It’s Thanksgiving, and while we all have many things to be thankful for, one thing we share is the willingness of our all-volunteer armed services around the globe to work on our behalf to protect our freedoms and way of life. Regardless of your opinion of the current conflict, we should all stand together in support of the men and women of the armed services.

The USO (in conjunction with Glenn Beck) is spearheading a fundraiser to send calling cards to soldiers around the world to allow them to call home. These USO Care Packages cost $20 and include requested items such as pre-paid worldwide phone cards, sunscreen, travel size toiletries, disposable camera and a message from the donor thanking them for their service and sacrifice.

Please call 800-457-4292 and make a donation today. It takes about three minutes to complete the call.

There has been some buzz recently about laws being passed that allow parents to be charged with a crime for hosting drinking parties for their underage teens. Though my kids are a long way off from this, I’m curious to know what the prevailing thoughts are out there…

Here are the arguments for and against:

FOR:

1. They’re going to drink anyway, I feel it’s more responsible to provide an environment for them to do it where I can control it.
2. Studies have shown that 75% of teens have at least tried alcohol.
3. Proponents of this approach say that the issue is about safety and responsibility.

AGAINST:

1. Studies have also shown that kids who have parents with a strong anti-drinking message still try alcohol at a rate of 33%. But kids of parents with a lax drinking message do so at 89%.
2. Studies also show that, while 75% of kids have “tried” alcohol, only 50% “drank alcohol in the last 30 days.”
3. Opponents of home drinking parties wonder, if “they’re going to do it anyway” is the primary reason, why you would stop at providing alcohol? Why not provide condoms and IUD’s for sex parties? Why not provide cigarettes or marijuana?

So… what do you think?

Read more:
[An article from the Chicago Sun-Times]
[An article from the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle]
[An article from the New York Daily News]

Char woke me up at 1:30am yesterday morning talking in her sleep. This isn’t all that unusual; it actually happens quite a bit. She normally talks about the kids, has conversations, etc. (She laughed once, and honestly, that was a bit creepy.) But the other night was a first. I woke up when she said, “I am so tired.”

Now, exactly how tired do you have to be to dream about being tired?

I guess you could call it a pre-midlife crisis. With the prospect of turning forty looming on the horizon, I find myself thinking admittedly morbid thoughts; pondering things like death and taxes. Such was my state of mind when I stumbled upon the Real Age Calculator at Prevent Disease. This nifty little tool can help you calculate both your real age and your life expectancy, based on your overall living habits, health history, and genetic tendency for disease.

It’s fairly simple, though the calculation behind the scenes is not. Simply fill our a brief questionairre (about 30 questions) and it will calculate your current “real” age and tell you approximately how long you’ll be staying with us. By slightly tweaking your answers, you can get a fairly accurate picture of the things you need to do to live healthier now and longer later. Ultimately, however, the answers are already known by all of us: improve your diet and increase your exercise and you’ll be healthier, happier, and live longer. Which brings me to taxes…

Now that we’re all going to be living to a hundred, it might occur to you that you’ll be paying a lot in taxes in all those years. There’s a movement afoot — and one that is gathering steam — to replace the current income tax system with a national retail sales tax. Dubbed the “Fair Tax” by the bill’s author, Congressman John Linder, the concept is straightforward: do away with all income tax withholding, allow workers to receive 100% of their pay, and charge a sales tax for all purchases. In a sense, each individual would have to opportunity to determine how much they pay in taxes based on their consumption. In many ways, the Fair Tax plan would close complicated tax loopholes and provide a level field for taxation. (Incidentally, the plan accounts for basic living expenses by providing a rebate for all citizens based on the size of their household and the calculated cost of living necessities.)

The web site is a nice collection of information about the plan, including a detailed list of frequently asked questions that is probably the best place to start if you’re unfamiliar with the concept. Aside from the FAQ, there are several sections that go into detail on how the plan will affect certain items, industries, or constituencies: senior citizens, real estate purchase, agriculture, ranching, etc. As you might imagine, a sweeping plan like this has generated quite a bit of interest on both sides of the fence. In the Rebuttal section, the authors take the time to respond to a variety of opinions to help better clarify their positions.

It appears to be an idea whose time may have come. Grass-root support is growing around the country and Congress appears to be noticing. According to the scorecard of Congressman, the bill has 6 supporters in the Senate and 60 in the House.

I received this today and couldn’t resist sharing it:

People often ask for an explanation of “Marketing.” Well, here it is:

You’re a woman and you see a handsome guy at a party. You go up to him and say, “I’m fantastic in bed.” That’s Direct Marketing.

You’re at a party with a bunch of friends and see a handsome guy. One of your friends goes up to him and pointing at you says, “She’s fantastic in bed.” That’s Advertising.

You see a handsome guy at a party. You go up to him and get his telephone number. The next day you call and say, “Hi, I’m fantastic in bed.” That’s telemarketing.

You see a guy at a party, you straighten your dress. You walk up to him and pour him a drink. You say, “May I,” and reach up to straighten his tie, brushing your breast lightly against his arm, and then say, “By the way, I’m fantastic in bed.” That’s Public Relations.

You’re at a party and see a handsome guy. He walks up to you and says, I hear you’re fantastic in bed.” That’s Brand Recognition.

You’re at a party and see a handsome guy. He fancies you, but you talk him into going home with your friend. That’s a Sales Rep.

Your friend can’t satisfy him so he calls you. That’s Tech Support.

You’re on your way to a party when you realize that there could be handsome men in all these houses you’re passing. So you climb onto the roof of one situated towards the center and shout at the top of your lungs, “I’m fantastic in bed!” That’s Junk Mail.

You are at a party, this well-built man walks up to you and gropes your breast and grabs your ass. That’s Arnold Schwarzenegger.

You like it, but 20 years later your attorney decides you were offended and files suit. That’s America.