Ancestor Appreciation Day and the start of Banned Books Week!

Ancestor Appreciation Day On September 27th each year, people all over the world celebrate Ancestor Appreciation Day. The National Genealogical Society estimates that family history is the second most popular hobby in America (after gardening) and one of the most searched for topics on the Internet. As a hobby, genealogy has all the right stuff. It is fun, educational, addictive, and everyone (regardless of their age) can join in. For both paper and digital scrapbookers, family heritage is one of the most popular themes for their albums. If you're ready to take the next step in your own family research, Genealogy.com has a lot of free online lessons in various topics to explore at your own pace. Learn more about your ancestors and get started tracing your family tree today!

Banned Books are also celebrated this week! Banned Books Week, a celebration of the freedom to read, was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of 'challenges' to books in schools, bookstores, and libraries. More than a thousand books have been 'challenged' in every state since 1982. Challenges to books include things like: "too sexual" or "too violent," an objection to profanity and slang, offensive portrayals of racial or religious groups, or positive portrayals of homosexuals. The targeted books range from those that explore contemporary issues and controversies to classic and beloved works of American literature.   The American Library Association’s Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2009 1. ttyl, ttfn, l8r, g8r (series), by Lauren Myracle Reasons: Nudity, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs 2. “And Tango Makes Three” by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson Reasons: Homosexuality 3. “The Perks of Being A Wallflower,” by Stephen Chbosky Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Anti-Family, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs, Suicide 4. “To Kill A Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee Reasons: Racism, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group 5. Twilight (series) by Stephenie Meyer Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group 6. “Catcher in the Rye,” by J.D. Salinger Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group 7. “My Sister’s Keeper,” by Jodi Picoult Reasons: Sexism, Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs, Suicide, Violence 8. “The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things,” by Carolyn Mackler Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group 9. “The Color Purple,” Alice Walker Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group 10. “The Chocolate War,” by Robert Cormier Reasons: Nudity, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group Topping the list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of the Decade (2000 – 2009) is the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, frequently challenged for various issues including occult/Satanism and anti-family themes. During the last week of September every year, hundreds of libraries and bookstores around the country draw attention to the problem of censorship by mounting displays of challenged books and hosting a variety of events. Visit your local library or bookstore, the official Banned Books Week web site, or the American Library Association web site to find out more. Go read a banned book today!

Free Your Glee!

BREAKING NEWS! Free Kids Puyallup Fair Admission!
Saturday, September 25, 2010 & Sunday, September 26, 2010

Kids 12 & under get FREE admission with an online coupon.
Coupon required for free entry and is valid all day Sat, Sept. 25 and Sun, Sept. 26 only.

Here's how to get your coupon:

1. Click this link to sign up for the e-mail newsletter
2. You will receive an email with a link to print your coupon
3. Present your coupon at any Fair Gate on Sept. 25th or Sept. 26th

Kids rule the last weekend of the Fair!

Visit www.thefair.com for details.

Peace One Day - and a freebie!

On September 21st, people from all over the globe, people of all ages, races, sexes and faiths, commemorate Peace Day in many ways. What are you doing today?

Be a part of the peace process. Follow these three steps:

1. Decide what you will do to make peace on 21 September, at school, at home, or in your local community
2. Log your Peace Day commitment at www.peaceoneday.org
3. Tell others around the world and ask them what they're doing on Peace One Day

Here's a teeny, tiny, peaceful freebie for you. Please send all your friends here to get their own peace rock, too.

Namaste

OMG! Watch a Single Mother Go To Jail and an Anaconda Cough Up a Hippo Video and You Can Win a Free iPad and Get $5000 Free FarmVille Dollars!

DON'T CLICK IT!!!

If you spend much time on Facebook or Twitter I'm sure you've seen people's posts on silly things like this. You may even have been given the chance to "get a free Apple iPad by signing up to test the product - it really works!" You probably won’t be surprised to learn that it’s all a scam. The con artists are usually trying to get you to add a premium cell-phone service and sucker your unwitting friends in with you.

Once you follow a Twitter link or become a fan of the Facebook offering, you’re often asked to give info on friends or get them to be fans, too, then redirected to something that looks like an Apple page, but is quickly replaced by a pop-up. One thing leads to another and pretty soon your mobile phone account is getting charged $10 a month until you cancel. All the while losing Facebook friends and Twitter followers.

Check out this YouTube video that explains more about these types of scams.



The SophosLabs (computer security and threat specialists) YouTube site contains a lot more videos about real security threats and other FB scams you may come across. Sorry, no overly stuffed anacondas, though. ;-)

40% off coupon at EK Success!

Check out this great coupon code from EK Success Brands for 40% off any one item in their online store! Enjoy the savings! Hurry - the deadline is 9/22! CODE: EKB402

The EK Success online store is here ---> http://shop.eksuccessbrands.com/default.aspx?keyword=oad+keepsake+9-08

This is what I got:



It came yesterday and I LOVE IT!!!