May Holidays

Most of us want our children to be well-rounded and aware of other people's traditions throughout the world. What better way to introduce your children to the variety of cultures than through Holidays and the food associated with them? Every culture in the world has their holidays and customs and food is almost always a part of them. A Holiday or Celebration occurs in almost every month of the year and May is no exception.

Let's start with the First of May which happens to be May Day. May Day stems back to Pagan and then Roman Times. May Day was a big holiday in England at certain times and depending on who was in power. Traditionally a Maypole was erected with streamers hanging from it and children dancing around it. The Romans introduced the idea of flowers to May Day as their observance was in relation to the worship of Flora, the Goddess of Flowers.

Next comes Cinco de Mayo which is the celebration in Mexico of the successful battle against the French in Puebla. Cinco de Mayo is a National Holiday in Mexico and is celebrated in many communities across the United States as well. In Mexican Communities there will be Fiestas complete with a Piñata filled with goodies for the children. Many restaurants will be offering Cinco de Mayo Menus also. Many people will have their own celebrations at home and it is certainly a good reason for a party. The atmosphere will be colorful and the food tasty!

In the United States the second Sunday in May is Mother's Day. This year, 2012, it falls on May 13th. This is one of the days that more flowers are sold than on any other. Restaurants will be busy serving Mother's Day Brunches, Lunches and Dinners and many families will be honoring Mother at home.

The final Holiday in May is Memorial Day which always falls on the last Monday in May, this year being the 28th. Memorial Day was originally intended to honor the memories of those people whose lives were lost fighting our wars. It seems in many areas that the original purpose has been lost and many people use the day to honor not only war heroes, but deceased family members and friends, which in my opinion is okay also.

However, it seems that in most areas the real purpose of the day has been totally lost in that many people think of Memorial Day as the start of our summer activities, mainly picnics and beach and BBQ Parties. Add in the papers will advertise food and other items for your Memorial Day Activities.

Whichever way you choose to celebrate it of course, is up to you. But it is nice to remember those people who have given their lives to make ours better.

May is also a month for early graduations and the beginning of summer vacation for school and college students. Summer and warm weather is right next door and the beginning of pool, beach and vacation time. Food, of course also plays a big part in our holiday observances and especially during the summer which is a time for BBQ's and picnics. Enjoy!

I have been a children's cooking teacher and educator for over 35 years. I teach monthly classes in Westlake Village, California for children, teens and their parents. I love to share my ideas to help kids be safe, learn and have fun in the kitchen. I hold a MS in Nutrition Education and Food Sciences from California State University.

Please check out my website at http://www.sylveeeskitchen.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sylvia_Rieman
http://EzineArticles.com/?May-Holidays&id=7016622

Media hype

As yet another Kentucky Derby looms on the horse racing horizon the media hype and frenzy is at an all time high. You can buy a lot of data and information about the horses and their connections. You can read countless articles that dissect the Derby as it has never been dissected and examined before. While at a local OTB lately they had one of the televisions tuned to a horse racing channel and a commentator there talked for hours discussing the big race and all his angles and thoughts.

After a while his words were nothing more than babble. One word kept popping out of his mouth above all others, "value." He seemed to think that his listeners wanted value from the race and that he knew how to get it for them. He picked the race apart so cleanly a vulture would have passed the carcass by and yet, he never seemed to come to a final conclusion that was simple and realistic enough for the casual horse player to grasp and play.

There's an old saying, "Over analysis leads to paralysis." Nothing sums up the media overload surrounding the Derby any better than that saying. Enough is enough and then some.

It's a horse race and it will run and play out like a horse race. At the beginning, no mortal knows who will win or what will happen. We handicap the race and make our best guess and then some of us brave souls plunk down some cash and try to come out ahead on the deal. Some will and some won't, that's how it works. You can talk things to death and when the dust settles what is going to happen won't be affected at all by what you've said. When the gate opens the race begins, not two weeks before the actual event.

Here's my advice for picking a winner in the Derby. First of all, it's a classic race. Handicap it like a classic, meaning look at the breeding of each horse and determine which ones are bred to go the distance. The ones who really are capable of easily going the distance will be your first picks. Let's keep it simple and limit that list to 5 horses.

