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[MattB]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by panzerkeil302:
[QB]Satnight, why do I have the feeling our country would be a safer place if we let you loose in Iraq?
[QUOTE]


YA BABY!!! I'll pay out of pocket to help with the ammo! GO TONY GO!!
And take that whacko kid on the couch with you. That'll scare anyone!


JRS... you've got several points that are hard to argue with. I see alot of wisdom in that. Not to mock in any way, but if you ever write a book, maybe a good silly title could be, "The wisdom of weiner roasting. How to deal with troubled teens."



[ 05-22-2004: Message edited by: Matt B ]

[panzerkeil302]

"The wisdom of weiner roasting. How to deal with troubled teens."

It's good Matt, like the idea - it could be a "point of purchase book" at Barnes and Noble, heck, it might even make coffee table status...or Oprahs book club....then JRS would have money out the wazoo.

But your title is a little long, I would like to suggest;

Hot Weiners, Cold Kids
Winning them with Weiners
Big Weiners for Bigger Hearts
or my favorite, Big Juicy Weiners


Chapter one - My e30....

[MattB]

i love it!!!

or perhaps a good double meaning like "Making winners from weiners, one Texan's guide to neiborhood kids."

I'm imagining the authors picture on the back... next to his e30 of course.

however, if it made orca's book club, i'd definitely refuse to buy it.



[ 05-22-2004: Message edited by: Matt B ]

[SaturdayNightBimmer]

There's only one way to stop all the tomfoolery : GET A HOME WITH A GARAGE!!

Even with 3 kids, an ex-wife, and a newborn ready to show up anyday now, the idea of offering food to children in the neighborhood sounds strange to me. If my kids said, "Daddy, the man down the street tried to give me a hamburger." I think I'd be "stopping by" and finding out what was up, and why someone would be doing that. Must be a Texas thing.

[bbbidit]

Tony --
you'd probably stop by ... eat a few burgers, drink all his beer and offer
to rip the dashboard out of his car


come on now !!! let the boys have have some fun .....

And it is a Texas thing

[ExemptX2000]

Its a Southern Hospitality thing...


I wouldnt wonder about burgers... But if my daugter would say the nieghbor offer her a 'weiner', I might worry...

[ 05-22-2004: Message edited by: ExemptX2000 ]

[JRS]

It is a Texa-thang. I never would imagine having this type of offering happen in Chicago.

I like the titles. I may write something. If I do (and make some decent money), I'll buy every E30 owner on this forum a K&N Cone filter.

I make it a point to introduce myself to new neighbors or to myself to a new neighborhood (if I'm the one moving in). So far, I've fixed bikes, computers, and cars. I've also mowed lawns for neighbors if their husbands' are ill (just did that last weekend for a neighbo 2 doors down). I'm no longer surprised to wake up one Saturday morning to see my lawn mowed - I just gotta find out which neighbor to thank.

Today I sprayed all broadleaf vegegation with RoundUp from my house and three neighbors. I also bug-sprayed. Note: If you keep the weeds and bugs away from your neighbors lawn, you're doing yourself a favor as well -- by not letting them get into your lawn (the bugs and weeds, that is).

Yo, Manero - ever get into a shouting match ? Some how each side will get louder and louder until one can't take it any longer. Well, when I face a shouting match, I simply tone it down and finally ask the 'winning' question: "Why are you shouting?". To which they yell back: "I'm not shouting".

You could call the cops. They could get fined or a brief talk on R-E-S-P-E-C-T and parents will get involved. Nothing that will 'stick'. But you (as an adult over 18), can get a bigger deal if you do lay a hand on them.

From that point on, you'll always be watching and anything that goes wrong will automatically trigger you to point the blame to the bratty kid - regardless whether he actually did it or not. At that point, you're in a no-win situation.

You're paranoid... check-mate.

JRS

[JRS]

quote:

---

Originally posted by ExemptX2000:
..I wouldnt wonder about burgers... But if my daugter would say the nieghbor offer her a 'weiner', I might worry...

[ 05-22-2004: Message edited by: ExemptX2000 ]

---

I agree. If the person offering is single and 'eerie' looking, then I'd be weary.

