Carmon

Lists of baby names are always fun to look at, whether you're seeking a name for your soon-to-be-born baby boy or baby girl, wondering about the popularity of your own first name, or just curious about what baby names are currently hot.

What I find particularly interesting is tracking the popularity of baby names over the decades. In looking through U.S. government baby name lists from 1880 to the present, some amusing patterns emerge, particularly in regards to baby names for girls.

For example, in Victorian times Biblical names, such as Mary, Sarah and Ruth were very popular for baby girls. There were also many baby names that sounded very old-fashioned to me, as a kid growing up in the 1960s, including names like Martha, Alice, Bertha and Minnie.

From the 1920s to the 1950s certain baby names rose in popularity. For example, I went to school with many Susans, Debbies, Patricias, and Lindas. All of these baby names have since waned, to be replaced, by the 1980s, with fancier names such as Jennifer, Jessica and Nicole. When I was a children's librarian in the 1980s my preschool storyhours were populated with little girls named Lauren and Jenny, and little boys named Alex and Matthew.

More recently there's been a lot of renewed interest in more "old-fashioned" baby names like Hannah, Abigail and Ethan, plus many Biblical names such as Sarah, Rachel, Joshua, Jacob, and Samuel. There's also been a surge in nontraditional baby names including Madison, Ashley and Brianna for baby girls, and Brandon and Logan for baby boys.

It's interesting to consider the whys and wherefores of such developments. Sometimes, I suspect, the popularity of a specific actor or fictional character might result in many babies with a particular name. For example, were some of the Lauras born in the 1970s and 1980s given a name suggested by older brothers and sisters who were growing up watching "Little House on the Prairie ?" Were some attributable to the super popular Laura of "General Hospital" fame ?

Today Madison is a very highly ranked baby name for girls (ranking number 3 in 2003) but, when the film "Splash" came out in 1984, Tom Hanks' character told Daryl Hannah's character that Madison was not a bona fide first name.

While baby girls' names seem quite subject to the whims of fashion and the top ten lists can change radically over time, I've noticed that, in general, the top baby names for boys remain far more stable. Names like John, William and James are perennials, perhaps because baby boys are often named for their fathers, perpetuating the popularity of certain baby names from generation to generation. The "Junior" factor aside, baby boys are also less apt to be given fanciful names.

A comparison of the changing fortunes of my own first name, Barbara, with those of my husband's name, Robert, gives a good illustration of the difference in stability between baby girl names and baby boy names over time.

My name grew in popularity in the 1930s, '40s and '50s, peaking at the number 2 position in baby name popularity, which it tenaciously held from 1937 to 1944. When I attended grad school, of a class of approximately forty students, there were no less than three baby boomers named Barbara. Should I thank the actress Barbara Stanwyck for this? Alas, my first name later suffered a slow, steady decline and placed at a pitiful number 628 position on the baby names popularity list for the U.S. in 2003.

Robert, on the other hand, has survived the vicissitudes of baby name popularity. It held a coveted spot on the top ten most popular baby names list every year from 1896 to the late 1980s, often peaking at number 1 between the 1920s and the 1950s. It has gradually slipped since the 1990s, but still managed to hold the respectable slot of number 35 in 2003.

When naming a baby there are, of course, many other points to consider besides how popular or unique a name is. Here are some helpful tips that you can use with your other children to get them involved in choosing a name for the new baby and to make the process fun:

1. Baby names need to go nicely with the sound of your last name. Also, pick a first name and a middle name that go together well. (So maybe not something like Erasmus Beelzebub Smith!)

2. When your family finds a name you all like, look at the initials to be sure that you don't give the new baby a name with initials that will make people laugh. (So maybe not Pamela Iris Green, which equals P.I.G.!)

3. You might not want a baby name that is so unusual that the other kids will make fun of your little brother or sister as he or she grows up. (So maybe not Rosebud or Molasses!)

4. You also might not want a baby name that is so trendy that it will sound funny by the time the baby is ten years old. (So maybe not Sunshine!)

5. You probably shouldn't pick a name that's really cute for an adorable little baby but will sound silly when the baby grows up. (So maybe not Dimples!)

6. Avoid baby names that might produce insulting nicknames when people shorten them. (So maybe not Smellonius, or Smelly for short!)

