What you think does matter

My kid is not perfect, I and my wife are not perfect parents – but I want, I desire a better future for my children and I believe most parents feel the same way. And it makes me feel good when I see the subtle positive changes in my children. I surprised a Teacher today. As I walked across the school campus a former fifth grader in daycare came up to me and gave me a hug. I asked her what she was doing and she quickly said: nothing, I’m bored. So I broke out the speech I give my own children with a twist, I asked her: Is this not a school? Practice your math, read a book, keep your brain active. This quickly prompted the teacher standing near us to say: Yes, why not read a book that is on your summer reading book list? The young girl gave her this – are you crazy look. I quickly reacted by explaining to my young friend that my nine year old son has been practicing his math everyday this summer – why, because I bribe him, no video games, TV, nothing if he doesn’t complete the m

Successful Children - I love sharing stories with my children about successful children in order to motivate them to learn and to succeed. 10 yr. old CEO, Entrepreneur Hannah Altman Business – Selling Pencil Toppers Only 10 years old (yes, you read correctly!), Hannah Altman is the founder and CEO of Hannah’s Cool World where she and her parents sell cool toys all over the world. In business since 2009, her site has sold more than 250,000 pencil toppers. She comes from a family of entrepreneurs – her Mother Lauren Altman started Cool Zips when Hannah was only six years old. In fact, the idea to start Cool Zips was Hannah’s – a really creative and practical thinker at such a young age, one must say! Her Dad, Rick Altman, left his full time job in 2010 when the Cool Zips business really took off. Once the family was out dining when Hannah spotted pencil toppers in a nearby vending machine and Hannah forced her Dad to buy them. Hannah, when reaching home, asked her Dad wheth

Math: cool way to teach my son math with YouTube? Here is a question: what is an integer? How do you teach a 9 yr old “fourth grade math” and more over the summer, when all he wants to do is to play video games late into the night? Let me tell you – he doesn’t make it easy. But I did make it interesting for him: I found this interesting math tutorial on YouTube. My 9 yr old loves watching You Tube videos about MineCraft and other games – so it was a no brainer. I sit with him and I watch the videos with him and then I create questions and/or math equations that go along with what we learned in the video. (Check one video out below) As of today we are up to video seven where the lessons start on multiplication and division – considering we have heard everything from natural numbers, whole numbers, unit numbers and integers which to my – is a bunch of different ways of saying: numbers. But according to the videos – integer is positive and negative numbers and zero.      Here

Now these are some awesome sand castles creations.

Real Man of Genius Matt Moman had fake limes, actual beer and a flash of inspiration. What entrepreneur hasn't fantasized about the million-dollar idea that's right under his nose? Well, meet Matt Moman, the man who turned a piece of plastic fruit into a multimillion-dollar licensing deal with Grupo Modelo, the behemoth behind the Corona Extra beer brand. How did he do it? Says Moman, "I always start with what I know." As owner of Moman Sales, a South Florida specialist in plastic flowers, what he knows is fake flora. In June 2007, Moman was on a business trip to San Francisco, checking out the latest in nature's plastics, when he hit on the citrus creations of Winward International. The lemons and limes looked and felt so real, Moman was convinced there had to be another way to market them. A few days later, back home sipping a beer, it came to him: The limes would be a perfect match for the Corona brand. Enter "the limer," or as it is offic

Food may be the perfect item to fence on the black market. After all, a hunk of cheese doesn't carry the type of high-tech tracking equipment often loaded in electronics. Who would have thought - the hamberglur is actually a true criminal master mind - people are actually stealing, high jacking large amounts of food items. I have seen (only in movies) how criminals in the mob would highjack trucks filled with electronics, cigarettes and even furniture - but food - this is different. I guess with the price of food continuing to grow making it expensive for regular people to buy - criminals must think that "food" must be a highly desired commodity. Don't believe me - check out the reports below. The 21-ton cheese theft. In March, an Illinois man was charged with stealing $200,000 worth of Muenster cheese from Wisconsin. Authorities claim he provided false paperwork to a distributor, allowing him to load 42,000 pounds into his 18-wheeler. He was supposedly plan

