Appropriate Place for Word?

As usual this morning when I opened my computer, I was greeted with the news.  Apparently an actress used an inappropriate word during the Oscar Awards program.  The news reported that she dropped the 'f' bomb.  This sentence was followed by a quote of exactly what she said.  That was followed by her reaction to the use.  She apologized (off camera) for the use.  She said she didn't mean to offend anyone and then she said, "This probably wasn't an appropriate place to use that word."

My question is "Where is an appropriate place to use that word?"  I am 57 years old and have been fairly successful in life.  Not once in that 57 years have I found it necessary to use that word. 

I remember when I was about 14 years old, some boys walking down the street used that word.  My dad quickly reprimanded them.  I did not know what the word meant.  That was the first time I had ever heard it.  How low have we sunk in morality that such a word is acceptable in society?  We need to clean up our language and force our brains to use intelligent words.  We have allowed our brains to get lazy and use 'street language'.  Let's get back to clean, appropriate language.

Blog 101

This is just a little information on blogs.  At the bottom of each blog that you read, there are five icons.  These are shortcuts for you to share the blog with your friends who may not read the blog on a regular basis.

The first icon is an envelope.  If you left click on it, you can email the blog to someone.  I used this icon when I wanted a specific teacher to read a blog I had written about her.  I clicked the icon, a box popped up and I typed in her email.  Then I received a message that said, "Your friend has been sent the blog." 

The second one is a 'b' and is for sharing a blog on your blog.  When a book is being launched that I think someone would be interested in, I go to the author's page, click the 'b' and the link shows on my blog page.

The third one is a 't'.  It is for sharing a blog on your twitter page.  I can click on it and my twitter sign box pops up.  Then I click "tweet" and the blog goes to my twitter.

The fourth icon is a 'f'.  It is for sharing a blog on your facebook page.  I use this one when posting my blog on facebook, which is how most of you log on to the blog.


The last one is for sharing on google buzz.  I have not personally used this one, so I don't have first hand knowledge about it.

I hope this helps you know how to share a blog.  It is very helpful to the author when a blog is shared with others.  When I look at the stats on my page, I can tell that the blog has been read by people in the U.S., France, England, New Zealand, and South Africa.  Seeing this inspires me to write more.  Thanks for your help.

John 3:16 Marketing Network: MY MOTHER THE MAN-EATER - Book Launch

John 3:16 Marketing Network: MY MOTHER THE MAN-EATER - Book Launch: "Tracy Krauss, author of ‘edgy inspirational’ fiction, is launching her book MY MOTHER THE MAN-EATER on Feb. 24 at amazon.com. You can help Tracy achieve ‘best seller’ status by purchasing the book at amazon.com TODAY!

About the book:

Loaded with humor, action, intrigue and romance, My Mother the Man- Eater is the story of a woman whose search for meaning in life finds an unexpected outlet. Joleen Allen is on the hunt for a man. Unfortunately, every time the mother of five meets one, he falls for one of her daughters instead! At forty-four, Joleen has lived a tough life. She became a mother at 16, and her five daughters are now grown. Her ex-husband, Harold, is out of prison and back in the picture, looking for revenge. He’ll stop at nothing – even murder – to ruin Joleen’s reputation as well as her relationship with their daughters. My Mother the Man-Eater makes for some truly tempting and redemptive reading.

 

BONUS!

Buy MY MOTHER THE MAN-EATER on February 24 and receive loads of FREE e-gifts from these generous supporters:

Sample chapters, short stories, children’s books, and magazines from acclaimed, best selling and debut Christian authors, such as April Gardner, Shawna Williams, Shellie Neumeier, Sana Edoja, Delia Latham, Ray Lincoln,  Stacy Padula, Elaine Cooper, Stacy Juba, Lisa Lickel, Joann Durgin … and more!

Plus – free manuscript critiques, manuscript editing, and marketing and promotional tips from journalists, editors, authors and speakers, Lorilyn Roberts, Linda Yezak and

Bonnie Way

.

And – beautiful downloadable art cards courtesy of artist and author Brenda Hendricks.

