Do you feel like there is a money shortage for necessities?  

Well this was prompted by people having their electricity shut off because they had to either pay their rent or electricity or food or electricity. Also by people having to either go to a Dr. or buy gas. Or in my case, pay bills or keep my barn from falling down. Those people are no longer able to do the non-essentials versus essentials, they're at which essential do I pay and which do I let go. I'm letting my barn fall in. I used to have money for big repairs like that. I had new roofs put on my house (more than one roof on it), a well drilled, and a septic put in since I bought this house (since 1998). But I don't have any more money for large items. Just paying the bills. My husband had wanted to go to the movies and I was like, "We're letting the barn fall in. I have to figure out how to pay for our bills and you want to do what?"

So right now, you're where many people are and many more wish they were.

Have you ever heard of local currency? It's a really cool concept. Ithaca has animals, people, a waterfall, etc. on their currency. It's based on work and not on welfare. It's called hours because work is often paid by the hour. The sites are every bit as cool as where's george and then some. So if you get a chance to check out Ithaca Hours dot com and dot org, you may find it interesting. Not sure if Louisianna has local currency anywhere in that state or not. But many states are listed with their local currencies on it under other local currencies.

This page might give you the idea of their local currency:

http://www.ithacahours.com/intro.html

Found Lousianna (spelling?)
http://www.progress.org/currency.htm

Has a Lousianna listing. Mo Money
Ithaca's listings haven't been updated since 2004, this might be more up to date, at least I'm hoping.

http://www.progress.org/archive/currency.htm

This might not be current either. PM me if you can't get it and I will give you the name and addresss, email, etc. that appears for Lousianna. May or may not be up to date.

As far as I know there is no program like that here. A lot of money has puredinto the state in the last four years because of hurricane Katrina. People here are used to living at a certain level and living with less. The so-called recession didn't really have much affect until people started getting laid off from their jobs but no one I know is standing in a soup line as of yet.

A lot of people are used to living comfortably and doing what they want and using credit cards and such and it has taken a toll in many parts of the country. People have been returning to barter more but there are plenty of people who were already living that way.

I have made deals with people who bring me supplies for something I make and they get merchandise and it works out well for them because I still have supplies to make more stuff and they get the items that would have cost them more. All of the artists I know trade for services and it has nothing to do with the recession or anyone having hard times.

I only get paid once a month now so I have to plan every single cent I spend on every single thing but I wouldn't say I am necessarily doing without something. I am always careful about spending and even driving and burning gas. I will put on a sweater before I turn on the heat because that is the way I prefer to do things.

When I needed work done on my car recently I gradually got all the parts and then my mechanic and I worked out a deal to get it done. He had to wait until I got my paycheck but because of our relationship he wanted me to be driving safely and the work couldn't wait.

After Katrina we were told we were not eligible for the blue roof deal because our roof had asbestos shingles. We couldn't let it rain in the house and cause the celings to collapse so we figured out a way to get blue tarps up there.

Sometimes you do what you have to do and sometimes you do without. You can survive quite well on food like rice and beans that is not expensive but most people want meat and things that are pricey and those are NOT essentials.

I hope there are no animals in your barn, because that would make the problem een larger. I think people are having to cut back and reassess just what the essentials are. I need occasional access to TV so I know what is going on in the world but TV is not the only way to get the news. Someone else would say I don't need TV because it is non-essential. Yet, if I were generating my own electricity or using a battery operated TV it would be a different conversation.

A lot of people refused to accept the reality of their situation and they kept spending. For those who had no savings times are really tough, but not insurmountable.

I heard someone say yesterday "I'll be glad when I don't have to (something creative) anymore to make money." I wanted to say to that person you don't have to do it now. You can go out tomorrow and get a job and not have to go through those changes.

There will always be work somewhere and there will always be someone who says "I'm not doing that." I have seen and heard of people who don't have money to pay their electricity but can pay for other things that are NOT essential or important.

Almost everyone has a relative who always wants someone to bail them out and then goes and parties after the problems are solved. People have to get smarter about what they do because as soon as you think you are in the clear here comes a bill that you forgot to pay and now you're scraping and figuting out what to do until the next paycheck or hustle.

