In the News: National Park Service to Require Permits for "Rim to Rim" Hike/Run

The National Park Service recently announced that as of September 15, a permit will be required for groups between 2 and 30 to make the "rim to rim" hike or run due to an increase in rescue calls caused by the growing number of amateur athletes attempting the trip. As reported in the Wall Street Journal, park officials believe this will allow them to keep better track of who is on the trails and help them manage their stretched resources.

You can read more at http://online.wsj.com/articles/grand-canyon-to-charge-runners-a-fee-1409353672

In the News: Weather and Housing

Now that I am in the real estate business, I tend to look at news about the housing market. In the Friday, July 18 edition of The Wall Street Journal, an article by Alan Zibel and Kris Hudson discussed how a stretch of wet weather in the south led home construction to temporarily decline in June.

I honestly never considered these things before I was involved in this industry. I'm starting to read magazines like Forbes and Kiplinger now too. Gosh, I sound like a grown up.

In the News: Eastern Europeans Brought in to Work Minimum Wage Jobs on Outer Banks

Over the past several years, we've noticed a definite change in the young people working in Outer Banks establishments. It used to be American teens filling these minimum wage jobs. As this response to Andrew Puzder's June 10 Wall Street Journal op-ed article, "Why Young People Can't Find Work," the reader indicates businesses on the Outer Banks bring in "young people from Eastern Europe to work in the summer because American kids don't want the jobs." This is actually an overall trend. American teens aren't looking to work in the local supermarket anymore. They are volunteering and dedicating their time to unpaid internships instead. The WSJ has an interesting conversation about it at http://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2014/05/01/teens-arent-so-keen-on-summer-jobs-anymore/

In the News: Smart Homes

Christopher Mims, Tech Columnist for the Wall Street Journal, wrote an article on smart homes in the June 22, 2014 edition. He visited with SmartThings CEO Alex Hawkinson, who has turned his home into a smart home with the help of smart devices and apps. A device on his wrist registers movement when he wakes up and communicates this wirelessly to his iPhone, which passes the signal to home-controlling software in the cloud. Lights come on. The coffee maker starts brewing. The thermostat adjusts the temperature and the security system shuts off.

Mims isn't convinced this is all worth doing. He says, "...other than people who have very specific reasons to add automation to their homes, I have no idea why anyone would do it, even if the equipment were free. As countless reviewers have noted...even when smart-home technology works as advertised, the complexity it adds to everyday life outweighs any convenience it might provide." Mims did, however, find some compelling aspects of this technology in Hawkinson's home and has high hopes for the future. You can read his entire article at http://online.wsj.com/articles/why-im-not-in-a-hurry-for-a-smart-home-1403479741

What do you think about smart homes? Would you ever add such technology to your home?

In the News - Swiss Museum Vows to Return Works in Nazi Trove

At the end of March, I reviewed The Monuments Men, which is a movie based upon a book of the same name by Robert M. Edsel. It is the story of an unlikely World War II platoon tasked by FDR with going into Germany to rescue artistic masterpieces from the Nazis and returning them to their rightful owners.

I absolutely loved this movie, so I read with great interest the article I found in The Wall Street Journal on Friday, May 9, 2014 regarding the Swiss museum, who inherited the collection of Cornelius Gurlitt, the late son of one of Hitler's art dealers. Though as of the writing of the article, the museum had not yet accepted the collection, the director of Kunstmuseum Bern, Matthias Frehner, stated the trustees would decide within the next six months whether to accept Mr. Gurlitt's will bequeathing the entire estate to the museum. If it does, the museum would return any looted art or compensate their original owners as per the 1998 agreement knows as the "Washington Principles."

There is a great deal more information on this story in The Wall Street Journal article. You can read it at http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB20001424052702304655304579549880169810884

In the News: Housing Policy and The Middle Class

Michael Milken, chairman of the Milken Institute, had an opinion piece in the Thursday, March 6, 2014 edition of The Wall Street Journal titled, "How Housing Policy Hurts the Middle Class." Milken says, "Policies made in Washington distorted the banking system and discouraged personal responsibility by subsidizing loans that borrowers couldn't otherwise afford....Ultimately, taxpayers got the bill."

