DBZgirl88

[COLOR=#004a6f][quote name='Godelsensei']Sounds arranged to me. Basically, the message I am getting here is that you can't go out and just meet up with whoever you want, on the grounds of you liking them.[/quote]That's because I have self respect and don't let other men touch my body. They have no right to if they are not married to me. I wouldn't go out with a guy because being alone with him is not the best way to know him. He might act one way in your presence and another way somewhere else. You've seen in the west people's lack of commitment to their marriages, and high rate adultery. I call that shameful and don't want to be a part of it. Your asking why there isn't absolute freedom. We are simply following our religion. If I believe in my religion then I will abide by it's laws and get my parent's approval with my marriage. Who's gonna stop me if I disobey my parents? No one, but I believe I will be punished by my lord if I do. In Islam you must still continue to obey your parents, even after you reach adulthood. My parents can't make me do anything, but God will punish me If I disobey them. [quote name='Godelsensei']How can you possibly decide whether you like some one without meeting them in an individual-to-individual situation?[/quote]I can meet him individually and directly speak with him. We don't need to be alone. And that's not allowed either. What has he got to say to me that can't be said in front of my parents? He can't tell me secrets about his life that my parents don't approve of. He can't flirt with me or make any sexual comments unless we're married. [quote name='Godelsensei']And, as a matter of interest, what happens if a girl decides she wants to foresake her religion and live life as a spinster? Or if she has sex before marriage or decides to marry a black guy?[/quote]If your society is ruled by Islamic Laws, and if you give up Islam (which is very very rare, and in my opinion stupid), you get executed. Sex before marriage is punished by 40 lashes, for either sex. Adultery recieves the death penalty. And what's wrong with marrying a black guy? Islam doesn't differentiate between races, I can even marry a European person, as long as he is muslim. I'd prefer an Arabic person, someone who I can share my mother tongue with and because it would make it easier for my children to learn Quran, which is in Arabic, but it's not a big deal. There are black Arabs too you know.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#004a6f]Okay, this is a problem that's been haunting me for a long time. How do you cut parts of an image out, like cutting a person out without any trace of the original background in the picture? Properly, that is. The edges are always messed up when I try it. I've even magnified and image to extreme size, and carefully erased the edges, one pixel at a time, but it still doesn't produce good results. Any photo editing genuises out there who can help me out?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#004a6f][quote name='ChibiHorsewoman][color=darkviolet']Now I'm curious, if there really isn't much social interaction between men and women (ie there are separate areas for men and women in mosques (right?) how do they learn to act around one another socially? Because you act differently around men you aren't related to than the one's you are.[/color][/quote]It's okay for unmarried men and women to speak together, so long as their is some kind of barrier (some distance, clothing that covers properly, maintaining a level of respect, and not staring at the person). The topics discussed should not be about personal and emotional matters however. A man and woman shouldn't be alone together, because that has a possibility of leading to and illegitimate relationship. So how do women act around men you ask? Well, respectfully and with good intentions. You may joke around and be playful with your male relatives, you don't have to cover your hair when in their presence of course. When I say male relatives, I mean those who you cannot marry. That would be your father and grandfathers, your uncles and your brothers. Although a cousin is a relative, you are still allowed to marry them, so you have to wear your hijaab around them. In addtion, you don't have to wear your hijaab around your father in law. [quote name='ChibiHorsewoman][color=darkviolet']I know muslim women keep themselves covers (so do men...no shorts, no short sleeved shirts, ect ect) But couln't a man decide that he likes the woman's eyes or something...yeah I know dumb question.