Are you planning a trip to Disneyland?  To Florida’s Universal Studios perhaps?  Six flags?  I know how quickly you can inundate your table with all them colorful brochures.  Soon enough the planning stage can get all that loosely wired and you’d be singing yourself “Let’s take everything to chance and hit the road, my way”.

Ughhh…. before loosing your marbles on what and where to go to, let your fingers do the most work.  We have the internet and there are tons of online resource material you can get to help you choose your way to a great vacation.

www.ThemeParkInsider.com is one of those successful sites that help you by offering you useful “insider” information regarding theme parks.  There’s a new section where visitors can rate and where they can offer a personal experience report on what rides rocks the most, or what has the longest line, and what’s worth your buckeroos.

Pay them a visit!

I remember a group in the early 90’s when all these environment-save-the-earth movements were taking shape.  The Tree Huggers of America, was and still is a cornerstone movement championing the preservation of forests, of nature.  Oh those warm feelings when I heard about this movement.  Made me hug a tree too!

Anyway, I’ve recently come across what seems to be a branch of the tree-hugging concept.  TreeHugger.com is fast becoming a central resource of everything about saving the natural resources of the planet.  I was a little impressed at how the site is active with posts and participation from around the world.  It seems so riddled with advertisements though.  If you can wade yourself through the ad gunk, the site may have something really important to say to you.  It somehow feels like the commercial version of the Tree Huggers of America website.

Check out the Un-Tree Hugger section. That’s original and really very interesting.

Sometimes you just really have to choose how you will end your race.  Whatever race that is… will you choose to stroke hardest to the finish or will you glide?  The choice for Michael Phelps was all but normal. He was a born champion since his first swimming lessons at 8 years of age.  He knew that every stroke counted as his last.  And during the Beijing Olympics, that last stroke dashed him ahead by .01 millions of a second before his closest rival.  

The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task.

“My will to live completely overcame my desire to win.” Olympic swimming has come a long way, to temperature-controlled 50-metre pools, wave-killing gutters, lane markers designed to reduce turbulence, and status as one of the Games’ glamour events. It is far removed from those early days. American swimmer Michael Phelps set the all-time single Olympics gold-medal record by passing Mark Spitz’s 36-year-old record of seven. Phelps won his eighth gold medal at the Beijing Games, swimming the third leg for the Americans in the winning four-by-100-meter medley relay. It was also his 14th career gold medal, another record. He also won gold at 200 freestyle, 200 butterfly, 4-by-200 freestyle relay, 200 individual medley and 100 butterfly.

Desire, dedication, determination, concentration and the will to win.

Countries are getting really creative these days!  To address the rising costs of oil importation/dependence, the UK and probably most countries with a seafront are looking into exploring their seabeds for possible source of black gold! 

Britain is to formally present its case to the UN in New York for extending its territorial rights around Ascension Island in the South Atlantic.

States have rights over their resources - including oil or gas reserves - up to 200 nautical miles from the shoreline.

But the UK wants to extend those rights around Ascension on the grounds that the island’s landmass actually reaches much further underwater.

Ascension Island is part of the British overseas territory of St Helena.

The UK will present its claim on Wednesday to the United Nations Commission for the Limits of the Continental Shelf.

Due to the advances in technology, countries are NOW able to find out if their seabeds are oil-rich.  30-years ago, this was not possible.  And so I would understand why the race is on.  In South East Asia, 5 countries are laying claim on a small patch of islands which apparently are oil rich.

Click here to read the entire news article.

What is your carbon footprint?  Hmm… ok, let’s start over… What is a carbon footprint?

A carbon footprint is a “measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide“.

Here’s a nifty tool from ivillage.com, an online calculator to measure carbon footprints.  I think this is just the right time, hoping it’s not too late, to take a clear and determined look at how our lifestyles are affecting the environment.  Isn’t it just responsible to keep this planet liveable for the generations to come?

Aside from the i-village link above you can also visit www.carbonfootprint.com for more documentation, tools and networks.  That website has online tools to measure your carbon footprint AND has several pages and suggestions regarding your carbon offsets.  

Carbon Offsets! Whaz that again?  Sorry.  Carbon offsets are your determined ways to reduce your carbon contribution to the environment.  It’s your go-green plan!  Check out that site, there are tons of ways you choose from to go-green at home, in the office… everywhere!

