We initially decided to homeschool because the South Carolina public schools were terrible. We also knew we would be moving a few times in the next few years so we thought it would be best.

Now we live in an area where the local schools are good (my daughter even tried them and liked them well enough, but decided to return), but this is our way of life now and we like it.

The first conclusion folks jump to is we're all religious shut ins. Nope. I've been agnostic for years, and I encourage my children to question anything and everything.
We're members of a secular co-op. Funny thing is we've been too busy with school, clubs and the kid's social lives to attend the co-op groups anymore. Home schooling today has sooo many options. The materials available are so vast and rich that it makes it easier than you think. The difficulty is the commitment and time put into it.

I feel for Teachers in public schools. They have no freedom to truly teach anymore in my opinion. I worked briefly in a public school and all I saw was teachers frantically coaching their class to take the standardized tests.

If I were to choose the one thing I like most about my kids being homeschooled I would have to say... They are better socialized individuals. They're not as peer driven than they would be if they were in a class full of the same aged kids all day. My kids can sit and enjoy time conversing comfortably with someone of ANY age.

What I want most for them is that they are both free thinking individuals that make their own decisions based on the values they develop on their own.. not some institution's or government's social agenda.

Sorry if this sounds a bit rambling here.. it's late

Nothing compared to the SEC ref taking out the South Carolina quarterback:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWt1tGTHdkc

(Yes that's completely real, no he didn't get in to trouble, and yes I also have a hard time believing he was trying to get out of the way)

>> ^Sniper007:
In the end, unemployment is ALWAYS a deliberate CHOICE of the unemployed.

^ That is Absolutely the dumbest thing I've heard in a long time.

"Some 533,000 jobs disappeared from the economy in November, the worst month since 1974. In South Carolina, a government panel is predicting that the state’s unemployment rate could reach 14 percent by the middle of next year."

Growing up in the 'Bible Belt', Christmas was a a big deal. I used to look forward to decorating the tree when I was younger, and I would get really excited about opening gifts Christmas morning, so a good night's sleep was rarely an option. There was always this excitement around the holidays for me. In December of '91 I spent my first Christmas away from home and family, and instead spent it in bootcamp.

I think the first time you spend Christmas away from family and you don't make a big deal to celebrate it, it just becomes another day. I still like to get back to North Carolina/South Carolina to see family, but I rarely go back anymore because flying in this post-911 era sucks a massive Jesus cock. I'm not going back to NC/SC this year, either.

I've yet to put a tree up since being on my own. One of these years, however, I may just surprise myself and put up a tree and hang lights and do all that other annoyingly domestic crap. But, then again, probably not.

The numbers in this video are not impressive anyway. The Big 3 have been assembling garbage automobiles for decades, and people finally realized they were getting ripped off. Their deadline to move towards quality is long overdue (the gas crisis was the straw that broke.... the...gas guzzler's tow hitch?). This is supported by the fact that Chrysler, the least affected by escalating fuel prices, was the first to run into trouble - because of their long-standing tradition of poor quality. Same thing happened with Jaguar and Land Rover: poor quality - I don't mean initial quality (they ARE comfy at first)... I'm talking about holding value - overall longterm quality (ie, answering "No" to the question: "Will I be embarrassed to drive this car in 10 years?").

They need to learn how to design and assemble the damn thing correctly the first time, so the consumer isn't pissed off every time they need to replace something, even if it's the small shit: window motor, radiator fan, dashboard backlight and/or the gauges it illuminates, water pump, fuel pump, or some $300 A/C flap thingamajigger that controls air flow between vents which remains working yet makes a terribly irritating noise lasting 32 seconds every time you start or stop the engine.
Clearly, I have digressed, and have absolutely no experience with such matters anyway.

And so it was that with the rise of globalization (and fall of the dollar), foreign companies opened up shop here...
Take for example BMW's impact in Greenville, South Carolina: 23,050 jobs paying $1.2 billion, etc. (source) from one such plant. Where's BMW's whining video?? Where's BMW's bailout?? They don't fucking need one because they do quality work - much like Honda, Nissan, Toyota and all other brands who are devouring Big 3's piece of the pie - and rightfully so.

I recently enjoyed an article about how American car companies can't lease cars anymore because they don't hold their value - when people turned their leases in, the company was stuck with a depreciated piece of shit and lost money by the truckload (no pun intended). So now they only sell them (or lack thereof), sticking the consumer with the piece of shit in 3-5 years, who subsequently will purchase a different brand the next time around - one that will not only run forever (provided they keep the oil changed), but the A/C and power windows will too.

