I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange

Anonymous

Our grocer stores are not "mom and pop."  They are chains.  And sometimes they have great sales.  Right now one of them has "double double coupons".  However, I'm not too good to use coupons and shop thriftily.  But, OTH, I'm not a snob.

covertanjou

Linda, GREAT NEWS!!

I made chicken marinated in dijon mustard, broccolini and wild rice. YUM!

Loved the topics today everyone.  It was so interesting to read everyone's differing experiences with the different schools in their district.

Here in Canada (and I believe it is the same in the US?), education is a provincial jurisdiction.  When I was in school, all our schools were either Catholic or Protestant schools (and either in French or English).  I went to English Catholic schools until I got to University.  

That is not the case today.  All public schools are secular and all students have to take Moral Education.  The only Catholic schools left are private schools.

Our property taxes subsidize all schools (private and public), and then if you want to go to private school, you need to pay extra.  We also have many public schools that have entrance exams.  These are part of the public system, but specialize in either math and science, the IB curriculum, art, dance and music schools,  or sport schools (where half the day is dedicated to individual sports--you have to be an elite athlete and a very good student to get into these schools).  Every year the schools in Quebec are ranked, and the higher ranked schools (many of them public) have waiting lists.  We can go to any public school, even if it is out of our district, as long as the parents are willing to drive the kids to school.  If you go to a school in your district, then there is busing (this is usually only for elementary school.  For high school, most kids take public transit.)

I have read a lot about vouchers, charters schools, etc.  Can Americans choose which school to go to?  What is the difference between a charter school and a public school?  Do you fund schools through property taxes?  I appreciate yours answers since I would love to understand how it works in the US.

lewing

My life has been ever so much better since a TJ's opened TWO BLOCKS from my house.  I'm always running down there for this and that (LOVE their chocolate ice cream and their Greek-style yogurt), but I still buy all my meat at the little family-owned store where I've shopped for the past 19 years.  I have a tendency to develop these passionate loyalties toward family businesses . . . I probably get it from my grandfather, who ran a small floor-covering store with his brother (Congoleum, anyone?), and lectured me about the importance of buying from people whose family name is on their store.  I believe I'm one of two people in North America (my running buddy Stephanie being the other) who have never shopped at Walmart.

Dinner tonight is Spanish-style lamb stew with white beans and red pepper, potatos roasted in olive oil, and good bread (from the aforementioned family-owned store).

L

Edited to add: hurrah for the all-clear, lindasa!

rosemary-b

Don't shop Wal-Mart but my kids do. When I have extra I support local merchants but I find Target is cheaper for health and beauty aids. Target also has really good food. I buy food at Meijer and Family Fair which are chains headquartered here in Michigan.

Anonymous

I also like Sam's for some things.  Are they unionized?

rosemary-b

As much of our meat as possible comes from local farmers. I just bought about 40lbs today. It tastes sooo good and is much better for us. No hormones, no antibiotics at least. I try to buy organic.

leggo

I like that you mentioned local farmers for meat. Hutterite farmers (about 30 kms away from where I live) are also in direct competition with our large chains. Their meat and produce is fresh, organic, delicious and much cheaper. So worth the drive.

Bren-2007

Covert .. here our kids have to attend the school in the district where you live.  You don't get a choice about which public school you attend.  Of course they can attend any private school, just a matter of finances and transportation.

Bren

BarbaraA

Shari's berries: white, dark and swizzled, nutted chocolate covered strawberries thanks to my DH. Oh baby baby.

CherrylH

Bren, y ou've been keeping secrets. Why did I  not know you supported the team "down the road." I may have to take to my bed over this knowledge.

Tarheel Cherryl

otter

I would shop at mom and pop stores if I didn't have to go to 5 different stores, sometimes in 2 different towns, to find the same stuff I can find in one trip to WalMart.

I hate WalMart. I can't stand that they buy almost all their merchandise from China, and even some of their fresh meat is imported (e.g., beef from Mexico).  I would gladly pay more money -- even quite a bit more money -- to shop at a locally owned, mom and pop store and know the merchandise was from the U.S. (or heck even from Canada!).  Back before the U.S. textile and clothing industries went belly-up, I would search the racks of clothing stores for clothes with a union label (ILGWU) because it virtually guaranteed high-quality fabric and construction, and durability.

