The Road Not Taken

The Road not Taken by Robert Frost

One of my favorite poems ever:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

9 Years Old!!!

Cailin "Pumpkin" Lendzinski is 9 Years Old today!!!!

Happy Birthday, Cailin!

The Anyway Challenge

This blog is two fold today.  First, I would like for you to read the Paradoxical Commandments and then I am going to ask you to take the Anyway Challenge.

The Paradoxical Commandments
by Dr. Kent M. Keith


People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.



I UNDERSTAND THE PARADOXICAL COMMANDMENTS AND I ACCEPT
THE ANYWAY CHALLENGE
This is my pledge to live the Paradoxical Life.
I will love people anyway, do good anyway, succeed anyway, be honest and frank anyway, think big anyway, fight for a few underdogs anyway, build anyway, help people anyway, and give the world the best I have anyway.
I WILL FACE THE WORST IN THE WORLD WITH THE BEST IN MYSELF.
Signed: _______________________ Date: _________

L's View: Mumia Abu Jamal

Sometime last month, I made a comment about Susan Sarandon being an awesome actress.  I reserve the right to think that.

I then found out that she supports the freeing of convicted cop killer Mumia Abu Jamal, financially.  Well, I did some digging and found out who else supports Mumia:

1. Ben and Jerry.  Does that mean I will stop buying their ice cream?  No.
2. Ed Asner.  Does that mean, that I will stop watching the shows he is in?  No.
3. Martin Sheen.  Ditto to Asner.
4. Rage Against the Machine.  Will I stop listening to their music?  No.
5. Whoopi Goldberg.....
6. Beastie Boys
7. Nelson Mandela
8. Danny Glover

And the list goes on....

Here's how I see this.  My brother is a cop.  A few of my friends are cops, including my former college roommate, a few friends from North Catholic, two friends' fathers, etc.

I support the police.  They have a tough job, one I thought about doing at one point, but ultimately decided to go another way.  According to the courts (and Mumia's case has been appealed and the same results given), Mumia guilty of killing Officer Daniel Faulkner.

I get that.  I am anti-Mumia.  That does not mean that I am going to stop watching movies with Mumia supporters in them, or stop buying ice cream from Mumia supporters, and so on.  I know this might make me a villain, but this is my view.

I oppose the criminal, but other people should not be criminalized for supporting a criminal.  Would you want to be criminalized for supporting a family member who was convicted of a serious crime? 

I don't think you would, but then again, I can't speak for you.  If a family member or friend were convicted of a crime, that they swear they did not commit, I will support their decision to appeal to the highest courts that would allow it, and if I were rich, I would financially support that decision.

Now, I know that all the people I listed above did not know Mumia, but they support his Constitutional rights.  And I can support that.  Some people are going to think he is innocent.  From what I have read up on, the evidence does not look supportive of Mumia's claims, but then again, there was controversy surrounding the original court case.  I will reserve my judgment of Mumia because that is not my job.  I am not God and I was not on that jury, nor was I the judge in that case. 

We all know that there are people in prison who don't belong there because they did not actually commit a crime, but were found guilty anyway.  Again, let me reiterate that it appears that Mumia is guilty.

But that doesn't mean I will stop watching Susan Sarandon movies.

3 Years Old!!!!

Erin "Berry Bear" Lendzinski turns three years old today!

Happy Birthday to my little girl!

10 things kids just don't need

Notice the key word there....don'y NEED.  So, if you are trying to save money, please take a look at this article from http://www.walletpop.com.

If there's something on which most parents can agree, it's that there is an over-abundance of goods and services available today for infants and kids that just aren't necessary.

With a lot of more affluent, older parents around, the market for luxury clothing for infants, toddlers and preschoolers alone is worth $14.5 billion annually, according to the Boston Consulting Group. Parents are increasingly spending adult prices for clothes for their kids, thinking nothing of dropping $103 for a pair of size 6 True Religion jeans.



And even though most of us remember simpler times, when we were happy playing in the sandbox in our Toughskins, we have to admit that we're intrigued by the explosion of offerings for our wee ones. Even if we're unwilling to open our wallets to buy them.

There are so many choices in children's clothing and toys that many companies are turning to private online sales to get the word out about their brands. One such site, www.zulily.com, offers 145 different styles of product every day, said Chief Executive Officer Darrell Cavens.

Even its promoters admit that the fledgling members-only site, which offers products at up to 70% off retail prices, is "basically an entire multimillion dollar market being built by things kids don't really need" such as tutus, Italian-designed shoes and organic clothing. But parents love it.

"We generally don't disclose member numbers," said Cavens. "It's grown much faster than we anticipated. On Alexa, the best free data source for growth of traffic, we were the 4,000th most popular site in the U.S."

A look at 10 extraneous things that our kids could live without and never know the difference:

10. Early reading kits for babies. Even some toy sellers say they don't see the value in DVDs and flashcards sold online for $14.95 for a 30-day trial. "It's a perfect example of parents putting pressure on their children to be the first to read so they have bragging rights to their friends," said Gwen Austin, a mom and toy industry veteran.

9. Rubber bands shaped like sharks, cars, dinosaurs and palm trees that sell for $4.95 for a 24 pack. "Talk about adding to landfills. Oy!" exclaimed Jen Maidenberg, a mother of two boys and owner of Mindful Living NJ. (Full disclosure: My three-year-old loves these and they are currently encircling bags of pretzels and frozen peas in my kitchen.)

8. Designer diapers available in jeans styles -- from Huggies -- and Cynthia Rowley-inspired madras and pastel prints from Pampers. The new nappies -- being trumpeted by their makers as limited-edition finds -- sell at Target for 60% more than regular brands.

7. Suri Cruise-inspired high heels for little girls. The four-year-old's gold and silver sandals kicked off an online backlash against dressing kids like little adults and prompted a British moms group to ask retailers in the U.K. not to sell products that "prematurely sexualize young children."

6. Manicures, pedicures and spa treatments for kids -- like Gwen Stefani's son, Kingston, who recently got his fingernails done up in Vampire-like black in anticipation of his four-year-old birthday party -- who are just as likely to leave the salon and head right for the nearest mud puddle.