Why teach your kids about money and the reason I wrote books for my kids. The financial future is bleak - for us currently that is, things may improve in thr far far future for our small children or grandchildren. But teaching them about how money works, what the importance of how to manage money - they need to learn today so they can be prepared should a crisis ever arise again. The current situation Who says there's no inflation? Food prices are expected to rise as much as 4% this year, according to Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, meaning household budgets will be eating the difference. That is faster than 2012's food inflation rate, driven higher by the rising cost of beef, pork, chicken, fruits and other staples. Higher cost of food (the basics) and growing older population The oldest baby boomers have already turned 65, and the older population of the U.S. is beginning to swell. The age-65-and-older population grew 18% between 2000 and 2011 to 41.4 mi

Who invented the pencil and what is so important about it? Hymen L. Lipman (March 20, 1817 - November 4, 1893) is credited with registering the first patent for a pencil with an attached eraser on March 30, 1858 (U.S. Patent 19,783). Hymen L. Lipman was born March 20, 1817, in Kingston, Jamaica, to English parents. He immigrated to the United States around 1829 with them, arriving in Philadelphia, Pa., where he resided for the remainder of his life. The idea of the video below is, that the complexity of a simple pencil proves that it requires the work of "many" and not that of just one individual ( I am paraphrasing ). Apparently the professionals would say that the short story written by: Leonard E. Read and adapted into this video is about creative destruction - about finding new better ways to create more with less that serves more people. But fist the video. In basic terms the professionals say that the free markets work by creative destruction. For instance the p

Computer help: Here is an experience you might find helpful. I know a little bit about computers but all in all I know as much as anyone else does. I am not a super nerd, computer whiz or Einstein. With this said, I have several people who come to me asking for computer help – people who are willing to pay me and are often surprised (if they are generous people who like to pay for services rendered) - are surprised to find out that I helped them out for free.    I usually get the “Are you sure? I know your time is valuable…” Don’t get me wrong, I do not do it because I am wealthy or because I am gullible. I offer my services for free because 9 times out of ten – the problem was simple in nature. For example: I had a co-worker ask me to help him with a used laptop he purchased because it wouldn’t connect to the internet. After playing with it for about 20 minutes I figured out the problem and the issue was solved. Know that was just my basic knowledge – but for things I do not

Funny - the future is now, check it out. Remember watching all those futuristic movies and cartoons and wondering to yourself - is that how the future will be? Then the sad truth of reality hit when you grew up and even now - we can't even build a decent flying car, much less fly into space or live on the moon. So I guess people have just gotten tired of waiting for the future to happen and have brought the future to us in the here and now. Take a look at some of these pic's and tell me this doesn't remind you of all those space movies or cartoons. ______________________________________ Eric Wong, the managing director of a capsule bed manufacturer, and his son Osbert pose in capsule beds in Hong Kong. They are aimed at university students and budget travelers visiting the territory from mainland China. A visitor walks past rows of closet-sized sleeping quarters in Moscow's first micro-hostel. Manager Akiyoshi Kaneko inspects sleeping compartments at the

Interesting recipe for expressing ones love - I mean the wife happy. When is an egg "in the hole" not just an egg "in the hole"? When in the hands of chef Matthew Accarrino! Accarrino, the culinary mastermind behind SPQR's first Michelin star, has elevated this simple breakfast dish into a masterpiece on the plate. Diced rutabaga, foraged mushrooms and rich brown stock take comfort food from homey to gourmet. Makes: 4 servings Ingredients: 1/2 cup rutabaga, peeled and cut in small dice Extra virgin olive oil 51/2 ounces (2 cups) mushrooms, preferably hen of the woods (maitake) Kosher salt 1/4 cup finely diced bacon 3 tablespoons white wine 1/2 cup brown stock 4 (3/4-inch thick) slices brioche About 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more to finish 4 eggs 1/2 shallot, minced 1 teaspoon chopped tarragon Handful of miner's lettuce or chickweed *Personally I am not a fan of mushrooms - so I am looking for an alternative or plan to leave it

