Change of Address

Most people think of four letter words as inappropriate for children. If you can get your mind out of the gutter, you will realize there are many positive four letter words we should be teaching our children. Here are 10 four letter words we should encourage our kids to use every day.

1. Hope – Children tend to live in the here-and-now so they may need to be reminded to have hope for the future. If things aren’t going well today kids should have hope that everything will eventually turn out alright.
2. Love – Everyone needs to know they’re loved, especially children. Let your kids know you love them and encourage them to love others as well.
3. Good – Kids need to be taught the difference between good and evil. A strong sense of what’s right and wrong will help them later on in life as the lines between the two tend to get blurred.
4. True – Besides good and evil, kids need to know the difference between true and false. With all the cartoons and video games they’re exposed to, they need to know what’s real. They also should learn how harmful a lie can be.
5. Give – Children can learn at an early age the importance of giving. Kids need to know that sharing with others, especially those less fortunate, can really make them feel good about themselves.
6. Care – Kids tend to get pretty wrapped up in themselves, so it doesn’t hurt to remind them to care for others. Teach your children to be caring for other people in their daily lives.
7. Life – How critical it is to teach your kids the importance of life. Encourage your children to enjoy life every day and let them know how precious it is.
8. Play – Parents can get so focused on their child’s education and development that they sometimes forget to let kids be kids and just play. Make sure your kids know how to have fun.
9. Best – There’s so much emphasis these days on making sure kids don’t feel like losers that the importance of kids being winners gets lost. Encourage your children to work hard and always strive to be the best.
10. Wise – Children are so perceptive and often express a wisdom that amazes us adults. Take the time to learn from your kids and help nourish their ability to be wise.

Come to think of it, these ten words are not only good to teach our children, but these are also four letter words we should remember to use in our own lives every day. The next time you hear a bad four letter word or are thinking of using one yourself, think of a good four letter word to use instead. Then just think of what a better place the world would be if everyone did the same. Remember to teach your kids that the words they choose to use can really make a difference.

Mother Goose stories and rhymes have been around for centuries and were first introduced in America by Charles Perrault just as we were gaining our independence. Although these tales were told to children as bedtime stories, many of the stories had political origins. How ironic that many of these nursery rhymes would be considered politically incorrect in today’s society. Let’s discuss a few of these Mother Goose fables that parents may hesitate before reading to their children.

1. Puss in Boots – Although this is a great rags-to-riches story all children would enjoy, just the title would give politically correct parents pause. Although the term puss was commonly used to refer to a cat in ages past, it’s now usually used as a somewhat lewd expression.
2. Wee Willie Winkie – Another title with lewd connotations, this cute little rhyme could be quite upsetting to the PC crowd. I’m sure if there were someone dressed in a nightgown running around town peeking in windows, someone would have him arrested.
3. Gorgy Porgy – I’m sure this darling little ditty has completely innocent intent, but those more cynical may think it has sinister undertones. People may wonder why all the girls started to cry when Gorgy kissed them and why he ran away when the boys came out to play. H-m-m-m-m.
4. Three Blind Mice – We can’t possibly be telling such violent stories to our children. How cruel for the farmer’s wife to cut off the tails of those poor little visually challenged mice.
5. The Black Hen – Now this fable is just plain racist. Why is it only the back hen that’s laying eggs for the gentlemen? We also wonder why these guys come by every day to check her out.
6. Humpty Dumpty – They always portray Humpty as an egg, however the name could possibly suggest someone who may not only have a weight problem, but a physical deformity as well. We can’t be exposing our young children to such intolerance.
7. Little Red Riding Hood – This bedtime story is politically incorrect in so many ways. One wonders what the red riding hood implies about this little girl and why is she allowed to roam the forest alone? The horror of the wolf eating her grandmother and the hunter cutting the wolf open are likely to give your kids nightmares.
8. Bye, Baby Bunting – Here’s a short rhyme just chock full of gender bias. Why does the father have to do the hunting instead of the milking or silking? Then they send the brother to do the shopping and he buys a skin for the baby instead of a nice soft blanket. The whole family is totally dysfunctional.
9. What Are Little Boys Made Of? – This is another poem that uses a stereotypical way to describe boys and girls that simply would not be considered politically correct today. I’m sure you don’t want your sons to think they are made of nasty things while their sisters are made of everything nice.
10. There Was an Old Woman – In today’s PC world we can’t be calling women old and the local zoning board wouldn’t allow her to live in a shoe with all those children. If she was only feeding her kids broth and whipping them soundly every day, social services would definitely be called in.

