Next Level Breakfast Recipes

I'm more of a yogurt and granola type, but when Jeffrey sent me this video I couldn't help but enjoy it. I think most of these would be a bit sweet for me, but I love the creativity. It does help that he's using Prairie Farms flavored milks.


Do you have any favorite cereal/milk mixtures?

The Whole Thing Makes Me Sick

Somehow I got on this email list. I pretty much disagree with everything they send out, or at least the ones I actually read. (I tend to just delete most of the emails) But I do occasionally read them, just to see what they're trying to say. This one I pretty much read with my mouth hanging open. There is just no part of my brain that understands the rabid need so many women have to defend their 'right' to kill their unborn children. How did we even get to such a place?

Their argument is that taking away this right to 'manage how many children we have and when we have them' is an outright war on women; it's 'not about abortion' but an attack on a woman's right to choose. Seems to me they've been waging a war on their own babies for years - and that seems far worse on every level. Why don't they exercise that right to choose in a timely manner - before there's another life involved? You want to choose 'when and how many children to have' (which sounds an awful lot like they're using abortion as a birth control method, doesn't it?) then choose. You have every right to choose. But choosing should not involve murder. Stop abdicating your responsibility to choose until 'Oops!' there's a baby you just don't want, and if you kill her before she's born you can go on with your life as if nothing ever happened...

And maybe that's what boggles my mind most of all. Why do these women who so desperately want to 'control their own bodies' only seem to be fighting for the right to kill their babies, while ignoring all the points where they really should be making those choices - don't be having sex with random guys, use birth control... Perhaps if we take baby killing off the table, they'll fight harder for the right to make the choices they should be making.

Anyway, here's the email. All emphasis is theirs.

Dear Anna,

Most women who have abortions are already moms.¹ Being able to manage how many children we have and when we have them has been nothing short of revolutionary — not just for women and mothers, but for our country as a whole. It has helped to narrow the gender pay gap, improved the health of women and their families, and led women toward access to increased economic and political power.

Following on the heels of Georgia², Alabama just passed the nation’s most restrictive reproductive healthcare bill that, if allowed to go forward by the courts, would impose criminal penalties on any doctor who performs an abortion, even in the cases of rape and incest. As moms, we know the lifesaving importance of access to reproductive healthcare for ourselves, and we cannot even begin to imagine the horror of a high schooler who has been raped learning that terminating her pregnancy is a criminal action. Despite these horrors, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey immediately signed the bill into law.³

* Join MomsRising in telling every governor that they must protect access to safe abortions and resist the attack on a woman’s right to decide when and how many children to have — or whether to have children at all — which is nothing short of a war on all of us, including mothers and our daughters.

Across the land, other states like Missouri and Louisiana are considering bills designed to provoke the reversal of Roe versus Wade, which protects a woman’s right to choose under the U.S. Constitution. (In good news, some states like New York are passing protections of a woman’s right to choose in response to the bans.)⁴ Ultimately, it’s up to governors to sign them into law. Signing such anti-choice laws signals a governor’s active participation in the war on women that wants to take away our bodily autonomy and our ability to make our own family planning decisions.

This coordinated effort to take away choice and deny reproductive health care involves states with some of the worst health outcomes for women, including high maternal and infant mortality rates.⁵ Politicians who say they value life should advocate for policies to solve the public health crises that are killing women and newborns, not dismantle women’s health care.

Governors must protect women, moms, and families, and stand firm against the attack on a woman’s right to choose, which is nothing short of a war on women.

Make no mistake, this war on mothers and women is not about reducing abortions. If the goal of those who are passing such severely restrictive laws was to avoid abortion, then they'd be passing access to free birth control, which is proven to lower abortion rates,⁶ not setting lifetime imprisonment laws for doctors who help women in need. What's really happening is a direct attack on women and moms having bodily autonomy, economic freedom, and sovereignty in our lives.

