Two Things, Entirely Unrelated.

1. I love anonymous comments.

Now, you have to understand the joy I get from every comment, even the ones that insult me. If I made you care enough to take the time to insult me, then you either have a lot of free time, or I am a kick-ass writer. (I am also beautiful, skinny, and modest like you wouldn't believe.)

So, this morning, I checked my cell phone -- because all comments come DIRECTLY to my Blackberry lest I miss one while I am grocery shoppinghobnobbing with the elite -- and I found a comment on an old post.

The post in question is about an experience D. and I had in the park, when another child wouldn't allow D. to use a toy THAT DID NOT BELONG TO THAT CHILD. This incident happened some months ago, when D. was significantly less fluent in language than he is now (and please, do not let that phrase trick you into thinking he is anything resembling fluent in language now, I mean to say only that he has more language now than he did then.) Anyway, D. asked for a turn, and when he was rebuffed, he quietly filled his mouth with water from the fountain and then spit it out on the child.

You can read the whole post here.

So, the comment I got this morning was: "And you wonder why your child is now being reprimanded at school for spitting??!! Geez."

Now, Anon, I wrote a whole explanation to the OTHER anonymous commenter who was bothered by that post. You can read it here.

The short version is, for a child -- who was FOUR YEARS OLD AT THE TIME -- with developmental delays that make it difficult for him to behave in a socially appropriate manner and have denied him the speech you and I take for granted, that was, frankly, an entirely appropriate response. This is how children resolve differences on the playground EVERY DAY.

It is fairly clear to anyone who reads everything here that my kid does not walk around spitting on people regularly. In fact, that incident was the only example of spitting I had ever seen. So he spit at his teacher at school. A developmentally delayed five-year-old child, who is more like a 3.5-year-old or 4-year-old child developmentally. Yeah, he spit. Wait, do you think maybe he needs some extra help? Do you think MAYBE THAT'S WHY HE'S IN THAT CLASS?

Whatever. Anyway, let's move on to the other, unrelated item.

2. Somebody ought to be getting fired.

Did you see the video of the Iraqi journalist throwing shoes at President Bush yesterday? Now, please, I totally get the sentiment behind the act -- I'm sure most of the world would like to throw shoes at the president -- but, um, hello? Secret Service? The fact that the dude was able TO THROW THE SECOND SHOE? Where the hell were you? Oh, behind the door? Little slow on the reaction time, maybe?

Dudes, you're so fired.