http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=communism+by+pipes http://www.amazon.com/Gates-November-Chaim-Potok/dp/044991240X/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1237313882&sr=1-10 Potok's book is a wonderful account of the plight of the refuseniks. We are using it next year with the excellent text on Communism by Pipes a lecturer in the history dept at Harvard. This is another of those very important events in contemporary history that is overlooked in traditional school settings. Some of the worst human rights violations occurred at the juncture of totalitarianism and anti semitism. It is a timely post and I hope the links are helpful to those who are interested in the subject.

1lb bacon 4-6 brats 1 good bottle of ale or stout 1 onion sliced in rings Red potatoes ,sliced pretty thin 4-5 carrots chicken broth 2 cups salt and pepper garlic parsely 8oz sharp cheddar shredded Layer potatoes, onion and carrot in crock until half full. Saute brats for 8 minutes until browned ,remove and keep on plate.Deglaze pan with ale or stout cook down till reduced by half. Place brats and deglazing liquid atop the potatoes. Cook bacon, crumble over all(skip if you want to be healthy) Sprinkle sharp cheddar over this and pour hot broth gently over the whole shebang. Sprinkle with parsley garlic and salt and pepper .Cook for 6-7 hours on low. Comfort food . Almost all the alcohol from the ale will cook out when you add to skillet to deglaze the brats it just leaves this delightful tartness that really makes the dish. No sides needed I think this covers all the food groups .

Silly me why stop with the stew? A nice dark rye or brown bread with sweet butter goes so nicely with this....and roses for the thoughtful cook!

oliveoil 2lb lamb shoulder or leg 8 small potatoes 8 small pearl onion 3 carrots sliced 4 celery sliced parsely, salt , pepper 1 tsp dried thyme 1 bay leaf 2 cups veggie or chicken broth flour for sauteeing lamb Heat a good amount of olive oil heat to medium. Chop lamb into 2 inch cubes, toss in a bit of flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Turn up heat in skillet to get a nice dark brown on exterior of lamb chunks .Set aside for a minute. Deglaze skillet with red wine or broth. Scrape all good crunchy bits into crock . Layer Potatoes onions,carrots celery in cooker . Place lamb chunks atop all veggies. Add parsely, herbs(salt free)thyme and bay leaf pour broth over all and let cook on low for 6 hours. To thicken make roux( butter and flour heated on cooktop) or use cornstarch with a bit of water blend then pour in crock pot to thicken stew a bit. Season with salt, pepper according to taste. My husband and his Irish friends love this .

Having had both injected steriod and pill form I must say that I felt relief after 2 days on the methyl prednilisone but ...the elavil I take helped far more with nerve pain. I would say try it but take exactly as prescribed and be on the alert for negative side effects with your other health conditions. The medrol injections helped me grow a very attractive moustache and made me one angry, pain -riddled, perimenopausal beast woman. It was not pretty. The steroid pills did help for the initial severe pain but the elavil keeps me in a fairly good place. Best of luck as you explore your options.

They rejoiced when my inquisitive self pulled dd at the midpoint of the year . Odd they never did come up with a satisfactory answer regarding differentiation at our local school either. I hope you find home educating both of your children to be exciting and fulfilling . I did not realize how much energy I was wasting on researching , persuading and proving that dd needed challenge. I use the words "wasting energy,"as they had no intention of doing anything differently regardless of what tests were run etc. One week after dd was home it was obvious to our family that this method of education was right for us. It was rather fun to run into her former principal and share that we were still home educating and having a grand time of it,thank you very much.

I am an attorney as is dh. Has your soon to be ex hired an attorney? If not refuse to speak about the law with him and he soon will hire one or be quiet. If he has an attorney he should ask questions of her/him about the difference between legal and physical custody. We strongly advise clients against discussions between them as no good usually comes from it .If the two of you could communicate well and fairly you likely would not be seeking to divorce. I am not trying to hurt you or be unkind I just hate to see the wheels spin this way because I know this will the first of many times you will get drawn into defending , justifying ,qualifying and explaining yourself. No need to do so that is the attorney's job you are no longer in a position where you owe anyone an explanation, justification and the like.If I have offended you or anyone else please accept my apology . If this is at all helpful take what helps and please ignore the rest. I have been at this too long to ignore what is obviously going to be a pattern before you know it. Save your energy for productive and needed use. Caring for children, educating ,serving , working ,praying whatever you do will be more productive than responding to the spin of endless justification.