Next, let's talk about form. Horses often peak before the Derby and put up a good race in one of the races leading up to the big event but then come up short or empty when the first Saturday in May rolls around. Look for a horse that closed well on a dirt track and finished in the money. Obviously, if the horse earned enough money to be in the Derby then it will have some experience and class or it wouldn't be able to enter the race. If it can go the distance and may be rounding into form, then it has a chance and you'll probably get some good value because these types of horses are often overlooked in favor of the horses who ran a big race in one of the prep races.

If you want to learn how a horse owner and insider handicaps just go to http://williewins.homestead.com/true.html and get the truth about betting on horses and winning. Bill Peterson is a former race horse owner and professional handicapper. To see all Bill's horse racing material go to Horse Racing Handicapping, Bill's handicapping store.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Peterson
http://EzineArticles.com/?Handicapping-the-Kentucky-Derby-and-Finding-a-Good-Bet&id=7016177

Sense of belongingness

Christian pins are one of the ways that you can go ahead and showcase your faith. There are many kinds of pins available in the market. You have lapel pins and buttons as the most popular.
Lapel pins have had a rich history. These types of pins are used as decoration in a dress or jacket. It pretty much accents a wardrobe or piece of apparel.
In business, you will find that office workers sometimes wear these lapel pins to symbolize that they belong to a brand or corporation. These can be made from different kinds of metal along with special stones.
Originally, lapel pins were originally used as a military ornament. It served as a sign of patriotism and even today these lapel pins are still quite popular among the military. They serve as a precious collectible and also serve as a great remembrance.
However, in modern days, there are more uses for the lapel pins. As mentioned, they can be used by business corporations as a sign make people know that they are a member of a particular corporation or brand. They serve as identifiers.
Companies often use their logo for the pins. However, if they don't have a logo, then it's usually the company name or the brand that's used. Today, it is also used as a tool to create social awareness.
Other times, it is also used by religious organizations whenever there are activities being held by the church and requires some identifying factors.
Looking for the right Christian pins is quite easy as long as you know where to look for them. Obviously, the Internet is one of the best sources that you can check out if you want to buy Christian pins in bulk.
These are perfect to give out to your youth group or other church members especially if you want to spread the word about your faith or if you are holding a special event. This will help people become more aware and at the same time give them a sense of belongingness.
You can simply conduct your search by using various search engines. Just type in the proper keywords into the search box and look through the various items for sale. There are some websites that will offer a pretty good discount if you buy in bulk or wholesale.
Just make sure that you go ahead and compare prices first before actually making the purchase. If possible you can ask for a sample product if they do give it out.
On the other hand, buying from a local store can be advantageous as well. This will allow you to get the item right away or at least check out the quality and make sure it's what you want.
If you are having one customized, you can also easily oversee the right design and not worry about whether it would come out right or not at all.
As you can see, getting Christian pins is relatively easy. Just look for the right store to get it from and you should be on your way.
You can get Christian Pins at 15% off at Christian Book Store.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Bradley
http://EzineArticles.com/?Christian-Pins---Showing-Your-Faith-Through-Pins&id=4060764

Signs and symptoms of bone cancer

A bone cancer survival rate refers to the percentage of people who were reported still living after being diagnosed with the cancer about 5 yrs ago.

In reality, this type of cancer is very rare. In fact, it's so rare than it only consists of about 1% among all tumor cases. Bone tumors, unlike most other types of cancer tumors, are not all fatal or cancerous. Benign tumors are even more prevalent than malignant tumors, which may be a much more relieving news for many. Often times, cancer of the bone may also be a result of the metastasis of a cancer from another part of the body.

Primary bone cancer, which begins in the bone itself and not a result of other cancer's metastasis is quite rare and only constitutes less than one percent of all malignancies. This type of bone cancer is more common amongst men and even more in children or adolescents.

Cancer symptoms may depend upon different factors and the progression is not exactly as fast as some other cancers. Some of these factors are the location, the size and the type of tumor. Most common signs and symptoms of bone cancer are pain in bones and joints, problems with movement, inflammation of the bones and joints of affected part and easy susceptibility to developing fractures. Occasionally, the patient may also experience fever, fatigue, sweating and unexplained weight loss.

Remember this is very rare so if you have any of these symptoms, this is likely to be caused by another condition. It may work better if you always go to your doctor for proper diagnosis.