Twenty-five million women — that’s one in three women of reproductive age – now live in states in which abortion under any circumstances could be outlawed if the Supreme Court were to overturn Roe v. Wade.⁷ And this war on women, mothers, and our daughters particularly harms women in low-income families and communities of color, who face more barriers accessing reproductive healthcare.

Lawmakers should not be attacking women, who are half their constituents. Instead, they should be supporting us by passing paid family/medical leave like every other industrialized nation has done, access to health care including birth control, affordable childcare, equal pay, fair treatment of immigrant families, and an end to the mass incarceration that tears too many families apart — and not a rollback of our rights.

Women are the foundations of families, communities, and the economy. Tell governors to protect women and stand firm against the attack on a woman’s right to choose.

Please forward this email to everyone you know who believes in a woman’s equal right to freedom and her own autonomy, and ask them to sign too.

In solidarity,

- Kristin, Monifa, Gloria, Donna, Elyssa, Felicia, Sili, Tina, Casey, Maggie, and the entire MomsRising/MamásConPoder team

So, apparently, lawmakers should not be attacking women. but women should be allowed to attack the most vulnerable and helpless, killing them with impunity. And they have the nerve to talk about horrors.

Please note, I removed all the links. If you want to support this nonsense, you'll have to look up your own links.

How Long Will it Take You to Read All Those Books?

I got an email today offering to tell me how long it will take me to read all those books on the TBR list. Of course I had to find out! Here are the results:

Yep, 2 years and 4 months to read all the books on the TBR pile... I'm pretty sure there are actually more than 150 books that I want to read, but I just took the number from my 'Want to Read' shelf on Goodreads and rounded it up to 150. That's close enough, I suppose. Or at least a good start.

Wanna know how long it will take you to read all those books on your TBR pile?  Calculate it here.

Happy Solstice!

or, so that's where the 12 Days of Christmas came from...

I signed up for a free ebook last night. (I admit, even though I will never have time to read them all, I am seriously addicted to downloading every free ebook that crosses my path) This morning I got an interesting email from the author entitled Yule - The Pagan Holiday That Celebrates the Sun.

Celebrated on the winter solstice, Yule is a holiday dedicated to the return of the sun. Pagan deities associated with the celebration include: all newborn gods, sun gods and mother goddesses. Kris Kringle, the inspiration for Santa Claus, receive the honour of becoming the Germanic Pagan God of Yule. The winter solstice, as the first day of winter and the longest night of the year, has been celebrated for centuries. It signifies the return of the light, as the days become longer and the countdown to the life-giving spring begins. The Yule festival lasts for 12 days and involves great merriment and feasting, as well as many traditions each with its own meaning.  (read more)

I wasn't expecting that - guess I should check out that free book soon.

Seriously, I've known all my life that the origins of Christmas stem from paganism, though I don't really know all the details or haven't paid that much attention. Or actually care that much. It's enough for me that God gave us days to celebrate, and I have no need to look for replacements.

I have wondered what this 12 days of Christmas thing is when my calendar only has one day marked.  (and these days it seems that one day is stretched out more and more) Of course, the 12 days of Christmas come from the pagan holiday too. Why am I not surprised? (I think extending it beyond that is all retail)

Of course, there are many people who have celebrated Christmas all their lives with no clue that it has any meaning except for celebrating the birth of our Saviour. Others used to know the pagan origins and believed God when He said that He is not pleased when we attempt to honor Him by adopting the ways of the nations (pagans) around us, but somehow they have forgotten or decided it doesn't matter anymore. Or maybe God changed?

I'm pretty sure God hasn't changed. That would call into question a whole lot of other things besides holy days and whether or not pagan traditions can somehow be made acceptable and even honorable. So, I'm going to continue celebrating the days God set aside in the Bible - appointed times that remind us just who God is and what He has planned for us. Settling for pagan traditions painted and prettied up by man seems kind of hollow by comparison.