Jane Eyre A Tale of Two Cities The Jungle Crime and Punishment An American Tragedy

Oh no that is not acceptable for a 27 year old woman. Has she been checked for anemia and had a OB/GYN appt lately as sometimes ovarian cysts/endometriosis and other scary stuff can cause lower back pain. In any event she should go to an orthopedic doc to be sure that the sounds are not from damaged or bulging discs between the vertebrae as permanent nerve damage can occur. I suffer with this malady and to date having seen a neurologist, 2 orthopedic surgeons and a rheumotologist am still unable to know why I hurt occasionally . I know this sounds self evident but check her shoes...she might have a compressed/bulging disc in her back and poor support in the arches and inflexible shoes(Birks etc) can greatly exacerbate the pain. If she has not done so she should see a podiatrist for an exam to see of supports in her shoes and proper shoes can help. It changed my life along with a bit of medication for nerve damage. It is not something she should live with .Feel free to pm if needed of course. Best of luck and bless you for caring about her chronic pain I have often felt very alone due to this . You relieve her pain and frustration by simply listening and giving a darn about what she is experiencing.

Dear Nakia, Dd drove me INSANE for years . She read at 3 , Madeline , Little Bear you get the picture...Would not use the toddler toilet and wore the seat on her head as a crown. For tow years this went on. Lovely. Fast forward to one week before kindergarten she is still having "accidents," refusing to sit on the toilet long enough to actually have a bm etc. I had enough and gently explained that she must use the toilet in order to read her favorite book that is , she was only permitted to read it on the potty. She raged, gnashed her teeth and roared a' la Where the Wild Things Are. I simply removed the book from her room ,placed it on the floor in front of the toilet and repeated my terms. Apparently she is made of stubborn stuff as she continued to try to wheedle me out of my terms. There was no negotiating she loved that book and by gosh she used the toilet. All this one week before kindergarten ,which was a bust since she could read well and do math...so we homeschool. Perfectly able ? Why yes indeedy she could read, write and do calculations up to 100. She just had better things to do than use the potty . Good luck and one other thing . If she cannot resist using the toilet due to eating a lot of fresh fruit that helps as well. My mother reminded me often that stubborness has led to great things being accomplished against all odds . Let's hope this is the case for our young people.

I also have dealt with this in my dd. We homeschooled initially due to the overwhelming allergen exposure at school...parochial ,wearing uniforms , not washing the clothes after playing with cats...it was endless and awful. Soy farming is a very common allergy trigger as well. We have been off singulair for 3 years and only because we learned what she was allergic to and are able to avoid those triggers. It becomes like a carousel ride but not fun. Chronic asthma attacks cause permanent damage a type of scarring of the lung tissue so every time that an attack occurs this damage occurs as well. It is definitely best to use a maintenance product and avoidance of the triggers as opposed to rescue medicine for this reason. It is just a really tough situation as well once you know the triggers because folks that do not have to deal with this cannot get it through their head that this can kill period. Thus when you cannot go to a house due to cats, dogs or what have you the person often just does not get it that asthma kills and thinks of you as being hypervigilant etc they just have no idea what it is like to see your childs eyes tear up as they struggle to get air.

Aw shoot this is tough. You need an attorney to explain the commitment /conservatorship(financial)/guardianship(the person) process in your state. She should have a social worker at the facility if so that is also a great resource for a referal. Call your state /county bar association and ask for assistance in locating someone who does family law and or disability as they will /should be familiar with your options. I has to go through 2 commital hearings in my immediate family one for a clearly alzheimer afflicted grandparent and the other for substance abuse. They really are emotionally wrenching and I am an attorney so I knew exactly what to expect. I wish you were here in Iowa as I know who to suggest . You are not so I will try to help with suggesting a call to the local bar association by county or state and urging you to seek support for yourself-this is a long haul . http://www.nami.org/ I have lost 2 immediate family members to depression culminating in suicide so I have some idea what you are facing with regard to denial and manipulation by the person with the disease. BTW I have a younger sister who loves being the baby...yes she is just tons of help when the proverbial ....hits the fan. I hope to have helped and if you need help finding an attorney send me a message and I will do what I can to help locate one in your area.

