My son read this as part of his OM curriculum. He really enjoyed it (was 9 at the time).

Don't blow a gasket! It is always the "bad apples" that give the rest a bad name, regardless of what issue. (ie, bad teachers give all teachers a bad name, irresponsible homeschool parents give the others a bad name, rude nurses give competent, caring nurses a bad name - see where I'm going on this :))

Yup. Course, those who hold firmly to other religions would not consider themselves atheists. And I'm pretty sure any atheist would say that they don't just NOT believe in the Christian god, they don't believe in any god. I'm not really sure if Christians believe in lesser gods (my study of the Bible would lead me to believe that this belief has been a historical one for the people of the Bible). I think atheist and agnostic are self-selecting labels. One cannot foist these labels upon another, but they can be embraced by an individual to explain or describe a set of beliefs (or non belief, as the case may be). Now that I type that, I realize that labels should not be foisted upon anyone.

well, nonchristian does not necessarily mean atheist or agnostic. I'm not saying you are suggesting that, but sometimes I think a Christian may believe if some person does not profess faith in the Christian god, that person is automatically atheist or agnostic. Other times certain posters have not indicated a stance on matters of faith or religion, but assumptions are made by reading their posts on different issues. ETA: I also do not know what poll you got your 14% figure from. Surely not this one, since it does not address atheism or agnosticism.

Well, we're not technically a 1 income family, since I work part time, but when I *save* money, I count it as extra money earned. And I don't mean when I buy something on sale. I mean when I reduce a monthly bill or save a substantial amount on something we considered necessary to buy. I've discovered Aldi's ground coffee is just as good as my favorite Duncan Donuts and half the price I freeze in the winter to lower heating costs Dh is uncomfortably warm in summer to lower cooling costs If refinancing is an option for you, rates are low and could result in substantial monthly savings We don't carry credit card debt (saves on interest), but if you do, consider calling the cc company and requesting a lower interest rate. Sometimes this works, and will save money over tiim After I make a change, I tally up the amount saved and count that as money I earned for our family budget. Does that make sense?

I always wonder at these polls. there seems to be a reoccurring effort to categorize people (posters) according to religion, and I'm not sure why. To know whom to avoid? To feel more secure if the poll results favor one's own religious proclivity? Is this a phenomena that is present in society (of which I am unaware) and simply reflected by these types of polls in this forum?

This is a very complex and sad issue. I agree that pedophiles are in every walk of life. It is, however, your last comment I want to address. While you may be right that certain people have an anti-Catholic bias or agenda, I think the reason for the outrage against the Catholic Church over the pedophile priests issue stems from the fact that it is a very large religious organization and one that sets itself apart as the moral authority on all things from capitol punishment to birth control. When an organization that claims to have such moral authority shows a lack of morals, it is news. It makes news when police officers steal. It is makes news when doctors are caught drug dealing. The irony of the very public moral position juxtaposed with the crime that makes (some) people sit up and take notice (attack, even). Papers aren't sold by pointing out that criminals do crime. People want to read about how the mighty have fallen, how the upstanding have slipped, how the pure have been shown to be soiled. I, personally, expect more from the churches. I expect pastors not to steal, priests to be chaste, rabbi's not to cheat - especially after exhorting their congregations regarding these exact things according to God's word. I forget that these men are, after all, just men. I expect that since they claim to speak to and for the one true god that their lives would align more closely with what they claim that god wants for everyone else. They are, after all *leaders of the faith* and should be held to a higher standard. My opinion only.

I used to work for the sheriff's dept. We appreciated goodies at shift change. A note about the incident with your thanks is good, too (it will get posted where all can read). I second the grocery store gift card idea for the firefighters. There is much they may need and all the firefighters I know just buy stuff out of their own pocket or put money into a kitty (not an actual kitty, but a pot or whatever). My friend's dh is a volunteer FF and they used to have a big popcorn machine (like they use at ballgames) that made theater style popcorn. It broke and they wanted to dip into the kitty to pay for repairs. Someone got wind of it and bought them a new one. My friend is forever taking snacks over to replenish the cupboards with what she knows they eat. Never know what the guys at the station will appreciate, but they all like thanks and food. ETA: Thanks for making me choke back tears and pretend like I have allergies. That will teach me to read things like this in public! Great story!

No worries. :)

Really? Do you really want to go around in that circle again? I don't.

Well, patient noncompliance is a huge issue in healthcare, regardless of patient age, so I don't think "not listening" is restricted to teens.

I didn't see anything here stating that healthcare professionals did not (or at least did not attempt to) educate patients. :confused:

My boys have often said they think I'm the only mom who plays video games with her kids (I'll let them keep thinking that, even though you all are proving that wrong). Sometimes I stay up late trying to beat their scores. Dh once asked what we would do if the XBox360 broke, and I said, "Why go buy another, of course. Same thing we'd do if anything essential broke" I put it in the same category as my car, but slightly below running water. :tongue_smilie:

Well, you could expect quite a lot of things, until you were educated otherwise. Healthcare professionals will educate patients.

yes, no droopy post baby breasts at VS. They don't need underwire like I do.

