This will be the third presidential election since the boards opened. It has always served you well to ban election debates in tbe past, and the community has always fared just fine. We've come to accept it as your rule. I'm not sure why you're considering a change in policy this year... is there a compelling reason? To me, the boards don't seem any more diverse now than they were back then... there's just more of us. Just more of the same, but it's still the same, kwim? The sheer volume of people wanting to debate politics is probably more a reason to stay the course and thank goodness you had the rule to begin with, not the other way around. JMO. If I recall, threads that were information sharing were not swept up in the ban - only threads where people were arguing about their opinions. Good luck. I don't envy you!

Thanks so much everyone! It was a lovely day... Krista, you're the first person I've met who shares my birthday! Hope you had a great day, too!! Robin

Ellie, I'm very sorry about your friend. One of my best childhood friends delayed a mammogram after feeling a lump and in the end it cost her her life (passed away last summer, the week of her 50th birthday). My very best friend in the whole wide world has never in her life had a mammogram. She felt something, went to get it checked out, and was diagnosed with cancer the week of her 50th birthday (about a month ago). Chemo has begun and she will be facing surgery in a few months, probably a mastectomoy. Yeah... get those routine exams, ladies. Robin

These don't look like they'd line up in a book case very neatly... don't the discs get in the way? Someone tell me - what is the advantage to this system over a regular ring binder?

A local classical school here meets only four days a week and they say that they have never not completed a book/course... it works great for them, so I guess it's very doable! Robin

Deb, no confusion! I pretty much understood that you used it the same year you do world geography (not that it is itself a geography course), and that this opens up the opportunity to cover/discuss various world religions. I really like the idea, to be honest. I had not thought about if. Thanks again! Robin

Deb, we are doing a world geography course next year (at least that's the plan)... the Josh McDowell book would be perfect! Thanks! Robin

Even sadder is the fact I never saw any typos in your post :) Thanks for your thoughts. I've heard so many people say that it was the best course they ever did with their middle schoolers... I probably need to reprioritize and commit to the program as a whole. I think I might regret it if I don't. I am leaning towards doing this at home, but my dd really wants to take the class. The teacher is well known and loved around here, and she has friends who will be in it. That might be a good thing, actually. I could interact with her during the week and still get the "family experience", I suppose. But I like the of setting our own pace, too.... DECISIONS, DECISIONS!! Thanks again, Angela.

I'm getting ready to take a box of used BJU to the local homeschool store to sell (they buy and sell used books). You can PM me and tell me what you're looking for... maybe I've got what you need. Robin

Donna, thank you so much for posting the link! Very interesting and useful questions and notes... I'm embarrased to say that I would have a little trouble answering/guiding some of those questions/discussions. I probably need to work through this myself first... Thanks again, I will definitely be using this resource. Robin

Beth - the homeschool week of that academy is within an hour's drive of my home. I'm looking forward to dd attending it as well. We were going to do it this year but money is a little tight :(. Thanks for the ideas and the links! Robin

Thanks, Beth. The list looks very good. We are actually thinking about sending dd to one of their camps (either Baylor in the summer or the homeschool camp in the fall). So this is a very helpful list! Thanks again~ Robin

Jackie, that looks interesting! Thanks... I'm going to try to find reviews/descriptios of it. Video based might be a good break from all our other book-based work. Thanks!

Angela, let me pick your brain (since you are fmailiar wtih SP)! First, I think I might not have made myself clear - I just meant that I didn't want SP to take up so much time every day that it elbowed out other bible or literature studies. According to the website, SP requires almost two hours a day, 4-5 days a week. That's a LOT. How important to the program do you think the notetaking and writing assignments are? How effective would the program be without them? It's interesting you mentioned that, because I was thinking the same thing. Another option is a local homeschool class offering this course (and the teacher is supposed to be very good)... I *could* put her in that, freeing up some of my time and effort, and then she and I can just discuss as she goes along, but I'm worried about a) it taking so much of her time that I'll have to drop some things I've got planned for history/literature, and b) she won't be working through this with *me*... this seems like such an important thing to discuss as a family, kwim? Any thoughts? Thanks, Robin