I Love My Himalayan Salt Lamps

I had never heard of Himalayan salt lamps until we visited Cory in Door County the summer he interned with Door Shakespeare. I didn't end up buying one, but we had an interesting conversation with the shop owner about all the benefits, and I knew I'd want to get at least one of these lamps for my home. Not only are they pretty, but they have quite a few benefits. Himalayan salt lamps create these little things called ‘negative ions’, which are amazing for killing bacteria, cleaning the air, alleviating allergies and anxiety, and much more.

Here's some info I received in my email recently:

Experts have been studying negative ions and Himalayan salt lamps for some time now. Here are some of the things they can do for you:

• Improve mood - Negative ions are thought to create reactions in the brain that release mood chemicals and literally make you happier and more content. They also improve blood and oxygen supply to the brain, relieving stress, anxiety, and brain fog.
  
• Improve sleep - Himalayan salt lamps relieve allergies and anxiety, and help prevent irregular sleep patterns. That means even just one by your bed is certain to help you fall asleep and stay asleep in the most restful way possible.
  
• Clean the air - Himalayan salt lamps essentially suck in air filled with dust, pet dander, mold, and so on, trap the gunk inside the salt, and release the pure, cleaned air back into the room. Those with allergies or asthma would LOVE the noticeable change.

I'm not convinced enough to keep one in the bedroom, because even with a very low wattage bulb, these lamps put out quite a bit of light. And, no, you do not want to turn it off or unplug it when you go to bed, because it's the reaction of the heat with the salt that creates those negative ions and gives you all the benefits. Also, especially in the summertime, you'll want to replace the bulb pretty quickly whenever it burns out, because the salt attracts moisture and will become wet. These really are supposed to be on all the time.

So far I only have two of them - from Amazon and linked in this post - but I keep thinking about buying more. I like the first one best, mainly because all of the salt glows, from top to bottom. The second one is taller, and the light just shines in the bottom with the salt on top looking like there's no light. Maybe that would be the kind to use in the bedroom, perhaps if hidden a bit behind something else?

Do you have salt lamps in your house? Have you noticed any of the benefits?

$3000 College Scholarship Essay Contest

I just received this information about a scholarship opportunity.

The scholarship is sponsored by Mig Vapor, a company that creates products designed to help people reduce their dependency on tobacco, and each semester they award $3,000 scholarships to students who help bring awareness to the dangers of smoking.

The scholarship recipients are selected through an essay contest with the winning essays to be selected on the basis of how well-written, compelling, and persuasive they are.

Applicants must be a full-time student at an accredited four-year or two-year university, community college or junior college, or a graduate degree program. There are no costs associated with submitting an application for this scholarship, and the application deadline for Fall 2017 semester scholarships is May 31st, 2017.

For more information, be sure to check out the MigVapor Scholarship Essay Contest page. Feel free to share this with anyone you know who might be interested.

It's the Door!

This came in my email last week and made the facebook rounds, too. 

Now it all makes sense:

Ever walk into a room with some purpose in mind, only to forget what that purpose was?

Turns out, doors are to blame for these strange memory lapses.

Psychologists at the University of Notre Dame discovered that passing through a doorway triggers what's known as an "event boundary" in the mind, separating one set of thoughts and memories from the next.

Your brain files away the thoughts you had in the previous room and prepares a blank slate for the new locale.

It's not aging, it's the darn door!

Whew! Thank goodness for studies

Since I read this, I've been noticing more and more that it must be true.  Even the act of opening a door can trigger this - for instance when I open the pantry door and then stand there for several minutes trying to remember what I was looking for.  It's nice to have something to blame.

Of course, that doesn't help me remember what I walked into this room for...

Related articles

• It's the Door!
• Now we know, it isn't us... it's the door's fault

I'm Not Really Motivated

Is it wrong that I'm not really motivated to edit a post for a stupid company I used to post for?  I say 'used to' because they just suddenly stopped giving me any assignments at the beginning of this year.  Yes, they had threatened to stop giving me assignments several years ago if I didn't stop working with another company they, for some reason, feel a real antagonism toward.  I didn't stop working with the other company, and the assignments kept coming with this company - so I kept doing them.  And then suddenly they stopped - no notice, no explanation, nothing.

