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Holiday Saving Tips: How to Grow Your Christmas Nest Egg
Published on - October 3rd, 2011 (by Sierra Black)
This post is from staff writer Sierra Black. Sierra writes about frugality, sustainable living, and raising children at Childwild.com.
Autumn is here and the leaves are just starting to turn. Believe it or not, that means it's time to start thinking about the holiday season. Holiday expenses can pile up quickly. Planning ahead saves you sticker shock and can spare you a steep credit card bill in the new year.
Careful planners have laid out their holiday budget well in advance and saved for it all year long. It's not like the holiday season is a surprise, after all! A generation ago, it was common for housewives to be part of a "Christmas club" at their local bank, which was just a targeted savings account where you saved a little cash each week and got it back in a lump sum before the holidays.
But what if you haven't laid aside a nice nest egg for holiday shopping, travel and entertaining? Well, it's never too late to start. Getting on the holiday savings bandwagon now will help you create a buffer between you and all those extra bills.
How can you do it?
Begin with a budget
Start with a budget of expected expenses. You probably know at least roughly what you spend year to year. If you've been tracking your spending, you can even look back at the past few Decembers and get a more detailed feel for what your expenses have been.
Don't just look at what you spend at the mall. Gifts are probably a big chunk of your holiday budget, but they're not everything. You also need to consider added costs for food and drink if you entertain during the holidays. Travel costs are a factor if you visit relatives, whether it's a road trip to Grandma's or an international flight.
Then there are all the little expenses:
- The gifts for your child's classroom teacher, and the secretary at your office.
- Yankee swap (or white elephant) items.
- A bottle of wine for the hostess at each of the four holiday parties you attend.
- A dress for New Year's Eve — and new shoes to go with it.
Once you've looked over your expense records for last year (or wracked your memory if you've just gotten on the personal finance bandwagon and don't have last year's records), it's time to sketch out a budget. I like to be specific in my holiday budgeting. I make a "Santa's list" of gifts I expect to buy. I jot down rough expenses for the annual holiday party I host: how much I expect to spend on booze, food and sundry party supplies. I budget out any trips we're going to take, like visiting my father for Thanksgiving.
This may sound tedious, but I find it really fun. In general I use more detailed budgeting than J.D. does, so I may be predisposed to finely tuning things. If you prefer a looser method, you need only figure out how much your total spending from, say, mid-November through New Year's exceeded your regular monthly spending. That's how much extra cash you'll need to cover your holiday expenses.
If you're like me, you probably want to take a more detailed approach. In the case of my holiday budget, it's not a chore at all. It's sort of an anticipatory activity. I sit down with my husband and plan out what we want to do for the kids this year. I get to imagine how my party will be, and think about what kinds of food and drink I'll serve. Checking on airfares to Tucson is a chance to think about the Thanksgiving meal I'll share with my father, and how happy he'll be playing with my kids. I'm looking ahead to the things I enjoy about the holiday season, while I'm figuring out what each one will cost me. It helps me keep my expectations realistic, and gives me a chance to savor the time with friends and family that I'm looking forward to.
Starting to save
Once you've figured out your budget, in whatever level of detail is comfortable for you, it's time to save that money.
Money doesn't come from nowhere. To save up a chunk of cash over a few months, you'll probably want to employ several strategies.
- The first thing you can do is cut back on your discretionary spending. Stop eating out, scale back on entertainment. Stay in with Netflix and a good homemade meal a few times, and you'll save a decent chunk of cash. Taking a close look at your spending habits will probably highlight some other things you can cut back on: shopping, subscriptions, travel. The usual suspects. If you've been managing your finances closely for even a little while, you probably have a good idea of what your personal money sinks are. You know what can be cut for a short period of belt-tightening. Now is the time to do it if you want to splurge over the holiday season.
- Once you've cut back your discretionary spending, look at ways to bring in more cash. Some people pick up part-time jobs around this time of year: plenty of places need seasonal workers, from stores at the mall to apple orchards. You can easily pick up a short-term gig doing something that may not thrill your soul, but will put extra cash in your pocket.
- Alternately, you can look at earning money from a hobby or talent. Maybe you can schedule some portrait sessions, or make some money busking in the subway. You might be able to hang out your shingle doing some bike repair or odd jobs around people's homes. Craft fairs and shops offer opportunities for knitters and crafters to sell their creations. Putting in some extra hours and effort with your creative work this season might well pay off in extra fun money right when you need it.
- Finally, you can sell stuff. Possibly even some of last year's Christmas presents. You surely have old DVDs, sports equipment or other useful things in good condition that you are never going to use again. Selling your unwanted goodies is a bit of an art. Some people, like J.D., are great at it. Others find it's more of a hassle than a lucrative hobby.
However you decide to approach saving for the holidays, have fun with it. Not only is it a good idea to put by some extra money for the upcoming season, but it'll give you good practice at setting a financial goal and meeting it.
Now is also a good time to start planning if you want to make gifts. For example, homemade cookie mixes, bread mixes, etc. can be ideal teachers' gifts, hostess gifts, etc. You can start budgeting for them now and start stocking up on ingredients you might need, such as chocolate chips, nuts, spices, etc., so you have them when you're ready to prepare them.
The problem there is that a lot of that goes on sale around Christmas (sometimes Thanksgiving), so it is cheaper to buy it closer to the day.
But budgetting for the baking too is a good point. I made 400 cookies last year… that is a LOT of flour!
400 cookies!?!?! That is so impressive. I will be in awe the rest of the day
Interesting thing about flour though. Sometimes, it seems like a lot but isn't so much when you sit down and add it up. I'm not sure about your cookies, but I do know about cupcakes. I made 180 cupcakes for a friend's wedding this summer (at my mom's house, because I live across the country from where I grew up). I bought all sorts of extra supplies, just in case, so I wouldn't have to run out while baking. I ended up using less than a bag of flour for all those cupcakes, and I was pretty shocked at how far it went.
More than anything, I see this as an encouragement to bake for the holidays (or anytime). Ingredients, unless you do something esoteric, are not really that expensive. A little can go a long way.
butter and eggs can kill your savings though- i always forget about them. heaven forbid you make a bad batch- i ended up spending a pretty penny on a batch of cookies after i completely wrecked the batter the first time around and had to make it all over again.
I agree and the baking went over really well as gifts too.
The flour did last longer than I thought but a lot of the other ingredients did add up.
And I bought cheap but pretty bowls from the dollar store and lined them with tissue and cellophane. Wrapped the whole thing in cellophane and ribbon.
It worked great, but was time consumming and not as inexpensive as I thought it would be.
I budget all year long for holiday gifts. It's a part of my monthly spending/saving plan. I also shop and buy holiday gifts all year long as well. I buy alot of items on clearence after the holidays are over. My MIL loves Santas so I pick up a really nice one each January to give to her the next Christmas. My favorite discounted gift this year is for my sister. She's geting a lovely scarf and gloves that originally where very expensive but purchased on clearence in February were very reasonable.
This year, I'm also going to remember to cross-check my list with the $50 for $40 offers that are on the Discover card site for buying with your rebated money. Then I can use my 1-5% rebate to buy 20% discounted gift cards to shop the sales.
I always remember that I *should* do this about December 15th when it's a little late to implement!
Seeing as though it's only the beginning of October, it does sound a little weird to be saying "last-minute" holiday savings… when we still have two months. That being said, you're completely right! When you think about two months in terms of saving money for gifts– especially if they're going to be BIG gifts– it isn't much time at all! In addition to cutting back on costs, if you're looking to earn some *extra* money for holiday spending this year, you might consider picking up a side hustle or small, side job. Two months might be kind of tight if you're just cutting back expenses to save, but if you are actually pulling in more money, it should be plenty of time! At Mango Money we have a post on side hustles– check it out for some ideas! http://www.mangomoney.com/blog/how-to/earn-extra-income-with-a-side-hustle
My bank offers a holiday saving account. I have all my holiday expenses figured out, plus a little buffer. I then have that automatically taken out of every paycheck and deposited in my account. The holiday account plays interest on Oct 31st every year, and then transfers the entire balance to my checking account on Nov 1st automatically. It works great for me.
It's scary that this is all happening so soon, but if you want to be wise at the holidays, now is the time to start planning. Another advantage to start saving for the holidays: less shock come January when you open the bills! Thanks for reminding everyone
I've been trying for the last few years to get the family (now that the youngest grandchild is an adult) to move towards either "experience gifts" or donations in our names.
No luck so far – the hold out is my dad! But I HAVE got them to give specific lists of what they would like.
For the first time Dad actually did this, and I found EXACTLY (orchastra, conductor, date recorded, condition of the EP) the vinyl he wanted for 1/3 the price he found it at
A bit of advanced warning means I can 'bargain shop'
I think doing many targeted savings accounts ends up too complicated. It is easier to do one discrectionary account for all vacation/holiday/rainy days.
