My UO apparently ... I love LaCroix (or any sparkling flavored water). I mix it with Limeaid (Simply Limeaid so not overly sweet) and a little pure cranberry juice (the sour kind, not sweetened) and that is my nightly mocktail.
@VikingGirl12 Fox in Socks is stupid. There. I said it. I read it to my daughter the other night and I got so tired of the dumb tongue twisters by a few pages in. I'm not a big Seuss fan either.
@VikingGirl12 Fox in Socks is stupid. There. I said it. I read it to my daughter the other night and I got so tired of the dumb tongue twisters by a few pages in. I'm not a big Seuss fan either.
I love Dr Seuss, but Fox in Socks is stupid!
This. Cat in the Hat is my favorite and I have like the first 8 pages memorized from childhood
I post-secondary education should be more affordable for middle class families and free for students in a low income households.
I realized I left out the word 'think' here - but am leaving it because I find it funny that I made a basic grammatical error on a post about higher education.
I can agree with that.
We have a federal aid program that provides government grants that don't have to be paid back to people in lower tax brackets. I never qualified until I got married because they always went off my parent's income (even though I was paying my tuition) and not mine which was annoying. So I took out loans and then this last year of classes I received a few grants that covered my tuition.
A lot of people (that I've personally known) do abuse it and sign up for classes, get their aid and then just stop going to classes after drop dates and use the money for their own purposes - especially when I was in community college. That bugs me, but for the most part I'm really fine with the way the current government aid program runs. I think college should be more affordable to those just over the threshold to receive grants. I just don't think college should be free to everybody.
My husband played college football and he played with SEVERAL guys who recieved a ton of money to go to school. Between their football scholarships, grants for being single fathers (some of them) and grants for being a low income African American, they pretty much made bank while getting a basic communications degree. A couple of these guys went on to play pro football (still do play I should say) and some went on to move back home and work at sports authority. Because they blew all that grant money on a communications degree they had no plans on actually using.
obviously this was not true for every guy that played with him that received these benefits, but it was enough of them that it pissed us off. I just paid off my last student loan (I only had to take out 5k) but I worked my ass of for academic scholarships. And my husband got by on a combination of his football scholarship and academic scholarships. We wouldn't have qualified for any grants because, like PP, they go off your parents income if you aren't married.
I hate the current system. I didn't get a dime for college because my parents made too much, but my parents did not contribute to my education at all. So while I was working 3 jobs to get through college, a bunch of my friends were taking extra grant money to buy new clothes and eat out everyday. I don't know what the solution is, but the system is messed up.
It's very messed up! DH and my college debt is so astronomical we could have bought a Ferrari. I didn't even go to an expensive school! I went to a CSU! My tuition went up every semester, and for what? A bunch of stuff the school didn't need, then for the rest of your life they send you letters asking for donations. I feel like responding, "Check my major! I got a degree in English and Theater! Obviously I don't have any money to spare!"
If I were @fishwife799 I wouldn't bother adding anyone to the "Master Due Date Spreadsheet" whose first post is to the "Master Due Date Spreadsheet"
That would drive me completely bonkers. Honestly it's practically 1 in 4 posts are on there are from drive-bys who never respond ever again- what's even the point?
***Correction: Looking at page eight, it's less than half of those bumpies ever return or contribute.
I don't. I haven't even looked at that thread in weeks... oops
I am obsessed with La Croix. All carbonated water in general. It's all I drink. I am lucky it's free out of the soda machine here at work, and it's all I drink while pregnant, it's what I order at a restaurant, it's what I mix with my vodka
There are flavors of La Croix I like better than others (Mmmm.... orange....) but I will take any flavor over water.
I post-secondary education should be more affordable for middle class families and free for students in a low income households.
I realized I left out the word 'think' here - but am leaving it because I find it funny that I made a basic grammatical error on a post about higher education.
I can agree with that.
We have a federal aid program that provides government grants that don't have to be paid back to people in lower tax brackets. I never qualified until I got married because they always went off my parent's income (even though I was paying my tuition) and not mine which was annoying. So I took out loans and then this last year of classes I received a few grants that covered my tuition.