Better FCAT and School scores for students Every parent wants better FCAT scores, better grades and for their child or children to do better in school – at least any concerned caring parent. But the question is – how do you go about it? How do you accomplish this if your child is more into video games than he is about learning? Every child is different – I should know because my 9 yr. old son is completely the opposite of my 15 yr. old daughter, like day and night. My daughter has always been quiet, reserved, she could be considered to be the epitome of the perfect child (never made a fuss usually did what she was told). When it came to school, she did her work and loved to read. My son, well that was a whole different ball game. My son turned out to be a rambunctious tyrant of mischief who loved to get into everything. His idea of fun is playing video games and reenacting video game war battle scenes on my pool table with the hundreds of toy soldiers he has – which he never pic

Funny: Who is up for a burn? It’s the week end and it is time to distress, unwind and relax – so what do we do: make plans to get a nice crispy burn. I love making fun of friends and family who come back from frolicking in the sun with a nice reddish crispy look to them. Personally, if you know me – the sun and I are not friends. I hate getting sun burn; I hate it not because of the possibility of skin cancer or all the other health reasons like aging skin. But simply because I dislike being cooked, baked, and that uncomfortable pain one has to endure as you wait to recover from that oh so not nice tan (red burn) people seek after. Look, I am Hispanic and I am fair skinned and sort of look white (some people say I look jewish, Indian and even Mexican) but me and my self – I am comfortable with my shin, in my skin and I have no desire to be a bronzed god – I mean have the color of a bronze god (..LOL). So what does the family want to do – go to the beach, get some sun, come hom

Recipe: Spanish Pork Burgers Memorial week end or any week end - A great tasting burger is always good to have. Here is one recipe I plan on having this weekend. Ingredients 3 cup(s) thinly sliced Spanish onion 3/4 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper, divided 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt, divided 1 pound(s) lean ground pork 1 tablespoon(s) finely chopped Spanish green olives, such as Manzanilla 2 teaspoon(s) minced garlic 2 teaspoon(s) Pimentón de la Vera (see Shopping Tip) , or Hungarian paprika 1/4 cup(s) reduced-fat mayonnaise 2 teaspoon(s) freshly grated lemon zest 1 tablespoon(s) lemon juice Saffron (see Ingredient Note) 1/4 cup(s) shredded Manchego or Monterey Jack cheese 4 whole-wheat hamburger buns, toasted 2 whole jarred Piquillo peppers (see Shopping Tip) , or jarred pimientos, halved lengthwise Recipe Directions 1.Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook

Teen's invention recharges cellphones in seconds Tired of constantly dying batteries, she came up with a device that could revolutionize energy storage -- and won $50,000 from Intel. By Bruce Kennedy If you care at all about America's future as a country of ideas and potential, you'll probably agree that this is a cool story. An 18-year-old high school student has come up with what might be a breakthrough in the field of energy storage. She has invented a device that can, for example, recharge a cellphone in seconds rather than hours. Eesha Khare, a student at Lynbrook High School in Saratoga, Calif., was one of two runners-up at the annual Intel (INTC -0.87%) International Science and Engineering Fair last week in Phoenix. She beat out more than 1,600 finalists from more than 70 countries. Khare received one of two Intel Foundation Young Scientist Awards of $50,000. As the company's press release states, "Eesha recognized the crucial need for energy-eff

Splash-tastic Indoor water parks Kids and water parks go together like macaroni and cheese. Check out our top picks for your next wet and wild vacation. Ask any child what he wants to do on vacation, and you'll hear one answer more than any other: swim! So it's no wonder indoor water-park resorts have become one of the hottest new travel trends. We're not talking about two-turn slides like the one at the town pool. These places are full-fledged water fantasy lands: Consistently around 82 degrees, with a zero percent chance of rain, they're fail-proof all year. Great Wolf Lodge (11 locations around the country, plus one in Niagara Falls, Canada; Greatwolf.com.) This log-cabinesque behemoth started the craze. Its range of activities (aquatic and otherwise) makes the resort a crowd-pleaser. The draw: A four- to eight-story tree house with soakers aplenty; some locations have a funnel slide, called the Howlin' Tornado, that slings the whole crew around on a