I kept logging in at least once a week for a while, but never any assignments, so eventually I stopped bothering.  Now suddenly I'm getting emails wanting me to edit one of my old posts.  I'm supposed to keep the link but change the link text. 

For your post below would you please replace the existing keyword link "medical malpractice insurance illinois" with the new phrase "for this liability broker in IL"

If you would, please reply when you have switched out the current keyword link "medical malpractice insurance illinois" with the new keyword link "for this liability broker in IL"

Ummm, why?  And what's in it for me?  I mean, they haven't cared enough to give me any assignments all year and suddenly I'm supposed to care enough to change an old post just because they told me to?  Yeah, not so motivated...  I'll file the email in my 2do folder.  Maybe I'll get to it one of these days.

True Love?

chocolate chip cookies
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

From my email: 

A very old man lay dying in his bed. In death's doorway, he suddenly smelled the aroma of his favorite chocolate chip cookies wafting up the stairs.

He gathered his remaining strength and lifted himself from the bed.

Leaning against the wall, he slowly made his way out of the bedroom, and with even greater effort forced himself down the stairs, gripping the railing with both hands.

With labored breath, he leaned against the door frame, gazing into the kitchen. Were it not for death's agony, he would have thought himself already in heaven.

There, spread out on newspapers on the kitchen table were literally hundreds of his favorite chocolate chip cookies.

Was it heaven?  Or was it one final act of heroic love from his devoted wife, seeing to it that he left this world a happy man?

Mustering one great final effort, he threw himself toward the table.

The aged and withered hand, shaking, made its way to a cookie at the edge of the table, when he was suddenly smacked with a spatula by his wife.

"Stay out of those," she said.

"They're for the funeral."

I really did not see that coming! So I had to share.

Among the Squirrels

Cory finished his second year of college last week and moved back home with all his stuff.  But, he's been going back to Whitewater every day this week (except for Monday when he went to Milwaukee for a screening of the Booth DVD) for rehearsals.  Here's what he's doing now (copied from the UW-Whitewater Greenhill Center Newsletter):

The UW-Whitewater Theatre/Dance Department has paired with the Whitewater Arts Alliance in downtown Whitewater to produce a unique Summeround Benefit Event, a staged reading of Among the Squirrels. This imaginative new play is written by faculty member Eric Appleton, and will be performed on May 19th at 7:30pm and May 20th at 2:00 pm at the Cultural Arts Center in downtown Whitewater. There will be a silent auction event held one hour prior to each performance.

Among the Squirrels follows the life of an out-of-work computer geek, who is inspired out of sheer boredom to collect data on squirrel interactions. He could never have guessed how his backyard observations would reveal truths about his own, stagnant existence. Skillfully combining real life insights, including Netflix, Goth culture and nature shows, Playwright Eric Appleton explores the darkly hilarious complexities of love, friendship, employment and creating community.

Appleton, a UW-Whitewater faculty member, teaches scenic and lighting design for the Theatre/Dance Department. He has written three full-length plays, all of which have received productions. The staged reading of Among the Squirrels will be directed by Jim Butchart, and features Cory Hagen, Jake Lesh and Jen Samson.

The benefit is free due to the support of the Whitewater Arts Alliance; however, donations will be accepted at the door. For more information call 262-472-5943 or email flisterkr28@uww.edu

I like to think they listed Cory first because he's the most important, but that's just the mom in me.  I'm sure it's just alphabetical...

Rehearsal

We'll be going to see the performance this weekend, probably Sunday. If you're in the area, be sure to check it out.  Those 'kids' from the Whitewater Theatre/Dance Department put on a good show.

Names for Groups of Animals

From my email:

I really like this one. And you may want to save this email if you have children starting school. Somewhere down the road they are going to need the names of groups of animals.

The English language has some wonderfully anthropomorphic collective nouns for the various groups of animals. We are all familiar with a Herd of cows, a  Flock of chickens, a School of fish and a Gaggle of geese.

