Drive-Bys

I'm putting this on Mr. Monkey Toes' birthday list this year:
That's just too cute for words, and I'm sure his daddy will approve!
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What's wrong with education in Chicago?

Our school day in Chicago is so short that by the time a kid graduates from high school, she will have been in the classroom four years less than her counterpart in Houston. As I heard Rahm Emanuel put it, a kid in Houston essentially has an extra entire high school education when compared to our kids. Four more years of education!

The statistic is equal parts sad and telling, and makes me realize why NASA is headquartered in Houston and not Illinois.

I don't care how advanced a curriculum is, there is no way a kid can compete with a four-year disparity. And that is just compared to Houston. I shudder to think how students in Japan are eating our kids' lunch, as there the school year is about 240 days, not a measly 180 days like ours.

It reminds me that instead of having high-brow debates about the best way to educate our kids, we should instead be doing something extremely low-brow. My wise mother simply called it "tush in seats." That is, we need more tushes, in more seats, for more hours. Only once that happens should we turn to other curriculum debates.

Who will fight this effort the most? The teachers union, of course.
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If you have a pet, whether cat, dog, ferret, bird or turtle, print this article and tape it inside a kitchen cabinet or medicine chest. You may thank me for that one day.
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Not getting enough sleep these days? Put the tech toys down at least an hour before you go to bed. (Unless, of course, you have a Kindle or Nook or any other e-reader with e-ink.)
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Not so popular with the kids?

The White House is ramping up an effort to promote a nationwide competition to decide which high school wins a commencement speech by President Obama.

An internal White House memo indicates that the White House is facing a shortage of applications less than a week before the deadline.

The competition was extended from the February 25 deadline until Friday, March 11 after few schools met the original application deadline. CBS News has learned a White House Communications Office internal memo dated February 22 noted "a major issue with the Commencement Challenge."

"As of yesterday we had received 14 applications and the deadline is Friday," the memo said. The memo also urged recipients to, "please keep the application number close hold."

A follow-up memo on February 28 reported receipt of 68 applications. Noting the competition among more than 1,000 schools last year, the memo said, "Something isn't working."

Ya think? That's just a sad state of affairs.
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Every photo on this page is breathtakingly beautiful. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
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I have a good friend in her mid-40's who just had her second heart attack. As she says, when it comes to smoking, not quitting is "not an option" any more.

I sent her my list of things that worked for me.

If you or anyone you know is thinking of quitting, please pass it on.
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Ear Worm of the Day:



What the heck -- let's have another:


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Giggle of the Day:


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One more thing:


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And one more, for my Meezer Boys:

Tootin' The Horn

It's one year to the day since I woke up and decided to see if I could make it through the day without a cigarette. I didn't use a patch or gum or lozenges or inhalers or Welbutrin or Chantix or e-cigarettes -- most of which I tried in the past and failed at miserably. I did it cold turkey. Not only did I make it through the day, I made it through the year (and with little real discomfort in the process). Yay me!

I'm not going to lecture anyone who's still smoking. Seriously, I can't judge you.

If you want to quit, however, this is what worked for me, and why:

• Don't wait for January 1. You doom yourself from the start if you play that game.
• Be ready, but not stressed about it. For me the best time to quit was when I woke up one morning, realized that I'd smoked the last cigarette in the pack the night before and didn't have any more in the house. That kind of timing just works.
• Take it one day at a time. Anything else can get overwhelming.
• Don't use crutches -- the side effects can really suck and you can blame your failure on them, rather than your own failure to stick to your guns.
• Treat cravings like you would a cranky child. Most of the time simply not engaging will nip it in the bud. Sometimes, however, the most effective way to stop a kid in the middle of a temper tantrum is to mimic them by throwing yourself down on the floor and wailing, pounding the floor and rolling around. Silly? Yes. Effective? Yes. (Positively refreshing sometimes!)
• Say "I quit," not "I'm quitting." Words are powerful things, and positive statements can really reinforce your resolve.
• Take responsibility for your own behavior. It's not your friend's fault if you backslide: It's yours. Suck it up and be a grownup, pal. (And, even though I haven't backslid, if you do, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again. Don't beat yourself up and make a big deal about it.)
• Pat yourself on the back each day for making it through one more day, especially if the cranky craving problem child has been particularly naughty that day.

Now I'll have to figure out how to celebrate this big milestone, and I promise it'll be something good.

A big "Thank You" to all of my friends who've provided encouragement throughout the year!

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P.S. -- If you love someone who smokes and want them to quit, here's what not to say to them. Guilt, love, science, rationalization -- none of it works, and just makes most of us dig our heels in and get way more stubborn.