A lot of people (that I've personally known) do abuse it and sign up for classes, get their aid and then just stop going to classes after drop dates and use the money for their own purposes - especially when I was in community college. That bugs me, but for the most part I'm really fine with the way the current government aid program runs. I think college should be more affordable to those just over the threshold to receive grants. I just don't think college should be free to everybody.
My husband played college football and he played with SEVERAL guys who recieved a ton of money to go to school. Between their football scholarships, grants for being single fathers (some of them) and grants for being a low income African American, they pretty much made bank while getting a basic communications degree. A couple of these guys went on to play pro football (still do play I should say) and some went on to move back home and work at sports authority. Because they blew all that grant money on a communications degree they had no plans on actually using.
obviously this was not true for every guy that played with him that received these benefits, but it was enough of them that it pissed us off. I just paid off my last student loan (I only had to take out 5k) but I worked my ass of for academic scholarships. And my husband got by on a combination of his football scholarship and academic scholarships. We wouldn't have qualified for any grants because, like PP, they go off your parents income if you aren't married.
I hate the current system. I didn't get a dime for college because my parents made too much, but my parents did not contribute to my education at all. So while I was working 3 jobs to get through college, a bunch of my friends were taking extra grant money to buy new clothes and eat out everyday. I don't know what the solution is, but the system is messed up.
This! My parents made too much and wouldn't contribute either. I worked at pac sun and bath and body works while trying to go to school full time to pay my way. I now pay $1180 a month on student loans. I do NOT mind paying back what I owe. However, the interest rates have slowly been creeping up year after year to where what I actually pay is a tiny portion as opposed to what I pay in interest. Ohhhh well! My mistake for going to a big name school and then choosing a low paying career I guess.
I paid for every penny of my own college. Then I went to grad school and paid for that. I had academic and athletic scholarship, and still finished with just over 60k in debt. I am hoping to have loans paid off in another 5 years... I hate how expensive it is to go to college... sigh... yet I am anti-Bernie-free-college. I think because after I work my tale off paying off my debt, that last thing I want to do is pay for everyone elses. I don't know what to think.
I paid for every penny of my own college. Then I went to grad school and paid for that. I had academic and athletic scholarship, and still finished with just over 60k in debt. I am hoping to have loans paid off in another 5 years... I hate how expensive it is to go to college... sigh... yet I am anti-Bernie-free-college. I think because after I work my tale off paying off my debt, that last thing I want to do is pay for everyone elses. I don't know what to think.
correct me if I'm wrong but even if Bernie gets in-i imagine the chances that the U.S will ever actually adopt a free-college for all approach are pretty slim no?
I paid for every penny of my own college. Then I went to grad school and paid for that. I had academic and athletic scholarship, and still finished with just over 60k in debt. I am hoping to have loans paid off in another 5 years... I hate how expensive it is to go to college... sigh... yet I am anti-Bernie-free-college. I think because after I work my tale off paying off my debt, that last thing I want to do is pay for everyone elses. I don't know what to think.
correct me if I'm wrong but even if Bernie gets in-i imagine the chances that the U.S will ever actually adopt a free-college for all approach are pretty slim no?
Yeah, I don't see that actually happening. That would never get bi-partisan support. Even if we had Bernie as president and a democratic majority in the house and senate, I still don't think it would fly.
My UO: I don't drink coffee at all. And don't like Doritos either.
Husband and I are already looking to start a college fund for our unborn baby. I think it's insane but a good thing to do. Not in favor of free education for various reasons. Seems to me people would do themselves good to do a little bit of market research before getting degrees that are not very practical. Remembering myself as a teenager, however, that of course didn't even cross my mind...
I post-secondary education should be more affordable for middle class families and free for students in a low income households.
I realized I left out the word 'think' here - but am leaving it because I find it funny that I made a basic grammatical error on a post about higher education.
I can agree with that.
We have a federal aid program that provides government grants that don't have to be paid back to people in lower tax brackets. I never qualified until I got married because they always went off my parent's income (even though I was paying my tuition) and not mine which was annoying. So I took out loans and then this last year of classes I received a few grants that covered my tuition.
