In the world of missle launches by the North Koreans, the death of Enron chief Ken Lay, a space shuttle launch, and Barry Bonds's trainer going to jail instead of telling what he knows to the Grand Jury,..... my local newspaper headlines about MySpace. Yep, we had actual arrests because of teenage threats and subsequent assaults. The pictures of the "girl" were posted on another young person's MySpace site, and well, you know how it goes with young people. Somehow that young lady was someone elses's girlfriend, and that young man took offense. AND....because everyone is so very clever on MySpace it took just minutes for the offended boyfriend and his best friends to arrive at the home of the original poster and beat the snot out of him. Ummm......the MySpace posts continued as teenagers all over Lodi & Stockton posted bulletins in support of the young men who were arrested for assault within minutes of the arrest, "'i cant believe ur locked uP!! its crazy!!!'" Ummmmm......MySpace, it's not reality people, "lol". "wtf", you all are operating way below your designated teenaged brain cells. I am so sorry to insult you, but, you do not assualt others because they post a picture of your girlfriend. Sheesh! Drama, MySpace has perpetuated it to a level that the finite testostrone/estrogen/"sohott"/"way2sxy"/ teenage brain and self control cannot handle.

Yeah, I know I'm just a flippin' 53 water mom who just fell off the baby boomer turnip truck a bazillion years ago. I have no experience with personal teenage angst or how volatile teenage "love" and territorial young men and women can be, because I'm a flippin' dinasour. Sheesh! The young police officer reporting to the newspaper very seriously said, "Parents really need to monitor their teenager's MySpace activity." Yeah, right, way to go Red Ranger, you're not even 30 yet and you don't have teens in your home who make it a point to burrow as far underground in the teen world as they can. Computers can be shut down, hidden, put in the open, but unless we as parents are literally with them physically 24/7, we unfortunately cannot shut down the threats, the posturing, etc. We talk, we lecture, we bargain, we shop, we buy, we take them to church and youth group, we pray and pray some more, we love them unconditionally, we support every flippin' activity they're in, we make sure they have snacks, stereos, iPods, cells, cars, iTrips, shoes, gas money, sushi money, need I say more, but it's not possible to sit with them 24/7. In spite of the amount of time, we cannot stop their "im img". It's an age and generation that took a quantum leap in all that we have had any experience with. Believe me, I am running as quickly as I can to keep up as a mom. The Mister has shut down. My sympathy is mixed. It's a crazy world for these young people and so very different than even 10 years ago. They're are stretched and assaulted with messages to be the best, the brightest, the richest, the baddest, the sexiest, the hottest, the most thug like, the pimpest, the most drunk, the most passed out, the most sexual promiscuous, etc., etc., For the parents, wow, what can we do to "monitor their MySpace use?" I don't know. The radical answer is to remove the internet from your home. Ummm...have you ever apologized to a bank or business because you don't have the internet? It's really sad. They look at you with scorn and pity. Besides, a member of my extended family took the internet out of their home because of their daughter. Guess what? Her cell bill was delivered in a box the following month. Yep, 9,874 text messages were delivered in a box because no envelop know to man would hold the cell bill. So if you can't MySpace, tesxt. Oh yeah, her cousin, my youngest, received several MySpace messages from her during this time. Bless these young parents's hearts, they're only in their early 40's. Sorry for the rantings....it follows on the heels of my youngest's return to Cali after a super visit with the big bro. He arrives home, sleeps, recoups, goes to waterpolo practice and continues his subsequent computer/MySpace/IM addiction with a 3 hour binge last night. Believe me my logical and adult requests to him to get some rest, go to bed early, and leave the computer alone, were met with rolling eyes, and dismissal. Parenting is difficult at best, and being a dinosaur, makes it even worse. Ummm....Officer Chinn, give me some real tools to "monitor" my teen's MySpace useage. Thanks for the rant space.