I don't know what WASl test is but if it is anything like the TAKS test in Texas then more powe

This is a test post [2008-11-12]
xx

I think they are pretty worthless and not really an IQ test because sm [2008-11-10]
if you have ever had a Wechsler, you know that those kinds of questions don't play into it. They are mind teasers and trick questions, not something that a Wechsler uses. A Wechsler is several hours long and goes through your math, language, spacial relations and problem solving skills, and it is timed. Part of IQ is how fast you can solve complex problems. I have taken a Wechsler and while I won't quote you a number, I will say the person who gave it as part of a psychological evaluation, told me he would diagnose me as way too smart for my own good. He stated that I probably didn't suffer fools gladly because I view most of the world as fools. I only fall at the 99.6 percentile on the Bell curve. No, I don't suffer fools gladly, but I try to be nice while others catch up.

They don't usually test to put them in certain classes. sm [2008-09-10]
Sometimes in high school it is a matter of making a schedule work and classes work around students to make a full class, etc. So that may or may not be why she was put in this class. I believe too much is expected out of kids these days and I say let her out of the class or at the least talk to the counselor about her issues. I believe in Physics class it helps a lot to have the other classes first. Otherwise, she would be really lost and it sounds like she might be.

That is a good idea--take it for a test drive. ;-) nm [2008-07-10]
xx

A very small town in West Texas [2008-07-03]
I live in an 890 sq foot rock house. I am guessing at the sq foot actually. It is close to 900 but not quite there. It ihas 2 bedrooms, 1 bath. Metal roof. I live close to the schools. I live 2 blocks from the local hospital. I just applied for a job there in fact. I worked 8 years for a big 300-bed multispeciality hospital that was 35 miles away. I left because of the climbing gas prices and I thought I needed a break from the office politics. I started working for an on-line transcription company and for some reason just cannot seem to produce the lines or make half the money I was making at the hospital. I have been here 6 months already. I applied to another company to try my luck there and they offered me a job but I read in the paper yetserday this little hospital here is hiring. They do light transcription, filing, I forget what else it said. The best part is I will have benes. As I was applying a nurse recognized me and was telling me about them and they have improved since I worked there 10 years ago. I hope the pay has as welland I hope they still like me. LOL.

Children in Texas finally reunited [2008-06-03]
I waspleased to hear the children from the Texas ranch reuinited with their parents. I could not figure out how the state could come in and remove the children without solid evidence of abuse. They said they received an anonymous call from some girl who claimed she was an under aged bride? However through the whole episode never once did this so called girl come forward. I believe this was all a smoke screen so they could go in and disrupt this religious group. They were not doing anything wrong. They were living in the ways they believe is correct, just like any other baptist, catholic, or any other religion lives. If it has to do with taxes, health care or whatever that should be settled in court, not yank their children away from them. I have no doubts that if it was a baptist or one of their religious groups that they belong to none of this would have happened. I am just pleased the children are finally reunited with their parents and it sounds like they are reaching some agreements to make sure the children will be safe if there is anything harmful going on. Makes me even more glad I donripped away from me without a legalreason, but that's just me.

I don't know what WASl test is but if it is anything like the TAKS test in Texas - then more powe [2008-04-27]
I hate standardized testing. I hate the way it is pushed and it is the only thing teachers 'preach' on the whole school year. Math and Reading is the big ones here until 5th grade and then science gets added in. Where is history? Where is grammar (no this is not included in the reading test)? Forget these stupid state standardized testing and get back to what is important.... an education!

$3.41-3.45 here in West Texas. I have been [2008-04-22]
checking out yard sales for a bicycle. Not just about gas, I need to loose about 50 pounds plus all these short trips to the store is hard on the vehicle anyway.

Texas polygamist compound [2008-04-16]
what Anybody know? I know there are more important things in this case, but it just strikes me.

I'm a Texas [2008-03-20]
girl too - in Fort Worth, where are you??

oh Texas girl, you made me laugh! [2008-03-17]
and i'm going to save this to send to people who need to see it!!

