Lake State's Banned Words for 2010.

Each New Years Eve for the last 33 years, faculty at Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste Marie, MI issue a list of words that should be banned for the coming year. These are typically words that are over used, misused or just plain horrible use of the english language.The school recieved 1000's of nominations each year for the list. Here is a complete list of words to be banned for 2010. Follow this link to LSSU.com for comments and more details:

SHOVEL-READY

TRANSPARENT/TRANSPARENCY

CZAR

TWEET
And all of its variations…tweetaholic, retweet, twitterhea, twitterature, twittersphere…

APP

SEXTING
Sending sexually explicit pictures and text messages through the cell phone.

FRIEND AS A VERB
Came into popularity through social networking websites. You add someone to your network by "friending" them, or remove them by "unfriending" them.

TEACHABLE MOMENT
What might otherwise be known as 'a lesson.'

IN THESE ECONOMIC TIMES….
Nominations concerning the economy started rolling in as the 2009 list was being put together last year, i.e. "bailout." They kept coming this year, in these trouble economic times. " South Park " warned us about what would happen if we angered The Economy.

STIMULUS

TOXIC ASSETS
We think we're going to be sick.

BROMANCE

CHILLAXIN'
Nominated for several years. We couldn't chill about it anymore.

OBAMA-prefix or roots?
such as these compiled by the Oxford Dictionary in 2009: Obamanomics, Obamanation, Obamafication, Obamacare, Obamalicious, Obamaland.

Online tool to Memorize things

Do you remember making flash cards to memorize your times tables or vocabulary words? That process has now gone hi-tech with Memorize.com. You can use Memorize.com to make a list of things to remember and then use flashcard, matching and multiple choice modes to remember them. They even have lists already put together for things like state capitals and math facts so you don't even have to type them in yourself. This is a great tool for school age kids and adults alike.

Discounts for nicer restaurants

We are pretty used to finding coupons for fast food restaurants, but how about for nicer restaurants. The website Restaurant.com offers discount coupons for nicer restaurants around the nation. Here is how it works: for $10 you get a certificate good for $25 at a specific restaurant. Most of the restaurants have some specification about how much you have to spend and will automatically add a tip to your bill. But it would be a great way to have a date night for less as a nicer restaurant. I found 20 restaurants in Northern Michigan that offer discounts through Restaurant.com.

How to remove Superglue

Super Glue is one of those great inventions of the 20th Century. You can glue anything together with Superglue. Unfortunately that means sometimes glueing things together that shouldn't, including your fingers. Apparently though, Superglue has one weakness: Acetone. This chemical, found in some nail polish removers, will slowly disolve the chemical bond created by Superglue. If you ever get in a Super Glue bind, check out their website at SuperGlueCorp.com for more tips on getting Super Glue off different surfaces and even what to do if you get it on your lips or in your eyes. Ouch!

Great cooking ideas from NoTakeOut.com

Are you tired of take out? Are you in a cooking rut? NoTakeOut.com can help. NoTakeOut.com gives you a recipe each day that is easy to make and challenges you to try new foods. They provide you with a shopping list and very detailed instructions on preparation. And it is a free service. Check out NoTakeOut.com to get some great new cooking ideas and save money by not eating out as much.

Free Taco from Taco Bell

Below is a link for a FREE Fresco Taco from Taco Bell. They are giving away 1 million taco coupons online that you can print off to get your free taco. Follow this link to TacoBell.com to print a coupon that will be good for 7 days. Enjoy. (Only 1 million coupons will be redeemed so don't wait too long to redeem it).

Compassionart (Compassionart.tv) is a 19 artist music project with all of the proceeds going to missions and outreach projects. This week Compassionart announced their first projects to be funded (from JesusFreakHideout.com):