However, less widely known is:  a Pride of lions, a Murder of crows (as well as their cousins the rooks and ravens), an Exaltation of doves
and, presumably because they look so wise: a Parliament of owls.

Now consider a group of Baboons.  They are the loudest, most dangerous, most obnoxious, most viciously aggressive and least intelligent of all primates.

And what is the proper collective noun for a group of baboons???

Image by derekkeats via Flickr

Believe it or not ……. a Congress!

A CONGRESS OF BABOONS!

I guess that pretty much explains the things that come out of Washington !

You just can’t make this stuff up.

Better put on your miller welding helmet and duck!

Related articles

• A New Word for "Congress" (fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com)
• And what is the proper collective noun for a group of baboons? (santoshbhatt.wordpress.com)
• Collective Nouns... (whitelawoutlaw.wordpress.com)
• BOOKS | Some Collective Nouns for Animals :: A Zeal of Zebras + Brian Wildsmith's Animal Gallery (guybrarian.wordpress.com)

The Haircut

From my email:

One day a florist went to a barber for a haircut.  After the cut, he asked about his bill, and the barber replied, 'I cannot accept money from you. I'm doing community service this week.'  The florist was pleased and left the shop.

When the barber went to open his shop the next morning, there was a 'thank you' card and a dozen roses waiting for him at his door.

Later, a cop comes in for a haircut, and when he tries to pay his bill, the barber again replied, 'I cannot accept money from you.  I'm doing community service this week.'  The cop was happy and left the shop.

The next morning when the barber went to open up, there was a 'thank you' card and a dozen donuts waiting for him at his door.

Then a Congressman came in for a haircut, and when he went to pay his bill, the barber again replied, 'I cannot accept money from you.  I'm doing community service this week.'  The Congressman was very happy and left the shop.

The next morning, when the barber went to open up, there were a dozen Congressmen lined up waiting for a free haircut.

And that, my friends, illustrates the fundamental difference between the citizens of our country and the politicians who run it.

Anagrams

I've seen this before, but when I got this email today, I enjoyed it again:

Someone out there is deadly at Scrabble.
(Wait till you see the last one)!

DORMITORY:
When you rearrange the letters:
DIRTY ROOM


ASTRONOMER:
When you rearrange the letters:
MOON STARER


DESPERATION:
When you rearrange the letters:
A ROPE ENDS IT


THE EYES:
When you rearrange the letters:
THEY SEE


GEORGE BUSH:
When you rearrange the letters:
HE BUGS GORE


THE MORSE CODE :
When you rearrange the letters:
HERE COME DOTS



SLOT MACHINES:
When you rearrange the letters:
CASH LOST IN ME


ANIMOSITY:
When you rearrange the letters:
IS NO AMITY


ELECTION RESULTS:
When you rearrange the letters:
LIES - LETS RECOUNT


SNOOZE ALARMS:
When you rearrange the letters:
ALAS! NO MORE Z 'S


A DECIMAL POINT:
When you rearrange the letters:
IM A DOT IN PLACE


THE EARTHQUAKES:
When you rearrange the letters:
THAT QUEER SHAKE


ELEVEN PLUS TWO:
When you rearrange the letters:
TWELVE PLUS ONE


AND FOR THE GRAND FINALE:


MOTHER-IN-LAW:
When you rearrange the letters:
WOMAN HITLER

OK, I'm not completely sure that has anything to do with Scrabble, though being able to see a word in jumble of letters does come in handy. Also, for the record, I do not agree with that Mother-in-law one. But, then again, I have the best mother-in-law in the entire world! Except for Jeffrey's mother-in-law, of course!

Anyway, I was so inspired by the anagrams, I thought I'd try it. So I took thule bike racks, rearranged the letters and came up with - thick blue rakes! OK, so I need a bit more practice.  See if you can do any better.

