Lindsey

A test drop would have to include one of those little plastic parachutes attached to its load by an awkward array of strings....like the ones that come in birthday goody bags. That way those of us on the ground could more accurately predict where he'd land. And there's nothing fun about a dead man tumbling out of control.... linz -- A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

you know they make those nifty little necklaces that your friends/loved ones can put some of your remains in. You'll go where they go. I think that's special... linz -- A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

I'd like to be buried in one of those green cemeteries, so that I can rot and return to earth as was meant to be. Won't take up space for long, but the earthworms will be lovin' me. -- A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

Of course not . I think you watch too much tv. linz -- A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

Thanks RhondaLea, i'm glad you saw what I meant, I thought I was going crazy! Don't ya' hate it (every day) when that happens. linz -- A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

I am living proof that kids can be stuck in a poor public school and succeed. The rest of my high school chums are proof that poor schools can really harm their students. That's interesting. I grew up in a small school district in rural Arkansas. Can't get much poorer than that. I'm living proof that kids can (be stuck??) grow up in a poor public school and succeed. Most of my friends are proof of that too... I bet, percentage wise, we have more people doing well than a lot of wealthier districts. Of course too many people leave. I came back. My child is thriving in the public schools in this little town. In fact, he's doing better than he was in the private school that he left in order to come here. Maybe we're lucky???? I don't know. I'm sure that our schools would be considered a "failure" by the state because there is a large population that isn't going to do well no matter where they go to school. The kids who ARE going to do well (no matter where they are) thrive here too....despite probably a "failing grade." If those kids left the school district to attend private schools at the taxpayers' expense, the public schools would be sunk. The teachers would leave along with the good students, and we'd be left with an awful mess.... linz -- A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

And, unfortunately, schools grades are based on performance of students rather than on the education that a school provides. You can lead a horse to water.... linz -- A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

So the assumption is that if a student earns a failing grade that the school failed??? I think the child failed. How does failure on the child's fault speak to the ability of the school to provide an education???? No. The SCHOOL recieves a failing grade from the state. I honestly have no idea WHAT the criteria for the grade that is given though. Oh my....I'm so confused . Then that's back to what I was thinking and saying at first. I should've stopped there. linz -- A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

So the assumption is that if a student earns a failing grade that the school failed??? I think the child failed. How does failure on the child's fault speak to the ability of the school to provide an education???? In my mind, that's even LESS of a reason to give kids vouchers than standardized test scores and whatnot (as I had assumed). Now....if there were some reliable way to show that the child's failure was because of the school in some way (and not due to poor preparation on the child's part) and it were demonstrable that the child could not succeed in the public school system because of reasons intrinsic to the school itself, then there'd be some justification for vouchers. linz -- A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

Is that just your assumption based on (heh) faith, or do you know what the evidence is? linz -- A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

When my grandmother was unable to take care of herself, her children took on the *burden*. The lengths they went to to let her keep living in her own home until she died were amazing. I don't think any of them ever thought of it as a burden, though, but they were really glad to be able to make her last years pleasant for her. It was a very important time in my mother's life. I hope to be able to come through for my parents the same way.... -- A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

That settles it. Since he's obviously socialist and anti-American, all of his original thoughts shall henceforth be disregarded. -- A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

Are you a socialist? I think he's just anti-American.... -- A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

My mom's the same way. I always threaten that I'm going to make her come live with me when she gets old and unable to live alone....lol....and I will. I tell her it's payback for her making me live with her my first 18 years of life....heh. linz -- A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

I'd love to live to be a very, very old woman...as long as I'm healthy. I would NOT want to be an old woman, bed-bound in a nursing home and unable to participate as I desire in life. linz -- A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

Yep. Here. linz -- A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

I think that to say the schools "fail to perform" would be difficult to demonstrate in a way that is really meaningful and applicable here. For whom do they fail to perform? Standardized test scores don't break that down. In school districts where there is a lot of poverty and a high percentage of children who are the "problem kids," then you're gonna get poor scores because those kids bring down the mean. But I'd bet the evidence is lacking that the schools "fail to perform" for the kids whose parents would use vouchers to send them to private schools....because that group of kids will probably do well wherever they go to school for the simple reason that their parents are interested and involved. As has already been stated, if parents want something different for their kids, they may need to dig a little deeper into their own pockets to provide the means. linz -- A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

Doesn't surprise me. The laws here are pretty complicated, and it's been a few years since I used that information in my work. But although the age of consent is 16, it's not statutory rape if a 17 y/o has sex with a 15 y/o....but it is if an 18 y/o does. Once a person turns 16, he/she can consent to sex with a partner of ANY age. The laws in our state also deal with sex between two people both under the age of consent, and it has to do with the number of years difference in their ages. I can't recall the particulars. linz -- A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

Does anyone know which states have the age of consent set as less than 18? Are there any left? In Arkansas it's 16. linz -- A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

Geez....I guess it just depends on the circles you run in.... Where do you find these *friends* anyway? linz -- A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

I think you're absolutely right. My child went to Montessori school until he was 7 and we moved. What struck me was that there were a few wealthy families with kids there, but mostly they were people with modest incomes who found a way to pay for the school. There were a lot of people who drove older cars, who helped pick each other's children up after school because of work obligations, and who had to scrape up the money for their kids to attend there. On one hand, if vouchers were to help lower income folks send their kids to private school, and they REALLY were interested in their child's educational opportunities, then I think they'd find a way to manage the rest. But I think it's a bad idea for exactly the reason that it was overturned in FL: it weakens the public school system. My experience with public schools....in a really rural district with lots of kids with behavior problems....has been great. Jay's learning a whole lot about people, and how to get along with people with backgrounds very different from his. He's also had to deal with bullies, and he's become very capable of asserting himself when he needs to. I feel like he's learning RRRs well. But I think it's just as important to be able to deal with all kinds of people....you're gonna have to be able to do it for the rest of your life, and I have no desire to deny my child the opportunity (lol) to learn how to do it while he's young. -- A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

Ditto. I drive 40 miles one way, 4 days a week. It's worth it to me because I do love my job.

Yeah, but you're a girl. She's a WOMAN. heh. linz -- A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

Ain't that the truth.... You could be the old guy who spent the day in the ER with me (lol) as his doctor.... D'OH!!! linz -- A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

Some surgeons are electricians. Some are carpenters. But are ANY of them *real* doctors???? -- A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail