Lack of moral outrage

I know, I know. All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.* I have to be honest, though. I know I should have a belly full of fire over the current political climate. I should care enough to be angry at the direction the country is heading. It's not that I don't care; it's that I'm one person, and I can't stem the tide. Even if I could bring myself to work up an interest in politics I wouldn't be able to do it on my own. I'm becoming cynical and nothing going on in D.C. surprises me. I rationalize that it won't do any good for me to get worked up about it because God is on His throne, and He's going to make things work out right, and that in the end He will be glorified. Our suffering here is temporary. If nothing else, it helps me sleep at night.

I can hardly bring myself to watch or read national news these days. Local politics are enough to bear. This nation has corrupt officials at every single level, from the White House to the school board. How does one person stand up to that? Seriously, y'all, I'm open to suggestions because at this point I'm going into survival mode. I'm working out worst case scenarios and figuring out how to get my family through them, but I fear that even my active imagination won't be enough to prepare adequately.


*Edmund Burke (1729 - 1797)

Now for something completely different

I'm sure you're all tired of my whining, so here's something new for you to ponder. A local news station has been covering a story about a county an hour or so from here that banned an herbal substance that gives a marijuana-like effect when smoked, but it's legal and safe. The ban specified compounds found in a specific brand that are also in marijuana. A bait and tackle shop changed to a similar product (which, according to the supplier does not contain the banned compounds) and may have some trouble on their hands.

According to the shop's spokesperson, "Every item in this is perfectly natural, all natural herbs. They're Japanese and Asian herbs that are combined together- that gives you your body relaxation."

Uh huh. I have some questions.

1. Don't people fish to relax? Why would you buy a pot substitute in a bait and tackle shop if you want to relax? Why not buy bait?

2. Are Japanese herbs not Asian?

3. Isn't pot also a natural herb? I mean, really, if it's grown inside with grow lights, one could even make the assertion that it's ORGANIC! (Not that I know anything about growing pot. I saw it on CSI. Or maybe it was Law And Order.)

Also let me point out that "organic," "natural," and "herbal" do not necessarily mean "safe." I think I've mentioned here that hemlock is natural and herbal. So is Foxglove (from which we got digitalis for heart conditions).

The owner of the shop believes that these products are safe. Maybe they are, maybe not. I'm not a doctor or a lawyer so I can't speak to the safety or legality of these products. I'm just of the opinion that if you're dumb enough to smoke something because it's a legal pot alternative, you deserve to face the consequences. I don't smoke things, and relaxation has never been a problem. Isn't there something to be said for natural selection?

For whatever it's worth

^{Matthew 24: 6 - 14}

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Wagging the dog?

I ran across an article this morning on Drudge in which the World Health Organization confirmed more the 15,000 H1N1 deaths. Does that number seem really low for all the hoopla we have heard? It did to me, but the article didn't say if that was for 2009, 2010, or overall since the "pandemic" started. According to the CDC, there were more than 11,000 deaths in the U.S. alone in 2009, which makes me wonder whether the Drudge article is missing a zero or two. That would make more sense. We have a lot of people in these United States, but we're only a fraction of the world-wide population.

For a wider perspective, I did a little digging and discovered that more than 37,000 people died in alcohol-related car crashes in 2008 in the U.S. alone. I didn't dig deeper for global statistics. Just a little something the consider when watching or reading the news.

time/space continuum

It occurred to me the other day that when you're a kid looking forward to something, you feel like it will never get here. I think I must miss that anticipation because as an adult looking forward to something, I think I have plenty of time to prepare for it when, suddenly, I realize, "Oh, crap, that's THIS weekend!"

Tacky or rude?

The other day, The Day Job hosted a meeting for a group on a day we are not normally open for business. On such occasions, if other people happen to come in, we'll feed them if we have enough food prepared, and usually we're happy to have other customers.

We had gotten everyone fed and some of the dishes cleared away when a young woman walked in with a briefcase and armload of books. She made herself comfortable at a corner table and was joined a few minutes later by a middle-aged man. Apparently he was interested in advertising something because they launched right into a discussion about pricing and such.

I'll interrupt myself here to say that we have seen similar situations before. We don't mind if people come in to conduct business over lunch or coffee. In fact, we do our best to accommodate them. Here's the rub, though: The two of them didn't order anything. Not coffee. Not dessert. They seemed annoyed to be asked if they wanted anything. I left before they did, but I found out later that they stayed until the meeting started to break up, and then they went on their merry way without a word to the staff who was still there.

To me, that's just rude. It's a restaurant. I would never go to Applebees and take a table to conduct business and not order anything. The fact that we were technically closed is icing on the cake. Is it just me? Am I more polite that the rest of the American public? Or maybe just a little too sensitive?

TV :^(

Dear TV People,

I realize lots of people like to watch sports on television. I also know that you know that not EVERYONE watches sports. For some of your viewers, the World Series is a big deal. So is NBA basketball. Do they have to both be in the same time slot? And don't most sports fans have ESPN anyway? Just saying.

Could we have Bones and Fringe back sometime soon? Pretty please?

Love and kisses

EJ

Hot!*

Summer is finally here. It's running a couple weeks late this year; usually we break 100 by the middle of July. I have a theory about the delay, though it's highly unscientific.

First, because of timing issues, we didn't make it to the Midwest Rendezvous like we usually do. You'll remember last year that we had three days of rain and five days of blazing, miserable heat, which is a little wetter than the norm but well within standards. Since we weren't there, the weather was lovely.

Second, the date for The Old Time Music Fete at the Cahokia Court House was moved from the last Sunday in July to the middle of September. State budget cuts forced the closure of several state parks and historic sites, and Cahokia was on the block, so they delayed the Fete until the budget could be straightened out. Dudley's Rush played there the last two years, and the heat was miserable. Although we're on hiatus and not playing this year, I'm sure the weather will hold for the benefit of those who do.

Today and tomorrow we're supposed to have thunderstorms on and off, but it's not going to help with the heat. In fact, it will probably make the heat worse by keeping the humidity up. That's OK. Rain means not watering, and I've got AC in the house and an edit to finish. My garden is happier with the current conditions, so I guess that's what really matters.

*This is me, trying to be cute. Val has a blog post titled "Honey!" and Jean posted the other day about "Deer!" I was going to put up something lame about baking friendship bread and call it "Sweetie" but a quick check of Thesaurus.com gave me other synonyms, so at least the post isn't deadly dull. Unfortunately, these days my witty is a pity, and I still have to bake the darn friendship bread.

Car colors

This may be my least coherent post yet. I have one cup of coffee down (and it hasn't kicked in yet), another cup and breakfast yet to go. I have to leave for work in half an hour, and my eyes don't want to be open yet. Pleh.

Anyhoo, I popped by Crazy Aunt Purl's this morning, and she had a picture of a pink Ford Mustang she'd seen on her commute. (You have to scroll down to see it.) I have two neighbors on my block who drive school bus yellow Mustangs. Now, y'all have to understand, I was raised in a Chevy family, and yes, I am disgusted with what they've been up to lately. Still, when someone talks about buying a Ford, my reaction is still, uh, a little visceral. I say 'Ford' like I say 'liver' or 'spider'--with a little shiver or a tone of disdain, depending on the day. (I know dyed-in-the-wool Ford folks who say 'Chevy' the same way. It's all good.) The Mustang convertible is the only Ford I would consider owning right now, and only if it was a deal good enough to pay cash. But in school bus yellow or pepto pink? No.

I've told Eric on a number of occasions that when we can afford to buy the car I want instead of what we can afford, I don't know what it will be, but it won't be white, orange or yellow. Now I can add pink. Or maybe I should just say it won't be white or Day-glo.

Off for a refill and breakfast...

Why?

Daniel Hauser is back in Minnesota and will likely start his chemo again. State and Federal charges against him mom will most likely be dropped. Mighty nice, considering she was doing what she thought best for her child.

Here's what's chapping my hide. Iran and North Korea are rattling their sabers. The economy is in the toilet. People are still losing their homes and jobs. The Federal government is throwing good money after bad and racking up debt that my grandchildren (or maybe great-grandchildren) will be paying off. Why are we using state and Federal money to force a child who doesn't want it to take chemo? OK, yeah, according to the doctors, there is a 90% cure rate with chemo and a 5% survival rate without it. The fact still remains that chemo is a poison with side effects of its own. Why is this family being treated like criminal fugitives for wanting to pursue other treatment options? Daniel is their child, not the government's. This is not about whether a 13-year-old boy should be treated by the medical establishment, an herbalist, or a Satanic shaman; it's about parents' rights, children's rights and the fact that the government wants to control every facet of life from cradle to grave.