I am going out this weekend to sell some stuff I made. I hate doing it, but it is a means to an end so I am going. My job is part-time so I can still do other things on the side but none of it is enough. I do what I can and I plan ahead. Every now and then I splurge a little just because I deserve it.

People waste a lot of money weekly, monthly, yearly on everything from makeup to ciggarettes. There is so much waste everywhere and too many people don't care. Someone asked me about recylcing a pair of jeans and I started listing all the things that I could do with the fabric and many of those things are items I could sell or even trade.

Anyway...

The coupon money thing is a great idea. Did you know you could print your own dollars as long as you pay taxes? I'll have to see if I can find the article that explains how it works. Gift certificates are kind of like that.

That's what I'm talking about.
According to one site, Louisanna does have local money in one area, but how current that site is, I don't know.

No animals in barn.

If you trade in NY, you're supposed to pay taxes on it.

We don't smoke, never have, don't drink alcohol, and don't do drugs.

Good for you! Have you found another job since leaving that couple you were working for?

I have three part-time jobs. Sometimes if I could be three people, I could work three places and sometimes there is no work on a given day. It's weird. Substitute Teaching, cleaning for one woman, and herb farm help.

If you check out the local currency pages, even more fun, I think, than where's george. I did find where New Orleans either did have or does have its own currency.

Try searching Ithaca hours if you don't want the link here. It has an article about printing your own currency. They've been doing it since 1991. They started with 30 people including a few businesses, now they have 900 businesses in their directory and thousands of people. Plus they publish and get visitors from all of the USA and the world. Their www.ithacahours.org and www.ithacahours.com sites are terrific.

Now you see, the last thing I need is a new interest! I am trying to resist this latest info about N.O. especially with everything I have to do this week!

BTW, I have a question for you: do you think most women would say that makeup and other cosmetics were a necessary and essential item? How much do you think the average woman spends per year on her makeup?

I have rosacea, I'm a bad one to ask. But if my skin gets bad enough, I will be wearing some all the time. Right now I don't wear any, it aggrevates my skin. I don't know if there is an average woman, if there is, I never met her. I think a lot of people are cutting back on make-up since it is a non-essential unless someone has a flaw or flaws so bad that they can't face the world without it. So I guess that would be a no. But I live in the country, where a plan, clean face is valued. City people and people in offices then to value and have bought into the make up racket. But it depends on what you do for a living and age group. Once you hit a lot of wrinkles, you're more interested in wrinkle minimizers, I'm at that age and mostly because I do teaching and the older I look, the less competitive I am and the less the kids listen. You would think older and wiser would prevail, but not so. Take care

I think you have hit on something about the difference between women in cities and rural areas and the makeup thing. Sorry to hear about the rosacea. I don't know enough about it to make a recommendation but I do know that aloe vera and cocoa butter are both really good for the skin.

I don't worry about wrinkles. I don't spend enough time in the sun to get all leathery and I hope I drink enough water for my skin to keep its elasticity. The same goes for rest. I have more faith in the foods I eat to keep me looking and being healthy than in wrinkle creams and all that other crap that is sold.

As for the teaching and getting kids to listen, it's not about age, it's about respect and classroom management. There are some books that can help you if you're interested such as "how to talk to kids will listen" and "how to talk so kids will learn." Sucessful teaching is about building relationships. It's hard for you to do that when you're the sub who is just there for the day. They think they can get away with stuff and it's in the nature of children to do that and to test limits. It's not personal.

Trust me, there are plenty of older people in education and when they enter a room it goes silent. Kids are crazy, wild, emotional and undisciplined. That's where the adults come in. It's really difficult when you are changing schools but if you're an in-house sub you can start to build relationships better.

You should talk to the principals at the schools to see what kind of character education is in place. For instance, if I tell any class of K-3 students at my school, I want them to sit in STAR, they immediately know what I am talking about. We have behavior charts, behavior cards, etc.

The best thing for you to do when you arrive the first day is to use some kind of cooperative game or activity that allows you to learn their names. It only takes 5 or 10 minutes. You want them to see you and see learning as fun. A recommendation here would depend on the ages of your students, but one activity is called "I can, I can't." Students go around the room (or a circle) and introduce themselves and say something they can do and something they can not do. I can't think of the name of that book at the moment but I'll look for it if you're interested.

