By: Richard Kraneis

It’s Sad, we know what Dropout Means.

When you use the phrase dropout, most everyone knows you’re referring to a high school dropout.

But What’s a Dropout Factory?

The phrase dropout factory is new. It was coined approximately in 2006 by a John Hopkins researcher named Robert Balfanz. The Associated Press paid John Hopkins University to research grades 9-12 dropout data compiled by the U.S. Department of Education.

If a high school senior class had 60 students or less when they began with 100 students as freshmen, the school is considered a dropout factory. The school has a dropout rate of 40% or more in the first 3 years of attendance. This rate doesn’t even include the dropout rate of the senior class.

Who Cares if Another City or Another State is a Dropout Factory?

We all should care.

If you’re the dropout, you care. You won’t make as much as your friends who graduated from high school. Your children won’t do as well. You’re more apt to be sick, pay less in taxes, and more likely to end up in jail.

You might be a taxpayer 50 miles away from a high school dropout city and think you’re not affected. But your tax dollars subsidize dropouts. Dropouts pay less taxes and require more federal and state tax dollars than their high school graduate counterparts. So even if you’re a successful college graduate living next to a high school that graduates 90 % or more of its students, you’re still subsidizing high school dropouts.

How Much Does Each Dropout Cost Society?

Over a quarter million dollars over their lifetime.

In October 2009, Northeastern University estimated that helping one dropout re-enroll and earn a diploma would save society $292,000 over the lifetime of that dropout (who graduated). Why so much? Lower social costs for jail, health care, and welfare. Higher revenues from income taxes and real estate taxes. Read the Northeastern University study called the American Gulag.

What Can You Do?

Learn more about dropout factories and where they are located. The human and societal cost of dropout factories in the United States is high. Re-enrolling students from dropout factories and helping them pass their GED is good public policy.

About The Author

Richard Kraneis is a computer training consultant, e-book author, and an aspiring online marketer. Online marketing on the Internet reminds him of his favorite hobby, fishing. His website is http://www.TechSpectrum.com

By: Brian Borgia

Come the morning of February 14th, many of us will wake up in a panic. After powering down a morning cup of coffee, we will get dressed, hop in the car, and drive to the nearest department store. Roaming the aisles, a gift for our special someone will be purchased for Valentines Day. But is it the right gift? Is it a romantic Valentines Day gift or just something that comes in a box with a pretty bow?

For many of us, the thought of Valentine’s Day sends shivers up the spine. There is a lot of pressure to find a gift that your significant other is going to like. You imagine in advance when they open it. “Oh, that’s great, sweetie. I really needed a new set of pans.” Okay, something practical is not very romantic for Valentines Day. “Wow, you got me a new shirt. This will look great at work on Monday.” Another practical gift – that they could have bought for themselves.

For the right romantic Valentine’s Day gift, you simply need to do one thing: listen. What does your special someone like? If they like to read, perhaps you get them a first printing of their favorite book. If they like a particular movie actor, maybe you get them a collection of that actor’s films or take them out for a special movie night. Do they enjoy good food? How about taking them out to their favorite restaurant or better yet, making them a candlelight dinner at home?

Although some people malign Valentine’s Day as “just another greeting card holiday,” it is a time when people expect to hear how you feel about them. A truly romantic Valentines Day gift will do just that. Even if it is something that is more practical in nature, you need to express your feelings in some way. You don’t have to spend a fortune – just tell them how you feel – with a card or something more unusual like writing it in the sand, sending flowers with a note, or something like a message in a bottle.

When you express your feelings, really try to put down the right words. If you need to, research sample love messages and poems on the internet to help stir your creativity and emotions. Receiving a card on Valentines Day that says, “Love Ya!” or “Thinking of you on this special day” just doesn’t do enough. You need to dig deep and let them know how important they are to you.

Brian Borgia is owner of Romantic Room Designs and Creative Romantic Gifts – two companies specializing in romantic gift ideas including personalized gifts and hotel room decorations. Brian has 18 years of hospitality experience and is the author of Northern California’s Guide for Fun, Excitement and Romance. He and his wife and two kids in Monterey, California.

by: Ted Huppert, D.D.S.

I’ll bet that a lot of parents have an envelope or a sandwich bag or an old jewelry box in a drawer somewhere with a few baby teeth in it. They are reminders of the happy years between when a baby needs constant care and the day that an adolescent concludes that he or she is smarter than mom and dad. But, other than as souvenirs, what good are they?

