I've contacted them but haven't said much (if anything) about my opinion here. I guess I put my pen where my mouth isn't! Kris

Here is a letter he's drafted to send to representatives: http://www.daveramsey.com/media/pdf/the_common_sense_fix.pdf

I'm not the original poster of the article but I just read it myself it still have it in my browser. http://www.daveramsey.com/etc/fed_bailout/economic_cleanup_10887.htmlc

That's a sticky situation. I would help if I could but I wouldn't give her money. I'd buy the tires for her directly. I had a situation twenty years ago when my husband was a deadbeat who was always gone. I had a 2-year-old and was pregnant. I had help from some family members and others refused to help in any way because they felt it would have been enabling my husband to continue being irresponsible. Some people thought we (I) should pay a penalty for our own bad decisions and misbehavior. I understood their mindset and harbor no anger toward them. But I was very thankful for the help and the grace I did receive and the unearned and undeserved gifts given to me displayed the love of Christ to me in a very tangible way. Kris

:iagree: Amen and Amen! This is my first post on a political thread but I just had to let you know that I think you are right! I can't wait until the election is over!

Just for fun and to test the tag feature, which I've been afraid to try previously, I added two tags, the maximum I was permitted. Cool feature!

We're working on our debt snowball too. We save up for school expenses and never use the credit card to pay for materials anymore. By changing this one behavior and only paying with cash in the bank, our expenses have gone down. I only buy books the library doesn't have or that will be used for several months. Before DR, I bought complete Sonlight cores, including all the books and charged them. Now I use TOG, but I get almost all the books from the library. I use the Sonlight reader schedule but also get those from the library. I'm way more thoughtful and careful about what I order, whereas, before I charged a lot of materials I didn't use because someone on a board used them and loved them and I thought I had to try them. I don't try to get by with only free resources, but I do look at the price and consider cost vs. benefit before I buy. Kris

I don't think it's accurate to portray only one political party as responsible for this mess. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/10/us/politics/10fannie.html http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0708/11781.html Both parties and both candidates have taken money from lobbyists pushing for deregulation. Kris

I use a razor blade and a damp dish cloth. Works great. Kris

This is a really good book that addresses what young nonchristians think about Christianity and why: unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity... and Why it Matters by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons This was a really thought provoking book for me. Kris

I'll be taking my mother back to the airport on that day. Bummer. Maybe I can catch you all next time! Kris

My 3rd grade daughter has had similar issues with spelling. Last year she spelled the word "do" as "doow." Those were the sounds she heard. We've been using Sequential Spelling this year and the difference is amazing! And she doesn't cry over spelling anymore. She thinks about spelling now and the patterns in words. Rewriting words and sentences just wasn't doing it for her. It was busy work and she hated it. And even if she got the word right on the test at the end of the week, she could never write it correctly in her writing. I can't say enough positive things about Sequential Spelling. Kris

And I live in O'Fallon! Yep, small world! Kris

We tried it and ditched it. The crying was just not worth it for me. My daughter tends to get very uptight and nervous when she is being timed and VB just made it worse. She got extremely frustrated when she couldn't move to the next page and her frustration and upset caused her to make even more errors. It was tortuous for both of us. Kris

I have adult ADHD inattentive type. I took Concerta for several years but don't take it anymore. I also went to a counselor who specializes in treating women with ADD. What works for me: Exercise Fish oil Good multivitamin Waking and sleeping at the same time every day I used to drink coffee and tea throughout the day. My counselor advised me that this form of self-medication does more harm than good. It does help for a little while right after you consume it. But after a few hours, when it wears off, it drops your brain function even lower than it was before. It's kind of like eating a bunch of sugar. You get the short-term buzz, but then you feel even worse, with low blood sugar, when it wears off. She told me that taking prescription medication is actually much better for your body than caffeine. I no longer do either. Part of my journey has been learning to accept myself and the way my brain functions. I've learned that in some circumstances it can be a "deficit" but in many others it can be a gift. I read every book I could find on the subject which helped me understand my limitations and my gifts. I quit trying to fit myself into the expectations of others, including my parents, and started accepting myself, flighty brain and all. This turned out to be much better therapy for me than chemicals. Kris

That was hilarious! :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

You are beautiful, Mrs. Mungo! Kris

I personally don't show much cleavage because I feel a little uncomfortable and exposed when I do. I also make sure my daughter is dressed conservatively. But I don't get why so many women "don't want to see it." Why does it matter if you see the cleavage of other women? Is it because you just don't like to see breasts? Why not? Or are you worried your husband will see it and think impure thoughts? Why does it really matter how someone else chooses to dress? Maybe as an artist, my tolerance level of the human body is different. But I don't get why it bothers so many women to see exposed breasts on adult women. Kris

I also burned myself the first time! Really, really badly. I hit the top of hand, near my thumb and forefinger, on the element on the top of the oven. It's still nasty, two weeks later. I've since started pouring the water from the side of a dry measuring cup which I hold with an oven mitt. Kris

Were we supposed to memorized this? Give me a big fat "F"! :tongue_smilie: Kris

Yes! It is THE favorite magazine in the house. Everyone fights over it and it's always a search of bedrooms and bathrooms to find it. Our parents love it also and are very happy with the subscription. Kris

Both my sons who are in the military, one deployed, are voting for McCain. :) Kris

Last year it was subscriptions to "The Week" magazine. The year before it was movie theater gift certificates. I don't know yet for this year. Kris