The article contains statistics indicating that though aggressive housing programs were meant to make housing more affordable and create financial independence, the percentage of home owners in America hasn't changed much in the last three decades--it's still around 65%.

Milken believes that Housing's 2008 collapse, which led to the U.S. Treasury takeover of Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's obligations caused federal debt to surge, and that Americans will eventually have to pay for it.

You can read Milken's article at http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304610404579401613007521066 

In the News - Influential Products

It's Tuesday, so let's raise our coffee mugs to the next edition of In the News. 

Last week we tackled the tough topic of the Common Core State Standards Initiative, so we'll lighted the load this week and talk about something fun. The Wall Street Journal ran a piece on December 18, 2013 titled, "The Most Influential Products in 22 Years of Reviews." Now, you have to understand, I'm not a technology person. I use modern conveniences because they save time, but it's rare I get all excited over new technologies. Well, until this year, when I FINALLY bought my hubby a cool tech gift that he loved!

Introducing the Virtual Keyboard, which works with Apple or Android devices.

Connect this baby to your device and it projects a virtual keyboard onto almost any flat surface. And it works! We tried it. I have to admit that harsh red light bugs my eyes a tiny bit, but I was using it when I had already been working for days at the computer on deadline, so I'll have to try it again when my eyes are less tired.

I purchased ours at Brookstone. Not sure who--if anyone else--has it, but I was so excited about this gift I almost told the hubby what it was before it even arrived.

Back to the article, Walter S. Mossberg ended his 22 years of reviewing consumer technology products for The Wall Street Journal by counting down a dozen personal-technology products that he had reviewed during that time. From Apple's Newton MessagePad designed to recognize handwriting (admittedly a failure except that it featured an early form of artificial intelligence that allowed you to scrawl in an appointment and it created a calendar entry for the right time with the right person) to Windows 95, and  from Facebook and Twitter to the iPad, these amazing products have changed our lives.

You can read the entire article at http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304858104579264313155801216

What is your favorite technology product or what technology product has made your life easier?

WSJ Wednesday - Interviews and Your Frame of Mind

As you know, I've been job hunting--unsuccessfully. Part of the problem is most people use online applications, which don't allow you to talk about your qualifications in any great detail. It also makes it unnecessary to visit the potential employer, so they don't see you. When I was a hiring manager, meeting a potential employee face-to-face when they came in to fill out an application allowed me to ascertain how passionate they were about working for our company. Now, like many other things, it's become an impersonal process.

In the Saturday/Sunday, February 16 - 17, 2013 edition of The Wall Street Journal, I came across the "Ask Ariely" column with Dan Ariely. A person was asking if the bad weather (rain) and/or a book he was reading that ran contrary to his political beliefs could have impacted his performance during a job interview.

Ariely's answer said the weather and the book may have impacted his mood, but if he had to lay odd bets the book had a larger impact. Ariely's suggestion: take a funny book to improve both mood and chances.

He could be right. Your body language could be saying much more about you than the discussion. What do you think? Will you perform better in an interview if you're in a good mood?

WSJ Wednesday - A Library with No Books

Sometimes an article catches your eye solely because of the title. Such was the case when I was skimming the February 7, 2013 edition of The Wall Street Journal and found Miguel Bustillo's article, "Library That Holds No Books."

Bexar County in Texas is set to open one of the nation's first entirely digital public libraries. According to Bustillo, skeptical librarians are keeping an eye on this one. They warn digital versions of many popular titles aren't available to libraries and they can often be more expensive than printed versions.

The move is an effort to help residents where libraries are scarce. The office will have about 10,000 titles and 150 e-readers for patrons to borrow, 50 of which are designed for children. Though there will be staff to help with technical questions, this office will have no research assistants. County officials believe this type of library will be more cost effective than traditional libraries.

The article goes on to discuss how publishers interact with libraries and the reason a move to totally digital has been slow to catch on.

As a book lover, I just about cried when I read this. It was bad enough when I walked into the library at our town's middle school and found it over half empty. The thought of these 100% digital libraries replacing traditional libraries is enough to make me sick. While my husband believes the day of the traditional public library is long gone, I can't tell you how much I depend upon our local children's librarian and the reference librarian for my writing. The Internet doesn't replace everything. And while I'm all for having libraries offering e-books, the thought of walking into a library and not being able to browse the bookshelves isn't appealing.

