anita and riley are a spot of sparkels in my life. they came over to meet merlyn today, and both looked so cute i couldn’t help but share them with you all. anita makes jewlery and clothing, and riley is the most thoughful and intelligent little girl i have ever met. today, riley asked me, “crystal? can i sit on your broken rocking chair?” perfect. life for me is made beautiful by its little reasons to celebrate life. they have taught me that there is pure joy in the world and inspire me to slow down so i can appreciate all that surrounds me a bit more. they are lovely.
Monday, August 31, 2009
The Market and the Kid
Children being victims of early exploitation has always caught my my heart. When me and my friend went to Baguio public market, a scene took my attention. A man was shouting to a kid, “Hoy boy dito!” He said this to a kid, so small and so meek carrying the man’s stuffs bought from the market. Below is the photo I have taken. The quality of the image is not that good because it is actually a stolen shot.
I took this photo using my phone. It was a good subject for a picture but a bad signal for our country's situation.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Two Looking Up - The Rock of Cashel
On the coldest and windiest day of my twelve in Ireland, we visited these ancient ruins. The Rock of Cashel, the traditional seat of the King of the Province of Munster, has many structures, built centuries apart, which together, if seen from overhead, resemble the shape of a cross. This mother and daughter are looking up toward the place where there used to be a wooden roof over this chapel, hundreds of years ago, but now there is only the open sky to serve as a ceiling.
The holes in the wall above them are remnants of balconies or windows where nobility could walk out and observe the service without mingling with the common folk. As an aside, there are also narrow, angled slits in the wall on stage left that served as windows close to where the altar would have been placed (similar to the angled window panels one might see in a funeral home chapel). These were used by the sick, so that they could observe the service without being seen by anyone else. Sounds a little cruel, but imagine sitting next to someone in church that had festering ulcers all over their skin and fingers or their nose missing from leprosy. It’s actually quite compassionate, because without this separate room, the sick or dying could never have partaken in the sacrament.
blank
Hello, how are you?
It sure has been a long time. I wanted to tell you
I met a colleague of yours today and we shared
stories about you over a glass of wine.
Anyway, he seemed to know you well,
(shocked to meet me)
and he filled me in on the recent chapters
of your (storybook) life as he took me on a casual stroll down
(your) memory lane. Lovely it was, full of sheets
of white canvas, of sailboat journeys off Cape Cod
and Perrier with a (surprising) twist…
It seems that in writing your memoirs
You neglected three rather significant
obstacles you had to overcome. Now, I know
you are a perfectionist, and the fruit doesn’t fall
far from the tree, so I was only too happy to correct your failing
memory and set the story straight.
(Memoirs are non-fiction, as you’ll recall
from your English Lit college days.)
So not to worry. Between the telling of the white
doves and multiple judicial decrees,
(no charge–consider it a gift)
where you should have mentioned
your aversion
to diapers and bed-time stories,
I took the liberty to correct your oversight
and preserve the honesty and integrity of your story
by adding the words
this page, intentionally left ____________.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
How to steal your girlfriend's password to community sites (guide)
For all those people who want to find out if your partner is cheating or the password to your partner’s facebook/myspace/e-mail/msn and other. Or if you are a parent worrying about what your kid might be doing at the computer behind closed doors.
Business going bad? Time to check up on your employees surfing habits. But how to do this, without getting caught trying to get some information?
Keep reading, I have the solution for all of you people.
I chose to introduce you to a keylogging/surveillance program after finally finding the tool that will give myself some answers to questions regarding my own relationship. I have searched for quite a long time and thought that there just aren’t any effective programs out there yet. But I found out that there is, it’s called All In One Keylogger, I gave it a try and I was honestly said frightened about the information it is able to collect, it will give you the answers to all your questions and suspiciousness.
The program fits for:
a) People in a relationship
b) Business administration, finding out what your employees do when they “work”
c) Parents who want to keep track of their kids.
From their homepage you can read about the futures of All In One Keylogger, as I find it a bit pointless to copy paste whole production info page. Don’t be scared off by the word keylogger, YOU are the master of the program, only you will ever have control of the logs, pictures and audio that it monitors. Below is a lot of information about the features and what the program does, I recommend to read it in order to get a idea about the program.