How sad to think that children of PC parents wouldn’t be told these fanciful tales that millions of kids have grown up with for centuries. One wonders about the loss of a more innocent age when wide eyed children imagined a pussy cat in boots or a woman and a bunch of kids living in a shoe. I don’t think there is anyone in therapy blaming nursery rhymes for their problems. I hope we never lose these timeless Mother Goose fables that entertained us when we’re young and make us ponder as we grow older.

Looking for a reason to skip out on a family reunion? Do you ever wonder how other people get out of attending one? Listed below are ten common excuses people use to get out of attending a family reunion.

1. Someone died. This is a popular one; just make sure that the funeral that you are claiming to have to attend is not one of a relative’s. Better yet make it someone from out of town and then actually leave town so you don’t get busted.
2. I’m sick. Although this one can be useful, make sure that you only use it if you know no one from said reunion will try to come over to take care of you.
3. Someone else is sick. If you use this excuse you have to be careful that you don’t have a parent or other close relative that is attending the reunion who will offer to relieve you from your nursing duties, so that you can attend the reunion.
4. I already have plans. Make sure that you really do have plans and are not home in case you get busted by someone driving by. Or make plans for that specific day so that it is the truth.
5. I have to work. Again, this is another one where you want to make sure that you do not get busted by being somewhere other than at work. It could be quite awkward running into someone who is running an errand for the reunion when you are running from it.
6. We have a family emergency. Be prepared for a more detailed answer than this. More than likely you will be questioned on what the emergency is and if there is anything they can do to help.
7. I forgot the date/time. This one can only be used after the fact and only if no one talked to you about the reunion recently to remind you of it.
8. I can’t find a babysitter. You may want to save this one until after the reunion as an excuse as to why you didn’t show up and not an excuse beforehand as again someone may volunteer to help or tell you that you can just bring the kids.
9. I have tickets to… Do your research for this one and make it a believable one. Saying you have tickets to a concert that isn’t playing is not a wise idea.
10. I can’t afford to travel right now. With the way the economy is going right now, this is a very believable excuse, as long as no one offers to pay for your trip.

If you are worried that you will get busted with an excuse used prior to the reunion ,you could just skip the reunion and use the excuse after the fact, if someone asks why you didn’t come. Remember, family reunions can be a great time to get together and reconnect. However, there are some circumstances where you may be uncomfortable attending. If none of the above excuses works for you, try the truth. You never know, the person you are telling may not want to be there either.

Ants are determined little creatures and can be a real problem once they find their way into your house. They may be tiny, but they have us outnumbered by far, so if you kill a few the replacements just keep coming. If you find ants in your house how do you get rid of them and keep them out?

