Carlene

My husband, all his friends, my 3 (grown) sons and their friends complain every time one of these stories plays on the evening news that none of their teachers ever tried to seduce them. I think this must happen very, very infrequently.

The Constitution of the United States, Art. III, defines treason against the United States as levying war against it, or adhering to her enemies, giving them aid or comfort. This offense is punishable by death. TOM is lots of things, but he is not guilty of treason. I am also willing to predict that Bush will leave the mess in Iraq for his successor to clean up, and I see no way that endangers any American soldier serving in the Middle East or anywhere else. The election in Iraq proved nothing. In fact, there has been more bloodshed since the election than before. The people did not vote Saddam Hussein out of power. He wasn't on the ballot, if you recall. The Iraqi people did not want to be "liberated" by us to begin with, and they still don't want us there, as terrible as Saddam Hussein was. According to an opinion poll carried out for the British Ministry of Defense by Iraqi university researchers and leaked to the British press, 82 per cent of Iraqis are strongly opposed to the presence of US and other coalition troops and less than one per cent believe that the coalition troops are responsible for any improvement in security. Who gave the USA the right to decide who should rule within the borders of their own country and who should not? What makes our weapons of mass destruction "good" and our enemies' "bad"? The rest of the world deplores our arrogance. We are the biggest bully in the schoolyard. George Bush deserves exactly what posterity will reward him with: the title of the worst president in US history.

Some guy that agrees with you has created a web site. http://www.bushisantichrist.com/ He's not from Texas, though. In fact, he says most of us are going to hell. It pains me to say it, since this man obviously dislikes Bush even more than your average, intelligent American, but I think he's about 2 french fries shy of a Happy Meal.

Wow! I read both articles. I love this... In fact, roughly one in ten of those who called Bush a success was being facetious, rating him only as the best president since Bill Clinton -- a category in which Bush is the only contestant. :rockon:

Me, too Betsy....only I'm not very "silent". Definitely not silent. Not even quiet. But still a Christian.

Jodie...I'm really confused as to why you quoted my previous post. I am absolutely in favor of legalizing same sex marriages and I think you agree. Is that not correct?

Shame on you, Mouse, for chastising ME for providing documentation that is "biased toward (my) viewpoint". No organization is more biased than Americans for Prosperity. Here is the bio of their TX State Director, straight from their web site. About AFP - Peggy Venable Peggy M. Venable State Director - AFP Texas Peggy M. Venable is director of the Texas office of Americans for Prosperity. She has worked in public policy and in the political arena for 30 years, with more than 13 years experience in Washington, D.C., and 10 years in Texas as state director of Citizens for a Sound Economy. Peggy is well known across Texas, having been widely published in newspapers and heard regularly on talk radio across the state. She travels the state extensively, giving numerous speeches to civic, business and citizen groups. Before returning to her native Texas more than a decade ago, Peggy served in numerous senior-level positions in the federal government, including the Department of Interior, the Interstate Commerce Commission, the Department of Education, and the Government Printing Office. She has also worked on several presidential campaigns, including those of Gerald R. Ford and Ronald Reagan. She was executive director of the 1984 Republican National Convention. Peggy is active in numerous home state groups, having served as a board member of the Texas Center for Educational Research as well as the Austin CEO Foundation. She is on the editorial board of the Lone Star Report and is an advisor to the Texans for Texas organization. She is an immediate past president of the Texas Women's Alliance and the Southwest Texas State University Foundation. She is also a member of the Texas Education Reform Caucus. Peggy is listed in Who’s Who Among Women. Peggy received her undergraduate degree in journalism and political science from Texas State University, and has completed some course work toward a master’s degree in international business at Baylor University. She is the mother of a 16 year-old daughter.

Would you mind posting that here? I don't recall that I've ever said all Republicans were "filthy rich" or even moderately rich. I have asked posters "are you sure you have enough money to vote Republican?". That's not the same thing. I have known plenty of Republicans who weren't "rich", and some Democrats who were. However, traditionally, and in general, the GOP has historically been known, by the legislation it has promoted and enacted, to favor big business and the wealthy. The Democratic party has traditionally, historically been known as the party of the working class and the disenfranchised. There are lots of exceptions to these broad generalizations, of course. It was Democratic President Bill Clinton who accomplished welfare reform, for example.