[/COLOR][/quote]Yeah sure, there is still a possibility for some physical attraction as I stated in my first post. Oh and you had it wrong for what men have to cover. They must cover from their navel to knee. No one except for a man's wife is allowed to see this area. This is the minimum requirement of clothing for men, and this applies to when they are in front of women too. However, this doesn't mean men can go around showing of their big abs to women, so if they have a shirt, they should wear it. Women must also cover from navel to knee except in front of their husbands. The reason breasts aren't stated obove is because of breastfeeding. It's okay if other women see you breasts because of that, but of course, you would normally wear a shirt, which is a must in front of male relatives. [quote name='ChibiHorsewoman][color=darkviolet']Finally, I know this may sound a bit personal, but since you're a Muslim woman who was born in the middle east and now lives in Canada, will you be having an arranged marriage yourself, or will you get to meet the guy and maybe go out on a supervised date before you get married?[/COLOR][/quote]As I stated in my first post, the term "arranged marriage" is not correct when talking about muslim marriages. No one is "arranging" anything for me. Either some of the people my mom knows will ask if I'm interested in meeting their son, or a guy who knows me a bit and likes me will ask my parents who will in turn ask me if I want to meet him, and if I like him and think he is a good muslim with personality, I will probably say yes, or if I'm not quite ready I might ask to wait a couple years. In terms of dating, that doesn't come until after the marriage contract is written. I don't need to go out on a date with a guy to see if I like him. I get to know him by asking him questions and my parents ask him questions, and we ask around the community to see what people think of him, and to see if their might have been any problems he didn't mention. When the contract is written, that means they are married, but still, the girl hasn't moved in with her husband yet. He may see her without my hijaab on, and may hold her hand or kiss her, but you shouldn't go "all the way" untill they actually live together. The bride and groom can be left alone, but not [I]alone[/I]. Maybe they can sit together in the living room while another relative is nearby in another room. The relative isn't spying on them or eaves dropping, it just gives an opportunity for interruption. Or maybe he can drive her to school if she's still in highschool or university, or to work. Or they can have a date. The relative doesn't need to go with them on a date or in the car ofcourse, because the source of "interruption" is the public. They just can't be [I]alone[/I] in a house. People usually have two parties, one for when the contract is written, and many people call it "engagement" but they really are married. The girl can dance with her husband and stuff like that. And then when they actually live together, there is the actual wedding, more dancing and fun to come. Although divorce is really discoraged in Islam, though still permitted, the fact that the man and woman don't get too close between engagement and the actual wedding, gives opportunity to end the marriage if there are problems. And since they wouldn't have kids then, it won't cause too many difficulties.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#004a6f][quote name='Morpheus']I agree with Chabichou (Who thought that would ever happen?).[/quote]OH MY GOD!!!!! Someone actually agrees with me?! WOW!!! This is the very first time.... sniff...oh I think I'm going to cry... Ahem.:rolleyes: I'm glad we agree.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#004A6F][quote name='EVA Unit 100']I have one: how would the entire Islamic marriage deal work out if someone was gay[/quote]Okay what is the point of this question? Homosexuality is not allowed in Islam, so no one's going to accomodate for homosexuals. If a guy is gay, then his parents are going to worry more about dealing with his homosexual problem than about him getting married. We don't need to turn this into another homosexuality debate. Homosexuality= Big Sin, therefore not allowed in Islam. End of story.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#004a6f]I was wondering what people thought of gender roles in society. Do you think men and women are equal? I'm not talking about who's better or more important or who is more respected, just in terms our roles and responsibilities in society. What do you think of the traditional ideas of the women being homemakers and the men being the breadwinners? Do you think we should try to keep these traditional ideas or completely get rid of them?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#004a6f]This may sound unrealistic, but I think marijuana should remain an illegal drug and tabacco be made illegal too. They're disgusting, awful smelling and they hurt everyone. I don't want a single wiff of that crap coming into my body. I hate going downtown, there are so many smokers and it's not fair to those non-smokers who have to wait for buses. People shouldn't have the right to smoke because the rest of us breathe that crap in too. Even if there weren't non-smokers around, it still pollutes the air we breathe. Besides, why legalize something that is clearly bad for your health? Makes no sense to me.