Unfortunately, those days are gone.  So, what determines my shopping patterns now -- and the main reason why I often end up at WalMart -- is the convenience of a "department store" that has some of everything.  When I was a kid, my home town (only ~ 8,000 people) had one of those, and everybody shopped there.  You could buy groceries, including cuts of beef prepared as per your request; a wide selection of men's, women's, and children's clothing; kitchenware; some furniture and appliances; and a huge section of hardware and farming supplies in the basement.  The "Farmer's Store" offered one-stop shopping and was open until 9 pm on Thursdays.

There were dozens of other small stores in that town that specialized in things like women's clothing, baked goods, nickel-and-dime stuff, large furniture, books, farm supplies, etc.  But if someone needed a whole list of things, they shopped at the Farmer's Store or they ended up walking all over town.  And, guess what?  The Farmer's Store was not part of a chain, and it was owned by a local family.  And, of course, they went bankrupt decades ago.

BTW, I find this affection people have for Target (versus WalMart) kind of funny.  I remember when there were just a handful of Target stores in the whole U.S., and they stocked the same type of cheap, low-quality, short-lived junk we now find at WalMart and KMart... and, Target.  Target was where my family members went when they were really desperate.  Otherwise, they shopped at the "parent" store, Dayton's, or its competitor, Donaldson's, both of which were the midwestern version of Macy's and were found in nearly every large shopping mall.  Dayton's became Dayton-Hudson Corp., then Target Corp., and has since bought up Macy's.  Go figure.

Anyway, I guess it's the newness of Target that some people find attractive.  (Target metastasized sort of like Sonic drive-in's and Coors beer.)  Personally, I think Target wastes a lot of money on flashy displays and cute marketing.  In the end, most of their merchandise still comes from China, just like at WalMart.  Both companies are deeply rooted in the U.S., though, so I guess it really doesn't make that much difference.

otter

[Macaroni and cheese.  And ice cream cake from DQ!!!]

kadeeb

The community colleges in Alabama not only accept AP credit but will allow highschool students to enroll for 8 semester hours of approved college level classes (approved by their high school principle and the county board of education) each term. The students are charged regular tuition for the college classes, but can complete their first two years at or about the same time they graduate from high school. Cutting 2 years off of room and board at a 4 year institution.  Furthermore, the community college faculty are, without exception, Masters Degree instructors with 18 semester hours in their field of instruction (a requirement of Southern Association of Colleges and Schools). The college can loose it acreditation if they do not comply and the classes are much smaller and if a student needs additional instruction or help, tutors are provided.  My son was consistently taught by graduate students during his junior, senior and graduate years while the professor worked to be published and or acquire tenure.

Walmart and Target provide rual areas with much more variety than mom and pop ever could. As other posters have indicated, mom and pop have turned to special items and are doing quite well around here.

Dinner was from Burger King and I'm not about to tell you vegetable chewing, healthy eating, weight loosing, husies what I had. 

Alpal

EXCUSE ME! (YES, I'M YELLING) DO I NEED TO TELL ALL OF YOU HOW THOSE OF US IN KENTUCKY FEEL ABOUT DUKE??? We don't love UNC, but we loathe DUKE!!

Edited to add that it's known as Puke around here.

covertanjou

I am a huge fan of Costco  I get everything from toilet paper, meat, fruits and vegetables to lawn furniture and detergent.  

I don't shop at Walmart because I can't stand the lines!  It takes forever to get out of the store.  

I love mom and pop stores, and on the weekends when I have more time, I like to go to speciality shops.  However, most of my shopping is done at Costco and my local grocery store.

Kadeeb, your son's school sounds amazing.   

crazy4carrots

lewing -- I come close -- have only shopped at Walmart ONCE and what I bought fell apart about a month later!  I try to support Cdn-owned stores - large or small - as much as possible.  Even in our town (tourist haven) I try to support our local merchants -- no large box stores allowed here!  In fact, when a McDonald's wanted to move in, it was relegated to 3 miles outside of the Old Town!

When we used to visit my grandmother in Detroit, my mom and I loved Hudson's (gosh, I think it was Hudson's).  Back then, the Cdn dollar was above par, the way it is today, and we always claimed we were saving money!!!  

leggo

It bothers me that Costco charges me for the "privilege" of shopping there. Plus, when they first showed up here, the whole vibe was so condescending...you could only get a membership if you owned your own business or were a government employee. They bug me.