FOUR HEADLINE PROJECTS
1) South America - Grants from CompassionArt will be used to help buy a boat to carry ministry teams, doctors, etc., to the sick and needy in places near Santa Isobella, Brazil that are only reachable by boat.
2) Worldwide - Grants will be used for “Start Freedom,” an education campaign for schools and young people, teaching them about the issues surrounding human trafficking and the power they have to make a difference. Start Freedom aims to create freedom from the oppression and poverty that is caused by human trafficking by reaching out to local communities worldwide, equipping young people to empower and act on behalf of their peers who have no voice.
3) India and Cambodia - Funds will be used to help provide food, education and more in a Phnom Penh, Cambodia rubbish dump, a sprawling 100-acre garbage dump where hundreds of children work. Toiling through the mountains of trash as early as 3 a.m., the children hope to make 50 to 75 cents a day to help feed their families. The funds will help two buses rebuilt into mobile feeding and education centers to establish a place where these children could eat a good meal, take a shower and learn basic reading and writing skills.
4) Africa – The grant will be used toward building a Creative Arts Center, helping to restore hope to orphaned children to abused mothers and those whose lives have been devastated by suffering in Uganda. The Creative Life Center will encourage artistic education and plans for a better future for all.
12 SONGWRITER-NOMINATED PROJECTS
1) Nominated by Darlene Zschech, the grant will be used in the Village of Hope (VOH) project in the Gasabo District of Kigali, Rwanda. VOH is a self-sustaining, holistic model for the complete needs of the child, widow, orphan and community, providing much needed housing, healthcare, education and community for the most vulnerable families who were victims of the Rwandan genocide in 1994.
2) Nominated by Michael W. Smith, the funds will support the salaries of Life Skill Educators who work directly with 8,200 children in six urban township communities located in the Deep South Peninsula of South Africa’s Western Cape. Offering Life Skills Education and After School Children’s Clubs, these programs function to prevent HIV by equipping youth with HIV facts, empowering them with skills to make responsible decisions, helping youth identify goals for their future and increasing confidence, while teaching Biblical principles to shape values and build strong character.
3) Nominated by Martin and Anna Smith, the grant money will be used for the Community Healthcare Training project at the Tondo Rubbish Dump and Navotas Cemetery in Manila, Philippines. The project works with over 1,000 people each week in communities living on the Tondo Dump and Navotas Cemetery, providing healthcare training, education, nutrition and family enhancement programs, guided by Godly values and beliefs, to some of the poorest Filipino communities. By promoting health, it is hoped to improve attendance at school and the family’s ability to work to earn a living for themselves.
4) Nominated by Matt Redman, the grant will help the Kasese Child Survival Programme, a church-based project in the Kamaiba Village of Kasese in SW Uganda that provides critical care for 38 mothers and 39 babies from pregnancy to the age of three. Kasese provides nutrition, medical assistance, economic development, parental education, social support and spiritual care for mothers and caregivers, ensuring that some the most vulnerable babies and toddlers in the community survive and thrive during the first years of life.
5) Nominated by Paul Baloche, the grant will help create an aftercare/transition home based in East Texas for some of the estimated 300,000 children being trafficked and exploited in America. With the home groundbreaking planned for early 2010, this specialized home will help meet the urgent physical, psychological, and spiritual needs of children rescued from trafficking and exploitation. There are only five to seven such specialized transition homes in the entire US.
6) Nominated by Graham Kendrick, the grant will be used for tuition and exam fees for fatherless, motherless and boundary-less young people ages 5 to 25 to attend Restoring The Sound (RTS), an accredited London College of Music Exam Centre based in Macassar township in Cape Town, South Africa. RTS is a music based arts empowerment project aimed at youngsters who would normally fall prey to gangs and drug abuse.
7) Nominated by Tim Hughes, the funds will go to help reduce the re-offending rate in the UK by equipping local churches to help ex-offenders to successfully re-integrate and make a positive contribution to society.
8) Nominated by Stu Garrard, Beanz Meanz Livez will partner with Living India and start an animal husbandry program to help the orphanage at Chandrakal (Hyderabad, India) to become self-sustaining. The program will begin with a barn, six cows and a dozen chickens. The grant will also be used to train the children in much needed skills for work.
9) Nominated by Steven Curtis Chapman, the grant will go to Maria’s Big House of Hope, a 60,000 square foot special needs care facility in Luoyang China. The facility is staffed, operational and currently cares for 80 special needs orphans. The grant will be used to feed and house these special children, as well as to further their physical care through medical treatments, surgeries and recovery.
10) Nominated by Andy Park, the funds will support an ongoing initiative in Tin Siu Wai, Hong Kong that looks after distressed and single families in an area that is known for teenage drug addicts, suicides and mental illness. The grant will help convert an old car park into a gathering place where people can gather for youth programs that help rescue children and single parents from the drug trade, etc.
11) Nominated by Chris Tomlin, the grant will go toward the ongoing operations costs of The Bulrushes, a home for orphaned and vulnerable babies in Kampala, Uganda. Tiny premature babies to toddlers found on rubbish heaps, in trash cans or abandoned in hospitals and police stations, are brought to this new home where they find acceptance, physical and medical care and unconditional love.
12) Nominated by Israel Houghton, Lakewood Missions will use the grant to help finish a new school building, specifically the ceilings for the Mosop Orphanage (Sotik, Kenya, East Africa), which cares for 87 children from 5 to 18 years of age.

How to toss a pizza

My son Josh has always wanted to know how to do this. Here is a great video that tells how to toss a pizza. If you are brave, you can try this at home.

Baby Car seat Carrier Recall

447,000 Dorel Baby Car seat carriers are being recalled after reports of handles coming loose. The company has recieve 77 reports of full or partial handle detachment.

The carriers were under the brand name Safety 1st, Cosco, Eddie Bauer and Disney and were sold from December 2008 through this month.

To find out if your car seat carrier is a part of the recall, visit this site from Dorel Juvenile Group for products covered by the Recall.

