Melissa Times

And So It Begins....

Melissa Carter — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 20:09:00 GMT

Since this is my last week on The Bert Show, I went in today and cleaned out my desk.

Here is what my cube looked like before:

And after:

Dentists Reveal Oddest Requests

Melissa Carter — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 12:00:00 GMT

The Chicago Dental Society has released results of a survey, where they asked hundreds of dentists to share the strangest requests they have ever heard. Here are the Top 10:

10. Can you pull my tooth without anesthesia?

9. Can you wire my mouth shut to help my diet?

8. Can you identify this set of dentures? They were left in the bathroom at work.

7. Can I pay you to come to my office every day to floss my teeth?

6. Will you pull all of my teeth and give me dentures?

5. I just broke off my engagement. Can you take the diamond from my ring and put it in my tooth?

4. Will you give me anesthesia in my lips? I'm going to get permanent lipstick tattooed on and it will help the pain.

3. Can you do an emergency cleaning so I can go to my high school reunion with a bright smile?

2. Can I keep the teeth you pull so I can make a necklace out of them?

1. Can you give my dog braces?

Hello, My Name Is Mrs. Almighty

Melissa Carter — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Scholars are saying that early versions of the Bible featured Asherah, a fertility goddess who may have been God's wife.

Francesca Stavrakopoulou is a senior lecturer at the University of Exeter in England, with a focus on Israelite and Judahite history and religion.

"Archaeological evidence as well as details in the Bible, indicate not just that he was on of several worshipped in ancient Israel, but that he was also coupled with a goddess, who was worshipped in his temple in Jerusalem," she says. "The Almighty's wife was presented as a deity in Israel, who sat alongside him."

And why is she not in our Bibles now? Editors of the text all but removed her form the sacred book.

See more here.

Secrets Your Mail Carrier Won't Tell You

Melissa Carter — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 23:55:00 GMT

1. Maybe your dog won't bite you. But in 2009, nearly 3,000 of us were bitten - an average of nine bites per delivery day. That's why I wince when your Doberman comes flying out the door.

2. Remember this on Valentine's Day. It takes our machines longer to read addresses on red envelopes (especially if they're written in colored ink.)

3. Why stand in line? At usps.com you can buy stamps, place a hold on your mail, change your address, and apply for passports. We even offer free package pickup and free flat-rate envelopes and boxes, all delivered right to your doorstep.

4. Media Mail is a bargain, but most of you don't know to ask for it. Sending 10 pounds of books from New York City to San Francisco through Media Mail costs $5.89, compared with $16.77 for Parcel Post. Besides books, use it to send manuscripts, DVDs, and CDs; just don't include anything else in the package.

5. We don't get a penny of your tax dollars. Really. The sale of postage, products, and services at our 36,000 retail locations, and on our website, covers all of the post office's operating expenses.

6. UPS and FedEX charge you $10 or more for messing up and address. Us? Not a cent.

7. Paychecks, personal cards, letters - anything that looks like good news - I put those on top. Utility and credit card bills? They go under everything else.

8. Sorry if I seem like I'm in a hurry, but I'm under the gun. Our supervisors tell us when to leave, how many pieces of mail to deliver, and when we should aim to be back. Then some of us scan bar codes in mailboxes along our route so they can monitor our progress.

9. Yes, we do have to buy our own stamps, but a lot of us carry them for customers who need them. If we don't charge you, that's because we like you.

10. Use a ballpoint pen. Ink from those felt tips runs in the rain.

11. Please dress properly when you come to the door. A towel wrapped around you doesn't cut it. And we definitely don't want to see you in your underwear.

12. We serve 150 million addresses six days a week, so we're often in the right place at the right time. We pull people out of burning cars, catch burglars in the act, and call 911 to report traffic accidents, dead bodies, and more.

13. Most of us don't mind if you pull up to our trucks while we're delivering and ask for your mail a little early. But please get out of your car and come get it. Don't just put your hand out your window and wait for me to bring it to you.

Source

Secrets Your Pilot Won't Tell You

Things Your Boss Won't Tell You

Girl Scout Communications Badge - The Poster

Melissa Carter — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 03:34:00 GMT

I decided to dip my toe back into the Girl Scout pool by earning my Communications badge. Make sense, right? I have been doing morning radio professionally for 15 years, not counting the scattered time I dabbled in radio in high school and college.

