Statue ofLiberty

The Statue of Liberty was a joint effort between France and the United States, intended to commemorate the lasting friendship between the peoples of the two nations. The French sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi created the statue itself out of sheets of hammered copper, while Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, the man behind the famed Eiffel Tower, designed the statue's steel framework. The Statue of Liberty was then given to the United States and erected atop an American-designed pedestal on a small island in Upper New York Bay, now known as Liberty Island, and dedicated by President Grover Cleveland in 1886. Over the years, the statue stood tall as millions of immigrants arrived in America via nearby Ellis Island; in 1986, it underwent an extensive renovation in honor of the centennial of its dedication. Today, the Statue of Liberty remains an enduring symbol of freedom and democracy, as well as one of the world's most recognizable landmarks.
Origins of the Statue of Liberty

Around 1865, as the American Civil War drew to a close, the French historian Edouard de Laboulaye proposed that France create a statue to give to the United States in celebration of that nation's success in building a viable democracy. The sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, known for largescale sculptures, earned the commission; the goal was to design the sculpture in time for the centennial of the Declaration of Independence in 1876. The project would be a joint effort between the two countries--the French people were responsible for the statue and its assembly, while the Americans would build the pedestal on which it would stand--and a symbol of the friendship between their peoples.

Due to the need to raise funds for the statue, work on the sculpture did not begin until 1875. Bartholdi’s massive creation, titled "Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World," depicted a woman holding a torch in her raised right hand and a tablet in her left, upon which was engraved "July 4, 1776," the adoption date of the Declaration of Independence. Bartholdi, who was said to have modeled the woman's face after that of his mother, hammered large copper sheets to create the statue's "skin" (using a technique called repousse). To create the skeleton on which the skin would be assembled, he called on Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, designer of Paris' Eiffel Tower. Along with Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc, Eiffel built a skeleton out of iron pylon and steel that allowed the copper skin to move independently, a necessary condition for the strong winds it would endure in the chosen location of New York Harbor.
Statue of Liberty: Assembly and Dedication

While work went on in France on the actual statue, fundraising efforts continued in the United States for the pedestal, including contests, benefits and exhibitions. Near the end, the leading New York newspaperman Joseph Pulitzer used his paper, the World, to raise the last necessary funds. Designed by the American architect Richard Morris Hunt, the statue's pedestal was constructed inside the courtyard of Fort Wood, a fortress built for the War of 1812 and located on Bedloe's Island, off the southern tip of Manhattan in Upper New York Bay.

In 1885, Bartholdi completed the statue, which was disassembled, packed in more than 200 crates, and shipped to New York, arriving that June aboard the French frigate Isere. Over the next four months, workers reassembled the statue and mounted it on the pedestal; its height reached 305 feet (or 93 meters), including the pedestal. On October 28, 1886, President Grover Cleveland officially dedicated the Statue of Liberty in front of thousands of spectators.
The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

In 1892, the U.S. government opened a federal immigration station on Ellis Island, located near Bedloe's Island in Upper New York Bay. Between 1892 and 1954, some 12 million immigrants were processed on Ellis Island before receiving permission to enter the United States. From 1900-14, during the peak years of its operation, some 5,000 to 10,000 people passed through every day.

Looming above New York Harbor nearby, the Statue of Liberty provided a majestic welcome to those passing through Ellis Island. On a plaque at the entrance to the statue's pedestal is engraved a sonnet called "The New Colossus," written in 1883 by Emma Lazarus as part of a fundraising contest. Its most famous passage speaks to the statue's role as a welcoming symbol of freedom and democracy for the millions of immigrants who came to America seeking a new and better life: "Give me your tired, your poor/Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free/The wretched refuse of your teeming shore/Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me/I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
The Statue of Liberty Over the Years

Until 1901, the U.S. Lighthouse Board operated the Statue of Liberty, as the statue's torch represented a navigational aid for sailors. After that date, it was placed under the jurisdiction of the U.S. War Department due to Fort Wood's status as a still-operational army post. In 1924, the federal government made the statue a national monument, and it was transferred to the care of the National Parks Service in 1933. In 1956, Bedloe's Island was renamed Liberty Island, and in 1965, more than a decade after its closure as a federal immigration station, Ellis Island became part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument.
DID YOU KNOW????

The base of the Statue of Liberty's pedestal contains exhibits on the monument's history, including the original 1886 torch. Visitor access to the Statue of Liberty's torch was halted for good after German operatives set off an explosion on the nearby Black Tom peninsula in July 1916, during World War I.

By the early 20th century, the oxidation of the Statue of Liberty's copper skin through exposure to rain, wind and sun had given the statue a distinctive green color, known as verdigris. In 1984, the statue was closed to the public and underwent a massive restoration in time for its centennial celebration. Even as the restoration began, the United Nations designated the Statue of Liberty as a World Heritage Site. On July 5, 1986, the Statue of Liberty reopened to the public in a centennial celebration. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Liberty Island closed for 100 days; the Statue of Liberty itself was not reopened to visitor access until August 2004. In July 2009, the statue's crown was again reopened to the public, though visitors must make a reservation to climb to the top of the pedestal or to the crown.http://www.history.com/ Read More..

Coffee, Alcohol, and More That May Affect RA

Rheumatoid arthritis

By Tammy Worth

About 1.3 million Americans are affected by rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease thought to be caused by genetic and environmental factors.

