:iagree: I would also add giving abortions to children without the parent's knowledge or consent. An abortion is a medical procedure. People die from medical procedures every day. Simple procedures can have unexpected complications. They won't let kids go on a field trip without a parental permission form, but getting an abortion is okay?:confused: Sue

Personally, I don't like it all, but after reading some of the horror stories on this board and in the news about "incidents" happening at younger and younger ages, I can see why there might be a need for this. It's very sad. I can see where it might help the kids who have uninvolved parents, but what about the parents who are involved and want to have a say? Should their rights be ignored? Sue

I realize this thread is a few days old, but I wanted to comment about a recent experience I had with a package I bought on Amazon Marketplace. I purchased a Lial's math book in "like new" condition. The day it arrived it was delivered by someone other than my regular mailperson. Instead of taking a few extra moments of their time to pull in the driveway and honk the horn (the front door was open; it was obvious someone was home) and hand me the package, the person shoved this big padded envelope into my standard sized mailbox. I only removed it with much tugging and pulling. Needless to say, my "like new" book was not in like new condition. I blame the postal worker, not the seller in this case. To keep this from happening again, I purchased a new mailbox. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000LNIB4I/sr=8-2/qid=1277414614/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=1055398&s=home-garden&qid=1277414614&sr=8-2 I found it at my local Wal-Mart. It is wider than a normal mailbox and books will lay flat, so no more worries about the damage at the delivery point. It makes it a little bit easier to spot damage from postal abuse/accidents or from misleading descriptions. Sue

I was not charged a $5 fee. The Yourteacher.com trial which lasts until 8/31 is free. :001_smile: Sue

My daughter used KB Algebra I this year. I feel she needs review and reinforcement with Algebra concepts also. I had planned on having her work through LOF Beginning Algebra this summer (although she's not thrilled with this idea). Another option I'm considering is Yourteacher.com. I just received an e-mail this morning from Homeschoolbuyerscoop.com for a free trial of this lasting until August 31. It includes PreAlgebra, Algebra I and II, and Geometry. You can't beat free! HTH Sue

Your son did a terrific job, and what an experience for him! My daughter thought it was "way cool". :thumbup: We love Neil here at our house. Sue

:iagree:

Third year Y3 with ds 11 moving up to dialectic and dd14 moving up to R-level. Sue

Certainly this is not indicative of all high schools in the US. Not one of the schools in my area has barbed wire, and to have the drug sniffing dogs come through the schools would not be an everyday experience (unusual actually). Don't let this discourage you and your daughter from choosing a school here. With so many states to choose from, I'm sure you could find a school that is suitable. Sue

DD 14 tennis DS 11 gymnastics Sue

I am usually just a lurker, but I thought I would post this interesting article. It is an opinion piece from the Washington Examiner. Sue When Bush spoke to students, Democrats investigated, held hearings By: Byron York Chief Political Correspondent 09/08/09 7:11 AM EDT The controversy over President Obama's speech to the nation's schoolchildren will likely be over shortly after Obama speaks today at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. But when President George H.W. Bush delivered a similar speech on October 1, 1991, from Alice Deal Junior High School in Washington DC, the controversy was just beginning. Democrats, then the majority party in Congress, not only denounced Bush's speech -- they also ordered the General Accounting Office to investigate its production and later summoned top Bush administration officials to Capitol Hill for an extensive hearing on the issue. Unlike the Obama speech, in 1991 most of the controversy came after, not before, the president's school appearance. The day after Bush spoke, the Washington Post published a front-page story suggesting the speech was carefully staged for the president's political benefit. "The White House turned a Northwest Washington junior high classroom into a television studio and its students into props," the Post reported. With the Post article in hand, Democrats pounced. "The Department of Education should not be producing paid political advertising for the president, it should be helping us to produce smarter students," said Richard Gephardt, then the House Majority Leader. "And the president should be doing more about education than saying, 'Lights, camera, action.'" Democrats did not stop with words. Rep. William Ford, then chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, ordered the General Accounting Office to investigate the cost and legality of Bush's appearance. On October 17, 1991, Ford summoned then-Education Secretary Lamar Alexander and other top Bush administration officials to testify at a hearing devoted to the speech. "The hearing this morning is to really examine the expenditure of $26,750 of the Department of Education funds to produce and televise an appearance by President Bush at Alice Deal Junior High School in Washington, DC," Ford began. "As the chairman of the committee charged with the authorization and implementation of education programs, I am very much interested in the justification, rationale for giving the White House scarce education funds to produce a media event." Unfortunately for Ford, the General Accounting Office concluded that the Bush administration had not acted improperly. "The speech itself and the use of the department's funds to support it, including the cost of the production contract, appear to be legal," the GAO wrote in a letter to Chairman Ford. "The speech also does not appear to have violated the restrictions on the use of appropriations for publicity and propaganda." That didn't stop Democratic allies from taking their own shots at Bush. The National Education Association denounced the speech, saying it "cannot endorse a president who spends $26,000 of taxpayers' money on a staged media event at Alice Deal Junior High School in Washington, D.C. -- while cutting school lunch funds for our neediest youngsters." Lost in all the denouncing and investigating was the fact that Bush's speech itself, like Obama's today, was entirely unremarkable. "Block out the kids who think it's not cool to be smart," the president told students. "If someone goofs off today, are they cool? Are they still cool years from now, when they're stuck in a dead end job. Don't let peer pressure stand between you and your dreams.