As a victim of bullying I can fully agree with Joanne and urge you to teach by example abd quit permitting your daughter to be victimized. I am sorry that sounds harsh but it is first your duty to protect your children from harm.

Oh yes it is perfect for self study. I actually cringe a bit when I think about teaching formal logic so I am trusting the good folk at Memoria Press with that subject as it is absolutely my least favourite part of the study of philosophy.

You must buy playdoh and molds, sculpey, paints and paper , crayolas and an easel if at all posiible. I am still introducing a new art/craft form to dd now almost 13 who has explored, chinese brush painting, piano, miniature sculptures of any household object you can imagine, cross stitch , needlepoint, crochet and now knitting lace....It is cheaper than therapy for both of us , we make lovely gifts for people and we are almost 24/7 happily carving out time for our many hobbies. It is essential to develop those tactile intelligences as well in order that adolescence and puberty are survivable. I think of our shared interest in creative arts serves as a bridge when we have had a challenging week with school. If you think 3 is too young - rethink that . My mother tired of being locked out of the house, having her appliances methodically taken apart and put me in a Montessori school at 3.5 to save us both...It did work for a while then grade school years were a mess so I was left to do work independently that was appropriately challenging . Not very social but intellectually satisfying.The creative, tactile outlets might save your collective family sanity . Just my .02.:lol:

http://www.amazon.com/David-Phoenix-Edward-Ormondroyd/dp/1930900015/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235446190&sr=1-1 this is a delightful book I hope this helps

I have not seen this so I cannot say if it is the same. His writing is lucid and that for me is crucial. I will try to take a peek and determine if it is the same or not.

http://www.socialstudies.com/c/apworld.html?s@1CxgSIkWhiGqg everything you need I love this company . I would preread some of the suggested texts depending on the sensitivities of your child some things are just a stretch emotionally for a 12 year old. I am in the same boat and it is very challenging to find things that push dd to tackle complex syntax but do not describe torture . The books suggested are excellent but might be too much. Perhaps that is just my sensitivity I threw up in AP World History while watching Night and Fog, burst into tears reading Fahrenheit 451 by Bradbury for Literature and so on. Just thinking out loud here...

I really do not give students the benefit of the doubt maybe because I worked full time, carried 18-21 hours per semester and never earned less than an A. I really felt very fortunate because my parents made it clear that their wealth was theirs, not mine by virtue of being born to parents who were professionals and hence fully able to fund all college costs. They paid for all coursework, texts and related expense I paid for living expenses. If I did not meet expectations the funding was not available next term. I have tutored at both the undergrad and post grad level (law) and can say sadly I have never met a student who could not do the work if it was made a priority. Sad but true. They do not care. Cheating to achieve grades to please their parents? Nope. Not one I have met. Cheating because they did not do the reading or note taking that is mandatory to succeed? Yep all the time. I do not tutor freshman intro to ...students either. Perhaps that is why it is so disturbing to me. If you have made it to third year studies and sign up for a 300 or 400 level course I expect you can read and understand material commensurate with your standing. Those that do not have been given a "gentleman's C" and it was fine with them until they decided to apply to professional/grad school and now need some recommendations from profs due to their stellar performance of late. I would really enjoy tutoring students who want to understand the material and just need support , someone to flesh out ideas with them rather than read the material for them. Plagiarism is a whole other beast. From my limited experience most students truly misunderstand what it is much less how to avoid it. It seems akin to teaching discernment of quality information resources or defining porn...As one Supreme Court Justice famously said,"I cannot say what it is but I will know it when I see it." In my efforts to home educate dd I have found that it is far easier to show what is authentic research and thought of her own rather than to explain plagiarism in and of itself apart from the subject matter being researched. It would seem that my generation wrote research papers and the like without ever using a computer or the internet. I think this might be a factor. The swath of information that is out there is seemingly endless so a cut and paste mentality coupled with the pressure of expediency might produce people who cannot separate the wheat from the chaff. I do not know .

