<p>Excellent advice abs and MaineLonghorn. I am going to do my very best to stay happy and away from dangerous threads.</p>
<p>After a zillion years on CC, I knew not to let myself open the unmentionable thread. (I’m avoiding all future threads on health insurance, too.)</p>
<p>But you guys are awesome and I wanted you to know it. :)</p>
<p>The hilarious thing about The Thread That Cannot Be Named is that almost everyone has their own idea of which one it is. 
(Well, other than the one that saw the demise of a certain Harker/MIT parent. 
)</p>
<p>Several potential cannot-be-named threads appeared today. Headed straight here instead.</p>
<p>This is a happy place!</p>
<p>Wow - gone for a day and so much activity. Strangely, I came her first before even checking to see what might be going on other places. I have to marshall my strength and resolve . . .</p>
<p>I am powerless. I cannot stop contributing to a particular thread. Ugh.</p>
<p>It’s OK for most people to contribute as long as you contribute responsibly. You have to know your limit and be able to walk away. Maybe we need a buddy system. Someone could just post the secret code word when you’re starting to go too far and look like you might be getting uncontrollably sucked into a circular argument.</p>
<p>Thanks, saintfan. We may come to the point of needing a buddy system. I don’t think I’m there quite yet but …</p>
<p>For me, it comes down to a question of motives. Am I posting again because I feel I can advance an argument … or simply because I wish to demonstrate the superiority of my reasoning skills over those of another poster (or mob of posters)? If the former, I guess it’s okay. But the unreasoning CC poster we have always with us, so maybe it’s a fool’s errand to try to elevate the level of discourse on certain threads.</p>
<p>In any case, there’s also the question of priorities. Which is to say: “How are you coming on that deep bathroom cleaning, absweetmarie? And the kitchen? How’s that coming along?” Etc.</p>
<p>^^^ so true! Those things should keep me on the straight and narrow today after the family wakes up so I can start makin’ some noise.</p>
<p>I’m another one who clicked on the thread out of curiosity…“methadone?” But, among others, threads relating to higher ed funding, educational equity, and… if I dare mention it… dream act, have a strange pull on me, whether I post or just read. And, further, I’m going through a strangely sad phase this early May because D2 (out of 2) has made her college decision. I’m happy, but also a little disoriented… I still click on to CC almost daily to see “what is new?” and feel somewhat disconnected from those angst filled parents of freshmen and sophomores just starting this process. So, the methadone need may be for the CC process also,not just specific, annoyingly engrossing threads. Thanks for making me smile this morning… :-)</p>
<p>Yes, it is weird that “what is new” impulse. We are in a bit of a holding pattern D has filled out housing survey - too soon for prom and graduation - not furnishing a dorm room yet - do I really want to worry about credit vs debit on a sunny day? One more cup up coffee, then on to the stuff of keeping a real live household up and running for another week. I almost commented on the “When to do college visits” thread, but deleted it based on absweetmarie’s test of “Am I really moving this conversation forward or saying something that has already been said in the last 36 posts?”</p>
<p>At any rate . . . welcome!</p>
<p>You should join us on the parents of the high school class of 2012 thread, mamita: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/658245-parents-high-school-class-2012-a.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/658245-parents-high-school-class-2012-a.html</a></p>
<p>I don’t think there’s a requirement to catch up on the 20,000-plus accumulated posts. There is a mascot, though no one knows what it looks like. It’s called a wackaloon.</p>
<p>Today I had a brief discussion with my next-door neighbor about the mulberry that is growing right in our mutual fence. His exact words were “Take It Down.” I may not need quite as much Methadone if I remember that I have good hand clippers, half a gallon of Round-Up, and permission to deal with unwanted vegetable matter as I see fit.</p>
<p>This thread makes me smile. Other ones…often make me sad. <em>sigh</em>. A close relative was recently Hurt badly by some Internet “conversations” (I’m not sure that’s an apt term here) that got out of hand and no one spoke up. I tend to be a wimp and avoid such threads. No sure my cowardice route is always the best one.
I need coffee.</p>
<p>good morning, rerun! Coffee here too. It’s crazy - I often make the mistake of reading the commentary on articles on the local news web site. I’m amazed at the types of personal attacks that go on about the most mundane things. Also, the attacks where someone has gone through a tragic event. Then of course some have an agenda, whatever it may be, and every answer comes back to that one thing that just really sticks in their craw . . . if problem solving were only that easy! I just read an column last evening on a topic that is often discussed on CC. There were only 2 comments at the time, the 2nd of which already had faulty information or understanding as a jumping off point. OK - editorializing over and back to happy place :)</p>
<p>And in most of the comments sections I read, it’s clear that the posters habitually insult one another in long-established feuds. Though I guess we see some of that on CC too, at least on CC the posts are better-written. Talk about NOT a happy place. I’ve instituted a little methadone therapy on comments sections, too - can’t read them about certain articles. There are a lot of angry, frustrated people out there. The nasty comments after someone suffers a tragedy are disgusting.</p>
<p>OMG - sucked into arguing about semantics. I stayed out of the policy and opinion back-chat, but just couldn’t let that one go. Putting on my kevlar.</p>
<p>Good luck, saintfan. I am resolving to spend as much time doing something else away from the computer as I do on. So if I get caught up in a post, I will have to clean the bathroom as penance.</p>
<p>I’m not reading.</p>
<p>Just not worth it. :)</p>