The baby teeth are properly called primary teeth or deciduous teeth, because they are shed as the permanent teeth erupt. There are twenty deciduous teeth altogether, and most kids will have all of them at around age three, although there is a wide range of normal. Parents should begin brushing a child’s teeth as soon as they erupt. Be sure to use non-fluoride toothpaste. Young children can’t spit out too well, and they shouldn’t swallow fluoride toothpaste. Baby tooth enamel is thin and the smallest cavity can penetrate through it quickly. For that reason, pedodontists, who specialize in children’s dentistry, advocate check-ups starting as young as one year.

If baby teeth are going to be lost anyway, why is it so important to keep them? They do a lot besides chew. They determine the child’s profile by establishing the height of the lower face, they provide space into which the permanent teeth erupt, and they can affect the child’s speech, depending on their positions. The lower facial height is really important, other than just for looks. Teeth erupt until they hit something. If baby teeth are lost prematurely, particularly back baby teeth, the mouth closes too far, and as the six-year permanent molars come in behind the farthest-back baby tooth, they contact each other too soon and stay short. This results in a deep overbite that can affect the child’s chewing function, looks, and health of the jaw joint for the rest of his or her life.

Some parents are worried because there is so much space between their child’s baby teeth. That’s a good thing. The permanent teeth are a lot wider than the baby teeth, so extra baby tooth space means less likelihood of crowded permanent teeth. And some parents worry because “my child’s permanent teeth are coming in so much darker than her baby teeth.” Permanent teeth are naturally darker than baby teeth, but once all the baby teeth are gone, there will be no contrast between the baby teeth and permanent teeth and the permanent teeth will appear lighter.

Permanent teeth are meant to last a lifetime. Baby teeth are meant to last until they are no longer needed.

They require the same diligent home care and regular dental check-ups as do the permanent teeth. They should not be neglected just because someday they’ll be in a drawer.

By: Alejandro Guevara Onofre

Megalomaniacal Despots

At the beginning of 1986, Haiti’s dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier, also known as “Baby Doc”, and First Lady Michele Bennet were overthrown by Henri Namphy. Haiti’s 1971-1986 military dictatorship had been one of the most brutal anti-democratic governments in Latin America. Meanwhile, thousands of political dissidents and intellectuals were killed. By that time, the Duvalier family had deposited over $ 150 million into special accounts in abroad. In May 1980, Jean-Claude, Francois Duvalier’s son, and Michele had one of the most lavish weddings in the world (cost about $3 million).

Following the death of Francois Duvalier, also known as “Papa Doc”, Jean-Claude came to power in the early 1970s. Certainly the Duvaliers became a dynasty. During his years as the country’s most powerful figure, Papa Doc had strong links with several African nations. Also during that period, more than 30,000 people were assassinated by Tonton Macoutes, a personal police.

Haiti’s dictator Francois Duvalier had inspired the best-selling 1968 novel “The Comedians” and the film of the same name directed Peter Glenville, and starring Richard Burton, Alec Guinness and the South African-born Zakes Mokae.

On February 7, 1986, after the coup d’ etat against Baby Doc and Michele Bennett, the new regime was welcomed by a crowd of people, including children and teenagers. Twenty-two years on, why are things so bad on the Island? What really happened in Haiti? Few things have changed since February 1986.

Extreme Poverty

While you are reading this article, several hundred thousand children will go to bed without food. Meanwhile, more than eight million people does not have access to fresh water, electricity, and health care. Over half of the Island’s GDP is provided by remittances and international aid. By 2008 this Caribbean nation — where there are approximately 642 people per square kilometer– received $ 1.8 billion from its citizens who live in America, Canada, Europe and the Dominican Republic. It also received over 800 million in US aid from 1994 to 2006, one of the highest in the world’s developing countries. On the other side, between 1986 and 2005 the new dictators and warlords were widely condemned by international organizations. Why? Over 5,000 people were killed for political reasons, and thousands fled the Island.

Haiti – Latin America’s Worst Education System

Despite being one of the first independent republics in history, Haiti, one of the smallest nations in the Western Hemisphere, has become an impoverished nation since the mid-1800s. Why? Without a doubt the key issue is the poor state of the Island’s education. Unfortunately, it has the worst education system in the Americas, from Alaska to Patagonia. The black republic has one of the highest illiterate rates in the world: Over 80 percent of the country’s people. Most children – more than 70 percent– don’t go to schools. But after January 12, the situation has become chaotic. In Port-au-Prince, a host of schools have been destroyed. Several school children have died. In many countries of the Third World, the poor education is an open door to the dictatorships, narcotraffic, and terrorism.