Test Message [2008-03-13]
This is my test message.

French toast using texas test bar-b-que bread. Yummy. Potato casserole is sm [2008-02-24]
the best, too! southern style potatoes frozen (ore-ida) 1 can cream of chicken soap 8 ounces sour cream 1 stick butter 1 package mild cheddar cheest mix all ingredients and bake for 45 minutes Then if you want to add a meat such as ham or bacon you can do that.

We should use them as test subjects for medication and [2008-02-09]
I guarantee you start doing some tough punishment and there would be less of that crap going on.

and in Texas [2008-01-11]
almost 70 degrees and I have been out walking in the sunshine!

My kids only act out like that if they are sick - get him a strep test! Has he said his stomach hurt [2007-12-19]
My kids act terrible when they are sick - many times they have gotten in trouble and then later I find out they are sick. Both of them have had strep several times with NO SORE THROAT, NO FEVER, just stomach pain.

What would you all do? My SIL is making my DH attend my nephew's HS grad in Texas this June...sm [2007-12-17]
We live in Illinois. He would be taking my youngest son with him also. The total cost of the trip for the two of them would easily be $2000 since my DH does not get paid for taking time off work. If he takes this trip that would mean no vacation for me or my other two kids next year since that She is insisting her only brother (DH) be there at the actual ceremony which is on a Tuesday evening. Then afterwards they plan on going out to dinner to celebrate - no party that would be it. I would rather we go the following week, drive the entire family and stay the week and celebrate the whole week with them. My son graduates high school in two years and I don We probably wouldn't have enough tickets for her anyway. DH doesnNo since she Do you think we are obligated to go to the ceremony? She has more than enough family members that live over there that could attend (grandparents, aunts, uncles, her other children). Thanks for any input.

Exactly. Plus, don't people realize that Texas is weird? [2007-12-11]
nm

Where r u at in Texas? I live here too and argue with 50% of their rules! [2007-12-10]
x

In that case, Texas ought to be against also [2007-12-07]
because their capital punishment rates right up there with Florida and I would bet Texas is definitely into whuppings!

OP in Texas, isn't she? Anyway, that's what [2007-12-07]
xx

Corpus Christi Texas - 150 miles of beach... [2007-12-06]
sand is very hard though....LOL - and since I was there, I heard they built up that city. I was there in the 70s but I remember what a GREAT time we had (a bunch of us) and how laid back it was.....bring lots of sunscreen/block as it's subtropical sun there as is S. Florida.....and for west coast of Florida, Naples, Fort Myers, Sarasota, Tampa, Clearwater

I'm originally from Binghamton, but I live in Texas now. [2007-11-07]
.

Where in Texas? I'm in far [2007-11-07]
north Texas. Just wish my kids could see real snow! Hayseed, it does sound beautiful there! I worked for a company in Maine and got a lot of information and it just sounded sooooo beautiful! But here I am in Texas, no snow, just ice here and there!

Did they do an MRI of her adrenals yet? Test her for Lyme? Our kid [2007-10-13]
s

Tonya, perhaps you should be checked sm [2008-11-15]
Tell the doc or get a diabetes test from the drug store. My MIL did this and had a sugar problem which was solved with diet. I hope not, but save yourself some worry; caught early, most problems can be solved with diet alone.

Tonya, perhaps you should be checked sm [2008-11-15]
Tell the doc or get a diabetes test from the drug store. My MIL did this and had a sugar problem which was solved with diet. I hope not, but save yourself some worry; caught early, most problems can be solved with diet alone.

This Is So True [2008-11-15]
When I took an IQ test and scored 166, I thought it was a huge mistake.I struggled in school, which I believe is because I was bored. I am very good with technical things (computers and such), but I learn by doing not by reading. ThereI have had depression my whole adult life, but Iwrote about those with higher IQsare just like me. I always thought I was dumb because I did not get As or Bs in school and could not retainmost of whatI read. Of course, like I said, ADD plays a big role in that. Thanks for your post. Made me realize some things that I hadn Only my husband knows my IQ score...I don't want my friends or other family members to know (I don't think they would believe it).