Did I understand correctly kadeeb? You have to pay the university tuition for an AP class you're taking in high school? My son took 5 AP classes in high school, saving him about 2500.00 in university tuition for introductory and first level classes. All it cost him was time.

kadeeb

No, you don't have to pay to get credit for AP classes you take in high school.  You can take additional college courses while still in high school at the regular tuition and finish your first two years of college at the same time you're in high school.  There isn't AP credit for all of the first two years of college courses, but you can cut some time out.

River_Rat

I've never shopped at WalMart's, husband, mother, father, brother, sister and spouses never shopped at WalMart's - big union family.

I caught up with reading the thread and found much of the conversation very interesting.  Sorry to say that I am up to my eyebrows this week and don't have time to think much less post anything of interest.  But it looks like all of you have it covered. 

Wabbit

I drive right by a Walmart on my way to the Meijer store which I like much better.  Our Walmart is new and I tried it but was not impressed ... they are cheaper for some things but higher on others.  I don't think their prices are as low as they once were ... and quality is always iffy.

I like local stores and businesses too but it is getting harder and harder to find any still in business.

Here's a news item from my local TV station ...

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/26904906/detail.html

"INDIANAPOLIS -- A former superintendent under fire for his $1 million retirement payout racked up more than $90,000 in travel expenses with school board members, all on the taxpayer's dime, records show.

Records obtained by 6News dating back to 2007 show that as the district cut $10 million from its budget and eliminated positions, Thompson and school board members, most of whom are still with the district, traveled to conferences in San Francisco, San Diego and Orlando, Fla.

Receipts show Thompson sometimes stayed in hotel suites and traveled in a stretch limousine. Other receipts show Thompson and board members ate meals at upscale restaurants and had the district pay for things like sightseeing tours. In April 2007, the district spent $31,000 for a conference and travel expenses in San Francisco, months before board members signed off on Thompson's contract resulting in his $1 million retirement payout."

This is just the latest report of this kind of stuff ... seems to be happening all the time. 

Not too long ago another school board was outed by the news media for giving school board members free health insurance.  While the teachers were paying several hundred dollars a month for  theirs. 

My daughter's public schools were good but it was in an affluent town ... and here that makes all the difference in the world.  Shortly after she graduated they built a Taj Mahal of a new high school.   While in the poorer parts of the city the buildings are in dismal shape, have no air conditioning and constant problems with heat and plumbing too.

So why are we always loudly pointing fingers only at the teachers and their union.  IMO The bloated administrative staffs and their excesses are much more of the problem than the teachers. 

   

   

BarbaraA

Dave update - thanks my dear friends, for carrying me along this journey. He passed the swallow test and was ensconced in a regular room and now, a gallon of water and a hospital meatloaf dinner later, he is a very happy camper. Should be maybe tomorrow or Saturday until he can go home. Thanks so much for helping me through this!  Whew. Need sleep.

kadeeb

There was actually a situation last spring where 3 highschool seniors had earned (by virtue of courses and hours completed) their associate degree yet were not eligible for college graduation because they were still in high school (college graduation was 2 weeks before high school graduation). To officially be enrolled in college one must hold a high school diploma or GED. The system deems the credit as conditional until the student earns a high school diploma. If the student were to for some reason not finish high school or fail to earn their high school diploma then a transcript of college work would not be issued until the conditions of official enrollment were fulfilled.

Wabbit

Good news Barbara!!!  Hope you can get that chance to rest and relax soonest.

kadeeb

Shirley,

Sams is Walmart but in bigger packages. Sam Walton, Wall Mart, you know. 

kadeeb

BarbaraA, Congratulations on the brother. Sounds like things are going to settle down for a while now. You've been a great daughter and sister so sit back take a deep breath and chill for a spell.

1Athena1

Great news Barbara!!! Do get some rest in the balmy weather. 

Edited to add: And congratulations Lindasa.

I had pre-cooked (not by me but by Trader Joe's) Orange Mandarin chicken and after reading about Anne's drink am dying for some alcohol!!  

Medigal

Lindasa:  I'm so glad to read someone isn't having chicken tonight!  Your Spinach and ricotta canneloni and salad sound delicious and soooo healthy.  I had a frozen pizza!  Not good or healthy!

Alpal

Barbara - wonderful news about your brother. Now, time for you to get some rest!

konakat

Wonderful news Barbara!!!

bluedahlia

Good news Barbara.  Take care of that sleep!

crazy4carrots

Barbara -- Have a drink and relax -- finally!  So glad to hear your bro is well on the road to getting out of Hospital!

Medigal -- Thursday night is pasta night in our house -- I guess it's chicken in just about everyone else's!