What's Your State Motto?

Know your State motto...







Alabama Hell Yes, We Have Electricity.
Alaska 11,623 Eskimos Can't Be Wrong!
Arizona But It's A Dry Heat.
Arkansas Literacy Ain't Everything.
California By 30, Our Women Have More Plastic Than Your Honda.
Colorado If You Don't Ski, Don't Bother.
Connecticut Like Massachusetts, Only The Kennedys Don't Own It Yet.
Delaware We Really Do Like The Chemicals In Our Water.
Florida Ask Us About Our Grandkids And Our Voting Skills.
Georgia We Put The Fun In Fundamentalist Extremism.
Hawaii Haka Tiki Mou Sha'ami Leeki Toru (Death To Mainland Scum,Leave Your Money).
Idaho More Than Just Potatoes...Well, Okay, We're Not, But The Potatoes Sure Are Real Good
Illinois Please, Don't Pronounce the "S"
Indiana 2 Billion Years Tidal Wave Free
Iowa We Do Amazing Things With Corn
Kansas First Of The Rectangle States
Kentucky Five Million People; Fifteen Last Names
Louisiana We're Not ALL Drunk Cajun Wackos,But That's Our Tourism Campaign.
Maine We're Really Cold, But We Have Cheap Lobster
Maryland If You Can Dream It, We Can Tax It
Massachusetts Our Taxes Are Lower Than Sweden's And Our Senators Are More Corrupt! Michigan First Line Of Defense From The Canadians
Minnesota 10,000 Lakes...And 10,000,000,000,000 Mosquitoes
Mississippi Come And Feel Better About Your Own State
Missouri Your Federal Flood Relief Tax Dollars At Work
Montana Land Of The Big Sky, The Unabomber, Right-wing Crazies,and Honest Elections!Nebraska Ask About Our State Motto Contest
Nevada Hookers and Poker!
New Hampshire Go Away And Leave Us Alone
New Jersey You Want A ##$%##! Motto?I Got Yer ##$%##! MottoRight here!
New Mexico Lizards Make Excellent Pets
New York You Have The Right To Remain Silent,You Have The RightTo An Attorney...And No Right To Self Defense!
North Carolina Tobacco Is A Vegetable
North Dakota We Really Are One Of The 50 States!
Ohio At Least We're Not Michigan
Oklahoma Like The Play, But No Singing
Oregon Spotted Owl...It's What's For Dinner
Pennsylvania Cook With Coal
Rhode Island We're Not REALLY An Island
South Carolina Remember The Civil War?Well, We Didn't Actually Surrender Yet
South Dakota Closer Than North Dakota
Tennessee Home of the Al Gore Invention Museum.
Texas Se Hablo Ingles
Utah Our Jesus Is Better Than Your Jesus
Vermont Ay, Yep
Virginia Who Says Government Stiffs And Slackjaw Yokels Don't Mix?
Washington Our Governor can out-fraud your Governor!
West Virginia One Big Happy Family...Really!
Wisconsin Come Cut The Cheese!
Wyoming Where Men Are Men... And The Sheep Are Scared
& The District of Columbia The Work-Free Drug Place!

Questions Game #2

#1 If you had to give up one of your five senses: sight, touch, taste, smell, or hearing, which one would it be and why?
I would want to lose my sense of taste, I don't like the way most things taste anyway.

#2 If you could give up one bad habit that you have, which one would it be?
I would stop cursing.

Daily Question that Everyone Should Ask Themselves

I went out of town for a long four day weekend to help my friend Michael move into his new house. This was an exhausting two day process, but I enjoyed spending time with him again (we used to teach together). To thank me and the other people who helped him, Michael and his wife took us out for dinner. At the dinner table, he asked each of us to tell the worst part of our day and then he asked us all to share with each other "How did we change the world today?" I had never been asked this question before. I thought is was a very interesting question. He went on to explain that he asked himself and his wife that question everyday to motivate him in his daily activities. I think that I will now make it a practice in my life to do the same. I will wake up each morning and ask myself "How will you change the world today?" I think this will make me have more of a goal, direction, and positive influence on my life. So, now I ask you the same question, "How did you change the world today?" Post your replies in the comments section.

Smoking Bans?

Hello Readers! The city I live in passed a smoking ban about a year and a half ago. That means that no one can smoke in public buildings. This means court houses, restaurants, bars, night clubs, etc. I personally think it was a great idea because I can now go out with my friends and not worry about having to go home early due to my allergies to smoke. Before I would excuse myself a couple of hours after we got to a smoke filled enviroment because my nose was stuffed up and I could no longer breath, my eyes would hurt and water so badly that my makeup would run down my face and I looked terrible. Many smokers were very upset and fought very hard against this ban. At first many people were still smoking in these places because the owners allowed them too because the ban only gave them a small fine if they were caught breaking it. Now they passed some kind of harsher punishment for repeat offender establishments and it is more widely enforced. I can now enjoy going out with my friends, I think it is the most wonderful thing. I knew some smokers who were very pissed off about this, but have recently contacted me saying they have quit smoking, which is wonderful. I have no problem with people who want to smoke, it is there life and this is a free country. I just don't think I should be forced to endure there habits when I pay money to go somewhere. So I don't buy the arguement they they can smoke if they want. Be my guest, but go outside, or do it in your home, etc. I think smoking is a terrible addiction for many, because they often say they can't quit, but wish they could, I will include a recent part of a chat I had with a friend below.
fairydustheaven: why do you work so much?
1255 11145: coz i have to stay alive
fairydustheaven: i work to stay alive, but i don't work as much as youfairydustheaven: i did for awhile when I was getting my second degree, to pay for school, but it sucked really bad and I wasn't a happy person
1255 11145: i have to eat and smoke
fairydustheaven: i have decided life is too short and I should enjoy some of it, while i am young and happyfairydustheaven: give up smoking, it would be better for money and for your health1255 11145: yes but i cant

So what do my readers think of smoking and smoking bans?