No Mistakes

From my email, this is good:

A US Navy cruiser anchors off Mississippi for a week's shore leave. The first evening, the ship's Captain received the following note from the wife of a wealthy plantation owner:

"Dear Captain, Thursday will be my daughter Melinda's Debutante Ball. I would like you to send four well-mannered, handsome, unmarried officers in their formal dress uniforms to attend the dance. They should arrive promptly at 8:00 PM prepared for an evening of polite Southern conversation. They should be excellent dancers, as they will be the escorts of lovely refined young ladies. One last point: No Jews please."

Sending a written message by his own yeoman, the captain replied: Madam, thank you for your invitation. In order to present the widest possible knowledge base for polite conversation, I am sending four of my best and most prized officers. One is a lieutenant commander, and a graduate of Annapolis with an additional Masters degree from MIT in fluid technologies and ship design. The second is a Lieutenant, one of our helicopter pilots, and a graduate of Northwestern University in Chicago, with a BS in Aeronautical Engineering. His Masters Degree and PhD are in Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineering from Texas Tech University and he is also an astronaut candidate. The third officer is also a lieutenant, with degrees in both computer systems and information technology from SMU and he is awaiting notification on his Doctoral Dissertation from Cal Tech. Finally, the fourth officer, also a lieutenant commander, is our ship’s doctor, with an undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia and his medical degree is from the University of North Carolina. We are very proud of him, as he is also a senior fellow in Trauma Surgery at Bethesda.

Upon receiving this letter, Melinda’s mother was quite excited and looked forward to Thursday with pleasure. Her daughter would be escorted by four handsome naval officers without peer (and the other women in her social circle would be insanely jealous).

At precisely 8:00 PM on Thursday, Melinda's mother heard a polite rap at the door which she opened to find, in full dress uniform, four handsome, smiling Black officers. Her mouth fell open, but pulling herself together, she stammered, "There must be some mistake."

"No, Madam," said the first officer. "Captain Goldberg never makes mistakes."

OK, I was trying to write something about health insurance in nc, and this has nothing to do with it.  But it is set in the south.  And it made me laugh - served her right!

The Polish Divorce

I know I should write a real post and pick the winner of my CSN Stores giveaway, but instead I'm sharing an email:

A Polish man moved to the USA and married an American girl.  Although his English was far from perfect,they got along very well.  One day he rushed into a lawyer's office and asked him if he could arrange a divorce for him.  The lawyer said that getting a divorce would depend on the circumstances, and asked him the following questions:

Have you any grounds?
Yes, an acre and half and nice little home.

No, I mean what is the foundation of this case?
It made of concrete.

I don't think you understand.  Does either of you have a real grudge?
No, we have carport, and not need one.

I mean what are your relations like?
All my relations still in Poland .

Is there any infidelity in your marriage?
We have hi-fidelity stereo and good DVD player.

Does your wife beat you up?
No, I always up before her.

Is your wife a nagger?
No, she white.

Why do you want this divorce?
She going to kill me.

What makes you think that?
I got proof.