7. You and your family might not want a name that is so hard to spell or to pronounce that people will always get it wrong and your poor little brother or sister will have to go through life correcting people. (So maybe not something like Incandescence, or is it Incandessints? )

8. You and your family might want to pick baby names in honor of favorite relatives or ancestors, or special names that show your family's ethnic roots. You might even find a special name from a book or movie that you love. (Like Harry?)

9. You might want to look through books of baby names and pick one that has a special meaning that you like - maybe something that means "sweet" or "kind" or "brave." (So maybe not wimp!)

10. You might want to think about names that will go nicely with your name and your other brothers' and sisters' names, so that if mom or dad are calling you all for dinner or signing a birthday card to grandma it won't sound too crazy. (So maybe not "Happy Birthday, Grandma! Love, Joey, Cindy and Dweevo!")

There are hundreds of names waiting for you out there, so good luck on your search for the perfect name!

Barbara Freedman-De Vito, professional storyteller, teacher and artist, has a website with baby clothes, children's clothing and gift items decorated with her colorful and amusing artwork for kids. Visit Children's Clothing, Stories and Family Gifts from Baby Bird Productions

In case you haven't seen the news, three Coca Cola employees attempted to sell the formula for an up-and-coming drinkto the Atlanta-based company's rival, Pepsi. The blogs are popping with the subject; a simple search will show you what I mean. However, I think Jeremy at Ipkat nailed the crux with his blog, It's Not Secret, Silly. I quote: (H)ow silly to try to steal product secrets - the real treasure is the Coca-Cola brand itself. Anyone with access to a reasonable laboratory can analyse and replicate Coke's products, but the brand is literally irreplaceable. That is, it's the brand that sells the product, not the product itself (a fact you could actually question when you look at 'new Coke' and other flops). But the point is, we buy the soda because it's Coke, not the store brand.

This is a classic example of what happens when you have the wrong people on the bus. For whatever reasons - and I suspect greed, pure and simple - the three 'alleged' criminals were ready to stab Coke in the back. It was obvious that they had no vested interest in the company and the success of the new product. Perhaps they were scared that the next round of layoffs would cut them from the budget (or they would lose some of their perks). Understand, this does not justify their criminal behavior (should I say, 'alleged criminal behavior'?). It doesn't even make me feel sorry for them. But it is a simple case of lack of loyalty, which created a lack of trust.

What could Coke do to prevent the problem? And, more importantly, what can it do in the future? I work for a small business, so I am not best fit to give guidelines to large coorporations. However, once again, I humbly suggest Jim Collins' book Good to Great for ideas on building a successful company - which includes creating company loyalty.

Some things we can take from that include:

-remembering that our employees are important. In a radio interview with Dave Ramsey some months back, a Nucor Steel executive noted that "we wouldn't be here without our employees." Yes, customers are important. But if you don't have employees - good employees - then you have to serve them all yourself. Eventually, you won't be able to do that.

-giving your employees vested interest in your company's success. I'm not talking about rides on the private jet, or whathaveyou. Again, remembering Nucor (I was quite impressed by the interview), the executive noted that employees were given production-based bonuses. In short, the compensation was based on how much the emplyees produced, giving them incentive to work harder.

-adding praise and recognition to the mix. I'm not talking about false praise or overdone flattery. Nor would I dare suggest trying to make words alone cover everything - though they will go a long way, even further than money alone. But giving a 'well done' after a difficult process or problem solving, or a compliment on consistant good work can go further than you might think.

The best mix, of course, would be to stir these up together, along with a few other ingredients from the book. And trust cannot be given; it has to be earned. The employee has a responsibility to earn it by, say, not stealing company secrets. But the better work environment we create, the less likely we'll be to have employees selling our trade secrets in another fifty or sixty years.

Nola Redd writes a business blog especially for small business owners at the website for her low voltage wiring company, Redd Infinity. She is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Poetry.

Before setting your mind on a particular choice of plan or architectural design, take the time to read through the following pointers as set out below, subsequently you will be able to make a more knowledgeable decision in plan design & style choice.

SIZE

The size of the proposed house will often be determined by budget for most 1st time builders in South Africa but other factors will also play a big role. Local municipalities will always stipulate a certain coverage and height restriction for a site in a particular area. Read through your title deed for possible servitudes (areas as set out by the municipality for other uses eg. Electrical or sewerage services) or other restrictions before planning is started as these might also greatly reduce buildable area on your erf.

