The beer analogy applies to the Federal Income Tax. ALL people pay federal and local taxes on their phone bill, consumer purchases, and fuel. The people in the upper tax brackets pay into Social Security and Medicare also. What I don't understand is how people who don't make enough to pay taxes get a tax refund. How can you get a "refund/credit" of something that you didn't even pay in the first place? Can anyone explain this to me? Not that I mind a nice refund check now and then.... -K

I really want him to find some like-minded friends, but it has been difficult. We do karate and he participates in game night at the library. I am not very social myself, and therefore, not very helpful in modeling making friends. His father is more social, so I'm hoping he can guide him better. He seems to enjoy his "cyberfriends" and I let him spend probably too much time online, but he's either discussing roleplaying, programming or helping people with their projects (writing, illustration ideas, etc.). He does other stuff (draw, legos, wii, bikes,reads) with his free time, so iit doesn't seem like he is on the computer a lot - but he probably is on it a lot more than most people here.

Is Loop Scheduling based on hours? Do you devote x time to math, x time to grammar, x time to science? I have some subjects that take 1/2 hour and some that take 1 hour. Do you block them together - do them back to back? I can't get a handle on this, but I'm interested in it. TIA K

Somebody should blow the doors off this whole school fund-raising racket. The front of whatever catalog of "goodies" should have the percentage of profit that actually goes to the schools printed in BIG BOLD numbers. Perhaps a math lesson on profit/percentages/etc. is called for? How dare the school spend one minute gathering the students up for a pep-rally of sorts to showcase the prizes for selling the most whatever. I can't believe parents put up with this for one minute. Ugh. :rant: K

Discover give cashback. Chase gives cash back/credit against your charges every month. http://www.rewardscards.com/chase-credit-cards.asp hrh K

My business partner took a side job this week (it's not the same "business" we do together LOL!), so we had to get to work early this morning. I'm talkin' 2am. Yes, we are dedicated employees. It's been too hot for socks, but socks will resume in a few weeks. However, the recycling never lets up.:tongue_smilie: K

and the Christian in me keeps praying about it. Go figure.:001_huh: I too tend to gravitate towards secular boards. I feel like a fraud when I'm in mostly Christian groups. This is MY problem. I don't blame anyone and no one has made me feel unwelcome. I just think there is an assumption in our area that you home school for religious reasons. I remember being really turned off at homeschool gathering when the lead speaker suggested that we all agreed that "The Golden Compass" was a movie that we shouldn't see. I will make that decision for myself, thank you. Please offer up your arguments and don't just make a blanket statement... FWIW, I was also turned off to my library's book group because the discussion leader said, "I think we all agree that George Bush stole the election." Um, no.... I didn't know I was at a covert meeting of the DNC, I thought I was at a BOOK discussion group meeting? "Groupthink" turns me off. :rant: Okay, I'm done. Back to school. K

My friend that I described in this post (financially out of the loop) has chosen to stay in her marriage. Her dh makes six-figures and she has no access to any of it. He has had affairs (one produced a child) and threatened her. She is a beautiful, well-educated, Christian woman who has chosen to stay... Be forewarned. The few times she came to me and poured out the truth about what was going on (all the stuff she had discovered - affairs, hiding money), I told her she should leave him and he was a terrible person. Since she decided to stay with him, our friendship has wilted to nothing. Pray for your friend and tread lightly. K

Her dh excluded her from any of his income (she has no access to his bank accounts, etc.) He keeps a P.O Box for his mail so she doesn't see any statements. They have separate checking accounts, etc. She works and pays 1/2 the mortgage and any childcare expenses. He pays 1/2 the mortgage and the basics (he make 4x's what she does). At one point, he threatened to cancel their only joint credit card. She quickly took it and bought gift cards at the local gas, grocery and department stores so she could provide food for their child if he went through with it. He was angry but couldn't do anything about it. At this point, I'd advise your friend to do the same and then speak to her clergy and then a lawyer.. My friend always says "It's all about HIM." I bet your friend would say the same. K

that way he can justify his BIG DODGE TRUCK. We have three 32 gallon cans in the garage. Those are all he takes to the dump. I drop off our recycles once a week at a nearby collection can (less than 2 miles) drop off. We don't make as much trash as others due to our rabid recycling (all paper, plastics and cardboard). My next project is a compost pile. K

It's upbeat for sure!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPUJIbXN0WY Get's me off my feet. K