What kind of proof?
She going to poison me.  She buy a bottle at drugstore and put on shelf in bathroom.  I can read, and it say:
~~~Polish Remover~~~

I'll pick a winner tomorrow.

Financial Literacy Poster Contest

Did you know financial experts agree that starting early in life is one of the keys to later financial success?

In an effort to increase interest in financial literacy to our nation’s youth, the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) is once again sponsoring the 2011 Be Money-Wise National Financial Literacy Poster Contest and has chosen “Be a $uperhero! $ave Money!” as this year’s theme. The contest is a great way to get young students thinking about how to manage money effectively, and offers them a creative outlet to demonstrate their knowledge. The contest also provides the opportunity for local and national recognition for student artwork, and rewards the winners with US savings bonds as well as other prizes!

Do you have a child or children in mind that you feel has the talent and creativity to win? All school-aged children in grades 3-12 are eligible to enter with local and national winners to be chosen from each of three grade categories. Students from public, private, and home-schools are welcome. Entries will be judged by expression of the theme (above), artistic style, creativity, and must be submitted through an NFCC Member Agency for judging. *The submission deadline for poster entries is in February 2011, varying by each specific member agency.

National finalists will be judged in Washington, DC in mid-March and placed in contention for three national awards, one per each of the three grade categories. An overall national winner will then be chosen from the three category winners. The winner will be presented with the national award plaque as well as a $500 savings bond during Financial Literacy Month in Washington, DC at the JumpStart Coalition’s Annual Awards Dinner in April!

Visit www.moneywisepostercontest.org to find rules, entry forms, and submission details.

God is Busy Right Now

This has been around before, but I just got it in an email again today and thought it was worth passing on:

If you don't know GOD, don't make stupid remarks!

A United States Marine was taking some college courses between assignments. He had completed 20 missions in Iraq and Afghanistan . One of the courses had a professor who was an avowed atheist, and a member of the ACLU.

One day the professor shocked the class when he came in. He looked to the ceiling and flatly stated, "GOD, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform... I'll give you exactly 15 min." 

The lecture room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop. Ten minutes went by and the professor proclaimed, "Here I am GOD, I'm still waiting."

It got down to the last couple of minutes when the Marine got out of his chair, went up to the professor, and cold-cocked him knocking him off the platform. The professor was out cold.

The Marine went back to his seat and sat there, silently.

The other students were shocked and stunned, and sat there looking on in silence. The professor eventually came to, noticeably shaken, looked at the Marine and asked, "What in the world is the matter with you?  Why did you do that?" 

The Marine calmly replied, "GOD was too busy today protecting America 's soldiers who are protecting your right to say stupid stuff and act like an idiot. So He sent me."

The classroom erupted in cheers!

First Grade Drawing

From my email today.  I just had to share.

First Grade Drawing - PRICELESS!

A first grade girl handed in the drawing below for her homework assignment.
 

The teacher graded it and the child brought it home.

She returned to school the next day with the following note:

Dear Ms. Davis,

I want to be perfectly clear on my child's homework illustration. It is NOT of me on a dance pole on a stage in a strip joint surrounded by male customers with money. I work at Home Depot and had commented to my daughter how much money we made in the recent snowstorm. This drawing is of me selling a shovel.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Harrington

Too funny!  And, since it's the first of December, and we got our first taste of snow today, though not enough to shovel, fairly timely too.

Texting Ban Begins December 1

Image via Wikipedia

From AAA:

Thanks in part to a national campaign sponsored by AAA, the act of composing or sending electronic text messages while driving will become illegal in Wisconsin effective Wednesday, December 1, 2010.
Wisconsin joins 30 other states in enacting this legislation, which prohibits behind-the-wheel texting via cell phones, laptop computers plus a host of other wireless communication devices. Authorized emergency personnel will be exempt as will the use of global positioning devices (GPS).
 
The Penalties for Texting
Under Wisconsin law, texting while driving will be classified as a primary offense, which means you can be pulled over and ticketed based on a text messaging offense alone. Violators will face fines ranging from $20 to $400.

Ban Backed by Public
This welcome reform stems from a groundswell of public support - punctuated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's findings attributing nearly 6,000 deaths and 500,000 injuries in 2008 to distracted driving habits - such as texting.
Additional findings have shown that individuals who text while driving are more than 20 times more likely to be involved in a crash than non-distracted drivers. Wisconsin's new anti-texting law will help reduce this dangerous behavior and lead to safer roadways.
For more information on the dangers of distracted driving, plus tips on managing distractions, AAA encourages you to read The Facts About Distracted Driving.