Question Game #1

Ok, so here is a new fun periodic segment of my blog where I pose some interesting and thought provoking questions! I will answer my own questions a either at the time of posting or a few days later (so I don't influence anyone else's answers) and I hope you post your own answers in the comments section.

1. If you could have chosen your own first name other than the one you have, what would it be?

2. If you could seduce one person that you knew in your life (but didn't), who would it be?

What's Wrong with a Little Color?

I work with children a lot and whenever I have them do a project where they need to make a picture they always color the people in the picture "white." Now most of the children I work with come from all over the world: Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Jordan, Egypt, Congo, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Philippines, Vietnam, Mexico, Guatemala, Russia, etc. You get the idea. When I show them pictures or read them stories I am always careful to choose materials that show many different ethnicities and cultures. So why then do these children always choose to make a person with blonde hair and white skin? Does anyone else see something wrong with this? Today, I had had enough when I watched a group consisting of 3 Latino children and 1 African child start to illustrate a story with pictures of "white children" I asked them why they always did this and most of them didn't have an answer, one girl said she just liked blonde hair. I had limited success, one boy finally made his character Latino with black hair, brown skin, and gave the child in the picture the name of his little brother. Should I be concerned that these children have this kind of mindset, or am I making too big of an issue out of it? I just worry that in their mind, their self image is inferior, which I do not like.

Thank God for Mental Health Days!

In my profession we sometimes take what we affectionately call "Mental Health Days." A mental health day is when you use a sick day at work, not because you are physically ill, but because you are in serious danger of becoming mentally ill or in some cases you have already temporarily lost your mind. Please note that it is not because of your own actions that you are in danger of becoming mentally ill, but because of the people you work with, your clients, and their families. A mental heath day or days, will bring you back to your normal self very quickly. There are several tips that you can follow to have a very productive mental health day. 1) sleep extra long well into the day if you choose. 2)Get out of town, go visit a relative or friend you haven't seen in awhile, but dearly love. 3)Go to the movies. 4)Catch up on the many errands you didn't get finished over the weekend or will have to do the rest of the week, so that you can actually enjoy your free time. 4)Go hiking in the woods. 5)Go for a walk or a picnic in a park somewhere. 6)Get your friend, or boy/girlfriend to skip work with you and enjoy a mental health day together! Have you taken a good mental health day recently? I recommend a good one be taken every 3-4 months or more often as needed unless you are careless with them and run the risk of losing your job over absences. What do you think about mental health days? Do you ever take them? Do you have any of your own tips for using a mental health day to it's fullest potential?

Respect?

So I am driving through the parking lot of Meijer on Sunday when I notice a woman wearing a long black burka and the only thing I can see is her eyes. You couldn't help but notice her because we have very few Muslims in this city and even less who where burkas, most were hijab and some don't cover up at all. Obviously we are in America and this woman is free to wear whatever she wants (not that her husband might let her have it behind closed doors if she chose not to cover up). But whether the woman chooses to cover up because she is a devout Muslim and wants to be modest or if her husband makes her dress that way, it was still 88 degrees outside and very hot for October. Her husband was walking with her and do you know what he was wearing........A white cotton t-shirt. If his wife is going to be respectful of his reputation and where a long hot burka I think the LEAST he could do is cover himself up a little bit more out of respect for his wife's suffering. Now I have nothing against most Muslims, but I often have questions out of pure curiosity and there there are things that I just down right do not agree with. I am however very open minded and willing to listen to other peoples' opinions even if they are different than mine. So please if you have anything to enlighten me on this subject matter then please do, or just a comment please post it. I don't want any random anti-Muslim comments. Only comments with your thoughts and opinions on my topic. This is not a Muslim bashing forum. Don't worry at some point in time I will probably offend all religions and races, including my own people. I just believe in exposing and discussing all that is good and bad, different, or interesting within a culture. Don't worry I have several Muslim friends and even dated one for 3 and 1/2 years.

Autumn or Fall?

The weather here has been getting a little cooler, FINALLY! I love all of the seasons: winter, spring, summer, and fall. I usually use the word fall when I describe this season, but I think autumn is a much more unique and proper sounding name. I don't hear many people use this word anymore. Is this just because it is an old fashioned word, or is it just the region of the country that I live in? I would appreciate other peoples comments on this question. As I said before I do love all of the seasons and usually by the end of one season I am ready for the next one. I get so excited at the first signs of a new seasons and then by the end of it, I am so glad it is over----talk about being impatient. Today I will share with whoever is willing to read what I love about the fall season. The temperature are not to hot and not too cold. The colors of the leaves changing on all the trees to yellow, orange, red, brown, etc. make the outdoors so lovely, especially out in the country or up in the mountains. I love to take long walks in my neighborhood and especially out in the woods somewhere during the fall. Hiking in the mountains in the fall is something else. Maybe I will have to hike up to Natural Bridge soon! One more thing, I love Halloween night when all the children trick-or-treat. There is such joy in there eyes and the air is crisp and clean, I love hearing their little feet crunch all the fallen leaves. Oh the good old days of raking a pile of leaves in the yard and jumping into them! Do the kids do that anymore? Do they even play outside that much anymore. One thing I don't like is that the days get shorter and there is less daylight. What are your favorite things about the fall season?