Invest in a radio...your local npr station will give you more info or just as much as tv guys.. Or better yet a weather radio :) Plus if you have mobile phones... http://www.noaa.gov/features/03_protecting/wireless_emergency_alerts.html And to add, a radio can be powered with batteries, so if your power goes out, and you have batteries in your radio, you can still get your weather news. In case that tornado knocks out power :)

Haha! Every time I see Matthew McConaughey, I yell "Put on a shirt!" That was enough to put me off right there.

This is timely as today is my birthday. My parents gave me money. Enough that I retired a credit card debt today. This made me VERY happy. (I would have done it two months on my own, but this feeling of it being paid off now is the best birthday present). Next year I predict they will go back to gift-giving, instead of money, but this was very nice. :)

Wait, Pirates learn hand washing :) Science Pirates wash their hands :) Here's the game, not available for Windows 7 yet, though..... http://sciencepirates.com/

I prefer my washer and dryer to be on the same floor. ;) (Yes, my washing machine is the basement, and my dryer is on the enclosed back porch)

Ask them for their address and write a cease and desist letter. Or google the phone number and see if you find the address of the company that way. You can send it yourself, you don't need a lawyer, but make sure when you send the cease and desist letter to the debt collector, send it via certified mail with return receipt requested. This will provide proof that the letter was sent and received.

I've just started reading At Day's Close, one of the books mentioned in the article.

There are not enough jobs in Lawrence to support the bedroom community it has become. Outside of university employment, it really doesn't offer the jobs they need. So they commute. But they don't want to do that. Or they want to tell us that living out in Lawrence is well better, because it more liberal, its more this or that. That can get old. And they really have driven up the prices around there. Not that I mind because I don't live there. I guess I just don't understand the appeal. There are other "hip, sane" people across the state.

Ok, I don't hate Lawrence, KS. And for the record, I'm liberal atheist type, so that's probably even more shocking. Housing prices are unaffordable. Jobs? Oh, everyone commutes here, or KC. And they'll all let you know how much Lawrence is sooo much better than here. So annoying. I live in Topeka, and I like it. Sure there are some things I don't like about it, I'll never make any friends here. But the library is good. There are in fact inclusive homeschoolers here, shocking I know. And an atheist group! And I'm sure that Lawrence is a nice town, but that doesn't make where I live inferior. I'm not a fan of college towns, that's my personal preference there. Lawrence isn't somewhere I'd want to live. And sometimes I dislike visiting because I think Topeka should offer the same thing. People from Lawernce probably think the same thing in reverse. lol. Seriously, why is everything about commuting?! Can we still afford to do this much driving?

That's funny because I hate Lawrence, KS. Yes, I really cannot stand it. I'm currently living in Topeka, KS. Now our famous bumper-sticker like quote from where I am, goes something like, "Topeka, not in the middle of nowhere but you can see it from here" Kansas does have the flint hills, but it is mostly a flat state. I grew up in Kansas City, Mo. The eastern 1/3 of Kansas is very different from the western 2/3. Kansas has a lot of museums, I was told the most per capita when I was in college. Of course we are talking museums of hand-dug wells and the like..(worlds largest hand dug well, world's largest ball of twine, etc).

If it were me, I'd just go ahead and freecycle it. It is hard to find anywhere to recycle it for free, let alone sell it.

Or keep the brown sugar bear/disc dry, and it will keep your sugar dry.

No, these were high school aged students, all over the age of 12 that I am referring to. The teens that the police officer as talking to looked about 16 or so. You can't be in the library under the age of 18 during school hours without a parent from what I've seen.

That reminds me of what I've witnessed here at our library. Two girls were asked by a police officer, "Where are your parents?" They said they were homeschooled, and the officer said "You need to leave and be truant someplace else." Basically, if you want to be at our library during school hours, the parent needs to be inside the library with them. Kids checking out by themselves always get asked, "Where are your parents?"

Here's the fabric.. http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/527623

baking soda and vinegar will do in a pinch...don't use the dish soap.

I wouldn't like either one. I cannot stand single single handle faucets, and I am looking forward to replacing ours. Cannot stand them at all...

You can sign up to be notified when they are available in the US through amazon..http://www.amazon.com/Applesnapz-Apple-Chips-Plain-0-7-Ounce/dp/B000WFQSY0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329677693&sr=8-1

I can give you sympathy. Because I have a poor relationship with my mother, and I have a daughter. My mantra is "I am not my mother" And I'm not. Sure I might say things that come out of mouth that sound like her, but actions and deeds prove otherwise. I think as a mother I am prone to overreacting to certain situations, but I can apologize for my behavior, something to do this day my mother believes she should never ever do when it comes to your children. So at least in that I am trying.

Yeah, I was told that, that's why I started going to the county health dept for the vaccines.

I wonder if Facebook has deleted the dog's account yet?

For lefties :) In my experience I break the nibs off a right-handed pen very quicky! http://www.nibs.com/Left-hand%20writers.htm http://www.johnnealbooks.com/prod_detail_list/424 This is the one I have: http://www.jetpens.com/Pelikan-P68L-Pelikano-Junior-Fountain-Pen-Left-Handed-Nib-Yellow-Body/pd/3565 Anything Left Handed (UK) (check out some of their videos too, right hand side of the page.. This website has a bunch of cool lefty products, here's the children's writing stuff they have, http://www.anythinglefthanded.co.uk/acatalog/child_left_handed_pens.html and a link to just the pens: http://www.anythinglefthanded.co.uk/acatalog/writing_equipment.html

I'm a lefty. You need to get a nib for lefties. This I find this easier than other cursive styles. Some letters are formed differently for lefties and I don't think he addresses this, but he did address that some of the letters can be formed in more than one way, once you learn the strokes that are need for Spencerian. I have less hand strain once I learn the slightly differently ways to form the letters.

I didn't see Micheal Sull mentioned, http://spencerian.com/. I have his instructional DVD. And this is his newest instructional for kids and adults. Just came out this past December... http://spencerian.com/images/AmericanCursiveOnlineOrder08_06_11.pdf

I got rid of the tuesday circulars here, the ones with the Have You Seen Me? missing child program.: http://www.valassis.com/1024/Contact/MailingListRemoval.aspx