Free Christmas Music From Mercy Me

You can download a free MP3 of "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear from Mercy Me on AmazonMp3.com now. All you have to have is a free Amazon.com account. Follow the link here add to your MP3 Christmas library.

9 Tips For a Healthy Holiday Season

This is a great list of ways to stay health during the holidays from The University Of Michigan Health System website:

1. Don’t go hungry to a holiday event. Eat a snack or light meal before you leave. Foods high in protein, like cottage cheese, nuts or chicken help you eat less later. Fasting ahead of time, leaving room for a big meal, or planning extra trips to the buffet table often leads to overeating.

2. Fill up on fiber. Choose appetizers that will help you meet the recommended guideline of five to 10 servings of vegetables and fruits a day.

3. Eat smaller portions of food. This is especially important at a buffet, where you may want to try everything. Instead, choose the items you want to try the most, and eat a small portion of each.

4. Pace, don’t race. Many times, people eat so fast that their stomachs do not have enough time to register they’re full. Eat slower, savoring each bite and enjoying the taste of the food; chances are you will eat less and not overeat.

5. Limit fast food. Don’t let a hectic holiday schedule force you to rely on eating fast food often. Prepare and freeze quick healthy meals ahead of time to stay out of the fast food trap.

6. Offer to bring a low-calorie dish to holiday parties. Your host will appreciate it and you will know that at least one healthy item will be on hand. Find suggestions at our recipe database.

7. Be realistic. Do not try to diet during the holidays. Set a goal to maintain your present weight.

8. Watch what you drink during the holidays. Limiting the amount of alcohol you drink may help prevent a number of cancers. Regular eggnogs and other drinks made with syrups contain a high amount of calories. Try flavored, calorie-free waters, sparkling apple or grape juice, low-sodium vegetable juices or hot cider instead.

9. Be physically active. Look for ways to incorporate some daily physical activity during the holidays. Enjoy a brisk walk, either outside or at an indoor mall. Exercise can be a huge stress reliever.

10 free live songs from Mercy Me

As a Christmas gift for you, Mercy Me is offering you 10 FREE live songs. All you have to do is sign up for their email newsletter and they are yours for FREE. Just visit MercyMe.org to sign up and you can have your own Mercy Me concert.

Upcoming H1N1 Clinics in our area

These are open to the public, 6 months of age and older.

Thursday Decmber 17 – 9 AM Drummond Island Elementary 906-635-1566

Thusday December 17 – 1 PM Detour Village Township Hall 906-635-1566

Thursday December 17 – District Health Dept. Harrisville – 311 Lake Street. Make appointment at 989-343-1827

Friday December 18 – 8 to 4 Community flu vaccines at Health Department of Bellaire, Petoskey/Harbor Springs and Gaylord along with Charlevoix Public Library.
1-800-432-4121.

Monday December 21 – District Health Dept Mio – 393 S Mt. Tom Road. Make appointment at 989-343-1827.

Monday December 21 – 1pm Pickford Township Hall – 906-635-1566

Tuesday December 22 – 1 to 3 pm Avery Square SSM, MI 906-635-1566

Tuesday December 22 – District Health Dept Tawas – 420 Lake St. Make appointment at 989-343-1827.

Wednesday December 23 – 9 to 3 – Avery Square SSM, MI 906-635-1566

Faith the 2 legged Walking Dog

This dog is amazing and has inspired many injured soldiers and children.
Read more about faith at her website: FaithTheDog.info.

great household uses for vinegar

From TheSimpleDollar.com: 15 inexpensive household uses for vinegar:

Toilet cleaner Got a toilet bowl that’s difficult to clean? Before you go to bed, dump a cup of vinegar in the bowl, then close the lid. I usually spread the vinegar around the bowl a bit with a brush to coat the sides. In the morning, the whole bowl will be really easy to brush. I can’t remember the last time I bought actual toilet bowl cleaner.

Refrigerator cleaner I take a gallon of warm water in a bowl, add about two cups of vinegar, bust out a rag, and use that solution to clean the inside of the refrigerator. It does a great job of cleaning things up without much effort at all. If something’s really bad, I’ll put a tablespoon or so of pure vinegar right on it, let it sit for a bit, then give it a scrub.

Sunburn Is your skin a bit sunburnt? Just rub some vinegar on the affected area and it’ll feel much better really quickly. If it’s bad, you can reapply the vinegar a few times.

Kitchen drain odors If your kitchen drain has an odd smell, pour a cup of white vinegar down the drain, then don’t run any water for at least an hour. When you do run water, run quite a bit of it to flush out the drain. This usually takes care of any odors – if any still linger, repeat this a time or two.

Fabric softener Instead of using fabric softener, use about half a cup of white vinegar. It has largely the same effect without coating your clothes in chemicals and costs a lot less.
Rusty tools Just soak anything that’s rusty in vinegar overnight, then clean it thoroughly with a brush. The rust will wipe away nearly as well as it does with any expensive rust remover I’ve ever tried.

