"As your leader, I encourage you from time to time, and always in a respectful manner, to question my logic. If you're unconvinced that a particular plan of action I've decided is the wisest, tell me so, but allow me to convince you and I promise you right here and now, no subject will ever be taboo. Except, of course, the subject that was just under discussion. The price you pay for bringing up either my Chinese or American heritage as a negative is - I collect your f'n head. Just like this f'er here. Now, if any of you sons of bitches got anything else to say, now's the f'n time."

Christina, you and I don't always agree on subjects, and that's ok. I imagine our differences stem from the fact that I use logic and common sense, and you well, you have developed your ideology from staring at the pattern of tea leaves in a cup. At times, your ridiculous and wacky beliefs are almost amusing to me, like watching a struggling puppy trying to swim.

Apparently, however, you have not learned your role. You continue to think you have the right to "show me the error of my ways". If you want to engage in an unwinable battle, that is your choice. But for the record, in the future, the definition of pretentious is someone who goes on someone else's blog and tells them they don't have a right to their opinions. This is my blog! These are my thoughts! I'm not going around telling people what to think. This is what I think. If you don't like it, don't read. I'm completely fine with someone posting a disagreeing opinion for the purpose of healthy debate. But that's not what you did here. You are incapable of debating an opinion without become emotional about it. And furthermore, your comments are entirely inappropriate because of their arrogance...both with the name calling and the hypocracy of your pretentious statements. But, if it's a war you want, it's a war you got. Enjoy.

Well I am so glad that you apparently have such an insight into raising children. I am sure that all your experience with childcare really gives you the right to write such a great message.

You should just attach a string to your back so people can pull it and have you crow "You don't have a right to an opinion, b/c you don't do it for a living." Over and over and over again, you take such a high and mighty road when it comes to your job. Not only is your job apparently the most important (and hardest) in the world, but NOBODY knows how tough it is. You really should be annointed for sainthood. Please, oh wise one, explain to me the error of my ways. I understand the "concept" of children, but I have NO idea about anything regarding any issue regarding them (?) Do you really believe you need to experience something first hand to have an opinion on it?

Do you think the hollocaust was bad? No wait, don't answer that because you didn't experience it. Just because I haven't worked extentsively in day care doesn't mean that I can't LOGICALLY come to the conclusion that it's important for a child to hear the answer "no". Is that really that hard a concept to grasp? If anything, my post is overly simplistic. I'm stating the obvious. "parents should tell their children no sometimes". I'm not reinventing the wheel here. I realize you put blinders on when it comes to your job and that it consumes your every thought, but that's not how life works for normal people. It's ok, in fact almost encouraged, to try and understand more areas of culture and society OTHER than your own narrow niche. If you want to become a one trick pony, mission acomplished. I guess I'm just more enlightened. I like to think about things other than what immediately impact me in the here and now.

And for the record, not that I should need to defend my experience to you, but I have been exposed to children in my life. Besides obviously being a kid myself at one point, I have grown up with friends who were never told "no". Needless to say, growing up spoiled eventually becomes detrimental. I have also spent many summers umpiring for little league and have thus spent countless hours with children. Furthermore, I have taken several classes in pyscology, including honors seminars at college. While none of this makes me an "expert" in child-rearing, I think I'm at least capable of making a general statement about children. But I guess opinions are only acceptable after you have spent your entire life in one area. I sincerely hope the government will allow me to have children when I'm ready and not just say "sorry, you can't have kids because you have never had kids and thus aren't an expert in child rearing". Let's hope that day never comes.

Please, talk about self-control, when is the last time you limited yourself?..i.e. all day video game marathons (you too Tom).

Have you spent years studying my behavior? If not, then you have no right to talk about my self control (using your backwards logic). For the record though, I graduated near the top of my class in highschool, graduated with high honors from Rutgers (with about a 3.75 gpa), got into law school (with a huge scholarship), and will be graduating in the top third of my class. To say I have no self control simply b/c i occassionally enjoy to play video games is bordering on slander. I work hard at what I do and am mature enough to set boundaries in terms of my recreation. I am "successful" not only by society's standards, but, more importantly, by my own.

In short, I have self control. Do you know why i have self control? Because, among things, I learned the value of no.