Twenty years ago, George Orwell's "1985" was an interesting, if disturbing, piece of fiction. Now we're twenty years closer to that reality. Don't believe me? That's fine, but think about this: When was the last time you went out to eat with your family in a restaurant that didn't have a television? Or how about the 24-hour news stations? How often do we hear good news that's worth a plugged nickel? If you see good news on the news, it's some trite bit about a cocker spaniel that saved a toddler and a parakeet from a burning building. Why do we need 24-hour news anyway? We were doing fine with an hour of news a couple of times a day before CNN hit the airwaves about the time the Gulf War started.

Which brings me back to Daniel Hauser. Why is a 13-year-old boy who doesn't want to treat his illness with poison a national news story? Big Brother is in the house, people--the White House.

perspective

Our friend Matt sent me an e-mail this morning with pictures of old war posters. They're WWII era but their spirit is appropriate today.

Political correctness is running amok and our sense of patriotism has been displaced by the need for material gain and staying ahead of the pack. Some of us have made a hobby of being offended by anything we don't agree with. The busyness of our lives has replaced the business of loving our neighbor. Here are the ones that really spoke to me. If you want to see the rest, shoot me an e-mail or leave it in the comments and I'll forward the whole thing.





In closing, I'll leave you with this link and one comment: Nero fiddled while Rome burned.

Boycott

I generally don't express opinions publicly that would affect other people or are of little relevance. This time, I am making an exception.

I have avoided shopping at Walmart for a year or so. I go in if I can't find something somewhere else. My first choice is to shop at a locally based business and avoid the box stores if I can, and if I can't, I try Target first.

Sometimes, though, I have to resort to Walmart because Target doesn't sell fabric. The fabric I've gotten at Walmart was decent and was inexpensive, and they had a decent selection. Not anymore. The nearest Walmart stopped selling fabric more than a year ago when they moved to their current 'Super' location. I've been in there a half-dozen times, maybe. There is another Walmart a little further out, and while I was running errands today I decided to stop in to see if I could find Monk's cloth in colors other than white and oatmeal. They didn't have it. They had no fabric at all. They sold out of the last of it a couple of weeks ago, according to a customer I talked to.

That's another nail in their coffin as far as I'm concerned. I used to be able to count on them to be a close, cheap source for craft supplies, and they had a lot of variety of crafts--a little of everything. Now, apparently, I'm in such a minority that they don't want my business. Just makes it easier for me to spend my money in stores where the people care about what they do, don't try to do everything or cater to everyone, and aren't trying to take over the world. So there!

Real tax reform

I haven't been paying attention to the political rhetoric on the news. If a headline names one of the candidates, I skip it. The only thing I have heard recently that caught my attention was a plan to raise taxes on individuals or companies earning $250,000 or more a year. My gut reaction was that if I was in that category, I'd be quietly looking for ways to lower my taxable income by bartering for everything possible. Yes, I'm obstinate; I'd take a pay cut to lower my taxes, not that it's an issue for me at this point.

I got to thinking about it this morning, so I did some number crunching. $250,000 income is currently in the 33% tax bracket. The top end of the 28% tax bracket is $164,550. That's a difference of $85,450, or 34% of a $250,000 income. Those in corporate America have fewer options than self-employed folks here, but they could lower their taxable income by maxing out pre-tax benefits like 401k, traditional IRA's, and flexible spending. Self-employed people have more options, depending on their line of work. If, for instance, you are a veterinarian who has a website, you could trade annual pet food for web design. If your clients include restaurant owners or clothing store managers, you could work for gift certificates. Shaving income by $85,000 would be a stretch, but in theory, it could be done.

Here's the problem. If 1% of the U.S. population did that (rounded down to 3,000,000 people) it would result in a net loss of over $256 billion in Federal tax revenue. It would also shave over six billion from Social Security. It really adds up. On the other hand, we'd all still be spending and probably contributing to some kind of retirement fund, so the economy wouldn't be any worse off than it already is.