What do you think of this idea? Is it the wave of the future?

WSJ Wednesday: Downton Abbey and Class Warfare

The Wall Street Journal has become the only paper I read. Why? Because like the geek that I am, I enjoy politics, business news, book reviews, and the chance to look at some mansions every once in a while--which they feature in their own special section.

In the Saturday/Sunday, February 2 - 3, 2013 edition of the Journal, I found an article that capitalized on my love of politics and my favorite current television show, Downton Abbey. Raymond Zhong, an editorial page writer for The Wall Street Journal Europe, sat down with Julian Fellowes, the creator and writer of Downton Abbey, to discuss its appeal, but also some of the criticism it garners. Fellowes says he doesn't understand the accusation of snobbery, because he feels it's the opposite of that partially because all of the characters are taken seriously:  upstairs and downstairs. In addition, his mother came from an upper-middle-class family, but his paternal aunts always looked down on her because of she was descended from traders and farmers. One can assume this would impact his work.

Now that I've gone the scenic route in finding a focus for my article, I found a few things that Fellowes said about Americans thought-provoking. "...I think politicians try to encourage us to think in a hostile sense [of] people who have a different circumstance to our own. Which I find very unproductive and uncreative."

The man doesn't even live here, but he knows us so well. Actually, I think he was more referring to life across the pond, but it definitely applies to America, too. All political parties use class as a source of division. Instead of helping Americans to find their common ground, they seek to divide us to further their own agendas.

But then Fellowes says something that makes me shake my head. "...the impression I get is that there is not the kind of obligation to dislike those who are better off or be frightened of those who are worse off...The Americans, I think, are better at seeing themselves as a kind of community--that the important thing is to be an American."

Well, we might be better at it than the people of Great Britain, but if anything, the Tea Party movement, the Occupy Wall Street movement, and union versus non-union scuffles are just some ways in which we are made to feel some type of obligation to dislike those who are different than you. I'm fairly certain most people have heard about the 1% versus the 99%. If that isn't divisive, I don't know what is.

But I think my favorite comment by Fellowes is about history and our pasts. "..you'd go into the attics of some of these houses and there would be lines of bedrooms, and in some cases, there'd be nameplates, and it would say 'Mary' on it, and inside was an old iron bedstead. And you had a real sense, then, of a life that you just missed..."

As a lover of history and a believer in preservation, I am fascinated by this concept of "a life that you just missed." We all come into this world with hopes and dreams. We aspire to leave our mark on the world in even the tiniest of ways. And those that come after us, preserve whatever legacy we leave behind. I think that's all been lost in a world that focuses more on what divides us--the haves and the have-nots as it is often said--because we aren't taught to cherish what we have anymore. We're taught to always want more. That's a concern for a mother of two young children:  how to steer our daughters' focus from never being satisfied to feeling blessed. It's a regular battle, because I grew up with next to nothing. Even with the challenges our family deals with living primarily on one income, I'm grateful because I already have been blessed with more than I had as a kid, and because I don't take things for granted. I'm not unhappy because Bill Gates and Donald Trump or even Cam Neely have more than I do.

What a better world this might be if could find a way to focus on common goals rather than be torn apart by our differences. How would that change the political arena? Could you imagine a world where Democrats aren't labeled as bleeding-hearts and Republicans aren't accused of only caring about the wealthy? Could they then be more productive in improving our economy and in building a better world for future generations?   I fear what I hope for is an impossible to reach utopia.

WSJ Wednesday - Changes in Higher Education

I found a fascinating article in the Friday, January 25, 2013 edition of The Wall Street Journal. My one big regret is never getting my college degree. Though a book I read on the current job market said experience trumps college degrees any day (unless you're talking Ivy League), during my job search, I've discovered even clerical and administrative jobs have a college degree listed as a preference or requirement.

