Happy Halloween

Safe tips for Halloween - Below are just a few common sense tips that can help.



Know the route your kids will be taking if you aren't going with them.



The best bet is to make sure that an adult is going with them. If you can't take them, see if another parent or a teen aged sibling can go along.



Know what other activities a child may be attending, such as parties, school or mall functions.



Make sure you set a time that they should be home by. Make sure they know how important it is for them to be home on time.



Explain to children the difference between tricks and vandalism. Throwing eggs at a house may seem like fun but they need to know the other side of the coin as well, clean up and damages can ruin Halloween. If they are caught vandalizing, make them clean up the mess they've made.



Explain to your kids that animal cruelty is not acceptable. Kids may know this on their own but peer pressure can be a bad thing. Make sure that they know that harming animals is not only morally wrong but punishable by law and will not be tolerated.



There are many ways to keep your child safe at Halloween, when they are more prone to accidents and injuries. The excitement of children and adults at this time of year sometimes makes them forget to be careful. Simple common sense can do a lot to stop any tragedies from happening.

Help your child pick out or make a costume that will be safe. Make it fire proof, the eye holes should be large enough for good peripheral vision.


If you set jack-o-lanterns on your porch with candles in them, make sure that they are far enough out of the way so that kids costumes won't accidentally be set on fire.


Make sure that if your child is carrying a prop, such as a scythe, butcher knife or a pitchfork, that the tips are smooth and flexible enough to not cause injury if fallen on.


Kids always want to help with the pumpkin carving. Small children shouldn't be allowed to use a sharp knife to cut the top or the face. There are many kits available that come with tiny saws that work better then knives and are safer, although you can be cut by them as well. It's best to let the kids clean out the pumpkin and draw a face on it, which you can carve for them.


Treating your kids to a spooky Halloween dinner will make them less likely to eat the candy they collect before you have a chance to check it for them.


Teaching your kids basic everyday safety such as not getting into cars or talking to strangers, watching both ways before crossing streets and crossing when the lights tell you to, will help make them safer when they are out Trick or Treating.


Make Halloween a fun, safe and happy time for your kids and they'll carry on the tradition that you taught them to their own families some day!


PET CARE


Leaving your pets outside on Halloween is not a god idea. There are plenty of tales of malicious people who tease, injure, steal, torture, even killed peoples pets on Halloween. Not to mention that dogs and cats can scare easily with all the trick-or-treaters coming to your house. Here are some tips to keep your pets happy on Halloween.

As much as your dog or cat may beg for some of your Halloween candy, always remember that chocolate is deadly to them in any amount.



If you work in a pet store, remember that this is the time of year that can be deadly for black cats. Some sick people who play at being what they'll call a Satanist will buy them to "sacrifice" If you can, don't take any black cats or sell them during October.



The wrappers, such as tin foil, can get stuck in your pets digestive tract and make them ill or cause death. There are plenty of recipes for making home made dog and cat treats, you can always make them on a Halloween note.



Dogs can have lethal tails, wagging all over the place. Don't leave any lighted candles or Jack-O-Lanterns where they could be knocked over by a swinging tail or by a curious cat. Not only could your pet start a fire but they could severely burn themselves in the process.



If you are going to dress your pet in a costume, keep in mind that unless the dog or cat is extremely receptive to this kind of thing, you could be causing it discomfort and stress. Some animals don't mind at all but others do not want to be bothered with this kind of thing. They'll be under enough stress with the festivities going on outside and people at the door constantly so don't cause them any more nervousness then you have to. You may love to dress in costume but then, you aren't a dog or a cat.



If you put a mask of some type on your animal, make sure that the eye holes are big enough for them to see peripherally. Animals depend on their vision to let them know what's going on and even the nicest dog can get snippy if he can't see what's around him. In fact, masks really aren't a good idea.



If you are having a indoor party, make sure that you put your dog or cat in a room where they won't be disturbed. Unless your pet is ultra friendly and doesn't mind loud noises, music and lots of people you should keep them separate for the night. Also, be careful your cat or dog doesn't dart out through the open door as you hand out candy. Best bet is to just put them in a room with some food and water for the night and check on them once in a while to let them know everything is fine.

Join and support United Way

http://www.liveunited.org/

United Way is a worldwide network in 45 countries and territories, including nearly 1,300 local organizations in the U.S. It advances the common good, creating opportunities for a better life for all, by focusing on the three key building blocks of education, income and health. The United Way movement creates long lasting community change by addressing the underlying causes of problems that prevent progress in these areas. LIVE UNITED is a call to action for everyone to become a part of the change.

What is a Volunteer?

Volunteer

person who performs or gives services of
his/her own free will and acting on his/her own initiative
one who acts or serves in a specified capacity
willingly and without constraints or guarantee of reward


Volunteerism is a long-standing tradition in the United States. Today, however, the world of volunteers is changing as our society changes. More women are working full time outside the home. More men and women are working longer hours and taking second or even third jobs to cope with increasing financial pressures.