Parents have to fight a lot of issues today... God forbid that I ever presume to understand another person's troubles so well that I can make such ignorant comments.

wow, that's so unlike you to make broad general statements that have nothing to do with the issue [sarcasm]. Yes, parents deal with issues. Ok. I am aware of this fact. And while i might not be experiencing them myself at this very moment, that doesn't mean that my comments are ignorant. Are you a parent? If not, then aren't you as equally ignorant for attepting to presume the same issues (and commenting on them)? Oh I forgot, you WORK with kids and that makes you an expert on all things children.

SO what if that lane does not candy, are you that lazy to not walk to a different lane to get candy? If you are, maybe parents should read your blog and comment on your laziness.

Do me a favor, point to the part in the post where I say my disdain for the line has ANYTHING to do with the fact that I wanted candy. Look at the title of the post, it's about raising kids! I would never buy candy loose like that (it's much cheaper to buy from Costco in bulk). And I don't think these random parents should be allowed to comment on my laziness. Lazy people like me are dealing with many issues and it would be pretentious of people to comment on my laziness without having experienced the concept of lazy for many years. right?

Are you really that pretentious that you complain about a candy free lane? Maybe having a candy free lane prevents a diabetic child from seeing the one thing that he or she cannot eat and not only does that prevent heartache for the parents that have to struggle with a lifelong disease but it also prevents the child from being reminded of a disease that will probably eventually kill them.

Your previous "point" about me just being too lazy to walk over to get candy actually looks intelligent compared to this jibberish. Do you honestly think the purpose of these candy free lanes was to help out diabetic children? What % of children are diabetic? I doubt the 20% that would be required to justify 2 out of 10 lanes being candy free. But let's take your "logic" to the next level. Should the people at shoprite cover up their dairy section because, heaven forbid, there might be a lactose intollerant person walking around. Now, I wouldn't be pretentious enough to know what it's like to be lactose intollerant, but I imagine they must cry themselves to sleep everytime they see a slice of cheese.

What about people who are allergic to yellow #5. Should all of that be removed from the shelves? For crying out loud, I'm fat and thus have had to "deal" with the "issue" of food my whole life. Maybe shoprite should just remove all food from their stores so I don't get emotionally disturbed upon seeing it.

A diabetic kid would have even MORE of a need to learn the meaning of "no" as it pertains to candy. Call me crazy, but a child will be exposed to a candy bar at some point in their lives. As a parent, I would like the opportunity to be able to tell my diseased child "no" to a candy bar and explain to them why they can't have it. That way, when the kid is at a friends house and has the opportunity to eat a candy bar (b/c i'm not there), he'll understand that he can't have one.

Ultimately, it doesn't REALLY matter if a non diabetic kid has a candy bar in a checkout lane at shoprite. It's about the bigger picture. Raising children (so i've heard. remember, i'm not an expert in the field) is teaching your children lessons that can be carried out in bigger situations. A kid who doesn't get what he wants immediately might grow up to be less self centered and consumed with immediate gratification. The easy parenting move, the path of least resistence, is of course spoiling. A kid starts begging for candy, you have two options: shut the kid up immediately by giving him what he wants, or *gasp* actually being a parent and telling the kid no. The point of my post (since it obviously escaped you), is that parents are avoiding this "job". They'd rather just avoid the issue entirely and go through the candy free lane. Again, I'm no expert, but i think it's important for parents to actually, you know, raise their kids. And part of parenting is telling children no.

Maybe you should think a little more about people's position in life before you rant about such things you could not understand. Try to understand someone else’s life before you comment about how something so little affects yours.

Typical jibberish that has no rational point. It's impossible for me to understand anything about children and/or parenting? why? I understand that parent's have a tough job. but it's an important job that needs to get done. And to say how they raise their children has virtually no affect on me is pretty insane. Kids become adults, and the morals of adults obviously affect the world I live in. As a society, we all pay for public schools regardless of whether we have children. The reason is simple: we all benefit from an educated society. Similarly, whether or not children grow up spoiled affects society. Bad parents raise bad kids (who become bad adults). I was pointing out a flaw in current parenting that will eventually affect society. It's my right to do so. It's not pretentious. I'm not an expert in the field nor do i need to be. And, for the record, this is my blog where i express my opinions. In the future, feel free to disagree, but don't you EVER dare to lecture me on having opinions. If my answers bother you, then you should cease asking scary questions. Or better yet, stop reading a website that's entire existence is predecated on the fact that they are MY OPINIONS.

that is all. go away.