Road to Democracy

The World Bank, the United Nations and the American government must take stronger actions to press this country to improve its education system. They should also provide additional support to the reconstruction of the infrastructure: from schools to universities. If the International Community, from the UN to America, want to improve living conditions in Haiti they must support the education of future generations. Because of the poor education, the Caribbean country is losing its best and most intelligent young people. The education system must be one of the priorities in the reconstruction of Haiti, a country where the military have had immense influence and power. Without education, there is no future for the Island.

Alejandro Guevara Onofre: Freelance writer. Alejandro is author of a host of articles/essays about over 220 countries and dependencies (and American States as well), from ecology, history, tourism and national heroes to Olympic sports, foreign relations, and wildlife. In addition, he has published some books on women’s rights, among them “History of the Women in America” and “Famous Americans.”

January 17, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Former 8th District Congressman John Hostettler
To Speak at January 20th Women R.O.C. Meeting

EVANSVILLE, Ind. ~ John Hostettler, former 8th District Congressman and current Constitution Institute President, will address a meeting of Women Right of Center (Women R.O.C.) on Thursday, January 20 at 6:30 p.m. at Oaklyn Branch Library on Oak Hill Road.

The Constitution Institute is a nonpartisan, non-profit organization with a mission to promote greater understanding of the United States Constitution and provide education regarding citizens’ everyday application of its principles. As Institute president, Hostettler — a former six-term congressman — will lead presentations across Indiana and outside the state covering various sections of the Constitution.

The January 20 meeting will allow questions and discussion concerning the Constitution, the Constitution Institute and related issues. The meeting is open to everyone: members, non-members, men and women.

Women R.O.C. is an Evansville-based group which gathers knowledge that helps members and non-members make informed decisions concerning politics, community involvement and self-betterment. “Our motto is ‘Knowledge is Power’ and this meeting will be educational and motivating!” says Women R.O.C. President Holli Sullivan.

For more information about Women Right of Center or the January 20 meeting, contact Melissa Mauser, V.P. Communications, at womenrightofcenter@yahoo.com or call 812-480-2675.

IS IT TRUE that Evansville Memorial’s own Kyle Kuric hit the game winning shot for Rick Pitino’s Louisville Cardinals against Marquette in a nationally televised game on ESPN2 this morning?

IS IT TRUE that we commend Vanderburgh County Clerk, Susan Kirk and her staff for doing an outstanding job in this past General election/

IS IT TRUE to hear that our newly elected Vanderburgh County Assessor, Bill Fluty, Jr. has rehired a past employee of that department? ….we know that Mr. Fluty shall give the other fired County employee an opportunity if all feasible? …..that by Mr. Fluty’s re-instatement of a past fired county employee, it will save the taxpayers time and money because of possible legal action?

IS IT TRUE that Evansville Mayoral candidate Rick Davis is off to a block buster start. …..his meet and greet neighborhood gatherings are attracting good crowds of people? …..many of the people attending these events are faces you normally wouldn’t see at these type of functions?

IS IT TRUE we are extremely pleased to hear that the St. Mary’s Mobil Dental Clinic bus is rolling again? …. that this bus provides dental help to our “less fortunate“ kids of this community? ….we want to thank St. Mary’s Community Outreach program and Dr. John Wittgen, DDS for providing this outstanding to the children of our community?

IS IT TRUE we want to thank our newly elected State Senator, Jim Tomes for his continuing to send us updated information of the political happenings in INDY? ….we hear the Senator is quickly making himself known? ….we predict we have a new political star in the making and his name is JIM TOMES?

IS IT TRUE our newest media partner, Community Observer is off to a smashing success? …..that Community Observer readership has established a traffic pattern of over 100 visitors per day in just 2 weeks?…that the Community has already passed well financed local websites like the Chamber of Commerce and GAGE in Alexa.com’s worldwide traffic ranking?…that the Community Observer is on the same trajectory that has made the City County Observer the third most read media website within 100 miles of Evansville?….we congratulate Community Observer master Daniel Wallace for a job well done?

IS IT TRUE the City County Observer shall be announcing just another “Media Partner” agreement in the next couple of weeks? ….once the agreement is signed between both parties we predict that the City County Observer shall quickly jump to the next readership level? ….once this agreement is announced you know our loyal followers will smile and say “WOW”!

IS IT TRUE that Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel is trying to reach out and run the day to day operation of the Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau once again?…that the marketing professional that will have the job of promoting the LST as a tourist attraction will be doing a task that is the CVB’s job?…that Mayor Weinzapfel has strongly encouraged the CVB to give this new person who is paid by and reports to the LST board an office at the Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau?…that the new Executive Director or even the interim Executive Director should make that decision?…that running an office costs money and that any Executive Director should be able to charge rent or deny access to an employee of an outside entity?….that shenanigans like this seem to have been causing trouble non-profit entities all over town?…that the Children’s Museum, GAGE, Wesselman Woods, and soon the ECVB will have all had three top executive directors in the space of 2 years?…that the Evansville Housing Authority recently lost its leader and may be the source of news in 2011?…that turnover like that at the top of local non-profits points squarely at board level problems?

