I LIKE children, when they're well-behaved and are interested and involved or I can spur that interest. And I've never been accused of even looking at a child the wrong way, nor had a background check that I'm aware of, except for the one they did when I became a security guard 27 years ago. And I'm happy and willing to work with children in projects like Junior Master Gardener, as I've been asked to do next spring (and there was no mention of a background check). That said, I'm also quite leery of working with individual children, one-on-one. When and if I do this sort of work, I want there to be multiple children around at all times and preferable at least one other adult present, because there ARE some crazy parents out there, and there ARE some delusional children, as well. And while I'm not agreeing with the blanket statement SowthEfrikan made above, I do and can see how a parent could be abusive and then when someone notices the abuse, try to claim that some volunteer who had been working with the child did it. I can also see how perhaps a child might not like the volunteer and decide to get even with them by deliberately cutting, bruising, burning or otherwise hurting himself or herself and then claiming the volunteer did it. I KNOW these cases would represent a very small minority, but I also know this sort of thing HAS happened in the past and will likely happen again. And while our legal system is supposedly "innocent until proven guilty," when someone's accused of child abuse or molestation, man, that's like the KISS OF DEATH... they're branded for life, innocent or not, in some cases. The case Sowthie mentioned above was the McMartin Preschool case, where an entire preschool full of children had supposedly been molested by the owner and practically everyone working there. It all started with one or two children with overly vivid imaginations and then a witchhunt ensued and these kooky child psychologists used these "imagery" sessions that were later proved to effectively work as a form of hypnosis to convince kids that hadn't been abused that they had been. Some of those folks were originally convicted and sentenced to prison for like 300 years, but eventually all the sentences were overturned when the TRUTH finally came out. So, yeah, I certainly see SowthEfrikan's point! And frankly, I think making all applicants take a detailed psychological profile test (which can be called an "aptitude and interests" test, so folks won't refuse to take it), would screen out not only the folks who had criminal records (which are easy to find online), but also those who had a propensity to be dangerous to others -- child or adult, alike. I'd agree to take that test -- as long as they let me see the results and their analysis, but I think I might balk at the background test, too, just because it IS like an accusation of guilt. Just some more thoughts, Jeff

personally i feel discriminated. Did it ever occured to u that the majority of people who have criminal backgrounds are accused unjustly? did it ever occurr to u that the majority of these people were young at the time of the crime....and made bad mistakes without using their intelligence. we all make mistakes....the important thing is change.Everyone has the right of another chance...especially when u really want to change ur life around...i've never comitted no crime....but i'm married to a man who has a horrible past....criminal back ground...bad childhood...but if u meet him you'll notice that its impossible to believe that this man has done anything.My husband is a good father...a good friend....a good husband....and a good adopted son....he's not perfect...but he ain't the devil either...hes just made bad choices....i don't blame him because of his childhood...but i don't see what hes done....cute. i understand him...this man has changed his life around....he has lost so much....but he has gained as well...i believe god gave him an opportunity because hes sees what inside of this mans heart...who are we to judge so blindly...the most sad thing about this is that because of what hes done in his past....we are having trouble finding a house to rent....i've been through so much with this man to know what this man is really about...and i don't understand how naive people can be to just sit there and judge...instead of sitting down and try to find out what exactly is going on.we are good tenants alwayz have been, just trying to give a better life for our two children.....so before u decline someone, take the time to think how would you feel if someone rejected you without hearing your side first...because when i look at the eyes of this man it hurts me to know that its killing him and hes feeling unworthy...and he is worth much more than what people think..

DH just had 12 (benign) polyps removed during a colonoscopy. Better get him on the black tea! I just wanted to report that I have lost 6.4 lbs. in the past 6-8 weeks, which for me is such a rare accomplishment that if I didn't just have a physical a couple of weeks ago, I'd assume that I was gravely ill. I made a pact with myself (I think I mentioned this here) that I would lose 10 lbs. before I turn 50. Well tomorrow is my 49th birthday, so I'm well on my way, assuming I can sustain this loss and continue. I have gained 10 lbs. in 10 years and I'm determined to change that trend. All I've done, and it's been painless really, is stop eating anything that has more than 3 g of sugar -- with a few exceptions, like an occasional yogurt. Oh, and I still have a few beers each weekend but that's really it. Also, I don't eat anything after dinner, except for maybe a couple times a week I'll crave something and I'll have a small square of good dark chocolate (which actually tastes very sweet to me now!). So yesterday I went to the jeans store, wanting to buy more of the same "uniform" jeans I have been wearing for years. Not necessarily in a smaller size, though my jeans are loose, just a fresh new pair. The salesperson convinced me that I was wearing my jeans too big and that I should try the smaller size. I said, oh, I don't think so, I haven't worn a 10 in jeans forever. In a nice way, she forced the size 10 on me, and in a different style than what I usually wear -- I wear the "Easy Rider" Lucky jeans because they're cut fuller in the hips. Well, the size 10 fit perfectly. Actually, at first I said I thought they were a bit snug and she said she actually thought they seemed a bit BIG (and then made me try the size 8, which was far too small). Anyway, I ended up trying on a bunch of different sizes but NONE in the size 12 that I've been wearing for probably 5+ years. When I put my old "loose" jeans on I could then see how unflattering they were. I was so full of confidence after buying my new jeans, I tried on about 100 pairs of pants in other stores in the mall, but didn't have one bit of luck. I must be the only woman in America with saddlebags. Anyway -- that was a great way to keep me motivated, and also educational! I never "use" salespeople in stores because I think I know everything. Maybe I should get help more often!

To people who work with me "light side", I am pretty much as marknmt describes - I don't have a problem doing work. The problem I have is basically that I never bothered to "grow up". I do my work reliably and effectively, and it's not always work that I like doing. Out of the 3½ years I just spent at MSP, I spent the majority spraying dishes and pushing them through a sanitizer. I did it religiously and reliably enough that the supervisors began looking to me for recommendations on who else to hire/fire. Heck, they called me in on my days off because 950 dishes took about twice as long to wash when I'm not there... And about the only thing that job EVER had in common with my "chosen vocation" is that, once in a while, they'd let me take the dishwasher apart and tinker with it when it broke. Big. 480. Many relays. Love it. The question I posted here was only about the electrician licensing thing, but there's a lot more on my mind, really. The current, bigger employment problem is that, while everyone who takes the chance and ever actually talks to me usually ends up liking me, the entire freakin' application process EVERYWHERE has gone completely online, and there are no humans in the process anywhere! All the humans see is the results of their cute little multiple-choice job application programs, which pretty much make me look like some sort of ax murderer. And regarding murders having the highest rate of parole success... After having met and lived with a large number of all types of offenders, I have _no_ problem believing that at all. The easiest people to get along with in the prison environment pretty much were murders. Drug dealers are usually the worst. Burglars and other property criminals are in the middle somewhere, and non-homicidal violent offenders are all over the place since the conditions surrounding their offenses are so widely varied.