Vinyl flooring If you have a vinyl floor that needs cleaned, mop using equal amounts of water and vinegar. This works really well for getting up stains, especially if you go over it twice. Don’t do this with wood or wood laminate, however, because vinegar can react with the wood.

Window cleaning Forget Windex. Just put some vinegar in a spray bottle and get to work on any glass surfaces. It works really well and doesn’t seem to streak much at all.
Eyeglass cleaner If you use eyeglass cleaner, just take an empty container and fill it with vinegar. It cuts through grease on your lenses really well, leaving them looking great!

Microwave cleaning Put a cup of vinegar in the microwave, then run the microwave on high for three minutes. Let it sit undisturbed for half an hour, then remove the cup. The gunk in your microwave will be very easy to wipe down.

Carpet odors Did your dog do something funky on the carpet (or your toddler, for that matter – yes, I have used this tip to clean up some early potty training accidents)? Pour half a cup of vinegar on the spot that smells and just let it dry. This will kill off the odor and it’ll also make it easier to clean any stains.

Garbage disposal odors If your garbage disposal smells a bit odd, vinegar alone usually won’t do the trick because it doesn’t get into all of the cracks and crevasses in there. Instead, fill up an ice cube tray with vinegar and put it in the freezer until you have vinegar ice cubes. Toss those cubes into the disposal and run the disposal for five seconds or so (with water). Then let it sit for an hour or two, then run it again. This always works for us.

Air freshener Got that spray bottle of vinegar from the window cleaning? Spritz it in the air a few times to kill general odors. It smells vaguely vinegary for the first minute, then it just smells clean.

Nasty air Got a room that really reeks of smoke or paint fumes? Put a bowl of vinegar in there and just let it sit. If the room’s really bad, put out two or three bowls. The odor in the room will drastically improve in a few hours.

Whitening clothes Put a cup of white vinegar in a load of whites along with a quarter of a cup of baking soda. This will whiten your whites as effectively as bleach without the harshness.
These uses just scratch the surface. Whenever there’s a cleaning mission in my home, I usually tackle it with vinegar and baking soda as the first line of defense.

Great tips for shipping cookies this Christmas

From SeriousEats.com:

Since nobody wants to receive a box full of crumbs (well, it's probably better than coal, but still) follow these tips for shipping baked goodies.
For Cookies
Bar cookies and drop cookies travel best, especially in smaller sizes Try Avoid fragile creations, even if they look super artsy, and those that crumble easily.
Wrap each cookie, or a pair of them touching bottom-to-bottom, in waxed paper or plastic wrap. Place cookies in a sturdy box lined with extra waxed paper and fill any empty air spaces with tissue paper or newspaper. Cookie padding is KEY—they should not be rolling around and having a party in there. To maintain moisture, try throwing in a slice of fresh bread. The moisture from the bread will migrate to the cookies via cookie osmosis.
Make sure the box is packed so tight, it's hard to close. Yank out the permanent market and mark "FRAGILE" all over the box. Double-check the postage. Returning-to-sender is not a happy situation, especially with homemade cookies.
For Cakes and Cupcakes
Ship them in mason jars! Not only does it look fun but it ships safely, and if using a flat-rate box, it shouldn't be super expensive either.
Take-out containers also work well.
Be careful sending glazes on cakes though. It's best to put them in a portable container like a Ziploc baggie, then the lucky recipient can just snip the edge—instant piping bag device!
Do Not Mix All Sorts of Crazy Flavors
Variety is great and all but make sure each sweet is individually wrapped.
Be careful what flavors you mix. Even if there's lots of waxed paper buffer, they will likely absorb each others' flavors.
What Kind of Boxes?
You want sturdy cardboard boxes. Uline is a great source. They are shipping supply specialists—they mean business. Try to show up to the post office with your boxes already expertly packed.
Timing
Splurge on the speedy Priority delivery. Make sure they get it within two to three days or it's not worth it. For cakes, shoot for the next day if you can.

Free Christmas music from Mark Harris

Mark Harris has released his first Christmas CD "Christmas Is" and is offering a free song download from the project at AmazonMP3.com. You can download "O Holy Night" for free by clicking here. All you need is an Amazon.com account which is free to start.

Roman shades and roll up blinds recall

The Consumer Protection Safety Commission has issued a recall of 50 million Roman style and roll up blinds because of the risk that children may become entagled in the cords and strangle. the commission along with the industry are urging parents to check blinds for any accessible cords that could pose a risk. Consumers can recieve a free retrofit kit for either Roman Shades or roll upblinds at Windowcoverings.org or by calling 1-800-506-4636. Read the complete CPSC report by clicking here.