1. Ant traps – There are several kinds of ant traps you can buy or you can make your own. Use honey or syrup for sweet ants or peanut butter for bait if they’re grease ants. Mix with boric acid powder for the poison and place in a container with small holes for the ants to enter. Place the traps near the ant trails and they’ll bring the poisoned bait back to the colony and poison the rest.
2. Ant poison – There are many different ant poisons on the market, but the main ingredient is usually boric acid. The difference is how it’s applied and how it attracts ants. The granule type contains hydromethylnon and can be broadcast around your house for the ants to find and tote back to the colonies.
3. Pesticide barriers – If you want to keep ants and all other insects away from your house there are commercial spray barriers that you can apply. Spray around the perimeter of your house plus around windows and doors. You can also use a lighter spray around the edges of your interior rooms.
4. Don’t feed them – Ants won’t feel welcome in your home if you don’t have anything for them to eat. Make sure your counters are free of crumbs and spills. Don’t leave dirty dishes sitting around and keep all food in air-tight containers.
5. Scent blockers – Ants leave a scent trail to follow so they can find their way back and forth from the food source to the nest. Peppermint spray, vinegar, cinnamon, pepper, cloves and bay leaves can all be used to hide their scent and confuse the ants.
6. Keep out of yard – If you don’t want ants in your house make sure there aren’t any nests outside. If you find an ant hill or nest pour several gallons of boiling water over them to kill the ants and especially the queen.
7. Block their entrance – Find out where the ants are getting in and block it off with caulk. Seal around windows, doors and any other openings. Also place diatomaceous earth around these areas. It’s a fine powder that kills ants by pulling all the moisture from their bodies.
8. Corn meal and talc – Two other things ants hate are corn meal and talc. They will eat the corn meal and bring it back to the colony for the others. Then when they drink water the corn meal swells up and kills them. Baby powder or anything else that contains talc is also a deterrent and can be used to track down where they’re getting in and out.
9. Kill scouts – If you see one ant you know there’s more around. They send scouts out to find new food sources, so make sure you kill the first one you see. You don’t want him getting back to the nest and leave a trail for others to follow.
10. Fumigate – If all else fails, you can have your house fumigated. There are do-it-yourself bug bombs or you can hire a professional. Either way, you’ll have to vacate the premises with your pets and make sure there isn’t any exposed food.

Be careful about pets and small children when choosing what method to use and where to use it. Pesticides and poisons can be harmful to small animals and the environment, so you may want to stick to the more natural methods. Planting mint around your house can also be a natural deterrent, but the plants spread quickly and can be invasive. Also remember that ants can be more of a problem in overly rainy wet seasons. Their nests can get flooded out and they may want to move in with you. Be sure to let them know they’re not welcome.

Did human life gradually evolve from lower life forms or was there a Master Designer who created each individual species, including mankind? This has been debated ever since Darwin first developed his theory of evolution over a hundred years ago. If you’d like to gain a full understanding of both sides of the question, you can use these websites for reference.

Yay: Evolution is the only sensible answer

1. Vuletic.com – You will find a very thorough and scientific response to the charges of creationists on this site created by Mark Vuletic, who holds a PhD in philosophy.
2. Panda’s Thumb.org – A site dedicated to defense of evolutionary science and the critiquing of anti-evolutionary claims.
3. Edward Babinski.us – A personal website with many articles by this author in defense of the evolutionary stand.
4. CreationTheory.org – In spite of its name, this site is all about arguing against creationism.
5. AcademicEarth.org – This link will take you to a video from Stanford that provides the lecture of Dr. Eugene Scott as he explores this issue and provides the argument for evolution.
6. FreeThoughtDebater.com – Identifying itself as an ‘atheist’ site on its About page, provides a quick clue to where they might stand in this debate.
7. ScientificAmerican.com – A special report of the controversy claims that it can help you ‘win all your debates with creationists’.
8. Infidels.org – They chose the name, I didn’t. They are defenders of naturalist beliefs, which are ‘naturally’ opposed to creationism.

Nay: Creationism a more logical thesis than evolution

1. AllAboutCreation.org – A discussion of the issues involved in the debate are listed on this site, which concludes that evolution remains in the defensive stance with creationism as the default.
2. ClarifyingChristianity.com – This site provides a side-by-side comparison of Biblical creation to the evolution theory.
3. WiebeFamily.org – This website provides an argument against evolution and includes a large list of references for support of its arguments and links to Creationism sites.
4. Institute for Creation Research.org – Creation science news, articles and resources of many kinds can be found here.
5. ParentCompany.com – A review of the debate from the Biblical view.
6. NWCreation.net – This site is obviously pro-creationism but provides an extensive list of transcripts of debates held on the subject, affording both sides of the issue. It also provides links to a large list of anti-creationist sites.
7. Creationism.org – All things creationists, and available in multiple languages.
8. Answers in Genesis.org – A very thorough website designed to answering questions about creationism and evolution through Genesis, the first book of the Bible.