All if you buy your copy of MY MOTHER THE MAN-EATER at amazon.com on Feb. 24!  These free gifts are valid on Feb. 24 only. All the links will be operational on the ‘Book Launch’ site at www.tracykrauss.com/  Click HERE for more details  link: http://mytinyurl.com/d3srfsw1f1/  

DISCLAIMER: This Best Seller book launch has been coordinated with the help of the ‘John 3:16 Marketing Network’ and many other generous supporters. The free gifts are deliverable electronically over the internet or by email by individual authors and supporters. They are not in any way associated with, nor deliverable by, amazon.com 

Tangled Shrubs and Minds

I have been trying to get my yard ready for spring.  While trimming hedges, I would cut a branch that was too long only to watch it stay in place.  I cut again.  The branch didn't move.  Finally, I would begin to untangle the branches and discover that the long piece I was attempting to cut was actually part of a different branch.  Many times I had to untangle the shrubbery to "get to the problem".

It occurred to me that sometimes our mind is that way.  We work on improving ourselves and getting rid of a problem behavior, with little or no satisfractory results.  We attend 12 steps programs.  No results.  We go for counseling.  No results.  We get involved in hobbies.  No results.  We attend church.  No results.  We read to improve our minds.  No results.

We can do all these things with little accomplishment if we are not working on the real problem.  Much like my shrub trimming.  I will not achieve the desired effect if I am not cutting the real problem.  We are notorious at 'covering up' issues.  We are great at 'excusing' behavior.  If all else fails, we call the behavior an 'illness' or a 'disability'. 

Dr. Phil often argued with his professors in graduate school.  He tells of one time when the professor talked about a scenerio and said, "She needs to get in touch with her id, ego and super-ego."  Dr. Phil replied, "No, she just needs to accept responsibility for her actions."  The professor was not impressed.

I have to agree with Dr. Phil.  The first step to untangling our minds is to accept responsibility for our actions and then we can work on the behavior with no cover-up, excuse or disability. 

eReaders for Kids and Teens

Why would someone consider an eReader for a child or teen?  They are expensive and small enough to loose.  Here are some reasons.

Dedicated eReaders cost between $80 and $200.  That is less than most Smartphones and Ipods that many kids and teens carry.  The price is predicted to drop to $60 in the next year.  They are also larger than any cell phone or Ipod.  Books are cheaper on an eReader.  .

Students will read more on a computer than in a book.  Many of my 'nonreader' students could not read a book, but had no trouble reading the computer screen.  Many school districts are exploring the option of buying textbooks on e-format.  It is cheaper, easier for the students to carry, more durable, and easier to keep up with than traditional textbooks.  The font on an eReader can be enlarged for the comfort and needs of the student.  The capacity of eReaders is enormous.  They hold up to 15,000 titles, all of which can be deleted when no longer needed to make room for more books.

There are several eReaders made for children.  Caution should be used when purchasing one.  Be sure that the child will not outgrow the device too quickly.  For a very small child, the screen should be interactive.  Some eReaders store the books on cartridges.  Be careful of the cost and availability of the cartridges.  An eReader that can download books from the Internet may be more cost effective, as well as a time-saver.  Books download on the Kindle in less than one minute, which can be a great help when the student is doing a research project that he forgot to tell you about--due tomorrow.

Books in e-format make up 8% of all book sales.  Yet in 2010, traditional book sales were down 2% and e-books were up 178%.  This trend is predicted to continue in 2011.  E-Readers are here to stay and will become as common as cell phones in the near future.

Answered Prayer: Third Book to be Released

Yesterday the pastor was preaching about answered prayer.  He told the story of a pastor who was asked how he got so many of his prayers answered.  He replied, "When I pray, I believe that God will answer and I begin immediately acting on that belief.  He always answers."  The pastor said that when we pray, we should never let the thought that God may not answer enter our heads.  He said we should believe that God will answer the prayer--maybe not the way we want.  But He will answer in His time.

I began practicing this method yesterday.  I was praying for the funds to remodel our lakehouse where we plan to move when my husband retires.  Like I usually do, I would pray about the remodel and then think If we don't have enough money, we can do it this way.  Then I began reprimanding myself for not believing that God would answer my prayer.  I determined to believe that He would answer and stop considering alternatives.