Let's Say Thanks

Most of us know someone who is serving our country in the military. And whether they are serving in a war zone or just away from their family, it would be great if we could have a way to say thanks for their efforts. Xerox has set up a very cool website to do just that. LetsSayThanks.com gives you an opportunity to help send a card, designed by a child, along with a personal message to our troops this Christmas. And it is free to do. Just visit LetsSayThanks.com to thank our troops this Christmas.

Free Shipping Day

If you are still doing your Christmas Shopping and can't find that just right item near home, then you need to shop on December 17th. That day has been designated as Free Shipping Day and over 560 online retailers are offering free shipping on December 17th. And more than half of the retailers have no minimum purchase requirements. Visit FreeShippingDay.com to find out more.

10 Free Songs from INO Records

Here is a chance to get 10 free songs from INO Records for your I-Tunes. It includes music from Jonny Diaz, Mercy Me, Decypher Down, Disciple, Phillips, Craig and Dean, VOTA, Derek Webb, Addison Road, Building 429 and Todd Agnew. Click here to get your free download today.

Calorie Count for your recipes

If you have a favorite recipe but your not sure if it is healthy for you, Calorie Count.about.com can help. They have a Recipe Analyser that will tell you how much fat, sugar, calories your recipe will have. Just type or paste the recipe into the Recipe Analyser to get started.

How To Regift

I am not sure when the word was invented, but regifting has been a buzz word for the last few years. Regifting is the act of giving a gift that was given to you (my definition). What are the rules of regifting and can you learn from others stories? Regiftable.com has what you need with some funny and embarrissing stories about regifting and some great tips about regifting to help you out.

USB powered "stuff"

If you are not too familiar with computers, the USB port is one of those places you can plug devices into your computer including digital cameras and MP3 players. This port can provide power for a device too, which has lead to some really wierd inventions like the USB powered heated eyelash curler(pictured to the left). A website called GeekStuff4U.com offers this along with other nutty inventions that run off your USB port like: Shoe Dryers, Hand warmers, toothbrush sanitizers and even a razor. Check them out at GeekStuff4U.com. (I am not sure why but all the prices are in Yen so you might have to do some conversions to figure out how much these "different" gifts will cost.)

Free audio Christmas Story

A great ministry called FaithComesByHearing.com would like to give you a free audio drama of The Christmas Story. It is based on the Christmas story as presented in Matthew and Luke. Click here to get your free Christmas story download. And make sure to find out more about FaithComesByHearing.com as they are working to bring God's Word to the world through audio Bible in many different Languages.

Give This Christmas Away on Mike Huckabee Show

How to make a Christmas Wreath from old CDs

Free audio book of A Christmas Carol

Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol" is such a classic for the Christmas season and now you can own the audio book for free. LearnOutLoud.com is offering this 2 hour 45 minute long audio book to you, no charge. Click this link for your free download of "A Christmas Carol" from LearnOutLoud.com.

Ever try to start a new habit?

If you have ever tried to start a good habit or quit a bad one you know it takes a while to do it. In fact, research shows it takes at least 21 days to form a new habit. Habitforge.com is a website to help. You can set up what habit you are wanting to accomplish and Habitforge.com will send you reminders daily and ask if you accomplished the new habit the day before. You could use Habitforge.com to lose weight, remember to pray or read your bible or to stop a bad habit like bitting your nails. And it is FREE to use. You can find out more at Habitforge.com.

Christmas Tree 101 from This Old House

How do you select a Christmas Tree that will last the season. The folks at This Old House have some great tips including how to pick a "living" tree, how to cut the base of the tree to make it last the longest, how to decorate safely and even how to best dispose of a tree. Read more at This Old House.com.

Free Christmas Music from Amazon.com

AmazonMP3.com has a several free songs from Christian Artists for this Christmas. Click on the following links to get your free Christmas Music:

Brandon Heath - The Night Before Christmas

Matt Maher - Silent Night (Emmanuel)

House Of Heroes - Silent Night

Casting Crowns - I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day

Casting Crowns - Joy To The World

buying and selling teaching supplies

HootOfLoot.com is a new website for teachers and home schoolers to buy and sell used supplies. This is a great resource for anyone in education to pick up books, art supplies, multimedia items and more. If you are a teacher or homeschooler HootOfLoot.com could save you money when looking for materials.

5 easy ways to improve your cooking

From Gomestic.com,

1. Use frozen or fresh vegetables instead of canned. Canned vegetables are heated and partially cooked inside of the can as part of the canning process.

2. Pay attention to colors. When selecting side dishes, try not to choose foods that are the same color. For example, if you are serving potatoes au gratin, do not add corn as the vegetable. Instead, try using green beans or peas and carrots. Bright, natural colors make a dish look more appetizing.

3. Use complementary flavors. Certain flavors counter one another in ways that boost the appeal of the dinner. Try pairing a sweet side dish with a spicy entrée or add fruit to a meat dish. If everything on the plate has similar flavors it will make the meal seem bland.

