Message Forum

Fred: Education, be it formal or SOP, is always useful. While I think you and Bruce are both onto something, I thought this website interesting: http://www.aeaweb.org/joe/ BTW, you are right on with the flashcards. It's an excellent teaching tool for children and gives them a 'step-up' to learning.

11/03/09 05:14 PM

#67

I agree Ellen, and the military also has some great training and you get paid while you are in school. On the other hand to get a college degree you have to pay for the privledge.

11/04/09 08:03 PM

#68

Hmmm...GI Bill??? Mine went on scholarships. They used to do a pretty good low interest loan program with lots of payback time but I don't know if they do that any more. My grands are honor roll working toward scholarships. Pell grants? Wait tables part-time? Other ideas?

11/06/09 03:16 PM

#69

Ellen, does that mean I have to start worrying about my grandkids education already? Scholarships and co-ops sure helped when my kids went to college. My grandkids are on the honor role so maybe they could do the same. I wouldn't be unhappy though if they joined the Army and attended Chinese or Korean language school or they joined the military and became pilots.

11/07/09 06:47 PM

#70

Yep, Fred, it's time to plan for the munchkins education. There are all kinds of ways to contribute over time to savings and CDs and there are even 'pre-pay' payment plans at individual colleges. Nothing wrong with military service or career either. You are right, there are civilian careers that stem off of military service. It's important to find out what a person enjoys doing and what they have an aptitude for. What kinds of things are your grandkids into?

11/08/09 06:36 PM

#71

Ellen, the aptitudes of the crumb munchers seems to be math and science which would line up with their genetic predispositions. However, although Ethan (10) wants to be a scientist, Collin (7) wants to be a fireman and Warren (5) wants to be a bird watcher. What to do? My boys, William the Phd engineer and Robert the MD already redeemed my academic failures. So, how should I interject myself into the grandkids future academics? When I figure out what I want to do when I grow up, maybe I can brain wash them into doing it for me.

11/10/09 12:50 AM

#72

You do make the mundane entertaing, Fred. I think Ethan is on to something! Maybe wait until Colin and Warren are 10 or 12 and ask again. My grands are older and Tenee has great musical talents but, fortunately, is very interested in science. Thinkin' maybe Marine Biology and the ocean! Braydon is in some thing that Harvard has going where they are following his educational progress. Don't think we can afford that! His best talent is 'hammin'. Maybe commedian school....I think he could take lessons from several of my classmates---where are the rest of them hiding????

11/10/09 09:51 AM

#73

Ellen, if your grandson gets into Harvard let them figurw out how to pay for it. Their endowment is almost as big as Obama's ego. Harvard will make the cost exactly equal to the cost of your state university, Harvard's competitor. But if your grandson is a good ham maybe improv is his thing. I saw some improv on a cruise recently and it was funnier than some of Joe Biden's speechs.

11/11/09 04:29 PM

#74

I thought the Muslim terrorist who killed 13 people at Fort Hood and wounded 31 was a Muslim terrorist. Now Obama says that the whole event is "incomprehensible. I'm sure glad that he cleared that all up for us.

11/12/09 11:04 AM

#75

Thanks for the tip, Fred. Guess we'll have to start lookin' into that Obama ego equal thing. The next 4 years will go way too fast! Harvard might be the better choice!

11/12/09 01:37 PM

#76

Yes Ellen, the private schools including the Ancient Eight routinely give students a financial package including grants, scholarships, loans and work-study that make them competitive with public universities so a student can pick a school based not on the cost but on the reputation.

Do you really want your precious charges rubbing shoulders in the Ivy League with the likes of George Bush and John Kerry types though? Yuukk!!

11/13/09 12:49 PM

#77

Oh, Fred, knowing this kid as I do...if I were those types I'd be running in the other direction as fast as I could.

11/16/09 02:29 PM

#78

It's a known fact that the best way to gain respect is for our leader to bow down before every known king and despot he can locate and apologize for Amerika at every possible opportunity.

11/18/09 07:40 PM

#79

I trust that Barry got his marching orders from his Communist Masters while he was in China. I heard that the ChiComs plan to open a new theme park to compete with Beijing Disney that will re-create the 1960's cultural revolution. Visitors will have a chance to escape from the Red Guards who will be using real ammunition to make it more fun.

11/18/09 11:44 PM

#80

Fred Do you just ramble on here with yourself?

11/19/09 09:24 AM

#81

Welcome aboard, Randy! I knew people were enjpying my posts. Our daughter says you are doing a good job of taking care of our house, thanks.

11/19/09 12:22 PM

#82

I wish you were still making the payments. Were still remodeling. To much money so little time. I posted a picture of the garage floor.

11/19/09 04:55 PM

#83

Hey Randy the garage looks nice and if the economy gets any worse, we might want to move back in there. I'll cut the grass and do the dishes.

11/19/09 08:44 PM

#84

I heard about you cutting the grass. It took me 4 years to get the grass where I want it. Chris say's the dish washer is fine. I love the Nature Stone it makes the garage and porches look good. I sure am glad I'm not in the work force any more. I retired in 2005 and I haven't figured how I had time to go to work.
Thanks anyway.
Randy

11/20/09 06:45 AM

#85

Larry Gilbert

Yahoo!! A new guy - thanks, Randy. Fred's politics are fascinating to the rest of us, but it's good to have someone else speak up on the forum. For the rest of us -did you buy the Thomas domicile at some earlier date? Ellen, if you haven't been out to Randy's profile, you have to see the restored car - it is OUTSTANDING.

11/20/09 09:35 AM

#86

Yes Larry, a couple of old classmates can do great things together. Randy and I made a deal to buy my house in North Ridgeville in 2004 without a realtor or lawyer and with a handshake and a contract written on a paper napkin. We also made a deal for all my furniture because I didn't want to move it all to Texas. Randy is THE MAN!! and a real Vietnam war hero too, unlike that pussy, John Kerry.

11/20/09 12:35 PM

#87

Yes, Larry! I went looking for the garage floor and found that B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L shinny Buick! What a treat!In addition, considering how most of the world operates these days, the other treat is to know there are such outstanding, upstanding folks it is my privilege to be acquainted with. Handshakes and napkin contracts are just mind-boggling for today's mentality! Bravo! And never, ever stop thanking those heros!!! Land of the free BECAUSE of the brave!

11/20/09 01:21 PM

#88

And I thought it was G Bush that was the part time wimp.
Thank you for correcting me. Chris and I have a lot of fun with the Buick in the summer. I spend a lot of the winter months working on it. The deal Fred and I made worked out well for both of us. I didn't have to go back to Texas. I think they put stupid in the water out there. I think they need to put spell check on this forum.
Randy

11/21/09 09:59 AM

#89

DIVERSITY

When we moved to a master planned community here in Sugar Land, Texas it became immediately apparent that it was hard to meet a native born Texan. People who lived here were not only transplants from across the USA but from around the world. When I visted my grandkids school, I was quite impressed with the beautiful rainbow of students and their international sounding names.

The liberal(left) half of my brain thought that this was a wonderful example of diversity. But the right(normal) half immediately jumped in and said, "This sort of diversity is VOLUNTARY and completely different than the diversity crap they are trying to force at universities where to be admitted it is more important to be black than to have a 1600 on your SAT." Thank God I was born with a two piece brain.

11/23/09 10:09 AM

#90