Product Website:
http://www.plimus.com/jsp/redirect.jsp?contractId=1682768&referrer=Niar
I chose to speak more about my personal experiences of the program instead of talking about all the futures, those can all be found by following the link above to the product site.
What does All In One Keylogger do?
All In One Keylogger logs all keystrokes and passwords that have been typed into crypted files on your computer, it tracks all windows and applications that have been launched, clipboard, chat conversations (sent and received), all Web sites that have been visited, e-mails sent and received.
You can set it to take screen snapshots every few seconds or on each mouse click, just like a surveillance camera. It can also record Microphone sounds and restrict the access to specified Web sites and applications if wanted. It can even be set up to send these logs to your e-mail or FTP for tracking when you are away!
Personally I hate it the times I get the feeling in my stomach that something might be going on when I’m away from my partner, this is the solution to get rid of the paranoia, or to get proof for your suspicions. It snaps up all usernames and passwords into the very easily readable log viewer supported in the All In One Keylogger program. And maybe even more importantly you can set it up to take screen snapshots every few seconds and view the pictures later. I chose to divide the potential usage areas into different categories, you might wonder what the All In One Keylogger could be good for, I’ll tell you.
Relationship:
In the survey that took place in United States in the year of 2005 which includes married couples only, 56% of the participants of the survey said that during their marriage they had at least one sexual encounter with a person that is not their spouse. Are you living in a relationship and suspect that your partner is cheating on you, or doing other stuff he/she shouldn’t be doing on your/her computer (flirting harshly on community sites, MSN messenger contacts, webcam usage, microphone usage or visiting sites that are uncomfortable in a relationship.. the list goes on.
This is where All In One Keylogger can be there to save you from wasting time on your relationship, you wonder what your partner does when he/she is on the computer and you are away or working night shift. Well there is no reason to keep wondering and being paranoid about what she might be doing, you can find it out directly by downloading the trial version straight away (it is amazingly easy to set up, and the best part is that it is totally undetectable/invisible in windows, so no one can find out it’s installed and running.. read more on product site for more detailed info).
It basically records all keystrokes, and shows in which program the text has been typed in, stores visited sites and you can set it up to take a picture of the screen for example every 10 seconds!
Employers:
In the survey that took place in Britain in the year 2006, 87% of the employees participating in the survey said that they surf on the internet during their work at least once a week. 73% of them said that they surf at least once a day. 23% of them said that they dedicate more time to surfing on the internet than to their work! In the additional survey that took place in the same year answered 36% of the employers, participants of the survey mentioned that they are afraid that secrets of the company will be sent to their competitors from the company computers by their employees. 4% announced that they fell victim to the theft of company secrets by their workers from the company computers.
Are you running a small sized company, and wonder why you aren’t getting as much work done as you should be getting. Well the solution is here, with All In One Keylogger you can make sure who are actually working and who are not. The result can be scary, you might find out that the employee is actually playing online poker half day or such, no wonder that the results aren’t so promising. There are a lot of people who don’t care as long as their getting paid, so they will just entertain themselves in some way instead of actually working.
Download trial (7 days free):
http://www.plimus.com/jsp/download_trial.jsp?contractId=1682768&referrer=Niar
Parents:
Today, almost every child has access to internet. This comes thanks to the advance in technology, but has also risks involved. Did you know that: The average age when the children encounter pornography in the internet is 11? The age of the largest pornography consumer group in the internet is between 12 to 17? 85% of children between the ages 6-16 encountered pornographic content intentionally or unintentionally (most of them while preparing their homework). 25% of children between ages 9-17 will freely disclose their home address in the internet? 60% of children who committed suicide, declared their intentions online directly or indirectly? One in five children who use the computer chat rooms has been approached over the internet by pedophiles? Only 25% of youth who received sexual solicitation told a parent.
