MAKE A NOTE!! -- October 16th, 2002
CIRCULATION - 27,397 (From Around the World! :-)
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A Free Twice Monthly (1st and 3d Wednesday of each month) Ezine with (Hopefully) Useful Info on a Wide Variety of Topics
NEXT ISSUE TO BE PUBLISHED ON/ABOUT NOVEMBER 6TH, 2002
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NOTE: Each entry has a suggested "POST IT..." location at the end. We recommend that you print out the ezine, cut out each entry, & post it in these locations to make it easier for you to find when you need it. And if you like what you read, be sure to pass it on to someone else who can use it.
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Bear vs. Bull Market
Hopefully many of you are investing some money for the future. That said, many of you may be concerned about the current market. For those of you unfamiliar with the lingo, a Bear market goes down, a Bull market goes up. One thing that encouraged me is that every bear market (10 since the end of WWII) was followed by a bull market. The AVERAGE length of the bear markets was about 2 yrs. As our investment counselors have told us, you WANT the market to be down unless you are planning on cashing in stocks during the time in question. Many advisors recommend dollar cost averaging that cuts out the guess work for you. If you invest a certain amount each month, then you will automatically buy fewer shares when the price is high & more when it is low. There are so many companies now that do free or commission based financial consulting that it is a shame not to take advantage of it. Usually the initial recommendations cost you nothing. Don't wait until you are retiring to plan for your retirement years. Now I'm certainly not in a position to provide professional financial counseling, but we feel very comfortable recommending USAA and First Command (formerly USPA) in particular. Check your yellow pages.
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Must Have Childcare Books
You have children and want to make sure they receive proper health care. The best thing you can do is to find a good pediatrician to guide you. But three books in particular have been invaluable to me in dealing with minor problems over the years, and avoiding unnecessary trips to the doctor. In some cases, we have even been able to avoid having to purchase expensive medicines. "Natural Healthcare for Your Child" by Austin (P.A.), Thrash (MD), and Thrash (MD) is a book packed with natural remedies for treating common ailments. You can read more about the book, and order from the following web site... Family Health Publications
The next book is sort of the gold standard in child care books, and while I always check the Natural Healthcare book first, I do find the Dr. Spock's very helpful as well, more for children 5 & under. For more information go to... "Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care"
And if you don't mind more medical lingo, then the "Merck Manual" is excellent to have on hand. Sort of a reference book for doctors. One of my favorite sections in the book is "Differential Diagnosis", which gives a list of problems that could be mistaken for others... For those of you who would like the Merck without the lingo, there is a Home Edition designed for the family... As always, if you have any concerns, contact your doctor, but remember that an informed patient (or parent of a patient) will help to improve their quality of care. Any of these books would also be great gift ideas for anyone expecting or with children for Christmas.
POST IT...on your shopping list, and in any medical book you have.
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Fixing Pipes w/out Breaking Walls
Those of you who have those leaky pipes, but would rather not have to completely replace all of them will definitely be interested in this. Certain companies are now marketing treatment to fix leaky pipes that has been in use in countries like Japan for a few years now. It involves attaching a hose to your pipes, blasting the inside with sand to smooth the sides, then spraying in an epoxy that seals any little holes & cracks. Occasionally a larger hole may require additional attention, but this epoxy sounds like it could solve a lot the little ones. Depending on the company you use, the water may need to be shut off for anywhere from a single day to a week. You can read more about it at this Washington Post article. You can also get more info on one of the company web sites at http://www.restoremypipes.com. This is an especially nice service for those with older homes who want to avoid all the mess of tearing down walls.
POST IT...in the yellow pages under "plumbing".
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Mold in Homes
Speaking of leaky pipes. One of the biggest headaches of a leak is the mold that soon follows. Many news articles have joined the current hysteria on molds that only heighten fear & panic just to sell some papers. The thing to remember is that mold has been around forever, and only a few are toxic, most are just an annoyance. Of course, there are also some people that have allergies to mold which is a different story. But if you have mold, and are concerned, check out this very balanced article on the problem
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26083-2002Sep16.html
A few tips to avoid mold...get an exhaust fan installed and use it until the room doesn't feel humid after using the tub/shower, teach your family to try to make their showers as short as possible and maybe even use a timer with younger children (this will also save money on power & water), and if a problem starts to develop it might also be a good idea to remove any wet towels from the room after use. Once mold gets into the walls or ceiling you could try painting it with a mildewcide paint, but the best thing may be to have the wall/ceiling replaced. Your local health department can help you in getting any info on determining whether your mold is dangerous or not.