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#004a6f][QUOTE=Epitome][size=1][color=#003399]Well, today I was talking to a friend online who is about 6-7 years older than I am and he found out today that he is getting married to someone he hasnt even met yet. He is Arabic and he said that his parents told him today that one of his dad's clients needed a husband for his daughter (they currently live in Saudi Arabia), and to make sure the client stayed happy with John's father they arranged a marriage. When they told him he said he was shocked and didnt know if he wanted to go through with it. Even though John, [i]Side Note:[/i] not his real name, wanted to do this for his father, he was thinking about coming back to the US just to get away from it. But he thought it over and told me he decided to go through with it. Later that day, he met her and he said she was beautiful and had a great personality. But to get to the point, has anyone ever had an arranged marriage in their family. Or has had an arranged marriage or is going to have one? Ive always thought about what it would be like if I did get an arranged marriage. Even though I am caucasion(sp?), I wouldnt mind seeing what it would be like and how it works out. John's dad had an arranged marriage and it seems to me that it worked out fine. His parents are still together so. But I have also wanted to know how such things work. For example, Johns parents just picked a random girl without even letting them meet before hand. Is this how it always happens, or do they normally meet before? And who pays for everything? Or do they split it? Your opinions please.[/color][/size][/QUOTE]Heh heh, I'm Arabic so I can answer a few of your questions. First of all, I don't think "Arranged Marriage" is exactly an appropriate term for Arabic/Muslim marriages. Arranged marriage is your parents choosing your spouce for you before you are even ready to be married. However, it's okay for your parents to offer your hand in marriage to someone else as long as they get your approval. Even though your parents' motive for choosing that person for you is about financial and social persuits, there's still nothing wrong with you marrying the person if you have no problem with them. As long as you agree, it's fine. Sometimes, a parent will simply say "Okay my daughter will marry your son", without consulting you, and they might tell you about it later. Or they might say that to someone in your presence. I think it's because they make the assumption that you will agree. If you don't say anything or object, then they assume that you agree. Your friend "John's" silence is a sign of his approval. If he doesn't want to go through with it he should really speak up and say so. His parents cannot force him to marry against his will. This is a law in Islam. Both the parents AND the child must agree to make the marriage valid. If the parents are infact forcing their child to marry, then the child should go see the community's Imam or Islamic judge to settle the matter. The thing about marriage, is that in Islamic culture, more emphasis is placed upon creating and strengthening family ties, starting a household, and having children. There definitely is romance involved, but that comes after you marry. You might not agree with this, but in Islam, you can't have a romantic relationship without being married to that person. You can't "fall in love", then get married. You get married, then "fall in love" during the marriage. I know it's very different than western culture, but don't worry, it really works out fine. It doesn't result in loveless marriages. If the person who wants to marry you is nice, has good character and is a person of good morals, and not monstrously ugly, there really isn't a big reason to disagree with the marriage, so usually the kids simply accept. You grow to love eachother because you have a common goal, to be righteous muslims. As companions, you help eachother achieve than goal, and this strengthens your love. There are different ways to get introduced to a person. Sometimes, a guy just really wants to get married. He want's a companion, he wants to fulfill his desires, and he wants a family. He asks his father and mother to ask around for him. His mom, might get to know someone, and ask, "so, I was wondering if you have any daughters? Yes? Oh that's nice. Well I have a son who would like to get married, maybe your daughter might consider meeting him?" Same thing can happen with a girl, vice-versa. Or a guy might have seen a girl at the mosque or at social gatherings, and he might think she is very nice, has good character and moral values, and even pretty (so there might be a bit of physical attraction, but because women cover themselves in Islam, he can't completely judge her by her looks and how "sexy" her body is). So he tells his parents that he is intrested in that girl, and they can go to her family and ask them for him. The guy and the girl can get to know eachother, but still be chaperoned by their parents. Even before the marriage contract is written, the guy and girl can already really like eachother and be eager to marry. Two men might be really great friends. One of them wants to do a favor for the other and offers his daughter's hand in