In today's society, I doubt there are three million people with enough guts to voluntarily shift a third of their income from cash to barter. Pulling that off would require a great deal of discipline and effort. Many of us are living paycheck to paycheck and need first to convert from credit to cash before barter could even come over the horizon. Real tax reform would hurt, and it would require all of us to become more fiscally responsible. Programs would have to be cut, people would be falling off welfare and social security rolls, subsidies would dry up. The states would have to foot the whole bill for infrastructure and perhaps education. Heaven forbid, churches might have to start more soup kitchens, and we might have to learn to make due with what we have, or without certain things altogether. We might have to go back to the standard of living our granparents had growing up. We'd all have to become responsible and *gasp* a little more practical.

You want real tax reform? We can't handle real tax reform! That's why the best we're going to get is a bandaid on a sucking chest wound.

Food

I read an article this morning about how the tanking economy is benefiting companies like Campbells, General Mills and Kraft. Apparently, people are eating at home more to save money, and that's great. The trouble is, people don't want to cook, necessarily, so they're going for cereal and convenience foods. Not so great.

In our family we have sensitivities to MSG and high fructose corn syrup. We did a stint with lactose intolerance, too, which thankfully was outgrown. Out of necessity, I've been a label reader for close to twenty years. Yes, I'm one of those people getting in your way on the soup aisle. I still buy some convenience foods, but for the most part, I buy ingredients. It's not just my kids saying, "There's nothing to eat." I put away the groceries and do the same thing! By doing more of my own cooking, though, I know we're not going to have food triggered migraines. I have more control over what goes into our bodies. Our grocery bills have never been out of control, even when we were homeschooling and eating at home all the time.

I thought it might be an anomaly so I went to Netgrocer.com. I chose one Hamburger Helper meal, went through the ingredients list and wrote down the actual food that went into it. (I skimmed past the thickeners and chemicals.) Then I did a price check of the ingredients. Here's how it shook out:

Hamburger Helper Beef Pasta $3.05

Elbow Macaroni $1.29
Chopped Onion 1.29/bottle
.65/oz
Garlic Powder 2.75/bottle
.88/oz

Actual cash layout for the ingredients (not many, are there?) came out to $5.33, but you wouldn't use an entire bottle of onion or garlic. If you use an ounce of each, it shakes out to $2.82. I didn't include the ground beef because you have to buy that either way. Not buying the box only saves about a quarter, but have you looked at what else is in Hamburger Helper? It's not pretty. What's worse is that because HH has MSG (a flavor enhancer), most people think it tastes better than plain macaroni and beef with some seasonings so it's worth the extra quarter.

Most people eat the way they do because it's what they were raised with. They don't think about it. I did that, too, until we started getting debilitating headaches. Cutting out chemicals had a positive effect, and while I don't remember how we narrowed it down to MSG and HFCS, I can say that most of the doctors we saw threw drugs at us to stop the pain. I haven't seen many comprehensive studies about the effects of our current eating habits. I know our great-grandparents were healthier, although they died of diseases we don't see anymore. I'm not so sure modern science has done us many favors. We've traded small pox and polio for coronary artery disease and diabetes. We're living longer, but are we living better?

Shaking off complacency

Once upon a time, we lived in Barbie's Dream House on a budget so tight it squeaked. Dinner at Sonic was a treat, and when I shopped for groceries, I bought more 'ingredients' than 'food'. (All the parents out there know what I'm talking about--you spend $200 at the store and the kids complain there's nothing to eat.) One of the strategies I used was to make hash marks across the top of my shopping list while I shopped--one for each dollar--so I could keep track of how much money I had left.

We're in a better place now, with room in the budget to breath. It's good, but I've gotten comfortable. I went to the store yesterday and got half-way through the produce section before I realized that I hadn't looked at a single price. I just picked stuff up and put it in the cart. Out came the pen to make hash marks. About five aisles later, I had marks two thirds of the way across the top of my page (8 1/2 x 11, mind you). I had to change my tracking to one hash mark for every $5. I knew food prices had gone up. In the back of my mind, I knew that a lot more prices start with four or five now. I still buy more ingredients than food, but there is more convenience food in my pantry than there used to be.

I think I'll be spending a large chunk of this summer in the kitchen. Mom is going to teach me to can, and I'll be doing more cooking for the freezer. I'm trying more vegetarian and whole foods recipes based on what I've got growing in my yard. Prices are going up, and they never go back down to previous levels. It's just reality. Some people complain, some people strike, and some people tie on their boots and do something different. It's more work, but at least I don't have to hitch the mule to the plow to feed my family. Yet.