POST IT...in your bathroom, and in the yellow pages under "plumbing".
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Recipe: Cranberry Orange Bread
Okay, I'm going to cheat a little here on the recipe in this issue. Every now & then a ready made mix will come out that tastes like homemade and this product is one of them. Every time I have made this bread I have gotten compliments on it and been asked for the recipe. So here it is...go to your local grocery store and buy Betty Crocker's Cranberry-Orange Quick Bread Mix and make it according to package directions. Not all grocery stores carry it, some stores will carry some of the other Crocker quick bread mixes, but not this one, so you may have to hunt around a bit. This is a really nice loaf to make for hostess or Christmas (the cranberries make it look festive) gifts, potlucks (sliced on a plate), or whatever the occasion.
POST IT...on your shopping list & with your Christmas cards.
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Back Issue Treasure: January 2nd, 2002 (Resolutions in Any Category, Family Radio Theatre Collection, Nursing Home Visits, Best Pregnancy & Childbirth Books, BJ's Fudge, & more)
This recommended back issue will give you the books we recommend for Pregnancy & Childbirth. Know someone in a nursing home, or like to start visiting, check out the article on Nursing Home Visits. The best fudge recipe I have ever tasted can be found in this issue as well. There are also great ideas for old fashioned radio theatre shows and ideas for making those New Year's resolutions, but why not start now?
To retrieve this back issue click HERE.
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Missing Child Info: Franckowiak Brothers
Andrew (may also go by Michael) & Turner, ages 10 & 7, were abducted by their non-custodial mother and her "companion" back in July of this year. The boys are both Caucasian w/light brown hair. Andrew has blue eyes, Turner has brown. Their mother is Caucasian and may be going by the name of Bethany (or Beth) Gonzalez or Franckowiak. Her Hispanic companion is Miguel (or Mike) Gonzalez. ATTENTION FLORIDA READERS!!!!-they may have driven from Pennsylvania to FLORIDA in a 2000 gold Chrysler Sebring with Pennsylvania license plates DWA1571. If you go to the web site you can see pictures of both the boys, their non-custodial mother and her companion. Print it out and keep it in your car. Let's help bring some children home for Christmas. Go to... http://www.ncmec.org/cgi-bin/dbmlparser.exe?language=1&casenumber=942679&DBMLFILE=poster.dbml&postertype=c1c2a1a2&orgcode=1
 | This is a long link and if it doesn't work for you, then just go to the main web site at... http://www.ncmec.org/ |
| Click on "Search for Child Photos" in the left margin, |
| then scroll down to the bottom of the form and enter in the last name of "Franckowiak" |
| and then hit search. |
Both the boys will show up and if you just click on "View Poster" under either of their names, you will have the flyer with all four photos. Think of how you would feel if it were your children and make the same effort to bring them home.
POST IT...near your computer and in your car, AND if you own a business, esp. in Florida, consider posting the flyer near your entrance.
AND if you own a business, esp. between TX and NC, consider
posting the flyer near your entrance.
Final Words
JOKE (from http://www.laughlab.co.uk/)
In case you didn't hear, the web site above had a contest to find the world's funniest joke. They also have the jokes that won from particular countries. Here is the winner from the Germany: A general noticed one of his soldiers behaving oddly. The soldier would pick up any piece of paper he found, frown and say: “That's not it” and put it down again. This went on for some time, until the general arranged to have the soldier psychologically tested. The psychologist concluded that the soldier was deranged, and wrote out his discharge from the army. The soldier picked it up, smiled and said: “That's it.”
QUOTE
"Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are a good person is a little like expecting the bull not to attack you because you are a vegetarian."
--Dennis Wholey (Talk Show Host/Producer)
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