A. Ultimate Good Introduction 46. The Ceasing of Woe , The Buddha 47. The End for Human Nature , Aristotle 48. The Pursuit of Pleasure , Epicurus 49. A Stoic View of Life , Epictetus 50. The Sermon on the Mount , Jesus 51. The Saints of the Desert , W. B. H. Lecky 52. Story of a Good Brahmin , Voltaire 53. Push-Pin and Poetry , Jeremy Bentham 54. Higher and Lower Pleasures , John Stuart Mill 55. Good as the Satisfaction of Demands , William James 56. Desirable Consciousness , Henry Sidgwick 57. Beauty and Friendship , G. E. Moore 58. Truth and Ahimsa , M. K. Gandhi 59. The Right to Be Unhappy , Aldous Huxley 60. The Myth of Sisyphus , Albert Camus 61. The Experience Machine , Robert Nozick 62. The Basic Values , John Pinnis 63. What Makes Someone's Life Go Best? , Derek Parfit B. Deciding What Is Right Introduction I. Natural Law, Natural Rights |c. a. The Theory 64. Of the Natural Law , Aquinas 65. Our Rights in the State of Nature , John Locke 66. Declaration On Euthanasia , The Vatican 67. Absolute Human Rights , John Finnis 68. The Rationality of Side Constraints , Robert Nozick 69. Moral Aspects of Sterility Tests , Gerald Kelly b. Criticism 70. Provincial Letters , Pascal 71. Natural Rights , Jeremy Bentham 72. On Nature , John Stuart Mill This is a partial list of the philosophers covered in the text. Singer's writings are not included. He is certainly thinking outside of his "comfort zone," by including Jesus Christ and The Vatican in the chapter on Natural Rights.Again there is a difference between normative ethics and descriptive ethics. This book falls into the category of the latter.

It is a reader and the book is a collection of ethics readings from various time periods in history. I urge you to read Singer even if only to know exactly why you vehemently disagree with him. That is the purpose of reading ethics. Some ethics courses are normative others simply seek to expose the student to various schools of thought and leave the discussion to the instructor at which time the instructor can absolutely pick the entire system , its presuppositions and conclusions to pieces. Again, that is the point of studying ethics . Normative or prescriptive ethics would be applied in the following manner. Studying the system of thought and then applying the principles to the ethical question and intending to convince or demonstrate to the student why the system is valid. I think homeschooling is perfect for both a normative and expository approach. BTW assuming that Singer would be a poor or inappropriate editor due to a disagreement with his philosophical analysis is a violation of the rules of informal logic.The one that comes to mind is Ad Hominem and or Poisoning the Well. For what it is worth, I happen to find many of Singer's conclusions in Practical Ethics unacceptable but for entirely different reasons than one might suppose. The link I posted has a table of contents for those who wish to see the authors covered in the book and they can judge for themselves accordingly. If you only wish your student to read and think about ethical positions you agree with then perhaps it would be best to only study normative ethics. To do so , in my opinion, makes the study of ethics mere indoctrination regardless of one's moral and ethical positions on any given subject. This is not practicing or the doing of philosophy in my estimation.

http://books.google.com/books?id=kswimguc5uYC&dq=informal+logic&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=R2JEM5sS8Y&sig=CrRkC-EBAj0jArtAD2vLfRFWQpQ&hl=en&ei=WDiiSfutBJ6DtweShsn6DA&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result Superb for informal logic and a must for its cost and utility. We are using this in our home and I just cannot wait to dig right in. I have a degree in philosophy and cannot recommend this text highly enough. It is secular .

http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/Philosophy/EthicsMoralPhilosophy/?view=usa&ci=9780192892454 My undergrad major and to this day the one subject I never tire of. This ethics reader published by Oxford ,edited by Singer provides an excellent overview regarding the historical development and types of ethical systems. For the money and breadth of coverage it does not get better than this. I would suggest prereading the text and cribbing my own thoughts , reactions and understanding in a notebook to serve as a discussion guide. These courses are mandatory for attorneys and physicians but I feel come far too late in the vocational development to sculpt a point of view that is informed by reason rather than prejudices or emotive responses to inquiry. Unfortunately it seems that popular tastes of late have run toward the indulgent and entitled perspective. My alma mater now has 5 pages of the student handbook dedicated to defining cheating/plaigarism and the penalties for violation. It is very sad to see. However I think they have asked for it by abandoning the blue book exam method which clearly demonstrates ability and knowledge for multiple choice exams . For me this is a sign of the decline of civilization. That is not said in jest.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29318945/ Ireland-really??? Not to mention the fact that The Troubles are far from over.