I don't understand the starwars craze...I find no entertainment in these movies!!
My hubs and I are making plans to cosplay as Han Solo and (female version of) Luke Skywalker for the upcoming movie. You would see us on the street and think "WEIRDOS!"
@smvb53 lol!! My DH loves starwars. Every year for his birthday all he wants to do is make me watch it and I can't make it through I pass the F out every time! Lol
My UO is that Americans should stop comparing ourselves to countries smaller than one of our states when we talk about economics and social programs. Yes there may be some awesome progressive stuff that works there but we are 50 times that big! Most of the time it just isn't going to scale well.
(One of my favorites that someone told me once was that every man in some European country (Switzerland maybe, I don't remember) is required to do military service for 2 years or something and he thought we should do the same in America. I can't even imagine how big our military would be if every man in America was required to do that!)
Me: 36, DH: 40
Married: July 22, 2008 Fur babies: Yeti (cat)
#1 Boy E 9/30/17 #2 Girl A 7/27/2020 #3 ?? ? est. 1/5/2025
My UO is that Americans should stop comparing ourselves to countries smaller than one of our states when we talk about economics and social programs. Yes there may be some awesome progressive stuff that works there but we are 50 times that big! Most of the time it just isn't going to scale well.
(One of my favorites that someone told me once was that every man in some European country (Switzerland maybe, I don't remember) is required to do military service for 2 years or something and he thought we should do the same in America. I can't even imagine how big our military would be if every man in America was required to do that!)
I see what you're getting at about realistic expectations and scale and such. Still I feel it doesn't hurt to identify areas where other countries simply do it better. I'd LOVE to see America focus in on better education, a lower percentage of incarcerated persons, improved maternity/family policies and so forth. Can we become identical to a smaller nation? Likely not, but that doesn't mean we should give up or lower our standards.
@Linsbins despite me saying I hate leggings when your butt is hanging out, I do love leggings with boots and a longer shirt or dress for work, so we are in agreement on that one. @brambles1 I have a DD with autism and nothing upsets me more than people mouthing off about being anti-vaccine. I just want to yell at them to do their research and stop being so concerned about the possibility of having a kid like mine, cause she is freaking awesome, autism and all.
My DH and I had a honeymoon registry at Sandals for our wedding. So many people questioned why we weren't going the traditional registry route and probably considered it rude. We had been living together for years and acquired plenty, a nice vacation was worth more to us than new dishes. It seemed perfectly logical to us, but I know this is an UO on TK.
My UO is that Americans should stop comparing ourselves to countries smaller than one of our states when we talk about economics and social programs. Yes there may be some awesome progressive stuff that works there but we are 50 times that big! Most of the time it just isn't going to scale well.
(One of my favorites that someone told me once was that every man in some European country (Switzerland maybe, I don't remember) is required to do military service for 2 years or something and he thought we should do the same in America. I can't even imagine how big our military would be if every man in America was required to do that!)
I agree with you there. When we consider the only two countries with a higher population are China and India, it seems like we're doing pretty well. That said, it doesn't hurt to consider what other countries do, but our size and population are big factors that people don't always acknowledge when it comes to these comparisons.
When it comes to the policies of other countries, there are so many nuances that comparisons are tough all around.
My UO? Weddings. People get so damned stressed out and all sorts of attitude. 2 weeks ago at set up for my Stepbrother's wedding, my Stepmom and my Stepbrother's now MIL got in an argument about wether or not the pennant banner needed 1 or 2 safety pins to hold it properly...
Never have I been happier that we eloped than to have messed with the attitudes.
I dont think people should home school unless there are cerain medical or mental issues that need to be delt with.
I have a relative who is home schooling her two boys, she doesn't agree with what the school feeds them and she thinks there's too much "temptation" out there. I shouldn't judge but those kids are almost incapable of normal social interaction because the only person they are ever around is there mother. I feel like those poor kids have a tough row to hoe to hope to ever be normal. I try not to mommy judge but its messed up. This is how I feel about it.edit
One of my sisters has five and insists on homeschooling because of her religious beliefs...which is fine, they aren't my kids, but there is a Catholic (her religion) school literally 15 minutes from her house. The simply aren't "Catholic enough." What?!? And they're still young, but I can already tell that they lack social skills compared to the other nine nieces and nephews who go to *Catholic* grade schools.
My UO, to caveat a pp: if people want to make $15 an hour, they should get an education or skill that's worth $15 an hour. I'm in the military, and the fact that someone who flips burgers has a higher annual wage than I do rustles my jimmies. And no, not everyone can just *get* a raise, especially if the federal government sets your salary.
I was home schooled and struggled A LOT! And still do. I won't put my kids through that.