The children today are very sophisticated and most of us parents don’t have the knowledge to know what they are doing behind their closed doors in front of the computer. Are they browsing to inappropriate websites, are they downloading illegal content using P2P programs that will in the future result in lawsuits of thousands of dollars? What personal information they disclose about themselves, are they talking to adults, or maybe they meet them?
All In One Keylogger has many features:
No activity on your computer will be able to evade this high quality Keylogger. Does your kid make secret chat conversations with adult strangers? Maybe even with a pedophile that searches for his next victim? Does he surf to pornographic sites? Maybe he even exposes his personal details where he is not supposed to? Does he use P2P programs, sharing copyrighted materials which could constitute a pretext to a lawsuit of tens thousands of dollars? Have you ever wondered why does your husband “work” on his computer so late at the night? Does he have a secret online lover?Have you ever wondered who is your wife’s “partner” she talks with all the time? Do your employees surf on the internet instead of doing their work which you pay them for? Do they sell company secretes to your competitors? A high quality Keylogger should give you the answers to all these questions. No activity will be able to evade from it. No undesirable activity will be able to evade from you! As said, a high quality Keylogger is an “All In One Keylogger”, so just press this link to download “All In One Keylogger”:
Download trial (7 days free):
http://www.plimus.com/jsp/download_trial.jsp?contractId=1682768&referrer=Niar
Link for buying full version:
https://www.plimus.com/jsp/buynow.jsp?contractId=1682768&referrer=Niar
I tried to bring up the most important things in this article, but there sure is more to read if you still aren’t sure, simply visit the links provided and read more about people who have bought the product or view the awards that the product has received. Everyone has different use or needs of the program, and it sure was a relief to my head after finally getting answer to my questions using this brilliant program.
Please Wait to Be Seated: Why We Sit You There
Somehow people seem to really get off telling you what to do, or disobeying you in anyway. With a huge sign that says Please Wait to Be Seated, they seem to think it’s OK to point to a booth and sit there, like they gave you the courtesy in waiting but really it’s their choice. Or those people who don’t even wait, and just sit themselves. Either or they always seem to choose the place which is most inconvenient to you.
Though it may not seem like such a big thing, as it is just a seat, there’s a thought out process that goes with sitting you down. As in we want you to sit there because it’s easier for us. And if it’s easier for us the more likely we are to do something for you and not cuss you out behind your back, but somewhat loud enough for you to hear.
You see Fortune Cookie is set up in four rows A, B, C, and D. A is least convenient for us, ‘specially if you have a kid, because A involves carpet, and it’s a pain in the butt to sweep out the carpet. I once had a table who waited for me to ask, “table or booth?” before they just pointed to A3, the darkest, and most forgettable table. I said coldly, “Yeah it’s fine if you sit there.” before throwing down their menus and silver wear, “Just don’t expect good service, I’ll forget about you.” Hey, I was just being honest, and I was on my last days there. Anyway she was a bitch, her snotty attitude suggested that she was daddy’s girl and expected me, and her boyfriend to spoil her.
B row is full of tables, and a little less forgettable, but can also be a hassle. That’s where our table for five is located, B5, funny cause it has five in it you’d think I’d remember where it was located more often. Well B5, because it’s round, and has five chairs around it, makes people who have four in their party want to sit there. Four somehow equals five to them. Or a party of seven will ask if they can sit there, and I simply will say “you won’t fit.” Now the fact that a party of four will sit there means that when an actual party of five comes in I’ll have to put some tables together, which has happen. They just look on, like saying ‘Oh I could move, but where’s the fun in that, it’s much funner to watch her suffer.’ Then they’ll make some snide comment about how inconvenient it is for me to do that, which gets them a sarcastic smile and a dry laugh from me.
Also located in the B’s is B1, generally for take-out. But I would have this one lady come in a few times, disregard the sign, and just sit there. It was sad that A: She was alone, and B: She sat in a place where it was obviously for take out. Next to the counter, people would walk in to take-out and she’d have to watch them, as they glance at the table looking for a place to sit, then noticing that she was eating. Though now that I think about it she may have chose that place because just maybe someone would mistake her for just sitting there and actually join her. Oh well, it was just weird.