4. Steam instead of boiling. When you boil vegetables, much of the nutrients and flavor leak out into the water. Steaming helps vegetables keep their color and natural flavors.

5. Give dishes time to absorb the flavor. This is especially true of starch-based dishes such as rice or pasta. Once these dishes have cooked through, let them simmer on low heat for an extra ten to fifteen minutes. The starch will take on the savor of the other ingredients and make the dish more flavorful.

Read more at Gomestic.com

Lose Weight Like an Engineer

I grew up in a family of engineers and so this really hit a cord with me. If you are looking to lose weight, you can do so by following the engineers diet:

1. Multiply the pounds you want to lose by the number of calories in a pound of fat: 10 x 3,500 = 35,000.
2. Divide the total by the days you'll diet: 35,000 ÷ 60 = 583.
3. Eat that many fewer calories each day.

Obviously this is simplistic but it truly is a way to lose weight by eating less. Get some more tips from engineers on how to lose weight at HowTo.Wired.com.

Meet Sadie from Mackinac Island, National Dog Show Champ

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

How to make a water gun alarm clock

I wish I would have had this for my brother growing up. This might have woken him up!

Wishbones for sale

What has been a long time tradition of the holidays is the breaking of the "wishbone" from the turkey. But if you have a large family and only two people get to participate, what do you do? Now you can buy artificial "wishbones" so everyone can participate. You can order them in quantities of 3 or more by following this link.

Free Jeremy Camp Download

Personalized TV Guide

This is a screen shot for a new program that allows you to set up a TV guide only for the stations you want to watch. This is great if you have cable or satellite with 100's of channels but only a few that you watch. The program, called Free Guide, is a download that look pretty easy to configure for your viewing. Get your Free Guide software by clicking here.

Cool Toothpick Christmas Tree Craft

If you Christmas decorating budget is a little thin this year, here is a great from DIYLife.com for a Toothpick Christmas Tree.

1. Go to your local craft store and buy 15 medium-size styrofoam balls and a round styrofoam ring.

2. Spread out newspapers on your work surface.

3. Take a styrofoam ball and stick toothpicks all around it so the end result looks sort of like a big snowflake. Do the same thing to all the styrofoam balls.

4. Set out your styrofoam ring. This will serve as the base of the tree. Place the balls around the ring.

5. When you've covered the ring, create a second layer. This layer will be a little smaller than the bottom layer.

6. When you've completed the second layer, create a third. This layer will be a little smaller than the second layer.

7. At this point the tree shape should be clear. Keep adding layers until the tree is complete.

8. When you've finished forming the tree, take out your can of snow and spray, spray, spray! You want a nice, thick cover, but you'll have to build it up slowly. Be sure to let each coat dry thoroughly before adding the next.

9. Once you have a nice snow-covered tree, add the ornaments... carefully. You now have a toothpick Christmas tree!

5 free songs from Caleb Rowden

Caleb Rowden has an early gift for you, 5 free songs. Just follow this link to Caleb Rowden's page on BandCamp.com. When you get to the site, you can download the five songs available there for free. Consider it an early Christmas Gift from Caleb Rowden.

Enter ingredients, get a recipe

Today is the first day after Thanksgiving. So what do you do with the extra turkey? SuperCook.com is a great website to help you out, not only after Thanksgiving but all the time. Just enter what ingredients you have and SuperCook.com will give you recipes that fit what you have. It is a great way to economize and use up what you have in the kitchen. Click here to get started using SuperCook.com.

KJ 52 End of My Rope Video

Big Ticket Black Friday Sale

Tickets for the 2010 Big Ticket Festival go on sale at 12 AM this Friday. There are some great discounts available for the early bird ticket buyer. Check out their website for details on specials ticket prices at TheBigTicketFestival.com.

Also check out this special BTF Christmas Video:

Thanksgiving Emergency Kit

These are some suggestions from BobVila.com on must haves for hosting Thanksgiving:

1) Hydrogen Peroxide. For stains on rugs or dresses. (It's Thanksgiving. Spills happen. Accept it and just be prepared to deal.) .

2) CLR toilet and skin declogger. Let's face it, a mid-dinner toilet clog is worse than burning the turkey.

3) TurkeyTimer iPhone App: Any excuse to whip out the iPhone, right? This App will help you determine how long it takes to cook your turkey and track your turkey's brownness. It will even prompt you to baste.

4) A good game. Novice hosts will need a good 2-hour distraction when they realize the bird isn't even CLOSE to being done.

5) An extra place setting. When a neighbor or long-lost cousin stops by unexpectedly, right before you're sitting down to eat. Forget formal dining -- just have some sturdy paper plates on hand.

6) Exit Strategy: Some coordinated movements by the host family that say "Okay, Thanksgiving is over. It's time for everyone to leave!" As a last resort we suggest someone sneak away and pull the main breaker, interrupting power to the whole house. Nothing ends Thanksgiving faster than no heat or electricty.