This year I've been focusing on planning ahead to enjoy the holiday season without spending so much money. Limiting my baking, going to less parties and not exchanging gifts are the obvious answers, but leave a hole. I'm co-doing a small gingerbread house with my sister in law in place of all my usual baking, so that should work out, but in leading discussions with my parents and siblings about not exchanging gifts this year (4 of the 5 of us have spent the majority of the year job hunting, and I know I just can't come close to the gift giving I've done in the past)I feel like I'm 'canceling christmas'. We've talked about a secret santa exchange or all pooling a smaller amount of money to give as a family to charity, but then what do we do on Christmas morning? I feel like particularly with Christmas changing traditions are hard. It might make a good follow up to this article.
You should read "The Grinch who Stole Christmas" and remember that "Christmas doesn't come from a store…" There are so many things you could do to enjoy family time and not spend any money or minimal money. Each person in your family could write down what they have appreciated about the others and read it on Christmas morning, you could all volunteer at a soup kitchen or shelter, attend a religious service, watch a movie, make a meal together, play games, take a winter walk somewhere, go to a zoo (sometimes these are open every day because they still have to take care of the animals), call some long-distance relatives as a group and sing them a carol…. these are only ideas I thought of in 5 minutes, I am sure there are many more! Merry Christmas!
My family generally spends 2-3 days together for the holidays, we do attend religious services, make many meals together, go for walks, and watch holiday movies. None of those things can be a replacement for sitting down together around the tree in our pajamas sharing in decades of family tradition.
I'm thinking playing a board game may reproduce some of the 'on the floor in pajamas acting like children' feelings. But as a family we play boardgames year round. I'm not sure how to make it 'christmas-y' or really how to make anything 'christmas-y' that's not already established tradition. This is my actual problem, not that I'm too stupid to think of a different way to spend 1-2 hours of my time. But thanks anyway for your patronizing reply Beth.
Also, hunger is a year round problem, donating one schmaltzy morning of volunteering in one of the biggest holiday cliches ever is more of an insult than a help.
I get what you're saying since I love opening presents. (Even if we no longer give them.)How about a secret santa where you play a game of trying to guess who gave what to whom? Make it part of the game that you want it to be really hard to guess.
Or a yankee swap. I love them. And they are cheap. You never know what everyone will want!
Or you could think up a new tradition, like everyone brings supplies to decorate your gingerbread houses and you pick teams and compete with someone acting as the judge.
The first year may seem blander or strange, but as the years go by the NEW traditions will solidify.
RE: Volunteering on Christmas…
I get the whole desire to volunteer on Christmas, but homeless shelters and such places need their MOST dedicated and well trained people on the most difficult day of the year. They do not need to babysit uselss volunteers who have no idea what to do or where anything is. If you want to do good, donate and start your volunteering in the new year or call this week and say you want to help.
I think now is the perfect time to start thinking about holiday shopping (for those who haven't already). This was a good reminder to me to create a savings goal in my account. Otherwise, I've been saving my credit card rewards. I will probably cash them in and use that to pay for the majority of my Christmas gifts this year.
Just have to say that Xmas shopping for me is always very easy, not expensive, and I never have to hit a mall (or the Mall of America, in my backyard). I go to local boutiques, gift shops, etc. and never fight for parking. I've often shopped on the 23rd, and found just what works.
With a very small family, and no one that really needs anything, we go for something fun or unique, but not costly. My father is in assisted living and doesn't need any dust-ables. My brother always flies, so his gift needs to fit in his suitcase. His girlfriend likes to bead, so I often get her jewelry. He likes to give me gift cards to Nordstrom. My father enjoys us spending time with him, cooking favorite meals, and hanging out. We let him pay when we go out to eat, as he likes to do that as well.
I probably spend about $100 in total. For me, it's about spending time with my family. I know that any year could be the last for my father, and just want to enjoy quality time with him, while being in a casual, relaxed mode.
I have a gifts envelope that needs to be be refilled to get ready for xmas now that the grand-child birthday season is over. At our local credit union they have a santa account that is piggy backed on to your savings account. It gives 4% interest and the amount is always transferred into your main acount at the beginning of Oct. If you do not want it for xmas you can put the amount back into the Santa account for another year. $2500 max.
What a great post! I'm hoping my Christmas spending comes way under what I want it to be.
I don't celebrate Christ's Mass. If I spend money, it will be to fly South while everyone freezes in the Northern Hemisphere.
Wow, time is going by so fast the thought of the holidays has not even entered mind, but thanks for the tips, At least I'll know what to do when I start saving.
For me, the best way to save money over the holidays is not to make a fuss over them. Cut back on gifts and commercialism.
Is a new dress and shoes really needed? Holiday shopping? Do we looking for an excuse?
If I have the means and inclination, I will buy a gift for someone else (or myself). But I resent the idea that an externally defined date, unrelated to my values, dictates that I should buy things.
For me spending time with family over holidays (and vacation) is important, I budget for that. But, the rest has become too much of a commercial consumerist fashion parade.
- bah humbug –
And another thing: Why do we accept the playing dreck Xmas tunes in public spaces for 4 months of the year?
thanks for the reminder. it is the ipod-and-giant-headphones shopping season.
I don't spend a ton on gifts, but I do budget ahead for airfare starting in the summer. It seems we can never get by spending less than $1k on flights to go home.
This year we're trying really hard not to go beyond our two main sources of Christmas present funding.
The first source is our coin change which we save all year. I turn it into the coinstar in November and get an Amazon gift card, which is as good as cash to me. It's normally around $600.
Our second source is credit card points which really go quite far since we always spend a good deal at Gamestop – $80 Discover Cash translates into $100 at Gamestop. This April I got $500 cash back from Discover for spending $2000 each month from July to December 2010. Since our bare bones monthly spending on gas, groceries, and recurring bills like cable and car insurance comes to more than $1800, the 2k per month was no sweat for us. With five kids, something else always comes up – dentist, glasses, new shoes, etc.
I don't know if we'll reach our goal of not spending beyond our two Christmas funds this year but we're sure going to try.
I'm glad to hear someone else mentioning the fact that you should save up for holiday expenses all year long. I mentioned that on my blog too. You should always save up for known expenses, otherwise you'll be in debt forever. Right now, you should be 3/4 of the way saved for Christmas.
i always have christmas covered, but then valentine's day is right around the corner and i forget every year. wham! gotta remember that this year, to leave some cash for feb!
I figure there *has* to be some silver lining to divorce when it comes to the holidays. So while I'm looking at pretty much being all alone for the first time ever in my life, I will not have the usual family expenses of the holidays past And I will be playing whatever Christmas carols I want starting whenever I want.
I started xmas shopping in July. I didn't make a budget but I know how many ppl I'm shopping for and what I can spend on each person. So I decided that I would buy one gift per pay period (twice a month). Of course I use coupons, discounts whatever and I've made out very well so far. And the most important thing I'm paying cash for everything.
You can never plan too early. I recently cashed in reward points for gift cards I can use for gifts. Remember though that your purchases have to post, then the points, then you redeem… don't wait too long!
Also, I am a huge fan of the Amazon trade-in program. Check out the CDs, DVDs, Books, Video Games, and you get a pre-paid postage label and a credit to your account. I find the values often are comprable to an ebay or reseller price, but it DOES vary from item to item. Another good benefit is that your money is only good on Amazon as a credit to your account, as opposed to a paypal or cash transaction that can be spent or even lost (cash from say a flea market sale).
Also check your card and account benefits for various online sites. Best Buy Rewardzone has a shopping partner link to other retailers which includes percent off, or free shipping, or other bonuses, in addition to additional rewards.
I'm actually 25% done with Christmas shopping. Just like a budget being year round, I try to accumulate gifts year round if the deal is good enough or the gift is unique. But make a plan, ANY plan, because it's better than no plan at all.
A couple years ago I was just coming off being unemployed, broke, and saving for a cross-country move. I decided I was making a hot cocoa basket for everyone. I intended to make my own mix, but time got away from me and I had to buy packets. I spent $74 and made gifts for 21 people. Everyone got a basket (couples got gifted in one basket), a mug, a decorative baggie full of cookies, a bag of marshmallows, and 3 packets of hot cocoa mix. The best part? It was the first Christmas that my mother wasn't buying the extended family their gifts from me. (It was also the last, but now it's just to keep from shipping them cross-country and ensuring I go back "home" for the holidays.)
My dad has always made trays of baked goods for the adults in the family. Now my brother has taken over that job, or they do it together. Such home-made gifts are accepted, and for that I am grateful.
A quick way to add $25 to your Xmas savings pot is to sign up with ING Direct. If you open an account with them and deposit at least $250 you will get a $25 bonus.
The catch is you need a referral link, but there are a bunch here: http://sicksaver.blogspot.com


