What percentage of states are red and what percentage of states are blue? Can you link me to where the idea that red states are Christian and blue states aren't comes from? As far as the teen pregnancy rates - I think it is related to geography less than religion. The south has historically had problems with certain issues. Are these unwed teen mothers? What is a teen mother - under 18 or under 20? None of these statistics are pat.

BJUP is not an independent program. While it does have a workbook, the majority of the reading comprehension questions are in the Teacher's Guide. Abeka might be more of what you are looking for.

I was thinking in terms of another Great Depression or some other tragedy in which it would necessitate you growing your own food on your shady, 3/4 acre lot.:D My point with Ethiopia is that if we ever get to the grow-food-or-starve-stage, there won't be any funds in the gov't to fund that bread line because there won't be anyone with revenue to tax. I was being light-hearted about your ascertation that you couldn't survive.:tongue_smilie:

I think you sell us all short, Kelli. Hunger is a GREAT motivator. Growing food is not rocket science (and not everyone would need to grow their own in this scenario.) Do you really think you will just roll over and die? And where would the gov't get the money to offer that bread line? There aren't many breadlines in Ethiopia, ya know!:D

The stimulus payments weren't for us - they were for the economy. We don't *need* them and it wasn't some sort of welfare handout. The idea is to prevent the Great Depression from happening again. BUT, I thought it was stupid anyway. The only effect it seems to be having is to make politicians look good.

Not all credit is from people buying stuff. We have a LOT of debt, but very little of it was spent on stuff. We spent too many years trying to make it on too little - as in below poverty level too little. I wanted to stay home, my dh wanted me to stay home, and it seemed to make sense (I had 6dc and 4 of those were 5 and under!) Now I realize how stupid that was! Now we are paying the price. We haven't charged anything on the cards in more than 2 years, yet the balances have gone up, not down. The interest rates are in the high 20s, fees abound, and most are *still* at their limit. We'll be paying this off for the next 20 years!:D

The only times I wake dh in the middle of the night if for labor and the time that I had 3 kids puking at the same time and I couldn't keep up. The dogs even know better than to wake him up!

I am thankful that my county has a food pantry.;) I am thankful that I still have air conditioning for the moment. I am thankful that they don't imprison people for failing to pay debts in this country.:lol: I am thankful that my business still needs internet so I can still come here! (I don't have internet or phone at home anymore.)

Things are bad from a small business perspective. Sales are down, businesses are closing, people are losing jobs. There are some parts of the country that are worse than others. No, most houses aren't in foreclosure, but the reality is that many people no longer have equity in their homes to borrow against. That's how our economy has been growing for the past 10 years. I am less worried about the price of gas than I am about the MASSIVE drop in new home construction. We own a construction-related business. Our revenue has dropped 20% since last year (and I am thankful, because in FL it has been much, much worse.) We are just barely breaking even, but there is no money to pay us. We are looking at having to reduce one of our positions to part-time (we already did not replace someone who quit in January.) Overall, I think the economy will bounce back eventually - I just think it is going to take awhile. Our nearest town to our home has lost more than a 1000 jobs in the last few months (and the population is about 8500.) In addition, the town lost a company that was using $100K worth of water per month! It may never bounce back.

You need to put your whole family in the Sienna WITH the carseats. Our old minivan sat 7, but it was NOT a comfortable fit - my then 12yo was too wide to sit in the middle between 2 carseats. We could not all fit in a 8 passenger Sienna now (I also have 4 in car seats/boosters.) BUT, the 15mpg that my E250 gets is VERY bad. Currently, I fill up once per week at $130-140. How often do you need to ride all together? I know a family of soon-to-be 9 who still used a minivan because they hardly ever go everywhere together.