On C5, the next row over, there is a table of six. Next to the door, and completely obvious that it is meant for six to eight people. There is only a certain time of year when people will actually willingly sit there. It is obviously our only table that supports that many people, but somehow it’s OK for them to ask me to put together another table. “Umm, could we perhaps get a table that not next to the door.” They’d ask and look at me expectantly. “We’ll put it together.” Some say. ‘Great you’ll put it together, but will you put it back? Will you clean your mess? Will you not be complete jackasses and make me do this shit?’ I’d scream at them in my head while I give a short “Fine” and start yanking chairs out to spin the diamond shaped tables into a rectangle. And they sit, giving me a smile and a thanks while the table they didn’t want stands right next to them, they are now a foot more away from the door, big whoop.
And finally somehow people seem to hate the D’s, and I have no idea why. It’s all booths, they’re easy to clean, you get better service, you get more air conditioning or heating, they’re just better. But somehow being in those booths aren’t good enough for them, maybe they don’t like idea that their food comes out so much closer to them, though they are hardly next to the kitchen. I can understand if they don’t want to sit in D1, I mean I do talk a lot of shit under my breath as I walk back there to get food, but I’m pretty sure they can’t hear me. But it baffles me even more at the fact that parents with small little children, who they know will make a mess, choose to sit everywhere else but D, it’s as if the want food to be ground into the carpet.
So a final note, and what to leave you on, listen, to where your waitress or waiter wants you to sit, there’s a well thought out process that you have no idea. And don’t get pissed off if you get someone like me who ends up telling you to ultimately fuck off, in my snide little “don’t expect good service” comments. I do it out of hate.
-Camile
Friday, August 28, 2009
In a flash...
As the end of August sneaks up on us and September is waiting around the corner, I am reminded of how quickly time passes. After all, it seems like high school grad, college grad (x3), our wedding, and purchasing our first home all happened but a few days ago. All too quickly our memories fade and those yesterdays have all of a sudden become years.
This is a reminder why pictures are so important. When I look back at my pictures of high school, hot summer days spent with friends and road trips across Canada and the US, all of my memories come rushing back and again it feels like it all happened just yesterday.
Don’t wait until your children can walk, have all of their teeth, have no pimples, or are leaving for college before you have individual or family pictures done. Capture those memories, moments, and happy times today and in a few years you will look back and be glad that you did.
So, this weekend I’m going to enjoy the Peach Festival, grabbing my camera and going to make some new memories!
Have a great weekend!
Stephanie
Impressions by Stephanie Photography
www.impressionsbystephanie.ca
12 Reasons To Look For More Meaningful Work
Over the years I’ve had a few lousy jobs & not because of the co-workers or clients. This was largely due to the fact that many Supervisors, Managers and Bosses do not know how to treat the very staff they hire. Communication lines between what Management want and what they said or how they said it were in complete opposition to the results they wanted. This got me thinking about what makes a job (No matter how great the pay) NOT worth it to stay.
So….here’s my 2 cents on reasons to look for another job
1. Non-existent open communication with Boss
2. Non-existent open communication with Co-workers
3. “Having fun at work” is a foreign concept to all
4. Complete and utter dread going into work each day
5. This “rough period” has turned into months, years or DECADES (Yikes!!!)
6. Yelling at employee’s is considered “Standard Operating Procedures”
7. No room for ANY creative ideas or input from staff
8. Meetings are a joke…No agenda except the “hidden” one that becomes the fear for all staff members
9. “Please speak openly and we’ll listen to your ideas about changes” is code word for “Spill the beans on what is REALLY going on in your department/area; we won’t do anything, but we just want to know”
10. Secrets, secrets and more secrets from Management
11. Your immediate Supervisor or Boss uses words like: Insubordination, Authority, Letter of Insubordination going into Your file… (Start looking immediately for other job)
12. My personal favorite… “We have decided to change a few of your job roles to give you more of a growing edge…” Code word for “You have MORE work to do now with the same amount of pay & twice the amount of problems and this is not up for discussion!”
What limits will you set?
How can you create more meaning to your career?