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The HoverDrone: World's Smallest Remote Controlled Flying Toy
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Downtown Seattle is home to one of the most vibrant culinary scenes in the country. From the freshest in local produce and products at Pike Place Market to the dozens of gourmet restaurants established by award-winning chefs – including the newest additions of Chef Michael Mina's RN74 and Tom Douglas' Cuoco – Downtown Seattle has something for every palate, every price point and every celebration.
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Ivory poaching, elephant murder on the increase in Africa »
Vanity Fair has a great big article about the increase in illegal ivory trade in Africa. It's horrible. You should read it; I'm not going to recap the whole thing here. You can have some low-lights* first, though.
Across Africa, "roughly 100 elephants are being killed each day." Profits from ivory sales fund terrifying rebel groups, just like jewel- and ore-mining. The biggest markets for ivory right now is in East Asia, in particular China, and the Middle East. When smuggled ivory is seized, its DNA is sequenced so authorities can tell where its elephant came from. From this, we've learned that the ivory trade has increased everywhere in Africa that Chinese workers are.
The best paragraph:
Obviously, no ivory should be sold, legally or illegally. It has to be taken off the table completely. You can't keep feeding the demand and providing incentives to poor Africans to continue killing their elephants. That—and educating the Chinese—is the only hope for the remaining ones in the wild. All of Africa needs to follow the lead of Kenya, which burned its ivory stock in 1989. As he ignited the 12 tons of tusks, thus depriving the government of millions of dollars of revenue, in a huge conflagration that remains the single most important event in the history of the battle for the elephants, then president Daniel arap Moi declared, "To stop the poacher, the trader must also be stopped, and to stop the trader, the final buyer must be convinced not to buy ivory. I appeal to people all over the world to stop buying ivory."
Zimbabwe wants to feed prisoners elephant. People go on safari to shoot elephants. Most elephants, though, are killed because drought and poverty combined with the big ivory market have made killing them one of the only ways to earn money. Elephants are goddamn mystical, and murdering them is a terrible act of inhumanity. Read this entire article, cry your eyes out, be glad you're not so poor that you resort to ruining the world to feed yourself. Jesus.
*Like highlights, but depressing.
[photo by brittanyhock via flickr]
∞ posted at 14:08 by seriousmeaveness
Are "conscientious carnivores" only fooling themselves? »
Of course it's better for animals to live in comfort on a nice farm instead of a hideous feedlot before they're slaughtered for food. However, James McWilliams notes in the Atlantic, the outcome is still the same: the animals are killed, and people eat them. That's the contradiction inherent in "conscientious carnvorism"—your conscientiousness is limited by the violence of your diet. McWilliams' essay is interesting; he asserts that focus on "happy meat" "narrow[s] our moral vision," which is the same point abolitionists make when arguing against so-called humane regulations to meat industry practices.
It's a valid argument, too. What do you think? Are you pro- or anti-conscientious carnivorism? What do you think of the Humane Society's and United Egg Producers' proposed legislation that would improve conditions for layer hens? Would it be more profitable for us animal advocates to work toward a vegan world, or making small changes to a system to which we are morally opposed?
Of course it doesn't matter what we do, we're all going to die of murderous stealth E. coli and antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea in five years, unless the Japanese people eating radioactive cow develop magical mutant powers and rescue us from the disastrous effects of global warming. The world is super fucking fucked.
∞ posted at 12:12 by seriousmeaveness
Things that make you go WTF: monkeys chained to tightrope-walking goats »
Life lesson number one, my friends: if you ever find yourself chaining a monkey to a goat, you are doing something wrong.
Apparently this is a thing. I saw the above picture on that goats on stuff blog. Then I did a search and found all these other pictures of other goats on tightropes with monkeys on them. WTF?! The world is totally effed. I'm kind of over it. We should all just drink poison and have an end-of-the-world party. Just kidding! I hate group activities.
As far as I can tell from the various sites these pics are posted on, these are all from zoos in China. Jesus Christmas, China! Get your shit together! This isn't cool. Have you all heard of this? Can I get a resounding WTF?
∞ posted at 09:20 by youtalkfunny
Monkey-dog rodeo: infuriating abomination of nature! Plus ridiculous costumes! »
I had a horrifying, violent nightmare about monkey abuse the other night, so it's fitting that the dumbest idea ever should come across my radar: a monkey-dog rodeo out of Tupelo, Miss.
Rodeos are bad enough, but this is downright stupid. I mean, the ex-bullfighter who runs it goes by "Wild Thang," so that should give you a clue. But really, Tim Lepard? Monkeys and dogs don't go together. You strap white-throated Capuchin monkeys to dogs, call them the "Ghost Riders," and make them herd a group of sheep onto a Dodge.* THIS IS NOT GRABBING LIFE BY THE HORNS.
∞ posted at 14:49 by sarahmsmart
Get ready to cry forever: graphic footage captured at E6 Cattle Co. in Texas »
[Can't see the video? Watch it on Vegansaurus.com]
Welcome to the dairy industry. This video was filmed over two weeks in March by Mercy for Animals at E6 Cattle Co., a dairy cattle ranch that raises calves for dairy production. The end of the video says "Go vegetarian" but that's not going to help a dairy calf much, will it?
From Dairyherd.com,* "'The actions in this video do not reflect the practices of the thousands of hard-working dairy farm families across the U.S. who care for their animals every day,' the [Dairy Management Inc.] statement said. 'Dairy farmers and their employees take this responsibility very seriously. Texas' dairy farmers, as well as dairy farmers across the country, are as outraged by this video as the public.'"
Because that's where we get our milk from, thousands of good old-fashioned dairy farm families. NOT.
From KCBD-TV** in Lubbock, Texas, "The owner of E6 Cattle Company issued a statement saying, 'I take full responsibility for what happened in the video. I am embarrassed and disappointed. The four men in the video have been fired. This is not what we do at the ranch and it will never happen again.'"
"Embarrassed and disappointed" are not really the first words that come to my mind; more like "horrified and disgusted." But this guy is disappointed. I'm sure before he fired the four men, he made them clap erasers in the back of the classroom.
What these four men did is appalling, but making them take the brunt of the blame irritates me. A company that is in charge of the life and death of living beings should be able to supervise and manage their own house. Know what I'm saying? But instead of cleaning up the industry, I'm thinking Texas might be the next state in line to ban undercover videos. It's especially repulsive because this systemic abuse is revealed again and again, and it's always blamed on rogue employees. Dude, you can't put people in a factory farm or a slaughterhouse and not expect them to become a shell of a human being. Yes, I blame the workers who did this, but mainly I blame everyone who sits down to a tall cold glass of
misery-mucus milk every morning. It's the human demand for the milk of another animal (gross!) that leads to this kind of behavior—every asshole with their bowl of morning cereal is directly responsible for the gross abuse you see in that video. It'd be less gross to milk your dog and just drink that shiz. 1) PUKE and 2) You know it's true!
For a little chaser, so we all don't go crazy and start chopping heads, let's watch the story of Billy, a little calf who was rescued from a similar fate by a very caring average Joe:
[Can't see the video? Watch it on Vegansaurus.com]
*My new favorite news authority
**My new second favorite news authority
∞ posted at 12:20 by youtalkfunny
One-fourth of meat is filled with multi-drug-resistant staph! »
Yum! When your friends and family chow down on that burger, they're not just eating fat, cholesterol, and rotting flesh, they're also consuming antibiotics the animals are shot up with to keep them alive. Tasty! There are a million five-year-olds ordering Chicken McNuggets as I type this, and they have no clue their meals are served with a side of C-cup boobs before they're seven and an early menstrual cycle! And that's just the boys! Ugh, the whole piece in Wired is super interesting and definitely something to pass on to the meat-eaters in your life.
I think the best/worst parts are (because everyone wants my opinion!):
"We know already that most food-borne illness occurs not because of undercooked food" in which pathogens survived, Price said. "It's from mishandling in the kitchen and cross-contamination. I think there is a risk of these strains contaminating a local environment. We don't know what that risk is, because it has never been evaluated—but anyone who dismisses that risk is doing so without any data."
All those people you know who are like, "Fuck it! I cook the shit out of my meat and I'll live forever!" Let them know it doesn't matter.
And also:
Shelley Hearne, managing director of the Pew Health Group, told me: "The bottom line is, the more we use antibiotics in injudicious ways, the more we are compromising our ability to save human lives in the future."
No fucking doy, but it's nice to hear it from someone who doesn't respond to information like this by saying, "No fucking doy." You know? Sometimes science is our friend!
∞ posted at 14:04 by laurahooperb
Agriculture subsidies are FUCKED »
Here's some shit to get super-pissed about. Unfortunately it has to do with the government and so we can't do jack shit because we have no real power. Yay 21st-century livin'! Who knew freedom cost so much?? Seriously, if you guys want to take to the streets over this, I'm with you. I've got a flak jacket and a breast pump (don't ask, the answer is too sexy for you), there ain't nothing I can't do. Let's unite! And rebel! For realz. But first, here's why.
Did you know that 63 percent of agricultural subsidies go to meat and dairy? BULLSHIT! If news of even more bullshit, less than 1 percent of agricultural subsidies go to fruits and vegetables. Check out the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine's new report on agriculture policies, and be shocked and depressed. AND READY FOR ACTION!
Seriously, if we don't take to the streets of the capital to protest this, the least we can do is send that chart to everyone and their mother and your mother and like, Gawker, because everyone's mother reads that. What is going on with our moms? Anyway, spread the word, because maybe if enough of us get really crazy about it, we might actually get some attention. We can't let this shit slide! We're so concerned about our children's future that we're singing songs about it (i.e., very concerned) but we're not really doing shit! RISE UP! But first, I need a donut.
Part of the Problem
∞ posted at 11:51 by laurahooperb
Dinner never looked so cute: The friend/food dichotomy »
It's lambing season apparently and the Guardian has the story in pictures. "Up to 300 ewes are lambing at Barracks Farm in Fetcham, Surrey. The farm is owned by the Conisbee family who supply their own butchers shops in nearby Horsley. The business has been run by generations of the family for more than 250 years." I wonder what they used before spray-paint? I guess it's better than branding. But most stuff is, eh?
These cute lambs numbered for death got me thinking and I'll tell you: I don't get people. How do they eat stuff like lamb? Everyone knows lamb are adorable fuzzy childhood delights! There are lots of things in the non-vegan world that have names that distance them from what they actually are. Like shearling—how the fuck do you know what shearling is? I mean you know what it is eventually but it's not the same as "the skin of sheep ripped off with the fur attached." But then there's other words like, "calfskin" and I'm like WTF, calf…skin. Like, cute fuzzy baby skin. So gross! Who is like, "Calfskin? OMG, need!"
There has to be some serious damage that results in this transition where something like a lamb is loved and adored as a child and then eaten as an adult. That's, like, sick. How many children's stories center around cute little animal protagonists? You teach children to be gentle and loving through stories about sweet bunnies who preach tolerance and then you feed them bunnies! Wouldn't you be raising a bunch of confused sociopaths? But wait! Enter modern society, where violence is entertainment! It's probably all a person can do to make sense of this friend/dinner dichotomy; it's like victims of violence who perpetuate that violence to try and make sense of it or normalize it. Essentially: you're all fucked.
∞ posted at 11:09 by youtalkfunny
You know that idiot, Iowa state Rep. Annette Sweeney? She's trying to outlaw the filming of animal undercover investigations and it's the wack attack. And, oh look, she's the former executive director of the Iowa Angus Association. Quelle surprise! If I could throw up on one person today (and it's looking like it might happen, too much party-hardy for Laura), it would be that woman.
The video above is pretty amazing. In it, she talks about how undercover animal investigations are staged, right before pulling apart a display from opposing activists. OH THE IRONY. Even trying to backtrack she sounds like the idiot she is.
Unfortunately, the bill passed the Republican-dominated Iowa House, but its passage remains uncertain in the state's Democrat-controlled Senate. It could possibly be discussed in the Senate as early as today. If you're in Iowa (or can pass this on to people who live in Iowa! Along with this message: GET OUT. I joke! Looks like a great place.), please contact your state senator, and let them know that you strongly oppose the passage of S.J. 727.
∞ posted at 09:34 by laurahooperb
(Yet another) New drug-resistant E. coli! »
Well, it won't affect us vegans just yet, but I'm sure it'll make its way to us somehow. Thanks, meat mouths!
From the Wired article:
Chickens, chicken meat and humans in the Netherlands are carrying identical, highly drug-resistant E. coli—resistance that is apparently moving from poultry raised with antibiotics, to humans, via food.
I'd like to write more about how many levels of gross and fucked this whole thing is, but I'm finna board a plane to Austin! So instead, I leave you with: WE ARE FUCKED THE WORLD IS ON FIRE RUN FOR THE HILLS.
∞ posted at 09:16 by laurahooperb