I don't do any texting so I don't really understand the obsession some people have for it.  I don't even feel comfortable talking on my cell phone for very long while driving or trying to find a contact in my phone.  I cannot imagine trying to send and receive text messages.  To me, it seems incredibly obvious that you should never text and drive - but obviously not.  Otherwise there wouldn't be a need for a law to prevent it.

10 Rules for Students Applying for College

When it came time for Cory to apply for college, we didn't really know where to start.  He wasn't even sure where he wanted to go or what he wanted to do.  We really could have used some guidance.  So, I thought this list from Fastweb might be helpful for those who are just now starting this process.

10 Rules for All Students Applying for College:

1. Talk To Your Counselor. Between the books in the counselor’s office, and the knowledge in your counselor’s head, he or she will be a virtual treasure trove of information. Take advantage of the opportunities you have to work with a counselor to make plans for your future. Many counselors know more than any one book or website, and they are generally always willing to share their knowledge.
   
2. Stay In Touch With Your Counselor. Selecting a college is not a one-step operation. In order to really help you make a decision, the counselor is going to need to get to know you. The only way for the counselor to do that is for you to take initiative and go meet with him or her. Also, most counselors are not just there for information. They really are truly counselors, and they are also there to help you with your decision, help you solve your crises, or to just calm you down when you’re really stressed out.
   
3. Do Research. The way to begin the college process is to get online or crack some books and start discovering what’s out there. Use the resources in your counselor’s office. There are great websites such as www.myroad.com that, if you have taken the PSAT/NMSQT, are free opportunities to begin your college search. (On MyRoad, you start by taking a personality test. The site then generates a list of suggested majors and career possibilities, complete with a ranking system for how well they think this career will work for you. Then you can browse through their college index and find the right colleges with the right majors for you.) Visit www.makingitcount.com and take the My College Style and All About Me tests. Like MyRoad, these resources are free with registration, but these tools are not limited to students who have taken the PSAT. Don’t forget to research ways to pay for college by visiting sites like www.fastweb.com, a free scholarship search engine.
   
4. Get Started Early. It’s never too early to start researching colleges, even if you don’t have a clue where to start. Just get out there and research something. Start now!
5. Don’t Procrastinate. This is one of the greatest decisions you’ll ever make, and you could end up missing a great opportunity. You shrug this off like it could never happen, but it does happen all the time. Case in point: Last summer I toured a highly selective college near the nation’s capital and instantly fell in love. As the year progressed, and I applied to other colleges, it became apparent that it was very unlikely that I would ever go there, but I did keep the January 10th deadline in the back of my mind. However, at around 11:00 p.m. on Jan. 9th, when I hadn’t even looked at the application, I realized that I might have just let a great possibility slip through my fingers. I’ll be alright, since I might attend a military academy anyway, but there will always be that “what if?” factor at the back of my mind.
6. Listen To Your Parents. I know you never do this (trust me, I’m like everybody else – I don’t want to either), but they’re there to help you. Having help makes it easier to handle all of this pressure and responsibility—and means you don’t have to handle it on your own. Also, remember that even though this is your future, your parents, in most cases, are the ones paying and the ones who got you where you are. They’re part of the decision too.
7. Don’t Let Your Parents Do Your Work For You. They’re there to help you, but not to pick up your slack. The most they should ever do for you is research. Let them look up some information for you and go over it with you. It’s then your job to apply that information, fill out the forms, and write the essays yourself.
8. Open Up Your Mind. Talk to reps of colleges you’ve never heard of. Don’t be fooled by big names and Ivy Leagues. There are so many more great opportunities out there. IN ORDER TO FIND THE PERFECT PLACE FOR YOU, YOU WILL HAVE TO OPEN UP YOUR MIND.
9. Visit, And Visit Early. How can you make such a huge decision without ever having seen the college? You could fall in love with Hendrix College in Arkansas, even after thinking “no way” when someone told you what state it was in. Or, you could get up to Boston and realize that Harvard is way too uptight for your taste. You have to experience colleges first hand. If you can’t visit, getting good information is critical to making the right decision for you.
10. Don’t Let The Pressure Get To You. Yes, this is a big decision, but it’s not the end of the world if you make a mistake. People transfer and switch majors much more often than you think. There’s still plenty of time for all of you to find the right place for you. Just keep your options open and always have a back up plan. With a little effort on your part, things will work themselves out for the best.

Cory is happy with where he is and what he's doing, so it all turned out OK, but some kind of plan might have been nice.