I think it´s just a matter of relativity. You´re absolutely right about what you say ...

ALL Heigl did was criticize the people she worked with directly - writers, co-stars, producers. So I´m sure all those people just could not wait to work with her again. And I´m sure none of them told their friends what a horrendous…

Walter is a fine dog, except for one small problem ...

Ouch. I learned my lesson in a much less in-the-face way. I had a boss who I thought the world of. She was always a big woman, and at some point I noticed she was losing weight.

LOL The mental image. I died. He could have you lie back on that giant machine in the corner that takes your blood pressure ...

Yes! Exactly. I hate this!

It´s so difficult to get in the US - that´s why! At least, it was for me. I talked to 3 different female OB/GYNs and none would give it to me because I hadn´t had children yet (which I do not plan on doing).

Yup. That´s the first and last time I ever discussed writing with my brother! It was AWFUL. I´m not sure how to exchange info with you, but if you´d like to be Beta readers for each other, or at least commiseration with a fellow writer, I am here. :) My work is changing in the next year, so I´ll have more time. (I…

I am so sorry! God, how awful for you.

Oh. My. God. Shit, that sounds like an episode of Murder, She Wrote.

So envious. Nearly every time I sampled the goods despite the packaging, I got mediocre results at best. Never had anything reach these heights!

Sanctimommies. ::snort laugh:: Oh, yeah. I get that as well because I´m a teacher. And I have an insufferable all-natural, gluten- and dairy-free, cloth diapers, we-don´t-have-a-microwave family member. Sigh.

What you said! I got into it with a couple of ladies here on Jez when the most recent incident posted. They just had no empathy at all for the parent. They were kind enough not to be incredibly irrational in their response to me, and I was grateful for that. So it wasn´t anything like what the OP experienced.

I understand where you´re coming from, and as a few other people have said, it sounds as though your issues stem from other problems rather than the gifts themselves (or lack thereof).

You skewed our understanding of the issue when you led off with 'It sucks that I don´t get presents,' and then accused everyone else…

I feel you. As for Scribophile, you might want to consider Critters. http://www.critters.org/index.php ... it is the same sort of setup, wherein you get critiques for giving them, but without any passive-aggressive weirdness that I have experienced. They send e-mails to remind you to critique if you are falling behind…

YES! I so admire Australia for being able to come together as a community and as a people and just say, 'Hey, we don´t want any more of this. Let´s all work together and make it safer for everyone.' I think they are so inspiring, and I wish the US could unite under a similar goal - not losing rights or giving up…

Yes, that´s true. A terrible thing happened because of his actions, absolutely.

True. Very true.

It´s not about the opinion that you have. You are not wrong. It´s just that you seem to lack empathy for the person this happened to.

No, that´s not the issue. The issue is that, as a fellow parent, I thought you would have some empathy for an awful, fatal mistake. Have you never done something that could have gone horribly, horribly wrong?

This exact problem led to a rift between my brother and I that exists to this day. I haven´t spoken to him since December of 2012. My family has always owned guns responsibly, and used rifles for hunting, etc. Then Sandy Hook happened, and I was devastated as a fellow teacher, crying every day for a week when I…