Teaching sound financial techniques to children A while back I wrote a post about teaching my children about money by playing monopoly – it turns out that I am not alone in my way of thinking. It turns out that an entire book has been written on this very same idea – I guess great minds do think alike... Lol "Monopoly became a part of my life the moment my father, Robert Barton--then president of Parker Brothers--acquired the game in 1935. Now, all these years later, Philip Orbanes reveals what we've all sensed since then--the game is replete with solid financial lessons." -- RANDOLPH P. BARTON, former president of Parker Brothers It’s no surprise to me – of course you have to play the game seriously if you want to learn anything of beneficial use to you. Please forgive the video interview - it's a bit drab but I agree with the ideas of the author. To learn more about why and how monopoly is a great way to teach financial knowledge to kids continue to read more

Killer frogs found at golden gate in California - OMG! Run for the hills, save yourself and your baby - maybe the hubby if you think he is worth it. But by all means run, run, run!! Wait...  Breaking news: killer frog is toxic only to animals not humans? Oh, so sorry for the scare. So what's the big deal and why did the news on google have titles like: Killer frogs found! I guess it's easier to attract visitors and views if you exaggerate a bit ( I'm guilty of that here). So what is a killer frog? The killer frog is technically: the Cane Toad. The cane toad (Bufo marinus), also known as the giant neotropical toad or marine toad, is a large, terrestrial true toad which is native to Central and South America, but has been introduced to various islands throughout Oceania and the Caribbean. It is a member of the subgenus Rhinella of the genus Bufo, which includes many different true toad species found throughout Central and South America. The cane toad is a prolific bree

Good financial advice from young Hip Hop contest winner - this is what we should be looking for in our youth. I am pleased that this medium (hip hop) was used to try to reach the hearts and minds of our youth who need to prepare for their financial future. Like the rapper says "Money runs the world, I can't change that", But how you manage your money - that you can control. BOYS & GIRLS CLUB TEEN WINS NATIONAL FINANCIAL LITERACY HIP HOP CONTEST PRESENTED BY CHARLES SCHWAB FOUNDATION Song by Blake McGuire Produced as Music Video by Multi-Platinum Music Producer Kevin "KHAO" Cates and Featured on First-Ever Financial Literacy-Themed Album What happens when you couple the musical talent and creativity of today’s youth with one of the most important topics among teens? This year’s Money Matters Music Mogul (M4) Contest, presented by BGCA and Charles Schwab Foundation, generated top talent from across the country and showed teens the power of financial

You have to laugh I think it's funny. Life is good, until...... May 5, 2013: A great gray owl is photographed just moments before snatching up its prey. The photo is from an extraordinary sequence of images by photographer Tom Samuelson along Lake Superior just south of Two Harbors, Minn. For get that it's cold. Forget that he is in his underwear. This guy is 77 yrs. old - damn! A 77-year-old retired teacher exercises in his underwear in Jilin, China.

Funny silly pictures and my funnier thoughts. I'm too cool Dude. May 6, 2013: A man rides his scooter as the street floods from torrential rains in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Personally - I think this one is cool. But still - don't expect a tip. Robots deliver dishes to customers at a Robot Restaurant in Harbin, China.

Silly thoughts of these interesting funny silly pictures I have run across online. China, may be a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there. Personally, I've also had nightmares about forgetting where I parked my car - but this is worse. May 7, 2013: A resident walks past a car parked amid debris at a site demolished as part of a street broadening project in Taiyuan, China, on May 6. The site used to be a parking lot. The owner of the car could not be reached, so the workers were told to carry on demolition operations around it, according to local media I have to admit - this is what I call entertainment. Winter swimmers box on the frozen Songhua River during the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in China.