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We are so very proud to be launching our latest design for Aeolidia client 1canoe2. A gorgeous letterpress stationery shop based out of a barn in our homestate of Missouri! We designed each and every page of this site, so dig deep and enjoy!
Earlier this week we launched the ecommerce site for Wayne Pate. Stop by and grab some gorgeous goods for your home! Built in Shopify, designed for Aeolidia.


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The dates for registration each semester are published in the Registration Handbook, which is printed prior to registration and is available from the
Registrar's Office. The Registration Handbook is also available on-line through the MyInfo link on the MSU Homepage. Before the beginning of each semester, the Admissions Office mails acceptance letters to new students who have been accepted for
admission, and the Registrar's Office mails letters to former students who have
submitted Intent to Register forms. A continuing student in good standing will
receive registration times and access information from academic departments.
Information on registration and course offerings is also provided in the
Registration Handbook.
During the third day of University instruction and thereafter, those
students who have registered but have not attended class may be required by
the instructor to drop the course when space and/or equipment is limited and
other students have requested to add that class. Students are not automatically
dropped; this action requires a student-initiated drop/add form.
Final grades are due within forty-eight hours after the final examination in each
course. No grade or credit will be given to students in courses for which they are not
properly registered.
Students must pay all fees at the scheduled time of fee payment. (See
semester Registration Handbook for fee payment times.)
Undergraduate students may petition to register for certain graduate-level courses either to fulfill undergraduate requirements or to reserve for future application to a graduate program. Undergraduate students also may petition to reserve 400-level courses outside their undergraduate major for possible application to a graduate program. Reserved 400-level courses may be applicable to either the major or minor areas of a graduate program. A successful petition must meet all of the following criteria:
The student is of senior standing.
The student has a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.25.
All prerequisites for the course(s) have been completed.
The course does not have "graduate standing" or an equivalent prerequisite.
The student has not reserved more than nine (9) credits total of all 400- and graduate-level courses taken prior to completion of a baccalaureate degree.
The petition does not include any of the following courses for either registration or reservation: 470, 570, 589, 590, 689, 690.
The petition is filed prior to registering for the course.
The student, through a petition, has received approval from the head of the department offering the course, the head of the department from which the student will receive the bachelor's degree, the instructor(s), and The Graduate School.
A graduate-level course approved by petition may be used either for fulfilling undergraduate or graduate program requirements, but not for both. The student must indicate on the petition form the intended use of the registered/reserved course credits.
Undergraduate senior students with financial aid should be aware that credits reserved for future application to a graduate program may affect their current financial aid eligibility.
Petition forms may be obtained from the student's departmental office or from The Graduate School.
> Back to Table of Contents


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Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart and Carlos Santana to Kick Off Co-Headlining Tour
Their 18-date North American trek will kick off on May 23 in Albany, New York, making stops along the way in St. Louis, Washington, DC and Louisville, KY.
Live Covers of Springsteen, Hendrix, the Beatles Highlight Rod Stewart Box Set
The collection will also features live takes on many of his most loved songs. Bonus: no "standards!"
Live: Rod Stewart Brings Vegas to Madison Square Garden
Where Stewart's performances are all about his persona, Winwood seems more comfortable behind his keyboards or guitar.
Rod Stewart: '2015 Is Earmarked For The Faces'
Stewart, currently on a solo tour, called in to (Radio.com station) WZLX's Carter Alan earlier today (December 2) and talked about two potential reunions.
Rod Stewart Suggests Faces/Jeff Beck Group Joint Reunion Tour
For years, surviving members of the Faces — guitarist Ron Wood, keyboardist Ian McLagan and drummer Kenney Jones — have been hoping for Rod Stewart to sign on for a reunion tour. In the meantime, they've done shows with […]
TOP 10 TUESDAY: Rod Stewart Songs
What more can you say about Rod Stewart? Today, we featured the TOP 10 songs from Rod Stewart. In case you missed it, here is the list of songs. Next week, we will feature the […]
Rod Stewart Extends Vegas Residency
Bad news for Faces fans: Rod Stewart has announced that he's extended his residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and will return with his hits-filled show for two more years beginning this fall. "I'm thrilled to […]
Revisiting The Past Helps Rod Stewart Find Inspiration For New Album 'Time'
Rod Stewart has had a long and prolific career as a member of the Faces, the Jeff Beck Group and as a solo artist: he has never gone more than four years without releasing a studio album. […]
Watch Rod Stewart's Intimate Troubadour Show Online
Thursday night (April 25), Rod Stewart took the stage at L.A.'s intimate Troubadour club in West Hollywood in front of 300 very lucky hand-selected fans. The free, invite-only gig was all in part to highlight […]
Rod Stewart Chronicles the Journey Of One Couple In Two New Videos
On Rod Stewart's new song "She Makes Me Happy" he wears his heart on his sleeve letting everyone know he's found the perfect woman. Stewart doesn't star in the video for the sweet ode to his lovely […]