Middle of the Road Options:

1. Theory-of-Evolution.net This site begins by distinguishing between the theory of intelligent design and creationism. It asserts that creationism starts with the Bible and applies theological beliefs to nature, where intelligent design theory works on the same scientific axioms as the theory of evolution. It then goes on to defend their preference for the intelligent design theory over that of the evolution theory.
2. IntelligentDesignNetwork.org – This site promotes the scientific discussion of intelligent design versus evolution.
3. CARM.org Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry provides a brief synopsis of the variety of creation related beliefs within the Christian camp, including literal creationism and intelligent design, but not limited to those ideas.
4. Evolution versus Creationism Forum is a site that attempts to provide a neutral format for both sides of the debate to enter into discussion, and has done so for a number of years.

As you read through this list of blogs discussing the issue of school district consolidation in rural America, you will quickly realize that the list contains only one blog that seems to favor consolidation. The rest of the blogs are opposed, or at least opposed to state mandated consolidation. The more that you read on the topic, the more you realize that it is the forced consolidation of schools that is the issue, not the consolidation itself. But even when looking at it from a non-mandated perspective, you will find it near impossible to find proponents for consolidation outside of political office. As you browse through the following blog listing you will find that parents, teachers and most school officials agree, that forced consolidation of districts is not the answer for school funding.

1. Greg Hinz on Politics – This political blogger says it was ‘too bad’ that Illinois Governor Quinn got shot down on his plan for school consolidation, but it didn’t have the support of the people.
2. Desert Beacon – Nevada based blog regarding public issues, says consolidation doesn’t make sense in their rural areas.
3. Idaho Department of Education – The state Superintendent of Public Instruction in Idaho posted his stand against forced consolidation of rural schools on his department’s blog site.
4. OK Policy – This blog discusses the ongoing controversy of consolidating schools in Oklahoma, a primarily rural state. The article challenges the idea that consolidation of administration will increase the funds available for direct education.
5. Fred Klonsky’s Blog – This Illinois public school teacher blogs about many interests related to his profession, consolidation issues included. He agrees with the stand that he feels most parents will take, which is against forced consolidation of districts.
6. Education Week – This blog refers to a study by the National Education Policy Center, which raises serious questions about the benefit of consolidation of schools.
7. Mlive.com This blog addresses the faulty basis of the calculation used for the estimated savings by the State of Michigan if they consolidated their school districts.
8. Burlington Free Press – Vermont is another state that has been battling over the consolidation issue, as shown by this 2011 blog. Political leaders have not been able to convince the voters of its benefits.
9. Oak Forest Patch – This blog provides the run down of an evening’s meeting of citizens concerned about the proposed consolidation of schools in Illinois.
10. Voices of Change – This is the blog of the Ohio Education Association. The OEA does not advocate consolidation due to financial considerations, and questions whether consolidation would even be a true solution to those issues.

For a thorough discussion of the topic, we recommend that you read the article located on AcademicLeadership.org.

When the sun is out, many of us like to shed our socks and winter shoes and give our toes some fresh air in pairs of sandals. When we expose our feet to the public, we naturally want them looking their best. Here’s ten tips for keeping those feet beautiful during sandal season.

1. Remove old polish – When your nail polish begins to chip on your toe nails, remove it. Nail polish can be a great asset when it is fresh and shiny. When it starts to show wear and tear, it is no longer attractive. Get out the polish remover and make sure you have every bit of it removed.
2. Foot soak – Once you’ve removed your old polish, freshen your feet up with a good long soak in warm water with epson salts. Give them at least 10 minutes. Some scented bath oil or bath salts can also add to your home pedicure experience.
3. Calluses – After your feet have been softened by the soaking, you’ll want to exfoliate them with a pumice stone. This is especially important for your heals that can get rough and build up calluses.
4. Moisturize – Use a good foot moisturizer on your feet and use it at least daily. Feet easily become dry and need to have the moisture replenished on a regular basis. Putting moisturizer on and then socks over it while sleep or put your feet up, can be a great way to keep them soft and supple.
5. Clip the nails – Don’t let those toe nails grow too long. Keep them clipped straight across, just at the edge of the toes.
6. Cuticles – While your feet are still soft from a soak is the best time to use an orange stick to push back cuticles and use a nail brush on your toe nails.
7. Polish – Give your toes a little extra flair with some polish. Apply a clear coat and then a nice thick top coat. Use toe spacers to hold your toes apart while you apply the polish and allow it to dry.
8. Professional Pedicure – If you really want your feet and toes looking their best, make an appointment at a salon for a professional pedicure. Choose some nail art to add on top of the polish and enjoy a little pampering as well.
9. Nail Fungus – If you start to see a discoloration or thickening of your toe nails, you may have contracted a nail fungus. It is important to see your doctor to receive treatment for this condition as it is contagious. Salons will generally refuse to perform a pedicure on someone who has evidence of nail fungus because of this. It is also the reason that they either sterilize or use disposable items when performing pedicures.
10. Shoes – If you want your feet to look beautiful in sandals, choose your other shoes carefully. Choose shoes that have plenty of toe space and don’t pinch your toes together. This will help prevent bunions and hammer toes that mis-shape your feet.