According to "College Degree, No Class Time Required" by Caroline Porter, the University of  Wisconsin is offering a Bachelor's to students who take online competency tests about what they know. Like the man featured in Porter's article, I have several credits toward my degree. But as my family and responsibilities grew, time to dedicate to my education dwindled. After more than 20 years in business, it wouldn't surprise me if I could pass some of these competency tests and make obtaining my degree easier, and perhaps, cheaper.

The University of Wisconsin plans to launch the program this fall. Prices haven't been set for their Flexible Option program, but university officials say it should be "significantly less expensive." The goal of the program is to strengthen the state's workforce; it's not to dumb down education and just make it easy to get your degree.

If a program like this came to Massachusetts, I would sign up right away. I'm tired of not having my degree. I don't want it holding me back. It would even be helpful to me in my writing, so there's really no reason not to do it, unless it was cost prohibitive, which doesn't seem to be the case.

What do you think of this idea? Would you try to earn your degree this way if it was available in your state?

WSJ Wednesday - Better Ways to Discipline Your Kids

Toward the end of the year, I caught this interesting article in the December 26, 2012 edition of The Wall Street Journal. "Smarter Ways to Discipline Kids" by Andrea Petersen states that research suggests which strategies work best. These are techniques used by psychologists to manage/cope/encourage (whatever verb you wish to use) their most difficult children, including those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and oppositional defiant disorder.

According to the article, parents should not focus on what happens when the child acts out, but instead decide what behaviors they want to see in their kids and praise them when they see them. I find this tough, and I doubt I'm alone. Not that the child shouldn't be reprimanded when he does wrong, but that a "mild negative consequence" without shouting (very hard for me) plus praise for positive behavior goes a long way.

What doesn't work? Trying to reason with your child and overly harsh punishments (guilty as charged). Here's something I wouldn't have thought of. Psychologists at the Yale Parenting Center have found that getting kids to "practice" temper tantrums can lessen their frequency and intensity. Hmm. Who would have thought that?

What techniques have been most successful for you?

WSJ Wednesday - The Opposite of Casual Friday

Why this article caught my eye, I don't know. Perhaps it was because Casual Friday was such a big deal when I was working outside the home. In Andy Jordan's article titled, "If You Really Want to Defy Conformity, Dress Up Today,"* he features San Francisco startup Pulse who holds "Formal Friday," where everyone dresses in their Sunday best instead of the casual business attire during the rest of the week. Jordan mentions Barbarian, a New York digital marketing and creative agency, as one of the early proponents of this tradition.

I love this idea. What do you think of it?

*This article appeared in the Friday, January 4, 2013 edition of The Wall Street Journal.

WSJ Wednesday: Print Books Are Here to Stay

I always love to read articles that challenge what we think we know. Ever since the advent of e-books, it's been feared digital books will become the norm and printed books will phase out. The closing of some independent bookstores and big chain stores, like Borders, seems to back that up.

Even though I'm still waiting for the paperless office to become a reality, I have to admit digital books--while fabulous--scare me because of their potential impact on the industry. In the Saturday/Sunday January 5 - 6, 2013 edition of The Wall Street Journal, Nicholas Carr states, "...the death of the printed book may be exaggerated."

Carr says the future for traditional books is looking better. Hardcover sales are staying strong and e-book sales are slowing. His article even says that the purchases of e-readers is shrinking because consumers are focusing on multipurpose tablets. Those fickle consumers confuse us all.

Carr cites a Pew Research Center survey and reported statistics from the Association of American Publishers in this article. The AAP reported that the rate of growth for e-book sales dropped considerably in 2012. Carr also mentions a survey by Bowker Market Research that revealed only 16% of Americans have purchased an e-book and 59% say they have "no interest" in buying one. And here's the kicker, because consumers are now opting for multipurpose tablets, e-books find it hard to compete against games, videos, and Facebook on these devices.

Another point Carr makes deserves consideration. E-book purchases have been disproportionately fiction because they are often books we read quickly and have no desire to hang on to. Plus, e-readers have allowed people to read books they might be reluctant to carry around in paperback or hardcover form. But those enjoying literary fiction and narrative nonfiction still lean toward printed books.

What is the publishing industry supposed to do with this news? Every time it seems a trend is sticking, it turns out to be just a trend. And like most trends, they shift directions. Is it any wonder it's hard to get traditionally published these days.

