There was a study done by Princeton University a few years ago that found students who volunteered in organizations like Junior ROTC, 4-H, or the Future Farmers of America had a 65% reduced chance of gaining admittance to college (all other things being equal). Princeton used to have the PDF of the study available for download but it's either been moved to another web address or taken down...I'll let you know if I can dig it up again. The study clearly showed that certain types of volunteering or winning awards in certain fields actually worked against students because of bias on the part of admissions boards. Essentially, the study found that academia is less likely to accept the applications of rural, conservative, and religious white people. (As a disclaimer, aside from being white, I myself don't embody those characteristics. I'm just relating the study without an ulterior motive.) All volunteering is not judged equally, and I think it'd be folly to pretend otherwise. You might want to investigate sites like Volunteer Match to find opportunities in your area. I would probably focus on free tutoring (who says tutoring younger siblings shouldn't count?), volunteering at the library, helping park and roadside clean-ups, serving at a homeless shelter, building homes with Habitat for Humanity, or helping out at senior centers or hospitals. Those kinds of activities are usually seen as more politically neutral.

My Google searches aren't turning up much about this question. Which do colleges generally have more regard for, AP or CLEP? (I'm talking about simply taking the AP exam, not enrolling in any sort of online class.) I've looked at the College Board website in some detail, and I've noticed some differences between them. If you happen to enroll your kid in an institutional high school at some point, his AP credit will mean he doesn't have to take that class in h.s. (this is a non-issue for us). Some colleges have made moves to not accept certain CLEP exams (usually science) and seem to not be doing so with AP (probably because most students take AP classes in addition to the exams, which presumably give them hands-on lab experience). The potential colleges we'd be interested in aren't doing that, though, so there isn't a difference in that regard in our area. The AP Exam is more expensive than the CLEP exam (~$100 vs. $65). After comparing the sample questions for both exams, I have noticed that the CLEP exams and AP exams were definitely not written by the same board of people. For example, CLEP's questions are to the point and easy to understand, while AP asks questions in the most convoluted way possible, as if they mean to trick students by using large vocabulary or a complex sentence structure. AP questions also seem to have more of a trivia aspect, while by and large, CLEP's questions gauged whether big concepts were understood rather than minutia. While at first blush AP appears to be "harder" than CLEP, if the sample exams are a true reflection of the current tests, CLEP is a better test overall in terms of gauging real knowledge. So is there one test that colleges value above the other? If not, how did YOU decide whether to have your child test for, say, AP Chemistry versus CLEP Chemistry?

It's going to hurt those children when they grow up. You can't ignore the fact that certain assumptions will be made about people whose names are "kre8tyvly" spelled. Right or wrong, if I have the choice between seeing two doctors in my town and one is named Dr. Ayden Rayne Williams while the other is Dr. John Thomas Ford, I don't think I'd hesitate to choose the latter. Just to make the necessary disclaimer, I'm not making a statement against non-anglosaxon names. Foreign names are a wholly different matter than what's being discussed here. Actually, both times I've undergone surgery (the first time was a life-saving 13 hour procedure; the second was simply Lasik eye surgery) I saw doctors who were Indian immigrants to this country.

Have you read this thread?

See, this is something I've never understood. Sometimes people don't have close family or friends that have the time, energy or, um, experience (I think we all know what I mean here) who could throw a shower for them. Why is it considered tacky if the mother does it herself? I remember being super excited about my bridal shower. I was a little nervous about my best friend scheduling it so close to the wedding, but I didn't want to micromanage...and I thought it'd be poor taste to nag her with a dozen questions about "Did you...?" or "Has this been taken care of?" A week before the bridal shower was to take place, she informed me that her schedule had gotten "too crazy" for her and she had called the shower off. No one else stepped up to plan it for me with it being so short notice, and that was that. I know that it's not a huge deal that I didn't have a shower (the wedding was definitely more important) but I felt somewhat robbed of the experience, and all because "etiquette" says that the bride has to be as uninvolved as possible under some stupid pretense that it's a "surprise." I wish I could go back in time and tell my younger self that I should just throw it myself because I would end up regretting it for years to come. It makes me sad that there must be a lot of other people out there with experiences similar to mine regarding bridal or baby showers, and even more, that there are people out there who would think badly of a bride or mother just because she arranged the details of a shower herself.