Explaining a couple of things sm [2008-11-14]
I studied IQ as part of my Masterget you because your sense of humor is probably well off the beaten track. You probably lack social skills from an early age. Your peers would play childhood games while you preferred to try to improve upon the toys they played with. In school, you didn't have to work very hard in most areas. It all came very easily. You didn't learn how to learn, which is a very valuable skill. You probably have a low frustration level and when something doesn't come very easily, you are prone to giving up. Because you see the world in completely different terms than people of more average intelligence, those same average people call you crazy or mentally ill and tell you that you should be locked up. You don't fit in and despite the higher intelligence, you are remiss to know how to accomplish the feat of being more ordinary. I alluded to this in my previous post. I have the unusual combination of being very artistic, creatively gifted AND being rather intellectually gifted. Yes, I did fall at the 99.6% percentile on the Wechsler. I know what it means and I have a firm understanding that indeed, that score suggests that I possess more intelligence than 99.6% of the people who have taken that test, and only 0.4% are smarter than I am. It has been a life-long struggle to fit in. I am too cerebral for artistic people, and too artistic for intellectuals. I literally have no one I fit in with. I have learned to tone myself down to make it work. I didn't say dumb down, I said tone down. That means I don't intentionally talk over the heads of others and I won't cram what I know down anyone's throat. I have had those people in my life who have been jealous of me. I learn quickly if it is artistic, musical, creative, the written word, history and philosophy. I struggle with math. I took piano lessons 10 years ago. I had 40 of them and had never played the piano before. In 40, 1-hour lessons I could play the Moonlight Sonata in piano solo (not a dumbed down easy version). Most people cannot do that. There many other things I have done in a similar fashion, but this is an example for you. You ask why I am an MT if I am so smart. I make very good money as an MT and I enjoy the challenge. My photographic memory comes in very handy too. I often stop and read up on a disease process I am transcribing about, so that I know what it means. Show me a word once and I'll know it forever. It makes my job easier for me to accomplish. This all sounds like I am blowing my own horn, but I am merely trying to explain. Being highly intelligent wonreally smart is not only not helpful, I think it is the root of the housecleaning issues in my life. In short, it is just great to have a good ol' high number and in the end it makes absolutely difference...if you don't count the fact that people with IQs over 150 are 3 times more likely to be depressed and commit suicide than the average population. People who are 125 to 140 are the most fortunate. They succeed in greater numbers in school, in a job, in life. They are very bright, and likely have learned how to learn. They are more likely to persevere in the face of frustration and challenge. It really isn't all you think it is.

I just wish they would stop saying a "man" sm [2008-11-13]
was pregnant. I mean, come on, the person was born a woman and female internal organs or else this wouldn't be possible. If they did a DNA test, it would show XX not XY. To me, this is no different than lesbian couples doing artificial insemination or IVF. It's only getting publicity because one of them has had surgery to appear male and lives as a male.

My most memorable Christmas - [2008-11-12]
Well, actually I have two - When I was younger (back during the last recession in the 80s), we had moved to Texas for my dad to find work in construction. My family was really homesick and wanted to come back where we were from and decided to move right around Christmas time. Therefore, we were told there would be no Christmas at your house that year. However, on Christmas morning we got up and all had a present that we had really wanted - mind you it was only 1 present, but that was the best present!!! The next one was when I had first married and my husband was a soldier and we moved away from our family the first week of December. At Christmas, there was no money for presents (not even cards), barely any food to eat, and we had a daughter who was 1. Well, on Christmas morning, the neighbor we had never even spoken to, came over and invited us to dinner with her family and she had bought us a present. I will never forget it. She got us a salt and pepper shaker set and had bought a doll for my baby girl.

I love the dressing and I love lemon pie..sm [2008-11-12]
My mom's lemon pie that is. I also love this dessert called Texas Delight or some people call it different things but is is layers of chocolate pudding and cream cheese and whipped cream. The food is my favorite part besides the watching my son open presents on x-mas.