Until next time… Make each day count!
Be Alert,
Nicole
Thursday, August 27, 2009
moving chronicles :: scenes from the new neighborhood
Well, actually, we’re still in the same neighborhood, but we’re on the other end of it and it does feel much different. We’re now very close to the University of Chicago campus. To be perfectly truthful, we’re on campus, a campus recently voted most reminiscent of Hogwarts, of Harry Potter fame, so you’ll see neo-gothic architecture becoming a photographic theme. But here are some scenes of our new stomping ground…
I have a feeling that someone is watching me.
I can’t help but feel eyes on me as I meander through the city streets. Walking down to the subway, I feel the eyes. Sitting quietly, listening to music or reading a book, I feel them.
Once in a while, I will catch the eyes and notice who they belong to. A human being, small in stature and maybe about couple of feet tall. With big eyes and curious gazes. Holding a hand that belongs to a person much larger than them. Possibly carrying a doll or toy. Can you guess who is watching me?
Yes, it’s a toddler. More particularly, a Korean toddler. I live in Korea, and I work as a school teacher. I’m fairly used to being the only non-Korean person in the room, and while that has never bothered me, I can’t help but notice the little ones. They are my favourite. I can’t help but feel a strongly selfish desire to be the first curly-haired, tall, pale, green-eyed foreign woman they have seen. I’m as transfixed with them as they are with me. I feel special, and interesting, and for a moment, I remember being that age too.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
BREAKING NEWS! THE CASE OF THE MISSING SHOE!
THE MISSING SHOE HAS BEEN FOUND
We interrupt the schedule reading of G.W. and Marty Demo Derby for this News Flash!DIDDLE DIDDLE DUMBLING………
Miss Laney Lou came home from school
Short one of her brown shoes.
When asked what happened to the other shoe
Diddle, diddle, dumpling….she said, “I have no clue!”
The next morning Mother Mari went out to get the mail
And diddle, diddle, dumpling…….what was there?
It was one brown shoe!
Diddle, diddle, dumpling…….
Now, Miss Laney Lou has both her brown shoes!
(We return to our reading of Demo Days.)
Homeschooling Why's
I was led by God to homeschool my children. My family travels A LOT, so homeschooling the kids gives them the consistency that they need and they do not have to constantly transition into new schools and various levels of curriculums. Homeschooling (in my opinion) when done right can be very enriching for children as they get one on one attention from their parent during learning activities versus competing with 30 other children in a typical classroom. We have been homeschooling since 2006 and my children are doing wonderfully. In fact at last years testing they all scored above average when compared to children who are tested in the public school setting. Another primary reason is that my children are not being exposed to the secular humanistic approaches (evolution and the like) that public school children are exposed to, making them question God and His creation. If you are not for God you are against Him. In addition, a lot of people have the first assumption that homeschool children are not socialized- I can assure you that if anything they are over-socialized : ) Though they are not exposed to the daily negative social setting, as in a traditional school setting, they know just fine how to deal with the bullies of this world without having the first hand experience that has been taken as the norm in today’s classrooms : ) In other words, I can teach my children that fire hurts and the proper management of fire- without exposing them to the hot flames- if you get the metaphor : )
Check out more reasons to homeschool under the “Homeschool Reasons” category.
Jennifer
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Fabulous!
It has been a little while since I have updated here. Pregnancy is really taking its toll at the moment, It seems that I’m permanently exhausted, I have swollen ankles and fingers and a constant back ache all of which makes everything that bit more difficult and so much slower. So my apologies, I can assure you that your parcels are being received and your beautiful items are being photographed and packaged up in preparation to be shipped in early October.
So ……………………
A lovely crochet blanket, a teddy,two jumpers, a babygro a poncho and a tube of body cream were donated by Anna in Glasgow.
Gorgeous jumpers,cardigans and blankets from a lady in East Calder
Four lovely crochet hats from Mrs Rosa Kirk who is 90 years old.
A fantastic selection of knitted baby hats and two pretty pink cardigans which were made by the ‘charity knitting class
at Malton Agricultural show.
A pretty pastel blanket from Katherine Doley.