marriage to his freind's son, but still getting the kid's approval of course. Great opportunity to create family ties and strengthen freindships. On the topic of the financial issues, the groom is supposed to pay a dowry to the girl he wants to get married to. This is because men are supposed to be breadwinners of the family, and this shows his commitment to the marriage. The girl is leaving her father's care and he needs to show that he is willing to support her. There is no maximum or minimum for the dowry, but the amount should be agreed upon before the marriage contract is written. You can also agree to pay some now, and the rest later, but it is important that you pay that amount you agreed upon. After marriage, the girl can decide to give back the dowry if she wants and that's perfectly acceptable. There are many stories and sayings about the prophet Muhammad, and we take these stories as examples to follow. Once a man went the prophet and told him that he wants to get married to a girl but he is poor and has nothing. Everyone approves of the marriage and the girl and the parents know he is poor and forgive him for it, but still a dowry must be payed. The prophet tells him, "Give her anything, even if it be an iron ring". So the dowry can be very little, but still must be somehing material and somehow costs something. Like some cloth, or a grape, meat from a slaughtered animal, etc. The groom's family does pay for the wedding too, with the groom helping of course if he can. This shouldn't be a big deal though because weddings are best kept simple. The wedding is about informing as much of the community as possible that these two people are married. This is to avoid suspicions of the the public later on. If the man decides to divorce his wife, she gets to keep her dowry. This could result in finincial loss for the man. The concept of dowry discourages divorce because it shows that there is commimnet involved. Divorce should be the last result for marriage problems and should only be done if the situation is hopeless. If the girl wants the divorse, she must pay compensation. It doesn't neccesarily have to be her entire dowry, but it's supposed to make up for that and any financial losses the man suffers because of the divorce. The man has made sacrifices for the marriage, and it would be unfair to him if he is not payed back. Ofcourse, there are acceptions if abuse is involved. If a man is purposely hurting and beating his wife, using foul language and just being plain mean so his wife would buy herself free, then matter should be taken to a judge and the wife would not have to pay compensation for a divorce. Who gets custody of the children if there is a divorce? Well assuming the fact that both parents are good people (they just don't get along), the mother gets custody for children when they are young, so that's 11 and under for boys and 9 and under for girls. If they are older than that, they usually go to their father. But divorce is usually decided by the husband, as I said earlier, which probably means the wife herself didn't ask for the divorce. It's not neccesarily fair that he keeps the children, even when they are older, because the wife carried them in her belly for nine months, nurtured and and fed them. Therefore, they can remain in her cusody as long as she doesn't remarry. Ofcourse, the parents might simply agree on who gets custody without the need for resorting to these conditions. Whew! I think that's all I have to say for now. Feel free to ask questions.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#004a6f][quote name='Morpheus']That's not the government's fault. The blame falls wherever he wanted to work. Is he applying for the jobs available? Are any even availible? You can't just blame the government for everything that happens. They don't own everything.[/quote]That's true, you have a point there. But there are many jobs in which the government hires you, or at least plays a role in whether companies will hire you or not. I'm sure there are some standards that all companies must follow.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#004a6f][quote name='Manic Webb']Oftentimes, a lot of immigrants come into the country with no special skills, and contribute nothing to the US. And let's not forget the risk of them smuggling over drugs, money, diseases, and anything else that could further disrupt our society.[/quote]That's a bit harsh considering the fact that many immigrants have skills and a decent education, and they don't get decent jobs because they didn't get their degree in the U.S or Canada. One of my mom's friends was and Aerospace Engineer before he came to canada with his family as refugees. Now, he works in pizza delivery. If the government doesn't think immigrant's degrees are good enough, at least give them a test or additional training to improve their degree, rather than putting them in a hopless finiancial situation and blaming them for the country's waste of tax dollars.