According to the Girl Scout Badge Book there are nine projects to complete to gain the Communications badge. The first is titled as Signals, and I am supposed to put together a collage or poster with examples of different types of communication. Examples given are semaphone (a term which I didn't immediately recognize), sign language, signal flags, international road signs, or a referee's signal. So here is my poster:

Now that I have created this poster, I have to pick one set of these and teach them to someone else. Since the SuperBowl is this weekend, I think I will learn a few Referee Signals. Examples of that to come...

I Never Earned A Girl Scout Badge

Eric and His Death Ray

Melissa Carter — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:20:00 GMT

If this were my son I could see us working on this project together, while Katie Jo hides at the neighbor's house without claiming to know us. But maybe this Indiana teenager wouldn't want any help.

Nineteen-year-old Eric Jacqmain created a homemade death ray. Yes, a death ray. For those who just said cool under your breath, I salute you.

Young Eric used 5,800 tiny mirrors to make a death ray powerful enough to melt steel, vaporize aluminum, boil concrete, turn dirt into lava, and obliterate any organic material in an instant.

He glued the mirror tiles on top of a fiberglass satellite dish and drilled a hole on the back to allow light to shine through a translucent piece of plastic.

Why, you skeptics may ask? To prove how powerful the energy the Sun emits really is.

Too powerful for indoors, I'm afraid, since the R5800 Solar Death Ray as he called it was destroyed in a shed fire by its own generated energy.

Source

You Got Served!

Melissa Carter — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 17:46:00 GMT

Getting served divorce papers or lawsuits is not the most ideal situation to be in, but certainly there are better times to do it than when these poor recipients got their's:

Satchel Paige - His wife served him with divorce papers while he was walking onto the field during a game at Wrigley Field.

Eddie Montgomery - He's half of the duo Montgomery Gentry, and was eating out at a Kentucky steakhouse when he was served. He tweeted afterward, U find out u got cancer then u found out ur wife can't handle that so she seek of and files for a divorce ,,, merry christmas.

Michael Garin - The Broadway composer had been separated from his wife for four years. But it was the timing that bothered him, since he was mid-song during a set in New York. The next song he launched into was "Love and Marriage" by Frank Sinatra.

Speaking of Sinatra, he decided to serve then-wife Mia Farrow divorce papers in front of the whole cast and crew of Rosemary's Baby. Mia fell to her knees and wept in front of everyone, so director Roman Polanski said the shoot would be canceled for the day. Mia insisted on continuing and used her emotions in the scenes.

Christina Milian - She was just 9 days away from giving birth when then-husband The Dream served her papers. Though the two were separated the timing was a little off.

Melissa Etheridge - Tammy Lynn Michaels apparently lured her estranged wife to a hotel to visit their kids. But when Melissa arrived, all that greeted her were the divorce papers.

The Salahis - The White House gatecrashers apparently decided to walk out on a $15,000 bill at a club, so the club's lawyers found them at a premiere party for Michaele Salahi's show, Real Housewives of D.C.

Source

I Never Earned A Girl Scout Badge

Melissa Carter — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 23:59:00 GMT

The Girl Scout Mission is to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who will make the world a better place. I think that message was missed on me at Trinity Lutheran Church in Columbia, Tennessee back in the 70's. That is the church that donated space for my Troop's meetings and where I donned a green uniform of a Girl Scout. But mine was missing something very important - a badge. Not a bunch of badges, I mean any badges. I had my wings from the ceremonial graduation from Brownie to the big girl status of Girl Scout. And my Troop number. But that was it. My field of green paled in comparison to LaRissa Parker's sash filled with crops of badges that told the world just how accomplished she was.

Upon telling this story to friends - who either laughed or stared in disbelief - I decided to purchase the Girl Scout Badge Book to take a closer look at all the opportunities I missed. Thumbing though the spiral-bound guide I find badges for discovering my Family's Heritage, learning how to give First Aid, Dancing, and of course selling the infamous Girl Scout cookies, plus scores of pages more.

Just because I was incredibly lazy and uninspired at the age of 8 doesn't mean I can never make up for it. So, I have decided to dedicate myself again to the Girl Scout code and earn my badges. That's right. I, as a 40-year-old, will fill my sash with those symbols of American youth and show my inner child it is never too late. Of course first I need to find a local Troop Leader willing to validate my work and award me these precious coins of stitched fabric.

My grand scout plan is to take on these badges one at a time during the year and blog my efforts in earning them. Maybe we can all learn something from the experience like, for instance as my Girl Scout Badge Book indicates, FUN is the most important part of earning a badge.