In NY we teach for the state tests. Seldom time for games. They expect me to get done what is on the sheet or to not sub. I like Elementary. You can write minus 5 mins. on the board, they loose 5 mins. of playtime. I hate middle school and high school, they stand there and say there is nothing you can do to me and they're right.

If there is nothing you can do then the school administration is not doing its job. There should be consequences for their actions.

1. My skin was fantastic until I hit menopause. Hopefully when you get to menapause your skin will be fine. I was born with red hair, then if fell out, became blood, now brown and grey (lots of European takeovers just in my hair). But my face never forgot it was a red head. I had old eyes at birth and now the wrinkles have wrinkles. So in addition to the grey undereyes at birth, I now have wrinkles. I wear a hat all the time ourdoors or my face would burn in less than 5 mins. maybe less than 3.

2. The punishments mean nothing to them or can't be implemented. All parents need to do is get a lawyer and they can have almost any punishment done away with. Stay after is not a punishment because half the kids don't care if they do or not and the other half can't because their parents won't give them permission because they have to babysit younger kids and if they don't babysit younger kids, then that's neglect and we can't cause child neglect. During school suspension is what they want and lunch time suspention is what they actively work toward. The lunch room is too loud.

Became blond, not blood. Sorry just cut myself, typed what I saw.

Wait, you cut yourself typing?

It sounds like the schools you go into need revamping. They need to incorporate character education. I teach at a charter school that operates with a series of prinicples that the kids know as "the Charter Way." There is language built in that I can use with the kids that drives a point home, especially with younger kids about living the charter way.

Most kids appreciate structure and discipline and they know that adults who enforce both really care about them while those who let them do what they want do not, including their family members.

The problem is that when they have been allowed to behave a certain way for a long time or when they feel they have to conduct themselves a particular way it is difficult for them to change, even when they want to. This is especially true if there is a chance they will look bad in front of their classmates.

Cat on my lap, stabbed me by accident, tried to get him off me, got cut trying to move him. He panics when you pick him up. He's not 100% trusting or tame yet.

As a sub, the policies are not made by me.

I would rather teach in a prison than in a kid's school. Prisoners are worried about consequences, the kids are not.

I have no ability to revamp a school. NY State has allowed parents to run rampant in places they should not have been allowed, and NY State puts more importance on tests than character or anything else. If I had a child, that child would be home schooled. There is no way I would want my daughters or sons seeing scantily clad people or disrespectful ones and think it's cool or the way to behave by popular opinion. Even values education when introduced was protested by many religious groups up here. Even though it was generic. The value of not stealing (sounded too much like thou shalt not steal) was not generic enough for the people who are anti-religion in school. So one group was complaining that we were teaching religion and that was their job while the other group was complaining about religion going into the schools and they're against religion entirely.

Our legislature, congress, and often times our Governor has/have no values. They aren't about to expect kids and families to have any. If you look at how crooked they are and because of funding, schools are very political up here. It's not what you know, it's who you know. We have a huge inmate population and from what I can see, there's a lot put in place here to keep it that way.

Geez and people talk about schools in the south!

I am glad I teach at a charter school that is independent and autonomous. The administration has an excellent track record and parents want their kids to come to the school because of things like character education. The state contacted them right before the storm to take over another school!

I'm working in a public school with thousands of children. Many towns plus an island in Champlain that is actually part of Vermont. Was and may still be some Canadians there.

Yes, well, I have friends who are working down south and what our kids learn by third grade, many southern schools don't have by 6th. My friend is working at a Silvan tutoring place. When I was a kid, a kid came from down south, they tested him and wanted to put him three grades lower, but put him two grades lower. His parents had tutors for him to try to catch him up and he did catch up. He hated being lower than the rest of the kids his age.

Right now, the kids in 6th grade are learning the Algebra I learned in college. The students I taught today were writing bill proposals for legislature and hope to be pages some day in our state. Some hope to become politicians. They learn economics and political science as well as psychology and socialogy in high school. Some higher achievers get college credit for it. We have the highest level achievers in NY City this weekend doing Model UN where they argue and debate just like they represent a country in the real UN. The kids that come from good families that support the school are impressive. The multi-generation welfare families (been on welfare for 3, 4, or even 5 generations now) hold us back. Drug addict families, etc. In Charter Schools, religious schools, etc. usually everyone is of one accord and that should work out better. Public schools take everyone. In some areas, all they have are riftraft. Luckily, we encompus such a large area, that we have all levels of students. All the students I taught today chose there Social Studies and their behavior was absolutely excellent. I had the top part of the school.

