http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pacifism/#3 A superb schematic on the sources for, varieties of and objections to pacifism including non theological bases. I love this particular website and use it frequently for a framework on which to have a discussion with dd on any number of different topics . This resource has been invaluable for us as I approach history through examining underlying ideas and paradigm shifts concurrent with chronological developments.

http://nheld.com/index.htm I think this is it

I think, though, to negatively react to including the Bible in one's homeschool would be the same as someone reacting to bringing the classical myths into one's study or to not introduce the book Siddhartha or Walden to one's high schooler. " Absolutely I couldn't agree more. I had not really looked at the text The Bible as Literature before today and I think it is amazing. Dh also found it to be a great candidate for our homeschool as we have a mixed faith household. I am delighted to have seen the text and will use it next year. __________________

Julie Kenner hsing momma and writer of demon hunting soccer mom series. Next I would try the Kelley Armstrong werewolf series nice technological bits and a compelling mythology to boot. I have read the series linked here and just love it for relaxing fluff... http://www.kimharrison.net/

Cut the tie off that holds the cape on place velcro on back top corners of cape and jammie top -voila Superhero ready to rock in a moments notice and sleep safely...

It is the primary reason we homeschool and in the years we have been using TWTM dd has not once said the proverbial phrase '"I am bored." Quite frankly the minute I held TWTM in my hands homeschooling was the only option for our family. I know how very fortunate I am to have attended a Jesuit university and know that this method is the best way to prepare dd for what will be a challenging curricula at the aforementioned institution. As a philosophy major the resources utilized to achieve a classical education are not new to me but they are IMHO the only writers worth their salt. Much of what passes for education generally in institutional settings is emotive in nature not cognitive. As an example, when studying the Second World War facts , policies, dates and geography are not emphasized enough if at all. Rather an emotional response is pursued without any or limited cognitive work to understand the underlying causes of the conflict . I am not against emotional involvement at all but it seems to be the rule that the goal is to have the students "feel " a certain way about the subject at hand rather than understand it. I find this manipulative and appalling. FWIW as many are aware I am a liberal to the bone. However ,I loathe ineptitude and knee jerk sentimentality as much as the next person regardless of what the stereotype may put forth. Reason , rational discourse and the inter connected nature of knowledge are the values I hold dear and I am convinced that classical education in style and substance will support those values.

Nearly every big to medium city has an open MRI imaging center due to this very common reaction. I am also claustrophobic it was a piece of cake with an open mri it is still earth shatteringly loud and Zelda's comparison to Star Wars is spot on!!!Seriously ask for valium or open MRI . A nifty trick I use when having one of these(4 bad discs , torn rotator cuff I am the queen of MRI machines) is to look at a really complicated picture of a room for 10 minutes or so before and while the clanging , moving obnoxious sounds are going on I close my eyes , generate the picture I have examined studiously minutes before and remove one item at a time until the room is empty-MRI over.Good mental trick for any anxiety producing situation. I hope the MRI gives some valuable information many times they will see a bulge but not anything that should cause symptoms so the result can be inconclusive. Open MRI or meds-settle for nothing less.

I fully understand where you are coming from. I think it seems you know what you think you should do and what your conscience is urging you to do. I think you should trust your gut. You have already thought about this a great deal and know where you stand. I share your beliefs and they are not popular in this age nor have they ever been. If the thought of him participating made you weep, your heart , mind and soul are speaking to you . Just listen. I have always paid attention to my gut and now think that I was calling something "instinct "when it was far from a knee jerk reaction. It was a cumulative process wherein my past experiences, cognitive abilities and conscience all interacted at the same time and my understanding was that it was my gut. Now I think differently that what we often call our gut reaction is a hodge podge of reason, experience, emotion and spirit responding in a split second to a situation. If that seems vague please forgive me as I am tired this evening. Funny you should postabout this subject I just finished reading A Persistent Peace by Father John Dear. What an amazing journey his life has been. http://www.fatherjohndear.org/

If you have an opportunity please listen to the audio as every nuance, every melancholy scene leaps off the pages when "read "as an audio book. Somewhere a Band is Playing is also just wonderful. I had to give a shout out to another Bradbury reader.

What a turbulent episode for the whole family. I cannot imagine the potential harm to dd if she were to return to public school between the lack of parents willing to parent and not be a friend to their child and the absolutely mean girl/bullying female aggression I put up with I just cannot begin to imagine. Please know that in college your lovely dd will find "her people" People that like to read the same books and might introduce her to some new ones, others interested in the music she likes or artform . The possibilities are endless once the blinders of adolescence are gone. I really could not see how very alone I was until I made real friends in college who loved me for who I was and let me say I still remain in close contact with many . The world just opened up for me when I found my nicheand my people.Others who liked reading Hegel and the latest Lillian Braun cozy mystery,women who loved to paint and cook and go to law school all at the same time. What a tough time this can be .I just keep telling my 12 soon to be 13 year old that she will find" her kind of people" in the larger world in a setting where maturity and intelligence are treasured. You can bet your boots she will not go to a big state school either-for me it was a Jesuit university that helped me become all I could be rather than the narrow strictures of my age based peers. She just has to shine it on a little longer and the world is her oyster. Your dd is going to bloom without all the garbage created by a situation where those who are most influential to you lack both experience , judgement and usually intelligence. At no other time in life are we so easily swayed by utter morons as in middle school/high school. I wish it were different but as you have made all too clear ,it is what it is, generally toxic to growing whole , loving and decent human beings. I wish you both a healing and peace filled transition .