A lot of people (that I've personally known) do abuse it and sign up for classes, get their aid and then just stop going to classes after drop dates and use the money for their own purposes - especially when I was in community college. That bugs me, but for the most part I'm really fine with the way the current government aid program runs. I think college should be more affordable to those just over the threshold to receive grants. I just don't think college should be free to everybody.
My husband played college football and he played with SEVERAL guys who recieved a ton of money to go to school. Between their football scholarships, grants for being single fathers (some of them) and grants for being a low income African American, they pretty much made bank while getting a basic communications degree. A couple of these guys went on to play pro football (still do play I should say) and some went on to move back home and work at sports authority. Because they blew all that grant money on a communications degree they had no plans on actually using.
obviously this was not true for every guy that played with him that received these benefits, but it was enough of them that it pissed us off. I just paid off my last student loan (I only had to take out 5k) but I worked my ass of for academic scholarships. And my husband got by on a combination of his football scholarship and academic scholarships. We wouldn't have qualified for any grants because, like PP, they go off your parents income if you aren't married.
I hate the current system. I didn't get a dime for college because my parents made too much, but my parents did not contribute to my education at all. So while I was working 3 jobs to get through college, a bunch of my friends were taking extra grant money to buy new clothes and eat out everyday. I don't know what the solution is, but the system is messed up.
This! My parents made too much and wouldn't contribute either. I worked at pac sun and bath and body works while trying to go to school full time to pay my way. I now pay $1180 a month on student loans. I do NOT mind paying back what I owe. However, the interest rates have slowly been creeping up year after year to where what I actually pay is a tiny portion as opposed to what I pay in interest. Ohhhh well! My mistake for going to a big name school and then choosing a low paying career I guess.
Walking the track the other day I had a weird realization. Years ago the government did provide more funding for colleges and for students going to college. PELL grants and others were options for lower income families or students in need. The government slashed those grants and many others but "generously" gave us the option to "afford" our college educations by taking out "low interest" loans from them. (In my mind Im doing air quotes around all of those things). The cost of college education overall has skyrocketed and for no discernible reason. You are also required to pay so much for on campus options, even if you are not on campus or dont plan to use those options (who needs a rec center membership if you never plan on using the rec center?) They also go off your parents' income because many people start school super young and are still considered dependents on their parents' taxes for reasons such as continuing health care benefits.
I finally realized (seriously, it took me this long?) that is all kind of feels like a horrible scheme and if wasnt the US government and instead some big name corporation that did the whole bait and switch then there would be a law suit. You formerly found funds for something that, as a whole, society deems necessary, then you yanked funding but offered an ability to fund on some pretty hefty interest rates. Why are students charged higher interest rates on loans then the big corporations who are offered bail outs?
I also hate that I have to file married but single so when I am paying on my student loans they do not factor in my husbands income and only focus on mine. I am the one paying them back, I took them out far before I met my husband, and I am on an earned income based repayment because I work in a not for profit in a high needs area. So as long as I pay on my student loans for 10 years, the government will forgive the remaining balance because otherwise highly qualified people were not staying in these types of jobs because they just dont pay enough. But since I file separately I lose all tax benefits. How much harder do I need to work to be a good citizen? I pay taxes, I dont cheat the system, I put off starting a family, I contribute to charity, I work in a job helping at risk individuals, I follow the laws, I feel like I get screwed.
Should college be free? Hell no. Too many people already take advantage of the systems that are in place. Should people who are working their asses off to be middle class but after they pay for everything fall in to a impoverished class get some help? Hell yes. People who earn their degrees, work hard, contribute to society, and improve our overall functioning could use a little more help then people who are not working, use drugs, have kids they cant take care of (or choose not to), and who are constantly in and out of legal trouble do not need an "earned income tax credit" along with TANF, housing vouchers, food stamps, social security disability for whatever illness, etc. I've worked with people who can clearly show that it benefits them more to sit around and collect aid then it would to get a full time job, even if it were paying above minimum wage. This. Is. Not. Right. This is not a system that works.
I have to walk away. This is a hot spot for me. Apologies for rambling.
I think nicknames are stupid. I have a girl I'm FB friends who named her daughter Addison, and since she was born it's been Addie, and she corrects people who say 'oh Addison is so cute!' she'll respond 'it's Addie'. No, her name is Addison, if you wanted to call her Addie for life name her Addie.