In spite of all this, there is a growing awareness of the needs of society and how everyone can make a contribution to the common good. For example, some schools now require a specific number of hours of volunteer work as part of the requirements for graduation.


(I do not agreee with this as I really feel a volunteer should want to be there on their own and it should come from the heart!) That is why I want to encourage you to volunteer believe me when I say you receive so much more then you give. To learn more visit my website at www.heartofavolunteer.com



A volunteer is any individual who is willing to donate time and effort to your project. There is no minimum time that will make a difference -- an hour once a week can be valuable. Talent, age, or experience are not always valid criteria. Much depends on your ability to see the potential in those who are contributing their time and energy to your program.


Thanks for volunteering we need and want you!

October - National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

http://www.nbcam.org/

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_6x_National_Breast_Cancer_Awareness_Month.asp



Let's Celebrate each Day and also make sure you complete a self exam - We here in Jacksonville, Florida have the Buddy Check 12

It was a program that started because of the loss of a close friend. Over a decade later, that program has turned into a bonafide lifeline that has saved the lives of hundreds.

This month marks the 15th anniversary of Buddy Check 12, a breast self-examination awareness program created through a partnership between Ch. 12/25 anchor Jeannie Blaylock and Baptist Medical Center.

It was launched in 1992 after Blaylock lost her friend, Kaye, to the disease. The first night the program was presented, the station received 234 calls from viewers seeking more information about the program. They also wanted the Buddy Check 12 kits that contain pamphlets about breast cancer and stickers for calendars to mark the 12th day of each month. Although she knew when the program was started that the idea was simple yet powerful, Blaylock said she never dreamed Buddy Check 12 would reach hundreds of local women. To date, 264 lives have been saved as a result of Buddy Check 12 and the number of women who are using the program grows every day.

“I hope that eventually a cure for breast cancer is found and that Buddy Check 12 becomes obsolete,” said Blaylock. “But, until that day comes, we’re here to spread the awareness and encourage everyone to take charge of their breast health. The point is to stay alive for the people who love you.”

To help women consistently perform self-exams, Buddy Check 12 urges everyone to get a “buddy” – someone you care about like your mother, aunt, friend or co-worker – and put the Buddy Check 12 reminder stickers on the 12th day of each month on your calendar. Then on the 12th of every month, do your self-exam and remind your buddy to do their’s.

“My buddy is my mom,” said Blaylock. “I’ve done the math and I’ve called her to check over 180 times over the past 15 years.”

Christine Granfield, radiologist and medical director of Breast Health Services at Baptist Medical Center, said over the years Buddy Check 12 has encouraged early detection, which provides the best chance for successful treatment.

“The combination of breast self-examination, an annual clinical breast exam and screening mammography all give the best chance of finding breast cancer early,” said Granfield.

Blaylock said her friend Kaye was pregnant and only 29 years old when she found a lump in her breast. She went to her doctor and he disregarded the lump. She went back after she gave birth and by then, the cancer had already metastasized.

“People have many misconceptions about breast cancer,” said Blaylock, adding that, like Kaye, many younger women fail to get regular screening mammograms. “They think either they’re too young or no one in my family has it when the reality is that only 8 to 15 percent of people with breast cancer have a genetic link. The rest don’t.”

Over 757,000 women in Jacksonville have received Buddy Check 12 kits. The kits have also been shipped to women in almost 20 other countries. Baptist will ship the kits anywhere in the world for free to anyone who requests one. Because of how successful Buddy Check 12 has been, dozens of cities — including Atlanta, Denver and Washington, D.C. — have based similar programs on Blaylock’s Buddy Check 12.

To order a Buddy Check 12 kit, call 202-CARE.




National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) program is dedicated to increasing awareness about the importance of the early detection of breast cancer through a nationwide campaign held in October. NBCAM started as a weeklong campaign in 1985 with 2 founding members. Today the American Cancer Society is one of many national public service organizations, professional associations, and government agencies that form the NBCAM Board of Sponsors. During NBCAM, the member organizations of the Board of Sponsors join forces to spread the message that early detection of breast cancer followed by prompt treatment saves lives.

The American Cancer Society programs that are available to achieve these goals include:

National Cancer Information Center

Trained Cancer Information Specialists are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to offer the comfort of live support and to answer questions about cancer, link callers with resources in their communities, and provide information on local events. Spanish-speaking information specialists are available, and callers who speak languages other than English and Spanish can also be assisted. To reach the NCIC, call 1-800-227-2345.

Email National Cancer Information Center

The American Cancer Society's email center is a cancer information service that allows cancer patients, their families, and the public to ask questions about cancer and receive prompt and unbiased information from a Cancer Information Specialist or an oncology nurse. Visit the Society's Web site at www.cancer.org and click on "contact us."

American Cancer Society Web site

The Society's user-friendly Web site (www.cancer.org) includes an interactive cancer resource center containing in-depth information on every major cancer type. The site answers questions about breast cancer, risk factors, strategies for early detection, new diagnostic techniques, and the latest treatment options. Additionally, select content is available in Spanish. Visit the part of our Web site dedicated to breast cancer at www.cancer.org/breastcancer.