Take a look at the following typical example:

You have just bought a lovely stand at the coast with a great view towards the sea. The size of the stand is 600sqm (20m X 30m) with a 3m building line all around. You contact the local authority or estate architect and find out that only a 40% coverage is allowed for this stand and that the 1st floor may only be 30% of the groudfloor area to not restrict sea views for the neighbouring houses.

You might be surprised how limited your building area has become with the above parameters: The stands building area is reduced to 336sqm by the building line alone, furthermore the coverage only allows for a 240sqm max. building footprint with a 72sqm upper floor. Therefore the building limit for this stand would be 312sqm.

The above example might seem irrelevant, but often other factors eg. Orientation of the site might further difficult the situation.

FUTURE EXTENSION

Are you planning to have more children? Do you have ageing parents that might require a living unit on your property? You might be retiring in a couple of years and may feel the need to provide space for a hobby area / workshop / library that you envisage for the future. You could also be planning to start your own home based business in the future and might need extension space to your home at that time.

According to statistics, South Africans typically stay in a house for apprx. 7 years and might move around more that other established countries, but often families become comfortable with their current accommodation and find it less troublesome to extend to their existing house than moving to a new bigger house. With the above in mind, you might want to plan your new proposed house to be able to accommodate possible future extension.

SIZE OF YOUR EXISTING FURNITURE

Make sure that the planned room sizes will be able to accommodate your existing furniture. You might own huge antiques or double beds for all the bedrooms. With the always rising building costs secondary bedrooms are often designed to only accommodate a single bed. You might also want to take time to carefully consider the size of the garage. A standard double garage is considered to be 6x6m but doesnt leave any space for storage or perhaps a DIY-corner especially if you own large vehicles.

ORIENTATION

Often the shape of the site and/or possible views has a huge effect on the placement of the building, but keep the following in mind before before putting pen to paper:

Minimize west facing window openings as far as possible , rooms facing west can really become uninhabitable during the late afternoon until early evening. Also western sun can be very destructive for curtains, furniture etc. Try to minimize east facing bedrooms also unless you are an early riser, as the sun can wake one up a lot sooner than was planned. Often residences on the eastern coast of the country have views toward the east thus too many east facing bedrooms has to be considered carefully. The perfect orientation in SA for all habitable rooms in a house is 10 degrees east of north to minimize the heat in summer and in the cold winter months when the sun is lower creates less shadows and more heat radiation in the habitable rooms.

When planning the positioning of your house on the site, the position of sewer connection should be kept in mind Try to keep sewer line lengths to a minimum. The garages should also be planned close to the site entrance to keep the driveway area to a minimum to keep paving costs down. (Most local authorities do however require a minimum of 6m driveway for visitor vehicle stacking)

SHAPE OF HOUSE

Shape of house Take into account that the more complex (many corners) the plan the more the cost, also a square shape is more cost effective than a long rectangle, for example if you build a square house of 10x10m (100sqm) the total brick perimeter would be 40m, however if you build a 100sqm rectangular house of say 5x20m, the external envelope will be 50m in perimeter. The above is exaggerated, but illustrates the idea.

Try to keep away from excessive curves in the design of the external envelope, in particular when building a conventional roof and not a thatch or concrete roof, as this might require building unnecessary extra roof ridges and breaking up of roof tiles to accommodate this. It will often be a nightmare to build you might have a lot of waterproofing issues.

If the plan of the design is very complex, it might also require building unnecessary parapet walls to accommodate the roof structure which leads to extra flashing (more potential for leakage)

If you live in very windy conditions eg. The False bay area in the Cape, you should consider building the shape not to catch the wind but with its back to it.

ARCHITECTURAL STYLE

a Lot of themed estates have been rising up all over the country for a number of reasons. If you have bought into one of these estates, you should obtain a copy of the Aesthetic committees rules and regulations regarding the allowed architectural styles as they often have a strict architectural theme that owners must adhere to.

Roofing
The architectural style of a house often bring about many variances of roof design. Concrete roofs (Contemporary styles) typically has no eaves overhang and is not optimal for our countrys generally sunny conditions and rooms could often be very hot as the sun heats a larger portion of a rooms floor area which is retained and make the homes ambient temperature a lot warmer.

