All certification/degree work post graduate is deductible to a small extent (pro-rated, you usually get only 25-50% back, if any- it is linked to your income) for ALL workers, not just teachers.

Where I am, teachers do pay deductibles for health insurance. They do NOT get 90% of last salary (I think that's mistaking teachers for military).

In New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, starting teachers can make as little as $18,000 in public schools, and the assertion that there's no inflation is just wrong. Go look at the gas pump, or shop. We are running between 8-10% inflation this year, with an expectation of more because of oil shocks this summer that will lead to $3 or more price per gallon at the pump.

7 hours a day? No, try 10. They get there at 6am , they can't leave until all of the buses are gone (4), and usually have planning or meetings with parents (more usually 5). The planning period can also be used to meet with parents, or to counsel kids. On the days with special programs, they get home at 10-11pm at night. If they coach as well, it's worse.

By the way, "gym" teachers have coaching/and or kinesiology work, requiring significant amounts of biology, math, anatomy, and nutrition science. Given the work it takes to stay up on that, they deserve more than the ignorant insult here.

In my state (Wisconsin) they have been breaking unions' power for years. The comments about unions are irrational. If this is refering to the New Orleans strike in the early 90s, it is even more irrational. That was a fiasco for the union.

There's so much more here. We haven't even begun to talk about the physical dangers of teaching today, from kids and parents. Laurel is indicative of the ignorance about what teachers do, and how hard they work. It's sad. Providing facts won't change that mindset, either.

"The way I found out about his keeping the wedding "gift" was that he left it out in a stack of mail in plain view. He later admitted that some part of him wanted me to see it as a statement that he could do whatever he wanted, or at least do things that felt right to him even if I disagreed. I am really trying not to make mountains out of molehills!"

He's not mature enough to be married. This is not something someone who loves you will do to you. People who love you don't run around trying to hurt you or get rises out of you this way. This is just plain evil. As for the CD, he should have chucked it as soon as the thing was opened.Period. There is NO excuse for any other behavior.

You can easily block people in email. He's trying to hurt and undermine his wife. He's a manipulator. After he's shredded her self-esteem, will he start hitting her?

Go to therapy and confront him there, or leave and let the lawyer do it. He knows other people will not be as understanding.

It's not the mementos, it's the contact. That's the key to this problem. He should not be in contact his wife does not know about.

He's a jerk. LW deserves better. I hope she finds it.

Is she NUTS? Dates keep a marriage fresh, they remind people that they are more than "mom and dad" and that they can talk about stuff other than poo. I thought this was just going along with Colbert, but the rest and the hair (Nick for What Not To Wear- It's an emergency) just were too far.

Jon Stewart, where are you? If Saturday Night Live wasn't featuring the Ambiguously Gay Duo this weekend, I'd really want to see what they could do with this.

You know the adage- if they have to boast about it, it's probably not happening. I'm betting no nooky there, and divorce down the road. After all, this is "The Rules" redux, and we all know waht happened to the women who wrote that book.

She's a sitting duck for a trade in for a younger model. Then she'll write a book about how that opened her eyes. I won't buy that book, either.