I understand percentiles - sm [2008-11-11]
I am well aware of what the standard IQ percentiles are. The Bell Curve states that the 95th percentile begins at an IQ of 126 (going by IQ averages in the general population), and it stops measuring at 150, anyone in126-150 range is labeledvery bright. Mensa is a club that only accepts thehighest percentiles - its for the cream of the cream. According to Mensa, one might attempt to pass their test if one IQs higher than 150 are very difficult to measure, and there are so few people in that range it would take too much effort to develop a test difficult enough to prove just what their number is, therefore being able to pass Mensasmart that anybody would need, and it sure looks good on a resume, it certainly got my ex a lot of job interviews.Unfortunately his lack of a driverkept him from getting the jobs. Years ago, one of myhobbies was pursuading my friends to take a proven accurate test and share their results with me. I managed to talk quite a few into it, and I was happily surprised to find that several of them were Mensa material, although simply by observing their lifestyles, I never would have guessed it. A couple of them were factory workers.You may find very intelligent people in any profession, as it is much easier to disguiseintelligence than the lack of it. I don't think its impossible that someone with an IQ of 145-150 is posting on this board, or is an MT, if that's what you're asking.

FYI [2008-11-11]
This information comes from the Mensa International web site: Mensa was founded in England in 1946 by Roland Berrill, a barrister, and Dr. Lance Ware, a scientist and lawyer. They had the idea of forming a society for bright people, the only qualification for membership of which was a high IQ. The original aims were, as they are today, to create a society that is non-political and free from all racial or religious distinctions. The society welcomes people from every walk of life whose IQ is in the top 2% of the population, with the objective of enjoying each other's company and participating in a wide range of social and cultural activities. Mensans range in age from 4 to 94, but most are between 20 and 60. In education they range from preschoolers to high school dropouts to people with multiple doctorates. There are Mensans on welfare and Mensans who are millionaires. As far as occupations, the range is staggering. Mensa has professors and truck drivers, scientists and firefighters, computer programmers and farmers, artists, military people, musicians, laborers, police officers, glassblowers--the diverse list goes on and on. There are famous Mensans and prize-winning Mensans, but there are many whose names you wouldn't know. The term IQ score is widely used but poorly defined. There are a large number of tests with different scales. The result on one test of 132 can be the same as a score 148 on another test. Some intelligence tests don't use IQ scores at all. Mensa has set a percentile as cutoff to avoid this confusion. Candidates for membership in Mensa must achieve a score at or above the 98th percentile on a standard test of intelligence (a score that is greater than or equal to that achieved by 98 percent of the general population taking the test). As this list suggests, Mensa is a remarkably diverse organization. While Some Mensans noted here are well known, many others lead interesting lives out of the public eye. Geena Davis: Academy-award winning actress, who has starred in The Long Kiss Goodnight, A League of Their Own, Thelma and Louise and Hero. Donald Petersen: A former chairman of Ford Motor Company. While at Ford, Petersen was involved in the development of two of Ford's most successful cars--the Mustang and the Maverick. Marilyn Vos Savant: Listed in the Guinness Hall of Fame for having the worldAsk Marilyn!, a weekly column in Parade magazine. Bobby Czyz: A former two-time World Boxing Association (WBA) Cruiserweight Champion. Czyz now commentates on many nationally-broadcasted fights. Dr. Julie Peterson: A former Playboy Playmate, Peterson is a graduate of Life School of Chiropractic. Alan Rachins: Portrays DharmaDharma Greg. Rachins, who left the Wharton School of Finance to pursue an acting career, also portrayed Douglas Brachman on the hit TV series, L.A. Law. Adrian Cronauer: Radio personality, lawyer and subject for the movie Good Morning Vietnam. Terance Black: Screenwriter of HBOTales from the Crypt, syndicated series Dark Justice and the feature film Dead Heat. Barry Nolan: Co-anchor of TVHard Copy. Deborah Yates: Member of the world-famous Radio City Rockettes. Bob Speca, Jr.: Professional domino toppler. Speca travels internationally doing domino shows and has appeared on TV programs and commercials. John N. Moore: University of Virginia law professor who specializes in international law. Moore was hired by the U.S. ambassador to Kuwait to help the emirate recover damages inflicted during the August 2, 1990 invasion. Jean Auel: Best-selling author of Clan of the Cave Bear, Valley of Horses, and Plains of Passage. Linda Warwick: Creator and producer of the billboard mega-hit childrensBabymugs!, and the Toddler TOGS series--the fantasy video for highly creative tots. Maurice Kanbar: Inventor and owner of Skyy Vodka. Henry Milligan: A boxer and scholar, Milligan was the 1983 National Amateur Heavyweight champion. Patricia P. Jennings: Pianist with the Pittsburgh Symphony. She is the symphony's first black member and has performed internationally. Richard Lederer: A master of the pun. Lederer has written dozens of books on word play and is a frequent guest on National Public Radio. Judge Ellen Morphonios: Nicknamed Maximum Morphonios for her strict rulings in Florida. Morphonios is a former model and beauty queen who passed a Florida exam that allowed her to enter law school without an undergraduate degree. Richard Bolles: Author of What Color is Your Parachute? which at one point had been on The New York Times Best-seller List for 228 weeks. Velma Jeremiah: A retired attorney who graduated fourth in her law school class at the age of 47. She is a former chairwoman of Mensa International. Dr. Abbie F. Salny: Author of the Mensa Quiz-a-Day books and calendars. Dr. Salny is a retired college professor and expert in intelligence who has served as Mensa's supervising psychologist. Note: most of the members listed are members of American Mensa.

