But where will the money for all that come from? Taking 100% of the wealth of all of the nation's ultra rich wouldn't put a dent in it. Over 40% of the population pays no income tax and many of those get a return anyway because of the child tax credit. Most of the rest of us who do pay taxes are not ultra rich and raising taxes will have a crippling effect on our contributions to the economy. Government subsidized anything means that I'm still paying for it, just not directly. And historically, whenever taxes are raised for the "rich" the middle class ends up shouldering most of the burden. So the net result would not be beneficial. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Like I said, I know there are businesses that exploit. I see it all the time too, with people who pay their workers as subs inappropriately so they don't have to pay payroll taxes. But when more laws are passed to tax and regulate these businesses they end up trickling down to the rest of us. There are no distinctions made in the tax code between a business owner that grosses $100,000 a year and one that grosses $1,000,000 a year. We all end up shouldering the same burden, except that it is a much heavier burden for the little guy than the big guy. I guess that is the point that I am trying to make. I see your point, but your second example makes it much more clear than your first. I do think it is unfair to assume that a large markup is automatically "criminal." Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I don't mean to be rude, but this statement shows ignorance about how much it costs to run a business. If I paid one of my employees $9 for an hour it doesn't just cost me $9. I have to pay 7.065% out of my pocket to the federal government (for the employers contribution to Social Security and Medicare). I also have to pay worker's comp insurance, which is a percentage of the wage based on how dangerous the job is. So for my company, our cost for employing someone works out to around 16%. So the $9 per hour just became $10.44 per hour. That doesn't sound like much but I assure you that it does add up over time. And for larger employers that offer health insurance it costs even more to employ someone. Besides wages, I also have to pay rent and buy equipment and supplies and insurance. And business income taxes are horrible. After deductions we pay almost 40% on our net income just to the federal government. So even if we only show $40,000 of income we still pay $10,000. Anyone else making $40,000 pays little to no tax. And we work our butts off in this business, we don't just sit back and make money off of other people's hard work. We work harder than any of our workers. So I don't understand why it is such a terrible thing to want to enjoy the fruits of our labor. As the owners, we assume all of the expenses and all of the risk. Sometimes we end up making less per hour than our employees. So if I charge someone $45 an hour but only pay our worker $9 it's because that is all I can afford to pay them and keep the business running. All of those expenses I listed above would come out of that $45 per hour. We don't make millions or even hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. We don't have health insurance. We don't buy new vehicles or have a nice house or toys or a vacation home. We don't even take vacations. We are still making payments on 2014 taxes. And if the business ceases to be profitable for us we will have to shut it down and then our contribution to taxes and jobs will end. As a small business owner, the problem I see with the "tax the rich" idea is that I don't see it making any distinctions between people like us, who own a business but often struggle to pay the bills, and someone who makes millions or billions. I can tell you that the taxes we have to pay are crippling and we often wonder if it is worth it. Again, I know that this conversation is focused on the ultra rich. It sounds good to think that all we have to do is take more from the .01% but in practice these kinds of "progressive" policies end up being a heavy burden on everyone because the assumption is that if you own a business you have plenty of wealth to spread around. I'm sorry that you think that business owners are "criminal." Some are but most of us are just trying to make a decent living and provide for our families. And it gets harder and harder all the time. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I once overheard my son telling my mother that on a day when he was at home alone all day he had walked to the store to buy himself macaroni and cheese because there was no food in the house. Like I had gone off all day and left him with no food. I had to tell her that what he meant was that he didn't want a peanut butter sandwich or oatmeal or cereal or any of the leftovers in the fridge. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Paula's Choice CLEAR products worked miracles for me and it is affordable. I think they are offering free shipping this weekend. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I am homeschooling a bright kid who couldn't care less about school and for whom the term "self-motivated" is an oxymoron. He is in 9th grade and doing Algebra 1 and probably will not make it to calculus in high school and that's ok. He will not take Biology until 10th grade and that's ok. We'll be doing well if we can manage the bare minimum requirement for foreign language by graduation and that's ok too. However, he can work like a man for a 15 hour work day without complaining. He's a great kid who doesn't cause trouble and loves to help people. When I'm feeling frustrated with him for his lack of effort at schoolwork I remind myself of all of the other things he is good at. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have a fairly straight figure, slim in the hip and thigh with a long rise and I buy Gap jeans. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This. It looks especially ridiculous with a hoodie and muck boots. And the heavy black eyeliner all the way around. It makes your eyes look smaller, I just don't get it! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My son does band and theater at the public high school and will most likely be adding biology and another elective next year. Our school was good this year about putting all his classes on the same day (they do block scheduling). I like having the option but it is a pain in the rear being tied down to a public school schedule. We only live a mile away from the school so he walks most of the time and that helps me out big time. As far as the school environment, he doesn't really like it but does have a handful of friends that he can hang out with. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

