Our current property tax in Texas is about 2.5%. We have paid off our house, but the taxes are so high, we will need to sell. I think a higher sales tax would be the better way to go. If I lost my husband or he just couldn't work (he isn't working right now) we would lose the house because of taxes. It is as if we don't own the house.

I just feel awkward asking from so far away. Just feeling a little sad. Seems as if almost the entire older older generation has died in the last 5 years. The only two left, one is in a nursing home and the other is in the process of being moved to a nursing home.

I did not mean 50 was elderly. The other relatives that I referenced as elderly were in their 80's and 90's.

The other relatives I was referencing were in their 80's and 90's. I know 50 would be awfully early to see it.

I agree with this. Personality disorders, so far, seem to be a disorder in how someone is made in their brain and it comes out in personality, but it is not something that is treated or changed, as in most mental health issues. It is their personality.

It is not the wearing pastels that I am referencing. It is the drastic change in dress. Through the years, recent ones, when an older relative has had a change in personality or something, loss of interesting in things, formerly agreeable person becomes difficult, etc, it has eventually meant something that involves a cognitive decline. One relative, when I saw this, was having TIAs. Another, who was always friendly but a little cranky, started really ragging on her husband. Soon after, it came out that she had something going on, was moved to a nursing home, and then died. Now another elderly relative, who a few years ago started to be extra cranky and loose with things she said, I thought she was angry with me and she said she wished she never married her husband. Her husband has been dead for 15 years. She was always an agreeable and pleasant person. She is moving to a nursing home and has trouble understanding things now. I live on the other side of the country from these relatives so now, I only get what little I get from the distance. And when I do visit, I tend to see the changes more than others, just because they have been around these people every day and seen the itty bitty incremental changes, where I might come back after a few years and it is a huge change to me. My relatives are just aging. I was realizing that this Christmas, I have so few relatives to even send cards to. I guess this is what getting older is like. I have one relative who has an app on her phone that sends her obituary notices so she can keep up with her friends dying. Did you even know there is an app for that? Yep, there is. A little sad this year.

I have this relative. I think she is maybe about 50 yrs old, so I would think too young for dementia. I have not seen her in years. But, I saw her on FB recently. She has always been a moody person. Now she has been unemployed for over two years despite being in a high demand field. I thought that was odd because I always thought she was such a go-getter. But I have not spoken to her in maybe three years. Not a hostile thing, just sort of, seems as if time goes by quickly and the older relatives have all died and I just never seem to see anyone anymore. The question, I am getting there. This is a person who has always dressed in very sedate colors, such as blacks, browns, grays. I have never in my life seen her in pastels or even blues. Now, on FB, a cousin posted pictures from an elderly relatives birthday party. There was this relatives, in a bright, purplish, darker pastels basically plaid button up shirt. I was shocked. I had to look a few times. That seems to me to be a serious change in personality. She was always a very judgemental, yuppy-ish person, wearing trendy clothes and a closet just for shoes. Another closet for purses. Everything has always been black and white and maybe gray. Edited to add: I added this down lower, but wanted to put it up here so anyone reading would see this... It is not the wearing pastels that I am referencing. It is the drastic change in dress. Through the years, recent ones, when an older relative has had a change in personality or something, loss of interesting in things, formerly agreeable person becomes difficult, etc, it has eventually meant something that involves a cognitive decline. One relative, when I saw this, was having TIAs. Another, who was always friendly but a little cranky, started really ragging on her husband. Soon after, it came out that she had something going on, was moved to a nursing home, and then died. Now another elderly relative, who a few years ago started to be extra cranky and loose with things she said, I thought she was angry with me and she said she wished she never married her husband. Her husband has been dead for 15 years. She was always an agreeable and pleasant person. She is moving to a nursing home and has trouble understanding things now. I live on the other side of the country from these relatives so now, I only get what little I get from the distance. And when I do visit, I tend to see the changes more than others, just because they have been around these people every day and seen the itty bitty incremental changes, where I might come back after a few years and it is a huge change to me. My relatives are just aging. I was realizing that this Christmas, I have so few relatives to even send cards to. I guess this is what getting older is like. I have one relative who has an app on her phone that sends her obituary notices so she can keep up with her friends dying. Did you even know there is an app for that? Yep, there is. A little sad this year.

I would be extremely angry with the school and my child. If my child went because the staff let my child believe it was a school thing, as if he had permission to go, then I would not punish my child. But I would take all legal action possible if the school took my child off campus without my permission and especially for this type of activity.