Amen, Alexandra! Imagine how "proud" we are in these parts to have him referred to as a Texan....NOT!!!!!!!

Thomas P. McCormack is actually an advocate of AIDS/HIV victims. He wrote the AIDS BENEFITS HANDBOOK (Yale University Press) and handled Medicaid eligibility policy at the federal Department of Health and Human Services. He has done benefits advocacy for several AIDS and disability groups and now serves as policy consultant for the Title II Community AIDS National Network.

In 2003, the Texas Legislature passed and Rick Perry signed HB 2292, which made several structural changes to Children’s Health Insurance Program. The bill increased premiums, changed the income requirements for coverage, reduced the plan’s coverage period, and made several cuts to benefits that were later restored. (University Wire, Jun. 7, 2006) CHIP enrollment then decreased by 275,000. Enrollment numbers from Jul. 2003 to Oct. 2006 dropped by 213,695, from 509,182 to 300,685. Child enrollment in Medicaid has dropped from 1,826,599 in Jul. 2003 to 1,760,000 in Mar. 2006. (University Wire, Jun. 7, 2006; San Antonio Express-News, Mar. 4, 2006; Dallas Morning News, Oct. 6, 2006; Texas Dept. of Health and Human Services, CHIP Enrollment, 2003-2006; Medicaid Enrollment, HHS, 2003-2005; Medical News, Mar. 13, 2006) Are you saying that the families of over a quarter of a million children suddenly became so prosperous after HB 2292 was passed that they no longer needed subsidized health care? By the way, you didn't cite the source of your stats.

:funnypost: That may be the funniest thing I have read all day.

Heavens NO!!!! I come from a whole family of teachers!!! They would flog me within an inch of my life!!! I have NEVER said that teachers were overpaid, or that teaching was easy, or that the credentials were easily obtained. Anyone who thinks that was me needs to go back and re-read the thread.

Sunta....you BAD girl. You are starting a thread that is sure to end up with me getting my knuckles rapped (again). By the way....I couldn't agree with you more.

Leatha... Everyone gets an equal opportunity to "have their say" on here. As for disputing facts, I think that's the whole purpose of a debate, isn't it? I said people should not post inaccurate info and then get angry at those of us who cite factual sources that make them look foolish. If you don't have the time (or inclination) to look up sources, then qualify your post as an opinion. How unreasonable is that? I like to think of LBT as a family, or at least a place where family gathers. It's inevitable that we will have personality issues, disagreements, drama, and angst all over the place. All families do. But for the most part, we all make an effort to get along. No name-calling. No ugly shouting matches. No sleeping with each other's boyfriends/husbands. When I'm angry, I say so. When I'm wrong, I apologize. I love the give and take of our familial conversations - rants and raves included. I'm sorry you don't find them all that enjoyable. May I suggest that you place those people you feel "dominate the conversation" on "Ignore"? Maybe that would make the whole thing more fun for you.

Which questions do you feel are "no longer applicable to this century"?

I agree. The Independents and disgruntled Republicans are going to re-elect Rick Perry. He must be loving it!

Good question, Mandy. Personally, I would not trust the boyfriend as far as I could throw him. He may be telling the truth about her not being at his place, being upset with her for ditching school, etc or he may not. Remember that the more he seems to be on your side, the more information you will share with him, thereby tipping them off to whatever your own plans are. What's the age of majority in Canada? In the US it's 18. After that, you can kiss parental authority goodbye. Your only leverage becomes "my house...my rules". Good luck with THAT, since she has a standing invite to move in with the BF. I would concentrate, for now, on getting her graduated from high school. After that, it's up to her. You can't make her go to college. If you bribe her to go, you are just going to drive yourself nuts trying to police her attendance, grades, etc. Make sure she is using reliable birth control. A pregnancy is a huge complication, no matter what. Good luck...