'Tis the season. Again.

I started seeing Christmas decorations before Halloween. Now and again I'll hear Christmas music in a store, slipped into the mix of non-holiday tuneage. This morning I saw the first AFA Alert--what I like to call Grinch Alerts. It cracks me up how they get all fired up every time someone makes people take down their nativity or uses the word 'holiday' instead of 'Christmas'.

I used to do that, when I worked in retail. I was aware of the fact that not all people shopping during Advent were Christmas shopping, or that they were Christians. If someone was wearing a Star of David, I'd tell them Happy Hanukkah, and without fail they'd look shocked, laugh, and say thank you. Now that I don't work retail anymore, I use the word Christmas with abandon. I don't care if a Grinch overhears me. I also don't get fired up when people refuse to say it. They'll answer to the Maker the same as I will. Do I boycott all the stores on the AFA list? Occasionally, but usually by the time we get close to Advent, I've almost finished my Christmas shopping. I start in August or September with extended family so I can ship early. It's a habit I started when we couldn't afford to wait until December, and it continued through my retail years when I didn't have time to shop and ship after Thanksgiving. Now I find I enjoy the holidays more when I send them out early so I can concentrate on Eric and the kids.

I realize the AFA means well. Christmas in general is being edged out by political correctness, and someone has to keep reminding us. They're doing important work, but sometimes I think it works against them. People, even Christians, get annoyed by their veracity, and sometimes they're not taken seriously. There comes a point when you get into Chicken Little territory, and each year they edge a little closer.

For Bible believing Christians, Advent and Christmas are holy. For the rest of the world, it's an excuse to spend too much money, eat too many cookies, and pack their schedules with parties. For some, it's a season of being offended. I see that as counter-productive, but some people enjoy being ticked off.

I'd wish you a Merry Christmas, but I'd rather wait until after Thanksgiving.

Can I be Michelle Pfeiffer when I grow up?

I read an article in The Times Online about Michelle Pfeiffer this morning. I've loved her since the first time I saw "Ladyhawke" and now I have more reason to love her. Part of the headline was, "When you're pushing 50, Hollywood doesn't want to know," and I though, "Omigosh, Michelle Pfeiffer is pushing 50? No friggin' way!"

I forget, sometimes, that I'm getting older. I was 17 or 18 when "Ladyhawke" came out. She was obviously older than me when she made it, and I'm 40 now, so of course she's pushing 50. (I still have to work through that thought process sometimes.) I guess I was mostly shocked because she looks so darn good. According to the article, when she's not working, she isn't glamorous. She works out hard, but she doesn't get her hair or nails done. Away from the camera, she's just Michelle, a wife with two teens who leads a quiet life in Palo Alto. She took her role in "Star Dust" because it was a metaphor on aging, about how it's not pretty, about the destructive things we do to keep our youth. I would speculate that it's being away from LA that does the trick for her, but that wouldn't explain all the soccer moms all over the world having 'work done.'

I've always said I'm going to grow old gracefully. That's easy to say in one's 20's or 30's, but a little bit harder at 40. I'm not afraid of growing old, but I'm at the place where I'm approaching the threshold and find myself hanging back a little, holding on to phrases like, "You're only as old as you feel." Shopping for clothes is getting tricky. I'm in another awkward in-between stage, trying to figure out what's neither too young nor too old. What I'm finding is that we have role models our whole lives. We can look to those fighting age by becoming plasticized, or we can emulate those who are embracing each stage. Frankly, it's healthier and much less expensive if we take care of what we have and don't fight the process. I've always been practical to a fault with tightwad tendencies, so you can guess which option I'm leaning toward! I mean, really, if getting old was supposed to be avoided, we'd all look 25 until we hit the dirt, right? Where's the fun in that?

GOP no-shows

The top four Republican presidential candidates opted out of the Values Voter debate last week. Now it appears they're all skipping the All American Presidential Forum--aimed at minority voters--next week. Apparently it's got party leaders a little antsy.

All four cite schedule conflicts, and you know that if they rearrange their schedules to fly in and back out for the debate, the Democrats are going to use the carbon footprint against them. What I'm wondering, though, is why they can't set up a big teleconference? For those who won't be in the immediate vicinity, why not just set up webcams and let them participate that way. Does it matter whether they are there in person, or on a TV screen? For that matter, why can't all the campaigning be done that way? Oh, right, because they're fund raising, too. They can't charge $500 a plate for rubber chicken if they aren't there in person, right?