The only sure thing about having a High IQ [2008-11-11]
is that you can score high on an IQ test. My mother had an IQ of 150 and she was a data entry clerk all of her life.

Thank you for answering me. I [2008-11-11]
had just read an article in the August Reader's Digest about a man being treated for throat cancer, stage IV. The name is The Farther Shore by Stephen Reynolds, in his 40's. There is an insert in the article that might interest you. HPV and You While few people with HPV get oral cancer, the number is likely to keep rising, says Maura Gillison, M.D., of Johns Hopkins. 20 million Americans are infected, with 6.2 million new cases each year. So far, there is no cure and just one test and only to detect HPV in a woman's cervix. Only a biopsy can tell whether an oral cancer is linked to HPV, but a test to spot high-risk oral infection in men and women and a vaccine for men are both in the works. What you need to know: Most people with HPV infections don't have any symptoms. At least half of sexually active men and women may become infected in their lifetimes. About 23% of women ages 14 to 65 have high-risk HPV, including 35% of 14 to 19 year old girls. Gardasil protects against up to 70% of the HPV types that cause cervical cancer, but it is unknown if the vaccine protects against oral infection in men or women. While most infections clear up on their own without patients ever knowing they were exposed, the consequences can still be severe. For instance, one type of HPV raises the risk of oral cancer of 3,200 percent. The virus speads through any form of sexual activity, and condoms can't fully protect against it. Having more than 5 oral sex partners boosts the risks of HPV linked oral cancer by 340 percent. Sorry this was so long, but this is the most info I have seen on this and the numbers are, I think, staggering. I notice it does not address the vaccine in Australia you mentioned.

IQs scores... [2008-11-10]
I took the same IQ test a couple of days ago and scored 140. At the end of this test they want to sell you merchandise! This is a very short test in comparison to others and it is not timed. It is very easy. I took the Mensa IQ test that is at least 4 times as long and timed and I got a score of 135, what is good. These are my real scores and you do not have to subtract at least 20% from it, like with others who fall all into the the 'brilliant category. LOL !