Money is on most everyone’s mind. A couple of years ago, a man cashed in on a large load of options and became a millionaire in one day. He explained how he never realized how much he thought about money every day until he had enough that he would never have to worry about it again. Now he says he gets all kinds of work done and has had a burden lifted that he had never known how much he suffered under!

This story illustrates a common theme for many people because many people are under the yoke of money. Maybe even you worry about it, think about it, ponder over it, avoid it by ignoring the last three month’s of checking account statements and not bringing your balance up to date, or simply hope the problem (overdrawn statements, credit card balances) just go away. And even though you know it’s not the best way to handle finances, you may still do it anyway.

Fortunately, feng shui has ideas and remedies that can help create more energy (read: money) to get your finances flowing again. Try these ideas to see if you can’t stimulate more prosperity!

o What’s in your wallet?

Old scraps of paper, credit cards for accounts you closed two year ago or for accounts you never use? Toss them. And if your wallet is shot, invest in a new one. If you can, select a red wallet to really energize your finances. These are the most auspicious and excellent for generating more money.

Next, be sure your wallet is clean, neat, and organized. If it is close to the start the New Year consider buying a new wallet. Maybe you could request one as a gift every year when the holidays roll around. Make it a part of your standard gift list for holidays or birthdays.

o Clean out old financial files.

Old energy keeps new energy from coming into your life. Do you have old financial information hanging around? If you are hanging on to credit card statements from five years ago, you are probably holding on to too much old financial energy. Usually, items older than 5 years are considered safe to toss. Of course, you shouldn’t get rid of old IRS statements! Use discretion when cleaning out your files and consult your accountant if you have questions.

o Be neat and orderly.

Organize your bills and put them in one place. Make it easy and efficient to pay your bills. It’s just common sense and good feng shui. And don’t just wad money up in your wallet. Treat it with respect and put the bills in there nicely.

o Declutter.

One of the most important things you can do for your finances is simply to clean up. Throwing out junk and getting rid of things like excess paper, empty boxes, and broken items can go a long way toward energizing your home for prosperity. In particular, declutter your SE corner of your home, of your living room, and of your bedroom. This is the wealth sector and if it has piles of junk, then financial chi can’t circulate.

o Enhance your prospects.

What direction is best for inviting more opportunity (read: get a better position and earn more money)? See below.

Kua NumberCareer Direction

1North

2Southwest

3East

4Southeast

5 MenNortheast

5 Women Southwest

6Northwest

7West

8South

Not sure about your Kua number? Go to The Red Lotus Letter Kua Calculator to find out what your KUA number is. Make sure you look at the directions above. If possible, make it so your desk faces the SW, is that’s your direction. Don’t put your back to it, look in this direction.

o Water, water, everywhere.

Well, not everywhere…only in certain places, really. Water equals money. No water, no money. Consider an aquarium in the North sector of your house, provided it isn’t a bathroom or bedroom. Don’t want an aquarium? Fine, put a painting or print of water, a waterfall, an ocean scene, a picture of turtles or fish….

These are all fine representations of water. Or, if the North is out your front door, paint it black. This is incredible feng shui and one of the few western-style feng shui tips that works especially well. If you paint the door black, consider painting the shutters black too!

Another good water option is to display sailing ships. Display the ships, either in paintings, prints, or figures as sailing into the front door. Those that are not in rough seas are best. Sailing ships represented commerce and were often laden with all manner of precious cargo. In the US, you can often find ship figures at craft stores such as Hobby Lobby or décor stores such as Tuesday Morning and Kirklands.

Why go to this trouble in your North sector? The north represents opportunities and career. If your career advances, most of the time, your earning power does, too. This is why you want to make sure your North sector is well cared for. Gold objects (such as brass items) in this area are also extremely auspicious. Even if your kua number says your success direction is Southwest, I would not miss an opportunity to bolster my North sector. Be sure to enhance both sectors.

o Get more green.

In the Southeast (SE) wealth sector, that is. Put a grouping of 4 plants of varying heights together in the SE corner of your home. If this is a bedroom or bathroom, put them in the SE corner of your living room. Try to select a jade plant as one of your grouping.