Imagine that: Bush actually got it right when he told them to learn how to compete.
In short, we are witnessing the evolution of an industry in the face of capitalism, the excitement and effectiveness of which will be ruined by a bailout. Sorry for ranting.


And remember - if you see a car approaching with a foglight out, it's made by GM.

This from a few weeks ago is telling: McCain Hires GOP Operative Who Helped Smear Him in South Carolina in 2000

Yeah, "enjoy" can be a relative term. I wasn't doing any serious research or anything--it just came to me. Literally. A friend forwarded the link in e-mail and I figured sifters might like it too.

To me, the sight of the pure desolation of the place illustrates what an empty argument it is--real, exaggerated or otherwise. I mean, it doesn't even matter if it's literally true--to me, anybody who presents that argument is beneath contempt and impossible to take seriously about anything. Except, yeah, F*ing VP candidate!</rant>


In reply to this comment by Octopussy:
Well, I cannot really say I enjoyed this. I mean, the mere thought of Palin possibly becoming the vp is more than any reasonably thinking person could take, isn't it? But I had been wondering (having access to maps, unlike Ms Palin and Miss Teen South Carolina) what she would actually be able to see "from her home", but was too lazy to dig into it. So, thanks for doing my research for me. Are you from Alaska or did you just happen to come across this vid or did you seriously do some research?

In reply to this comment by wazant:
NP. Glad you enjoyed it!


In reply to this comment by Octopussy:
Thanks for posting this. I know it doesn't really matter, but I had been wondering what/how much/from where one would actually have a view of Russia from Alaska (realising one couldn't possibly see it from either Wasilla, Juneau or Anchorage).

Well, I cannot really say I enjoyed this. I mean, the mere thought of Palin possibly becoming the vp is more than any reasonably thinking person could take, isn't it? But I had been wondering (having access to maps, unlike Ms Palin and Miss Teen South Carolina) what she would actually be able to see "from her home", but was too lazy to dig into it. So, thanks for doing my research for me. Are you from Alaska or did you just happen to come across this vid or did you seriously do some research?

In reply to this comment by wazant:
NP. Glad you enjoyed it!


In reply to this comment by Octopussy:
Thanks for posting this. I know it doesn't really matter, but I had been wondering what/how much/from where one would actually have a view of Russia from Alaska (realising one couldn't possibly see it from either Wasilla, Juneau or Anchorage).

The woman doesn’t have a clue. It’s pretty obvious that most of her answers are rehearsed (if asked the question again, she’ll simply repeat the first answer). Look at her getting confused with the climate change question: it’s not enterily man-made, I’m not going to blame anybody, but we have to do something. Yeah, if it’s not man-made and if you don’t believe in the forces of nature climate change is God-made, oops.... Re abortion she doesn’t seem to understand the difference between making it illegal and putting a 16-year old in jail (well, here are some in between things that could happen http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/26/AR2008092602833_pf.html "> If Roe Goes).
And then she tells us that her best friend is not her gay friend, but a friend who happens to have "made the choice" to be gay.
Can someone please tell McCain that Miss Teen South Carolina would be a better option?

>> ^thinker247:
Whatever happened to Miss South Carolina, anyway? Is she running for Miss Waffle House USA, now?

She's going to be McCain's surprise Foreign Policy Advisor, because she has maps and such like.

Whatever happened to Miss South Carolina, anyway? Is she running for Miss Waffle House USA, now?

Soooo true! Who wants her to be president of the United States!?!?

http://www.videosift.com/video/Uhhhwhat-did-she-just-say-Miss-Teen-South-Carolina-2007

http://www.videosift.com/video/John-McCain-and-Miss-Teen-SC-related

>> ^maximillian:
Wow, she sounds as coherent as Miss South Carolina.

Well done

>> ^HollywoodBob:
Wow, Just Wow.
Makes me think of this:
http://www.videosift.com/video/Everyone-in-this-room-is-now-dumber

More Weller Done

Wow, she sounds as coherent as Miss South Carolina.

Agree on Bob Barr and "The Body". I thought Ron Paul's bit was pretty good too... And I chuckled at Ron Reagan Jr.'s rule.

Newsflash for Arlen Specter: The RNC does not count all of its delegates. Specifically, Wyoming, New Hampshire, Michigan, South Carolina, and Florida were only allowed half of their delegation, as per RNC rules.