Agree completely [2008-11-10]
I I I was on a dating forum a couple years back and everyone started coming on saying they were geniuses because they took an online test and it said so. I am also well acquainted with the Bell Curve, and also I knew from most of those poster It smelled fishy so I took it, and it padded my IQ by 10-20 points! If you really want to know your IQ (or your child Most online tests are crap, designed to suck you into a marketing ploy, as well as make you look like a fool bragging that you're a genius, along with anybody else that takes it.

for... ..to be an MT........sm [2008-11-10]
I said nothing about being stupid. But the attitude of this poster stating........ '..... have taken a Wechsler and while I won't quote you a number, I will say the person who gave it as part of a psychological evaluation, told me he would diagnose me as way too smart for my own good. He stated that I probably didn't suffer fools gladly because I view most of the world as fools. I only fall at the 99.6 percentile on the Bell curve. No, I don't suffer fools gladly, but I try to be nice while others catch up............' is so stuck up and stupid and I am sure....a lie with the 99.6 percentile. That means the person scored higher than 99.6 percent of the people who took the test, or that only 0.4 percent scored higher than this person. Don't make me laugh. What is so exceptional intelligent about you, may I ask? Did you invent something or what?

Uh-oh! [2008-11-10]
I wasn't even brilliant on the easy test - hmmm.. I think I will stop taking them!

You do not understand.....sm [2008-11-10]
what 99.6 percentile means. I explained it in my former post. It means that she scored higher than 99.6 percent of all people who took the test and only 0.4 percent scored higher than her. That means an IQ of above 150. Do you believe this? Einstein' was 165. Average is 100. Below 70 is mentally challenged.

reasoning [2008-11-09]
sorry I believe God has the authority to judge any and every situation. My reasoning on dogs is the temperament test. That is a test that doesn't lie. This test is conducted by experts on specific breeds of dogs. I hate to admit it, but I use to be skeptical on owning pitbulls also. I use to think why take the chance on owning a dog that could turn on us and kill us??? Yup that was me 6 yrs ago. Till one day I took a chance on getting a little pitbull pup & he would be the one to open my eyes to so much. So upon researching them, owning them for years, rescuing one and being married to a K9 dog handler/trainer trust me I know what I am talking about.

I have had the pleasure... [2008-11-09]
....of working in several nursing homes as a CNA and nurse before coming to medical transcription. It's hard work and usually staffing is sometimes paltry, even in the good homes, but we really do care. Really. Every place has bad eggs, the hospitals, home care, etc., but everyone usually has to have some sort of heart to work in a nursing home. First things first...I always would check for jobs with this litmus test, and I recommend anyone do this. This is a make or break kind of ordeal. You look for the state inspection report. It HAS to be placed in a prominent place in the facility. If you cannot find it readily, ask where it is. If there is anything going on with hiding these documents, you leave and never come back. The other thing is to smell for stale urine or strong air fresheners. If you smell either of those, leave. (Do not check for BM smell--the smell often radiates and may be new, for lack of a better term.) Look at the residents. Do many of them seem content? Do you see aides with gait belts around their waists? Do the nurses look terribly stressed? Please also do not judge by tones of voices in the direct care staff. Often the staff must talk very directly, succintly, and abruptly--it sometimes comes off as harsh, but it's not--for particular residents to hear and/or understand. If you go in a facility in the evening, often the place is chaotic, particularly if there are demented residents. There is a condition known as sundowning that is very, very real. The ones with dementia who are sundowning may give the impression that care is not being given due to the chaos and behaviors brought by the condition. It's not the case. Usually these residents are kept in common areas until they are calm enough to retire for the night. If you go in the nighttime, often there is one night nurse for about 65ish residents. If you are so inclined to come in at this time and do not see anyone at the nurse's station for some time, know that the nurse may be tending to a medical issue and the CNAs are tending to personal care of the residents. If you ever see nurses eating a sandwich in one hand and writing in another hand while sitting at the nurse's station, this is sometimes the only break he or she gets. It's not out of disrespect that this is done. It is so that nurse can care for the residents as best as he or she can. What you are describing in your original post, unfortunately, is quite common, from what I have seen. Two people who are married a long time will often pass not too far apart. It seems people often do decide when they will go. As a nurse, it's one of the more incredible things I've seen. When I saw it happen, I always had the sense there is an extremely strong bond between the spouses that absolutely nothing could break. I'm not trying to say anything is amiss with your mother. I'm not. It doesn't always happen that way. I hope I don't come off that way. I'm sorry you are going through this, because no one wants to send a loved one to the nursing home, yet caring for an ailing parent is one of the most stressful things anyone can experience. I have never been in your position, so I hope I don't come off as too forward, rude, or presumptuous, but I wanted to tell you a little more about what you may be getting into. If you live in Iowa, I'd recommend you to a great one that has the best nurse I've ever met working there now. He has cooked up oyster soup in our kitchen when a resident stopped eating because the resident loved oyster soup. He has taken residents fishing for the heck of it. He wears a scrub shirt with chickens on it because many of our residents were farmers and like the shirt (and because my husband has a silly sense of humor and a wife with a sewing machine). I've known CNAs who buy (with their own money) residents pop and even steak just because the resident wanted it and could have it. Shoot, lots of us do it, even when we don't have a lot of money to our names. I loved to sing with the residents that had dementia (music seems to be retained) and chat about life with the residents who had their faculties. I promise it's not all doom and gloom. Sure, nursing homes could do better, but if you find the right one, it may just work out. All my best to you and your mother.