As a reader, what do you think of this news? Do you think Carr is right? Does it change your thoughts on buying a multipurpose device like an iPad for a child you know?

WSJ Wednesday - Christmas Trees

This issue of WSJ Wednesday is going to be fun. In case you never noticed, I love Christmas. I haven't had a lot of time to blog about decorating, but my goal since we moved in is to have every room in the house decorated. I came close one year, but then I lost a couple of my trees.

In the Wednesday, November 7, 2012 edition of The Wall Street Journal, Shelly Banjo wrote an article titled, "Svelte for the Holidays." This article discusses the fad of slim Christmas trees. Retailers claim real and fake trees in leaner sizes are very popular this year. In response, some retailers are only carrying slim models or expanding their offering of slim trees. Christmas tree growers are cultivating slim versions of popular species.

One of the reasons slim trees are growing in popularity is that they complement sleek, modern decor. They also fit nicely in apartments. Banjo says that suburbanites buy in quantity, placing trees in every room of the the house. Now, that's what I'm talking about.

Family room tree - handmade ornaments

The article also mentions themes, which is something I do each year. We have trees with the following themes: angels, snowmen, collectibles, handmade ornaments, and snowflakes and icicles. The Lil Diva and the Lil Princess have their own trees: pink and purple respectively.

Each year, I try to do something a little bit different. I have tons of decorations. Some years I put out everything. Others, I leave some of the older items in the basement. This year, I'm switching around where I place the trees. The large one will remain in the family room. Though I prefer it in the formal living room that faces the street, so it can be visible from the window, the rest of the family likes it in the room we use most.

Usually the snowman tree sits on the hope chest in the bonus room, where it is visible from the street. We have a long driveway, so more lights in the windows make our house look more festive. The tree with the collectibles usually is placed on the balcony looking over the foyer. Even though the collectibles tree is relatively small (6 1/2 feet), it sticks out more than I would like, blocking the entrance to the Lil Princess' bedroom. That's part of why I'm switching them this year. The snowman tree is only 4 feet tall, so I can push it closer to the corner of the stairs.

What I've really wanted for a long time is a slim, pop-up tree like the ones featured at Brylane Home. Talk about easy. The main reason I haven't done it is because I'm not a huge fan of pre-lit trees. When they first came out, I thought they were great. Having owned several, I can tell you I'm not hot to purchase any more. I can rarely find the bulb that has burned out, so I ended up buying new lights to string on the tree anyway. In addition, when you have to remove the pre-strung lights it's a pain because they are clipped on. There's also the challenge of moving a pre-lit tree. They sometimes come in two pieces, so you if you need to take them apart to move them, the lights get moved around. I would much rather buy lights I can take on and off each year, even if it takes me extra time to put the tree up.

How many trees do you put up for Christmas? What's your favorite decoration?

WSJ Wednesday - Kitchens

Can you imagine having a 5,000 square foot great room with plush furniture, fireplaces, multiple flat screens and hidden appliances? No, me either, but the pictures are great to look at.

In Candace Jackson's article, "The Kitchen That Ate the House," featured in the Friday, November 16, 2012 edition of The Wall Street Journal, we get a glimpse of some mighty fine eating spaces and open floor plans. I'm much more of a traditional than contemporary kind of person, so the sleek Artesio kitchen didn't do much for me. I loved the conversion of a two-car garage into an 800-square-foot kitchen. I like how the white makes it seem more roomy, but I know that would also make it harder to keep clean.

When we built our house, I didn't think much of how small our kitchen would be. I worked full-time and spent only a couple of hours in it a day. Now that I'm home, and considering how the kitchen seems to be the place everyone hangs out when we entertain, I'm hoping we get a chance to add on and make the space more user friendly. I've been saving clips from magazines to inspire ideas. While it's unlikely I'll ever own a home worthy of being featured in the paper or a magazine, I can still make the kitchen something I love.

WSJ Wednesday - Do We Need More Teachers?

This edition of WSJ Wednesday comes to you thanks to an opinion article by Jay P. Greene, a professor of education reform at the University of Arkansas, from the Tuesday, October 9, 2012 issue.