Curriculum has changed all over. I remember when I was in school and they started teaching the "new math." I look at what is in the math sometimes and I am astounded that they are trying to teach these little kids math that used to be high school curriculum.

And another thing, kids no longer are about being retained! I would have been mortified at their age, but for them it is no big deal. Some are two grades or more behind! Of course a lot of it has to do with the parents.

I will say I was very impressed with a third grader who could add two digit figures in her head and not count on her fingers when I arrived the other day.

Here's a staggering statistic for you: 60% of this year's second graders are SPECIAL ED!

Not a surprise. If they can't pass the state tests here, they're immediately special ed. The percent ranges based on that stupid test. That's another thing that gets parents ticked-off. State tests year after year up here. Lots of teaching for the tests plus teaching for life. School days are packed with double what they used to be.

That is one smart kid that can add that in his/her head.

I'm 51 and you're in your 40s and you were just getting new math? We had new math up here before you guys then.

Dahlin' evry'thin is slower in the south...

LOL. Actually, for years some of us have said New Orleans has two speeds: slow and stop. Just think we're cosmopolitan compared to the rest of the state! It used to drive me crazy and then I learned to accept it and life got a lot less stressful.

After the storm the kids were given a "bye" on the LEAP test. This is why we had middle school students who couldn't read and comprehend at grade level. My school has recently adopted an excellence only policy. The Katrina excuse has run out and kids are expected to achieve mastery of all skills.

I have found that people underestimate children on a regular basis and when they don't achieve the first time around they are not encouraged appropriately to do better. It is just accepted that this is who they are and things won't get better.

Although, this year with some of the second graders I am having to accept that when it comes to certain things some of them really "can't" and we need to find what their strengths are.

It's such a sad situation. Oh and home school does kids a disservice. They really need to be among their peers to learn and grow socially and emotionally and they need a break from their parents and vice versa. I have seen first hand what home schooling can do on both a positive and a negative side and the negative side...

Well, let's just say the rules for home schooling need to be a whole lot stricter.

Well, I'm sure Katrina did traumatize many children and giving a test to upset children would create 100% disabled children. So temporarily, I can see why. If it had been NY, they would have probably tested them anyway. The 60% may partially be due to missed school. If the tests judge based on peers or are normed based on the average child for an age group, what they should know, the 60% may go down.

I totally agree with you that many kids can and will do better if you believe in them. Once they learn patterns or how to deal with new challenges, many can do amazing things. I dated a guy, his sister started out in Special Ed. then went to regular ed, and then ended up in gifted, talented classes, and then went on to become a Doctor. Had she been religated to special ed for her entire life, what a waste that would be. More educators should believe as you do. I envy you for being in a Charter School. My fellow educators and I were all interested in being part of one, but one did not materialize here. All the things we wanted to do that can be done in a smaller school.

I also agree that some kids, many here due to their Mother or Father having done drugs or alcohol, have fetal alcohol syndrome or other damage. They have a very difficult time learning.

Home Schooling is stricter here. Kids must be part of some kind of group activity. They may be home schooled and participate in school sports or afterschool clubs. They have to participate in sports. Most parents who home school have them in YMCA swimming, or have them come after school to join in sports or clubs. Parents must prove that they have hit every required subject, art, music, physical education, home ec., wood shop, etc. (it's hard for parents to do team sports at home, although my cousins had 11 kids and could field one or two teams for many sports, my great grandfather was one of 21 kids (three sets of twins) so they could have met the requirement for a one room school house). Many are in Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4H, Civil Air Patrol, Catholic Youth Organization, Young Followers of Jesus, older ones are in the town's volunteer fire department, etc. Since volunteering is down, they are becoming a big help. I've met parents who run farms and their kids help them run farmers' market stands which helps them learn math skills, socialize with customers, economics, etc. If your state determines that they must prove that they're getting the same opportunities as kids in school, then it will come. Many people home school until their kids need chemistry, geometry, Model UN, Psychology, Sociology, Spanish, advanced art, etc. I knew one born again Christian family that home schooled except for one subject and bought her to school every day to a born again Christian Academy for just that one subject that they couldn't do. Their sons wanted so many subjects and the economy changed so the family needed the Mother to work, too, they went back into school entirely by high school.