When I checked Email last night, I had an offer from Brighton Publishing to publish my third book.  I prayed, "Lord, if this is the publisher You want me to work with, please let them pick up the book as a traditional" (they pay all the cost). 

I just received a phone call from Brighton Publishing that they are willing to publish my third book as an E-book-- at no cost to me.  If it does well as an E-book, we will go to print.  The best part is that it will be ready in about 8 weeks.  That means that my three books will be officially released about a week apart. 

The new book is a compilation of stories for children.  Most of them have a Christian message.  There a few that are just for fun. 

I am very excited about the third book, working with Brighton Publishing and the answer to prayer.  I am honored that God is allowing me to minister through writing.  I am also thankful that He has sent me to two Christian publishers.  I will keep you updated on the progress of the new book.

Reminders and Updates

Just a reminder that the books in the carousel above are written by Christian authors.  If you click on them from this site, it will link you to amazon.com.  This will give the author and myself credit at amazon.com.  This helps boost our ratings on amazon. 

Plans are being made for the upcoming release of my two books.  The fan page for my book "Journey to Fulfillment" has been created.  To receive regular updates from your facebook page:

login to Facebook
click on my picture
click 'info' under my picture
look under 'interests'
click the picture of the book
click 'Like"

At this time, my schedule is:

March 6, 2011@ 10:30 a.m. Testimony at Fairdale Baptist Church in Fairmount, Texas
March 11, 2011 @6:00-8:00 p.m. Book signing at Rao's on Hwy 365
March 19, 2011 @ 2:00-3:30 p.m. Book signing at Fairdale Baptist Church in Fairmount, Texas

Courage Versus Size

When my daughter was 10 years old, she wanted to play basketball.  That meant that we gave up every Saturday to sit in a hot gym watching little girls run up and down the court while used-to-be athletes tried to keep up with them and call fouls.  I worked all week, took her to practice after work, sat in the gym on Saturday, and attended church on Sunday.  There was no day off.  I was counting down the weeks until the end of the season. 

One day I said something like, "Just 3 more weeks." to one of the other mothers.  She replied, "Unless she makes All-Stars."  "All-Stars?  Nobody said anything about All-stars."  She made All-Stars which added another 6 weeks to the schedule.

Finally it was time for Nationals (in state)--don't know why they call it Nationals.  We loaded up vehicles and escorted thirteen 10-year-old girls to Austin, Texas.  We made one stop at a convenience store for a potty break.  Do you know how long it takes 13 little girls (not counting mothers) to use one bathroom?  After waiting too long, the girls decided to use the men's room also, since no men were in site.  While one of the girls was in the men's room, three huge male construction workers came down the hall toward the restrooms.  One little 10-year-old girl stood in the middle of the hallway--feet spread wide and hands on hips--blocking their way.  She said, "You can't use the bathroom."  Without a word, all three construction workers turned and walked away.  On that day Goliath didn't even bother to fight David.

Bird in the Attic

Several years ago, my husband bought a smoke alarm for an older relative (identity concealed for protection of author).  Several months later she called her two sons and reported that there was a bird in her attic and someone needed to get it out.  Finally one son said, "Okay, I'll come over in the morning and get the bird out of your attic.  Make some coffee and I'll be there after I take the kids to school." 

While they were sitting at the dining table drinking coffee, they heard a chirp.  The lady said, "Did you hear that?  I am tired of hearing that bird chirp.  You have to get it out of the attic." 

Her son said, "Mother, do you have a smoke detector?"

She proudly said, "Oh, yes.  Sam bought one for me."

Her son said, "Where is it?"

"Up on top of the refrigerator."

"There is your bird.  You need to change the battery." 

Her son bought a new battery and installed it in the smoke detector.  The bird stopped chirping.

Valentine's Day Facts

Here are just a few facts about Valentine's Day.  I hope you find them interesting.

Saint Valentine's Day dates back to 496 AD when it was a declared a day to celebrate affection by Pope Gelasius.  It was not until the 14th century that it became associated with romance. 

Many early Christian martyrs were named Valentine.

In 1797 The Young Man's Valentine Writer was published for the men who were unable to write their own declarations of love.  By that time mass produced greeting cards were being printed, which made it easier to send Valentines anonymously.  This was also the beginning of what was considered "racy" Valentines during the Victorian era.