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#004a6f]I don't notice a huge difference between Pepsi and Coke, so both are fine with me. In my opinion Coke is slightly sweeter, but everyone else says pepsi is. Meh, I guess my senses are messed up. But anyway, cola is cola, and there are many non-brand name colas out there. They all taste the same to me. My favorite soda is the orange flavored kind. Next to that I like Ginger-Ale, and next to that I like 7up. Cream soda is good too. Growing up in Saudi Arabia there was this really yummy berry flavored soda called [I]Shani[/I]. Hmm...those were some good times.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#004a6f]I'm addicted to flavored coffee at Tim Hortons, which is a Canadian coffee and doughnut shop, kind of like starbucks, but not all that choice with different cuppacinos and lattes. The fact that the city I live in has the most Tim Hortons in the country (you can find one every few blocks) doesn't help with my addiction :p . The flavored coffee comes in three flavors: Cafe Mocha, English Toffee and French Vanilla. My favorite is English Toffee :tasty: . So good....[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#004a6f][quote name='elfpirate']I wasn't talking about actually killing someone to be used as food- that's a whole different issue- I meant, if they were already dead and you were dying of starvation... would you eat (some of) their body in order to survive?[/quote]Oh that's a relief. 'Cause for me the issue is really about killing another human in order to eat them. I think it's permissible under extreme condtions, but I'm not sure. You would have to be insane from hunger to do that.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#004a6f]I pretty much eat by my religion's (islam) dietary laws. So pretty much, do not eat pig, or any animals or birds that eat meat. With birds, you can still eat those that eat bugs or worms, but not animals that eat bugs. Therefore, I can't even eat a frog, because it's diet consists of flies. I think even rodents eat bugs, and not only that the are filthy and loaded with disease (I know, that's harsh). You can't eat bugs or worms either. However, everything in the sea, even if it's carnivorous is permissible to eat. However, if there is no food available, and your life is at stake, you may eat certain restricted foods. The first thing on the list that I heard of was grasshoppers, circkets, or locusts. If those aren't available, you may eat small animals like mice, squirrels frogs and lizards, if those are not available, you may eat pig. If that's not available, you can eat omnivourous or carnivourous animals like bears, racoons, cats, dogs. You get the point. So the last thing on the list would be another human. However, I'm not sure if I could bring myself to eat another human. But if I was starving to death, I guess I could. I think, rather than killing the human, if their is a way to cut off one of their limbs in a fight, then do that. It's not as though you have enough space in your stomach to eat the entire body. That would be a waste of another person's life. (Sorry to get into the gruesome details). However, I think it would be very difficult to find yourself in a situation where there is nothing to eat except for another human, unless you're lost in the Sahara Desert. There are so many other options of food available; the inner tree bark, the inside part of bones, leaves, and grass.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#004a6f][QUOTE=James][COLOR=#334366]I suppose I'm like most people: omnivorious. That is to say, I can eat both vegetables and meat. My belief is that human beings are naturally omnivorous. We have canine teeth, which are designed for eating meat, for instance. And it is considered healthy (and important) to have various meat in one's diet. This is why many vegetarians have supplements that make up for the lack of meat in their diet. Having said that, I don't support torture of animals or keeping animals in harsh conditions. I don't think it's necessary or desirable to treat animals in that way -- I think animals definitely deserve to live in clean, healthy conditions.[/COLOR][/QUOTE]I pretty much agree with this statement. Humans are omnivores, so it's natural and healthy for us to eat meat. Animals in the wild eat other animals, why should we be an exception? But, because we are intelligent beings, we can try to make it less painful for the animal being killed. Muslims and Jews eat Halal and Kosher meat only, meaning the animals was slaughtered properly; its throat cut quickly with a sharp knife, bringing on almost instant unconciousness. Meanwhile, Lions can eat Zebras while they're still alive? My brother and I were once discussing vegetarianism, and noticed something. You don't see it occuring in regions where poverty and famine occur (unless maybe it's for some religious reason). It's funny how people in privledged countries can take the healthy and important food (like meat) that's available to them for granted, choose not to eat it, and simply replace it with "supplements".