Strollerderby : bubble

Middle Schoolers Exposed to Curse Words, Parents Shocked

JeanneSager — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:03:00 GMT

Parents of middle schoolers in Fresno, Calif. were shocked, shocked, I tell you, when they learned their kids had been exposed to curse words. Imagine, 12 years old and seeing f*%k in all its glory. Where have these parents been in the past 50 years?

Watching offensive language usage rise in his classrooms, the principal at Tioga Middle School said told teachers to write a list of four-letter words on the whiteboard in each classroom let kids know exactly what words would not be tolerated. Then the mother and future stepfather of 12-year-old Phoenix Hawkins complained. They want to protect his innocence, they say.

The principal's pulled the plan, but I hope Phoenix isn't riding a bus to school. That's where I learned "motherf***er" at 5 and "time of the month" at 7. Maybe Phoenix's parents should consider homeschooling? And no TV, naturally. No books. No movie. Definitely no trips to the grocery store or even outside the house.

Awww, s**t, let's just bring on that bubble.

Source: San Luis Obispo Tribune

Image: Calvin

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Budget Baby: The Real Cost of Home Ownership

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 17:02:00 GMT

Welcome to our new weekly feature, Budget Baby, wherein we discuss this here economy and its implications for you and your family. Never fear, there won't be any charts and graphs. Nor will we encourage you to stop spending any and all discretionary cash. Today's topic is home ownership.

In the past few years, many of us experienced paper wealth due to timely real estate purchases. As such, we felt flush in a way our parents probably never did. But what are the real costs of home ownership? Is it reallly as beneficial to your family finances as all that American dreaming would have you believe?

Rocket Finance blog thinks most of us have little understanding of the true costs of owning a home. And in a time of easy access to home equity loans, many of us used whatever equity we could to finance everything from private school to daycare to new computers and cars.

Single Guy Money warns readers to make sure they fully understand the costs of window treatments, home repairs, yard care, and new appliances when buying that dream home.

As foreclosure rates soar in certain parts of the country and those Adjustable Rate Mortgage introductory rates expire, more of us will feel the pinch. If your family is anything like mine, you may be reconsidering whether that beautiful house purchased only a few years ago is a realistic option any longer.