able to do it.

6. It should not require designer gear (or any gear whatsoever). This eliminates swimming and anything that requires purchasing gear (as in skiing, biking, snowboarding, tennis, badminton, baseball, football, etc etc etc.)

So what is it? Ok. No one laugh. This is not only the BEST exercise in the world, but it’s the MOST FUN thing to do. It will make you feel GREAT when you’re doing it and even better when you’re done. It’s great cardiovascular, great for every muscle group, impossible to do without laughing, and allows you to improve and develop your skills over time.

Without further ado, I’d like everyone to put on a pair of sweats or jeans (you don’t even have to change out of your work clothes if you don’t want to) and run, (or drive) down to your local park, playground, or back yard, and swing!

Don’t forget that you can pump with both your legs and your arms, (interchangeably) for a full body work-out, and DON’T forget to try to jump off in mid-air, starting out slow and safe, and work up to the highest point that you can reach. And when you’re done swinging as hard and high as you can, for as long as you can, then flop down in the grass on your back and stare at the sky until your heart stops pounding.

That’s it folks: the BEST exercise in the whole world is swinging! And don’t let the fact that you’re an old fart get in the way; no one cares, and if they do, to hell with them!

I’d begun hearing catch phrases like, “I got poked” - “Look who’s on my wall.” and “Tag this photo.”  It was a strange, new language; a language I didn’t understand nor cared to.  More often, these strange - almost coded - little messages would rear their ugly heads in normal conversation accompanied by smiles and giggles.  Whatever they were talking about brought them joy.  I still didn’t care. 

“How many friends do you have?’

“I don’t know, but ’so and so’ just asked me to be her friend, too!”

Each conversation was part adolescent bliss and part emotional fulfillment.  What is this “thing” that has everyone so giddy?  Why is everybody talking about it…doing it and ridiculing me because I’m not?  Peer presure at it’s worst…or best, if you’re one of the addicts.  I avoided it like the plague for the same reason that I too am now addicted to it.  It can’t be done in moderation.  It’s all or nothing!  Sure, you think you’re “just checking it for a quick sec” and 12 hours later you’re dialoguing with three online friends, tagging a fourth friend’s photo, while adding seven new friends that you haven’t seen since you had acne and braces.  No question - FACEBOOK IS THE NEW CRACK!  Granted, I’ve never indulged in the magical white pebbles of death, but I do know people who have and this has the makings of something just as consuming…but in a good way.

What is the appeal (of FB not Crack)?   Let me try and explain it as best I can without sounding as if this is the only reason why it’s appealing and yet it pretty much hits the nail on the head…for me at least. (Whew.)

1. Non-threatening Self-expression: It let’s the world know who you are, who you’re with, what you’ve done and what you’re into now - without you having to actually TELL anyone.
2. Convenience: I can chat or not.  I can tag or not. I can answer or not (right now) and nobody gets hurt, because they’re interacting with 50 other people, simultaneously, who are making the same easy, snap decisions.
3. Connecting without obligatory investment/commitment: There’s nothing like getting “befriended” on FB by someone from your past and being pleasantly surprised…for a second; only to remember that you were never that close to begin with.  No harm, no foul…add another friend to the tally.
4. Reconnecting: Probably one of the greatest reasons for this site to exist. Friends who were friends THEN and after one million years of being apart, are still friends NOW as if you were never apart. (”Okay, it’s been 20 years…so where were we…oh yeah…so Debbie never liked her and I was all, no way…and she was like, yeah way!“)  Well, you get the idea.
5. Family: Can you say - ”Quick updates!”  No more of the annoying - “Let me speak to Jimmy and then put Ray on, then grandma and let me talk to the twins after that.”  Suddenly, your unlimited minutes become very limited with a side of cauliflower ear.  With FB…TAG ME, BABY! 
6. Networking/hooking up: Probably the lamest reason to FB.  You should do an about FACE and BOOK on over to linkedin or eharmony if you want a job or a date.  You’re killing the lighthearted buzz with all your desperate neediness.   And last but not least…
7. Bragging rights:  “How many friends you got?”  One gazillion and 3…TOP THAT!

I’ve said it before, but I HATE IT SO GOOD because it calls to me in the morning and at night.  Now I know why the caged bird…takes crack and sings.  FACEBOOK!

In closing, as incredibly genius as this magical white pebble of networking is, it will NEVER replace the comforting release of a long conversation, the thrilling rush of a warm embrace, the goose bumps from a long slow kiss, the touch of a familiar hand in yours or the satisfaction of sharing a good, hearty laugh together.  NOT EVEN CLOSE.

Stay connected…for real.

Benman out!

Are all you parents talking about drugs with your kids? Because you should be. Regularly. It’s a good subject. Start young and make it a casual part of conversation so that it doesn’t ever have to be awkward. Joke about it when appropriate, tell stories, talk about your own use and experimentation – good stories and bad, converse about drug-related media, and let them know that its not scary and bad.