She is Dara Grace Torres, an Olympic record holder winning 12 medals where 5 of which was won at the 2002 Sydney Olympiad alone.  The only Olympic swimmer who represented her country (the USA) 5 times: 1984, 1988, 1992, 2000 & 2008.   Oh yes, she is currently is 41.

She is just one of the many senior lady Olympians who are making great strides in the the 2008 Beijing games.  Now who says age is a major factor in winning?  I firmly believe that the will to win is the best motivation to keep on striving.  Sheer determination coupled with the right motivation equals a noble goal.

Aside from Dara Grace Torres, we have other Olympians who maybe classified as “senior” in the games.  We know there is Oksana Chusovitina,  a 33-year-old mother who won a silver in–of all things–GYMNASTICS!  How’s that, when we’ve heard that being 20-ish is already “over the hill” in gymnastics.  

I believe the proper term to use is “seasoned”.  These ladies have seen the Olympics from all angles and they know the craft really well.  I think this is one of their major advantages over their opponents.

There’s no better team out there when your child’s education is at stake.  It can’t be a solo act by the teachers and definitely it cannot be the parents job alone.  We all need to remember that while the child lives most of the time at home, he’s also most of the time in school.  

It is good to establish a healthy parent-teacher relationship, as early as possible.  Now fortunately, the relationship of teachers and parents are getting better.  In some schools it is mandated for teachers to seek a conference with parents on a regular basis.  I think this is very important to the child’s development, academically.

In most cases, parents and principals welcome the suggestions of parents to be part of their daily curriculum. Active enrollment in the parent-teacher association (PTA) is an excellent way to provide the school with your help.

Do not stray too far from knowing what your child goes through in school.  They only pass by each grade once, learn habits early, and build character in the long-run.  You would want to be a part of that.

This news is a little sad for me because I am a huge fan of the TV sitcom “The Office”.  I’ve been following this show for the past two years and have really admired all the characters.  One of my personal favorites was Daryl, the Dunder Mifflin warehouseman whom Michael (the boss) always always try to “one-up”, to no avail.  

Daryl is played by actor Craig Robinson.  He was recently arrested due to an alleged suspicion of possesing ecstasy and methamphetamine.  Robinson’s publicist declined to comment Friday.  Robinson is scheduled to appear in front of a judge this coming August 21.

This is such a disappointment to a lot of The Office fans worldwide.  While we dare not pass any judgement, I personally am inclined that this incident will put a little dent on Daryl’s (the character) persona.  At any rate, we wish this news will soon pass and we can get back again at viewing Daryl as a funny boy soon.

Well loved queen of pop Madonna has spent 50 revolutions around the sun!  That’s an awesome feat for someone who’s energized the world with good music… first-class entertainer.  Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16, 1958) is from Bay City, Michigan.  Moved to New York city for a career in modern dance.  After 25 years in the music biz she has everything under her belt:

1. Guinness Book of World Records lists her as the world’s most successful female recording artist of all time.
2. She’s the top earning female singer in the world, selling around 200 million copies of her albums with a net worth of US$400.
3. She’s acted in 22 films and while most of them haven’t been “that” successful, each film has made a firm mark and public recall.
4. A recently inducted member to the Rock and Roll hall of fame (March 10, 2008)

We love Madonna here.  Her most striking performance, at least for me, was as Evita Peron.  I think she was made for that film.  A very moving actress.

Congratulations Madonna!

And a very happy birthday from Froodee.com. 

Before taking off to the grocery this week, read on.  Most, if not all, grocery/shops put the cheaper options at the bottom of the shelf.  The more expensive ones, or the ones where the most mark-up is, is at eye-level… within your quick notice and easy access.  Manufacturers invest on these prime eye-level spots because they know a lot of people do not look down for a bargain.  Notice that the big names have blocked in those prime spots the whole year thru.

The percentage difference may not be that noticable, but a 20 cents from a product to another 20 cents there… and a 30 cent difference does sure make it up close to a dollar.  You’d be surprised at the money you save.  Say by looking down you save about 2-3 dollars a week, multiply that by 52 and that’s a hefty US$150/year.  Not bad at all.

It is wise to know all these little saving areas available to you everyday.  By practicing frugality in these small areas you are making a great savings habit.  Try it sometime, dare to look down.