The Tuscan look as adopted by South Africans around the country, also characteristically features very small eaves roof overhangs, which again is not favourable for sunny conditions for the same reason as mentioned above, what makes it even worse than that of a concrete roof is the weather proofing of this way of roof design. Driving rain can cause moisture to easily, and do, creep in below the eaves and create moisture leakage into the building. You might have a lot of stained ceilings within a years time.

If you are fond of this look, consider having larger overhangs which can be done without compromising this style Thatch roofing can be quite a bit more expensive that conventional roofing but allows for a great cool atmosphere within such a building perfect for South Africas sunny conditions.

Gable walled architecture where the gable extends past the roof are often considered to be very attractive, but keep in mind that the roofs will have to be flashed at all the gables and if not done properly has an increased chance of water leakage into the house.

Windows & Doors

Consider the size of the window openings. Windows can be wood, steel, aluminium, top-hung, side-hung, sliding etc. in the end the style of the house will mostly influence the type of window but if unsure about sizing of openings refer back to the orientation section earlier. The NBR specifies a daylight opening of at least 10% of the floor area of a room Where possible always try to create as much cross ventilation to habitable rooms as possible.

Where doors face towards the west, consider the maintenance and material of these. In windy conditions, try to keep doors screened from the prevailing wind side especially large leafed swing doors. Folding & stacking doors are great to enhance the living towards the outdoor feeling and for ventilation, but keep the width of these to a minimum as problems with the sliding gear often arise when the spans are too vast.

When using sliding doors or folding & stacking doors in bedrooms, make sure to include a window in the room no matter what the size of the door opening, as you might want to lock these doors at night time for security or other reasons and still have ventilation into the room. Often designers create doors the whole length of the exterior wall of a room and this gets overlooked.

Walls
Walls can be facebrick, plastered, stone walls, stone cladded, wooden logs, tiled, aluminium panel cladded etc. When considering the above always keep in mind the time and costs of maintenance and the construction cost. For example: Plastered walls might require painting every 3-6 years but could cost significantly less to construct that a facebrick wall which requires virtually no maintenance. Also keep in mind, that a plastered building could be livened up after a couple of years by painting it another colour to give the house a fresh look, with most other wall finishes you will not have the opportunity to provide the house with a fresh look at the same low cost.

MATERIALS

When deciding upon a particular architectural style, consider the materials that typically accompany that style. Factors that may influence your decision:

Colours
Heat absorption
Costs
Maintenance
Ageing
Availability in your area
Labour intensiveness
Practicality

BUILDING REGULATIONS

If designing your own house plan, make sure to obtain a copy of the South African building regulations (SABS) as many rules regarding typically: sizes, heights, fire prevention, lighting, ventilation are required to be incorporated into a design. All our library designs were done by Architects or professional house designers and all the plans conform to all the codes as set out in the SA building regulations.

Written by Jere Botes, architect & founder of http://www.dreamhouses.co.za, a website dedicated to provide home builders, home renovators, home owners & developers with free professional advice on all aspects of home design, building & diy. Reproductions of this article are encouraged but must include a link pointing to http://www.dreamhouses.co.za

You should always plan ahead before you go out on the water. Before venturing out on your boating expedition, always check the local weather conditions. Continue to check the weather and keep an eye on out for; the clouds or sky to change and darken, the water to get choppy, or flashes of lightning. These are all signs of approaching inclement weather. Don't get stranded in a storm.

Where will you be going? Know the area you will be boating in, and do not go into uncharted territories. It is a good idea to tell someone else where you are going, how long you will be gone, and who is with you.

Create a check list of things that you will need for your trip. Make sure that you have the necessary safety equipment such as; life jackets for all people onboard, a first aid kit, batteries, flares and a fire extinguisher, as well as a boat hook and life preserving ring. You should also have a working radio, and know how to use it to call for help.

Check the fuel level and quality of the supplies before leaving the shore.

We know that alcohol impairs our judgment and coordination, and makes in unsafe to operate a car. It is the same for a boat, and conditions are intensified because of effects of the heat and sun. According to the American Red Cross; over 50% of drownings result from alcohol related boating accidents. To ensure your safety and the safety of your passengers; dont operate a boat while under the influence of alcohol.