Is she mentally ill or just a bad person? I know in this society, we like to feel-good and say really good people are just really good, but bad people are mentally ill. If she is really just mentally ill and refusing treatment, then..eventually..I would explain that, in terms of how a brain functions and such. If she has dementia, I would explain that. But if she is just a mean person, it might be correct to explain that some people are not good people and it is important to have boundaries and enough respect for ourselves and self-preservation to protect ourselves.

Are you actually telling someone who is a portion Irish, and a portion of white non-Christian, that no white people have ever had systemic or historic racism against them? What about Jewish people? Are you going to tell them the same thing? And someone who has both Catholic and Protestant and Atheist ancestors that there has never been any sort of systemic or historic racism? And since when does anything have to be "historic and systemic" to qualify as racism? Websters is the final word on definitions. This is how racism is defined. You cannot just make up your own definitions. Making up your own definition to fit your racist agenda is not ok. To say it is not racist to attack one racial group is not ok. Get used to it. This is a multicultural, multiracial world. Even the word biracial is going by the wayside for multiracial and you might as well get used to it and stop telling yourself that it is ok to attack any race at all based on race. noun 1.a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the varioushuman racial groups determine cultural or individual achievement,usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has theright to dominate others or that a particular racial group is inferior tothe others. 2.a policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such adoctrine; discrimination. 3.hatred or intolerance of another race or other races.

And since I am someone who does not keep friends who are racist, I would rarely see racist acts against others, but have experienced it against myself or my children. I do not think this counts as racism..but I had an Irish grandparent who really disliked Catholics and Irish people, and I had another grandparent who grew up in a reservation who really disliked American Indians. My then boyfriend who is biracial came back to his dorm room to find some nasty people wrote "oreo" on his door. That was racist. And one time, when I had to report a crime to a police officer, right after moving to the south (but it was not here where I currently live) the officer made a comment about the fact that the person committing the crime was a black person, and his remark was racist. I do not recall his exact words, but I was shocked and wanted to correct him, but did not know what to do. To say one race as a whole cannot see racism is racist. To say racism only happens to one race is racist. Racism is bad and wrong and is not ok, not matter who is targets or benefits. Really, it never benefits anyone in the end.

I appear white. Living in an apartment, some black women living behind us told my children to get off the playground because white kids weren't welcome. My own cousin told me he dislikes all white people because they are all racist. I reminded him he is part white too and he told me he hated that part of himself. Another time, years ago, at a family members house, some of the kids ganged up on other kids, these kids are all cousins of each other, and kicked any child out of the playroom who looked "too white."

Claiming non white people cant be racist or all white people are racist or that white people act racist but can't see it. This discussion has already taken a racist direction and it is racist to not see it.

Anything against or for anyone based on race. Best measure is to swap the race being referenced to see if it's ok. It's not ok to say all white people are racists if it's not ok to say all black people are racists. Racism does not refer to other bigoted remarks. All Christians are child beaters. All atheists are child beaters, all Muslims are child beaters, all ....see? Not ok, definitely bigoted, but does not reference a race so not racism.

I do not think you should apologize. Much of what you said was correct. And even if I disagreed with it, your opinion counts too and you should not apologize for it.

I have many many DVDs I love. But, it is sort of a pain to pull them out. However, having a million things on Amazon to sift through is also a pain. I have been considering that perhaps, I should start whittling down my DVD collection and purchasing things on Amazon instead? I wish I could just put the movies I own on a device and then store them, just like we do with the ipods and such.

You did nothing wrong. But, from your description, he sounds like he might have early dementia...writing down names and symbols to remember, 85 yrs old, talked for a long time, etc.

. This too!

I go with smart wool and bamboo socks.

Star Wars anything.

Lol!! Ok... you didn't want anyone to laugh, but...take some pictures and print them off and write about this. Stick it in an envelope. Bring it back out in a few years, you might laugh.

Actually, someone pointed out on another board that the electoral college is still needed to make sure large parts of the country (largely rural) still gets represented. I am going to digest this, but it seems like a good point. I would actually like to hear what others think of this. It is the same reasoning for why the senate and house are arranged how they are, to make sure each state gets representation as well as the populations. To make a balance.

I wonder if it would be good to increase the term length but then limit the terms to one. Anyone have opinions on that?

We should end the electoral college as well as all support from the government for elections. This includes all support for travel by a current president who is campaigning. It should also be illegal for anyone currently in office to endorse anyone or take sides.

nm