First rule: Know your prices. sm [2008-10-23]
Second rule: Then again, it won't save you any money to drive all around unless you are making substantial purchases. If just one item is a little higher at Wal-Mart or the grocery store where you already are shopping, might as well go ahead and get it then. I shop first at the Dollar Store. Love Top Job and can't always find it anywhere else. Also, those old timey remedies include vinegar, cheapest and proven to kill as many germs as alcohol and bleach. Back in the day, I remember the ladies starting out the wringer washer (yes, I am that old) with the whites, then running those out to the side and reusing the water. I have actually wished a few times I had a wringer washer, especially after a hurricane. Then they started rinsing the clothes using the same water as long as they could for the rest of the stuff. Make a list and stick to it, no impulse buying, take your coupons, maybe include a small cooler or thermal bag in your vehicle especially in the summer. Check out the new lightbulbs, LEDlight that is almost always on. From what I understand, there is no real saving if you just turn it on to get something, then turn it right back off. I had motion detection lights outside, but had to unplug it, too much breeze here on the coast and the trees constantly set them off. Almost choked on that light bill. Some economist on TV was saying to shop the perimeters of the store and avoid the center aisles, this for both money and health reasons. See something really cute and not too expensive at wal-mart? Started telling myself I bet I could get 50cents for that in a garage sale in 6 months. Not doing the impulse buying will save a small fortune; it really adds up. Don't look at the stuff while you are checking out, either. Check out America's Test Kitchen, not long ago they had a program on making your own pizza in 30 minutes. If you have kids, that can save you a fortune, that is about the most expensive thing out there. my grandmother made the most wonderful soup - from a soup bone and leftovers. She never threw away leftover veggies; they went into the freezer in little bags until needed. That is another thing, cut back on the meat and up the veggies. I do splurge on some things. I usually have canned chicken ready for cheater pot pie and frozen pie crusts. All 3 of my daughter-in-laws use that recipe now, great with leftover chicken or turkey, another thing to be frozen when left over. If you do eat out, make it during the day when prices are down. maybe I gave you one or two things anyway. Good luck.

Wow, thanks everybody, you have [2008-10-23]
answered a few of my questions. I had wondered about the Eden Pure, this is the first comment I have seen about the product. I have been using spot heating as needed (space heaters) and I have an old electric blanket I can haul around and one on the bed, of course. Frankly, I sleep better in the cold air. The heat pump is just too expensive and does not get the job done in really cold weather, plus I then have a light bill over $450 a mo. My son has a wood insert with blowers in his fireplace in east Texas, and that sucker will run you out of the house. It also does not burn wood as fast as an open fireplace. I would warn everybody about the plugs on appliances including toaster ovens and especially space heaters. We all hear about fires from having a heater too close to the drapes or blankets, but you really have to keep a check on the plugs. I think they are just not sturdy enough for the amount of juice they have to handle.