Paper Valentines became so popular in England in the 19th century, they began being assembled in factories.  Fancy Valentines with lace and ribbon became popular in mid 19th century.


The United States began mass producing Valentines of embossed paper in 1847.

During the 20th century it became popular to add gifts to Valentines cards.  In 1980 the jewelry industry began promoting diamonds and jewelry as a way to express love on Valentine's Day.

In the United States 190 million Valentine's Day cards are given each year.  When you add cards made by school children, the number rises to 1 billion.  In 2010 15 million e-Valentines were sent.

A survey revealed that in the United States, we spend an average of $103 per person on Valentine's Day gifts.  The average American will spend $3.27 on Valentines for a pet, but only $2.84 for a co-worker.  Of those who choose to express their love on Valentine's Day, 50% buy cards, 47% buy candy, and 36% buy flowers.

Happy Valentine's Day in 2011.

Long Meeting Repercussions

Educational Diagnosticians evaluate students and determine if there is a learning disability.  After the evaluation, the diagnostician must conduct a meeting with the parent and review the evaluation.  A typical meeting is 45 minutes to 1 hour in length.  When a student moves into a new district the receiving diagnostician must review the evaluation, conduct a meeting and offer to explain the evaluation to the parent.

I once worked with a diagnostician who was notorious for conducting 2-3 hour meetings.  In one case, she evaluated the student, conducted the meeting, and  reviewed the evaluation with the parent.  The meeting was long, but the diagnostician did not realize how long until the student moved and she received a phone call from the new district's diagnostician.

The diagnostician reported that when she conducted her meeting, she asked the parent, "Did they go over this evaluation with you?"  The mother replied, "EVERY-SINGLE-WORD.  AND I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT AGAIN."

The Importance of a Shoulder

Have you ever considered the importance of a shoulder?  Yes, it does hold your head and can signal others to your indifference to a situation.  But I am talking about the strength and emotional support a shoulder can offer. 

When we shoulder the responsibility, we relieve someone else of the burden. 

When we offer a shoulder to cry on, we give emotional support.

A shoulder can:

• dry tears
• lessen physical pain
• lessen emotional pain
• chase away loneliness
• relieve stress
• calm fears
• lessen anxiety
• give hope
• offer strength
• share joy

If you get the chance to offer a shoulder, don't pass it up.  It will be a blessing to both you and the receipient.

New Book Released

JoAnn Durgin, Christian Author

I am a member of a group that promotes books by Christian writers.  This week we are launching a novel by JoAnn Durgin.  joanndurgin.com
Please visit her webpage to find out more about her books, convictions and life.



JoAnn writes:
If you love contemporary romantic adventures with great characters, humor and witty banter and dramatic conflict with a moving plotline and a touch of intrique, you are among friends.

Awakening features characters who seek to honor the Lord in their lives by putting their faith in action. Of course, being human, they often stumble and fall in endearing and humbling ways. But they always pick themselves up, dust off and get on with the process of living. Sam expects to marry a girl with a similar background to his own – raised in the faith and active in ministry. Any one of the women in his TeamWork Missions camp is a likely candidate. But he’s not looking. Enter Lexa Clarke. Her mother died when she was young, she was raised by a gruff father who wanted nothing to do with the church, and Lexa questions God’s purpose and direction in her life. And she’s not looking for a man. But when these two meet, the sparks fly. 

 

Stay in This Lane

When our children were small, we were visiting relatives in Houston on a Friday night.  We stayed later than usual, leaving after 10:00 p.m. for the two hour drive home.  My husband was driving.  Since he was unfamiliar with Houston freeways, which can be confusing for anyone, I was giving him directions.  At one point where several freeways merged, I told him "Now stay in this lane."  My husband is a habitual right lane guy.  That means he believes that you drive in the right lane even if it leads to the electric chair.  No excuses--drive in the right lane.

At the last minute he changed lanes and got in the right lane.  Before I had time to say anything, we were on a different freeway that led to places I had never been.  There were no exit ramps.  There were no side streets.  There was no place to turn around.  That freeway led us to downtown Houston.  Do you know what is in downtown Houston at 11:00 p.m. on Friday night???? 