My MIL is annoyed that we don't have a nickname picked for our son- Seth. Umm, get over it. We'll call him by his name
I haven't tried La Croix (not sure we have it here?) but soda water is the best. I live for the stuff.
I don't know what my opinion is on free schooling. Neither my husband nor I could afford university. I maybe could have found a way by going deeply into debt, but I have ADD and did not feel realistically I could commit to it as I barely managed to stay focused enough to graduate high school. I could maybe do it now with medication and the coping skills I've learned over the past decade but it's a lot harder to to commit to years of expensive education and lowered work income when you're 30 and have a family to support. It would certainly be helpful if it wasn't such a financial burden. On the other hand, I've lived in places with free post-secondary and it was kind of just stupid. Every job, even terrible minimum wage retail jobs, required a university degree. I worked at an investment trust in Scotland and out of curiosity I asked some of my coworkers what they had studied in school, and it was all ridiculous stuff. I remember the woman I worked with most closely had a degree in American History. Knowledge is great and all but is that really necessary for...any job other than teaching American history? Just seemed like university had become a pointless extension of high school.
@wbwells. Yes! I so agree. I hate when you name a child simething knowing you are going to call them something different. My MIL calls my daughter a nickname and I hate it. That is not her name, why is it so hard to use her name?
I hear you on the college education stuff. My parents contributed a few thousand and I lived at home so I got through undergrad without debt. And then I met my husband who has kindly supported me through grad school (plus scholarships, but he definitely improved my standard of living) so I'm very lucky not to have any debt, esp. since my research area is eighteenth century literature. Which is not exactly a high paying field!
We're already reserving money for our little one's education and I'm planning to ask family members to contribute money towards that in lieu of gifts, etc. for the baby's birthdays and milestones. Canada has a really generous registered education savings plan so it seems crazy not to start early. @kwife15
@wbwells I'm living proof of that. My legal name is Catherine but no one has ever called me that and it's a problem now that I'm in a professional setting because I don't recognize Catherine as being my name and it's weird to tell people in workplaces and conferences that my name is Kate while my identification clearly states a different name. It seems like a pita to change my legal name to my nickname, even though that is my name for all intents and purposes. We're giving our kids names that can be shortened but I'm not going to insist on it like my parents did.
Mine is an obvious one.... I dislike the app for various reasons, but today it's because I tried to 'love' one of @NicknShan posts about baby clothes and in my pregnancy brain fog, I tapped flag so I apologize if that did anything weird or negative.
@wbwells I'm living proof of that. My legal name is Catherine but no one has ever called me that and it's a problem now that I'm in a professional setting because I don't recognize Catherine as being my name and it's weird to tell people in workplaces and conferences that my name is Kate while my identification clearly states a different name. It seems like a pita to change my legal name to my nickname, even though that is my name for all intents and purposes. We're giving our kids names that can be shortened but I'm not going to insist on it like my parents did.
My legal name is Frances and my parents have ALWAYS called me by my middle name - Nicole. So yeah. It's super fun to tell people at work or conferences that in spite of my email and badge saying Frances, please for the love of God don't ever call me that, my name is Nicole
Mine is an obvious one.... I dislike the app for various reasons, but today it's because I tried to 'love' one of @NicknShan posts about baby clothes and in my pregnancy brain fog, I tapped flag so I apologize if that did anything weird or negative.
Shunnnnnnn!!!!!
just kidding. I've accidentally pressed the "report" button a couple times and immediately feel super bad.
Mine is an obvious one.... I dislike the app for various reasons, but today it's because I tried to 'love' one of @NicknShan posts about baby clothes and in my pregnancy brain fog, I tapped flag so I apologize if that did anything weird or negative.
Shunnnnnnn!!!!!
just kidding. I've accidentally pressed the "report" button a couple times and immediately feel super bad.
You usually have to submit a thing about why you're flagging it which is tricky to do properly on mobile so if you haven't hit submit in that screen I think it's a no-harm-no-foul type of thing.
Mine is an obvious one.... I dislike the app for various reasons, but today it's because I tried to 'love' one of @NicknShan posts about baby clothes and in my pregnancy brain fog, I tapped flag so I apologize if that did anything weird or negative.
