I agree. It has to be put into the cultural context of the day. Biblical misinterpretation can become a sticky legalistic mess in a hurry and it applied as a "must do" to lot of things. I would say no, it is not a requirement.

Could you use caulk?

Our puppies cried in the crate at night for 3 nights tops. Ignoring it if you can is really the only way to keep from reaffirming that you'll come whenever they cry. It worked really well for us, even though it was tough. As far as house breaking goes, consistency in the key. Crate, outside, inside (with supervision), crate, outside, repeat, repeat, repeat. We gated off the kitchen so he could not find any carpeted areas resembling grass and confine the accidents. It is easier to clean tile than carpet, plus they smell even the trace amount and it encourages them to go their again. It also depends on the breed. Our irish setter was house broken in about 2 month (after we got him at 8wks) but our lab took about 6month to be totally reliably housebroken. By about a year they should have it down although accidents will understandably happen if left for a whole day. So some breeds need crating up to 2 years if you leave the house for say a whole work day. After 2 years the crate can disappear altogether.

Ok, so I must be doing something wrong because we spend an average of $350 or more per week. I do buy mostly organic but I bake a lot and have one teen that can't have dairy. I do include paper products and dog food for 2 dogs plus cat food, though. This does not include wine.

This! My dad's sneezes seem to shake the house!

Ok so this is not unusual, but pepper makes me sneeze A LOT. I feel like the queen of hearts from Alice in Wonderland whenever I use it. It's ridiculous.

Yes. I remember TACA being referred to as-Take a chance airline! :laugh:

Gracias Lanny!

Same here. I love being active, always played sports in HS and college but watching it? No way. DH and I think it's passive to the point of boredom. Not that I condemn anyone for it. We just can't relate.

Yup 28 waist &33-34 inseam. I have bean poles! I will look into Seven & All Mankind. Thanks!

Anyone know where to buy jeans for such children?

That's a tough one. We have ours downstairs. It's nice an roomy but I'm always scheming on how we could arrange to have it upstairs. The situation you describe would bug me though. It sounds like it is more in your way.

Costco or Sam's usually has coats this time of year. :grouphug: I hear ya. My ds complained to me his shoes were too tight. His brother sitting right next to him says, "mine too". And then the oldest says, "mine have a hole in them". We need three pairs of sneakers at the same time and all of them have adult size expensive feet!

At the risk of sounding like a broken record I said it was PART of the problem, NOT the whole problem, and more as a cost increase prior to ACA. It is naive to think that its not a factor of it at all. For what it's worth my parents and immediate family had very good insurance prior to ACA. Now we have an unbelievably high deductible and my parents who are on the ACA program have a hard time paying for it. I don't know why the problem of the uninsured couldn't have been addressed on it's own. Like maybe offer some kind of incentive to the insurance companies to insure them while removing competition. Why did the whole country have to be dragged into it? KWIM. Actually I do know why.... but that would be too political for this board.

Ugh. I hear your pain. I think it's worth removing, however. Renting a steamer will be your best bet. Nice clean walls to paint or apply new paper to.

I am not good at posting links. What I can give you is from my own experience. Dh was in the medical field for a long time (25+years). He knows how the hospital system runs. There are a lot of people prior to AHC that got/get free hospital and medical care. The money has to come from somewhere. And it usually means the payers end up sharing the cost of the non payers. I know because my father is a pastor of a very large church, of whom 99% is illegal immigrants from central america. These are my own people. I am merely answering the question with what I do know is part of the high cost. Assuming that I choose to pick on a group of people and calling it typical is judgmental presumption. ETA: Again I said it was part of the problem.

I didn't say the main cause but it is certainly one of the causes and it started many many years ago. It's a cumulative effect.

Part of the systemic problem is that there are a lot of non-payers in the system. Illegal immigration being one of the main causes. This, combined with people using the ER for routine stuff. ( something made available through legislation) The hospitals and doctors have no choice but to pass on the cost. Hence the $50 tylenol on a bill, for example.

Do you have cats? That could explain a lot.

Video game soundtracks. He also likes "some" Johnny Cash songs. lol

My boys love Eragon.

Anyone would say she is being rude and judgmental but it sounds like more than that. It's not normal. I think she has a problem and I agree it sound more like OCD or some kind of mental/emotional disturbance.

Ditto. I was going to suggest wine and flowers.

The short of it is no, not really. Especially if you want to feed them well and take them to the vet so that they stay healthy.

Belize is beautiful. It used to be more of a jewel when it was less commercialized. Not many people traveled there. Right now central America is a pretty dangerous place. There is a lot of gang violence and drugs.