Children:

Of course you want your children to enjoy their summer on the boat with you, but remember that extra precautions need to be taken. They are extremely vulnerable to injuries. Set rules for children to follow while they are onboard, and they should always be accompanied by an adult. Children should learn how to swim if they are around water. There are swimming lessons available at many locations. Lead by example; everyone should be wearing a life jacket.

Kristy Bateman is the the writer for Earls Blog on http://www.SellUrBoat.com Her articles are unique and helpful to anyone looking to learn something about boating and or fishing. Please visit http://www.SellUrBoat.com to view other unique articles from Kristy Bateman. http://www.SellUrBoat.com is the simplest solution to buying and selling 'Ur' boat.

You have invited friends over to join you for the weekend and the main gathering will be on the patio and the weather forecast is calling for chilly conditions for the next few evenings. That is when a patio heater comes in handy. A patio heater can actually prolong your outdoor fun season by giving warmth to the deck or the patio. Some heaters can provide as much as 40,000 Btus of heat throughout a large enough radius.

What can be more fun that being outside with your family and not having to worry about frostbite fingers while you are getting the food ready on the barbecue thanks to very handy patio heater providing heat nearby. If you know your budget and have done your homework, you'll realize that you can find very affordable patio heaters between $100 and $200 such as the new Endless Summer as they call it, from Uniflame.

The manufacturer says that the Uniflame covers a circle up to 20 feet in diameter and is fueled by a propane gas with a 20-pound cylinder. That baby can can raise some serious heat with temperatures in the 45-70-degree range to as high as 30 degrees. That should give any party a good warm feeling all around without being too intrusive.

Most of the patio heaters are made of stainless steel, run on propane gas and will heat up to a 16ft radius and generate heat up to 30 hours on only one gas cylinder. That should be enough for your weekend (evening) parties where you plan on being between 18 - 25 hours outdoor.

Patio heater were used mostly on chic restaurant courtyards but now are getting more and more popular with inner city homes. The good thing is since it is becoming more and more popular, the price tag has gone down considerably allowing more families to enjoy a quick breakfast outside on the patio or a good family meal in the evening on the deck with a comfortable patio heater.

Another model that is also available is the the wood-burning type. Buyers must be aware that it may pose a threat due to fire hazard. You'll have to consult with the experts to find a patio heater that is both safe and yet still have a nice look. A good choice for your patios can be the Axxonn San Simeon SunStar Heater. It is a heavy-duty, infrared patio heater in stainless steel or black-and-silver painted finishes that is guaranteed to provides a circle of heat up to 20 ft. in diameter, and is tested for 40,000 Btu/hour.

You have no more reason to remain indoor during these cool autumn nights. Homeowners, deck and patio lovers can go and enjoy the night with a warm outdoor heater designed to make you enjoy your decks or patios. A quick search on the internet or a quick visit to your local store will show you the variety of heater available on the market. It is up to you to choose which one better meet your needs.

Fritz has a website to help you choose a good patio heater: http://www.selfconfidence-selfesteem.info/patio_heater/

The solution to wrinkled clothes is often just a matter of getting out the iron and ironing those wrinkles out. The problem of getting the wrinkles out of your skin is a whole different story. We usually get wrinkles because of old age and bad habits in some cases. If you have wrinkles, then you know that getting rid of them is going to be complicated, if not impossible.

There are lotions that some women turn to when they want to get the wrinkles out of their facial skin. However, these products may do nothing other than soften the skin. No lotion on the market can get rid of deep wrinkles. The best ones may only soften their appearance. Fine lines are another story because some lotions can eliminate their appearance by making the skin look plump.

You can get wrinkles out of your skin by using Botox, if you have deeper lines in the face and around the eyes. Botox is actually a botulism toxin that is inserted by needle under your skin, and plumps it up. Many people who get Botox treatments find that they cannot move their face right after the procedure but they love the results. Botox affects the muscles, and may cause those muscles to become unresponsive for a time.

A face lift might be a more effective option if you have deep wrinkles, and nothing else has worked for you. They will take the wrinkles out of your face by lifting your skin up and sewing it under your hairline to smooth out the face. It was the most effective way to look and feel younger for those with deeper wrinkles at one time, although most people try to avoid this treatment today. You see, facelifts can be dangerous because they are a form of surgery.