THAT is totally my style! It has enough coverage in front (some of the others I was afraid would show my areola). And the nice, wide straps look as if they wouldn't cut into my shoulders. Lightly padded (as opposed to push-up pads), underwire, and order by cup size! Woot! I could have sworn that I looked at all the tops, but didn't see this one. Course if I like it in real life, I'll have to walk around with one arm cocked behind my head all day. :tongue_smilie: ETA: Thank You!

Thanks, Mrs Mungo. I think I'll have to try these on. I'm not sure I can get my facial expression just right to wear them, tho! :D The wrap one, although not underwire, seems like it could hold up to kid wrangling without any err...spillage.

Lands End! They last a long time, too. Here's the link to the one I have. they also make it in long-sleeved ETA: These are the shorts I wear. They dry almost as I am exiting the water and provide excellent sun protection. I've been thinking about getting a bikini bottom to go under, but I'm more confident about showing my jiggley mamabelly than I am my too-much-time-in front of the computer butt/thigh combo. Sometimes I wear a swim mini, but the panty crawls.

Yeah, but see how they all seem to tie behind the neck? Am I the only one who doesn't like this? I have a coupon for a free panty, so maybe I'll go the actual store and look.

I wear swim shorts and a bikini top. I'm pretty active getting in and out of the water with the kids when we're at the water and the swim shorts are just comfortable. Plus no problems with creeping that other bottoms seem to give me. I like to wear a bikini top and throw a rash guard over that for versatility & sun protection. So, I'm set on the bottoms and the rash guard but I'm having a problem finding a top I like. Does anyone know of a swim top that's like a bra? I need support (darned gravity), and the tops that tie behind the neck hurt and give me a stiff neck. I've looked at Lands End. they have a cute one with straps that go over the shoulder, but it is soft cup and that really is not enough support for me. Well, they do have underwire ones, but all the underwire tops seem also to come down over the belly. If I want to hide my mamabelly I'll put on a rashguard. So does such a thing exist? A bikini top with underwire support and straps that go over the shoulder as opposed to tying behind the neck?

I'm glad you asked, and hope I can articulate my views adequately. I think there has been a slow progression (over a few generations) of removing death from everyday life. People are no longer allowed to participate in the death of loved ones, or even witness it since the majority of death happens in hospital. Perhaps this is coupled with the lack of desire on the part of families. Therefore, death has become something to be avoided. This avoidance has morphed into an attitude that not only can we avoid witnessing or participating in the death of loved ones, we can delay death almost indefinitely. This progression is partly because of the medical profession, but also because of the changing demographics of the US. No longer do multiple generations live in the same house or even the same town. Two incomes are necessary, so nobody is able to care for grandma/grandpa. And don't get me started on nursing homes and the frequency of family visits and/or involvement in the lives of their elderly relatives. Part of this is also because people are living longer and longer (or being kept alive longer and longer) so it is somewhat circular. As with most complex issues, there is no simple answer. Fix one area and a dozen more will surface, all interrelated. Okay, by "participate" I don't mean "facilitate." I mean, hold the hand, wipe the brow, clean the poop and vomit. that kind of participate. It is similar to how childbirth has morphed into a medical condition. I'm not really an advocate of homebirth, but neither do I think an uncomplicated childbirth needs a plethora of injected drugs, IV fluids, extensive monitoring, etc. But just as we don't expect to experience death, we do not expect to experience pain. Childbirth is messy and painful. Except in the hospital. Whisk away the mess and pound on the counter before you're even admitted demanding the "good" drugs or epidural (not YOU, you, general you). What has caused this shift? The "miracle of modern medicine?" The excitement of one generation over medical technology that is commonplace in the next generation? Much food for thought on both ends of the spectrum here. So, I asked more questions than I answered. That happens to me all the time. I go looking for an answer and find more questions.

If only this many people got so interested in every bill passed in previous years.

If you find one that does windows too, let me know. :D

we subsidize tobacco farmers....'nough said?

I have to agree with Priscilla on physician owned hospitals. I've worked agency at one. No ER so they don't have to accept patient w/o health insurance. The docs who have part ownership in it funnel all the good insurance carrying patients to the private hospital. All others go to the community hospital. No pharmacist at night (of course the patients who are getting open heart surgery there aren't told this). Beautiful rooms. Top notch food. there are several other physician owned hospitals in the area. None has an ED. One was just successfully (and rightly, I might add) sued because a post surgical patient crashed, they didn't have the resources to deal with it so had to call an ambulance to transport the patient to the community hospital's ED. Yes, it is market driven. but the market is people who base medical decisions on (a) doc's recommendation (b) how nice the hospital looks © convenience. the community hospitals still provide the charity care, medicaid care, self-pay patients, but no longer have the positive revenue stream of insurance reimbursements.