Greene opens his article, "The Imaginary Teacher Shortage," by stating that President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney have one thing in common:  they believe, "We need more teachers." Greene believes, however, the teacher labor force should shrink. Here's the logic behind his opinion:

• In 1970, public schools employed 2.06 million teachers, or one for every 22.3 students.
• In 2012, there are 3.27 million teachers, or one for every 15.2 students.
• Math and reading scores for 17 year olds remain virtually unchanged since 1970.
• Estimates of high school graduation rates show no progress--about 75% of students complete high school then and now.*

According to Greene, while the teacher labor force has grown by almost 50% over the past 40 years, the average salary has only grown 11%. He believes we would be better off hiring fewer better-paid teachers, which would also reduce the amount spent on pension and health benefits. These costs have risen much higher than salaries in cost per teacher over the past four decades, he states. 

Greene also believes the money spent on additional teachers could be used to develop and purchase innovative educational technology. He admits educational technology is still young, but mentions free classes from Coursera offered for those in higher education and taught by the best professors in the world. Some K-12 charter schools in California and Arizona have the computers doing most of the teaching, while the teachers act as "tutors, problem-solvers, and behavior managers." While this is occurring outside of the public school model, Greene believes this could offer much more individualized instruction with fewer teachers. 

What are your thoughts on this issue? Have the stats mentioned in this article changed your mind about the need for more teachers?

* Stats provided by the U.S. Department of Education's Digest of Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress, and D.O.E. reports. 

WSJ Wednesday - Not Enough Apple Pickers

After a hiatus that lasted way too long, I hope to bring back WSJ Wednesday on a regular basis. It was a popular column, and even I miss it.

A big topic in this election cycle has been lack of jobs. Unemployment levels are high. It seems businesses are laying off or closing every time you turn around. My experience as a homeowner, however, and a recent article from The Wall Street Journal makes me wonder if that's the entire picture.

In "Many Apples, Few Pickers" by Joel Millman, the topic is the lack of workers to pick bumper apple crops in Washington state. Washington is enjoying the second biggest apple crop in its history, but some farmers are stating that up to one-quarter of their bounty will rot because there aren't enough pickers. Featured in the Wednesday, October 10, 2012 edition of the paper, the article is accompanied by three photographs: one of a farm worker, another of help wanted signs in eastern Washington, and a graph from the U.S. Department of Agriculture on fresh apple production in Washington between 2000 and 2011.

Why in such a tight economy are farmers having a difficult time finding workers? A crackdown on illegal immigration, in addition to a modest economic rebound that has provided immigrants more opportunities in construction, landscaping and restaurants is said to have shrunk the pool of potential workers.

According to the Department of Numbers, the unemployment rate in Washington state in August 2012 was 8.6%, slightly higher than the national average of 8.1%. Farmers are increasing their pay rates in Washington to attract workers, but if what is reported is true, they aren't getting bites. Why? Are the unemployed not interested in such labor? I know I'm more picky about the job opportunities I'm looking for at this stage in my life. While retail is an area I spent over 10 years in, I haven't exactly pursued opportunities in this area during my current job search. My fear is that they wouldn't offer me the flexibility I need as a working mom. Perhaps I'm wrong and should expand my search.

One other thing I'm noticing is that contractors seem to be begging for business, but are still particular about the business they want or lack proper customer service. I received a flyer in our local paper about a special promotion for lawn aeration. I've been putting it off for years, so I figured I would call up this company and see what they could do for me. As expected, they were out of the office when I called, but no one has gotten back to me in the two weeks since. If this is how they treat a potential new customer, what must their current clientele have to deal with for response time? Our church has attempted to hire four different electricians to fix an issue over at the pastor's house since early this year. No one has ever followed up and the repair remains undone.

While this is a simplistic way to look at the tight job market, it remains an important topic in the election. How do illegal immigrants influence unemployment numbers? What should be done about that situation? Do some unemployed people prefer to collect than work certain types of jobs? What can realistically be done about getting people back to work?