A beautiful knitted cloak, colourful mittens and socks plus pencils,nappies underwear and a selection of lovely children’s clothes were donated by Diana in Hastings.
Two snugly blankets, loads of hats and a stack load of pre-loved children’s clothes were sent in by an anonymous donor.
Fantastic stripey socks and hats, scarves, teddies and beautiful jumpers were donated by Pat and Mary in Somerset
Loads and loads of colourful hats,blankets, jumpers and cardigans from the knitters of Stroud via David Drew MP.
Thank you so much for such lovely donations.
Several more parcels and boxes arrived this morning so I will try and get pictures up as soon as possible.
A A Little on Jeremy, A Little on Me and the Boys
I’m feeling like I should post something on the ol’ blog…but I’m a little teched out with all my updates on email and facebook. (I hope I’m not wearing all of you out too!) Can you be technologically tired? Is that just T.M.I.? It’s that or it could be that it is late right now. My mom will tell me to go to bed. Right mom?
BTW-If you didn’t get my latest email about Jeremy-I sent it earlier today-and you want to be added to The List, just leave me a comment telling me to add you and I will.
Anyway, I heard from Jeremy today! YAY! It was the best 5 minutes I’ve had since last week when I heard from him. He’s doing well by the way. As many of you know, the company suffered our first combat related death last week, Troy O. Tom. It was a hard week, but not just for me. Jeremy said it was the hardest 96 hours in his whole life. He is sending me a letter explaining those 96 hours and I’m anxious to receive it. You can read about Tom’s death here. Jeremy said the guys had a memorial service today for him and it was very helpful as he grieved Tom’s loss. I only met Tom a couple of times, but Jeremy knew him well.
Jeremy sounded really chipper on the phone. My friend later pointed out that it was 1 in the morning when he called! I was surprised he was so awake that late. It was great to hear his voice. Cooper got to talk with him too. I think they both enjoyed that.
Today, that call was just what I needed. I was praying and hoping he would call sometime this week as I had heard that a lot of the other wives had heard from their hubbies. It was really uplifting to my heart to hear how he is doing and to know I could trust it because I could hear it in his voice.
I’ve taken to calling August “The Month That Will Not End” because it has just drudged by so slowly. I think that despite this month passing so slow, we are really starting to get into a good routine. Chase’s earlier bedtime has helped me TREMENDOUSLY! And I think it has helped Chase too. I’ve really enjoyed that one hour alone I get with Cooper. Plus, since both the kids are down by 8 pm, I am able to settle down a bit earlier. I’ve gotten to bed before 11 pm several times this past week! WOO-HOO! I’m so proud.
School starts for Cooper in 2 weeks. I’m freak’in out. I don’t do change very well. Transitions are tough for me. It is unsettling to me. You may laugh, but I’ve prayed for peace about my decision to send Cooper to this private school. It was actually a tough decision for me because of the financial commitment and because of the fact that Cooper really has 2 years before he’ll start Kindergarten. Most likely, we will not send him to school again next year.
Jeremy and I hemmed and hawed over this because we have no idea what next fall will be like for us as a family. Jeremy will be home from Afghanistan (YAY!) and he is technically out of the Army in February of ‘11. We are still praying through our next decision and asking the Lord to show us what would be best for our family given the state of our economy and how difficult it would be for Jeremy to apply for jobs from so far away. Cooper would start Kindergarten in the fall of ‘11 and we think we’d be back in St. Louis by then. Our plan from that point on is to have Coop in public school. So the inbetween year will be weird.
In the end, we just decided to give Cooper this full year of a good Christian preschool and then I’ll homeschool him next year. We can always re-evaluate next summer, but for now that is the plan.
It’s crazy to think that we are making all these plans for something that feels so far away. I always joke with Jeremy that we have to have “Plan A” and then contingency plans “B”, “C”, “D”, “E” and “F” because of how crazy life in the Army is!