These plants are excellent feng shui, provided the plants are attractive, healthy, and well-cared for. If not, these are very bad luck, indeed. If you want, you can use silk plants, but real ones are best. Don’t forget to energize the SE corner of your living room with a beautiful plant. Put this plant in a basket or brass planter.

Don’t forget Dragon Power! Display a green dragon in the East and Southeast for improved income. You can usually find these online or in Chinese or Asian emporiums or markets. Wall hangings or figures of dragons are equally good.

Avoid having metal in the SE sector of your home or living room because the SE represents small wood (growing chi) and metal cuts wood. If the SE has a toilet there, put a large rock in the bathroom and tie it with a red ribbon. This will “press” down the negative energy of the toilet.

o Get financial backing.

Just like putting a mountain at your back in the form of a picture on the wall will help you get more management support from bosses or superiors, a picture of a financial institution can give you good “financial backing.”

Get a picture, poster, or painting of a bank, Wall Street, or other financial institution, and hang it so that it is at your back. Even bars of gold or sheets of money would be good here. This is especially good feng shui if you own a business! Put this artwork behind your register or your desk.

o Check your financial thinking.

That’s right, how you think about money is important. There are lots of books that can help here. Some of the best for addressing the mental side of money are Suze Orman’s. Did you know couples fight more about money than they do sex or children? Money is extremely personal and people get very uncomfortable talking about it.

Do you have “poor” thinking?

Do you believe that there is never enough to go around or that you don’t deserve success and financial security? You should really take a close look at your financial mindset. Consider investing in some books that address your “money mind” — because your attitude is often the source of financial difficulty.

Maybe you just need more

Many times people think that to gain more money they have to continue to find ways to cut expenses, rather than find new sources of income. Sometimes that means finding a new job, asking for a raise, getting a rental property, or taking a small part time job to bring in more money. Consider if there is something you can do to earn more rather than cut out more from your budget.

Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Red Lotus Letter Feng Shui E-zine and certified feng shui consultant in classical Chinese feng shui. Kathryn helps her readers improve their lives and generate more wealth with feng shui. For more information visit http://www.redlotusletter.com and learn the fast and fun way how feng shui can make your life more prosperous and abundant

Most people are fans of magic and the tricks of illusion, especially ones that involve reading people’s minds. For example, think of a number between 1 and 10. Write the first number that comes to mind. Let me guess… You picked… (My guess is at the end of this article!)

Let me play the mind reader one more time. In one word how would you describe your life the last few weeks? Let me guess. Busy? Unfortunately this guess doesn’t involve any kind of magic. Nearly everyone feels they are “really busy” or have too much to do. Do an experiment yourself and ask the next ten people the above question and see how they answer. Chances are most of them will also describe their life as busy.

In our face-paced world, it’s simply a fact that most of us have too much on our plate. With so many responsibilities and information to process, it’s often we’re playing catch up from the moment we wake up in the morning.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could snap our fingers and be relieved from all of our mundane duties and obligations? We aren’t magicians, however, there is something can do. In our magical world of daily lives, many people are suffering from illusion-induced stress.

Science has long known that the mind cannot distinguish from what is really happening and that which is vividly imagined. The simplest example is when we dream. Have you ever had a scary dream and woke up sweating with your heart racing? When you woke up you realized it clearly wasn’t happening in reality, but your body was reacting as if it was completely true.

When we are awake, most of us are continually thinking (imagining) all of the things we have to do that day and usually we are worrying about them in one way or another. Whether we are just continually going over them in our mind, which is technically the same as actually doing them over and over… or worrying about whether we’ll get them all done, our bodies are experiencing the stress as if we are actually doing them. The real kicker is that it’s being taxed each time you think about it!

Believe me, your day is filled enough without with your mind adding to it and yet that is exactly what is happening. You are getting the stress of your real day and the illusionary stress of your mind’s continual repetition of what you’ve done, are doing, and still need to do.

This is the problem with an overactive imagination that has gone untrained and unmonitored. The old saying, “The mind is a terrific servant, but a terrible master,” speaks to this. And many of the eastern philosophies focus a great deal of training on simply quieting the mind. This is the whole premise of meditation. It helps keep the your mind in check and let’s you focus on what’s actually in front of you.

Now, no one wants to leave a show empty-handed, so before you go, here is a quick meditation exercise you can do right now to help train your mind.

Close your eyes and take ten long and slow breathes. Simply focus on the flow of air in and out of your lungs.

Could you make it to ten without your mind wondering? Don’t worry most people can’t get past seven the first time. (Which, by the way, was the number you picked at the beginning of this article!)

Learn the nine small steps to make permanent health and wellness changes. Discover these and change your life forever!