My bf has four children. She never read to them when they were babies. I'd give her board books, the early readers, number puzzles etc. The books sat on her shelves, the puzzles scattered about and then discarded. Learning was what they would do in school. Her kids preferred the tv and then video games to books and puzzles. She let them have unlimited tv and video games until they went to ps. Well, they are in school. All can read very well and excel at math. Go figure. K

the year my oldest was born, I bought and traded online. I watched my AOL stock climb and climb (wasn't I just the smartest mommy!). Every morning as I nursed, I watched the little ticker go up, up and up. Easy money. Well.....I couldn't accept that it wouldn't keep going up. It doubled so quickly, surely it would keep going....HAHAHA The last few years we have taken losses on our AOL/TW shares to offset my dh's better selection of stock pics. K (retired daytrader)

but every time I see him, I think of.... Matt Dillon. However, I think MB is better looking.

he will be 12 in less than 2 months. We have ONE more subject to get through. I need a breather. That yellow bus looks so darn inviting. He sounds exactly like yours. He cries over the fact that he has more work than his brother (a year 1/2 younger). He goes from sweet to sour in one second. No advice, just wanted to shout out to you that you are not alone today... :chillpill::chillpill::chillpill: K

Used VW TDI's with over 100K on them go for 10K+ around here. I don't think VW is having a hard time selling new ones either. Honda has been selling diesel Accords overseas for years.... Here's an award winning advertisement for the Honda diesel... ;-) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puGvk1RgmrE

Peek a Boo (a visit at Borders) Kathleen in Va (seen carrying 1 gallon glass jar at Walmart -- the same day I read about them HERE and go to Walmart to find one of my very own I run into her carrying THE jar!) I also met GSMP (Ginger), Alice and Cami at a local park earlier in the summer. I probably forgot somebody (I'm terrible with names). Sorry. K

Plus, I get hand-me-downs and shop Goodwill. We are not named-brand shoppers. They wear sweats and t-shirts and own one pair of nice jeans each. I buy their coats off the end-of-year clearance rack at Khols ($25 for TWO coats). Socks and winter boots we buy new for the oldest and then pass down to the youngest. Underwear is bought new and NOT passed down, however. K (single income living in expensive Northern Va - bargain shopping is not optional)

Perhaps you can buy some clear CD sleeves and hang them on a cork board on the wall next to the computer? I would just tack them up when they are not in use. hth K

pancake mix spaghetti sauce Mac Cheese popcorn (microwave in a lunch bag) muffins mashed potatoes pizza (on the grill, no less!) due to my dh stomach issues, we don't eat anything out of a box (Rice R Roni, stuffing, mac cheese etc) K

if you want to see what a stoned teenager looks like, I can post my dear brother's 11th grade high school picture...... - smirk, slight red-face, and bloodshot eyes.... Needless to say, my Mom was not too pleased!! BTW, my kids are in Karate and they'd flip over a cool shot like that! K

send this letter to your local newspaper and governing body (Board of Supervisors, in my case). I don't think the police or the schools will respond with much more than a form letter. They need other pressure. The best you can hope for is better monitoring of student drivers due to public pressure. If the school tries to band or reduce student drivers, then they will hear public outcry from parents. Local high schools raised their student parking pass fees to $80/year and parents even complained about that. FWIW, We have crazy teenage drivers all over this county and they frequently get killed on the more rural roads in our area (inexperience and speed are the main factors). The political answer seems to be to add shoulders or widen these rural roads at a substantial cost to the taxpayers. My feeling is that if you add shoulders and widen roads, it makes a nice "passing lane" for those graduates of the "Fast and Furious" driving schools. Honestly, I avoid going anywhere at the time high-school lets out. It's not worth the risk. I realize you can't avoid them. Sorry. K

2 to 3 days a month I feel like I could just get in my car and drive out of my life (not suicidal, just urge to leave). I dislike everyone and everything in my life. Other than this dislike, I feel NOTHING for these 2 to 3 days. I feel like I'm some other person. When I am going through this, I can't verbalize it. The words won't come. I am just a quiet, weepy mess. My dh is left puzzled and in my mind, he can't help me. I'm trying to figure out the source. I just wanted to buzz in and say BTDT (and every month, I do it again...). :grouphug: K

We were married in 1990. A friend of mine sang "Wind Beneath My Wings" during the ceremony. The rest of the music was classical (piano and trumpet)...picked out by my father-in-law (musician).

2 or 3 season viewing cycle....(like 24, Rescue Me, The Shield) Thankfully, newer House episodes are available.:tongue_smilie: I sure miss Boston Legal.:001_unsure: -K