I hear what you are all saying about homeschooled students. I went to a christian college which had a large percentage of previously homeschooled students. I knew MANY who were painfully awkward and lacked skills such as being able to write a simple 5-page paper by the time they got to college.
I also know several homeschooled students who were socially fluent, well liked by peers and teachers, and excelled at school, music, sports etc. Their parents had worked their BUTTS off to get them into local programs that rounded them out and gave them exposure to children whose families had different viewpoints than their own and so forth. Their parents were incredibly dedicated.
On the other hand, I know many socially awkward and academically behind students who went through the public school system and came out with little to show for it.
I think the ultimate factor that I've noticed is how dedicated parents are in the learning process. In both homeschool and public (or private) school, parents must be involved. They must reinforce school lessons and a spirit of learning at home by reading together and dedicating time to homework. It also helps if families go out together to anything from a local sports event to a museum or a concert. Kids learn so much by watching their parents demonstrate interest in the world around.
^^^agreed! I was homeschooled from 6th grade on and consider myself to be pretty normal. I have a masters degree, am fairly athletic, and work in a place where I deal with people all day. My parents always had my brother and I involved in various sports and social activities to make up for the lack of day to day interaction with other kids.
As stated above, I do know several homeschooled families that are just out there. I've witnessed more first kisses at a wedding than most probably have.. And it's awkward! But I know several public or private schooled kids who are different as well.
My UO is that Americans should stop comparing ourselves to countries smaller than one of our states when we talk about economics and social programs. Yes there may be some awesome progressive stuff that works there but we are 50 times that big! Most of the time it just isn't going to scale well.
(One of my favorites that someone told me once was that every man in some European country (Switzerland maybe, I don't remember) is required to do military service for 2 years or something and he thought we should do the same in America. I can't even imagine how big our military would be if every man in America was required to do that!)
I agree with you there. When we consider the only two countries with a higher population are China and India, it seems like we're doing pretty well. That said, it doesn't hurt to consider what other countries do, but our size and population are big factors that people don't always acknowledge when it comes to these comparisons.
When it comes to the policies of other countries, there are so many nuances that comparisons are tough all around.
I didn't want to quote you both @smvb53 and @lalala2004 , so I just picked one.
I knew this was an unpopular opinion! That's why I put it here. I like to discuss what other countries do differently, don't get me wrong, it gives us perspective. (In the UK, I understand they have a different min. wage for people under 18, I think that's brilliant!) But it is so rare to have a thoughtful discussion about anything. Where I typically see this is in a meme on Facebook or Pinterent that gets thousands of likes with no opportunity to discuss nuances or practicalities or complications. It's just thrown out there like concrete fact that it is the best idea in the world and America would be an idiot not to adopt it immediately with a "Like and share if you agree" at the bottom.
Me: 36, DH: 40
Married: July 22, 2008 Fur babies: Yeti (cat)
#1 Boy E 9/30/17 #2 Girl A 7/27/2020 #3 ?? ? est. 1/5/2025
Uhhh, @MandyBeeSLP I started out my post saying I agree with you, so... I agree with you... I'm not sure how to word that differently so you don't feel the need to defend yourself.
@MandyBeeSLP I am totally with ya too. I respect your statements and was not discounting you but more just continuing the same topic in the direction that I wish people would take it.
@smbv53 - I hear you, I just know that her kids really aren't being socialized. Yes, they're smart, but what happens when they get into the real world with real temptations and simply are not prepared to deal with it? I guess that's my real concern - I'm socially awkward and I have never been homeschooled - luckily, I had friends to support me through tough times in spite of my batty family's over-protective tendencies.
Many of the students at my charter school were home schooled before coming to us. Some are fantastic, some... There has been more than one who had no idea how to handle even the gentlest criticism or getting less than a perfect score on everything or the fact that homework and other assignments were due on the due date, not whenever they felt like it.
Of course I had students from public, private, and parochial schools with the same issue. And I had 2 students last year that were pulled out to "home school" that never did any work. Ever. Like had a 20% because at least they took the tests, but did nothing else. But mom was planning on homeschooling them on top of her full time job.
My DH and I had a honeymoon registry at Sandals for our wedding. So many people questioned why we weren't going the traditional registry route and probably considered it rude. We had been living together for years and acquired plenty, a nice vacation was worth more to us than new dishes. It seemed perfectly logical to us, but I know this is an UO on TK.
I really want to do a honeymoon registry for a few different reasons. One, it'll be my second marriage, the first didn't have a honeymoon and me and finance really want to have a nice one. (That said, we plan to save to have a nice one regardless of registry. It wouldnt be a fundme type registry. But if people want to make it "nicer" that would be lovely) Two, we will have been living together for many years, in our late 30s and hopefully with a child, by the time we decide to get married (we are having a hard time justifying putting the money towards a party while fiance finishes school. We could do it, it'd just make things tighter). I feel a wedding registry is for younger couples who don't have all the things you accumulate over a lifetime of being away from your folks homes. We have all that and what we dont is either really expensive or we don't really want it.
