I was talking to my wife one day.  I told her that if I had to give up all my personality traits and I could only keep one, I would keep my audacity.

What personality trait would you never want to give up?

I want a little feedback here.  I sometimes can’t remember if I posted something before.  I think about it for a while and then just post it.  Sometimes people will come by and say “You posted this before.”  Then I know that I have already hit the subject matter. 

I go by some people’s sites and their post all sound the same to me.  I read them trying to figure out how this is different from their last post.  One thing I don’t want to do is repeat myself all the time.  One thing I don’t want to do is repeat myself all the time.

Do all my post sound the same?

Fighting has been around as long as boys and men have been around.  Boys just seem to fight.  My dad used to tell me about his fights.  I got in a bunch of fights when I was younger.  It came to a place where I realize that fighting wasn’t accomplishing anything.  So as I have been raising my boys, I have been careful to try to raise them to avoid fights.  Part of my strategy was to avoid mentioning the fights that I got into when I was a kid.  I think sometimes dads can accidentally encourage fighting by telling their sons about their own fights when they were kids.

The other day my boys were playing basketball.  A few kids came along and stole their basketball.  They threw it in the recycle trash can.  My son and his little brother came home and avoided a fight.  I am concerned that I have raise my oldest to avoid a fight at all cost.  I am concerned that he gets picked on because he won’t stand up for himself.

Should a parent teach their child to fight in order to avoid fighting?

I need to talk about the theater for just a moment.  I went recently and the movie was packed full of people.  There were a few of us going together and we wanted to sit together.  A few seats were in the very front but it appeared to be too close to the screen.  So we went up checking for a seat.  There was a lady that was saving five seats.  There were not coats or items in the seats.  She just said they were saved for friends that were coming later.  One lady was saving five seats.

How many seats is one person allowed to save at the theater?

I am at the St. Louis Science Center.  One of their exhibits is the internet connection.  I stopped and updated my xanga account from the Science Center.

Describe a sign you are addicted to Xanga (Extra points for creativity).

My children are at the age when we are beginning to talk about giving them allowances.  I was never given an allowances as a child.  My wife was given two dollars a week.  So we have talked about what we would do with our children.

Al Neuharth wrote an article about allowances that was published yesterday.  He claims that “Fewer than 60% of children ages 6 to 17 get any allowance.”  “The range for 6- to 11- years olds is $5 to $9 a week.  For 12- to 17- year-olds, the average is $10 to $19 a week.”

I made all my money doing paper routes.  We had to do work around the house because it was expected.  My parents never even brought up an issue of allowance.  So it is hard for me to image paying my 12 year old $10 to $19 a week to do the dishes and clean his room. The argument is made that it teaches kids to handle money. 

Should kids be paid an allowance?

I have never read a horoscope.  I have told people that before and they seem surprised.  I don’t know what my sign is.  I had a bunch of people come by on my birthday and tell me what it was but I can’t remember.  I have never followed that stuff. 

I have never read a fortune from a fortune cookie.  I have eaten fortune cookies.  I just never read the fortunes.  I have never read a biorhythm.  I get my weight checked sometimes in these public places and I check the weight but don’t look at the biorhythm.

Do you believe the predictions made on horoscopes?

A case that was getting a lot of publicity today was one of an Afghan who converted from Islam to Christianity.  He was arrested two weeks ago and could face a possible death sentence under Islamic Sharia law.  His parents turned him in.

A new report is coming out that said they may actually release him.  I want to discuss this as an issue since there are many that don’t believe the United States should infringe on the sovereignty of other countries. 

If they were going to put this man to death for converting to Christianity, should the United States infringe on the sovereignty of Afghanistan in order to save his life?

I got an email from someone on xanga that wanted me to put an issue out there.  She is a housewife and a mother.  She checked the history on her computer because she was told by a friend that she should.  She found all kinds of porn being accessed on the computer.  She has a son and was able to tell from the times that it was accessed that it was him and not her husband.  She was shocked by the graphic nature of the material.  Her husband didn’t think it was a big deal.

How should a parent address this issue with her son?

The new feature on xanga has the capability of giving a nudge.  When I am on IM, I can give a nudge to someone and the screen shakes.  The first time I did it I just laughed.  It is funny how something that simple can make you laugh.  But I have given a few nudges with the new xanga feature and nothing happens.  I have gotten a few nudges with the new xanga feature and nothing happens.  So I thought we should give a few suggestions to xanga on what the new nudge feature should do when you use it.

For example, it could make the person’s screen shake who has received the nudge.  It could give the person an electric shock who has received the nudge.

What should the xanga nudge do?  (Once again extra points will be given for creativity).