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See and share Beautiful Nature Photos and amazing photos of interesting places
These Happiness Acrostic poems are examples of Acrostic poems about Happiness. These are the best examples of Happiness Acrostic poems written by international PoetrySoup poets
Most wonderful woman God gave to me
You fill my heart with so much joy and glee
Everything I will drop just to heed your call
Together with you I can face it all
Enchanting lady to my heart you hold the key
Rightfully yours from the beginning till eternity
Never will I cheat or betray your trust
Always I promise this until I turn to dust
Loving you with a love that forever will last
Warming my nights and making my days bright
Inspiration you bring makes me want to write
Fulfilling my needs in every aspect
Eternally it is you I will love and respect
So sensationally super; Sagittarius son of John Spence
Pleasantly personable, and matriarch Maud Spence's son
Enabling, exquisite, eloquent, evolving and enterprising
Naturally nice, no nonsense, and a nutritionist nobleman
Carrot consumer, constant comrade and cold-war veteran
Equitably enlightened, and just an elegant eggnog taster
Jumping Jupiter, a jubilant sundae lover, and just a jewel
Oppresso de liber, optimistically captivating; oratorical
Saintly passionate, succulent salmon sampler; sweetheart!
Exquisitely enchanting, enchantingly amatorious; éclat!
Playful, painstakingly passionate, pajama wearer, patient
Handsomely helpful handyman, harmonizer of happiness
Sweet as syrup, shining armor off the shelf; savoir-faire!
Red-blooded poetry connoisseur and radioactively lovable!
Won Seventh Place Position
"Tell Me About You Contest"
June 16, 2010
Sponsored by Amy Green
H opes of great joy to all
A lways upon other families we call
P leased to share what we have with others
P laying children warm the hearts of all today
Y elling and laughter so happy what can we say
H appy thoughts as we remember days gone by
O ld folks telling others family stories oh my
L aughter ringing out thoughout the day
I' d have been a fool if I had not visited today
D eck The Halls one among the many songs being sung
A lways in the hearts of all today is baby Jesus
Y ou can feel the love for one another always
S inging praises to and about Jesus as we wish all "Happy Holidays"
Holiday Acrostic Challenge for Francine Roberts
Carol Ann Brown
1st Place Winner
L-iving in a world of vast
souls formed from
another voided world,
E-ntering thru portals
from their world to earth.
O-ozing spetacular smell
and wail when the chips
are down.
N-urtured from cradle to
entity with a new world
to face.
O-rganizes oneself for the
task ahead,passing thru
hurdles of life unabased
and unabashed.
R-eaps the fruit of labor
with joy or heavy heart.
A-ge sets in,mission
accomplished or not will
dawn on the entity.
I-n retrospect,he thinks
about his childhood and
how life was to him.
L-iving in confidence or
shame,he bows his head
in victory or defeat.
O-nly the taste of time
will tell the durability of
his achievements.
V-oid of preference the
aim result bears the
foundation for his lineage.
E-njoyment or lack lies
with the works of the
man,for there is no food
for the slothful.
Y-oung ones,a stitch in
time saves nine,make
haste while the sun
O-iling your lamb always
like the ten virgins is the
key to success.
U-rging you to shun peer
pressure and focus on
the course marked out
for you by fate,so a
fulfilled life you shall live.
An acrostic for you
Leonora Galinita.
Earned his name~
Suffered all the pain~
Under the hands of men~
Settled with hate against him~
Compassionately he forgave them still~
He loved us then and he always will~
Rising he gave us the right to survive~
Intoxicating he is to all of our lives~
Supplying our each and every need~
Thank you father, For blessing me~
Our king above kings~
Understanding he brings~
Radiant he is indeed~
Living for Christ is the greatest thing~
Only in him may you rest in peace~
Remember each day to trust and forgive~
Divided from him is no way to live~
L ooking good she thinks, looking slim
E yeing the glow that's coming from within
K nowing that all eyes will be upon her
K neeling at the altar will be LEKKER
E very person will have eyes that stream
R econstructed legs has allowed this dream
D oesn't know when pain will ease
R emarked on the baskets of doves for release
E yes now misted over Tad must be my guide
A t the stroke of 12 ,my husband will be at my side
M aking me for sure the happiest bride
Filling minds with symphony of truth
Opening them with catalytic mystery of light
Living waters flowing like angels' robes
Lifting inspirations into the depths of brilliance
Omitting your hopeful eyes to the skies
Without blemish and aching to purify
You are so talented and true
Outstanding words that cringe in harmonies
Under and over and back to the earth
Revealing an answer that was once nothing
Drenched and battered in sweets for a recipe
Rocking and popping in slivered ecstasy
Enveloping us all in the highest reverie
Aiming at the heavens where you ought to be
My heart pours out to all of you
Someone believes in you—I do
And though the dark is soon to come
Never fear, for light will always fold it over
Dimming away into resonate and pure master-peace
No, you are free in this glistened life
Everlasting like the holy beings in perfect-pitched song
Vindicating your cause and all others to follow
Emptied only to be filled yet again
Ransomed in unremitting constancy
Give into the beauty of recycled rhapsody
Interlaced with supportive strands of genius
Veiled in humility and never lacking agility
Enshrouded with the benevolent shine of generations
Understand that you will succeed in succulent growth
People will only fail you if you give them reason to
You are an incredible addition to a lively creation
Onward the music will lead you on
Universally swirling and curling with mastered energy
Veering out and fluttering in perfect sight and sound
Eventually reaching out to the remaining shadows
Get up and look at the world around you
Obvious beauty surrounds every shady corner
Take what you may and create your renovating legacy
The symphony is playing for you
Helping you along the smooth sands of life
Intertwined in fiery drive and sifting scents
Surrounded by the resonance—and a stranger's global confidence
-inspired by the one and only Anthony Snape-
Still is the night, deep blue as the sea
The moon and I keep a rendezvous
A star reaches out, to light up my way
I won't be afraid, at the end of the day
Rising before me, is a staircase of crystal
Whispers of angels, are singing a song
As soft music plays, the soft breezes whistle
You call out my name, and lead me along
Tonight is the moment, I've waited so long!
Of wishes I've held, to see you again
The questions I've asked, I know you have heard me
Here and hereafter are just steps apart
Each step brings me closer.. Oh, be still, my heart!
So soon I'll have answers!
The place I belong, is waiting for me
All things I have longed for, I'm beginning to see
Reaching out with your hand, your smile reassures me
Stars shine in your eyes, as you wrap me in love
* * * * * * *
For Linda Marie's Contest: Stairway To The Stars
By Carrie Richards 2/17/12
Poets sharing their hearts and souls
Openly and honestly with each other
Expressing their deepest feelings
Truly understanding and caring
Rights of others shall be respected
Yearning to offer everything we can
So much variety, the spice of life
Opens many doors of knowledge
Understanding others views on life
Provides us with each others blessings
You know not a day goes by that I
don't feel like I should do more to
show you all how important you are
to me. I love you all and I'm not
ashamed to say when your poems
are sad I cry, when their happy I
laugh and when they teach I learn.
"Provides us with each others blessings"
Thats what the soup is! Thank you
"Team Poetry Soup", Michael
My beautiful you are the one that completes me
without you,I'm empty,but beautiful with you i'm complete
you are my better half
you are my Life,my Love,and my Everything
with you my beautiful I'm complete


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The Double JJ Rodeo is perfect for real cowboys, and everyone who ever dreamt of heading out West! Each Saturday during the summer watch the cowboys do their best to stay on the bucking bulls & broncs, rope cattle from the back of their horse, or race at top speed around the barrels.
Check here to view our latest JJ Journal! Full of useful information for our visitors including activity times and our guide to grub!