I hope I have the balls to do a honeymoon registry when it's our time for that.
My DH and I had a honeymoon registry at Sandals for our wedding. So many people questioned why we weren't going the traditional registry route and probably considered it rude. We had been living together for years and acquired plenty, a nice vacation was worth more to us than new dishes. It seemed perfectly logical to us, but I know this is an UO on TK.
I really want to do a honeymoon registry for a few different reasons. One, it'll be my second marriage, the first didn't have a honeymoon and me and finance really want to have a nice one. (That said, we plan to save to have a nice one regardless of registry. It wouldnt be a fundme type registry. But if people want to make it "nicer" that would be lovely) Two, we will have been living together for many years, in our late 30s and hopefully with a child, by the time we decide to get married (we are having a hard time justifying putting the money towards a party while fiance finishes school. We could do it, it'd just make things tighter). I feel a wedding registry is for younger couples who don't have all the things you accumulate over a lifetime of being away from your folks homes. We have all that and what we dont is either really expensive or we don't really want it.
I hope I have the balls to do a honeymoon registry when it's our time for that.
Sandals is the best! We loved it, we've been to the carribean a few times and want to go back. Which sandals will you be visiting!?
My DH and I had a honeymoon registry at Sandals for our wedding. So many people questioned why we weren't going the traditional registry route and probably considered it rude. We had been living together for years and acquired plenty, a nice vacation was worth more to us than new dishes. It seemed perfectly logical to us, but I know this is an UO on TK.
I really want to do a honeymoon registry for a few different reasons. One, it'll be my second marriage, the first didn't have a honeymoon and me and finance really want to have a nice one. (That said, we plan to save to have a nice one regardless of registry. It wouldnt be a fundme type registry. But if people want to make it "nicer" that would be lovely) Two, we will have been living together for many years, in our late 30s and hopefully with a child, by the time we decide to get married (we are having a hard time justifying putting the money towards a party while fiance finishes school. We could do it, it'd just make things tighter). I feel a wedding registry is for younger couples who don't have all the things you accumulate over a lifetime of being away from your folks homes. We have all that and what we dont is either really expensive or we don't really want it.
I hope I have the balls to do a honeymoon registry when it's our time for that.
Sandals is the best! We loved it, we've been to the carribean a few times and want to go back. Which sandals will you be visiting!?
No clue yet. We are no where near the planning stages. Lol. We aren't really hung up on the whole you have to get married thing. We will, it just may be a few years, that way he can finish school and we can save to throw the party we want. Because we both like a good party
@Everycol0r usually have a window of time to get it started. And can totally be employed without it I have until next year to get it started before I lose my certification and have to completely reapply.
I'm happy to admit to being wrong too regs are state to state and I only now NY, NV, AZ, LA because I have looked into it in those states for jobs.
Edit because typos
Congrats to your family I love hearing about new teachers joining the profession!
I teach in AZ. AZ doesn't require a masters for employment, but it's really the only way for decent salary advancement. Our minimum starting teaching wage is barely over the poverty level. I can't wrap my head around the fact that I have a masters degree and advanced certification and make the same or less than a cashier at a big box store that shall rename nameless but that pays employees well. There's currently 1000 teacher opening in my county alone. Excuse the run on sentence. I'm soothing my wounds with wine tonight.
Re: UO-Thurday
Fur babies: Yeti (cat)
#1 Boy E 9/30/17
#2 Girl A 7/27/2020
#3 ?? ? est. 1/5/2025
@brambles1 I have a DD with autism and nothing upsets me more than people mouthing off about being anti-vaccine. I just want to yell at them to do their research and stop being so concerned about the possibility of having a kid like mine, cause she is freaking awesome, autism and all.
When it comes to the policies of other countries, there are so many nuances that comparisons are tough all around.
Never have I been happier that we eloped than to have messed with the attitudes.
As stated above, I do know several homeschooled families that are just out there. I've witnessed more first kisses at a wedding than most probably have.. And it's awkward! But I know several public or private schooled kids who are different as well.
Fur babies: Yeti (cat)
#1 Boy E 9/30/17
#2 Girl A 7/27/2020
#3 ?? ? est. 1/5/2025
Fur babies: Yeti (cat)
#1 Boy E 9/30/17
#2 Girl A 7/27/2020
#3 ?? ? est. 1/5/2025
Of course I had students from public, private, and parochial schools with the same issue. And I had 2 students last year that were pulled out to "home school" that never did any work. Ever. Like had a 20% because at least they took the tests, but did nothing else. But mom was planning on homeschooling them on top of her full time job.
I hope I have the balls to do a honeymoon registry when it's our time for that.
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