Why should you let them know that it’s not scary and bad? Because to them, it’s not. It’s a curiosity. If you approach the subject without judgment and fear, your kids will be more willing to talk with you – and listen to you – about this touchy subject. If you approach it with an open attitude, then when the potential for “scary” and “bad” enters your home (teenage years, give or take a decade), you’ll have a nice little, somewhat solid, foundation on which to relate to your kids, and hopefully influence them in a safe, healthy direction. Kids need this foundation, and they need to know you’re there for them on this one.

Drug conversations in my home have covered pretty much every “common” drug out there from alcohol to meth to coke to pot to heroin to psychedelics to that big happy candy store: pharmaceuticals…generally, antidepressants. Lately conversations around my house have been about Adderall, an amphetamine that is often prescribed for ADD, ADHD and various other things from weight loss to fatigue, and so on and so forth. It’s commonly called the Focus Drug. Students love this drug as it helps them focus, makes them smarter (or feel smarter), and has all sorts of other super duper effects. In addition, it has numerous negative effects, especially over long-term use.

Last night while discussing Adderall with my daughter I learned a few things. This drug is readily available to kids. Kids who have a prescription for it either sell it or share it with their friends. It has amazing results. My daughter told me about one particular student whose C average was raised to straight A’s last semester as a result of the beneficial effects of using this drug to study. Needless to say when kids see those kinds of results in friends who are using a particular substance, that drug becomes very appealing.

One of the points my daughter made, and I can empathize with her on this, is that now a-days you almost need some sort of drug just to keep up with the pressures of everyday expectations, and requirements. It is increasingly difficult to compete in this world; getting into college can be a real challenge, and the intensity and amount of school work is extreme compared to what it was say in the early eighties, when I was floating through school on a B average that required no special focus, attention or skill (or intelligence). Hell, homework back then was an occasional annoyance. Now, it’s a daily four-to-six hour grind. At the same time, all you hear in the media is how far the USA is falling behind other “smarter” countries with regards to education.

So, you have kids stressing about school, trying to keep up, worrying about getting into college at younger and younger ages. At the same time you have a media telling them that they are “stupid” compared to the rest of the world. Put that together with a pharmaceutical industry that prescribes drugs like they’re candy, and you have a whole bunch of little stressed-out junkies in the making. And that’s just survival. Forget about taking drugs for fun! (Like back in the good ol’ days when that’s the only reason most of us were doing them).

I’ve had conversations with a few of my daughters’ friends about drugs as well. Their main complaint is, they don’t have anyone to talk to about drugs. And (surprise, surprise) they have all sorts of questions. They want to know what is potentially dangerous about this, or what might happen if they try that. Their parents react to “drug topics” with anything from poorly masked horror, to contrived “just say no” BS, to some superficial spew that sounds like it came from some outdated Newsreel from the 1940’s. Generally, their parents are not talking to them about drugs! I find this utterly ridiculous and very scary (for the kids sake).

Let me just ask one question to all you parents who avoid the drug conversation at all costs, or try your best to brush it aside with some prefabricated anti-drug propaganda: As a parent, don’t you want your kids to get their answers from you? Don’t you want to know what’s going on in your kid’s world, just incase something goes wrong? If they get into trouble, don’t you want to be the one to hold their hand and make sure they get out of trouble safe and sound?

If the answer to those questions is yes, then start planning your drug foundation as soon as you conceive. (Or now, if you already have conceived.)

A good place to start: assume your kids are going to try drugs, whether it be a little experimentation, or a full-on addiction. In this day and age, it’s not ridiculous to assume this. Americans are a drug addicted society (thanx, pharmaceutical industry, for that). This starting point will hopefully help you avert some of the “shock” you feel when you find the remains of a joint in your kid’s dresser drawer. Or when you get a call from the county jail in the middle of the night.

Next: educate yourself: Even if you never did drugs, there’s no excuse for not knowing the basics. The internet has pretty much any answer you ever wanted to know about drugs. My favorite drug website is www.erowid.org. It’s a huge drug database. Good family fun. You may chose to share this website with your kids. I have it as my homepage on my computer. If my daughter asks me a question about drugs that I don’t know the answer to I head straight for the computer… “well, let’s just see what we can find out about this one…” Well looky here, Morning Glories are a Psychedelic. Fancy that!

Approach the negative effects of drug use honestly and openly. I’m lucky in this regard; I have a whole pile of bad examples of drugs gone wrong in my own life, many of my friends lives, and some of my family’s lives. My kids have seen up close and personal some bad drug and alcohol shit. I’ve got that on my side. I try to balance this with some “happy” drug experiences. Why? Because if you inundate your kids with just the bad shit, they’re going to know you’re not open to really talking about it, and they won’t talk to you about it. Anyways, that’s how I chose to approach it; it may not be the best, but it’s the only way I can honestly approach it having spent a fair share of my earlier days playing with various substances. I’m not going to lie about any of it. If a drug is potentially really dangerous, I tell my daughters so. If it’s a not-so-dangerous drug, I say that too. (example: “If you absolutely have to do drugs honey, but you’re not sure which one to try…chose pot over meth, the effects are a lot less deadly.”)

However you chose to approach it, be open, honest, and try to throw aside your fears. Whatever you do, don’t judge your kids. If you do, you may lose the one chance you might have had to save their life (or make it a little less painful).