I thought it'd be fun if we shared the science experiments we've done that were a big hit. I've been pouring through books and websites lately looking for experiments that: * require household ingredients (no need to go out and buy a bunch of special stuff) * demonstrate an idea with simplicity and clarity * boost student participation (I don't want to be showing them something, I want them to be doing) * are relatively fun and engaging (just because you can illustrate a principle with an experiment doesn't make the experiment interesting or worthwhile) So, there's my wish list. I'm specifically interested in experiments that are related to biology, but I'm open to anything. Here are two examples of experiments I'd like to try. 1. Extracting DNA from a banana. 2. Toothpick worms that teach natural selection. 20 colored toothpicks (red, green, blue, yellow) are scattered on the lawn, and the student plays the role of a bird that is trying to pick up ten worms as quickly as possible. The teacher then adds one extra toothpick for every color of toothpick that is left, explaining the the remaining worms are reproducing back to their original number. So if there were 2 reds, 2 yellows, 2 blues, and 4 greens left after the student picked up his ten worms, the teacher would add exactly the same number back to it so that you once again have 20 toothpicks on the ground (4 reds, 4 yellows, 4 blues, and 8 greens). The student is challenged to hunt for worms once again, picking up ten of the toothpicks as quickly as possible. This is repeated until all the remaining toothpicks are green. This illustrates how natural selection can take place to ensure that camouflaged species have a higher survival rate. So, what experiments were a big hit in your house? :bigear:

I just found this site that has lectures on biology from professors at MIT. :)

Thanks for the suggestions, Jennifer! :)

Thanks, I'll look into Mr. Q!

If you had to teach fifth grade biology using only free materials (websites, YouTube videos, etc.), what would you use? :bigear:

How about The Conspirator? It's a movie about the trial of Mary Surrat (the first woman to ever be executed in America, being found guilty of being an accomplice to Lincoln's murder) and it was made by the American Film Company, which pledges to make historical dramas that are as factual as possible. Large portions of the film were taken directly from the trial's transcript. My only reservation would be that some of the movie would go over the head of young kids, so you should definitely watch it for yourself first before you decide. It's a movie I tell everyone they should see, anyway. :)

I buy long grain, and the only way I've been able to cook rice consistently is by baking it using this recipe. I'm not sure if it's the altitude or our stove, but baking it seems to be the only way to get it fluffy and evenly cooked.

One reason why they might be criticizing him is that most hybrid and electric cars are subsidized by the government. Not only did the manufacturer receive incentives, but the person buying the car will get $2k - $4k from the government, too (sometimes more if you're from a state like California). I believe the most important vote we cast is with our wallet, so I do not believe it is ethical to support what is going on in that sector. I'm a libertarian, by the way. I believe that one of the few roles government should play is in protecting the environment as an extension of private property (e.g. pollution and dumping is an injury being inflicted upon us all). As far as individual environmentalism goes? This is only my personal observation, but at all the road and trail clean ups we've participated in, I'd say that 80% of the participants were conservative. They were of the "Let's keep the world decent" 1950's types. And I've seen plenty of people with liberal bumper stickers on their cars throw cigarettes and trash out of their windows. I think that the stereotype of the liberal who recycles religiously may not be so prevalent as we think. Or it may just be that while it's easy for a person to say, "The government should clean up the environment," it's a lot more work to do it in your own everyday life.

It sounds like your house is like one of the houses I clean. In that house, I do all of that plus clean the fridge, wash towels and bedlinen, make the bed, and clean the outside of the windows in 3.5 hours by myself. I don't think I'm exceptionally fast cleaner, either. Sometimes it takes me 4 hours, but only if I have to clean the oven or something like the tub is particularly dirty. So for two people, what you described should be able to be done in 1.5 hours. Don't ask them back. You can NOT change a housekeeper's way of doing things. All you can do is find a housekeeper whose work meets with your expectations. Oh, and while you're looking at your options, you may want to consider trying a housekeeper who does not charge by the hour but by the job. I look at a house and give an estimate, which usually is around $60 depending on the size. That way it's always the same amount (I love the simplicity) per week and my client doesn't have to worry that maybe I'm just dragging my feet so that I do less work for more money.

I clean houses part time for extra income. The big question I have is, how dirty were your bathrooms? If they had to do a lot of deep cleaning, I could maybe see it taking an hour for two people. But if the bathrooms were in pretty decent shape to begin with, then you're right to be disappointed in the job they did. Generally, it takes me twenty minutes to clean a bathroom by myself if a deep cleaning isn't needed. So if there had been two of me there and I had an hour, I would expect that these things would be cleaned: - 3 bathrooms - dusting - kitchen - windows (assuming you don't have a wall of windows or something) - vacuum and mop at least the living room, kitchen and bathrooms

