Yelling

TODAY'S TOPIC, in our popular "Practical Homeowner" series, is: Dealing With Common Plumbing Problems.Common problems can strike your plumbing at any time. For instance, I have here a Kansas City Star story that was sent in by alert reader Sam Fey, concerning an incident that occurred in a Jefferson County, Mo., town called House Springs. This story, which I am not making up, states:"A House Springs mobile home was damaged when a Civil War-type cannonball smashed through a window and two interior walls Thursday night before crashing into a toilet and lodging in a bathroom wall."

A 20-year-old with the intelligence of a middle-schooler was sentenced Wednesday to 61/2 years in prison for the voluntary manslaughter of another man during a brawl at a family barbecue that began over a PlayStation video game. The victim, Irvin Conley, 24, was one of the few people at the house in the 4300 block of Glenmore Ave. who wasn't related to the large family holding the party. He was also one of the few people involved in the fight who didn't have a substantial criminal record, prosecutor Robin Wherley said.

LOUISVILLE, KY. - Trainer Shug McGaughey came to his barn Sunday morning before the sun had cleared the horizon, as he has done most days for more than 35 years. Dozens of people were gathered there, under the roof, dodging the rain and trying to get a look at Orb, who won the 139th Kentucky Derby on Saturday. The colt munched on hay and observed the scene. He let some girls come pet him and get their picture taken. Orb came out of the mile-and-a-quarter Derby, run over a drenched Churchill Downs track, with no signs of injury or fatigue and will officially begin preparing for a run in the 138th Preakness Stakes on May 18. McGaughey was shuffled from interview to interview, often saying that he still had trouble describing the feeling of winning his first Derby.

"I hope my baby is dead. " These are the chilling words from a mother who is now charged with repeatedly stabbing her 8-month-old child during a supervised visit with a social service's worker. The account comes from police charging documents filed in court that detail the horrific incident. Social workers rushed to help the child, and one threw a chair at her, forcing her to drop the baby, the knife still in her neck. One worker told police she confronted the suspect as she held her daughter on a table with one hand and the knife in the other.

DEAR HARRIETTE I love your column and, while I don't always agree with your counsel, I usually think you're on point. However, I think your advice to Deborah in Chicago, who was scared for a little girl being yelled at, was lacking. I am a mother of a 2-year-old, and when I chastise my daughter and sometimes raise my voice to her, it doesn't mean I am "strung out by emotion." Children need to be disciplined when they act up. That discipline ranges from a time-out, to getting a light pop, to getting yelled at. In this day and age, children are so disrespectful and ill-mannered, and it's not because children are different now, it's because parents are so different.

Because of incorrect information in documents provided by the Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center, an Oct. 20 article on hospital patient Henry Howard incorrectly reported the name of his grandmother, whom he killed with three other family members in 1982. Her name was Marie Pieczonki.A Perkins official also supplied inaccurate information for an accompanying article. In Perkins' 30-year history, three former patients have killed after their release.The Sun regrets the errors.The slight, wan man in the videotape swivels in his chair.

Abby Culp never realized how much she loved running until she couldn't do it any more. After her freshman cross country season at Winters Mill, Culp's family moved to Florida for six months, and she had to take a break from running during a brief struggle with an eating disorder. Back in Carroll County at Manchester Valley, she got back into serious running as a junior. Last fall, she was an All-Metro second-team selection after finishing second in the Class 1A state cross country meet.

I find it worrisome that this pastor, Terry Jones who's out to burn Qurans, may be treated any differently from someone who yells fire in a crowded movie house. (Isn't that illegal?) If someone were to be hurt or die because of his behavior, how would that be any different from him doing it himself when he knows up front what could happen? What he is planning seems like a form of terrorism. Doesn't the government try to stop terrorism and terrorists? Is it about time for everyone to be in accord on what freedom really needs to mean rather than what we want it to mean?

Back from Tribal Council at Gota (the Fans), Reynold gets into it right away with the rest of the tribe, very pissily telling everyone that he doesn't trust them. Reynold and Shamar get into it, and Sherry is possibly regretting saving Shamar because he will not stop talking smack with pretty much everyone else in the tribe, including yelling at Matt. I like Matt, so that's unacceptable. Aaanndd just as I was starting to maybe not completely despise Reynold, he refers to Allie's ousting as "the revenge of the nerds.

Q: I don't believe in spanking my children, but I do find that I yell at them a lot when I get frustrated. The result is that now my children yell, too -- at me, at each other, at the dog. I don't like this pattern, but I don't know how to stop it. Any suggestions?A: Yelling is a habit, and like any habit, it's not going to disappear overnight. With diligent effort, however, your household can be calmer and quieter, say lots of parents who called Child Life.Tips from parents include whispering, humor and relaxation techniques.