Shunnnnnnn!!!!!
just kidding. I've accidentally pressed the "report" button a couple times and immediately feel super bad.
You usually have to submit a thing about why you're flagging it which is tricky to do properly on mobile so if you haven't hit submit in that screen I think it's a no-harm-no-foul type of thing.
Thank goodness! There's never been another screen that pops up. You've made me feel a million times better!!!!
Seems to me people would do themselves good to do a little bit of market research before getting degrees that are not very practical.
Eh, I take issue with this. I have a BA in literature and an MFA, which are the kinds of degrees people tend to be thinking of when they talk about education that isn't "practical," and I earn significantly more money than my husband, who went to law school. Whether or not a degree is practical has much more to do with how you apply it in the real world. In addition to which, society needs artists and musicians and all those other people who pursued their various impractical crafts/passions at a high level, and those fields of study shouldn't be the exclusive realm of the people whose families are wealthy enough to put them through a college or conservatory. College can be a waste of time for an accounting major as easily as it can for a creative writing major depending on what they really make of that education, both during their school years and after.
@wbwells I'm living proof of that. My legal name is Catherine but no one has ever called me that and it's a problem now that I'm in a professional setting because I don't recognize Catherine as being my name and it's weird to tell people in workplaces and conferences that my name is Kate while my identification clearly states a different name. It seems like a pita to change my legal name to my nickname, even though that is my name for all intents and purposes. We're giving our kids names that can be shortened but I'm not going to insist on it like my parents did.
My parents named two of us the same first name. Both of us are Mary. Neither of us went by it. Worse, my sister went by a nickname that seems to have nothing to do with her name at all. I was always known as my middle name. It has made life stupid confusing. My sister finally changed her whole name when she got married. We have spent so much time correcting people, trying to explain why our parents didn't just name us things that made sense, and why the hell they named two of us the same name. (Middle sister doesn't have the same name as we do). We also had problems because my sister was Mary K. and I was Mary C. and stuff would get mixed up for us. I had a credit card issued in my name but didn't realize it was under her social security number until she went to take out a loan for a house.
And our first and maiden names were a nursery rhyme. Grow up with people saying your name and then immediately asking if you have heard of a jump rope song with the same name.
Although, I do love the name Katherine and that is on my short list for a girl with a nickname of Kate or Katie.
Seems to me people would do themselves good to do a little bit of market research before getting degrees that are not very practical.
Eh, I take issue with this. I have a BA in literature and an MFA, which are the kinds of degrees people tend to be thinking of when they talk about education that isn't "practical," and I earn significantly more money than my husband, who went to law school. Whether or not a degree is practical has much more to do with how you apply it in the real world. In addition to which, society needs artists and musicians and all those other people who pursued their various impractical crafts/passions at a high level, and those fields of study shouldn't be the exclusive realm of the people whose families are wealthy enough to put them through a college or conservatory. College can be a waste of time for an accounting major as easily as it can for a creative writing major depending on what they really make of that education, both during their school years and after.
Agree wholeheartedly. I was an English lit major. I worked in broadcast news & then in healthcare public relations. Ultimately, I changed careers and am now a nurse, not because I couldn't make money (I'd definitely be making more in PR now had I stuck with it), but I didn't want the travel & I really wanted to do something clinical. My parents are both physicians - Dad was a history major (focused on ancient China) and mom was also a literature major in undergrad. Your education is what you make of it.
I think nicknames are stupid. I have a girl I'm FB friends who named her daughter Addison, and since she was born it's been Addie, and she corrects people who say 'oh Addison is so cute!' she'll respond 'it's Addie'. No, her name is Addison, if you wanted to call her Addie for life name her Addie.
My MIL is annoyed that we don't have a nickname picked for our son- Seth. Umm, get over it. We'll call him by his name
Nick names are fine IMO, but I prefer earned nick names, or ones that they've chosen. I call my boys by their full name. If Jackson decides he wants to go by Jack or Jay when he's older, ok but until then he's Jackson. Garrett doesn't really have a good nick name, so we shall see what he ends up being called.
@MynaBird- I was thisclose to majoring in English, but went with journalism instead. I'm very curious what you do for a living!!
I'm a counterfeiter. Really gotta have a good handle on proofreading and an eye for detail!