It would be a good idea to have a long discussion with a dermatologist if you are on a mission to get the wrinkles out of your life. They may have suggestions or can refer you to someone who can help you. It is crucial that you find out if they have the proper credentials and ask to see some before and after pictures if you go to a plastic surgeon. The last thing you want is to get horrifying results. You may end up looking like a surprised cat for the rest of your life, even if they may get the wrinkles out of your skin.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning Wrinkles Out Of. Visit our site for more helpful information about Wrinkles Out Of and other similar topics.

Before my daughter Michele began attending school, a lady who was babysitting her noticed things she did (or didn't do) that weren't quite right developmentally.

We were fortunate in that the babysitter had had training in early childhood education, and she would work with Michele and her son to help them develop appropriate pre-school skills. She became concerned that Michele struggled with learning her alphabet and her numbers. Her small motor skills - things like using scissors and coloring - weren't up to par. She would overreact to many situations, and she didn't understand jokes because she didn't understand words with different meanings.

We weren't surprised when she was recommended in first grade to be evaluated for a learning disability.

I have taught hundreds of children with learning disabilities, and all of them had different combinations of signs. Some of the younger children just couldn't remember what sound(s) each letter or combination of letters made. Some couldn't figure out what certain numbers added up to, or they couldn't remember their subtraction, multiplication, or division facts, even though they tried and tried to memorize them.

Many of the kids, both younger and older, like Michele, could read words on a page very well, but they had difficulty understanding what they read. Then there were others who had to have help reading the words, but once they read them, they had no trouble understanding. There were some who were great readers and writers, but they had an awful time with Math, and there were some who could do math better than I could, but they had a terrible time with reading.

One thing a majority of them struggled with was organizational skills. They were always losing things - notebooks, pencils, coats, assignments, anything they could possibly lose. Their lockers looked like tornadoes had gone through them. And I heard from the parents that their bedrooms were the same story.

Too many of the students I taught tried to avoid reading and writing because it was so difficult for them. It was a common practice for me to help them read tests because they 1) couldn't read the words, or 2) didn't understand either the question or the multiple choice answers they were given.

Taking notes was always difficult for Michele. She couldn't get the notes from the chalkboard, overhead, or even her textbook onto her paper. She had to have help in her classrooms so she could work around this problem.

Everyone has problems with something. But when these problems interfere with your child's education, and they are not showing the improvement they should be showing, it is time to consider getting him evaluated.

For more on having your child evaluated, visit http://www.LDPerspectives.com.

For more information designed especially to help you take charge of the Learning Disabilities in your life, please visit our website at http://www.LDPerspectives.com.

About the Author

Sandy Gauvin is a retired educator who has seen learning disabilities from many perspectives - as the parent of a daughter with learning disabilities, as the teacher of children with learning disabilities, and as an advocate for others who have diagnosed and unrecognized learning disabilities. Sandy shares her wisdom and her resources at http://www.LDPerspectives.com

Pergo flooring was invented more than 75 years ago, and has since become the leader in the laminate flooring industry. Pergo has been the leader in both design and laminate technology. Also, Pergo has become the leading seller of flooring in the world, so you know it is trusted worldwide. No matter what room you need flooring for, Pergo will just the perfect floor for you. If you still arent sold on the superiority of Pergo flooring, just compare Pergo flooring to any other type of flooring. With Pergos combination of exceptional engineering, quality materials, worry-free performance and any-room versatility, Pergo exceeds them all. Also, Pergo laminate flooring has more design patterns than any other type of flooring. No other brand of laminate flooring can match the variety of looks you're able to achieve with Pergo.

Pergo flooring is available almost any way you want it!

Pergo flooring is available in whatever variety of wood, stone, tile or unique designs that you could possible want. Pergo wood flooring is also unique in that it is a floating floor, as it is not attached to the sub-floor. This creates a floor that is durable, attractive, and easy to clean. Pergo laminate flooring is the perfect choice for a household with small children, as it will clean very easily. If you are looking for a floor that sets the standard with its quality, then Pergo flooring is just what you are looking for.

About The Author

Mike Yeager, Publisher

http://www.a1-interior-design-4u.com/