Prognosis
Since the development of modern chemotherapy, the patient prognosis has been improving quite significantly in many countries. However, the recovery period will always depend upon the real status of the cancer and the patient him/herself including whether the cancer has spread, the type of cancer, tumor size, location, general health of the individual and other individual factors.

If the tumor is very small and localized, the bone cancer survival rate at five years is about 90%. If the cancer has begun to spread, however, the rate of survival becomes poorer.

Overall, the bone cancer survival rate at five years is only 60 percent, and once the cancer reaches its metastasis stage, you can expect the prognosis to become worse.

The bone cancer survival rate listed below is based upon the type of bone cancers:
• Osteosarcoma - 84% at the early stages and 69% at the later stage.
• Ewing's Sarcoma - 3 year survival rate is around 65%.
• Chondrosarcoma - 5 year survival rate is around 30%.

There are still a lot of things you need to know about bone cancer survival rate. Know more by visiting Cancer Survival Rates.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mert_Ozge
http://EzineArticles.com/?Bone-Cancer-Survival-Rate---Dare-To-Know-Your-Chances&id=6399159

Space shuttle discovery

The LEGO Space Shuttle 3367 is a very fascinating element of LEGO City. In case you aren't familiar with LEGO City, it's a building collection design which initially came out in the late seventies. In that first launch, the very first minifigures were produced as well. In addition, at that time, it had been called LEGO Town.

LEGO City sets are based on city life, with the units depicting city and emergency situation providers, air terminals, construction as well as civilian services.

Ever since the late seventies, LEGO has introduced a few various city-based models using the names "LEGOLAND Town," "Town Junior" plus "World City" until the recent version was started in 2005.

In 2005 was in fact when the latest "LEGO City" was introduced with the release of the first set, Airport. This is essentially a reissue of the early 90's airport collection Century Skyway, with just a small number of variations.

Ever since its introduction, LEGO has launched unique subthemes under the "LEGO City" banner which were utilized to be able to link together related models, for example Police, Fire, Trains, Coast Guard, Farm, Vehicles and also Building.

LEGO City's newest style under this banner is called the Space Center. This particular set contains the LEGO space shuttle, space center, space station, space buggy, satellites and other space related models.

The LEGO Space Shuttle is modeled after the Space Shuttle Discovery and is also probably the most reasonably priced sets in the collection. What is very great about the set is it comes with one minifigure astronaut, features opening freight doors as well as a robotic arm which can release the included Hubble Telescope into orbit.

I built this set with my child, and it was a relatively simple set to make. He will be 6 years old and we had a great time building it with each other. The LEGO Space Shuttle set is made up of 231 pieces and it is excellent for kids aged 5-8.

Together with his LEGO Space Shuttle, he's got quite a bit of the LEGO City models. We have them set up in the basement using a large stand in order that he is able to have fun playing for hours at a time using his imagination.

Yet another great point about the LEGO Space Shuttle is it is very sturdy. I am finding with a great deal of the LEGO Star Wars and LEGO Harry Potter models that they can break fairly quickly. Not the LEGO Space Shuttle however. It has moved through the Earth's atmosphere a lot of times and it made it through re-entry without losing any pieces!

On the whole, the LEGO Space Shuttle is a wonderful accessory to our LEGO City collection. It has produced countless hours of adventure and creative imagination and our son (and me too!) really enjoy using it! The price is affordable and you also really feel as if you get your money's worth because it does not fall apart any time he plays with it.

For exclusive discounts and reviews on the LEGO Space Shuttle, come check us out at http://www.LegoSpaceShuttle.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Sorceren
http://EzineArticles.com/?LEGO-Space-Shuttle---A-Terrific-Part-Of-LEGO-City&id=6503834

Persian gulf crisis

Apparently, some folks are calling for a coalition and "no fly zone" in Syria to prevent the slaughter of civilians from the Assad government and military there. Yes, it has been nothing short of brutal and atrocious. There has been a case precedents here recently, namely Libya and thus, perhaps the cash-strapped nations of NATO in Europe might go for another foray. There is also a green-light coming from the Arab neighbors for intervention, aid to the people, or even weapons for the rebels there. The humanitarian crisis is big, and it's serious.

