What just happened.

[Julie]

+ 1 !

[TyroneShoes]

... Plus I'm in Canada...

OK, then no further explanation necessary

[Janknitz]

I feel pretty safe in our neighborhood. Both my kids have been "latchkey" kids, but we feel pretty comfortable. Our immediate next door neighbor works from home, we know many stay at home parents and retirees in the neighborhood. It's a small, self-contained neighborhood geographically with one entrance/exit, so we are all pretty aware of who belongs there and who doesn't.

Nevertheless, there was a home invasion robbery on the next street over a few years back, there have been break ins. And we recently got an online information exchange program up and running. One of our neighbors said a UPS package left on his porch was broken into before he got home this past week. And mail has been stolen from mailboxes.

So, we take reasonable precautions. We lock our doors. Kids who arrive home from school need to call mom and check in. Our kids have safety plans and know what to do in an emergency. Our dog is both pet and protection (and pity the person who tries to break in when she's around!). And we get on with our lives without living in fear.

But if I didn't know the three people, I would be very suspicious--their story doesn't ring true (apnea service cat???). It's reasonable to be a little suspicious--I suspect that even in Canada burglaries happen. A little suspicion can be a healthy thing.

[Julie]

I really think you've all taken it too literally! She called the cat a service/therapy cat to illustrate a point, but I can guarantee she didn't go out and actually find (if it ever existed anywhere outside of a nursing home) a 'Service' cat! I'd call it a joke except for the circumstances.

Plus, I was in my open doorway (taking out garbage) when they were just bopping down the street (possibly visiting friends) and saw me 'available' to talk to (vs ringing doorbells). They didn't come to my door as such.

And btw, we don't do gated communities - we don't feel the need to keep out other people or make ourselves look special (or tempting).

[jnk...]

I don't know about everybody else, but I'm thinkin' maybe it's high time our two distinguished Canadian cat-lover ladies handle this thing the traditional way by both suiting up and putting in the mouth guards and then hitting the ice to let the fur fly in the rink to settle this thing once and for all. I mean, this IS the Internet and all.

[jencat824]

Some people are more trusting than others. I do not lock my doors or windows but I have dogs who will definitely tell me if we have an intruder. The only intruder we have had in 28 years in our home was a guy who was trimming trees for the electric company. He was trimming a tree & for some unknown reason thought it was OK to jump the fence into our yard with our 4 dogs. My bird dog, Patty, who I have since lost to old age, loudly alerted me that something wasn't right. I went outside & warned the guy that he needed to leave the yard, that Patty would indeed bite. He didn't speak English, so didn't understand me. When he continued to walk toward me, Patty took that as a sign I was in danger, so she chased him, as he crossed the fence when exiting the yard, she relieved him of his saggy jeans. Yes, the dog removed his pants, I kid you not. The supervisor of the tree-trimming crew showed up, as did the police. The police just needed to see her shot record & Patty was cleared. The pant-less guy had his pants returned. The supervisor explained to all who would listen that pant-less guy didn't speak English -yeah we noticed.

The moral of my story, don't live in fear... get a dog! (and a few cats for back up won't hurt anything either )

Jen

[Guest]

What just happened?

This story has taken too many twists and turns for me to take it serious. I will only illustrate a few points.

She begins with this.

Hi, I was putting out the garbage when 3 young people came to the door. They asked if I'd seen a (particular) cat and I had to say no, but then one of them who, to me looked about 16 and began to cry, said the cat was her son's 'therapy' cat, and that her son had apnea... the cat would wake him when he had an event. I asked if he was on Cpap, and she said no, and that "the surgery didn't help". (my comment here). I told her the surgery was usually crap (well, didn't say it that way) and she should see another doctor (not that he could reverse things unfortunately). But I also gave her the e-add for the forum, so I hope she writes in. Maybe she can get some useful advice!

Then says this.

I really think you've all taken it too literally! She called the cat a service/therapy cat to illustrate a point, but I can guarantee she didn't go out and actually find (if it ever existed anywhere outside of a nursing home) a 'Service' cat! I'd call it a joke except for the circumstances.

Plus, I was in my open doorway (taking out garbage) when they were just bopping down the street (possibly visiting friends) and saw me 'available' to talk to (vs ringing doorbells). They didn't come to my door as such.

And btw, we don't do gated communities - we don't feel the need to keep out other people or make ourselves look special (or tempting).

I am not sure you realize this book is a fiction story. Or that you have not summarized the story accurately at all.

I'm reading "Disordered Minds" by Minette Walters (of UK) about an investigation done after a convict supposedly murdered his grandmother, then came out of prison (years later), died, and the case was looked into again. Hard to read (not a usual novel, but reads like a research paper/documentary) but fascinating - a totally messed up case/trial that somehow proceeded with so much wrong from the beginning, but with so much pre-judging having happened and been allowed to stand.

This snip is from Amazon describing the same book.

In 1970, 20-year-old Howard Stamp is convicted of brutally killing his 57-year-old grandmother with a carving knife; three years later, he commits suicide in prison. In 2002, London anthropologist Jonathan Hughes includes the Stamp case in his book, Disordered Minds, which examines infamous miscarriages of justice

, (more at Amazon).

What just happened?
The title of this thread should be changed to "Disordered Minds"

Now imagine if you will that Ms Julie is the only "eye' witness of a brutal murder and you are investigating, interviewing her to find the culprit.

Ok folks back to the fictitious world we all live in.

[Guest]

Maybe its not me at all, maybe you should look at your communication skills. Are you taking medicine that interfere?

Now imagine if we all had a life and felt the need to tell the internet when we take our trash out, Now that IS livin.

[archangle]

You sheeple are all too trusting.

This is obviously an undercover operation of the medical mafia and the C-Pope looking for people illegally looking at their CPAP therapy data. Pugsy's aliens are probably involved.

Julie, if it's not already too late, your only chance is to move somewhere else and change your name. Be careful, the agents do nothing suspicious and look just like normal people. If you see someone who looks normal and isn't doing anything suspicious, it's probably them.

To the rest of you, this is a burn notice on Julie. We can't trust any more that we aren't talking to her and not to an enemy agent. If you look carefully, her cat avatar has been removed and replaced with a picture of a cat that looks exactly like the cat in her old picture, so she's probably been compromised already. Everyone should immediately change the water in their humidifier, and tighten their tinfoil headgear.

Julie, I'm sorry this happened. It's been nice working with you.

[Julie]

[palerider]

in all fairness... people in canada have more pressing matters to concern themselves with than teenagers that might be miscreants....

[mgaggie]

In Australia, its not the people you have to worry about, its the drop bears

[Julie]

What's a drop bear?

[ChicagoGranny]

What's a drop bear?

Duh.

http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb2011 ... arning.jpg

[palerider]

What's a drop bear?

http://australianmuseum.net.au/Drop-Bear

from the following article: http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Drop_bear


Jedimark tells me that dropbears only eat tourists.