Keeping feet clean and moisturized daily is one of the simplest and most important tips for maintaining beautiful feet, all summer long.

Times sure have changed when it comes to sports.  It used to be that kids would play sports in school or the occasional little league team.  Kids were allowed to be kids.  Today it seems like parents are enticed to join the rec league to teach the kids to play soccer or volleyball.  That’s great, but then along comes a different coach that tells the parents their kids have a lot of talent and they are wasting it in a rec league.  The parents have a decision to make.  Check out 10 reasons parents find sports clubs for their kids.

1. Better coaching: There’s nothing wrong with a mom or a dad coaching their kids’ sports team, but there comes a time when the kids have learned everything that mom or dad can teach them and they need a professional.  This is a coach’s only job.  He’s not constantly out of town on business and canceling practice.  The skills that the coach teaches the kids are the skills that will take them to the next level.
2. Top-level players: If your kid is the best player on the team that’s great, but does it offer him or her any challenges?  Can they play to their potential if the other players aren’t at their level?  When all or most of the players on the team are good players then that encourages each player to become better.  This level of players can be found at a sports club.
3. More opportunity: College scouts don’t go to high school games anymore to recruit.  They go to tournaments with high-level players such that you would find at a sports club.  Scholarships to college are given to the best players and one way to be the best is to be trained by a professional on a sports club.
4. Bigger venue: Sports clubs play against other higher-level teams from different sports clubs.  These tournaments are not exclusive, but they might as well be since it’s usually filled with other sports clubs as competitors.
5. Private coaching: More time is given to each child at a sports club and the coach is available to do private coaching to teach the kids higher and higher skills.
6. Better practice opportunities: Most sports clubs have team practices twice a week by the time the child reaches the age of 10.  Then there are open skills sessions on other nights where each players can learn and improve their skills.
7. Competition: Healthy competition between the players for a spot to be a starter gives the players incentive to continue to give it their all every time.  Most rec teams don’t even keep score.  Well, they aren’t supposed to, but I bet every kid and parent there knows what the score is.
8. Being part of something bigger: Sports clubs have many teams and to keep a club going they have fund raisers and banquets.  The work that is involved in keeping the club going often have a bonding effect so the parents become a family.
9. Better facilities: Sports clubs have their own fields so you don’t have to fight for a spot to practice at the local park are other place.  Many clubs also offer indoor and outdoor options for some sports.
10. More stability: Sports clubs have more stability in that if the coach has to leave for some reason or quits the team doesn’t disband.  The club just finds another coach to take the team.  It’s very frustrating to find out at the last minute that your coach isn’t going to continue coaching next season and you don’t know where your kid is going to play next season.

Home is where the heart is, and that’s what differentiates it from all other places or states of mind a person may find themselves’ abiding. As you may well know, a home is beyond a physical structure, and has more to do with a place that provides the ultimate comfort and security for someone. Whether it be a plot near a lake, a village of birth, a cardboard box in an alley, or a memory of a moment and time; home is always the best place to be.

Permanence - Life transitions from one challenge to the next, while a home constitutes a sense of endurance against such challenges and is therefore considered permanent. Some may choose to relocate mind or body, but the reference of home will always accompany them wherever they go.

Acceptance - Nowhere else may one experience the true freedom of their personal spirit, without any apology, than in their own private space. A home intimately understands its residents and accepts, willfully, all strengths and deficiencies equally.