Michelle, Thanks for the link. I watched the free sample videos and liked Dr. Burger, too. I have bookmarked the site. It seems I have some more research to do. :) Sue

Susan, Maybe I need to go back and take another look through the book.:001_smile: I didn't realize you could order the Chalkdust dvds individually. I'll have to remember that. Thanks, Sue

Susan, I was just curious if this cd was needed to teach the course. Also, if anybody has used it, was it helpful. I've looked through the Algebra I book, and I think I can handle teaching it myself. I just noticed the tutorial cd as I was ordering the tests, and it just got me wondering. I have seen that Netflix has the Standard Deviants series. I might put one on my queue to watch over the summer. Thanks, Sue

Does anyone who uses BJU Algebra I have this cd? Is it useful, or just an extra that is unnecessary? Thanks, Sue http://rainbowresource.com/product/Algebra+1+Tutorial+Software+CD/254656/1245092233-1477282

April, I like the idea of the Brock Magiscope for my ds. It would be fun for him to have something to take outside without worry. Sounds like an idea for a Christmas present this year, two birds and all.;) It's wonderful to hear that you were so satisifed with your scopes. Thank you, Jean, for letting me know your experience with the Sonlight scope. It says a lot for product satisfaction if you'd be willing to buy another. Chris, if you're selling, and Country Girl doesn't buy, I would be interested.:D Momof7, I did send an e-mail to the co-op and their reply was that they did not have a microscope deal right now (obviously :tongue_smilie:) but if they were to have another they would notify members in the newsletter. Thank you all for your help ladies. You've definitely given me some things to think about. Sue

Thanks Country Girl. My dd will be using Apologia, and though they don't recommend the 100X I was wondering if it would be worthwhile to have, just in case. It would be much cheaper to buy an upgraded scope to start with instead of maybe having to buy one later. I've looked at the scopes from Home Science Tools and you can get the upgraded scopes at a good price (especially with the 10% discount from HSLDA) but they don't have the pointers in the eyepiece. Greatscopes has the Observer microscopes with the pointers, but you can't get the coaxial focus controls with them. It seems you have to choose one or the other unless you want to really start getting into the $$$. :rolleyes: The Sonlight scope is starting to really look good to me right now, especially with all the people that recommend it. Sue

I have a few questions for the microscope owners out there. :) For those who own the Sonlight Ultra Microscope, are you still happy with your purchase? Do you sometimes regret not buying a more advanced scope with the 100X lens? How useful do you find the pointer within the eyepiece? For those who purchased other microscopes with upgraded features, are you still happy with your purchase? Do you find you have a use for the upgrades, or do you feel you could have gotten by without them? If your focus controls are separated, are they still fairly easy to use or do you find yourself longing for the coaxial, or all in one control? Is not having a pointer in the eyepiece aggravating? If you own the Observer series or Ultimate Home Microscope or something similar, have you had a use for the colored filters that come with the scope, or the mirror illuminator that comes with the Observer? Finally, is the oil immersion process for the 100X lens as much as a pain as it's made out to be, or is it really not that big of a deal? I've been researching microscopes until my head is spinning! Any and all help would be appreciated. This is such a big purchase. I don't want to buy a model that is a pain to use, or one that I wish I would have spent a little more money on to be satisfied. Thanks so much, Sue

I'm sorry, Polly. I didn't mean to put you on the spot. :blush: Sue

I would be interested in knowing which microscope you purchased also. I am in the market for one, and haven't yet decided on a model. Thanks, Sue

My kids(ds now 11 and dd now 14) have quite a few PS2 games, and these two series are the ones they have played and enjoyed the most. My son wanted me to also suggest the Gran Tourismo 3 racing game. He plays it but not nearly as much as the first two. They are the real winners at our house. Sue

My daughter uses a cotton ball moistened with Witch Hazel on her face at night. This is a very cheap method of acne control. Witch Hazel is a natural astringent. Sue

Being an easily distracted type person, I keep the "extras" in mine to keep them handy. I am referring to the map books, logic books, etcetera, that might not get done if they were on a bookshelf in the other room. I also keep in it some teacher materials that are used daily. Sue

Thanks, Sophia! I appreciate your advice. :001_smile: Sue

for someone to get back to you about an item you have for sale before you move on to the next person who showed an interest? I had someone request information on the condition of the item, and I have not heard anything back. Now I have someone else who is seriously interested, and I don't know how much time to give the first person to respond. I want to do the right thing here. Any advice? Oh, granted, it's only been six hours, but I hate to lose a sure sale for an iffy one. What would you do?:001_huh: Thanks, Sue