Syria isn't exactly the same situation as in Libya, but it might be at least similar enough to have such an option on the table, and still look the international community in the eyes if something doesn't work out as planned, as in a much larger scale war erupting involving Russia and Iran for instance. There was a rather unfortunate story in the world media recently; "Libya's oil-rich east declares autonomy," which was reported on March 8, 2012, one of the more popular stories running through the internet stated;

"The declaration of an autonomous region in Cyrenaica in eastern Libya, which contains most of the country's oil, is the most serious threat to central authority in post-revolutionary Libya and could disrupt oil flows already threatened by the Persian Gulf crisis. The congressional declaration of 2,000 eastern political and tribal leaders in Benghazi, is a potentially serious blow to the shaky and fractious National Transitional Council, Libya's interim government based in Tripoli in the west."

Ah, a declaration of independence do we have now, well as you know those are generally considered fighting words, but with a now weakened central government in Libya, I ask; will we see some more re-drawing of maps on the African Continent in short order. It wasn't that long ago when Sudan divided itself in half, after a civil war, and with huge implications to oil flows.

If we are looking at Libya for the model here, well, it isn't exactly going too well, or over yet. If we are looking for Tunisia for the model of an Arab Spring or even Egypt for that matter, well, nothing is settled there either, including the dust. Therefore, if we do decide it is prudent to move on Syria, then we have to treat it as a totally separate case, unlike the others in many regards, and with even more far reaching implications for the region, some outcomes could be extremely fruitful, others, well, not so much.

Indeed, we should approach any potential solution with skepticism based on what we've learned, and yet not assume too many congruent similarities or potential eventualities the results of any action taken. Please consider all this and think on it.

Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on Future Concepts. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow
http://EzineArticles.com/?Ah,-But-the-Libyan-Civil-War-Continueth---Next-Comes-Syria?&id=6929321

Nuclear weapons facilities

Most people see the challenges we have with Iranian nuclear weapons facilities as a separate situation from what is going on in Syria. After all, Syria is having a civil war, and much of the population is trying to overthrow the Assad government, so that sure sounds a lot different than the world coming down on Iran for building nuclear weapons to give to proxy terrorists, unbalancing the region and powerbase in the Middle East.

True enough, but Iran is intimately involved in what's going on in Syria right now, just as they have been involved in what's happening in Iraq. There was a scary article SpaceWar noting that; "US concerned about Iranian flights over Iraq to Syria," by Staff Writers Washington (AFP) March 16, 2012.

"The US is concerned about Iranian cargo flights over Iraq to Syria, saying it has warned Iraq they might contain arms that could be used by Damascus to crush protests. "Without getting into intelligence matters, we are concerned about the over flight of Iraq by Iranian cargo flights headed to Syria," and "We are consulting with Iraq about them and we are making the point that any export of arms or related materials from Iran, frankly, to any destination would be a violation of UN Security Council resolution 1747."

Well, I would submit to you that Iran doesn't give a rat's rear ends about UN Security Council resolutions, they've already broken more than a dozen that I'm aware of, and the UN sanctions, the IAEA, and all the rest of the enforcement against Iran's nuclear weapons program hasn't seemed to stop them or cause them to turn off their enrichment spinning machines and centrifuges. They are still enriching uranium to weapons grade. Everyone knows it, it's no secret, and we hardly need the CIA's assessments anymore.

Now Iran is flying over Iraqi airspace delivering Qod Forces, weapons, and advisors to the Assad regime, the same regime that is attacking its own citizens with its military. As the whole world watches, all we seem to get are statements that "this is troubling," and "we are appalled at," from the leaders at the United Nations, NATO, the United States government, and others. Yes, we should be appalled and troubled, but don't you think it's about time we did something and stopped talking about it - either the world is going to sit around and let those people die, which it is doing now, or we are going to step in and fix the problem.

Pussyfooting around, or appeasing these types of regimes goes against the basic tenets of those things we know as "human rights" and against what all Americans believe to be freedom, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Yes, those are just ideals and concepts, but I thought we wanted that for the rest of the world too? Apparently not, it appears we are all talk, and I think the Syrian government, and the Iranian regime know that. Either we shock them with a reality check, or we admit that our president was and still is bluffing.

Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on Future Concepts. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow
http://EzineArticles.com/?Iran-and-Syria-Are-Getting-Pretty-Brash-These-Days&id=6946066