Mom-Approved Song Lyrics

In the Thursday, August 2, 2012 edition of The Wall Street Journal, I read an article by Katherine Rosman titled, "Inside the Hit Factory for Kids." The article is a feature on the Kidz Bop franchise, which covers popular songs, substituting mom-approved lyrics.

This article gets me to thinking more and more about how music and television influence our young people. The Lil Diva (now 11, then 10) danced to three numbers this year--all of which were to songs I didn't care for:  "Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO, "Turn Me On" by Niki Minaj, and Enrique Iglesias's "I Like It." While I expressed my displeasure, the overall feeling was that the girls were getting older and this type of music is appropriate for their age group.

I disagree. The version of "Party Rock Anthem" was not the vulgar one, but the other two songs were the standard radio versions. What 10-year-old should be thinking about being turned on by a guy or dancing to a song that obviously has nothing to do with dancing? The lyrics of "I Like It" are:

Girl, please excuse me
If I'm coming too strong
But tonight is the night
We can really let go

My girlfriend's out of town
And I'm all alone
Your boyfriend's on vacation
And he doesn't have to know

No, oh, oh, oh, oh
No one can do the things
I'm gonna wanna do to you

No, oh, oh, oh, oh
Shout aloud, screaming loud
Let me hear you go

So, we have a guy coming onto a girl at a club, encouraging her to cheat on her boyfriend. Nice. Oh, and let's not forget no one can do the things to her that he can and there will be screaming involved. Yes, that sounds appropriate for a group of 10- and 11-year-old girls. 

I almost flipped when I heard the Lil Diva's teacher played "I'm Sexy And I Know It" in her classroom. Many of her teachers have played music, but they've avoided the racier songs.

I think it really hits home when a little girl like Sophia Grace Brownlee is singing "Super Bass" by Niki Minaj which talks about a nice looking guy that she wants to kiss on the lips because he's the kind of dude she's looking for. He's a hell of a guy after all and somebody better tell him who the eff she is. Now, she's on Ellen and everyone thinks it's so cute she's singing Niki's songs.

As a writer, I appreciate freedom of speech. I'm not one of those people who is going to go after the music industry and try to get albums removed from the market. It comes down to choices--choices we as parents make for our kids. We can't always control what our children are exposed to outside of our homes, but we can control what they are exposed to inside. We can also balance what they are exposed to elsewhere by having meaningful discussions with them about why we are opposed to certain things. My girls and I often have these discussions in the car, but I like to have them here at home too, when I can provide them with my full attention.

One of the greatest things about the Lil Diva getting older is that she can truly understand what I'm saying. She can listen to what I have to say and make her own decision. Many times she comes to a conclusion similar to mine. That might not always be the case, but the foundation is being laid for her, so she has something to build on.

What do you think about today's lyrics? Do you monitor what music your kids listen to?

WSJ Wednesday - Fate of the USPS

The Wall Street Journal, and many others, published articles on the now confirmed default of the United States Post Office to make a required annual $5.5 billion payment to a health-benefits fund managed by the Treasury.

According to a NetBase Solutions, Inc. poll that was printed in the Saturday/Sunday, July 28 - 29, 2012 issue of The Wall Street Journal, 54% of those surveyed are Anti-Post Office. A person is quoted as saying he can't wait for the USPS to close. Others complain about the personalities of the workers. The 44% of those who defend the USPS state the Post Office isn't too bad. The workers are personable considering what they have to deal with. One person is quoted as saying the USPS delivers for FedEx and UPS in more rural areas. The remaining 2% are making jokes about the whole thing.

My own experience with the USPS has been mostly pleasant. I ship all my prize giveaways through them, and I have never had anyone come back to me and complain about a lost or damaged item. In addition, the workers in our mail facility are great: always helpful and always pleasant.

Why is the USPS in such financial trouble? The increased usage of electronic mail and online bill payments are definitely part of the problem, but what business could remain solvent when forced to pre-fund a health-benefits fund for so many workers? It certainly seems, too, that Congress isn't making life easy in other ways. Check out this article from Economy Watch on NBC News.

I happen to like the Post Office. Even if the cost of  a first-class stamp went up 50 cents I would use it. Could they be more efficient? Perhaps. I don't know enough about it to say one way or the other. I just feel it's important for it to be available for those who still use it.