http://www.amazon.com/Little-History-World-E-Gombrich/dp/030014332X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230873340&sr=1-1 the best little history book for young people of your dd's age. We used this as a bridge year fill in between Bauer's The Story of the World series and JMRoberts History of the World. It is just lovely in every way and a great overview before going in depth with Ancients. Dd's godfather bought it for her and we have just been enthralled and thus , trying to pass the word out there regarding this terrific little overview.

http://www.yale.edu/ciqle/PUBLICATIONS/AfterThePromise.pdf I am certain that this will not change minds but for those who are interested in reading who sponsored the study, what methods were utilized , it is fascinating. It was featured in a peer reviewed journal aptly named, Adolescent Health. Of course it is authored by two Yale grads thus not a trustworthy source...please this is ridiculous. Disagree with their underlying beliefs , criticize their specific methods including the manner in which the data was gathered but suggesting that a study of this import is to be disregarded and scoffed at due to the presumed socioeconomic/political leanings of the authors is not satisfactory. Read the darn thing and then tear it to pieces if you wish but for gosh sakes I am a bit surprised by the responses here that clearly demonstrate that the study was not read. Articles about the study are not the same thing. http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/505765/description#description Link to description of said journal . Not the New Yorker etc

Dd played this at the library and said it was so much fun...I told her it had no connection whatsoever to playing guitar . The Jimi Hendrix estate should be ashamed that they gave these buffoons the rights to many of his songs. I offered to buy a really nice Fender and amp with lessons because as I told dd :There is nothing like the real deal, if you want to rock ,it is fine with me but you will play a real instrument. And you will get bloody, calloused fingers none of this wimpy plastic button pushing crap. She took me up on it and this summer our excursion into guitar will begin. My brother was an excellent classically trained guitarist who also played blues(R.Johnson, Son House, SRVaughn).I feel sorry for kids who have an interest but no one to steer them into all the great music that is available.

I am well aware and worked in the field and reported accordingly. Even worse the mothers who would accompany their daughters to a check up and willingly shared that the boyfriend was 21 and often older ,they had no problem with it. Often times they would help pay the bills no technical rape in my book that is child prostitution. Objectification and exploitation through the generations...it is sad. I am a mandatory reporter and take my obligation in that regard very seriously.

"The physical immaturity of younger women and women's lower status in society may contribute to disproportionate HIV infection rates. Women's lower status may prevent them from having control of their sexual relationships. For example, studies on women's first sexual experience show that over half of young women in Malawi and over 20 percent of young women in Nigeria experienced forced sexual intercourse.6,7 " From the front page of the article I posted along with my comment thus your comments make no sense. Forced intercourse is precisely what I am referring to it happens all the time in countries other than ours-hence the charge of ethnocentrism. I am all for personal responsibility.

http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/PUBLICATIONS/factsheet/fshivaidsaf.htm Consequences are far too dire to those who cannot help themselves ...I am glad we have a representative democracy so the full range of science and ethics can be utilized toward best practice rather than sex before marriage=deserving of punishment. Ethnocentrism is not good public policy nor does it display critical analysis.

http://www.edtechnot.com/nothealy.html Every argument possible about why computer usage in particular is not the boon to educational excellence or the great equalizer its proponents suggested. Furthermore there is a good body of evidence that suggests developmental delays and alterations in how the brain functions regarding analytical tasks as due to computer usage. Dr Jane Healy and Clifford Stoll(MIT grad) have both suggested that the manner in which our public policy regarding education and poverty as tied to being "wired" or not is haphpazard at best and actually doing harm at worst. I remain committed to the simple idea of time. There is not time to do everything one wishes to do. The problem for me with tech use is what is not being done due to the time commitment and often arguing that ensues regarding proper limits on tech use. If I see one more teenager text during a meal out or while I am tutoring it will be the end of them. Seriously ,what an appalling lack of basic civil manners. Texting while another person is sitting directly across from you trying to communicate with you is the rudest behaviour yet. Colleges that are "wired" likewise produce little difference in student performance but for many the computer in the classroom is but another diversion from the serious task of listening and responding to another person . We have had this discussion at our house and we do have computers as our law office and home are connected. Dd may use the computer for 30 min per day for email to friends and her chess games. That is all. BTW in her spare time, which is abundant due to no video games or the like, she plays piano, is starting guitar(the real deal with a BIG amplifier- we rock around here) , makes jewelry, does peyote bead weaving, cross stitch , crochet and crazy quilting. Additionally she is a great comic artist and serious Xmen afficianado. Her peers find her very interesting indeed...Is technology for young minds inherently bad? I do not know but I have found very little evidence that it bears good fruit compared to other uses of human time and creative energy. Would I let her take a class online? Maybe but what a detached, inhuman experience. Something is lost when you are not in the room looking at the reactions, glances, body language of other students and your Professor while simultaneously pondering your own responses to a query posed to the class. So much is lost and so little gained by the knee jerk worship of technology as a substitute for human communication . As a supplement it might be acceptable in limited circumstances but there is no comparison between playing Guitar Hero and picking up a guitar especially with a slide-The one experience is sterile ,mechanized and requires no musical ability. The other is sublime and can bring a group of loud,even drunk people into silence if you know how to play. I like having that ability and would not have gained it had I been texting , playing video games , talking on the computer all night etc there are only so many hours in a day I prefer my family use them in ways I consider wise and pleasant.