Update on coffee. [2008-10-22]
I used the tablespoon method fromthe poster belowand then measured into my cup measurer. It was almost 1/2 cup of coffee grounds. The coffee tasted just a wee bit better, but still not good enough. I was thinking about buying some already measured coffee to see if that makes a difference, but ya can't just buy one (to test), so I think I'll play around with the measuring a little more. I'm also going to break open the 100% Columbian coffee hubby bought and see if that makes a difference. I had noticed that over the last few months, whenever I opened a new can of coffee, that whoosh never happened like it used to, so I'm thinking these stores/manufacturers are just keeping the coffee in storage too long....probably because of the high prices, people aren't buying as much. LOL

Don't Enable [2008-10-17]
You need to nip this in the bud, literally, right now while you still have the opportunity to reach your son. I had the same parenting style you did. I too hid my sonall teens try it. I too had a husband who would have kicked my son out of the house to teach him a lesson. How I wish I could do it over. My oldest son is now addicted to meth and just got released from prison after 8-1/2 years. Buy your son a home drug kit and test him immediately. Continue to do so (especially after weekends). Sit your husband down and decide TOGETHER how tosave your son. If he pops positive, get him into treatment immediately. Drugs are absolutely destroying our children's lives. Get on top of the problem while you still can. Being a Mom is not a popularity contest. It is a serious responsibility that means a lot of uncomfortable decisions. My oldest is lost to drugs. I learned from my mistakes and my other 4 children didn't dare even try drugs. Learned The Hard Way

OK I have exp with raising beagles...sm [2008-10-16]
My husband has 10 hunting beagles in kennels. I do most of the taking care of them. I also have a pit bull and a beagle inside. You are in a predicament. The dog definitely deserves and should be treated the best that can be provided. First of all, is she getting fed and all? Make sure she has food and water. Look on the internet and look at the pics of dogs with sarcoptic mange. Just a few months ago one of our beagles got it and looked awful. She lost her hair and scratched and had bleeding spots on her from the scratching. Some just lose spots of hair. If it has this I can tell you how to get rid of it and make the dog look like a different dog. We treat our beagles a lot ourselves. If it has mange it would need ivermectin but the problem is if it has heartworms and you wouldn't know unless you take it to the vet to check then the ivermectin would kill it. The test to check is about $30. If it does not have the heartworms then you give it a shot of ivermectin 1/10 of a mL for every 10 pounds. Make sure not to overdose. You give it once a week for 4-5 weeks. It kills the mange and most everything else it might have. But you have to be very careful because an overdose is lethal. Also to help grow the hair back you put on NuStock which can be bought at a feedstore for around $12 a tube. It has instructions on it. THe ivermectin can be bought at the feedstore too. This is for cows. That is why you only give it a very small amount. It is 30 something dollars for a thing of it. This is how I cured my husbands beagle and it worked and the dog looks great. Regrew all the hair and is very healthy. But make sure it don't have heartworms first. And weigh it to see how much to give. This is a alternative to vet care and I am telling you it works.

Education on Pitbulls [2008-10-13]
Know the FACTS: visit http://www.thetruthaboutpitbulls.com/ According to the American Canine Temperament Testing Association 82.5% of the American Pitbull Terriers that took the temperament test passed, compared to a 77% passing rate for all breeds on average. Pitbulls have achieved the fourth highest passing rate of all 122 breeds tested.

I don't know what state you're in or if that [2008-09-24]
makes a different but when my husband was hired by the state, he interviewed in July and didn First off, as someone else mentioned below, it depends on what the closing date is. Whether they have 3 applicants or not to interview doesn it goes by the closing date. They legally cannot make their choice until the position is closed. After the closing date, they will do an extensive background check before notifying the chosen applicant. My husband They only check the top choice If his/her background check, doesn After the chosen one You go through a bunch of blood work and a physical exam and a TB test. Then finally, you get a start date. Depending on the type of facility, he may need to go for training. My husband works for the state pen and had to go for 6 weeks of defensive training. All in all, it The waiting is agony, but if he gets the job, it The benefits are unbeatable. Good luck -- hope your hubs gets it!!!