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Celebrity Watch
Ellen's Assistants Freak in the Walking Dead Mazeby Nikki Montgomery
By Uploaded to Commons by Xeworlebi, self created (Self created, design from the shows intertitle) [Public domain], via Wikimedia C...Read More »
Never fear POTUS is here!!by Nikki Montgomery
During a speech on Obama Care a pregnant woman nearly faints. The President sees her swaying out of the corner of his eye and steps ...Read More »
Entourage The Movie Is Gonna Happen!by Mike Mathers
BOOM! I've been waiting for a long time to hear this! It's been over 2 years since Entourage aired the series finale, but fans of...Read More »
Jennifer Hudson has never even had a drink!by Nikki Montgomery
Jennifer Hudson tells Chelsea Handler on Chelsea Lately that she's never been unsober! try{setTimeout(function(){var e={};e.$=funct...Read More »
Taylor Momsen is Freaking Everyone Outby Kristen Flowers
Here is the new music video for Taylor Momsen's Pretty Reckless "Going to Hell". Maybe it's a Halloween themed video? Maybe she is n...Read More »
Jennifer Lawrence Wows in New HG Trailerby Kristen Flowers
Are you getting excited about the new "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" movie? Me too! Katniss Everdeen is back and badder than ever...Read More »
Nelly Thinks Miley Cyrus Could Be The Next Madonnaby Mike Mathers
I didn't see this coming but it kinda makes sense. Nelly has a great comparison saying, "She knows how to use controversy to boost...Read More »
Britney Spears says she may want twinsby Nikki Montgomery
By Glenn Francis Uploaded by MyCanon (Britney Spears) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (ht...Read More »


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Start learning with our library of video tutorials taught by experts. Get started
Reviews the new features in Flex, Flash Builder, and AIR for desktop and mobile application developers.
Shows developers how to design and deploy mobile applications for the Android and iOS smartphone platforms.
An in-depth tour of the first version of Flex and Flash Builder to be targeted at mobile development.
"Keep up the good work—it's helping so many of us stay up to speed on all the many topics involved in building creative websites." —Sandra M.
more from our members »


text: Book Circle The Office of Equality & Diversity invites you to The Book Circle at the James E. Marks Intercultural Center. The Book Circle provides participants with a place to engage in a facilitated dialogue about various cultural, intercultural, and identity issues in a respectful environment that encourages openness and humility. The Book Circle meets four times a year from 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. (A complimentary lunch is provided.) A limited number of complimentary books will be available on a first-come-first-served basis at the Office of Equality & Diversity one month prior to the scheduled Book Circle. Copies of the books may also be available at Hagerty Library, Barnes and Noble Drexel and at the Free Library of Philadelphia. If you have a disability and need an accommodation, please contact Dr. Millicent Carvalho-Grevious. For more information about The Book Circle, contact Dr. Millicent Carvalho-Grevious at 215.571.3839 or by email at email@example.com. The following books have been chosen for the 2013 – 2014 academic year: Facing the Black Shadow by Dr. Marlene Watson (Fall, 2013) "This powerful book breaks the silence on the black shadow and the myth of black inferiority. It will transform the dialogue on race and slavery in this country. Dr. Watson gives clear guidelines that can help black women, men, couples and families to successfully challenge these myths and to transmit clear message to our children. Readers will find hope in the struggle, and healing for the psyche and the souls of African Americans." Nancy Boyd-Franklin, Ph. D. Author of Black Families in Therapy Marlene F. Watson, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and the former Department Chair in Couple and Family Therapy at Drexel University in Philadelphia. She is the author of the E-Book, Facing the Black Shadow, and a licensed couple and family therapist. Dr. Watson is the 2004-2005 recipient of the prestigious Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellowship. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in psychology from Howard University, Master of Arts Degree in Psychology from Long Island University, Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Virginia Tech University, Certificate in Multiculturalism from the Multicultural Institute and George Washington University, and completed an internship in marriage and family therapy at Saint Albans Psychiatric Hospital in Radford, Virginia. ONE BOOK ONE PHILADELPHIA: The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers (Winter 2014) One Book One Philadelphia at Drexel University: Frontlines, Friendships, and the Power of Fiction (A) (T) Wednesday, February 26, 2014 at 6:30PM Drexel University, Bossone Research Enterprise Center, Mitchell Auditorium, 3120 Market St.,215-895-2501 University and community panelists, including Warrior Writers, will discuss The Yellow Birds and reflect on the role of the arts and humanities in the exploration and expression of war. Drexel University, ranked by Victory Media as a military-friendly school, will draw upon its campus resources to celebrate a significant writing and to pay homage to student-veterans. This discussion will be preceded by a 5:30 p.m. reception. Quiet: The Power of Introversion in a World That Can't Stop Talking (Spring 2014) - Thursday, April 3, 2014 "A smart, lively book about the value of silence and solitude that makes you want to shout from the rooftops."-Daniel Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness Susan Cain is an American writer and lecturer, and author of the 2012 non-fiction book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, which argues that modern Western culture misunderstands and undervalues the traits and capabilities of introverted people. Cain graduated from Princeton University and Harvard Law School. She worked first as an attorney, and then as a negotiations consultant as owner and principal of The Negotiation Company. Cain has been a fellow and a faculty/staff member of the Woodhull Institute for Ethical Leadership, an educational non-profit organization. Cain left her careers in corporate law and consulting, for a quieter life of writing at home with her family. She later wrote that she looks back on her years as a Wall Street lawyer "as time spent in a foreign country." Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg (Spring, 2014) - Wednesday, May 28, 2014 "Lean In poses a set of ambitious challenges to women: to create the lives we want, to be the leaders in our work, to be partners in our homes, and to be champions of other women. Sheryl provides pragmatic advice on how women in the twenty-first century can meet these challenges. I hope women and men of my generation will read this book to help us build the lives we want to lead and the world we want to live in."- Chelsea Clinton Ms. Sheryl K. Sandberg has been the Chief Operating Officer at Facebook, Inc. since March 24, 2008. Ms. Sandberg is responsible for helping Facebook scale its operations and expand its presence globally and also managed sales, marketing, business development, human resources, public policy, privacy and communications. She served as a Vice President of Global Online Sales & Operations at Google Inc., from November 2001 to March 2008 and was responsible for online sales of Google's advertising and publishing products. She joined Google Inc. in 2001. She was also responsible for sales operations for Google's consumer products and Google Book Search. Prior to Google, Ms. Sandberg served as the Chief of Staff for the United States Treasury Department, where she helped lead its work on forgiving debt in the developing world.


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Press Release
July 11, 2010
George Jackson
Oak Lawn, Ill., High School Graduate
Wins Robert G. Porter Scholarship
SEATTLE—Christopher O'Brien, a 2010 graduate of Oak Lawn Community High School in Oak Lawn, Ill., is one of four highly accomplished high school graduates to receive a Robert G. Porter Scholarship Sunday at the American Federation of Teachers national convention.
Each year, the AFT presents an $8,000 scholarship to each of four outstanding high school seniors who are the children of AFT members. Recipients must show outstanding service to their community and plan to pursue a career in labor, education, health or government service.
In addition to excelling academically, O'Brien has been extremely active outside the classroom. He was a member of his school's conference championship track team and received the soccer team's sportsmanship award in his senior year. He also was co-captain of a team in the Relay for Life fundraiser for cancer research.
The Robert G. Porter Scholars Program is named in honor of the late AFT secretary-treasurer, who served for more than 30 years. Porter was known for his commitment to improving the quality of public education and public service.
O'Brien will be attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he plans to study nuclear engineering.
O'Brien's mother, Kathryn O'Brien, is a member of the Southwest Suburban Federation of Teachers in Orland Park, Ill.
The AFT is holding its biennial convention July 7-11 in Seattle. Coming together under the theme "Building Futures Together," more than 3,000 delegates will vote on major union policies that address the need to save and strengthen public education, build common cause with communities, and improve the institutions in which our members work.
# # # #
The AFT represents 1.5 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators.


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LANSING (WKZO) -- Former Republican state Representative Brian Palmer of Romeo is awaiting sentencing after a guilty plea to his role in a nine-million dollar Ponzi scheme while he was in office.
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette announced the plea by Palmer to one count of neglect of duty by a public official. The misdemeanor conviction carries a penalty of a fine of one-thousand dollars or a year in jail.
Palmer is the fifth person convicted in connection with a scheme by API Worldwide, Incorporate, which swindled more than 150 people from 2006 to 2012.