He can borrow a book from the library and download to his ipod or use netlibrary if available and utilize that resource to listen to books on his ipod.I tunes is the method I use to listen to them on my computer or I can download to MP3 or itunes. check your library homepage to see if they have netlibrary or just borrow some cd's and load onto the ipod for listening.

http://www.amazon.com/Between-Silk-Cyanide-Codemakers-1941-1945/dp/068486780X/ref=ed_oe_p/188-7123221-0647465 excellent regarding spies, double agents and cryptography except ...it is real. Try this as dd loved it and I also suggest Simon Weisenthal's book The Murderers Among Us about his efforts to hunt and bring to justice the Nazi war criminals who escaped. I think he would sincerely be engrossed by both of these books, no sex but some detail regarding the atrocities of war, especially this war. However, these two books have kindled a real interest in dd that I had not seen before.

Wow I have not ever contemplated this exact scenario but assume it is a mighty change. Dd is in 8th being hsed by yours truly. I am however convinced from my personal experience and several books I have read including Reviving Ophelia and Hang on to Your Kids Why Parents Need to Matter more than Peers by Gordon Neufeld that there is little doubt that middle school is the pits socially, spiritually , psychologically ad infinitum. Freedom in every area possible is our approach apart from a few core academic subjects . Within those parameters it is choice about musical instrument, art emphasis(jewelry,loom weaving and crazy quilting) and even with the great books for history and literature as TWTMsuggests we give leeway. For every year since 6th we have electives as well. Anthropology, archeology,psychology, informal logic, French and Living Religions of the World are the choices she picks one per year. I find that being flexible regarding reading materials such as Les Miserables or A Tale of Two Cities her choice makes the entire year go much smoother. Hormones are a pain and I am adamant that they not rule her conduct. I just remind her that I understand that biology is part of who she is , maturity is controlling the evil meanies that make her roll her eyes and huff over nothing. She laughs at me says I am batty and we go on. I also find that saying something positive about her work every day helps with the teen meanies. Middle school did so much damage to me and I wish there was an alternative back then. This is no bed of roses either but by golly at least dd will not learn to be shallow, meek or a follower from being suffocated by her own efforts to fit in which invariably lead to destroying an authentic self. She might not see it today but this is the most liberating thing you can do for her to follow her own interests not those imposed by the crowd. Best of luck with your new adventure together . St Francis's quote really says all I need to know about you-everything is going to work out just fine. Peace be with you .

She has since moved back to the UK but two years ago for our Christmas dinner she shared a pudding that had been drenched in whisky daily then covered in cheesecloth. She heated it in the oven ,poured brandy over it and then flamed at the table proceeding to serve with heavy cream. I miss her so very much. She actually lived in Jiddah (sp?)Saudi Arabia for part of the year teaching art(no human figures as it was a Muslim school) and then spent a month here in the US with inlaws and then a stint in UK .Finally, she has been able to retire and runs a pub in England with her dh. In any event that pudding was a force to be reckoned with . I was intoxicated from the fumes alone. Good woman that one.

The Johnny Dixon books by John Bellairs,Laurie King's The Beekeepers Apprentice(great heroine for young ladies)a pastiche of S. Holmes with a unique twist and any books by Agatha Christie. The mysteries by Jane Langton which are transcendentalist in nature are really good and not poorly written. I have been in your shoes and it is tough to find enough variety for dd without succumbing to teen reads or other puerile alternatives. I am extremely liberal in my sensibilities but having said that, I do not appreciate 99% of what passes for young adult literature these days. Try to see if looong series will suffice-Terry Pratchett is a genius and great author perhaps his Discworld series would appeal as well. It is lightly irreverent and very charming . I think his book for Younth in the series is a 3 part series beginning with The Wee Free Men . I hope these suggestions are helpful .