What kind do you use? Grovia. There are four major advantages they have over other brands: 1. They are one-size, so you can use them from 8 lbs. to potty training. (If you have a small newborn, you can either buy some disposables until they are big enough to use the one-size or you can buy Grovia's very reasonably priced Newborn AIOs.) 2. It's a hybrid diaper, which means you can re-use the same diaper shell multiple times and just change out the cloth insert. You save money by not having to buy as many shells and it's much less work to just change the soaker pad. 3. If you are traveling or you just want to cut down on laundry, you can use biosoakers, which are disposable inserts. 4. You can choose either snaps or velcro. It's basically just personal preference, but I prefer the velcro because it's not scratchy like old style velcro and it makes the diapers really customizable and super easy (dad doesn't have to remember which snaps to use). What do I need to buy? The Grovia Live Package should be all you need. If your newborn is particularly small, you could also pick up a 12 pack of Newborn AIOs. How much will I need to invest? The Grovia Live Package is $400. The 12 Pack Newborn AIOs are $161. How do I convince my DH to give it a try? By keeping it as simple as possible. In my honest opinion, prefolds and so forth are just too complicated for most dads. Show him how much a family spends on disposables and he'll get on board. What kind of laundry detergent is best? (DH is allergic to tide) Here's a list of the approved deteregents by Grovia. We have a Kenmore HE3 front loader, how do you soak diapers in a front loader? If you stop the cycle the washer drains all the water out? Grovia strongly recommends NOT soaking their diapers because it will damage diapers over time. Their recommended cleaning routine: 1. Store dirty diapers in a dry pail. 2. Wash on warm with an approved detergent. 3. Give them an extra rinse. I love these diapers because they are simple, simple, simple.

There is no one single answer to this question, since it obviously depends on the individual Muslim you're talking to. But I think it's important to point out that several imams have said that women who don't wear hijabs (regardless of religion) are inviting men to rape them, and this is exactly what is happening in Australia, France and northern Europe. Imam says women are "uncovered meat" inviting rape Denmark Mufti says women who do not wear headscarves are "asking for rape" "It is not as wrong to rape a Swedish girl as it is to rape an Arab girl," says a Muslim in Sweden Many European women in towns with large Muslim immigrant populations wear headscarves to try to avoid being sexually assaulted. Not every Muslim believes this, obviously, but there are quite a few Muslims in the world who believe women who do not wear scarves are immodest and therefore "asking for it." I won't even go into traditional Muslim law that requires a raped woman to produce four witnesses or else be found punishable for having premarital sex/commuting adultery in countries like Pakistan.

I might just be saying this because I clean houses part time for extra income...have you considered outsourcing it with a housekeeper who comes in once a week? If your family can afford the extra $50 - $80 (rates vary by region) a week, it'd give you so much peace of mind and extra time to do other things.

I think that perhaps you do not comprehend the deeper reasons some homeschoolers oppose co-ops. I'd elaborate on that a little here, but to be honest, your post has a little too much "finger wagging" for me to believe that you are really searching for understanding from other points of view.

You are absolutely reasonable in grounding her. However, I would reconsider your policy about being able to shirk responsibilities to "make up for it" on Saturdays. I think this is only training her to procrastinate and slack off. Why work five days if you can just cram it into one? Especially if you know that you might be able to put in less effort on that one day anyway? Her schooling is her job. A person couldn't call his boss and say, "You know, I'm just going to come into work one day this week and get everything you need done on that one day." It doesn't work like that. This is the time when she needs to be practicing the skill of discipline so that when she goes to college or gets a paying job, she won't have a problem adjusting to the real world. Then there are the other problems arising from this, such as her barricading herself away from her family. Because it's a weekend, I would have her father step in to handle this problem (if possible). He'll help her through her work, but he'll do it with a firmer hand and a cooler head than you have right now. Sometimes you have to play a little Good Cop, Bad Cop to get things done. Starting Monday, I would not make chores or schoolwork optional. If she refuses to cooperate, she gets to sit in the corner of an empty room facing the wall until she changes her attitude, plus she gets more toys/liberties taken away for every ten minutes she sits there wasting your time and her's. Don't allow her to come back to the table until she apologizes and is truly willing to put effort in. At the first sign of half-measures (which are as much a way for her to defy you and disrespect you as it is a manifestation of her laziness), she goes back to the corner. To prevent the barricading door again, I would first implement the punishment that the door has to be completely open for the next week and never shut (she can get dressed in the bathroom). See how that goes, and if she defies you even once, follow through with your warning that the door is coming down for at least a month. I'm sorry you're so stressed out and upset. :( Sometimes it seems like children act more like adults than pre-teens.

Lasik eye surgery! It was the best health decision I ever made for myself. I have absolutely no regrets.

From what I've heard, the easiest way to get the insurance to cover it is to have a psychologist recommend it.

Brain Rules for Baby: How to Raise a Smart and Happy Baby from Age Zero to Five The Children's Story (a great reminder of how vulnerable children really are and why we should be deliberate in our parenting style) 50 Dangerous Things (You Should Let Your Child Do)

Thanks for all the great replies! I'm bookmarking this thread and all the books suggested. :)

The "pollution in the air" myth has been around for a while, but I've never seen anything to support it. My DH is an astrophysicist. His explanation for a red moon reflect what I found on this science site. Usually it's because of the thicker atmosphere. Very rarely, it's because of dust particles in the air caused by volcanoes and the like (technically a sort of pollution, but not the kind that people mean).