5. Yoga for young ones. I can see benefits this exercise would provide kids in terms of relaxation and stress reduction. But at my seven-year-old's elementary school they substitute yoga for active gym pursuits, asking young boys to do the downward dog without making gross noises in the process. Kids should be chasing balls during their weekly 45-minute "psychomotor" class - -which has unfortunately replaced gym at our school - -instead of sitting on mats stretching.

4. A $900 birch Bauhaus dollhouse, complete with garden, pool, pool house and Beech furniture.

3. Organic bedding sets for infants and kids that sell online at $295 for a twin bedding set and $380 for a Udaipur crib set.

2. Diaper wipe warmers. This item is often mentioned on popular mommy blogs as unnecessary, even though Babies R' Us would have to-be parents believe otherwise.

1. 3D movies for kids. Every single preview of the five shown before a recent outing to Toy Story 3 advertised an upcoming picture in 3D. This is a trend that's gone way over board, especially for kids who don't feel comfortable wearing the special glasses every time they hit the theaters.

10 Gourmet Meals For $10 or Less

This article was taken from http://www.mint.com.

Eating cheap is easy. Given $10 to buy ingredients for a meal for four, even the most hopeless home cook could whip up grilled cheese and tomato soup or a simple spaghetti-and-meatballs combo.
But putting together a gourmet dinner for under $10 is more challenging. So we asked food and finance bloggers, as well as home cooks, to send in their best suggestions. (We’ve shared them below with recipe details, or, where available, linked to their blogs.)

Now Frugal Foodie has a challenge you: what’s your best super-cheap yet gourmet meal? Post it in the comments, and don’t forget to “like” your favorite submissions.

(All cost estimates are based on non-sale New York City supermarket prices. If it’s a cheap meal inNYC, we figure cooks in most other places in the country will spend even less. Prices are also adjusted for quantity: if a recipe calls for half an onion, you’ll probably find something to do with the other half. Finally, estimates don’t take into account basic ingredients you likely already have, like flour, olive oil or dried spices.)

One Pan Chicken and Rice

by Hilary Allard of Sliced and Diced
Cost: $5.73, or $1.43 per serving.

Allard’s sauté uses one pot and is finished in the oven, minimizing dishes as well as cost. Even better, cooks can swap out Mexican flavors (black beans, cumin, scallions and tomatoes with green chilies) for Indian and Mediterranean variations without affecting their bottom line.

Caramelized Cauliflower Fritatta

by Michael Natkin of Herbivoracious
Cost: $7.08, or $1.77 per serving

Fresh herbs give Natkin’s frittata zing, but can make a big dent in the budget if you’re not already growing your own. (Those who are would pay just $5.59, or $1.40 per serving, and be able to include as many types of fresh herbs as Natkin suggests instead of using just a $1.49 bunch of parsley, as we calculated.)

Monday Spinach Rice Medley

by Katie Clark and Telly Kousakis of More Dough Than Dollars
Cost: $7.15, or $1.79 per serving

Inspired by a kitchen cleanout project, Clark’s meatless dish could easily be upgraded for a few dollars more by adding cooked, sliced sausage (her suggeston).

Strawberry Chicken Salad

by Frugal Foodie of Mint.com
Cost: $8.49, or $2.12 per serving

Marinate a pound of chicken in a little olive oil, lemon juice and ground black pepper. Grill until cooked through, slice and set aside to cool. Tear up a head of romaine, and top with the chicken, sliced strawberries and a slices avocado. For a dressing, puree some of the remaining strawberries with a splash of balsamic vinegar (or alternately, a splash of olive oil and lemon juice) and some black pepper.

Venetian Chicken

by Nina Hoffman of RecipeLion.com
Cost: $8.95, or $2.24 per serving

Go ahead and buy a bottle of wine to add the optional two tablespoons in this slow cooker meal. You’re saving enough cash to justify the splurge.

Classic Turkey Chili

Maris Callahan of In Good Taste
Cost: $8.96, or $2.24 per serving.

Another great one-pot meal, Callahan’s chili could also be prepared in a slow cooker for a super-easy weekday dinner. Prepare it to your taste with different veggies and spices.

Polenta Pie

by Julie Arnheim of Rubbing Nickels
Cost: $9.58, or $2.40 per serving.

Ground turkey, polenta and fresh herbs are the most expensive ingredients in this take on shepherd’s pie, but you can economize further by preparing your own polenta (saves $2).

Cuban Shredded Beef

by Art Ginsberg of MrFood.com
Cost: $9.60, or $2.40 per serving

Shred this slow-cooked beef dish before serving it over rice or on a roll. (Frugal Foodie’s mom makes a version of this that subs out the green bell pepper for a few sliced white mushrooms.)

Ginger Chicken Lettuce Wraps & Srirachi Peanut Sauce

Renae Simeon of $10 Buck Dinners
Cost: $9.82, or $2.46 per serving.

The key to this kicky dish: a spicy Asian-style marinade. Substitute peanuts for the pine nuts, or eliminate the nuts altogether to cut $3 from the bill.

Taco Salad Bar

Jenetta Lea Penner of Frugal Freebies and Deals
Cost: $9.98, or $2.50 per serving

A family friendly taco bar can easily come in at less than $10, especially if you’re shopping the sales for ingredients, Penner says. Her picks for this version: ground beef (browned at home in your choice of spices), a tomato (chopped), cheddar (bought in block form and grated), a head of lettuce (torn), a can of black beans (drained and warmed) and a jar of salsa. It’s enough that you’ll probably have leftovers, too.

10 Products to always buy generic

original article is from http://www.walletpop.com

The main reason for buying generic products -- saving money -- is simple enough. But there's also the satisfaction of not giving in to the marketing hype and buying something just because a company promotes it everywhere.

The generic labels may not be as fancy as the brand-name products, and the taste of generic items, such as soda, may not appeal to you depending on your tastebuds, but it's worth trying generic brands to see if you like them. The savings can add up over a lifetime, as a savings calculator can quickly show you. And if the savings isn't enough, or the brand name is much better than the generic, you can always go back to the branded product. You can even buy popular brands from the past.

But remember the power of brands. Since the same manufacturer of a brand-name product often makes the generic product with the same ingredients, what the company selling the branded item is selling is the perception of something better. Consumers don't buy generic products because they think it makes them look bad, said Jason Gurwin, CEO of Pushpins, a mobile coupon company.