The American Cancer Society Guidelines for the Early Detection of Breast Cancer

The Society provides a complete set of recommendations for detecting breast cancer early, emphasizing the need for women aged 40 and older to get a mammogram and clinical breast exam every year.

National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program

To reduce disparities in breast cancer among medically underserved populations, the American Cancer Society is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to promote the need for and importance of their National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) The NBCCEDP provides access to breast and cervical cancer screening tests and follow-up services for low-income, uninsured, and underinsured women.

The Breast Cancer Treatment Guidelines for Patients

This publication helps breast cancer patients make informed decisions about their treatment. The Treatment Guidelines series is published by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

Inspire Others to shop and wear RED

Support the Cause
Macy's Thanks for Sharing


Macy’s is a proud national sponsor of Go Red For Women. From September 19 through December 31, 2009, for each Thanks for Sharing membership purchased, Macy’s will donate $10 to national and local charities with the first $3 million donated to Go Red For Women.


Learn more about the companies that support Go Red For Women.

http://www.goredforwomen.org/sponsor_programs.aspx



Reminder:

Lead the way and plan a wear red day!

National Wear Red Day is coming Feb. 5, 2010. But it takes just one person to start Wear Red Day on any day of the year. Let that person be you! Consider organizing a Wear Red Day at your workplace, with your faith-based organization, at your community center or even in your own home. Speak up! Inspire your friends, neighbors, coworkers and family members to show their support for the fight against heart disease!

Hear my interview on Pageantcast.com

www.pageantcast.com


About the Host Tim Krestschmann


Host of Milwaukee’s best German Radio program, the Stimmung Stunde and president of TKPN podcasting network which includes the PageantCast and Police on the Scene with a Crime Prevention Lean.

If you’re like most of my listeners, you’re wondering–what does a German-American radio DJ have to do beauty pageants?

Good question!

For the answer to that, one could check Tim’s OnMilwaukee.com interview…but here’s the short version. After a few disasterous interviews in a row on his German radio program, Tim was looking for an interview that would go well on his program. The idea was to find a “world class” interview–and who better than someone that competes in interview. In short, a pageant participant.

He started by interviewing local Miss Wisconsin MAO contestants on the show until finally landing interviews with Miss USA and Miss Galaxy. It was after those interviews that he created “PageantCast” and lauched the program with those high profile interviews. In addition, his good friend, Tracy Gest, Miss Wisconsin 2005, was competing at Miss America and he thought, “Why not cover the pageant in Vegas?”

Readers try for a Record for Reading

http://www.readfortherecord.org/site/PageServer


The Very Hungry Caterpillar


About the story:
In the light of the moon a little egg lay on a leaf." So begins Eric Carle's classic, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar". This book follows the ravenous caterpillar's path as he eats his way through one apple (and the pages of the book itself) on Monday, two pears on Tuesday, three plums on Wednesday, and so on, through cherry pie and sausage - -until he is really fat and has a stomachache -- I bet you can guess what happens then! The book has a great story and Eric Carle's wonderful collage-like artistry.

It is good for teaching nutrition, counting, science (stages of a butterfly) and the days of the week.


Across the United States today Thursday October 8, 2009 many schools and homes are breaking out this book which can be purchased at Wal-Mart to read today to promote reading!

Read more below


MADISON, Wis., Oct. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Eric Carle's best-known work, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, will be shared with children around the world when Arizona Governor Jan Brewer reads the classic book via webcast powered by Mediasite by Sonic Foundry, Inc. (Nasdaq: SOFO - News). The multimedia presentation, available at www.ccspresentationsystems.com/readfortherecord, is part of the fourth annual Read for the Record celebration.

Jumpstart began Read for the Record in 2006 to bring preschool children together with valued grownups in their lives to read the same book, on the same day, in communities all over the world. This year, Jumpstart hopes to set a new world record for the greatest number of people reading at once. The day starts on NBC's "TODAY" show, with Jumpstart's official spokespeople Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira, and continues all day long at thousands of reading events in schools, libraries and community centers as well as online via Mediasite. CCS Presentation Systems partnered with Sonic Foundry to bring the story to the web.

"We have served Arizona schools and educators for nearly 20 years and are true believers in helping to advance students through technology in the classroom," said Founder and CEO of CCS Presentation Systems, John Godbout. "Combining efforts with Governor Brewer and Sonic Foundry to make Read for the Record not only a widespread Arizona event, but a global celebration, made perfect sense and broadens our commitment to supporting educators."

The Mediasite webcasting platform allows children to experience the joy of reading as they not only listen to Gov. Brewer read the story, but also see her facial expressions and take in the intricate details of Carle's famous collage-style illustrations.

"The Read for the Record campaign has proven to be a powerful vehicle to share knowledge and instill the passion of learning in young children. It speaks to our core mission at Sonic Foundry as we continue our commitment to nurture that passion into adulthood and create lifelong learners," said Rimas Buinevicius, chairman and CEO of Sonic Foundry. "We are thrilled that Mediasite is the platform that will bring this beloved story to children around the world."