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How Well Do You Know Your Inner Child? Published on 19/04/2008

The term "inner child" applies to our emotional body. Psychologist Carl Jung called it the "divine child", spiritual leader Emmet Fox called it the "wonder child" and I call it my reason for not having to act grownup all the time. We all have an inner child; we just talk about it differently. Pablo Picasso said, "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows...

Do We Suffer From 1st World Problems? Published on 14/04/2008

Sometimes Americans can have too much of a good thing - like artificial sweeteners. Pink packets of Sweet & Low turned iced tea into my drink of choice. Sweet & Low, however, contains saccharin, which can have a bitter taste, which opened the market to Equal in 1965. The blue packets of Equal contain aspartame, which caused a health scare, which opened the market to Splenda's yellow packets in...

Why Is There So Much His In History? Published on 12/04/2008

They say lightening doesn't strike twice, but no one would have said that to Virginia Park Ranger, Roy Sullivan. Between the years 1942 and 1977 he was struck by lightening seven times - once each in his ankle, his leg, his chest and his shoulder and three times in his head. Ranger Sullivan died in 1983 - but not because he broke his own record for lightening strikes. He died from a broken...

Should Dieting Be Called "Liveting"? Published on 10/04/2008

I understand the principles of dieting - use up more calories than you take in or take in fewer calories. No seconds, don't finish everything on your plate, chew every mouthful sixteen times - I know the rules. I just don't follow them all the time. That's why I'm thankful there aren't calories in my words - I might have to eat them. Most nutritionists say to eat whatever you want, just eat...

Is It Murphy's Law Or Me? Published on 09/04/2008

I admit it. I'm mechanically challenged. What I know about cars is you start them with a key and stop them with breaks. One of the first cars I drove was my mother's Thunderbird. Today's cars have mechanized voices that tell you what to do. My mother's Thunderbird had dashboard lights that were meant to tell me what to do. It was a much simpler system, but a much more expensive one. It cost...

Do You Force The Forces Of Motivation Published on 07/04/2008

Motivation comes in different shapes and sizes. Before Abraham Lincoln was elected president, he lost seven elections for public office. Thomas Edison tried over 2,000 experiments before he got his light bulb to work. Col. Sanders was rejected by over 1,000 restaurants before he found one interested in his secret recipe. Obviously, to be successful you not only need motivation, you need plan B....

Do You Have Any Saving Graces? Published on 03/04/2008

Think savings - think bank. I remember being given lollipops at the bank when I was a little girl. That's when banks gave toasters for opening new accounts and gave calendars for Christmas. Banks have changed. Now some give free checking accounts, some give free use of ATM's and some give free safety deposit boxes. Some banks have high-yield money market accounts and others have...

Do Advertisers Put The Ad In Ad Nauseam? Published on 02/04/2008

Advertisers buy time on television shows based on demographics - statistical data showing the age, sex, income, etc of viewers. More men watch sports. More women watch daytime talk shows. More children watch cartoons. By knowing who's watching what when, advertisers can spend promotion dollars with an ad-vantage. The Ab Rocket ads appeal to men and women. For $99.99 and five minutes a day,...

Are All Ideas Created Equal? Published on 01/04/2008

In 1891 William White invented a coffin that's equipped with an emergency, signaling device in case you are buried alive. The coffin also comes with a convenient air hole for immediate resuscitation. This coffin would be the perfect gift for sound sleepers and for people who say they have everything. Literally, it's a gift to die for. In 1924 a patent was issued for the Lip Clip. Today...

Who Knew Pyrotechnics Is A Hobby? Published on 28/03/2008

A hobby gives us a chance to do something the best we can; but because we're not being paid to do it, no one tells us we're not doing it well enough. My grandfather's hobby was collecting. He collected coins and stamps and guns and clocks. I didn't get the collector gene. The three, glass hearts on the coffee table aren't a collection - two looked too few. The four drawings by the same artist...