"People don't buy generic because it's a reflection on their personal wealth and it's a reflection on their personal taste," Gurwin told WalletPop in a telephone interview.

If you're ready to put that feeling aside, or at least fill that old bottle of expensive olive oil with a cheaper generic brand, here are 10 products you should always buy generic because they're just as good as the branded items and will save you plenty of cash:

1. Over-the-counter medications.
Since the Food and Drug Administration requires generic medications to have the same active ingredients as the patented medications they replace, over-the-counter medications are the best way to save money by buying generic. No one wants to skimp on their health, so you'd think that a generic brand might be iffy. But that's not the case, said Cathy Rosenbaum, a pharmacist and CEO of Rx Integrative Solutions, Inc.

"There's a public perception that generics are cheap and bad," Rosenbaum said in a telephone interview with WalletPop. "Typically the generics are just as effective as the branded products, and they're typically cheaper." Sometimes over-the-counter medications may be used to replace prescription medications with the advice and consent of your doctor and pharmacist, she said.

In general, generic cough and cold medicines are much cheaper and just as effective as branded medications, she said. While generic works for most over-the-counter medicines, prescription medicine is something that shouldn't be switched back and forth between generic and brand names, she said. Absorption of prescription, as well as over-the-counter, medications could be different between different products, so sticking with brand or generic and not switching back and forth, especially with prescription medications, is important, she said.

Insurance companies prefer that doctors write for generic prescription medications instead of branded medications because the generics are cheaper, but if the branded label works better for the patient, a doctor can write to the insurer and explain that the branded product is needed, Rosenbaum said. Be persistent, communicate with your doctor and pharmacist, and stick with one pharmacy for all your prescription medications so the pharmacist has an accurate history of all your prescription and over-the-counter medications, as well as dietary supplements you are taking, she recommended.

2. Cereal.
Cereal is one of the biggest values when buying generic, said Pushpin's Gurwin, equaling 25% to 50% in savings. A $5.50 box of brand-name cereal can cost $2.99 generic, and usually comes in a bigger package for less money, he said.

"The taste is very similar, and they look exactly the same," Gurwin said. For parents of children who insist on the brand, he suggests buying it once, then when it's empty, replacing it with a generic bag inside the branded box.


3. Pantry staples.
Flour, sugar, salt, spices and other single-ingredient items are all the same. Really, they are. Government regulations require the same production and storage for generics as they do for brands, so buying a label is like giving money away for something you use every day. And since the brand-name versions are rarely on sale or have manufacturer's coupons, generic is the best way to go.

4. Soda.
This is the one item Gurwin says goes against his principle that items that are cheap to produce don't save a lot of money when bought generic, but that the most money can be saved on generic items that are expensive to make. Soda is cheap to produce and the generic versions are often much cheaper than the brands, he said.

But as with all generic foods, give this one a taste test before buying cases of cheap cola. I can tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi in a blind taste test, but Gurwin says most people can't tell the difference between a generic cola and a name brand. Whatever you call it -- soda, pop, coke or something else -- it's a bias that you may be surprised to learn that the generic tastes the same as your favorite brand.

5. Gasoline.
Just like pantry staples and other generics, buying "off-brand" gas gets your car essentially the same gas as name-brand stations. The price difference can be about 20 cents a gallon. Some off-brand stations often get their gas from the same tank trucks that deliver to the brand-name stations.

6. Electronic cables.
If you're going to spend $1,500 on a new TV, why not $100 or so on HDMI and other cables to connect it? At least that's what you hear from the salesman. Because $9 cables will make the same connection and work just as well, Gurwin said. People are afraid they'll screw their TV up if they don't buy the highest-priced connecting cables, and sales people pounce on that fear. The copper conductors on the expensive cables are claimed by the manufacturer to give a better signal transfer, but in reality any cable will work just as well, Gurwin said.

7. Makeup and other beauty products.
Drugstores have learned that they can duplicate brand leaders' beauty products and still make a profit, while saving consumers half what they would have spent on the branded products. If the technology isn't patented, there are no rules against making an exact copy of a beauty product as a generic one. A list of store-brand beauty products that stand out includes items at Target and many of the big drugstores.

8. Batteries.
Brand name batteries, from Duracell to Energizer, advertise that they last longer than other batteries, including generic ones, which they normally do, but the cost isn't worth it. An unscientific study by batterytruth.info found that while the branded batteries provide more hours of energy, their high cost makes generic batteries a better deal.

It found that the Thunderbolt Magnum batteries hold less power, but are nearly 57% cheaper than the next best value, Duracell CopperTop batteries.

9. Salad mix and produce.
Lettuce is lettuce and an apple is an apple, no matter if it has a brand name selling it or a private label or generic label. As with all produce, check for freshness and you'll be in good shape. But a sticker on a banana saying its from Chiquita isn't going to guarantee a better banana than the cheaper banana without the sticker.


10. Baby formula
Like medicine, this is another area where people don't want to skimp because everyone wants the best for their baby, and think that because it costs the most, it must be the best. Wrong. The Infant Formula Act requires specific procedures be followed in making infant formulas. Paying $13 more for a can of Enfamil or Similac over a generic brand is a waste of money since both are certified by the FDA as good and healthy for your baby.

As Wisebread reported, there are minor differences between generic and branded baby formulas, but they come down to texture and taste. Take a look side-by-side at the ingredient labels, and you won't see much, if any, difference. And like some medicines, choose one and stick with it. Your baby's digestive system will thank you.

Welcome Baby Lily Rose Lendzinski

Today is the big day, or so we hope.  Catherine is being induced today at 6 AM and we will be welcoming Lily Rose Lendzinski into the world.

I will be updated as much as I can.

Time to get to know the face of "evil"

I have been a teacher for seven years, and in that time, I have gotten to know PEOPLE who come from various backgrounds.  I have known Muslim students, gay students, poor students, homeless students, etc.  Every religion, every sexual identity, every level of wealth, skin color, ethnicity, etc.

These students are PEOPLE!  They are not terrorists.  They are not here to take away YOUR family values.  They are not lazy, thus homeless.  They are just like you and me.  So, instead of hating or making fun of, or tearing down a person.  Get to know them.  What you find may just surprise you.