Part 1   7 ways: Motivating learning in young children  (part 3 ) 6.        Risk : believe it or not children need to learn how to take risk – calculated risk. By this I mean that they have to be willing to fail and most importantly – how to deal with and overcome the fear of failure. It is a basic human nature, to fear failure. Why, because failure means lose, a cost and a price. No one likes to fail – that is just the way it is. But in children, the fear of failure nurtures a desire not to try, to attempt, or to excel. We all do, adults just like children – we fear failure so we avoid doing anything we think we will fail at. We have to teach children how to learn from mistakes, how to manage mistakes in order not to fear mistakes. There is a saying: it is better to have loved and loss than to have not loved at all. The same goes for life, except we call it missed opportunities; I could have, should have, but I didn’t. If kernel Sanders of Kentucky fried chicken: if he woul

7 ways: Motivating learning in young children (part 2) 3.        What is value : this may be one of the most difficult things to teach any child. What is value? How do you go about giving value to things and most of all, to one’s self? Children are surrounded by all sorts of influences, from their parents, teachers, from their school friends and even from that box called the television set (cable, internet, and so forth). The problem is they need to know the value of things: this is important and this is why purpose and understanding comes first before value. When a child has a purpose and they understand the importance of the order of things – they can better understand the value of things and the value of why they need to do things. Have you ever bought a gift for your child only to have it lost or broken, if you replace it quickly they lose all site of the value of that gift. They leave it about, easily forget it and more. But if you had this same child work several days o

7 ways: Motivating learning in young children Motivating children to learn is a very difficult thing to accomplish as a parent. It is often very easy for a child to succumb to the ease of asking others for help – who can resist a sweet innocent sad face that politely, ask for help. Or the child can fall into the trap that says “why should I care” school is not important, it does nothing for me now and why should I do all this hard work now when I don’t have to worry about it until I am old. Motivating a child to learn is like finding the most intricate piece of a jigsaw puzzle, you know what the picture looks like, you have all these pieces before you – but you need that one single piece that will help you start and put it all together: a starting point as you will. Children are all different and they have individual mind sets – it’s not always a one size fits all kind of thing – so my 7 ways of motivating a child to learn will be generalized in order for you to best fit to your

All things RIBS - it's what I live for. So when I found this recipe I was ecstatic - but as delicious as it sounds I did run into a small snag. But I am going to try it out any way. The recipe Star: Short Ribs Hours of cooking melt the fat on this cut of beef, creating an intense meatiness that holds its own with barbecue sauce, Asian spices, or red wine Basic Method 1. Sprinkle 4 lbs. bone-in beef short ribs with ½ tsp. each salt and pepper. In 12-in. skillet, heat 2 tsp. vegetable oil on med.-high until very hot. In batches, brown short ribs just on meaty sides. 2. Meanwhile, in 6- to 7-qt. slow cooker bowl, whisk together Flavoring Liquids and Seasonings; add Vegetables. Transfer meat to slow cooker bowl. 3. Cover and cook 5 hours on High or 10 hours on Low, or until very tender. Transfer meat to cutting board. Skim and discard fat from cooking liquid. 4. Transfer cooking liquid to 4-qt. saucepot; heat to boiling on med.-high. Boil 5 to 10 min. or until reduced by abou

Need your Help - will you? My daughter is a good kid and really smart. I am proud to announce that she has been nominated as a 2014 Florida Ambassador of Music. She has been one of the few invited to go with a band that with go to Europe to play music for people across the world and to see some historical places like Dachau where they will see with their own eyes what they have only read about in passing – the Holocaust. While I am very proud of her I am also dreading her going. She has quickly asked me for help – in that oh so whinny teen age way “Dad I need money pleeeeeease help me!” I took the high road and I reminded her that she has to learn how to think for herself and that if she truly wants this – she should work to solve her problem. Not that I am a mean dad, it’s just as I have tried to teach her these many years, is that she has to learn how to succeed on her own. She cannot rely on me and she needs to learn how to plan, create, work, struggle, learn from mistakes and