Seriously, though, I have been a journalist, worked on the creative side in agencies, and somehow ended up being an executive at a large regional media company.
I think nicknames are stupid. I have a girl I'm FB friends who named her daughter Addison, and since she was born it's been Addie, and she corrects people who say 'oh Addison is so cute!' she'll respond 'it's Addie'. No, her name is Addison, if you wanted to call her Addie for life name her Addie.
My MIL is annoyed that we don't have a nickname picked for our son- Seth. Umm, get over it. We'll call him by his name
Nick names are fine IMO, but I prefer earned nick names, or ones that they've chosen. I call my boys by their full name. If Jackson decides he wants to go by Jack or Jay when he's older, ok but until then he's Jackson. Garrett doesn't really have a good nick name, so we shall see what he ends up being called.
My UO is that they need to stop with all the flavored Oreos already. If I wanted a "filled cupcake," I'd eat one, not an Oreo masquerading as one. And I think this rule should extend to most other foodstuff items that are flavored to taste like an entirely different food: for example, why is there a Peep-flavored milk on the market? Gross!
Seems to me people would do themselves good to do a little bit of market research before getting degrees that are not very practical.
Eh, I take issue with this. I have a BA in literature and an MFA, which are the kinds of degrees people tend to be thinking of when they talk about education that isn't "practical," and I earn significantly more money than my husband, who went to law school. Whether or not a degree is practical has much more to do with how you apply it in the real world. In addition to which, society needs artists and musicians and all those other people who pursued their various impractical crafts/passions at a high level, and those fields of study shouldn't be the exclusive realm of the people whose families are wealthy enough to put them through a college or conservatory. College can be a waste of time for an accounting major as easily as it can for a creative writing major depending on what they really make of that education, both during their school years and after.
Yes. This. I'll have a BA in English in May and am heavily considering going for my MFA in poetry because I think that'd be so helpful in getting my name out there and getting published, but that's just a "for me" thing. I think there's something wonderful in getting a degree in something you're passionate about versus just getting a degree to hopefully get a job.
Plus, there's so much you can do with an English degree, honestly. You learn to read and write and communicate eloquently. I used to think the only thing I could do with an English degree was teach but it's been great as I've worked my way up to managing an insurance agency and I never hated coming to class for one second.
@ahernandez16 English BAs in the hooooouuuuse! That was my major, with a concentration in composition, and I ended up working in the field of applied behavior analysis (took some grad level classes along the way) and made quite a nice career for myself in a growing field. Couldn't agree more that an English degree is very versatile.
My UO is that they need to stop with all the flavored Oreos already. If I wanted a "filled cupcake," I'd eat one, not an Oreo masquerading as one. And I think this rule should extend to most other foodstuff items that are flavored to taste like an entirely different food: for example, why is there a Peep-flavored milk on the market? Gross!
Yes! I needed Oreos for my sons bday cake and couldn't find the original kind bc of all the other flavors in the way.
My UO is that they need to stop with all the flavored Oreos already. If I wanted a "filled cupcake," I'd eat one, not an Oreo masquerading as one. And I think this rule should extend to most other foodstuff items that are flavored to taste like an entirely different food: for example, why is there a Peep-flavored milk on the market? Gross!
Yes! I needed Oreos for my sons bday cake and couldn't find the original kind bc of all the other flavors in the way.
Re: Thursday UO! 3/3
There are flavors of La Croix I like better than others (Mmmm.... orange....) but I will take any flavor over water.
DST T4L
DST T4L
Husband and I are already looking to start a college fund for our unborn baby. I think it's insane but a good thing to do. Not in favor of free education for various reasons. Seems to me people would do themselves good to do a little bit of market research before getting degrees that are not very practical. Remembering myself as a teenager, however, that of course didn't even cross my mind...
That's all I have at the moment.
I finally realized (seriously, it took me this long?) that is all kind of feels like a horrible scheme and if wasnt the US government and instead some big name corporation that did the whole bait and switch then there would be a law suit. You formerly found funds for something that, as a whole, society deems necessary, then you yanked funding but offered an ability to fund on some pretty hefty interest rates. Why are students charged higher interest rates on loans then the big corporations who are offered bail outs?