I will tell you what was there that night.  Nothing --except one car, two adults, three small children asleep in the backseat and lots of winos sleeping in the doorways.  In every doorway we passed there was at least one guy in a cheap suit curled up with a bottle in his arms. 

I remained completely silent.  I thought When we get home are we going to have an argument.  I planned to ask the question:  What part of stay in this lane is not clear?  In just a few minutes my husband said, "I guess when I am in Houston I need to stay in one lane."  Which of course, ruined my planned argument.  He could have at least given me the satisfaction of yelling at him.  Some people are so inconsiderate.

The Helpful (Guilty) Coach

This is a true story so I have changed the names to protect the privacy of all concerned, but the humor is too good not to share.  Here are the players:

Lucky ISD- District of employment
Ronald- Student and star football player
Ms. June Cleaver- Teacher
Coach Dumb Dumb- Special Education Teacher/Coach
Ms. Donna Reed - Principal at Gotcha ISD

Years ago while working at Lucky ISD a Special Education Teacher/Coach was hired.  (Not by me--let's get that perfectly clear.  I did not hire that man.)  At this school, students were required to have a specific number of points for Accelerated Readers (read independently).  The number of points affected their grades.  One day Ms. June Cleaver was checking points to report at the end of the grading period.  She noticed that Ronald had more points than he should have so she examined his report carefully.  She found a test listed for a book that she knew he had not read.  She confronted him about the discrepancy and he replied, "I don't know what you are talking about Ms. Cleaver.  I never took that test."

Immediately Ms. Cleaver went to the the Coach Dumb Dumb and said, "Did Ronald take this test in Content Mastery?" 

Coach Dumb Dumb replied with a smile, "Well, he didn't have enough points to pass and I wanted him to play in the game so I took the test for him."

The test was removed from Ronald's record and the infraction was reported to the principal.  Eventually it go to me, which sealed the coach's fate. (We had already had several 'come to Jesus' meetings.)  I informed the principal that I would not renew the coach's contract.

The coach began looking for another job.  He scheduled an interview with Gotcha ISD.  During the interview, Ms. Donna Reed, principal said, "Oh, you worked at Lucky ISD.  My sister-in-law works there."

Coach Dumb Dumb asked, "Really, who is she?"

Ms. Reed answered, "Ms. June Cleaver.  Do you know her?"

Immediately Coach Dumb Dumb hung his head. "Yes ma'am, I do."

After the interview Ms. Reed called her sister-in-law and told her about the coach's reaction.  "Why did he act that way?"  At which point Ms. Cleaver had to tell her the story of the helpful coach who got caught.  Mrs. Reed decided not to hire Coach Dumb Dumb.

So What is Wrong With American Schools?

We have looked at several pieces of data this week and here is what I learned:  Nothing.  Students in other countries don't spend more time in school.  They don't spend more time on science and math.  So what is the answer?  Here is my question.  If American schools are so bad, why are so many foreign students studying in them? It has been estimated that 12% of total American college students were foreign-born.   According to Wikipedia 33% of all U.S. Ph.D.s in science and engineering are now awarded to foreign born.  

Yes we need to improve.  Everyone does.  How do we improve American schools?  Here is my personal formula.

• Get parents more involved in schools.  I once worked for a principal who said, "If you want grades to improve, don't print the honor roll in the newspaper.  Print the failures and their daddy's name beside the student's.  Grades will improve."  Research shows that the strongest indicator of how successful a student will be in school is the level of involvement by the parent.  Parents need to be involved in the governing of the school, curriculum taught, and most of all, the discipline of the students.  Attempting to maintain discipline in the school without parental support is like going hunting with your best gun and no bullets.  You won't accomplish much.  Without parental support the student, administrators and teachers are powerless.
• Get the politicians out of the schools.  How is it we allow politicians to govern our schools without stepping inside?  We don't allow them to govern the refineries.  Even OSHA goes inside the plants before making a ruling on an incident.  Yet our politicians sit in Austin and determine what subjects our students are required to master before graduation, how much time they will spend in school, even the choices for dates to begin and end school.  When was the last time the politicians determined what schedule the refinery workers would follow?  I have no problem with the politicians making decisions for schools, as long as they are making informed decisions.  If they are going to make these decisions, let them go into the schools and teach for a grading period.  Handle the curriculum, attend the committee meetings, deal with the discipline, contact parents about problem students.  Then tell me what to do in my classroom.
• Allow teachers to teach the curriculum.  I am in favor of End of Course Exams.  They should show exactly what was taught in that classroom.  The scores of each classroom should be analyzed by administrators and reviewed with the responsible teacher.  If the scores are consistent year after year, then the teacher is not growing and neither are the students.  The district needs act in the best interest of the students.  In case you are wondering--I don't believe in tenure.  Everyone should be accountable to someone.
• Put discipline back in the schools for every student.  The rules are the rules are the rules.  Teachers can't teach if they are spending class time disciplining students.  Let the administrators discipline.
• Accountability for everyone: Teachers for not teaching.  Students for not learning.  Administrators for not disciplining.  Parents for not being involved.