[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#004a6f][FONT=Verdana][QUOTE=ChibiHorsewoman][color=darkviolet] Yeah, funny thing about those sanctions, they kind of you know...stop oil sales. Especially when you want to be a law abiding country and not take the oil. Yeah, we would like a more relaxed, less agressive government to be placed in Iraq. One that wouldn't gas its own people seems like a pretty good idea as well. So lets blame the US and say that all we want is oil....Because we really don't give a damn about anything but ourselves. Good Goddess are you jaded. Yeah, I don't like this war and I think that the American people were lied to about the reasons for invading Iraq. I think we should have waited until things were more settled in Afghanistan, but I think having an election where 90% of registered voters showed up..., which is more than [i]any[/i] US election is proof that we've made a few differences. So Maybe now that that's happened we can send more troops home, which would be good for many families.[/color][/QUOTE]I'm not saying that all that the U.S wants is oil, just that oil played some part in the invasion. I think there are many factors that would make America target Iraq. America can hit two or more brids with one stone. So, America can free Iraqi people from dictatorship,bring democracy to the middle east, protect themsleves from "terrorist attacks", make a new friend in the middle east and get oil at a cheap price later because they have made a friend. So there are benefits in the U.S. See what I mean? The reason I think this way is because, although the situation in Iraq was infact bad, there were many other problems in the world that needed far more attention. There are tortures happening in other countries that were far worse than in Iraq. Such as in Serria some third world countries in africa. Really, why was Iraq chosen?[/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR=#004a6f][quote name='Chabichou]What do you want?[/QUOTE][QUOTE=Morpheus]Iraqi Democracy.[/QUOTE][QUOTE=James]I want justice. Justice meaning, freedom for the people of Iraq. Not just freedom, but responsible freedom -- freedom that involves seperation of powers and transparency/accountability for those in power.[/QUOTE][QUOTE=elfpirate']That's easy- freedom and justice for the innocents that were being tortured and slaughtered and terrorized under Saddam's regime.[/quote] Interesting. So, is that all you really want? Are their not any other motives behind the war? Are their not benefits for America for engaging in this war? [QUOTE=James]And for god's sake...Bush is not fighting the war for oil! That is the lamest possible line when it comes to this war, lol. It's a bandwagon that people jump on with absolutely no knowledge of how the war works or what led up to it. To be clear, Iraq's oil is not controlled or owned by the United States. The United States is spending money and not earning money from the Iraq war. Even if you take into account the private contracts for developers, you're talking about a small fraction of the amount that the USA will be investing in the country.[/QUOTE]No James, we should all realize that oil plays some part in this war. America's economy depends on it. The oil in Iraq has been pretty much left alone during all these years with Iraq under U.N sanction. Meanwhile,Iraq's neighboring countries like Kuwait and Saudi continued to sell theirs. Iraq has more oil than these countries right now, and America has found a new source for oil, but how to get it? It's not like America can just take the oil like that. Therefore, they must remove the current government and replace it with a more "relaxed" one like that in Kuwait. Then, America can get oil sold to them, and at a cheap price to boot.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#004a6f][quote name='Harry']It will only be worth it if we use Iraq as a foothold to destroy our true enemy, Saudi Arabia. It doesn't have to be within the next year, or ten, but it will be worth it if Saudi Arabia falls.[/quote]Woah, I'm confused. Since when was Saudi Arabia America's true enemy? Just because so many of the terrorists came from there? Aren't they just an exception and were against the Saudi government in the first place? :confused: I have a question for supporters of America and the war on Iraq. It is not meant to be rude at all: What do you want?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#004a6f]I did okay in elementary school. Grades didn't really matter much then. I just basically did my homework and made sure everything was done. The grade I got on it didn't really matter. It was always between a C and and A Grade 7, and that's when I started slacking. That's when they started showing our grades as percentages and my mom would freak at my bad grades. I had started extended french and I think this was the trigger for my slacking off. I didn not want to put in the effort. Grade 9 I started highschool and quit french but I was still a slacker. My mom was so pissed at my grades. She told me that all I would have to do is try and I would get a really high mark- which was quite true. I just never tried. People were surprised that I could actually manage to pass with barely doing any work. I at least make sure I pass, in the end it doesn't matter to me what my grade is. In my last year of highschool I tried just so I can get high enough marks to be accepted at University, and here I am, slacking off again. Meh.....