I am going to ask you, do you oppose the mosque that a Muslim religious organization plans to build near Ground Zero?  If so, I ask you why you oppose this mosque?  Do you personally know THESE people? THESE Muslims?  Do you know the history of Islam?  Do you know the Muslim culture?  Are you friends with someone who is Muslim?  Have you ever attempted to get to know someone who is Muslim?

Will one act create your definition of who a Muslim is?  Yes, on 9/11, the people flying the planes were Arabic.  They were Muslim.  But do 23 people speak for an entire religion?

Do 23 people speak for your faith? 

Do 23 people speak for a race of people?  Do 23 people speak for your race?

We have to ask ourselves, are all Muslims terrorists and are all terrorists Muslim?

Which religion was the world greatest terrorist?  Adolf Hitler was a Christian?  If you are Christian, did he speak for you?  Did his followers speak for you?

These are questions that I believe should be answered before we label this mosque as a dangerous addition to the "hallowed" ground that is Ground Zero.

We have to ask ourselves, should the world have prevented Germany from erecting Christian churches near the Death Camps?  Or should we open ourselves to be educated about what really is going on in our world.  A world where Muslims, Jews, Christian, Atheists, Buddhists, Hindus, and every religion in the world is bonded by one simple truth. 

We are all related.  We are not a mixture of different races.  We are but one race: THE HUMAN RACE.

A race that has different beliefs.  A race that has different skin color.  A race that has different intellectual abilities.  A race with different socio-economic statuses (stati).  A race that has different variances in height and weight.  A race that is separated into two genders.  A race that has different sexual preferences.

ONE RACE.  ONE FAMILY. 

United?  Divided?

You decide.  Are you willing to be that blemish in our race?  Are you ready to be that embarrassing family member?

Who is it that you really want to be.

Reality is perception.  Perception is yours to change.

7 Stupid Retirement Myths Exposed

Liz Pulliam Weston describes 7 Stupid Retirement Myths.  This article originally came from http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com.

Half of American workers haven't tried to figure out how much they need to save for retirement.

Nearly one-third aren't currently saving for retirement, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute's latest retirement confidence survey, and half of those who have saved have less than $25,000.

It's a pretty sorry state of affairs, especially if any of the following myths are what's preventing you from saving:

Myth No. 1: 'I've got plenty of time'

It's later than you think.

If you don't start saving by age 35, you'll have a tough time accumulating enough for a typical retirement. You'll have less time to accumulate cash before you quit work, and what you save has less time to earn compounding returns. The earlier you start, the better: Someone who begins at age 22 could have 30% more in her retirement kitty than someone who starts even five years later.

That doesn't mean you won't be able to retire if you start late, but either you'll need to save a prodigious amount of your current income (20% or more) or you're likely to have to live on less in retirement.

Myth No. 2: 'I won't live to see retirement'
If you're alive now, the chances are overwhelmingly good you'll make it to your 60s and beyond. Eight out of 10 males and nearly nine out of 10 females born in the U.S. make it to 65. Sixty percent of men and 73% of women are still alive at 75.

Death is unlikely to release you from your obligation to save for retirement, so you'd better get started.

Myth No. 3: 'I won't ever want to retire'

You may not have a choice, honey. The typical retirement age hovers around 62, and nearly four in 10 retirees say they were forced out of work earlier than they'd planned because of layoffs, poor health or the need to take care of a loved one, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute. Social Security is experiencing a surge in applications for benefits as laid-off workers seek early retirement, even as others are trying to work as long as possible to restore depleted retirement accounts.

Even if you love what you do, it pays to accumulate a "Plan B" retirement fund.

Myth No. 4: 'I need to pay off my debt first'

It could take you years to pay off what you owe. In the meantime, you're missing out on valuable tax breaks, company matches and the power of compounded returns. Every $1,000 you fail to save this year could cost you $10,000 to $20,000 in lost future retirement income.

That's why saving for retirement needs to be the top priority for most people, and other goals should be made to fit around it. Yes, that means it will take you longer to pay off your credit cards, because the money that could pay down that debt faster is going into your 401k. But ultimately, you'll be richer for it.

Myth No. 5: 'I don't make enough money to save'

If you're living at or near the poverty line, this may be true -- but some people manage to save even on small incomes. How do they do it? By making savings a priority. The one factor that explains most of the variation in household savings isn't income, but the amount households choose to save.

Freeing up money for savings may require some lifestyle changes and serious spending adjustments, but your elderly self will thank you for making the effort. For more on constructing a budget that allows you to save, read "How much you should spend on . . ."

Myth No. 6: 'Investing in this market is too scary'

The stock market's a roller coaster, all right, but most of us will need the inflation-beating returns stocks offer if we want to retire comfortably one day. The good news is that the market will eventually recover and rise; in every 30-year period since 1928, stock market returns have averaged out to at least an 8% annual increase.

If you're new to investing, consider a "lifestyle" or "target date maturity" fund that distributes your money among stock, bond and cash options. (Bonds and cash help insulate your investments from stock market gyrations.) If you really can't handle the idea of investing in stocks at all right now, you should still be contributing to your retirement funds. Just choose one of the low-risk, low-return options such as money market funds or stable value funds, until you educate yourself enough about investing to try equities.

Myth No. 7: '401k's are a rip-off because of their high fees'

Some plans do have egregiously high fees, and investors pay the price: For every 1% increase in fees you pay, you can wind up with 17% less cash in retirement. If you work for a large company, however, your 401k plan often gives you access to institutional funds that actually charge less -- sometimes much less -- than similar funds offered to retail investors.

In any case, the solution to high fees is not to boycott your plan, because you'll miss out on tax breaks, matches and compounding. The solution is to contribute and agitate for change. If your employer hasn't shopped for a plan provider in recent years, consumer advocate Bob Sullivan recommends asking your company to put the plan out to bid. The market for plan administration has gotten more competitive in recent years, said Sullivan, the author of "Stop Getting Ripped Off," and your employer could realize significant savings.

Best Bargain Booze: 7 Top Picks From Bar Experts

I am not a drinker, but here is an article from http://www.thekitchn.com for 7 Top Bargain Booze.