Currently, $1290 per month. I commute 5 days per week. Dh commutes 6 days per week. I go to church 1 day per week. He drives a diesel-guzzling truck and I drive a big van. Both are necessary, but not necessary for us to drive everyday. Dh and I work different hours and many times here at the store both vehicles are needed on a regular basis. We tried riding together, but it didn't work well - trying to get 6dc and 2 adults out of the house by 6:30am and returning at 6:30pm was not good for anyone involved. I hope to find a small car with high gas mileage for me (dh would not drive a car.) We may end up living in an RV here behind our store before too long!

We're probably moving even if it means that we have to cram the 8 of us (to be 9 in January) into a small 2 bedroom mobile home (real estate is WAY more expensive in the area where we are looking.) We drive about 108 miles per day between the 2 of us and we can't afford that anymore. We will also probably get a small beater car with good gas mileage for most of my driving (I don't have to take all 6 dc with me often anymore.) We don't eat out, I only go to the grocery store when I pass it going somewhere else, and we aren't doing ANY extra driving. ETA: I read the rest of the replies and I agree about it being hard to walk anywhere. However, I do know that my cousins in New Zealand think nothing of walking 2-4 miles to get where they need to be and their small children walk with them. I hope to move close enough to town that after a period of adjustment, we can walk that same 2-4 miles when we need to. My Latino employees at my old job thought nothing of walking 5+ miles when necessary! I think we might have to change the way we think about "convenient."

And costs are going up all around for other industries - the price of corn (while GREAT for the farmers!) is hard on livestock farmers, poultry producers, etc. A poultry slaughter plant just closed here that employed 850+ people. Not only have all those people lost their jobs, but the farmers who raised the chickens for this company all over the state are going to have their contracts cut 25%. This in turn affects the farm supply stores, the tractor stores, etc. Things are getting really bad really fast.

A. You can send that rain here - I am *dying* here in central NC! B. Try rubbing some dish soap on it with a low lint cloth - sometimes that helps.

I am sure that there are even a few that just irritate everyone! LOL

Now we'll all be thinking it's us! LOL I think it is normal to have posters who rub us the wrong way. I am sure that there are a few people I irritate and there are a few that irritate me. Not much different than real life...

You said what I was trying to convey, astrid. If I had a child that was that sensitive, I would remove him from the situation, not expect everyone else to rearrange their lives for him. I have a special needs child and I realize that it requires accomodation, but on my part, not on anyone else's. ETA: My dc HAVE been to a slaughter house (more than one), but *I* wouldn't watch a PETA video.

Is this boy vegetarian? If not, then he should learn where his meat comes from.

Our local (authentic) Mexican Restaurant actually uses White American! It melts well and is cheaper.

In our case it is the numerous chicken and cattle farms in the general vicinity. There were too many flies here before there was even a house! We use fly tape and occasionally dh vacuums flies with the Shop-Vac!:tongue_smilie:

Next time, call a local rental store and rent a closet auger for $25-50 (depending on the area) and do it yourself - it's pretty easy and MUCH cheaper!

Another one here - out of need, not desire.

I don't know what the answer is. I think in these cases it takes much more than simply paying for it for kids from certain backgrounds. It takes *people* to mentor, tutor, and to help change attitudes. I agree that simply making it another "entitlement" program is not the way to go, but there has to be *something* that we (as people) can do to help break the cycle. Money is a small part of it.

Imagine if your mother wasn't able or willing to take you to school! Imagine if you didn't *have* a father who worked hard and you had to work to put yourself through school AND help support your family! You worked very, very hard to get what you wanted and needed. Others want the same, but don't even know where to start. Or worse, they don't even know they are "supposed" to want more. Family attitudes towards education and success in life go a long way towards either helping a child to succeed or keeping them from even trying.

I agree. The other thing, though, is that many children come from backgrounds that will make it much, much harder for them to achieve the same success given the same IQ, ability to work hard, and ambition. If you are born and raised middle class, there is much less to overcome than someone who by all other standards is equal, but comes from a less advantaged background. Even the neighborhood you live in has the ability to make or break you educationally - since we don't have a nationalized education system (and I am not saying we should), educational achievement is not equal given the same grade level attained.