Pin the Tail on the UFO

Melissa Carter — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 19:01:00 GMT

The National UFO Reporting Center has spent the last two decades collecting over 30,000 reports of UFO sightings. Now there are maps outlining where those calls came from and you'll see most clusters are not in the South, as is generally stereotyped.

Source

Things Your Boss Won't Tell You

Melissa Carter — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 17:05:00 GMT

1. "Yes, we are reading your e-mails....and your IMs."

One in five large U.S. companies fired an employee for violating e-mail policies in the past year. The market for e-mail monitoring software has grown more than 25% each year since 2008 and is projected to reach $1.23 billion in 2013. More than one in three large U.S. companies employ actual people to read or analyze employee e-mail.

2. "You're too old for this."

Roughly 25% of employers said they were reluctant to hire older workers, and after looking at only a resume employers discriminated against women they perceived to be 50 or older. Laid-off workers 55 and older spent an average of 35 weeks looking for work, compared with 30 weeks for 25 to 54 year-olds.

3. "I know you're faking the flu."

The boss often knows if you're slacking off, job-hunting, sneaking out, faking sick or padding your expense report. In fact, a growing number of companies are hiring private investigators to track employees who call in sick with a suspicious illness. Perhaps it's a sign of tough times, since more than one in four employers say they think more employees have been faking illness and taking the day off since the economic downturn began.

4. "Your kid? Your problem."

The mommy penalty may manifest in many ways: A mother may get passed over for a promotion because the boss thinks she takes off too much time to care for her kids or that she's more concerned about the family than her career, or a mom may get overlooked for high-profile projects because the boss fears she won't devote enough time and energy. Women with M.B.A.s who left the workforce for a year-and-a-half to raise children make 41% less than men with the same degree; female Ph.D.'s make a third less; lawyers, 29% less, and doctors, 16%.

5. "I'm your best friend...."

For the 6-out-of-10 workers who say they've considered a boss a friend, this won't come as a surprise: Being the boss's pal, or pet, comes with perks. And as long as the relationship works, everyone can benefit. But the boss is still evaluating your compensation and performance, and the minute there's a problem or a disagreement over either, feelings get hurt.

6. "...and your worst enemy."

One study found that in incidences of workplace bullying, the boss is the bully 72% of the time. Employees who had worked for four years under a boss who was uncommunicative, inconsiderate or opaque were 60% more likely to have a heart attack.

7. "I don't promote based on performance."

Usually, workers have to do a good job to get promoted. But in many cases, that's not enough. In some organizations, particularly larger, more traditional companies, seniority may be the main factor in promotion decisions. Compatibility with the boss is critical, too.

8. "I'm shallow."

People who are unattractive or overweight in their bosses' eyes are punished for it at the office. As a result, good-looking people earn 3% to 8% more than average-looking people, who, in turn, earn 5% to 10% more than those rated plain.

9. "I don't have time for you."

Bosses have always been busy, but since the cutbacks of the recession many managers now have even less time to supervise, talk to, or nurture their staffs. Two-thirds of employees say they have too little interaction with their boss, up from just over half in 2008.

10. "It's all about me."

Nearly half of workers say their boss has taken credit for their work, and more than a third say their boss has thrown them under the bus to save himself. That kind of credit-grabbing and blame-deflecting behavior is growing more common. In a tight labor market, there's so much pressure to achieve and people feel like they have to be overachievers.

Source

Secrets Your Pilot Won't Tell You

Champagne. No. More Like Coca-Cola Supernova.

Melissa Carter — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:02:00 GMT

Crying as Mrs. Bayless read from Where the Red Fern Grows. That's what I was doing when I was 10. I'm not sure if Kathryn Gray of Canada has read that classic tale or not, but I know she has a telescope and has outdone most kids - and adults for that matter - by being the youngest ever to find a supernova.

For non-space geeks, a Supernova is not only the partial title of an Oasis song. Officially it is an explosion in space that signals the death of a star, and is a rare event.

Kathryn pored over images a family friend brought to her and her astronomer father from the Abbey Ridge Observatory, and the tweener rang in her New Year by finding the bright remnants of an exploding star. It was verified by astronomers and named Supernova 2010lt.

While Canada celebrates its newest star I'll have to blow the dust off my telescope and the memory of Wilson Rawls' tale. You know Indian legend has it only an angel can plant a red fern and where it grows is sacred. *tear* Chokes me up every time.

Source

My NASA Tweetup Experience

A Steampunk Christmas

Melissa Carter — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 00:47:00 GMT

I have totally jumped on the Steampunk bandwagon, or should I say horse-drawn carriage. So during the week of Christmas I have taken my electronic feather-pen out to offer a new twist on an old classic. And yes, I put together the background too with a little tracing and sketching.