JRS

[board_nerd]

This ran in an area paper. Cameras. Cops. Seemed pertinent...

quote:

---

A woman accused of killing her neighbor with a shotgun had a lengthy dispute with many neighbors and ''flashed'' a child moments before the shooting, neighbors said yesterday.

Gillian Kennedy, 34, of 5600 Zapata Drive, had cameras mounted on all four corners of her house and was known by neighbors for calling police whenever someone stepped in her yard.

Police say Kennedy shot her next-door neighbor, Kenneth ''Rooster'' Cantrell, 38, in the chest Friday night after Cantrell got into a fight with her husband, Chris Kennedy, eyewitnesses said.

Gillian Kennedy is being held without bond, according to Sheriff John Holder. Her parents, Vincent and June Pipkin, who also live on Zapata Drive, declined to comment on their daughter's situation.

Neighbor and witness Ron Richardson said the altercation began after Cantrell's wife, Tosha, told her husband that Gillian Kennedy ''flashed'' her and their 8-year-old child.

''Rooster told Chris that if his wife didn't quit that he'd whip his you-know-what,'' Richardson said.

''Then Chris told him to come and try to whip his you-know-what,'' added Ben Bond, another witness to the shooting. ''So Rooster went at him.''

Richardson continued, ''They got to wrestling, and Gill went into the house, got the gun and put it right to (Cantrell's) chest. She put it right to his chest and pulled the trigger.''

Chris Kennedy was shot in the hand during the altercation and is being treated at an area hospital, neighbors say.

Neighbors said the Kennedys have lived in the neighborhood about 10 years and have three children, and the Cantrells moved in four months ago and have four children.

Mary Ivey, who has lived in the neighborhood several years, said it tears her up to know there were children watching the whole thing.

''There were at least eight children that watched this man die,'' she said. ''His own four children had to watch their father die.''

Yesterday, almost a dozen neighbors gathered on the Richardsons' lawn, remembering their fallen neighbor and a quieter neighborhood.

''It wasn't this bad until they moved in,'' Diane Richardson said of the Kennedys. ''They've been harassing everybody for a long time.''

Holder said there had been some feuding among neighbors during the past, but he did not know how many calls authorities had gotten.

The picture some neighbors paint of Chris and Gillian Kennedy is not flattering.

''They're always calling the police on people,'' Cyndi Baker said. ''Even on kids, it doesn't matter. If you step one foot on their property, they will call the police on you.''

They said the police have been to the neighborhood hundreds of times over the years.

---

[panzerkeil302]

yeah, the "get your gun" option is out....in this case, weiners are better.

[jamminjames]

Well, I am absolutly not like that! I raised four kids so I know that a lot of the time kids just don't think or that accidents happen. But NOTHING is worth even thinking about something like that!

Early yesterday we (my better half and I) were really watching/observing and this is what we concluded: The main culprits (among several other kids in the 'hood) are two brothers, about 4-5 and 7-9 who live two houses to the right of us are friends with two other kids about 3 houses to the left of us - so when they go to see their friends they take the shortest route... Through our yard. Normally I wouldn't mind except, as an example, when the young one walked between the E30 and 420sel parked in a row in the driveway he put his hands on the bumpers and 'swung' through the cars. I would really hate it if he 'accidently' broke one of the MB's headlight wipers, etc...

A little while later I went out to do some work on the MB (plug wires, etc.) and didn't see one child all day. I don't know if the Cop coming out was the reason or if they just happened to be playing elsewhere.

I have to say, though, it appears the kids just don't know better. I don't think they mean any harm - they just haven't been taught different. I really appreciate everyone's input - it has given us a lot to consider. Today, if we have an opportunity we'll talk to the kids - and I think the best approach will be like what Alex O suggested:

quote:

---

You don't have to be their best friend But if they see you as the nice guy who waves and says hi to them, then eventually they will form a informal relationship with you and then be reluctant to mess with your car. In addition, I would tell them this "hey guys I need you to do me a favor. there are some kids that are writing on my car if you see those kids doing it, let me know."
Furthermore, Let the kids know that you have notified the police of what has happened in the past so the cops are on the look out.