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By Rick Badie
A recent study shows that many of Atlanta's poor children, generally, stay poor. Those born into the bottom fifth of the income distribution ladder have a 4 percent chance of making it into the top fifth. Compare this to Salt Lake City, where the corresponding number sits at 11.5 percent, according to the Equality of Opportunity Project. Today's guest writers, who find our region's economic immobility unacceptable, weigh the issue. We also post an essay written by Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed that originally appeared in the Huffington Post.
Reduce economic immobility
By Michael Leo Owens
The American Dream is obscure for many of Atlanta's poor. A recent economic study makes it plain.
The chances that a poor metro Atlanta child will eventually earn a higher income than his or her parents is slim. Bottom-to-top movement, generationally, is unlikelier in metro Atlanta than most places in (or beyond) the South, including metro areas that economically compete with us like Charlotte and Nashville.
Income immobility in the South is partly a legacy of weak labor rights, stingy government and Jim Crow. Income immobility in metro Atlanta also results from contemporary local conditions.
Our suburbs now host unprecedented poverty. Suburban economic insecurity from unemployment and a decline in wealth are culprits. Underdeveloped suburban transit and philanthropy also foster suburban poverty. And income segregation and income inequality, two factors of lower income mobility, tighten the suburban poverty trap.
Our new, breakaway cities also stymie income mobility. Their capture and hoarding of commercial resources undermines the ethos and practice of shared responsibility to increase opportunities for all. Their deliberately low government expenditures, another factor of income immobility, reduce civic capacity to cut suburban and urban poverty. Their existence restricts upward mobility in metro Atlanta.
Low-performing and scandalous public schools in our older cities and suburbs and struggling single-parent families put poor kids on the slowest and narrowest economic escalators. Unfortunately, when acquisition and retention of knowledge by poorer kids are low and single-parent families are numerous, income immobility worsens.
If we don't improve the prospects of poor children in metro Atlanta to climb past their parents on the income ladder, we should expect to remain low on many socioeconomic rankings, thus jeopardizing growth and prosperity.
Better access to quality public education for our poorer kids in cities (and suburbs) will improve income mobility. Improving the skills, relationships, opportunities and determination of their parents to escape poverty will help, too.
Spatially concentrate more of our growth near the poor. Build more mixed-use development and mixed-income communities. Invest in a real metropolitan transit system. That'll increase the probability that opportunities for the prosperous stop bypassing our poor.
Income immobility, like our other great challenges of traffic congestion and air pollution, is a metropolitan problem requiring metro solutions. Certainly, Atlantans question regional action and we distrust our public leaders to improve society through it. Yet greater cross-community cooperation and resource sharing are necessary nowto improve where more of the poor stand economically and where our area stands in competition for growth and prosperity.
We must reduce income immobility. If not, many of metro Atlanta's poor will waste their imagination on the American Dream.
Michael Leo Owens is associate professor of political science at Emory University.
American dream should be available for all
By Buzz Brockway
The concept of the "American Dream" is enshrined in our Declaration of Independence, which says we have the "…right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." As long as there has been an America, people have come here wanting a chance to live that dream.
While there may be differing definitions, I think we can agree that a central component of the American Dream is that everyone should have the opportunity to succeed no matter the station in life to which they are born. We are the land of opportunity, and while nothing is guaranteed and success is not assured, the opportunity is there for all.
The study on intergenerational mobility, headed up by Berkeley and Harvard researchers, casts doubt as to whether Americans at the bottom of the income scale can really achieve the American Dream.
Unfortunately, the results for most of the South were not encouraging. Only 4 percent of children born in metro Atlanta between 1980 and 1981, whose parents earned less than $25,000 per year, were able to climb to the top fifth of income earners.
Headlines trumpeted problems across the South, but it should be noted that Indianapolis, Detroit, Cleveland and Cincinnati aren't doing much better. Those who would say this is simply a "red state" problem stand on shaky ground.
The study provides food for thought for Republicans and Democrats. For example, government programs such as the Earned Income Tax Credit did not help people climb from the bottom 25 percent to the top. Areas with higher income mobility had more two-parent households and more involvement in community groups such as churches. While many are weary of debating social issues, this study demonstrates that issues such as marriage and religious freedom greatly impact our society.
Another key factor in mobility is the presence of a quality education. Many parts of Georgia are struggling, contributing to the challenges low-income children face. Rather than blaming teachers or demanding more money, we need to have a serious debate about how we are educating Georgia's children. The system needs serious reform because what we are doing now isn't getting the job done.
As the study shows, a thriving economy is necessary to lift people out of poverty. Georgia is, and must remain a good place to do business. I am proud to be part of a Legislature that is continually working to make Georgia the best place in the nation to do business.
The American Dream should be available to everyone, regardless of where they are born or how much money their parents earn. Government can play a role in creating an environment where economic growth is possible. Government must also do better in providing a quality education for all. But government ultimately cannot solve this problem. Economic, religious, civic institutions and families must be strong and vibrant for our citizens to succeed.
State Rep. Buzz Brockway, R-Lawrenceville, represents Georgia House District 102.
Atlanta: A trend of remarkable success
By Kasim Reed
A recent Harvard/Berkeley study on the effectiveness of tax policy includes an impressive amount of detail on income mobility in the United States and provides valuable information that can be used by state and local leaders to support policy decisions. What it does not do, and what its authors specifically caution against, is establish an absolute evaluative ranking of regional efficacy at eradicating poverty. Coverage in The New York Times (Monday, July 22, 2013) and other media sources draws conclusions about regional performance based upon either a narrow or flawed reading of the study.
The study limited the definition of social mobility to those individuals who have made the rare leap from the poorest quintile to the richest quintile. Within the study's context of evaluating tax policy, this was wholly justified. It appears that some in the media failed to understand this nuance and misread this definition as an absolute measure of mobility. Furthermore, the article in The New York Times specifically calls out Atlanta, but in reality, the city is used as a stand-in for the entire Southeast. The study's findings are clear that Atlanta is not unique in facing challenges outlined in the article, but rather that the entire Southeastern region underperforms on the poorest-to-richest mobility metric relative to the rest of the country.
The New York Times article draws a negative conclusion about Atlanta that is not substantiated by a fuller reading of the study's data and does not accurately reflect the hard work done by many in the city for generations to foster opportunity across racial, ethnic and gender lines.
Anyone with even a cursory knowledge of American history knows that the Southeast has been challenged by entrenched intergenerational poverty largely as a legacy of our challenging past. One of the most difficult legacies of segregation is concentrated poverty that exacerbates the challenges of income disparity: higher crime rates, under performing schools, poor health outcomes and substandard housing options. We are also typically governed by conservative state Legislatures that are less likely to support public transportation funding and strong social safety net initiatives. Most Southern states also have less effective labor laws. As a result, organized labor is not as strong compared to most northeastern cities.
In Atlanta, we have made remarkable progress in the past 40 years despite these obstacles. A more sophisticated examination of the data in the study reflects that trend. Against the limited poorest-to-richest mobility metric, even the highest performing regions identified in the article only achieved about 10 percent mobility. Looking more broadly at mobility out of the bottom quintile, Atlanta compares quite favorably with other major American regions cited in The New York Times article.
Nearly 70 percent of Atlanta children in the bottom-income quintile escaped from that group. That was essentially the same as for Dallas and Denver and 1 to 2 percentage points better than for New York, San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Phoenix, Portland and Washington, D.C. None of this information was reflected in The New York Times article or other coverage of the study. If social mobility is considered in a wider context from the lowest rung, Atlanta does slightly better than most of the major cities identified in the article. Surely helping a larger percentage of people moderately improve their economic status is a better outcome than significantly helping only a small percentage.
Our city boasts a diverse population, strong business incentives, an expansive university system, solid logistics infrastructure and the kind of quality of life that compels thousands of Northeasterners to move here every year. Georgia is now the 10th-largest state in the nation. Atlanta is the 9th-largest metropolitan statistical area with a population of almost 5.3 million; over the last decade we were among America's five fastest growing metropolitan statistical areas.
Atlanta is home to the world's busiest airport with more than 95 million passengers per year, an economic impact of $32 billion. MARTA, our rapid transit system, is the 9th largest in the nation but the only one of the 10 largest that receives almost no state funding. We have the fourth-highest concentration of Fortune 500 companies and more than 57 colleges and universities in our city and region. Among young people between the ages of 18 and 24, 60 percent are enrolled in college, according to the Atlanta Regional Commission. Per capita income in the city increased by one percent even though it declined statewide by 12 percent.
More encouragingly, Republican and Democratic leaders have begun to work together to address issues that affect social mobility across racial, ethnic and gender lines. Last summer, a 10-county transportation referendum that garnered bipartisan support from Gov. Nathan Deal and me passed in the city of Atlanta, but did not carry enough regional votes to go into effect and generate more than $8 billion in infrastructure improvements. But it will not be the last effort to try to address the region's traffic congestion and transportation challenges. We also have a renewed focus on improving education in our city's public schools, which offer the best path to upward social mobility for thousands of children. And we are partnering on initiatives to bring more jobs into the city, from Fortune 500 company headquarter relocations such as PulteGroup Inc. to new entrepreneurial ventures and IT firms such as Athenahealth Inc.
The serious problems caused by intergenerational poverty, stagnant wages and lack of opportunity are ones that we, as a nation, have ignored for too long. In Atlanta, we need to continue to focus on supporting lower-income families that have escaped poverty to continue upward movement. Those are challenges that we must address now. As mayor of Atlanta, I am committed to doing so.
August 15th, 2013
4:29 am
SAWB, 1:48 am
"So, Mr. Brockway is a republican representing Gwinnett County whose school system routinely out performs other metro school systems like Atlanta, DeKalb and Clayton all of which are run by Democrats. So, the answer here is to vote out all the Republicans and elect more Democrats?"
SAWB, your biases, as well as your ignorance regarding educational matters, are showing through your comments, above.
Here are the facts. According to the websites of each of the four school systems you named, Gwinnett County School System has 132 schools and 4 charter schools; DeKalb County School System has approximately 135 schools and 4 charter schools; Clayton County School System has approximately 54 schools and 2 charter schools; Atlanta Public School System has approximately 80 schools and 13 charter schools.
None of the websites of the four schools districts mentions Democrats or Republicans, nor should they. Lawmakers in Georgia's Legislature do not run schools systems. Educators do that.
ALEC's membership among Georgia's legislators is the 3rd highest number (42 ALEC legislators) in the nation. Practically all of the ALEC members in Georgia's Legislature are Republicans. Just as the Ultra-Rightwing of the Republican Party, nationally, is dominating the national Republican Party's political agenda, so ALEC members in Georgia's Republican-dominated Legislature are dominating policies and laws effecting education throughout the state of Georgia. Of the 136 schools in Gwinnett, 139 in DeKalb, 56 in Clayton, and 93 in the APS, when the state's lawmakers cut educational funding to traditional school systems throughout Georgia, all four of those school systems you mentioned are adversely effected financially, regardless of whether the state legislators in those particular districts are Democrats or Republicans.
I repeat. In order to stop the bleeding of funding from public school systems throughout Georgia, and in order to insure that resources are provided to improve traditional school systems throughout Georgia, voters must elect Democrats instead of Republicans to Georgia's General Assembly. Democrats are not under the influence of ALEC's national educational agenda, and if Democrats are able to lead again in Georgia's General Assembly, the state will return to improving our vast numbers of public schools in the state of Georgia.
Vote Democratic, not Republican, for your state representatives to Georgia's Legislature in order to improve the vast numbers of Georgia's traditional public schools. Democrats are not under the influence of ALEC.