7) A dog. While they might hop on guests, they make clean up less of a chore. Don't have a Rufus to call your own? We're sure one of your neighbors underestimates the value of a hungry hound.

$3 of FREE music from Amazon.com

From now through Monday, Amazon.com is offering you $3 of free music to download. This FREE music offer is good for any music offered through Amazon.com. Here is a link to the $3 Free Music offer page at Amazon.com. Amazon.com also offers over 1300 free downloads including 13 Christian downloads from artist like Barlow Girl, Rachel Lampa and Big Daddy Weave. Here is the FREE Download page for Christian Artist at Amazon.com.

15 uses for tea and tea bags

I am a tea-a-holic. I love iced tea, especially to get me going in the morning. Here are 15 other uses for tea and tea bags that I found at Gomestic.com:

1.Apply a wet tea bag on the razor burn to reduce the pain
2.Place the lukewarm tea bags on your closed eyes to refresh your tired eyes
3.Soak a tea bag in cool water and place it on to the site to stop the bleeding and pain of a lost tooth
4.Place your feet in strong tea concoction to get rid of the unpleasant odor
5.Soak a tea bag in cool water and place it over the site of injection to relieve the pain
6.Apply a few wet tea bags on the affected skin after sunburn to reduce the pain
7.Plunge a cotton ball in tea and wipe on the affected part due to ivy rash to relieve from the pain
8.Gargling with the herbal tea made with peppermint reduces toothache
9.Wash your hair with a cup of herbal tea after shampooing to make the hair silky and shiny
10.Clean the wood furniture with a soft cloth dipped in a freshly prepared tea to add shine to them
11.Sprinkling some used tea bags near the rosebushes enhances their growth by nourishing them
12.Spark the mirror by cleaning it with a soft cloth dipped in tea
13.Place a few used tea bags on top of the drainage layer at the bottom of the planter before potting to keep the plants healthier
14.Let the used tea bags open and dry and then use them as stuffing for sachets to give perfume
to them
15.Pour some cups of tea into the compost to accelerate the decomposition and create acid rich compost

Crib Recall

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is recalling 1.2 million cribs manufactured by Stork Craft. Some of the cribs also carry the Fisher Price logo. The CPSC is aware of 4 deaths of young children who suffocated in cribs which have sides that move up and down. The Stork Craft cribs have a problem with their hardware, which can break or can be assembled wrong. Here is a link to Consumer Reports with information about the recall.

National Day of Listening November November 27th

What a great idea. Probably less than 100 years ago, people knew the story of their family and friends. They knew who their aunts and uncles were and could tell the stories of wars and love and loss. But the idea of oral history has been disappearing with our ever increasing media dependent society. Friday, November 27th, has been declared the National Day Of Listening. Follow this link to NationalDayOfListening.org to learn about interviewing family member or neighbors or friends so their stories won't be forgotten.

Free music and devotional from Craig Smith

Craig Smith is an artist who has been in Christian music since 1978. He is now a pastor in Arkansas and is still making music. In fact his new CD The Ancient Path is offered for free on his website along with a devotional that goes along with it. You can find out what Craig Smith has been up to and enjoy this free music and devotional from :TheAncientPath.net. They do ask you to consider a donation to help their mission work but if you can not donate at this time, they are both free.

Local internship programs

Is your business in need of an intern next year that will not cost you any money? Are you a high school or college student looking for a paid internship? Community Ties can help. This is a program organized by the Michigan State University Extension to help connect students in rural areas of Michigan with internships. It is currently available in Grand Traverse, Marquette, Oscoda and Otsego Counties. Business have until December 1st to register and students have until December 18th. If your business is selected for an intern, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will pay the intern through a grant. Find out more about the program at CommunityTies.US.

20 Pointless Kitchen Appliances

Found a great article from RestyleOurKitchen.co.uk about the 20 most pointless kitchen appliances. Some of their examples are (shown above) the electric Pizza cutter, personal pop corn machine, avacado flesh remover, taco holders and onion goggles. You can read the complete list at the link above. As I guy i kind of like the Electric Pizza Cutter although I don't think I have ever encountered a pizza so tough I needed a circular saw to cut into it.

Free Audio Book from ChristianAudio.com

If you are like me and have difficultly in finding time to read in your busy day, this might be a great offer for you. ChristianAudio.com offers a free audio book each month. This month they are offering John Piper's "Desiring God" for Free. You just need to have the promo code "Nov2009." Click here to get your free audiobook and to sign up for their monthly email to recieve more free offers like this.