Text:

A Steampunk Christmas

'Twas months before Christmas, and outside the Manor

One only heard the slap of the Great Exhibition banner

The inventions were secured to the tables with care

In hope that investors soon would be there

Mamma in her cocktail top hat and I in my frock

Were arriving home and had just turned the lock

When outside our door there arose such a clammer

I grabbed for my shooter and pulled back the hammer

When, what to my wondering monocle should appear

A steamy airship and the turn of its gears

With a little old Captain, steering brass and logs

I knew in a moment it must be Santa Cogs

He lowered his ropes and slid down one with ease

And tethered the iron bird to snow-covered trees

His clothes were all tarnished with coal dust and soot

He patted them down and stomped clean his boot

His goggles how they glistened! His dimples how deep!

But when he turned to look at us he spoke not a peep

The bit of his pipe he clenched tight with a grin

And in the Crystal Palace he proceeded within

The giant old elf came early simply to see the show

And I signaled to my wife I wanted to follow

He went to the main hall and inside the door

Were diamonds, a brooch, and the famous Koh-i-noor

The world's first voting machine and daguerreotypes

A barometer using leeches and a piano frame of iron pipes

Once Santa Cogs was done he exited to Hyde Park

Sprang to his ship and cranked it with a spark

I heard him exclaim as the moon offered its sheen

See you Christmas Eve, and God Save the Queen!

-Melissa Carter

Excerpt from President Obama's E-Mail for Don't Ask Don't Tell

Melissa Carter — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 03:11:00 GMT

Melissa -

Moments ago, the Senate voted to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

When that bill reaches my desk, I will sign it, and this discriminatory law will be repealed.

Gay and lesbian service members - brave Americans who enable our freedoms - will no longer have to hide who they are.

The fight for civil rights, a struggle that continues, will no longer include this one.

This victory belongs to you. Without your commitment, the promise I made as a candidate would have remained just that.

Instead, you helped prove again that no one should underestimate this movement. Every phone call to a senator on the fence, every letter to the editor in a local paper, and every message in a congressional inbox makes it clear to those who would stand in the way of justice: We will not quit.

This victory also belongs to Senator Harry Reid, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and our many allies in Congress who refused to let politics get in the way of what was right.

Like you, they never gave up, and I want them to know how grateful we are for that commitment.

Will you join me in thanking them by adding your name to Organizing for America's letter?

I will make sure these messages are delivered - you can also add a comment about what the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" means to you.

As Commander in Chief, I fought to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" because it weakens our national security and military readiness. It violates the fundamental American principles of equality and fairness.

But this victory is also personal.

I will never know what it feels like to be discriminated against because of my sexual orientation.

But I know my story would not be possible without the sacrifice and struggle of those who came before me - many I will never meet, and can never thank.

I know this repeal is a crucial step for civil rights, and that it strengthens our military and national security. I know it is the right thing to do.

Please join me in thanking those in Congress who helped make "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal possible:

Thank you,

Barack
http://my.barackobama.com/Repealed

Real-Life Code Found in Mona Lisa's Eyes

Melissa Carter — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 15:59:00 GMT

When I first saw the headline for this story, I thought it sounded like something straight out of the Da Vinci Code. But this is real life.

Art detectives yesterday took a fresh look at the Mona Lisa and noticed something a little different in her eyes. Hidden in the dark paint of her pupils are tiny letters and numbers, placed there by artist Leonardo da Vinci. They were only now revealed thanks to high-magnification techniques.

Source

12 Days of Blogging

Melissa Carter — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 12:00:00 GMT

Since most do their year-end collections during the holiday season, I have decided to offer you some samples of my most personal blogs. Happy Holidays!

On the 12th day of Christmas, my Blogger gave to me....

Katie Jo, A Bug, and the Fight for Life

On the 11th day of Christmas, my Blogger gave to me....

I Wanted to Be a Writer

On the 10th day of Christmas, my Blogger gave to me....

School's Out and I Missed My Chance

On the 9th day of Christmas, my Blogger gave to me....

I Hope Marvel Won’t Mind

On the 8th day of Christmas, my Blogger gave to me...

Coming Out Never Ends

On the 7th day of Christmas, my Blogger gave to me....

Enjoying the Slide

On the 6th day of Christmas, my Blogger gave to me....

Trying to Break a Leg

FIVE....GOLDEN....RINGS.