Safety - Whether achieved structurally or emotionally, a home portrays the ultimate fortress against foreign elements that would invade or corrupt the sanctity that lies within.

Security -A home is the purest embodiment of security. Within the confines or parameters of that which is considered ‘home’, an individual or family may thrive in the peace and harmony that they create in this atmosphere; and they are able to enjoy this freedom without fear or intimidation.

Nurture - Within each home there is a beauty that is unique in this life. The mere presence of a place that is considered ‘home’, becomes a self-generating energy for the inhabitants within its boundaries.

Prosperity -The true value of the home is often measured by goals and dreams achieved by those who respect ‘this’ as their home. The prosperity may only be realized by those who participate in this ideal; and that may be the most intrinsic beauty of all.

Communal - One of the most invigorating attributes of a home is that it is, quite frankly, meant to be shared. With this sharing, a visitor may experience the uniqueness of this foreign home while exchanging and sharing elements of that which they hold as their own home.

Strength - The best example of strength generation may clearly be found in the home. There, in safety and acceptance, a person is able to rejuvenate, heal, and energize when external forces have chipped away at that which is held sacred by the home.

Wellspring -The home has the distinctive function of quenching the thirst of those who seek  relief within the home. There and there alone teems a spring that will endure and satisfy as it replenishes and refreshes its residents.

Sanctuary - Only within a home may we come to know and experience a place or state of being that embraces and celebrates our most personal endeavors. Within such confines, we may explore the uninhibited realms of our faith, dreams and aspirations; and retain the confidence that is a provision of our home.

Home is a relative term.  What becomes most important is that each, and every one of us, has such a place—a place to call ‘home’.

Although we may refer to it as ‘snail mail’ when comparing it to electronic mail, standard mail delivery moves at lightning speed compared to the time it used to take to send a letter or package by the postal service in the past. The US Postal Service has used every means necessary to provide delivery of communications across this country since it began operations.

1. Steamboats – In the 1800′s steamboats became the fastest mode of transportation on the water. Although mail had already been carried in boats and on rafts, steamboats provided a much faster delivery. Mail could be delivered between New York and California, via the Panama Canal in four weeks or less using steamboat delivery.
2. Pony Express – Pony Express riders and their speedy horses are legendary for their part in mail delivery in the west. However, pack mules carried plenty of mail bags themselves, though not as quickly.
3. Railroad – The railroad has played a large role in mail delivery throughout its history. In its early years of mail delivery, the postal service actually sorted mail in railroad cars while they were en route.
4. Automobiles – Cars and trucks continue to delivery mail between cities and along rural routes. In the early years of automobiles, both electric and gasoline powered automobiles were used by mail carriers.
5. Airplanes – Mail being transported through the air is common today, but in its beginnings it was considered quite unique, and certainly more expensive, to send a letter by Air Mail. The first regular pilots for mail delivery were Army pilots flying training missions.
6. Motorcycles – The use of motorcycles for rural mail delivery is not as well-known as some of the other forms of transportation, but they formed an important part of the transportation system, particularly following World War I. Sidecars were often utilized to assist with larger loads.
7. Pneumatic Tubes – You may be assuming that the use of pneumatic tubes for mail delivery was a Twentieth Century idea. It was not. Pneumatic tube delivery of mail began in the 1890′s in Philadelphia, New York and Chicago. The tubes ran underground from one mail station to another within the cities. Tube carriers looked vary similar to the cylindrical carriers used at your bank’s drive-up service. The cost of the service prevented it from continuing.
8. Missiles – They tried it, but it didn’t work very well. In 1959 the use of guided missiles for mail delivery was experimented with. After a crash landing and an accounting of costs, the idea was discarded.
9. Stagecoach – Not all of the mail in the west was carried by lone riders on horseback. The regular routes of stagecoaches made them a natural choice for mail delivery as well.
10. People – The individual mail carrier has been a part of mail delivery longer than any other mode of transportation. Human feet are still the best delivery system to city homes.

Hopefully, you learned a few things about US Postal delivery systems that you did not know. Some of them were sure to have been new to you.