MIKE'S COMMENTARY
THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE
NEWS & NOTES BY SUE FOUST
 

MIKE'S COMMENTARY AND SOME BITS OF WISDOM
 

WHAT TEACHERS MAKE The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued,"What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?" He reminded the other dinner guests what they say about teachers: Those who can, do. Those who can't,teach." To stress his point he said to another guest, "You're a teacher. Be honest. What do you make?" Having a reputation for honesty and frankness the teacher replied,"You want to know what I make? I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I make a C+ feel like the winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor. I make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall in absolute silence. You want to know what I make? I make kids wonder. I make them question. I make them criticize. I make them apologize and mean it. I make them write. I make them read, read, read. I make them show all their work in math and perfect their final drafts in English. I make them understand that if you have the brains, and follow your heart, and if someone ever tries to judge you by what you make, you must pay no attention because they just didn't learn." The teacher paused and continued. "You want to know what I make? I MAKE A DIFFERENCE. What do you make?" Good teachers make every other profession possible! ~ Gary Clark sent this one. ~

 
 
 

Pearl Harbor   December 7, 1941  The 7 December 1941 Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor was one of the great defining moments in history. A single carefully-planned and well-executed stroke removed the United States Navy's battleship force as a possible threat to the Japanese Empire's southward expansion. America, unprepared and now considerably weakened, was abruptly brought into the Second World War as a full combatant. Eighteen months earlier, President Franklin D. Roosevelt had transferred the United States Fleet to Pearl Harbor as a presumed deterrent to Japanese agression. The Japanese military, deeply engaged in the seemingly endless war it had started against China in mid-1937, badly needed oil and other raw materials. Commercial access to these was gradually curtailed as the conquests continued. In July 1941 the Western powers effectively halted trade with Japan. From then on, as the desperate Japanese schemed to seize the oil and mineral-rich East Indies and Southeast Asia, a Pacific war was virtually inevitable. By late November 1941, with peace negotiations clearly approaching an end, informed U.S. officials (and they were well-informed, they believed, through an ability to read Japan's diplomatic codes) fully expected a Japanese attack into the Indies, Malaya and probably the Philippines. Completely unanticipated was the prospect that Japan would attack east, as well. The U.S. Fleet's Pearl Harbor base was reachable by an aircraft carrier force, and the Japanese Navy secretly sent one across the Pacific with greater aerial striking power than had ever been seen on the World's oceans. Its planes hit just before 8AM on 7 December. Within a short time five of eight battleships at Pearl Harbor were sunk or sinking, with the rest damaged. Several other ships and most Hawaii-based combat planes were also knocked out and over 2400 Americans were dead. Soon after, Japanese planes eliminated much of the American air force in the Philippines, and a Japanese Army was ashore in Malaya. These great Japanese successes, achieved without prior diplomatic formalities, shocked and enraged the previously divided American people into a level of purposeful unity hardly seen before or since. For the next five months, until the Battle of the Coral Sea in early May, Japan's far-reaching offensives proceeded untroubled by fruitful opposition. American and Allied morale suffered accordingly. Under normal political circumstances, an accomodation might have been considered. However, the memory of the "sneak attack" on Pearl Harbor fueled a determination to fight on. Once the Battle of Midway in early June 1942 had eliminated much of Japan's striking power, that same memory stoked a relentless war to reverse her conquests and remove her, and her German and Italian allies, as future threats to World peace. ~ http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/wwii-pac/pearlhbr/pearlhbr.htm ~    "The Day that shall live in Infamy" The Pearl Harbor attack entered the consciousness of contemporary Americans more forcefully than any other single event. Regarded as a dastardly "surprise attack" and an act of "infamy", during the Second World War every effort was made to keep its memory bright. Posters, popular songs and other media were staples of wartime popular culture, regular memorial services were held to commemorate the dead, and flags that had flown at the Capitol and White House on 7 December 1941 were raised over fallen enemy capital cities. Even after the conflict ended, the Pearl Harbor "surprise" helped shape a generation of National defense policy and was not forgotten by those who had lived through the war. Monuments, large and small, were erected on the battle sites. Around the country, veterans' reunion groups met regularly to keep the memory alive. Even now, some six decades later, Pearl Harbor remains the subject of a regular flow of documentaries, dramatic productions, books and articles. ~ http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/wwii-pac/pearlhbr/ph-rem.htm ~

 
 
 

How To Avoid The  Eat right! Make sure you get your daily dose of fruits and veggies.  Take your vitamins and bump up your vitamin C. Get plenty of exercise because exercise helps build your immune system. Walk for at least an hour a day, go for a swim, take the stairs instead of the elevator, etc. Wash your hands often. If you can't wash them, keep a bottle of antibacterial stuff around. Get lots of fresh air. Open windows whenever possible. Get plenty of rest. Try to eliminate as much stress from your life as you can.  OR Think about it... Take the doctor's office approach. When you go for a shot, what do they do first? Clean your arm with alcohol.. Why? Because alcohol kills germs.   So....... I walk to the liquor store. (exercise ) I put lime in my Corona...(fruit) Celery in my Bloody Mary  (veggies) Drink outdoors on the bar patio..(fresh air) Tell jokes, laugh..(eliminate stress) Then pass out.  (rest) The way I see it... If you keep your alcohol levels up, flu germs can't get you!!!! My grandmother always said,  "A shot in the glass is better than one in the ... Bicep!" Live Well Laugh Often

 
 
 

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Special Holiday Offerings at KCnet KCnet is happy to offer three new classes for the Holiday Season. The first, Greeting Cards 101, is designed to help people make their own holiday cards using American Greeting Creatacard. Users can browse the program and choose one of many customizable cards, or they can bring a photo of their own to use. The course is 2 class periods meeting December 06  and December 08 from 6-8 PM. There is a $35 fee for the course, which includes the American Greetings Creatacard CD, 25 blank cards, and 25 blank envelopes. The second new class offered in December is Purchasing a Digital Camera. This class is for those who plan to purchase a new digital camera (for yourself or as a gift), but have no idea where to begin. Topics covered in the class include: the best camera for your budget, getting a camera with the features you want, key features to look for (such as resolution, memory, and zoom) and much more. This class runs 1-2 hours, and is scheduled for December 7th at 6 PM. The fee is $20. The third new class is Purchasing a Home Computer. Like the Digital Camera class, it explains how to buy the best computer for your money. Our instructor covers topics like how much memory you need, what processor speed is best, what hardware is important, and what software to include in your purchase, as well as how to determine if a laptop or desktop is best. The class is offered twice in December, to help those who might want to purchase a computer as a Christmas gift. The first class is offered 12:30- 2:30 PM, December 6th, and the second is December 8th from 6-8 PM. The fee is $20. KCnet will also be offering an Intermediate Excel class in December. This class is for those who already have a basic knowledge of Excel, and would like to learn more. The class is in 4 parts, 9:30 – 11:30 AM, starting Tuesday, December 6th, and ending Thursday, December 15th. The fee is $45, and includes a textbook. KCnet will be offering classes in January on how to use your new digital camera, including photo editing, and several classes on using your new computer. One on one computer instruction is also available anytime. Class size is limited to 10.  Advance payment and registration are suggested.  You may register by calling (570) 893-8111 or visit www.kcnet.org/class.  This holiday season, KCnet is also a Toys for Tots drop off location. All toys collected go to the US Marines for distribution. Please note, only new toys are accepted. Holiday Helpdesk is available as well, if you need assistance in setting up a new computer, printer, etc. Please call 893-8111 for a technician.

~I Wish For You~  Enough happiness to make you sweet, Enough trials to make you strong,  Enough sorrow to keep you human and  Enough hope to make you happy.

 
KCNET CLASSES

NEWS AND NOTES WITH SUE FOUST:

The eBay / PayPal Scam caught someone local.  I understand by a news article that a PayPal member got an e-mail requesting an update to their account.  They were asked to give their credit card number, which they did.  Hundreds of dollars were charged before the unwary card owner canceled the account. I have received e-mail requests for information to “update my PayPal Account.”  These are SCAM.  I don’t fall for it. Recently, due to the fact that KCnet sells many items on eBay, I have received requests for my e-mail address so that a prospective buyer on eBay can “discuss the terms of a sale.”  I do not comply.  Usually, at the top of the eBay page, I am informed that the person sending this message may speak a different language than English.  I have no proof, but I think that if I give my e-mail address to someone who claims to be an eBay member but who has a (0) behind his name, I am asking for follow-up e-mail similar to that which I mentioned above.  The (0) behind his username means he has not purchased or sold anything on eBay.  When I have checked this username at a later date, I find “this person is not an eBay member.”   I think he’s compiling a “hot list” of stupid people who want to be pigeons! And the advice above is for requests for personal information for your bank account, credit card, or any other organization.  First of all, all information like this should only be given if the sight is “secure.”  Your browser – usually Internet Explorer or Netscape – will indicate security by a closed padlock in a bottom corner. If the padlock is open, the sight is not secure.  You should always doubt the reason behind the request for this information.  Go directly to the website of the organization by opening a browser and typing in the Internet address of the organization – www.anyorganization.com.  If you don’t know the web address, go to Google and ask.   On the organization’s web site, there are usually links for Contacts or to Update Your Account.   Make your entries directly to the desired web site.  An e-mail link may LOOK like it is taking you to a legitimate site while all the time, it is a site created by an unscrupulous thief. If you want to do some investigating into the source of an e-mail message, you can do it.  Each e-mail you receive has a header that identifies the origination of the message.  It contains the server name, the time and date that it was sent, and identification numbers for the message and the sender.  If you get such a request, DO NOT give any information.  On both the eBay site and PayPal site there are links for assistance with such requests.  If you get an e-mail request for information that would reveal your personal information, you or your Internet Service Provider can help identify where the e-mail came from – or at the very least, if it came from where it says it did.  Better be safe than sorry.  Delete those e-mails rather than be sorry that you gave out information that has led you to a sad experience. One more, somewhat related reminder: Delete your temporary Internet files.  These files contain information that can be obtained and used by thieves.  They also take up space on your hard drive, require your browser to scan through them before obtaining a web site, and generally slow your computer to a crawl.  Delete them.  Until next week... ! KCnet Board Of Directors Officers:   President Bill Raco, Vice President Bob Rolley, Secretary Jon Ahrens,  Treasurer Don Miller and Past President Judy Yoho.   Other members of the board:  Carolyn Carl, R.  Keith Kelly, Paul Korn, Donna Lannan, Amy Lapriola, Tom Livingston,  Ray McGill, and Rich Wykoff.

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