I also hate that I have to file married but single so when I am paying on my student loans they do not factor in my husbands income and only focus on mine. I am the one paying them back, I took them out far before I met my husband, and I am on an earned income based repayment because I work in a not for profit in a high needs area. So as long as I pay on my student loans for 10 years, the government will forgive the remaining balance because otherwise highly qualified people were not staying in these types of jobs because they just dont pay enough. But since I file separately I lose all tax benefits. How much harder do I need to work to be a good citizen? I pay taxes, I dont cheat the system, I put off starting a family, I contribute to charity, I work in a job helping at risk individuals, I follow the laws, I feel like I get screwed.
Should college be free? Hell no. Too many people already take advantage of the systems that are in place. Should people who are working their asses off to be middle class but after they pay for everything fall in to a impoverished class get some help? Hell yes. People who earn their degrees, work hard, contribute to society, and improve our overall functioning could use a little more help then people who are not working, use drugs, have kids they cant take care of (or choose not to), and who are constantly in and out of legal trouble do not need an "earned income tax credit" along with TANF, housing vouchers, food stamps, social security disability for whatever illness, etc. I've worked with people who can clearly show that it benefits them more to sit around and collect aid then it would to get a full time job, even if it were paying above minimum wage. This. Is. Not. Right. This is not a system that works.
I have to walk away. This is a hot spot for me. Apologies for rambling.
Mrs. H
Crohn's Dx: August 2008
Endometriosis Dx: May 2010
Married: 05/19/2012
TTC #1: June 2013
BFP: December 2013
DS: Born 08/29/2014
TTC #2: July 2015
BFP #2: September 25, 2015
Thats basically blasphemous where I live (central Texas). But I completely agree. It's gross
I think nicknames are stupid. I have a girl I'm FB friends who named her daughter Addison, and since she was born it's been Addie, and she corrects people who say 'oh Addison is so cute!' she'll respond 'it's Addie'. No, her name is Addison, if you wanted to call her Addie for life name her Addie.
My MIL is annoyed that we don't have a nickname picked for our son- Seth. Umm, get over it. We'll call him by his name
I don't know what my opinion is on free schooling. Neither my husband nor I could afford university. I maybe could have found a way by going deeply into debt, but I have ADD and did not feel realistically I could commit to it as I barely managed to stay focused enough to graduate high school. I could maybe do it now with medication and the coping skills I've learned over the past decade but it's a lot harder to to commit to years of expensive education and lowered work income when you're 30 and have a family to support. It would certainly be helpful if it wasn't such a financial burden. On the other hand, I've lived in places with free post-secondary and it was kind of just stupid. Every job, even terrible minimum wage retail jobs, required a university degree. I worked at an investment trust in Scotland and out of curiosity I asked some of my coworkers what they had studied in school, and it was all ridiculous stuff. I remember the woman I worked with most closely had a degree in American History. Knowledge is great and all but is that really necessary for...any job other than teaching American history? Just seemed like university had become a pointless extension of high school.
We're already reserving money for our little one's education and I'm planning to ask family members to contribute money towards that in lieu of gifts, etc. for the baby's birthdays and milestones. Canada has a really generous registered education savings plan so it seems crazy not to start early. @kwife15
Mrs. H
Crohn's Dx: August 2008
Endometriosis Dx: May 2010
Married: 05/19/2012
TTC #1: June 2013
BFP: December 2013
DS: Born 08/29/2014
TTC #2: July 2015
BFP #2: September 25, 2015
just kidding. I've accidentally pressed the "report" button a couple times and immediately feel super bad.
And our first and maiden names were a nursery rhyme. Grow up with people saying your name and then immediately asking if you have heard of a jump rope song with the same name.
Although, I do love the name Katherine and that is on my short list for a girl with a nickname of Kate or Katie.
Seriously, though, I have been a journalist, worked on the creative side in agencies, and somehow ended up being an executive at a large regional media company.
Plus, there's so much you can do with an English degree, honestly. You learn to read and write and communicate eloquently. I used to think the only thing I could do with an English degree was teach but it's been great as I've worked my way up to managing an insurance agency and I never hated coming to class for one second.
Literally Oreo flavored Oreos.....