   1. Gordon's London Dry Gin ($9-13/750 ml)
Recommended by: Paul Abercrombie, author of Organic, Shaken and Stirred (reviewed on The Kitchn here)
Why: “You can get a liter of it for about $15 and it's surprisingly good. Not great; but good. It's also a little lower proof than most gins (80 proof as opposed to 90-something of most London Dry style gins).”
Ways to Enjoy: “It's best used in drinks where the gin doesn't take center stage. It's particularly good when you want to batch up a bunch of drinks for a party, as I did recently at the beach on Longboat Key, Florida, where my father-in-law has a condo. I made big pitchers of Singapore Slings for a few dozen friends and family.”
2. Canadian Club Sherry Cask Whisky ($25-30/750 ml)
Recommended by: Ethan Kelley, head spirit sommelier and beverage director for the Brandy Library
Why: “My first instinct was to go with any bottle from the Dickle family, always more and more impressive. However, I think that if you want to find some amazing bargains you just have to look outside the standard categories. For whiskies, I think it is always unfair that we overlook Canada.”
Ways to Enjoy: “[Canadian] whiskies tend to be sweeter and lighter which makes them ideal candidates for mixing. Even Grandpa liked some CC in his Manhattan, and I do too. The Canadian Club Sherry Cask works amazingly well in any number of cocktails that call for bourbon, rye, or even non-smoky scotches.”

3. El Dorado 3 Year White Rum ($13-16/750 ml)
Recommended by: Stephanie Moreno, sales manager/spirits buyer, Astor Wines & Spirits
Why: "El Dorado 3 Year is full of aromatics, which is something you usually don't expect from a white rum: milk chocolate, creamy coconut, vanilla and citrus. A real steal at this price. It'll take your white rum-based drinks to a whole new level."
Ways to Enjoy: “I use this for all my white rum needs, particularly Daiquiris.”



4. Sobieski Vodka ($12-16/750 ml)
Recommended by: James Mulcahy, blogger, NYbarfly
Why: “Why pay more for premium vodka when the base spirit is essentially the same? It’s about $16 a bottle (compared to say $25+ for something like Grey Goose) and it’s absolutely just as good. I think you can get a whole liter for around $20.”
Ways to Enjoy: “I use Sobieski for my base in home cocktails, and I’ve used it when I’ve had parties to mix batches of Cosmos and other drinks. It’s cheap and tasty. The only thing I wouldn’t use it for is a straight up Martini, but that’s because I’m picky about those things.”

5. Sauza Hornitos Reposado Tequila ($25-30/750 ml)
Recommended by: Kara Newman, spirits reviewer for Wine Enthusiast magazine, and author of Spice & Ice: 60 Tongue-Tickling Cocktails
Why: “Reposado ("aged," or "rested") tequila is often pricier than its unaged counterpart, Silver or Blanco. But this aged, 100% agave tequila is definitely a bargain - it's even less expensive than many silvers on the market. And yet, it's no firewater: aging mellows the rough edges, leaving a smooth, medium-bodied spirit with a hint of vanilla in the aroma. Excellent for mixing bold-flavored Margaritas.”
Ways to Enjoy: Blood Orange-Jalapeño Margaritas (you can find our review of Kara’s spiced-up recipe here).

6. New Amsterdam Gin ($12-14/750 ml)
Recommended by: Selena Ricks, blogger, The Dizzy Fizz
Why: "New Amsterdam Gin is a great value because it has none of the juniper heat that you would expect for a gin at its price point. It's soft on the palate with bright citrus and floral notes. I wouldn't use it in a Martini, but it mixes well in fruit-based cocktails and is perfect for summer."
Ways to Enjoy: "My favorite way to use it just so happened to win me their recent cocktail competition, in my "Greenmarket Smash": 1 1/2 oz. New Amsterdam gin, 1/2 oz. liquified honey, 1/2 oz. elderflower liqueur, 1 oz. fresh orange juice, 1 oz. cranberry juice, and muddled basil."

7. W.L. Weller 12-Year-Old Bourbon ($25-30/750 ml)
Recommended by: Liza Weisstuch, spirits writer
Why: "Distilled at the much celebrated Buffalo Trace distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, this wheated bourbon is named for the distiller who, as legend has it, inspired Bill Samuels, founder of Maker's Mark, to create his iconic brand. The sweetness here is discernible, but this is no flaccid, smooth whiskey. You get that no-nonsense, fiery yet clean finish that evokes older bourbon."
Ways to Enjoy: "It's best appreciated over ice, but use it to mix a bourbon smash and you'll get a drink that's got a bit more backbone than if you used a lesser bourbon."

Amazon Rainforest Relaxation and Meditation

This video is a little longer, but it is very good, especially for those who find peace while camping:

What You Need to Know About Telecom Packages

Jeff Bertolucci wrote this article for http://kiplinger.com.

1. Bundling is big. Bundles combine Internet service, cable TV and often phone service from a single provider and can be a better deal than buying each service separately. Telecommunications companies love them because they boost revenue per customer and lock users into long-term contracts, typically one to two years.

2. But not all bundles are bargains. Add-on fees can quickly turn a cheap bundle into a not-so-hot deal. For example, Time Warner Cable recently advertised digital cable TV with 200-plus channels (HD included) plus speedy 10-megabit-per-second broadband Internet for $75 a month, with free installation. What the ad didn't say, however, was that recording in HD with an HD DVR would cost an additional $18 a month, and a wireless router (if you didn't already have one) would cost an extra $5 per month. Tack on a few more dollars a month in taxes and fees, and that $75 deal could balloon to $100 a month.

3. Size up the competition. The more providers that serve your area, the more likely they'll offer inducements for you to sign up. Plus, many providers save their best deals for the Web. For example, Verizon was recently offering a $20-a-month discount to customers who ordered its FiOS Triple Play bundle online. AT&T was handing out prepaid Visa cards worth up to $350 to residential customers who purchased its U-verse TV or Internet services on its Web site. And Comcast, via its Xfinity brand, was offering $200 Visa cards to new users of its Triple Play bundle.

4. Don't be afraid to haggle. When your contract ends and it comes time to renew, tell your provider you want the special that's advertised for new customers only -- and threaten to quit if you don't get it. In January, one Kiplinger's editor lowered his cable bill by almost $23 a month by calling the company and announcing he was quitting because his monthly bill was too high.