Deja vu

I was skimming an article this morning about an Arizona law that will kick in Jan. 1 that will prevent companies from hiring undocumented workers. Even though it's not in effect yet, illegal immigrants are packing up and moving to greener pastures now, which is more or less the intended effect of the law.

There weren't any surprises in the story until I got to this:

"But others say the state's economy will pay a price for the sanctions.

"If these workers leave, it's going to hurt the economy and put the state at an economic disadvantage with other states," Judith Gans, program manager for immigration policy at the University of Arizona*, told the newspaper."

The first image that popped into my mind was of mid-19th Century plantation owners bemoaning the fact that they couldn't afford to pay people to do the work the slaves were doing. I know it's not the same thing. Undocumented workers are willing to work for less money than Americans are; it's a win/win for them and the employer. But let's think about it another way. What if employers were hiring escaped convicts instead of illegal immigrants? Would you want to go to a fast food joint if you knew a rapist or a murderer was on the staff? I'm not saying that all illegal immigrants are violent, but they're breaking the law just the same as if they were shoplifting or embezzling money. There has been selective enforcement of the law for too many years. Enough excuses.

Thank you to the legislatures of Arizona and Oklahoma for doing something about illegal immigration. I hope the rest of our leaders will follow your example.


*Oh, and by the way, why does the University of Arizona need a program manager for immigration policy? I would think her job would be to keep track of student visas, not opine about the effect of a new law. I wonder what her boss at the State University thinks about her implied support of illegal immigration?

I beg to differ

From my earliest days, it was assumed that I would go to college when I finished high school, and that I would graduate from college before getting married. It wasn't something we discussed; it was understood. I threw a big monkey wrench in the works when I started my six months of delayed enlistment before graduation. I did take a couple of college classes before I married, but not many. It took me ten years to finish my BAS in Business Management. According to Bureau of Labor statistics, I should be making in the neighborhood of 50k a year. Uh huh.

Here's the thing. Statistics can say anything you want them to say. I learned that in college. A college degree can increase earning power, but it's not a guarantee. A lot of it depends on what degree is earned. A Bachelors in Engineering is going to net more than a Bachelors in Underwater Basket Weaving. I chose Business Management because it seemed to have more potential than my original major (Psychology). It also allowed me to graduate a full year sooner because I was able to use all of my credits. I even got college credits from Basic Training and Tech School, which allowed me to get my AAS in Aerospace Ground Equipment Technology. (Sounds fancy, huh?) Getting an education is only half the battle; doing something with it is the other half.

There have been times when my degrees hindered me. I almost didn't get a job because I was over-qualified. The only reason I got it was because I told the interviewer that I didn't expect to be compensated according to my education. It was a short-term contract job and I needed the income; I certainly wasn't going to turn down $8.00 an hour when I should have been getting more. His pay scale was a bird in the hand, and I was a good fit for the job, but not directly because of my education. The skills I used in that job were learned in a previous job.

I can't regret the time and money spent to get my degrees. If nothing else, my education proves that I'm trainable. Even though I've only had one 'business sector' job, I have never wanted for work. Much of it has not been glamorous. Because I spent my years following Eric around the world, I was pretty limited to retail and receptionist jobs. Such is the life of a military spouse. I haven't made a lot of money. In fact, according to my recent Social Security statement, I've only just now made enough money to qualify for Social Security disability if I need it. My degree did allow us to start homeschooling when we did. (Virginia law states that homeschooling parents must have either a Bachelor degree or a teaching certificate.) Honestly, though, if I hadn't been for the GI Bill I might have regrets. I paid very little, monetarily, for my education. The last year was free; I didn't even pay for child care while I was in classes. I had to put in the time with the Air Force, but that was an education in itself. The certification I've just started working on is the first time I've paid for education for myself completely out of pocket.

The bottom line is that not everything in print is believable. The type of degree, the area in which one chooses to live, the job obtained with said degree--they're all factors that are not mentioned in the Bureau of Labor statistics. The median income level for my education is $50,000 a year. If I stay in my current job and keep my hours up, I'll hit that mark in about seven more years.