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Events at Loews Atlanta Hotel
Tenth Annual Artist-In-Residence: Kenny Rogers
Legendary entertainer Kenny Rogers will bring his signature soulful voice, his catalog of hits and the stories behind the music when he takes the Ford Theater stage as the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum's 2012 Artist-in-Residence. Rogers will present two intimate evening performances on May 9 and 10 at 7:00pm.
$40/ticket Museum Members; on sale Tuesday, April 3 at 10:00am
$50/ticket General Public; on sale Thursday April 5 at 10:00am
Info Phone: (615) 416-2001
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
222 Fifth Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37203


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Fight game
Kate Wild
Teen Fiction WILD
Kate Wild
Teen Fiction WILD
Summary: A fast-reading thriller with an extrasensory twist, told by a rebellious gypsy boy who lives by his wits--and his fists. When rogue gypsy boy Freedom Smith runs into trouble with the law, he strikes a deal with the police: Instead of going to prison for a crime he didn't commit, he'll go undercover -- and underground -- using his incredible strength and boxing skills to infiltrate a nefarious, high-tech fight club known as The Bear Pit. His mission: to save other street children from the terrible fate the Pit has in store for them. Freedom thinks he can trust Java, his newfound friend, with his secret life. If only he knew that this high-spirited, upper-class girl has a secret of her own....
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Freedom Smith
Age: 15
Has combat ability, inherited from a prizefighting ancestor; uses his skills because he's often harassed for being a Gypsy; gets in trouble with the law; to get out of trouble, goes undercover for the police and investigates Darcus Knight, a filmmaker suspected of operating an illegal fight club that employs street children in an unending high-stakes fight.
Freedom's newfound friend; this high-spirited, upper-class girl has a secret of her own.


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Senator Saxhaug prioritizes early education
As a member of the E-12 Finance committee, State Senator Tom Saxhaug plays an important role in shaping school funding for Minnesota. This session, with Gov. Dayton's budget proposal, has seen a much-needed renewal in our commitment to investing in our children and the achievement gap.
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Hate cooking? Or never tried it? Read on for BabyCentre young mums' tips on how to make healthy eating easy while you're pregnant...
"I make my own fruit smoothies with a blender. It works best with soft fruit, like strawberries, bananas or mangoes. Yoghurt or milk with strawberries and bananas are nice together. I look at the ingredients on cartons of smoothies and experiment with my own. It's much cheaper than buying them ready-made."
"Fast food's not always cheapest. I used to think it was. Then my midwife said, try take-away food from the supermarket. Now, instead of a burger, I buy a wrap with salad and a filling from the shop."
"If you don't like cooking (and I hate it!) get into dips. Slice carrots, sweet peppers, cucumber, anything like that, and have them with hummus or cheese and chive dip (my two favourites)."
"The first thing I learned to cook was pasta sauce. It's easy. The ingredients are two onions, three tins of tomatoes, a couple of big spoons of tomato puree and a couple of teaspoons of dried herbs.
"Here's what to do: put a saucepan on the hob, fry the chopped onions in a tablespoonful of oil (don't let the onions go brown). Then add the tomatoes, puree and herbs. Leave the mixture to bubble, not boil, for 45 minutes. When it's cooled right down, you can use a blender to liquidise it. Then you'll have enough to divide into about about six freezer bags."
"Buy a big pack of dried pasta or dried egg noodles. They're easy to cook whenever you're hungry. I grate cheese on straight away so it melts over the pasta."
"I was really hungry all through my pregnancy. Before I was pregnant I'd just fill up on biscuits. But I was worried about making sure I ate better while I was pregnant. My favourite thing to fill me up was baked potato with baked beans on. It's easy to make, especially if you've got a microwave. And cheap!"
"My nan showed me how to cook apples. You just peel them, cut the core out and chop them up into a saucepan. Add a little sugar if the apples are sharp, and leave them on a low heat for about half an hour. It makes a thick sauce you can freeze. I put it in plastic bags in the freezer. When it was really hot, I got out a frozen bag of apple sauce, chewed off a corner of the bag and sucked it like a lolly! I have cooked apples on cereal and with yoghurt too."
Want to share your own tips? Why not swap ideas in the BabyCentre community?
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Getting pregnant
TopicsTOP RESOURCESPOPULARFinding out if you're pregnant
If you're trying for a baby, each month there's that "Am I, aren't I?" moment. So, is this the month you find out that you're going to be a mum? We have all you need to know…
TOPICSPOPULARNaming your baby
Finding the perfect baby name can be tough! Get inspired and find the name you love with these tips and ideas:
TOP RESOURCESPOPULARThere are so many exciting milestones in your baby's first year.
Find out more about your baby's development:
POPULARYour toddler's sleep patterns
Why won't your toddler settle down at night? And why does he wake so early? We explain your toddler's sleep habits.
TOP RESOURCESPOPULARParenting strategies
Your child throws new challenges at you every day. So how do you respond to behaviour you haven't had to deal with before? We have answers.
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12 'necessities' you can eliminate from your budget
Does your family really need multiple cell phones?
Here's a concept we can wrap our mind around: A Bankrate article talks about 12 "new necessities" of modern living that are actually "entitlements" we can do without.
The article quotes psychotherapist Olivia Mellan by way of explanation:
A lot of us in wealthy, overspending America are either born or raised with a tremendous sense of entitlement. We say to ourselves,"I work hard or, I work at a job I hate -- at least I should be able to have a Starbucks coffee every day or eat out for lunch." But of course, those are not needs, they're wants. They're pleasures.
Here's a partial list and why we agree with the article's conclusions:
Cell phones for every member of the family. Do your kids really need them? Have you read articles about how kids spend so much time texting that they neglect schoolwork -- in the classroom? Do you cringe when you see a teen chatting up a storm when he or she is behind the wheel? If you think security is a consideration, save money and get a prepaid phone.
Lots of new clothes. Why be a slave to the latest fashion? If you save your old clothes, as Kris at Cheap Healthy Good points out in a letter to her junior high self, they'll be in style again. And if you can't break free of your clothes jones, be hip and buy your Carrie Bradshaw look-alikes at consignment or thrift stores. (See this New York Times article for details. And if you want to see cool photos of clothing that people have discarded, check out FoundClothing.)
Elaborate kids' parties. We are still amazed that "graduation" from middle school has become a big occasion. Gee, aren't we supposed to get past the eighth grade? Don't be like some folks and spend a fortune on your toddler's birthday. Your little one doesn't care. (And neither should your inner child. If you feel that your parents didn't honor your oh-so-special milestones sufficiently, talk to a therapist. Your child needs an adult in her or his life.)
Lawn service. Cut your own grass (and clean your own house). Lise at Frugal in the Fruitlands would tell you that some activities people engage in to save money
-- like clipping coupons and reusing plastic food-storage bags, as well
as some DIY projects -- aren't worth the time you put into them. We
think that's true if you're getting paid big bucks to work 24 hours a
day, but if you're a mere mortal, it's likely that you're not. So, in
your off-work hours, take care of what you own. As the Bankrate article points out, you might get so much exercise doing normal things that you won't need that gym membership.
Pet care.
Buy some clippers and trim your dog's hair. (And don't trim the hair of
a dog that doesn't need it.) With a little training, you can even do
your dog's nails (and we don't mean paint them.) Why pay someone to
walk your dog if you could shed a few pounds by doing it yourself.
Published June 14, 2008
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Women's Hi - Tec® Fiji Strap Sandals
Item # WX2-220399
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