5. You could go a la carte. Maybe you don't want a land-line phone. Then a triple-play package doesn't make sense for you. Or perhaps you'd rather not pay for 200 cable channels you don't watch. Choose a wireless-phone service and a broadband Internet provider, and then sign up with an online video service to watch movies and TV programs. For $9 a month, Netflix will stream an unlimited number of movies and TV shows directly to your TV or PC via your wireless home network. Or consider services from Amazon, Best Buy, Vudu and others that let you rent individual movies for $1 to $6 per title (see Net Movie Night).

6. Your smart phone just got smarter. Sprint is the first wireless provider to launch fourth-generation, or 4G, data service in the U.S. (AT&T and Verizon Wireless will follow in 2011). With download speeds of up to 6 Mbps, Sprint 4G WiMax rivals home broadband Internet. Sprint customers who own an HTC Evo 4G smart phone ($200; service costs $80 a month with a two-year contract) may use the device as a hot spot to connect up to eight wireless devices, such as a laptop and an iPod Touch, provided they're willing to pay an extra $30 a month. Such 4G service may provide an affordable alternative to slower DSL, which maxes out at about 3 Mbps.

5 Tips to Save up to $268 in Annual Utility Costs

Who doesn't like to save money?  Well, here is an article from http://squirrelers.com.


Many of us have had a time where we opened an electricity or water bill, and thought to ourselves something along the lines of “Wow, that’s a lot of money! I don’t want to spend that much again.”
I recently had one of those moments, looking at what I owed for the prior month’s utility services.  These things can happen, as variations in resource consumption do occur for a variety of reasons. That said, when you stop to think about just how much utilities are a part of our regular cash outflow, it makes sense to consider tips on how to trim some of these costs.

I looked for some ways to save money, and one place I spent a little bit of time was the ENERGY STAR site. I found plenty of infomation on energy efficiency, tax credits, and even some tips to reduce energy usage.
After going through the information, looking for simple ways to save that don’t involve significant change or a lot of time, I found 5 easy tips that can save money on resource consumption:

• Turn Off the Lights.If you leave a room, why keep the lights on? Cutting 8 hours of daily usage from a 60-watt incandscent light bulb can save $15 per year.
• Go Low-flow. A new, low-flow shower head can save up to $145 in energy annually. This is on top of the savings from reduced water consumption though using up to 5 fewer gallons of water in a 10-minute daily shower.
• Be Cold to Your Laundry. Hot water heating accounts for 90% of the energy a machine uses when washing clothes. Using cold water to wash clothes can save up to $40 annually.
• Watch Out for Overdrying. Instead of erring on the side of getting clothes overdry when starting the dryer, try to match the time you’ll really need to dry clothes. Using an extra 15 minutes of dryer time for every load can save up to $34 per year.
• Clean the Lint Trap. I remember being much younger and wondering why my clothes were no longer drying well. I thought there was something wrong with the dryer. Well, as it turns out, my practice of rarely cleaning the lint trap wasn’t optimal:) Now that I’m older, I clean it after every load. Funny how that makes such a big difference! It also can save you up to $34 per year.

These 5 steps are easy, requiring little effort or inconvenience yet yielding measurable savings. The potential savings: $268. 

There is a lot many of us could do with $268, don’t you think?

A Wedding Dress You'll Wear Again.....

Every time I see my wife's wedding dress, I tell her I am going to throw it out because she will never wear it again, but she protests and I give in.

For anyone who is getting married and is thinking that they will get into fights with their future spouse, here are some tips for reusable wedding dresses from Reyna Gobel.  (This article originally appeared on http://www.mint.com.


For many brides-to-be, planning the perfect wedding begins with finding the perfect dress. That often means spending hundreds, even thousands, of dollars on a dress that you’ll only get to wear once.
It doesn’t have to be this way. If you’re open to altering your dress — or going for one that doesn’t look too wedding-y to begin with, your dress could serve you for multiple events without anyone noticing. You will not get to keep a memory in a box or on a hanger, but on the flip side, you will make your wedding dress a permanent fixture in your wardrobe and extend its life indefinitely.
Here are a five suggestions to consider:

Convertible Dresses
When I was a bride-to-be two years ago, I chose a Butter by Nadia satin wrap dress that could be converted in to a million dresses just by how you tied the top half. The blue color was perfect for the aquarium setting in which we were married.

But convertible wedding dresses aren’t just for the ultra casual or theme weddings. StarDust Celebrations co-owner and co-star of “Girl Meets Gown” Marsha Ballard French says, many designers make convertible dresses where the top layer of the skirt portion of your dress zips off to create a dress that could be used as a cocktail dress for your wedding reception or other occasions. Two designers with convertible dresses in their line are Rina di Montella and Allure.

Convertible wedding dresses can be a great fit for brides who get married at a destination (such as Mexico or Italy, for example), but want to have a local reception as well for friends and family who couldn’t attend the ceremony. Just unzip the top layer and add a decadent hair piece, says Ballard French. Her bridal salon stylists have created wedding-worthy hairstyles consisting of caging with flowers and feathers to add flare to the slightly more casual frock.

Theme and Casual Weddings
If you’re getting married on the beach, you may want to go for a silk sarong dress that can easily be worn again without any conversion or alteration. For the wedding, add a hair accessory with tropical flowers.

If you’ve got your eye on a cocktail dress, add a beaded or lace bolero on top, says Ballard French. Accessories from your local or online wedding boutique can make your favorite dress wedding-ready.

Tailored to Perfection
A bell-shaped bottom is an instant wedding-dress giveaway. But with some tailoring, you can use pieces of the dress to make it new.

You can remove the bottom, for example, to create a bustier to be worn separately with a skirt or silk or satin pants, or add a new bottom half to make a new knee length dress, says Ballard French.
If you choose a different silhouette such as column or slip dresses, you can easily shorten it to knee length. “Most of the gowns nowadays can be shortened and made into a cute sundress,” Ballard French says.

Even easier is to remove the train, an obvious giveaway that the dress should be walked down an aisle (or a red carpet).

Color Added
Send your gown to be dyed another color such as black and you’ll have a beautiful non-wedding-dress-looking silk dress, says Ballard French. After the dyeing process, brides can further alter their dresses for length.