Great tips for cleaning pans

Who has pans that look like this in their kitchen? There are no promises of out of the box shine on your pots and pans but here are some great tips to clean those difficult stains from your pots and pan from the website DIYLife.com:

Aluminum pans: Boil a few apples and/or apple peels in water to get that aluminum shiny and new.
Cast Iron pans: Wipe out with a damp cloth rather than completely wash them, dry completely to prevent rust.
Copper pans: Dip the bottom of the pot in leftover pickle juice. Let sit for abot 10-15 minutes and rinse well.
Burnt pots & pans: Make a paste from equal parts water & baking soda, rub into burnt area and let it sit for an hour!
Enamel ware: To remove discoloration, mix equal parts salt and vinegar, clean area & let sit for 15 minutes. Rinse well.

Free music from I-Tunes

If you like discovering new Christian Music, I-tunes is helping with that today. They have a FREE song from new Christian Artist Danyew called "Wake Up". If you have the I-tunes Player on your computer (which is free to download) you can download the song for free by clicking here.

Safest cars of 2010

The Institute for Highway Safety has released their list of the safest cars for 2010.
Here is a list of the cars that made the cut and you can get more details by visiting their website by clicking here:

LARGE CARS
Buick LaCrosse
Ford Taurus
Lincoln MKS
Volvo S80

SMALL CARS
Honda Civic4-door models (except Si)with optional ESC
Kia Soul
Nissan Cube
Subaru Impreza(except WRX)
Volkswagen Golf4-door models
MIDSIZE CARS
Audi A3
Chevrolet Malibubuilt after October 2009
Chrysler Sebring4-door models with optional ESC
Dodge Avengerwith optional ESC
Mercedes C class
Subaru Legacy
Subaru Outback
Volkswagen Jetta sedan
Volkswagen Passat sedan
Volvo C30

MIDSIZE SUVs
Dodge Journey
Subaru Tribeca
Volvo XC60
Volvo XC90

SMALL SUVs
Honda Element
Jeep Patriotwith optional side torso airbags
Subaru Forester
Volkswagen Tiguan

Rock Paper Scissors World Championships

Who knew that there was a world championship for Rock, Paper, Scissors? This year a Michigan resident Tim Conrad of Taylor was crowned the World Champion. Apparently there are international competitions for Rock, Paper, Scissors. Here is the website for the World Rock, Paper, Scissors organization. Who knows, maybe this is a future Olympic sport?

Congressman Stupak Telephone Townhall tomorrow

Michigan Congressman Bart Stupak will be holding a telephone townhall meeting Wednesday at 6pm. This telephone townhall meeting will give you a chance to ask questions of your representiative on issues such as health care and the economy. If you wish to participate you have to register either online by clicking here or by calling his office at 1-800-950-7371. You need to sign up by 6pm today to participate.

50 Free Photo cards from Freebies4mom

With most Christmas budgets getting tight this year, we could all use a freebie. A great blog called Freebies 4 Mom has an offer for 50 free photo cards. These 4 x 8 greeting cards are truly free. Just follow this link and use the codes provided at Freebies 4 Mom to get custom Photo cards.

Could you pass the written drivers test?

Has it has been a while since you took the written section of the drivers test. Could you still pass it? Here is a great site that gives you a chance to see. Take this online Drivers test by clicking here. I didn't do well, only 60%. Maybe you can do better. Although the questions I missed I actually guessed more conservatively than the law requires.

new music from across the pond

E-Tizz is a new Christian Hip-hop artist from England. You can get his music for free by sharing it with friends or pay what you want for it. He is a great new talent in Christian music.

Fonolo helps you call through companies phone trees

Do you get tired of trying to call companies only to be stuck on hold or trying to navigate a complicated phone tree to get the right department to help you. Fonolo is here to help. Fonolo will dial the number, stay on hold, enter important info for you and then ring your phone when they get to a real person. Find out more about this great new FREE service at Fonolo.com.

Filler Items on Amazon.com

I enjoy shopping locally but sometimes there are things you just have to go online to buy. And I like shopping Amazon.com, especially when they are offering free shipping. But sometimes the item I am purchasing falls a little short of the minimum purchase for free shipping. That is what Amazon Filler item Finder is for. You enter the dollar amount you are looking for and it searches Amazon.com to find items that will bump you up for free shipping. Check out the site at Filleritem.com

Sell your old electronics for cash

Do you ever wonder what to do with your old electronics? How about getting cash for them. When I first read about this it sounded like the "Cash for Gold" offers on TV. But this is a chance to make some money off of stuff that is just laying around being unused. They buy cellphones, mp3 players, video game systems and more. Plus they send you the box to ship the items back.
Find out more about Gazelle by clicking here.

Operation Outreach has begun

This is one of the billboards for Operation Outreach. It is located at US 131 and M-32 south of Petoskey. If you see the billboards in your area, snap a photo and email to patrick@ncradio.org along with the location of the billboard. We would love to post your picture here too.

Free Christmas song from Ayiesha Woods

You know I like free music and here is a Free Christmas song, Jingle Bells, for you from Ayiesha Woods. Click this link and enjoy the free music courtesy of The Gospel Music Channel.