[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#004a6f]Lol. Yeah, I'm Arab too. Palestinian to be specific (like people don't already know that). However, I think when you really go back to Arab's ancestery, most of us are not really pure Arab. My mom told me the only pure arabs are people from Yemen. I think I have some greek ancestery since the present day Israel was ruled by the greeks for a while. I've been mistaken for a greek once. People find it hard tobelieve I'm Arab sometimes: "What? Your Arabic? I thought you were greek!" or "Hey, are you jewish?". Interesting, I think this shows a bit how Arabs and Jews are related. The pure Arabs are not related to Jews, but the rest of the Arabs like palestinians and lebanese are related to them, since we share common, armenian ancestors with the Jews.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#004a6f][quote name='Misaki Mitsu][FONT=Book Antiqua][COLOR=Red]i truthfully would love both. i do not care if it was a boy or girl, i would love each the same. i tryuthfully think that when wemon only want a certain sex for a child, i think that is very cold. and normally when they dont get the right one, they give it up for addoption, or mistreat the child.... i thinks its just wrong.... >.

[COLOR=#004a6f]We all know that many societies prefer boys over girls when it comes to having children. And I think, or at least hope, the most of us would think this is wrong in a way. But still, I have a question for otakus here who are planning to have kids in the future: If you plan to have only one child, do you wish it is a boy or girl, or it doesn't matter to you? If you plan to more than one child, would you like your first child to be a boy or girl? What about your youngest child? Would you prefer a greater number of boys or girls in your family? I know this a a weird question, and in the end it probably doesn't really matter what gender your kids are. I just think that different genders might affect the overall environment and "mood" of the home and family. Different people have different tastes, and maybe this kind of affects your preference for specific genders for kids. So, what do you guys think? I personally, like boys and girls equally, but I would prefer that my first child be a girl. I notice that when a boy is the oldest, he sometimes seems to dominate over the other kids, at least this is what I've seen with many arab families I know. Sometimes they isolate themsleves from the family and bully the other kids, lol.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#004a6f][quote name='Altron']I don't think it's that disturbing. The kid might not even know what Playboy is, and just like the bunny rabbit symbol. I know I do. ^______^[/quote]Yeah, I am guessing there's just innocence behind it, but all I'm saying is that I'm surprised a kid would have that sticker in the first place. You wouldn't find it in a an everyday department store would you?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#004a6f]My younger sister's class was exchanging holiday cards with another class of kids living in Japan. They recently recieved the cards from Japan so she decided to show them to me, to see if I could read some of the japanese writing on the cards. As I was looking over the cards, I noticed something a bit disturbing. One of the cards had a sticker or the the playboy logo, you know, that rabbit. The child who had sent the card had also written "playboy" right under the sticker. I know that pornography was more popular in japan than in the west, but not to this extent! What the hell was a 10 year old kid doing with a [I]playboy[/I] sticker? I'm hoping the kid doesn't know what it means, and just happened to have the sticker and decided to use it because it was just a cute bunny. But still, is it possible that these children are exposed to playboy and other porno magazines at such a young age?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#004a6f]Hell no! I'm 18, and I have yet to get a job or my driver's liscense. I am a bit overwhelmed by the new responsibilities I have. I still can't believe I'm an adult! I still act like a child and am quite dependant on my mother. In Canada, healthcare is generally free, but dental care and eye care is not free once you're 18. I'm like: "WHAT? WHAT DO YOU MEAN I HAVE TO PAY FOR MY CHECKUP?!" Lol, and so forth. I really need to learn more skills so I can actually be able to start a family and maintain a household later on. I really need to learn how to cook. Macaroni and cheese or canned soup just isn't gonna cut it. I'm and Arab, I need to learn how to cook all those weird spicy dishes my mom makes. How does she do it? She doesn't even use measuring cups or anything.[/COLOR]