Getting back to the topic I started with:

Mo Money is an alternative currency in CJ Peete Public Housing Complex in New Orleans, Louisiana. My spelling may not be great, can only find a wide sharpie and the letters smear together. Not sure if it's still running or not. Some alt. monies start up and stop for a variety of reasons. Lack of funds, lack of time, not enough people jump on board, etc.

That housing project was torn down (finally) post Katrina in an attempt to rid the city of it's miniature poverty pockets of crime and destitution. I drive through that area periodically and it's nice to see some change finally come through what was one of the worst looking parts of town for decades.

I wonder if the people who have the alt. money/local currency sites know that? Can't be they do. I will keep looking for Lousiana local currency in case anything pops up.

Enjoy your charter school. The last I knew, legislation to try to have one in NYS blocked our having one. Take care

Katrina disrupted a lot of things. The program may just be dormant but I never heard anything about it before your discussion.

There are local money systems in Canada. How current some of the lists are, I don't know. Some are listed on the Ithaca site and some may be able to be searched. Local currency and your province would probably help a search.

I just looked at an enlarged version of your avatar, that is beautiful.

Yeah, I'm trying to get my husband to give up satelite tv. I'm the one that does the computer. Got this to be able to work online and for three years, I was working online when I worked for Blue Buffalo. My boss was in Watertown and the company was in Conneticut. Had to have computer to communicate with them. But I haven't worked for Blue since June.

He watches the same stuff on tv all the time. Told him to buy a couple of seasons of NCIS and watch reruns like he does for three hours every night, cheaper than 70 dollars a month for that.

Right now all my money goes for bills. I will be able to breathe easier when the third installment of my taxes comes in.

Yeah, as long as your basic necessities are provided for. But more and more people, even with cutting back don't have the money to pay for just the necessities. Luckily, I drilled a well and put roofs on my house before all this started. If this had happened during the years my well went dry or I had a leak in my roof, I would have never made it. Our taxes can be divided by three. I hope you're able to get the money for property taxes. Luckily all my taxes are included in my mortgage so every month about 50 dollars of my mortgage goes toward all my taxes. I thought everyone's was like that, but I guess not.

Have you looked into local money at all? Wherever you are, there may be local currency and often that can help people afford things better. Often local money can be used to stretch food dollars as well as other necessities to make things like taxes easier to pay.

Happy Mylotting, too.

There are some places that have barter systems that assign points, I think it's called LETS program. But NY STate says that you must pay taxes are bartered items, so anyone who barters keeps silent about it.

Didn't know there are some states that offer barter progams. All of us are taxed to death but nothing we can do about it.

Yes, NY is taxed to death. Most people don't think barter should be taxed. The state must worry we'll barter everything it they don't tax it.

Their sites are amazing. I wanted to go to a meeting last year. But the weather was sooo bad. It's exciting what they've done. Many states have at least one area and some up to three that do this kind of thing. It's worth looking up to see if any area near you does this. I knew people who went to school in Ithaca and didn't even know the Ithaca Hours existed there.

I found 2 for Washington State, but the last time this was updated was in 2001, so they may or may not still be running. The information could have changed, too.

Lopez Hour
Steve Ludwig
495 Aleck Bay Rd.
Lopez Island, WA 98261
360 468 2104

Sound Hours
Sound Exchange
Gail Sullivan
311 9th Avenue SE
Olympia, WA 98501
360 352-2428

Found this site, but I don't know anything about it, so be careful:

http://www.seattlewashingtontimebucks.org
or http://www.seatlewashingtomtimebucks.org
If that doesn't come up, a search with the key words listed there should come up.

I can't vouch for the site, have never used, so disclaimer cna't be held responsible.

I can't spell, can you tell? M in washington, honestly, my brain sometimes.

http://www.seatlewashingtontimebucks.org

maybe that will work.