Not sure I want to go with Quine, but I don't know what my alternatives are if I want a good introductory worldviews course for my 13yodd. I don't want the course to take the place of bible or literature or anything that formal... just something conversational to help guide us through the basics. Any recommendations? Thanks, Robin

Thanks, Beth. You know, I think I'm coming full circle back to my first plan which was to go with Henle and use LL only for reading... I don't have enough latin to teach it myself and I'm not interested in an online class for latin this year. My sil threw me for a loop with LA! last night, but honestly, it is brand new and level 2 won't be out till next summer. My dd has already had Latin I and I need a program that will allow us to progress to second year by winter or so... I don't want to get bogged down with a schedule that forces us to go slower than we should. With LA!, we could finish it up early and not have the next text for months. *Not* what I want!! Thanks for all your helpful responses. Robin

Thanks, Jackie! That looks like a good alternative. I'll check into it. Robin

I know what you mean! It's the only reason latin got done last year... I'm taking a huge risk, I know. There will definitely be a lot of "huh?" going on around our table next year! :)

Thanks, everyone! I guess I should pick up a copy of the new edition, eh? Glad to hear about the recommendation... Robin

I didn't realize they were still around. I actually thought about them the other day... They were really big in this area for a number of years, but then Mr. B. got into trouble with the law (supposedly obtained chemicals for persons who were using them to produce an illegal substance, something like crack cocaine... Mr. B. said he didn't realize that's what they were using the chemicals for, but the feds didnt think he could possibly have sold the chemicals in that quanity without having some idea... yadda yadda... don't know all the deatils, but Mr. B. ended up making a deal that required his confession to a lesser crime and a mandatory sentence). Labs in a box practically disappeared after that. So that's the history... you're going to hear about it sooner or later, so might as well hear it now. I think there were more people than Mr. B. involved with the company, so it was a sad situation for them. Maybe they're trying to resurrect it? I haven't seen their presence at the local homeschool conventions, though, so I don't know... My concerns would be that Mr. B.'s lectures that come with the labs were tied to Bob Jones texts, and I think just about every single BJU science text since "the incident" has been updated. I do not know whether or not the labs are effected, though. Not trying to spread bad reputation or anything... it's only fair that you should know, and I would definitely check into the compatability of the labs to the new texts (or to other texts/curriculum if you're not using BJU). Other than that, they were always well received - I never heard a bad review. HTH Robin

I had dinner with my lovely sil last night, who teaches latin at a classical school. They've used LL for a number of years and are switching to LA! this year. They haven't been extremely pleased with the results they've received with LL (she admitted it could be due to inexperienced teachers - she said her class did fine), but more importantly they want to focus more on actual latin writings (not invented stories) and roman culture and history, etc., and how the text will prepare better for the NLE, etc. They are very excited about LA!. Okay, so now I'm taking a second look at my plans. Any comments? The LA! publishers will be at our conference this Friday, so I'll have a chance to look at it and talk to them... Robin

Thanks, Beth and Jackie, for the information about the online classes. I'm worried about doing anything online this year because I'm just not sure what pace we'll need to take, given our studies last year... I think I want to be able to slow down or speed up as needed. It is tempting, though... Thanks again!

I haven't made up my mind yet, and it definitely helps to know that you would return to LL as your sole text with another student. Thanks for chiming in. Hope all is well! Robin

I am trying to finalize my decision about latin for next year, so I went back to TWTM to re-read its recommendations for logic and rhetoric stage latin. Henle is not mentioned. (I have the first edition) Does anyone know why Susan didn't recommend Henle? Sometimes she will make comments about her recommendations when questioned at a convention, etc., so I'm just wondering if anyone has heard her reasons... Robin

If only I had a DVR... sigh. If they make official DVD's available for the ceremony, I will buy it! :)