AP classes are college level classes. In my experience there are very few 9th graders that are equipped to handle college level work. When I was in high school in the 90s AP classes were not offered until 11th grade and you needed a teacher recommendation. If your child can write a college level essay, read college level texts, understand college level topics and perform college level work then he would probably do ok. My personal opinion is that the first two years of high school is too early for AP but I know that is not a popular opinion right now. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I buy the microfiber fleece sheets from The Company Store. They are warm and cozy and they hold up to a lot. We use our bed as a couch and we have 2 big dogs that sleep with us. We are hard on our things. I still have the first set I bought almost 10 years ago and they really are not worn at all. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My 14 year old is a motormouth. It is getting better but yes there have been and still are times when I just need him to shut up for five minutes or I will lose my mind. Luckily my washer and dryer are in my walk in closet. When I am in there with them both running I cannot hear anything else so I sometimes go hide in there for a few minutes. He gets mad that he yells for me and I don't answer and I just say Sorry, didn't hear you! If it's an emergency he knows he has permission to just barge in without knocking so I don't feel too badly about doing it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Oh wow, where to start? I can't stand hearing people sneeze. I have no idea why but the sound of sneezing makes me want to rip my hair out. I also enjoy cooking but I cannot do it if the kitchen is even a little bit messy. The kitchen has to be totally clean before I can start: sink empty, countertop clean, etc. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well, more than you think, if you are good at packing. Fitting four people plus luggage...it will be cozy [emoji12]. When we were dating my husband had a 1987 Golf that we packed and drove 1000 miles to college in. That poor little thing was LOADED! But they have more room inside than they appear to. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Oh, yes roasted Brussels sprouts are wonderful! I have never put maple syrup on them but I just toss them with whatever dressing I want and spread them on a baking sheet without worrying about which side is up. I stir them a bit a couple of times and that's it. Yum! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My son has always needed a lot of sleep. He pretty much slept from 6:30 to 6:30 until he was five and I had to wean him off his afternoon nap the summer before kindergarten. Now he's 14 and sleeps a good nine hours most nights and I think ten hours would be even better. I think most kids today and even quite a lot of adults are sleep deprived. I need at least nine hours every day and if I don't get it I get a little nuts. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Mine tilts. Once I tried to use my friend's bowl lift model and it seemed awkward to me but I'm sure you'd get get used to which ever one you use regularly and it would be fine. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My son wears a size 14. Hardly any stores carry that size so I don't even bother anymore, I just shop online. Anytime I come across a decent pair of shoes in his size for a good price I order them. And he's still growing. Ugh. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My son will fry a couple of eggs and make a sandwich with them. I've also been keeping frozen waffles in the freezer. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm on the fence. I had all my molars sealed as a child, then went on to need all of them filled as an adult because the sealants fell out or wore away or something. I don't think my dentist was a great one so maybe they were just done poorly? I also didn't go to the dentist very often as a young adult. But I can understand the benefits if the molars are so deep that regular brushing can't clean in there. Although you can buy the Waterpik things and those could probably clean them out. Sorry this is rambling. I guess my advice is that if you choose to have it done just make sure your kids know to see a dentist regularly later on to keep an eye on them. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well, when you frequently are shoveling a foot (or more!) of heavy snow, it does a number on the snow shovel. Plus the cold makes the plastic more brittle so they are more likely to break for that reason. As to the original question of why people freak out, I totally get it for places that don't normally see large amounts of snow. They aren't used to it and are not set up for it--no snow plows, etc. But here in Maine people still freak out and I totally do not understand. Whenever they are forecasting a storm, the news outlets run these stories about how it's going to be the BIGGEST STORM EVER!!!! and the stores get cleaned out of milk, bread, and batteries. I do make sure I have everything I need for a day or two because I don't want to go out in the storm but for crying out loud, it has been DECADES since the days when it took them a week to get back to normal after a big storm. And we don't get the kind of storms like they used to that would dump two feet or more at a time. Now the plow trucks get the roads cleared out in no time and everyone is on their merry way. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

There is a book called All Through The Ages that lists historical fiction and other literature both by historical era and geographical location. The author is Christine Miller. It is a good resource to use alongside a regular history textbook course. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

They know my name but some of them can't spell it...even my father had to ask me how to spell it the other day and I've been married 16 years! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

For a couple of days I can't swim or use the hot tub, even with an ultra tampon (on these days I have to use pads and tampons together). I find that cramps are less severe when I stay active so I try not to just sit around. I definitely like to stay close to home where I know there is a bathroom handy but I generally don't let it interfere with anything I really want to do. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk