Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel’s Cooking School Weekend!

Hey there friends. Do you have a passion for cooking? Are you most happy tasting great food or creating delicious entrees? Then the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel has the vacation package for you. For one wonderful weekend, and under $400, you can experience one of a kind wine tasting, a cooking demonstration by Chef Nathan, and a four course dinner. How can a cooking aficionado not want to learn how to cook and prepare the the previous night's dinner. Not only will you enjoy a great dinner, but learn how to prepare it yourself!

Or maybe you're not the chef in the family, but someone else is. While your wife, or significant other is learning from a top chef, you can escape to one of the many lakes in the area. Or maybe you're more of the entertainment type. There are more than 40 theaters where one can watch a play or catch a movie. Or if you're in the mood for some adventure, the Ripley's Believe it or not and the Branson's Haunted Adventure Park are just a short drive away.

Because the menu has some items with alcohol in them, only persons of legal drinking age can attend. Dinner will have a holiday theme so it will definitely fit the mood now that Thanksgiving and Christmas is drawing near. This definitely a great trip for couples to learn a few things in the kitchen or simply to enjoy beautiful scenery while enjoying a world class meal. Later.

Are Cartoons Getting too Sexy for Kids?

Hey there. I need to throw in my two cents on this topic. I believe that a child should be a child and spend their youth being a kid. Chores, play, games, school, cartoons, you know, the normal kid stuff. But recently, I've seen a trend come to pass that I am not pleased with and it seems that it is aimed at the young ladies of this world. I am talking about "sexy" and inappropriate images in cartoons and cartoon products. Here are some of those items that have cause for concern.

ANYTHING BRATZ

I am not a fan of Bratz. I think they take this movement waaaaaay overboard. Our first encounter with these dolls happened back when our oldest daughter received a "Baby Bratz" as a gift. Nothing wrong with a little having a baby, right? WRONG! The baby was wearing a thong. A THONG! I don't see how this can be interpreted as cute or anything of the like. A baby should be in diapers, or some kind of baby outfit. Not in a mini skirt, a tank top, and a thong. Since then, we have pretty much removed most Bratz items from the house. I don't like what they stand for either. Our daughter was young when she received that doll and recently she asked that we rent a Bratz movie to watch. It was animated and considering that she was older, we felt that we would check it out before letting her see it. My goodness, they were all airheads, they cared nothing but their appearance and boys, and spent their free time singing and shopping. Kids are pretty impressionable at this age and I don't like these figures. Needless to say, that was that for Bratz.

Dora the Explorer



















The direction that Dora is heading is more of a disappointment more than anything else. The idea for Dora was a great one. A child goes off in adventures with her monkey Boots all the while, teaching kids a few Spanish words. My youngest daughter loves it. I liked that she picked up some Spanish. Even though we are of Spanish heritage, we just don't speak it at home so it was nice that she would learn a thing or two from Dora and her grandparents. Recently, Dora has gotten a makeover. A more older Dora, whose hair magically changed color, wearing leggings, and lipstick. Is Dora trying to become the latest Bratz? If this is supposed to be a tween Dora, I don't like the fact that she has on lipstick. I doubt Dora will be going on adventures in heels and lipstick... unless she's going on mall expeditions from now on.

Rainbow Brite

This is the latest to get the makeover. Though I was not a huge fan of Rainbow Brite as a kid, I know the cartoon from my youth. Rainbow Brite and the Star Kids (I think) were kids who went on missions to restore color to the world, or something to that effect. Check out the before pic of Rainbow Brite and her crew.

Now here is the "updated" Rainbow Brite.
You see why I have a problem with this? What's wrong with kids that look like kids? Why the longer legs? Why the drastic change in appearance? The only thing that looks somewhat the same are the little things with fur. But other than that, I don't like this modernization of old school cartoons. I don't want my girls to get the image that they need to look like that to be considered good. I even like the fact that the original green one has a band aid on. It shows that they're kids and are prone to bump, trip, and fall over things. I doubt that any of the new Rainbow Brite cast will sport a band aid, let alone look like they want to get dirty.

I just don't like the makeovers. I don't like that they shows are trying to convey that young girls need to look a certain way. I feel as if they get enough pressure as it is being a kid, going to school and worrying about homework. The last thing that should be on a child's mind is their appearance and TV is certainly not helping. Later.

Celebrate the Holidays in Branson, MO, The Heartland of America

Hey there friends. October is almost over and the holiday season is drawing near. Now would be a great time to plan a family outing that conveys the warmth and heartfelt love of a family. And where else to celebrate that love than in the Heartland of America. With so many packages available at the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel and Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing, you'll definitely find one that will keep your family smiling.

The Santa’s Coming to Town Package, starting at $189 per night (offered at the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing) is a great package for families with small children. What child wouldn't want Santa to come knocking on their door to deliver a gift or stumble upon Mrs/ Claus in the lobby during Story time? Or maybe you'd like to see their glowing faces when they are enjoying hot cocoa and cookies aboard the Polar Express? The Polar Express package, starting at $289 for a family of four, is another great opportunity to enjoy a heartfelt moment with your family. Or maybe you're looking for a relaxing time alone with your significant other. The It’s a Wonderful Life, starting at $329 per night and running from Nov 15 thru Dec 23, is the perfect choice for couples to experience fine dining, shopping, and entertainment. Not to mention a special treatment at the Aspire Medical Spa!

Personally, I would go with the Santa's Coming to Town package. My kids are at the age where Santa would still make their day. My youngest one would definitely love to meet Mrs. Claus while my older kids would love to have cookies and milk with Santa. What an experience that would be!

Complete details of each of the packages offered are available in the links above. Check them out friends. You never know, you may be sipping on hot chocolate with Santa aboard the Polar Express! Later!

Knowledge Thrown Away

Hey there. I am a geek. There is no denying it. When I was in school, I had certain subjects that I love. I managed to get through high school without doing any homework, yet graduating with high honors and passed many AP courses. My problem with school is that I simply didn't want to attend. I studied the material on my own time and I pretty much showed up just to take the tests. Now, I don't condone that type of behavior but it's what worked for me. I'm more of the "give me a book and I will learn it" type.

I haven't been in school in a long time. I last attended Santa Monica College several years ago and told myself that once I have my priorities straightened out, I'll go back. Now, with a loving wife and wonderful kids, it's tough to find the time to get to school. Well, the educational gods were smiling on me yesterday.

When I got home from taking the kids to school, I noticed that the neighbor had several boxes to be thrown out. First thought, boxes should be in the recycle bin and not the trash bin. Second thought, my wife needed a box to put some stuff in and they look to be the perfect size. So I go to get a box and I see that the boxes ARE NOT EMPTY! Hmmm... It's in the trash bin, it's meant to be thrown out so it wouldn't hurt if I emptied the contents and kept the box, right?. Once I got the box open, I was thrilled to see that the box contained college courses. FREE TEXT BOOKS FOR COLLEGE COURSES!!! Oh man, I went back out there and grabbed more boxes to check em out. They had everything: College Algebra, Sociology, Anatomy, Chemistry, American History, Literature, Business, and many others. Check it out!
I should have known what the contents where once I realized that the side of the box says, "The College Network".
I looked up this College Network and found out that people have paid thousands for the materials that I found in the garbage. I could not believe it. Someone literally threw out thousands of dollars worth of stuff and the boxes were not even opened. The materials were still sealed. I couldn't be more ecstatic. Me, that I love to learn by the book, without someone holding my hand, could not believe that I came across several college courses that I plan on doing. I won't receive any college credit, i won't have a teacher, but you know what? I don't care. I have the opportunity to obtain a college level education for free. I can't wait to get started! I'm starting with Algebra. I love math so I'm looking forward to digging right in. I plan on starting on Monday. I'm up late as it is so I'll devote an hour or so of online work for my education. I'm giddy. lol Later!

The Gillette Career Advantage is Here for Job Seekers

Hey there friends. You get only one chance to make a good impression and Gillette is here to make sure you look your best when that chance happens. Gillette has commissioned several surveys to find our what HR professionals are looking for in potential candidates. After all is said and done, well groomed candidates are more likely to get hired and are more likely climb the corporate ladder (read the press conference here).

After gathering the information from the surveys, Gillette has established web pages that you definitely have to check out to better your chances on landing that job. The Gillette Career Advantage is where job seekers can go and get useful information in regards to grooming, style tips, and even take a quiz to test your job market know how. The Gillette Resource Center was created to provide users information in regards to Gillette products and the Gillette company. You can read their latest press releases, find videos on how to shave for that professional look, and read up on their latest products to help you look your best.

Update your look before you update your resume! Make your first impression last by reading up on tips and quizzing yourself on your knowledge. Be prepared to nail that interview with confidence. Best of luck, friends. Later!

Motivational Sunday - Ignorance

Hey there. No, I'm talking about some lame Paramore song. I'm talking about things that are just better off left unsaid. I don't know what shocked Luke more, Vader being his pops, or the Leia being his sis. The world may never know. Later.