Ok, I’ve rambled on a lot! I am off to bed. More later!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Get Caught in the Web
By Cheryl Mahoney
How much of your time do you spend on the internet? Obviously some–you’re here, after all! Personally, I’m on here eight hours a day for my job, and usually some time in the evening once I’m off of work too. For me, the internet’s where I go when I’m communicating with a friend, looking up a random fact, trying to remember a quote, puzzling over where I’d seen that actor before, looking for movie times, needing directions, checking to see if my library books are overdue, looking at my credit card bill, wanting to feed the hungry with one click…and on and on and on. I think we’re all a bit like that. And mostly, we don’t think about it–I don’t, anyway.
But some people do. The people over at One Web Day definitely do. One Web Day is all about celebrating the openness and interconnectedness created by the internet, and the power of the web to transform the world. An annual event on September 22, they consider themselves the Earth Day for the Internet. Earth Day is all about bringing environmental concerns in front of the world. One Web Day is intended to do the same for the internet. They had events in thirty-four cities across the world last year, and they’re gearing up for this year–less than a month away! The slogan is “One Web. For All” and the goal is to empower everyone to access the internet and to use it freely.
I admit, most of my examples up above of how I use the web are not really going to change the world. Not as individual actions. But it’s the cumulative that counts. It’s the spread of information, and the spread of connections. I can look up a random quote or a fact I’m curious about. Suppose a child in Africa could do the same. One fact won’t change her life, but the ability to access knowledge and information will. It’s about the freedom of information to spread. Twitter became an important spread of information during the aftermath of elections in Iran. Blogging has become an incredible tool for the freedom of communication. Sure, a lot of the internet is frivolous or unimportant, but not all of it–and sometimes the parts that seem frivolous are important after all. Besides, even if only 10% of what happens on the internet actually matters (I’m making this figure up), that’s all right. Because the internet opens up endless possibilities, and 10% of infinity is still infinity.
So if you use the internet (and clearly you do!) and want to celebrate the possibilities, visit One Web Day’s site. You can join their network and look for groups in your city, or read the blog for stories about supporters, and to learn how you can get involved too. If you’d like to help spread the internet and ensure one web for all, come visit UniversalGiving. You can sponsor one month of internet access for a classroom in rural China (just $15!), or help World Computer Exchange enhance internet connections in developing countries, or even volunteer in Ethiopia teaching children to use computers. Imagine the possibilities.
Hairspray....
Well this past Friday and Saturday were K’s performances of Hairspray. She plays Velma Von Tussle, the Michelle Pfeiffer role in the movie. She had a solo song, Miss Baltimore Crabs. This was a good show and there were several standout songs. There is only one drawback and you will hear it in the video. The drawback is shoes, high heels on a wooden floor. The noise was loud and distracting. Click clack, click clack all night long. You don’t get to see it in the video but at one point in the play K had to faint and she dropped like a rock on this hard floor, scared me to death because I was sure she had hit her head. She is a trooper but as her grandmother I hope she doesn’t have to do that too often. They announced that the next show would be The Nightmare Before Christmas and that tryouts would start Sept. 3. I know K is hoping to get the part of Jack. Good Luck or break a leg K.
There is that 10,000 watt smile
The cast
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Cold Symptoms: Does Your Child Need Medicine?
What do you do when your child comes home from school sniffling? Or has a nagging cough? Or has a slight fever? Do you run right to the store to get some cough and cold medicine?
Many OTC medicines treat the symptoms only, rather than the illness itself, so you should determine just how uncomfortable your child is before doling out the medicine. Medicines are most effective against severe symptoms rather than minor symptoms. A slight case of the sniffles doesn’t require medicine but severe congestion can benefit from a decongestant. Use simple common sense or call your pediatrician to determine the severity of your child’s symptoms.
Also take your child’s age into consideration when determining if she needs medicine. Infant OTC medicines have been deemed unreliable for treating symptoms. Children under the age of 2 risk the possibility of severe, life-threatening side effects from some OTC medicines and the FDA is currently reviewing the guidelines for toddlers.
Considering that these medicines are all man-made and full of chemicals, do we really want our children ingesting medicines that might cause them harm, especially if they don’t really need it? If there’s any question about the effectiveness, why risk the possible side-effects?
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