Me neither!!!! But I'm at least contributing to the "keep this boring thread going" drive!!!!
Apparantly this thread is currently about:
Forgoing shiva
Cupcakes
Crockpots
BTW Tomorrow Is The Last Day Of Kaitana.
Here is how the rest of our summer looks, IY"H:
Next 2 weeks - No schedule, maybe shlep on buses for day trips to visit far away friends.
3rd week - 18 year old dd runs a week-long kaitana, younger dds help. Tisha B'Av on Monday night/Tuesday.
4th week - No schedule.
5th week - Our family goes away with other kollel and community families for most of the week.
6th week - School starts on Thursday.
Win online arguments!
Enjoy battling it out on the bulletin boards? Like getting stuck into a good, pointless argument with only one aim - to win at any cost? Then this guide is for you - simply follow the guide below and success will be yours!
1. Get friendly
Always refer to your opponent by his/her first name. Your messages will seem warm and friendly, despite the rabid ferocity of their content. After a few exchanges, begin to use a corruption of your opponent's name - begin with "William", then change to "Billy", then change to something like "Billy-Boy". Women don't enjoy having their names shortened either, so make sure that "Mrs. Elizabeth C. Osbourne-Smythe PhD, QC" is always addressed as "Lizzy".
2. Picky! Picky!
Criticizing your opponents spelling or grammar will make you look pedantic. Far better to deliberately misread a message, then follow-up with an utterly incongruous statement. And if they make a factual error - no matter how small - make sure you're on hand to remind them of their error as often as possible.
3. Be selective
Selective editing is a good way to avoid engaging with your opponent's better arguments. Simply delete that intelligent, pointed question which ends paragraph three and reply instead to the weaker arguments
beneath. Should your opponent post something like "I'm sorry but you're talking ****", snip everything but the first two words then graciously accept his apology.
4. Showboat
Once the argument is in full swing, publicly thank all those people who have e-mailed you privately with their messages of support. Claim that you are too busy to reply to each of them personally at the moment, but promise to continue fighting on their behalf.
5. You've got history
Boasting about how long you've been subscribed to a forum or newsgroup is not advised. Far better to make obscure references to the forum/newsgroup when only thirteen people knew it existed. Fondly recall a similar flame-war which took place in 1989 between "Big Al" and "Phyllis from Kent". If a newly arrived opponent produces a particularly strong argument, tell them that you've already discussed (and won) this debate last year and that you've no intention of repeating your crushing arguments all over again for their benefit.
6. There's lots of you
Always refer to yourself in the plural, as though you are speaking on behalf of the whole newsgroup: "all we are trying to say is..." sounds much more pompous than "all I am trying to say is...". When other people join in the thread, the rules are simple: if they side with you, follow-up immediately and enthusiastically, congratulating them on their courage; if they side with your opponent, ignore the tossers.
7. One step ahead
Pre-empt all replies. Tell your opponent that you know exactly how he or she is going to respond to your message because you've seen it all before. List all potential counter-arguments to your position and invite your opponent to choose one.
8. Bamboozle with links
If your opponent's tenacity is proving too much for you, try a Google counter-attack. This involves posting up an endless stream of vaguely related links, insisting that there's more than enough evidence contained in the 50+ linked sites to crush any counter argument. Ensure you keep the references vague and preferably link to pages that are stuffed full of even more links. If your enemy can't find the evidence they're demanding, blame them for their lack of research skills - after all, you've already provided them with ample resources.
9. I didn't say that!
Never apologise for anything, ever.
10. Play dirty
Think the argument isn't going your way? Simply post one long, highly antagonistic message in which you completely misrepresent everything your opponent has said in the last three weeks. End by martyrishly declaring that the argument has dragged on for too long and that you have no choice but to kill-file/ignore your opponent. Ignore any further messages and/or quietly re-register under a new name.
11. Victory is yours!
Won the argument? Congratulations - but remember to be utterly unbearable in victory. Make generous excuses for your opponent's behaviour ("I know you primary school technicians can be under a lot of stress", "the menopause can be a very difficult time", etc), but retain a calm tone of superiority ("the important thing is to learn from your mistakes"). State that you hope your opponent stays around and reassure him/her that other subscribers are sure to forget all about this sorry business in a couple of years.
Thanks, I'm sure this will come in handy.
Now I'm off to ward off WWWIII (World Water War III).
So the other day I went to Brooklyn to visit my MIL with the kids. Afterwards, I had a playdate with a friend and 3/4 of her kids.
We went to a park on Ave Y and Bedford. Beautiful shady park, great slides, climbing things, swings etc....and a sprinkler/spray park area. Plus, there were soccer fields, a track and handball courts. That park can satisfy kids of all ages.
If its far from you, make kids walk. That's part of the adventure. I make my 22 month old walk everywhere. Its good for him AND tires him out.
There is also Pier Six that my friend just told me about. (http://www.brooklynbridgeparknyc.org/the-park/pier-6-open) I've never been but she said its fantastic.
There is Marine Park. There is the local mall. Coney Island. There are plenty of free things to do. The subway and bus system are your friend, even if its tough to do. I can do it with 3 under 4, and if your kids are a bit older, it should be a bit easier.
My inability to continue participating killed it :-)
So are you back to revive it now? Really, what's more important; unpacking or helping us reach the important goal of 100 pages?
Me, I'm just avoiding Shabbat prep and recovering in my wonderfully air-conditioned room from the 10 minutes I recently spent outside in the unbearable heat.
Today kaitana ended! I told my 5 year old that he would not go to his gan till after the rest of summer vacation. He looked at me blankly and said, "So what? I already got all the prizes."
My inability to continue participating killed it :-)
So are you back to revive it now? Really, what's more important; unpacking or helping us reach the important goal of 100 pages?
Me, I'm just avoiding Shabbat prep and recovering in my wonderfully air-conditioned room from the 10 minutes I recently spent outside in the unbearable heat.
My husband couldn't understand why I showered at noon time. I told HIM to go out and hang the laundry, after doing some sponja (he did sponja too), baking challa and doing kitchen things. We turned the a/c on after all that is done... just the kitchen is left to sponja.
So back to camp. Well, Micha has another week to go and there is a Moetza Datit option from July 31 till August 12th, excluding Tisha BeAv. I think it will be nicer for him to just stay home and rot with all his brothers. Opinions?
A bit high for 11 days. Is it all day? Trips?
Main question: Will he be happy at home, or does he need a program? A kid who is insane at home is worth sending to a program even if overpriced.
I doubt it. It's for 5 and 6 year olds run by the local moetza (read: lubavich). Not really worth it in my opinion. It's cheaper to be home and be with the brothers. And lucky me: I am out of the house for 5+ hours. Yippee!