This blog won't be popular with some people, but these are my feelings.  Feel free to click "comments" to share your feelings.

Compulsory School Attendance Ages

The following is a list of the compulsory ages.  Some countries offer education younger than the compulsory age.  All countries offer education for ages older than the compulsory ages, although some require an admission examination before continuing education. 

Compulsory school attendance ages:

United States
Three states ages 5-16
One state ages 5-17
Four states ages 5-18
Fifteen states ages 6-16
One state ages 6-17
Six states ages 6-18
Eleven states ages 7-16
Three states ages 7-17
Three states ages 7-18
Two states ages 8-17

France ages 6-16
Germany ages 6-18
Switzerland ages 7-15
Mexico ages 6-15
Japan by ages 6-15

Curriculum

The following is a summary.  Not all countries have a national curriculum.  Japan, Switzerland, Germany, and Mexico track their secondary students which means their courses are individualized depending on their chosen (or chosen for them) career path.


Elementary School:

United States- Reading, Math, Social Studies and Science (Emphasis on Reading K-3)  (Emphasis on Math and Science 4-5)
Japan- Moral Education, Japanese Language, Arithmetic, Social Studies,
France- French, Arithmetic, Geography, Foreign Language, History, Arts
Switzerland- mother language, Arithmetic and Geography to a basic level for a foundation for high school.
Germany- German, English, Math, Unit of Inquiry, Performing Arts, Visual Arts, PE, Technology.  (Grade 5 add Spanish and French.)
 Mexico -social sciences, environmental studies, Spanish, mathematics,  geographic, ecological knowledge, health and human sexuality. 

Secondary School:
United States- English Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, Science, and Fine Arts
Japan Japanese language, English, mathematics, and science. In upper-secondary school, differences in ability acknowledged, course content and course selection individualized the second year, Vocational-technical programs
France- French, maths, history, geography, technical education, art/music, physical education, civic education, some science, and at least one foreign language.  Begin training in technical field in high school.
Switzerland - Apprenticeships
Germany - German, English, Math, Performing Arts, Visual Arts, PE, Technology, Spanish, French, Humanities, Science
Mexico -mathematics integrated to include geometry and algebra each year. grade 9, all students take trigonometry, foreign language, Science,  arts and technology.  high school, Mexican students must choose among schools that will lead them to college study, a technical career, or a business track.

Required School Days

There has always been reports that students in the United States attend school fewer days than foreign students.  Here is what my research found:

In Weeks:
United States attends classes 36 weeks a year.
Japan  attends classes 35 weeks a year.
France attends classes 35 weeks a year.
Germany attends classes 39 weeks a year.
Switzerland attends 38 weeks a year.
Mexico attends 42 weeks a year.

In Days:
United States attends an average of 180 days.
Japan attends 210 days.
France attends 180 days.
Germany attends 220 days. (Some are 1/2 days)
Switzerland attends 180 days.
Mexico attends 200 days.

(Although considered a full day, some of these countries actually schedule 1/2 days.)

In Hours:
United States attends an average of 30 hours a week.
Japan attends approximately 28 hours a week, but varies with grade level.
France attends approximately 24 hours a week, but varies with grade level.
Germany attends approximately 20 hours a week.
Switzerland unable to determine because classes are college style, meaning no harmonised beginning and end time.
Mexico attends 20 hours a week.

Tomorrow we will  look at curriculum.