GOP Debate Reveals Disturbing Views of Health Insurance

On Monday, September 12, 2011, CNN hosted what is being called a “Tea Party debate”. A specific question that was asked regarding health insurance unexpectedly revealed a truly disturbing viewpoint from the crowd, as well as the politicians. It seems they prefer to let the uninsured die, rather than to have society pay for the health care needs of the sick and uninsured. Wolf Blitzer was the host of this debate between GOP politicians who are contending for the nomination that would allow them to compete against President Obama in the 2012 election. One of the most important topics that … Continue reading

Beware the Green Eyed Monster: How Jealousy Can Impact Your Blended Family

I tiptoed up to the topic, believing that most of us are pretty sensitive about it: “Sometimes step parents feel…I don’t want to call it jealousy, but…” at which point Kelly, eight years into her step mom experience, interrupted, “Oh, you can call it jealous! I was definitely jealous!—of a six year old, no less!” We were talking about what can often become a defining dynamic between children and step parents, and consequently, a divisive issue for a biological parent and their spouse. It’s not an emotion many of us are willing to cop to, especially if the trigger is … Continue reading

Organizing Your Freezer for Freezer Cooking

While having an organized freezer is important for day to day living, it is even more important when you practice freezer cooking. Mystery meals wrapped in freezer bags, freezer paper or aluminum foil can repeatedly be rejected until they are little more than packages of ice. Here are some tips on how you can keep your freezer organized and your meals flowing forth from it. Organize for variety While humans love to categorize things in the simplest form, putting all of the same meal together can actually work to your disadvantage. it is much better to mix up the meals, … Continue reading

Frugal Living Month in Review: July 2008

July went by so quickly for us! There were so many fun and frugal activities and events for us to explore, from a science camp to free movies and sand sculpting. I hope your July was equally fun and frugal. Summer is a busy time, I know. Did you miss any frugal articles last month? If so, here is an opportunity to catch up on what you missed. There are new ways to save money on food, clothing, kids, gas and more. Feel free to leave a comment on any frugal post. I read all of the comments myself, no … Continue reading

Marriages without Sex (2)

In our first article on this topic, we looked at the marriage between Sue and James, who had only had intercourse on one occasion two years after the wedding in order to satisfy Sue’s longing for a child. You can read about the courtship and immediate post-wedding experiences of Sue and James in Marriage without Sex (1). So, two years into an unconsummated marriage, Sue allowed James to have sex with her over a period of three nights and the result was a beautiful baby boy. The marriage then resumed its sex-free criteria because Sue was “too busy getting over … Continue reading

Middle School Homeschool Basics: Math

Middle school math, i.e. 6th 7th and 8th grade math are generally the same math concepts repeated at a slightly greater difficulty each year. It basically prepares students for algebra. If middle school students do, very well with middle school math they can start Algebra in 8th grade. Here are the concepts your middle school student must master (at 90% accuracy) before moving on to Algebra. Place Value: Students should be able to name place value up to a billion Decimals: Estimating, rounding, adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing and conversion to fractions Percent: Students should be able to calculate a percentage … Continue reading

I Survived the First Grade Today

Well, I did it. In spite of how often I talk about adoption, I was nervous about going to Meg’s first-grade classroom, where her classmates had been pressing her about whether she was adopted and who her “real” mom was. (I talked about this in a recent blog.) I’ve done presentations on Korean heritage in the past, sometimes including adoption and sometimes sticking strictly to describing the holiday or customs, (You can read my blog about these presentations by clicking here.) I learned that it’s not easy to decide what’s right for your child, no matter how well-informed you may … Continue reading

Attitudes Portray that Rapists Can’t Control Urges

A recent study of 2000 Victorian (Australia) adults supports that ALMOST two in five people think that men who rape do so because they can’t control their urges. The Violence Against Women Community Attitudes Project also discovered that one in four people believe domestic violence is acceptable as long as the perpetrator genuinely regrets it afterwards. Is it any wonder then that one in five women will experience intimate partner violence in their relationship? Chief Executive Officer of VicHealth, Dr Rob Moodie, sadly stated that the attitudinal figures showed negative attitudes that cause harm to women are still prevalent in … Continue reading

Preschoolers & Sports

Is it me or are kids a hundred times busier today than when I was a kid? I don’t remember being enrolled in a dozen different activities and when I look at my own daughter’s busy schedule, I have to wonder – are we doing our preschoolers a service or not by enrolling them in sports? The answer to this question is both yes and no. Want me to vague that up a bit more? The truth is the answer is based on a number of different factors including the type of sport, your child’s level of physical prowess and … Continue reading

Dumb, Dumber and Dumbest! Help!

Dumb, Dumber and Dumbest – Help! You know, I gotta wonder about the state of today’s society. I mean, what self-respecting society produces such dim-witted individuals such as the ones I read about today. I was cruising around the internet looking for a little lighter topic and ran across this on DumbThings.com: “Iraqi terrorist, Khay Rahnajet, didn’t pay enough postage on a letter bomb. It came back with “return to sender” stamped on it. Forgetting it was the bomb, he opened it and was blown to bits.” I didn’t know whether to laugh, slap my hand on my forehead or … Continue reading