The Choice is Yours
You may decide your dress is a one occasion wonder for you and keep in in a box or on a hanger to occasionally admire and maybe one day pass on to your own daughter. But with choices in hand, you can decide your wedding gown’s fate: an heirloom, a cocktail dress, a sundress, or even the top of a designer pants suit.

Happy Birthday!!!!

There are about a million August birthdays amongst family and friends, not all of which I can remember....but today, I wish my MOTHER a Happy Birthday!

Don't go chasing waterfalls.....

Okay, I know, it's a song from a long, far away century (the 20th century, which occurred over 10 years ago)......

Even though they are powerful forces of nature, I have always found waterfalls very peaceful, and so today, I bring to you an article about some of the world's most famous waterfalls, and a meditation video.

Click here for the article, and check below for a peaceful waterfall meditation video.

5 Great Sites for Free TV

Looking for a specific program?  Live Sports event, etc? Seth Fiegerman
 has a few suggestions. 

This article appears in http://www.mainstreet.com

The Internet used to be a place where users could find an infinite amount of entertainment and information for free, but that world is disappearing fast.

Many sites that once let users download and listen to music for free like Napster, Kazaa and Audiogalaxy are now defunct or pay-only. Similarly, several of the biggest newspapers including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Newsday have decided to charge users for access to much of their online content. Even YouTube, a site that mostly features videos created by users is gradually boosting the number of videos that users must pay to “rent.”

Yet, the definitive case may be that of Hulu, one of the most popular sites on the Web to watch TV shows and movies for free. Hulu has been both a dream and a curse for many users. The site was created by NBC and News Corp and had the blessing of the major networks to play shows for free, with a few ads stuck in for good measure. While other sites closed down or started charging for their content, Hulu appeared to be a brilliant safe haven for Internet users. But in recent months, there had been a lot of speculation about how long Hulu would continue to offer up the best of cable television for free before switching to a pay-only model.

Finally, the company recently announced that they would try to have it both ways. Users now have the option to pay $10 a month for a premium version of the site, which grant access to all of the episodes from past and current seasons of network shows from ABC, NBC, Fox and others. By comparison, the free site only allows users to watch the most recent few episodes from any given show (usually about five episodes). It may not be a pay-only site yet, but Hulu is definitely stretching its motto of “Watch your favorites. Anywhere. For Free.”

Now, at MainStreet, we write a lot about small businesses very often, so we obviously believe that companies have the right to set the price point for their content and, perhaps more importantly, the people who create that content should be compensated for it. But as consumers, it is still a bit unnerving to see the Internet move away from a free model. So we’ve collected a few of the sites out there where you can still get something for nothing.

Here are five of the best sites where you can enjoy many of your favorite TV shows, sporting events and movies for free.

Fancast
Fancast has an excellent assortment of clips and full episodes from current TV shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live and Hell’s Kitchen, plus older shows like Friends and many popular movies. In fact, for many shows, there are 10 or more episodes available, which beats out the amount that Hulu has available for free.

ATDHE
If you’re looking for a place to watch sporting events, ATDHE.net is one of the better free options online. The site itself is very bare bones, but when there’s a big game on, this is the place to go. ATDHE has streamed all of the games from the World Cup, the NBA Finals and Wimbledon, which were nearly impossible to find anywhere else. The site also plays random episodes of popular shows like The Office and Family Guy.

Sidereel
Sidereel is a great place to find links to free TV shows and movies from a bunch of reputable sites all over the Internet. But more than that, it’s also a great community for the pop culture obsessed to come and rant/rave about the shows after they air, as the site features a great discussion board and a Facebook fan page with more than 14,000 members. Users can also create an account for free and be sent links to new episodes when they first come out.

Clicker
Like Sidereel, this site aggregates videos from other sites and links back to them to create an extensive directory of free offerings on the Web. You’ll find links to old shows like Seinfeld and new shows like Fringe. And if you can’t find the show you’re looking for on Clicker, chances are it doesn’t exist online for free.

Network Sites
When all else fails, go straight to the official site of the show or network. NBC and TBS have particularly good sites that let you watch clips and full episodes from many of their most popular shows. Beyond these, certain shows like Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, South Park, The Daily Show and The Colbert Report have fantastic sites that let you watch entire episodes plus special online-only extras.

When It Makes Sense to Pay
Obviously, each of these sites has limits about what and how much you can watch. So if all of this fails to satisfy your insatiable urge for pop culture consumption, it may still make sense for you to sign up for a service. But which one is the best buy for the money?

On average, consumers spend $75 a month on their cable bills and that number is only going to increase in the near future. Sure, that may include many premium channels, but when you consider that Hulu’s premium option costs just $10 a month and Netflix starts at $9 a month, that price starts to seem a bit obscene, especially when you consider that you can connect your computer to your TV with a $10 DVI cable and get the full television experience.

Now, if you’re torn between Hulu and Netflix, the truth is these two services are a bit like apples and oranges. If you’re someone who likes to keep up to date with shows, then you should sign up with Hulu since the site posts episodes as they are released on air, whereas Netflix only releases TV shows once they are released on DVD. On the other hand, if you are mainly interested in catching up with TV shows and watching movies, then Netflix is your best bet. Of course, you could sign up for both and still spend just a fraction of what cable costs.

What is morally acceptable? 2010 Gallup Poll Results.

According the the annual Gallup Poll, here is a scale of what is morally acceptable to Americans.

Divorce is 69% acceptable.
Death Penalty 65%
Gambling 61%
Wearing animal fur 60%
Stem cell research 59%
Sex between an unmarried man and an unmarried woman 59%
Medical testing on animals 59%
Having a baby outside of marriage 54%
Gay/lesbian relationships 52%
Doctor assisted suicide 46%
Abortion 38%
Cloning animals 31%
Suicide 15%
Cloning humans 9%
Polygamy 7%
Married man and woman having an affair 6%

Parts of this list do not make sense to me, so maybe you can help me out.  The Death Penalty is more morally acceptable than Gambling?

Marrying more than one person is more morally acceptable than having an affair?