From Clark Kent to Superman...in the Front Seat of My Car

On the 4th day of Christmas, my Blogger gave to me....

I Still Have the Stretch Marks

On the 3rd day of Christmas, my Blogger gave to me....

You Want Me To Wear What?

On the 2nd Day of Christmas, my Blogger gave to me...

Toby

On the 1st Day of Christmas, my Blogger gave to me....

A One-Legged Swimmer from Alabama Showed Me What Life Is All About

My High School Is the Scene of a Great Movie Plot

Melissa Carter — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 18:46:00 GMT

Photo Credit: Cookeville Herald-Citizen

A high school football team without a state title in over 50 years. A terminally-ill player whose last wish is for new equipment for his teammates. And a championship the day he dies.

No, this is not from an episode of "Friday Night Lights" in Texas. It's real and in Tennessee. And it's my Alma Mater Columbia Central High School.

I first began to get the messages last week asking if I realized Central was in the title game Friday night. I didn't, having been in Atlanta almost two decades and loosely connected to what's going on in my home town. I turned to Twitter for immediate updates the night of the game and got the good news. So thanks to everyone who remembered I was from Columbia and kept me informed.

I may be biased, but I think screenwriters should be all over this.

Sixteen-year-old CHS Wide Receiver Dylan Rebeor battled colon cancer and died Friday morning. Minutes before his death he asked his mother, "Did we win?"

My Lions learned about his death at school that day, and had to take the field some 94 miles away later that night in the biggest game of their lives. They wore his number 25 on their faces like war paint and held silent vigil in the locker room. Then these teenagers took the field and saw fellow classmates with shirts that said CHS Lions Fight Like Rebeor. They won by 21 points. Wouldn't you buy a ticket to see and be inspired by this movie?

I left Columbia as soon as I could. A small town girl with my sexuality a secret at the time, I rushed to college and on to Atlanta, where I have enjoyed the comforts of big-city life. But when people ask me about the strength I've shown in my experiences, whether being out on the radio or undergoing a kidney transplant, I now look toward the western sky to Columbia's border and realize there is something pretty special about that town. I'm proud to be a Lion today.

Source

Christmas Caroling Started By Drunks

Melissa Carter — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 23:23:00 GMT

Next time you are planning on singing cheerful praises with your church, know that Christmas caroling actually started with a bunch of drunks.

When "Christmas" was really a celebration for the winter solstice, poor carolers would go from house to house singing and threatening to break windows if they were not given food and drink.

That's not the only Christmas tradition with an odd origin. Santa was originally kind of a jerk. Instead of elves, he was joined by a devil creature named "Krampus" who was quite mean, especially to naughty kids - whom he kidnapped, beat up, or at the very least tortured with bad gifts.

Source

What Do the WikiLeaks Documents Reveal?

Melissa Carter — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 22:20:00 GMT

Last weekend international news outlets published a selection of U.S. diplomatic cables, provided by WikiLeaks. What did they include?

1. Many Middle Eastern nations are far more concerned about Iran's nuclear program than they've publicly admitted. King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has asked the U.S. to cut off the head of the snake, which seems to mean to bomb Iran's nuclear program. Leaders of Qatar, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and other Middle Eastern have also had similar opinions.

2. In February, the U.S. ambassador to Seoul told Washington that the right business deals might get China to support a reunified Korea, if the Koreans were allied with the United States. American and South Korean officials have talked about a reunification in case North Korea collapses.

3. The Obama administration offered sweeteners to try to get other countries to take Guantanamo detainees in order to close the prison. For example, Slovenia was offered a meeting with President Obama, while the island nation of Kiribati was offered incentives worth millions.

4. Afghan Vice President Ahmed Zia Massoud took $52 million in cash when he visited the United Arab Emirates last year. The Afghan government has been plagued by allegations of corruption. Massoud has denied taking the money out of the country.

5. The United States has been working to remove highly enriched uranium from a Pakistani nuclear reactor, out of concern that it could be used to build an illicit nuclear device. The effort, which began in 2007, continues.

6. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton ordered diplomats to assemble information on their foreign counterparts. Clinton may have asked diplomats to gather intelligence on U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's plans for Iran, and information on Sudan (including Darfur), Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Iran and North Korea.

7. The State Department labeled Qatar the worst country in the region for counterterrorism efforts. The country's security services were hesitant to act against known terrorists out of concern for appearing to be aligned with the U.S. and provoking reprisals.

8. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi are tighter than was previously known. Putin has given the high-living Berlusconi lavish gifts and lucrative energy contracts, and Berlusconi appears increasingly to be the mouthpiece of Putin in Europe.

9. Hezbollah continues to enjoy the weapons patronage of Syria. A week after Syrian president Bashar Assad promised the United States he wouldn't send new arms to the Lebanese militant group, the United States said it had information that Syria was continuing to provide the group with increasingly sophisticated weapons.

10. Some cables reveal decidedly less than diplomatic opinions of foreign leaders. Putin is said to be an alpha-dog and Afghan President Hamid Karzai to be driven by paranoia. German Chancellor Angela Merkel avoids risk and is rarely creative. Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi travels with a voluptuous blonde Ukrainian nurse.

Source

How To Avoid Eating Too Much on Thanksgiving

Melissa Carter — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 18:50:00 GMT

1. Eat Breakfast. We think skipping breakfast will save calories, but meal-skipping actually leads to overeating later. Those who skip breakfast tend to anxiously grab at the appetizers before the feast, which leads to a far higher calorie intake than if breakfast was securely in your belly.

2. Start with Soup. A low-calorie hot liquid helps to fill you up, so you have a better "full" feeling on fewer calories.

3. Replace the Fat in Stuffing with Low-Sodium Chicken Broth. Most recipes have 2 to 3 sticks of butter or margarine as the "liquid" to moisten the bread stuffing. Replace that with equal amounts of low-sodium chicken broth for extra flavor without the calories.

4. Alternate Your Alcohol. Have a drink, then a seltzer or diet soda. It cuts your calories in half.

5. Use a Tablespoon to Serve Yourself instead of a Ladle. It's built-in portion control.

6. Skip the Skin. There is very little difference in the calories of white and dark meant, but cutting out the skin of the turkey will cut your calories in half.

7. De-Fat the Gravy. Fat-free gravy can be full of flavor. Cook your turkey with enough time to cool the pan juices and make your gravy after dumping the hardened fat that rises to the top. Or use a gravy separator to get rid of the fat.

8. Lose the Crust. Make your favorite pumpkin pie filling, and put in small ramekins. Bake until firm. Top with some chopped walnuts or a swirl of whipped cream.

9. Choose a Simple Potato. Go plain for the potato and sprinkle with fresh or dried herbs and seasonings, including ground pepper and chives. Skip the butter, cheese, and sour cream mix-ins - and the brown sugar in sweet potato casseroles. Use some of your de-fatted gravy on top for extra flavor.

10. Take a 30-minute Walk, Not Nap, After Eating. Most want to go directly from the dinner table to the couch, but take a walk instead. It will help with digestion as well.

Are You A Wimpy Parent?

Melissa Carter — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 10:00:00 GMT

Dr. Gregory Ramey from the Children's Medical Center of Dayton, Ohio offers these questions so you can assess yourself and perhaps avoid a visit to a therapists's office.

1. Are you more concerned about your children's feelings than their behaviors? Wimpy parents care excessively about making their children feel comfortable. While feelings are important, the real world judges us all on actions. Wimpy parents are reluctant to require their youngsters to do anything that may make them feel uncomfortable.

2. Do you praise your children excessively? Wimpy parents make too big a deal of their children's minor accomplishments. They often tell their kids how special they are, and inadvertently make their children addicted to praise and recognition. These kids have a hard time functioning without constant reassurance and become overly dependent upon the approval of others.

3. Do you give in on your discipline? Wimpy parents have good intentions but lack the self-confidence to follow through after disciplining their children. The kids recognize and take advantage of this weakness.

4. Do you feel guilty after disciplining your child? Strong parents see discipline as a way to teach their youngsters good behavior, and know that they are helping their kids. Wimpy parents feel guilty that they are hurting their children by depriving them of some privilege.

5. Are you inconsistent in your application of discipline? Because they are excessively about their kids' feelings, wimpy parents avoid making tough decisions. These parents develop intricate pseudo-explanations to justify their inconsistencies.

6. Do you talk endlessly to convince your children that your discipline is fair? Strong parents have no need for children to agree with family rules and consequences. They are confident and comfortable with their decisions and enforce them in a calm and reasonable manner. They acknowledge their children's feelings, but don't engage in debate or discussion over what is right.

7. Do you typically place your children's needs above those of you and your spouse? Wimpy parents feel insecure in their relationships with their children. In this "kids first" type of family, personal and marital needs are of lower priority. The kids rule and infer an unrealistic sense of importance and power from the way they are treated.

Speaking of Wimpy Parents, check out what movie plots would look like today.