You got that right!

You're right....they absolutely do. I just could not resist posting a quote from Rick Perry himself, stating that we are 16th in the nation AFTER A COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT. People....unless you can back up your "facts", please reconsider pushing that "submit reply" button. You get angry at the rest of us if we make you look foolish, but it's really something you do to yourselves.

What do you think, guys? Was George Orwell a philosopher? Throughout recorded time ... there have been three kinds of people in the world, the High, the Middle, and the Low. They have been subdivided in many ways, they have borne countless different names, and their relative numbers, as well as their attitude towards one another, have varied from age to age: but the essential structure of society has never altered. Even after enormous upheavals and seemingly irrevocable changes, the same pattern has always reasserted itself, just as a gyroscope will always return to equilibrium, however far it is pushed one way or the other. The aims of these three groups are entirely irreconcilable. - George Orwell

If Airlines Sold Paint Customer (CU): Hi, how much is your paint? Clerk (CL). Well, sir, that all depends. CU. Depends on what? CL: Actually, a lot of things. CU: How about giving me an average price? CL: Wow, that's too hard a question. The lowest price is $9 a gallon, and we have 150 different prices up to $200 a gallon. CU: What's the difference in the paint? CL: Oh, there isn't any difference, it's all the same paint. CU: Well, then, I'd like some of that $9 paint. CL: Well, first I need to ask you a few questions. When do you intend to use it? CU: I want to paint tomorrow, on my day off. CL: Sir, the paint for tomorrow is the $200 paint. CU: What? When would I have to paint in order to get the $9 version? CL: That would be in three weeks, but you will also have to agree to start painting before Friday of that week and continue painting until at least Sunday. CU: You've got to be kidding! CL: Sir, we don't kid around here. Of course I'll have to check to see if we have any of that paint available before I can sell it to you. CU: What do you mean, check to see if you can sell it to me? You have shelves full of the stuff, I can see it right there. CL: Just because you can see it doesn't mean that we have it. It may be the same paint, but we sell only a certain number of gallons on any given weekend. Oh, and by the way, the price just went up to $12. CU: You mean the price went up while we were talking? CL: Yes, sir. You see, we change prices and rules thousands of times a day, and since you haven't actually walked out of the store with your paint yet, we just decided to change. Unless you want the same thing to happen again, I would suggest that you get on with your purchase. How many gallons do you want? CU: I don't know exactly. Maybe five gallons. Maybe I should buy six gallons just to make sure I have enough. CL: Oh, no, sir, you can't do that. If you buy the paint and then don't use it, you will be liable for penalties and possible confiscation of the paint you already have. CU: What? CL: That's right. We can sell you enough paint to do your kitchen, bathroom, hall and north bedroom, but if you stop painting before you do the bedroom, you will be in violation of our tariffs. CU: But what does it matter to you whether I use all the paint? I already paid for it! CL: Sir, there's no point in getting upset; that's just the way it is. We make plans based upon the idea that you will use all the paint, and when you don't, it just causes us all sorts of problems. CU: This is crazy! I suppose something terrible will happen if I don't keep painting until after Saturday night? CL: Yes, sir, it will. CU: Well, that does it! I'm going somewhere else to buy my paint. CL: That won't do you any good, sir. We all have the same rules. And thanks for painting with our airlines.

From Gov. Rick Perry's Speech to the Texas Public Policy Foundation…Jan 29, 2004 In fact, when you compare teacher salaries in Texas to the rest of the nation, and include a cost-of-living adjustment, we're 16th in the nation.

No....the narrow-minded morons. Do you think we should file a class action lawsuit?

I have never found two better tools of discipline than car keys and a cell phone. For everyone who is holding out and thinks 13 is too young to for a cell phone....let me just say that it cost us $10.00 a month to add Cheyenne to our plan and it has been worth 10 times that. She will do ANYTHING to keep from getting her cell phone taken away! Parenting by bribery and intimidation. Oh well....whatever works!