What Are Some Parents Thinking?

The ShopRite supermarket in Easton, PA received a simple request. The store provides birthday cakes, as many major chain groceries do now, and the parents of a little 3-year old boy wanted simply to buy a cake and have the tots name put on top.

You know, "Happy Birthday so-and-so." Very simple, right? How much controversy could there be?

There was just one teeny, weeny, little problem for the store employee in the bakery section: the little tots name is Adolf Hitler Campbell.

These parents named their child after one of the worst human beings in the history of the planet. Perhaps the next will be Charles Manson Campbell?

Nope, because they actually already have two other children: 2-year old JoyceLynn Arian Nation Campbell, and 1-year old Honszlynn Hinler Jeannie Campbell. I mean, what happened there? Why not go right out and have the guts to call the kid Heinrich Himmler Campbell?

Seriously, some parents should have their heads examined. Parents name their kids for these goofy shock value reasons, never considering that the poor kid has to grow up and live with this name for the rest of their life.

Now, I am all for naming your child after your favorite movie star, music star, politician, baseball player, what have you. But let's be reasonable here, folks. There is a line.

Time for Christmas Shopping

Okay, the zaniness of 'Black Friday' is still a week away, but now is the time to really start your Christmas shopping. By next weekend, and for each of the final four weekends afterwards before the actual holiday, the rush at your local mall is going to only get worse and worse.

Oh yeah, I know, there is some 'financial crisis' or whatever the doomsayers are trying to sell you on today. So there won't be any Christmas shopping this year, right? Probably will be short lines and plenty of stock on the shelves at the stores, right? You can put it off until later this year, right?

Wrong! You and I both know that you are going to be out there buying gifts for your kids and grandkids, your siblings, your parents (right girls?) as well as other close family members and friends.

So let me give you a hint. Get out there this weekend! Things began to pick up last weekend at the malls and stores. They are going to get worse next weekend and every one after that through December.

This is the time to take advantage. Get out there, beat the real mad rush. Grab exactly what you want without fighting too much of a crowd. Oh, it will be crowded. But this rush is nothing compared to what is going to be happening for the following five weekends.

Are You Driving Your Family On a Time Bomb?

Are you driving yourself and your family around on a ticking time bomb? How would you know? You probably don't even know what I'm talking about.

Most Americans are still ignorant of the facts, though these facts have been public knowledge for at least the past five years according to The Consumer Warning Network.

What I am talking about is something that, if you drive, you are totally dependent on every single day. Your tires.

The problem is that tires are only good for ten years after their manufacture date. No tires which have been previously unused should be sold after six years. However, these tires are routinely sold at places like Sears and Wal-Mart, among many others.

The odds are that you are right now driving around on tires that are aged or aging. You should change them once they pass six years old, and everyone should begin to learn how to tell the age of their tires.