What do you think of this list?

http://ifrl-blog.blogspot.com/2010/08/compare-your-views-with-gallup-poll-on.html

3 money-saving strategies that can backfire

From http://asklizweston.com:

Oh, I love saving money, but I’ve learned through brutal experience that some strategies just don’t work. Here are three areas that are fraught with peril:

Changing your own oil. I learned how to do this as part of a high-school driver’s ed course (yeah, once upon a time schools offered those) and used to regularly do it myself, but now I’ve learned better. It’s not just that safely (and legally) disposing of the used oil is a pain in the butt. It’s also the fact that I’m not a mechanic and could easily miss problems that could cost me big bucks later. I avoid the chain outfits, though, and take my car to a trusted mechanic who checks belts, refills fluids and generally gives it a good once-over. The result: reliable transportation, and enough early warning that I can fix problems before they turn into major bills.

Doing your own taxes. DIY is fine if you’re filling out a 1040A or 1040EZ form, or if you’re a wage slave (W-2 earner) taking standard deductions on a 1040. If, however, you’re growing your wealth as you should be with investments and a side business, a tax pro’s help can be invaluable—not just to fill out the forms, but to provide you with feedback and strategies year-round. There’s no way that you, who focuses on taxes for a few days every April, can be as informed as someone who arm-wrestles our tax code for a living. An enrolled agent is an affordable alternative to a CPA, but if your business is sizeable enough to consider incorporation, you’ll probably want a CPA’s help. I used to test tax software for an annual column, so would do our 1040s seven or eight times over every season, but I still used a tax pro and she always found deductions and other savings I’d missed.

Home improvement projects. Patching, painting and planting flowers are pretty easy to figure out, and there are plenty of other tasks a reasonably handy homeowner can take on. If the project involves wiring, pipes, electric saws or heights, however, you want to make darn sure you know what you’re doing. (Two members of my family have died trimming trees, and a friend’s brother just died from a fall during a painting project, so the dangers of ladders and heights are particularly on my mind.) I can clear a drain clog, empty first-floor gutters or rewire a lamp, but anything that involves digging around in walls, shutting off any systems and sawing through something that might be important gets turned over to the pros.

The most annoying workplace trends for 2010.

Does your workplace take part in any of this?  And what do you think of these? Take from
http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-articles-2010_s_most_annoying_workplace_trends-1357

Open cubicles
"Where is the privacy?" asks Angela Petitt, an IT professional.

Cluelessness about other coworkers
With the rise in open cubicles comes the inconsiderate coworker. "One lady sits at her desk and talks as loud as possible on personal calls, as if we can all shut our hearing off," complains one cubicle dweller who prefers to remain anonymous. "It goes on for 20 minutes, several times a day. Annoying. Disturbing."

Overused jargon and inappropriate cliches
Value-add. Brain-dump. Incentivize. The list goes on (and on and on). Among the myriad troubling terms is "out of pocket." It's supposed to be about expenses (meaning an expense isn't covered, so you need to pay for it out of your own pocket). Now it's come to mean "out of contact for a while." Example: "I'll be out of pocket until 4:30!" your coworker says as he heads out the door. Duncan Phillips, of The Hodges Partnership, has this opinion on the phrase: "It needs to be officially retired from our lexicon."

The dreaded company potluck
Many companies are trying to save money these days by having employees bring in food for potlucks instead of treating everyone to pizza or other occasional goodies. "You get to work and hope there's enough room in the fridge to cram it in," says one employee who has attended too many of these. "When show time comes, you stand in line and attempt to heat it up in a 10-by-10-inch microwave. After that, you sit in a crammed conference room making awkward conversation."

The equally dreaded company restaurant lunch
Some businesses can still splurge on occasional lunches for a select group of employees. But it doesn't make them easy to swallow, according to Silicon Valley tech writer Ward Lee. "You go to the upscale chain restaurant at the dead end of a mall. ... Then you sit around feeling like you're at a wake, talking about nothing much, and then silence. No one dares say anything at all controversial, or even personal, or interesting. You feel farther apart than when you started. So much for team building!"

Tending to personal hygiene publicly
Freelance writer Stephanie Olsen is probably not the only person who has been hit by flying fingernails while a colleague clips away. Nor is she the only one who watches in shock as another colleague applies deodorant while chatting with coworkers. And she probably isn't alone in her feelings about it either: "Grossed out forever." Andrea Hoffmann, chief marketing officer of 8fold Integrated Creative Works, feels the same way about the increasing number of people who take off their "stinky shoes and keep them under their desk."

Bringing accident-prone dogs to the office
In the last month, two of three dogs who regularly "go to work" at one anonymous worker's office have had accidents on the carpet. "While I like four-legged furry friends as much as the next person, I must say feeling like you work in a dog's toilet is just wrong," she says.

Tranquility: Time Solitaire

Over 40 minutes of relaxation:

Are people having their Freedom to Hate taken away from them?

According an article titled, "Freedom to Hate in College Shrinks" by Mary Grabar, students are being inundated by messages to not hate.

Should our society stop advocating this?  She would stop teaching about tolerance in schools and allow students to hate as they wish openly?  Or should we continue to promote Conflict Resolution and the idea of the Global Citizen?

Read the article by clicking the name of the article above, and let me know what you think.

Do you believe in UFOs?

Do you believe in UFOs?

Watch this video, which is a series of pictures taken over a Chinese airport, forcing the airport to close.
To read an article on the incident from July 7, 2010, click here.



Do you believe now?

American Humane Society

Another great charity if you have the resources is the American Humane Society, which you can visit by clicking here.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure

What a great cause to support!  Susan G. Komen for the Cure for Breast Cancer.  Click here for the Susan G. Komen website.

Hey Ya! Just good fun!

Don't Mess with the graphics arts department

This is a funny story.

If you are a cat lover, you may not find this funny.

Click here to read the email.

A Quote from Ashley Judd....

I neither liked or disliked Ashley Judd before, now, I think she's awesome:

Here what she had to say about education in America in an interview she did with Edutopia.

If you could change one thing about education in America, what would it be?

Teachers would be exalted to cultural-hero status with paychecks commensurate to their real worth; the arts would be a fundamental part of every curriculum.

To see the full Q&A, click here.

The Best of Success

I love this website called Simple Truths.

This movie (which is 3 minutes 35 seconds long) is called the Best of Success.

Let me give you a quote from the short movie:

‎"The reason so many people never get anywhere in life is because when opportunity knocks, they are in the backyard looking for four-leaf clovers."

- Walter P. Chrysler