---

Every neighborhood is different and would be handled different. I think this approach will fit best here. But I am keeping my BB / paintball gun handy! Haha! No, not really, even though I've thought about it...

I'll keep everyone informed as the drama unfolds...

Thanx again!

James

[donaldan]

I would imagine most of us live in middle class neighborhoods, at least I do, most of my life. My personal experience has been that we tended to live harmoniously and being very helpful to one another. Even the kids, they tended to followed their parents' examples. I don't have experience living in lesser neighborshoods. Although I imagine human psychology is universal. Basic positive reinforcement in relationdhip should apply anywhere. At the same time, neighborhood animosity can happen anywhere, rich or poor.

Here is a case in point. The Hollywood mogul, Aaron Spelling (producer of "Dallas," etc.) was building a multimillion castle in the Bverley Hill/Bel-Air area few years back. The construction noise and traffic bothered his equally wealthy neighbors. The ensuing animosity between him and his movie star neighbors was legendary. May be he should have offered "wieners" to the neighbors before things gets out of hand.

[JRS]

A helping/kind hand will always prevail... it may take time and lots of patience - but it will happen.

The hot-dog 'party' went great yesterday. I even hired 13-yr-old brat to watch the other young kids while I went to get the hot-dogs and buns (and to their surprise an 8-pack of miniature squirt guns - $0.88 @ Neighborhood Wally-World).

The Brat didn't expect me to whip out a $1 for a 10-minute babaysitting job. He was happy. He immediately got on his bike and rode to the gas station for a soda.

On a side-story, this is the same brat who was playing baseball and hit a homer into my 2nd-story window. The window shattered to pieces and the ball landed smack-dab into the bed of my newborn (this was 3.5 year back). My wife was setting a new definition of "pi$$ed". I was calm.

His parents eventually came over to vehemently (sp?) apologize. All I said upon opening the door was "So, how's Babe Ruth?". I handed them the ball. They offered to clean up (I already did) and they said that they'd pay for the damages. They expected me to be totally-upset (along with my wife). The brat knew I had him in my clutches. I knew he would retaliate for whatever I would serve to him. But he was dumbfounded when I approached him and said "Next time hit it at a lower angle. That ball was definitely a fly-ball and would've been an out".

Mr Brat has never played ball near my house since. The window was fixed. And Respect for one's personal belonging is established.

Create confusion - give them an unexpected answer.

As the other kids were playing soccer/wiffle-ball/catch/tag in the backyard (yesterday), I started talking with one of the 10-year olds. Her and her brother had just moved to Texas from Virginia (about 12 months ago). I asked her how she was doing and she responded with "I hate my life".

Long story short - I will keep my eye out on this kid. She sounded depressed and really hated her life. All that at age 10 !

And Mr Teenage Brat (who crashed his crotch-rocket) was locked out of his house. He managed to call his buddies and have them climb his house with attempts to get in. I stayed nearby and made sure that Officer Friendless wouldn't patrol over and see the hoopla happening. If he did, I would explain what was going on.

There was zero (0) avenues for me to stop them from accomplishing their goal. So, I might as well make sure they don't break anything or get in trouble with the police.

Again, something they didn't expect from me... to watch their back.

JRS

[MattB]

I hear ya Tony.

Unfortunately, we've had too much exposure in the last few years to wacko child molesters and other things like that.
Back in the 70's and even the 80's it was still ok to let your kids play outside and meet the neighbors with minimal concern.

There's just too much bad stuff out there these days and like you, the first thought that comes into my head is to think "chester molester?"
Some places (JRS's must be one) you can still act normal and be normal. yes, normal. That's how it's supposed to be, but all the perversion in the other areas of the world are slowly infecting the normal places and moving in on us.

Keep it up JRS.
I'm gonna knock the rust off my weber grill.
(and leave room for a real bratwurst on there for yours truly!)

[panzerkeil302]

That's the first thing that came to mind, Matt B - and it's sad, but true...you gotta wonder about everyone these days, thanks to Michael Jackson.

When I got my first car (1977 rabbit). I made the mistake of laying a patch infront of my house...my neighbor (really nice guy, Paul O'Regan) came over and said, "I will kick you in the asshole so hard if you ever do that again".

Boy did that approach work.