Strong medication can help prevent joint destruction and painful symptoms.

But there are other things that may affect RA risk and symptoms. In the big picture, these play relatively minor roles in RA (compared to, say, taking the right medication).

Still, here are some factors to keep in mind.
Smoking

One factor that affects RA is smoking, says Susan Goodman, MD, a rheumatologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.

"Smoking clearly has an impact—it makes it worse and increases the likelihood of getting it," she says. "There clearly is something about smoking that is a bad actor."

RA nonsmokers have fewer swollen, painful joints than smokers, research suggests. RA smokers are three times as likely to have rheumatoid factor—a sign of more severe disease—and twice as likely to have joint damage.
Coffee

The link between coffee or tea and RA is debatable, Dr. Goodman says.

Research has suggested that decaf coffee (four or more cups a day) can increase the risk of getting RA, but caffeinated coffee has no impact, and tea may reduce risk. Other research found no correlation between decaf and RA.

One issue, though, is that coffee may make some RA medications, such as methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall), less potent.

"There is not a consistent message there," Dr. Goodman notes. Check with your doctor; it may be fine to have a cup of joe.
Weather

While research on the topic is scant, there does seem to be a link between weather and RA symptoms. It is likely that barometric pressure and temperature changes have the biggest impact on symptoms.

"Many, many, many people say it, so my sense is it is something we just don't have an appropriate investigational design to test," Dr. Goodman says.

She says any change in climate tends to worsen symptoms—so RA patients may fare better when the weather is more consistent.
Seasonal allergies

As with the other factors on the list, the link between RA and allergies may vary from person to person.

Still, there is some research that suggests that people with RA are less likely to have hay fever. And people who do have both may have less-severe RA symptoms.

"My guess is that some of the allergy medications may help with some (RA) symptomatic therapy," Dr. Goodman says. "Or it could just be that people notice RA symptoms less because they are so distracted and miserable with their allergies."
Alcohol

In a recent study in the journal Rheumatology, researchers asked about 1,800 people about their alcohol-drinking habits and RA.

They found that people who had at least one drink three or more days a week were four times less likely to have RA than nondrinkers.

Also, RA patients who did drink tended to have milder symptoms than those who didn't.
Vitamin D

The link between vitamin D and RA is tricky.

Research suggests women in the northeastern U.S. are at greater risk of RA than those in sunnier regions. Lack of sun can cause vitamin D deficiency. And vitamin D deficiency has been linked with other autoimmune diseases.

"Vitamin D has a lot of interesting immune effects and metabolic effects and is critical to bone health," Dr. Goodman says. "Whether taking vitamin D will delay the onset or prevent it seems less clear-cut, but it is an important part of overall bone health."
Pregnancy

It's tough to predict the impact of pregnancy on RA. Women generally stop taking medication in pregnancy because the drugs may hurt the fetus.

For some, RA symptoms improve or even go into remission, Dr. Goodman says. She attributes this to the fact that the immune system is suppressed during pregnancy.

But others can experience even more pain than they normally do. And those who have a great pregnancy can have a flare-up after they give birth.
Breast-feeding

There are many benefits to breast-feeding, including a possible reduction in RA risk.

A 2004 study in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism found that, compared to women who didn't breast-feed, those who spent a total of one to two years breast-feeding had a 20% lower chance of getting RA. Those who did for two years or more had a 50% reduced risk.

A 2008 Swedish study showed similar results. Breast-feeding for up to one year was associated with a 25% reduced risk, and breast-feeding for 13 months or more was linked to a 50% reduction in risk.
Hormones/contraceptives

The data are a bit up in the air when it comes to hormones and RA.

Studies have not found a link between contraceptives and the risk of RA or the severity of disease.

A 2004 study found that women with irregular menstrual cycles do have a higher RA risk.

"The data aren't completely clear" on this topic, Dr. Goodman says. But hormones may play a role in reducing symptoms. "There is no question that estrogen can decrease pain, so part of some of the perimenopausal flares may be caused by estrogen withdrawal."
Cold/flu

There seems to be an anecdotal link between the flu and worsening RA symptoms. And the flu can be especially dangerous for people taking medication that weakens the immune system, which includes most of the drugs used to treat RA.

The CDC recommends flu shots for people with RA. (But not nasal-spray flu vaccines, which contain live viruses.)

One note of caution: Certain RA medications—methotrexate, prednisone, and rituximab—may lower the effectiveness of flu shots.
http://www.health.com/health/ Read More..

5 Fixes for Financial Woes

Get Out of Debt Fast
By Stephanie O'Neill, Special to LifeScript
Published January 04, 2008
Your credit card balances are creeping upward. That once-attractive variable mortgage rate has jumped. Your car’s engine is knocking. Worse, your checking balance is headed for red – again. Anxiety over your financial woes keeps you up at night. Sleepless, you see yourself sinking into a debt spiral. What to do? Follow this 5-step, get-tough, financial fitness plan...

Uncontrolled debt not only batters your finances but also generates enough stress to threaten your health. “Half the population is worried about debt,” says nationally syndicated finance columnist Liz Pulliam Weston, author of Deal With Your Debt: The Right Way to Manage Your Bill$ And Pay Off What You Owe (Pearson Education, 2006). And worry generates headaches, sleeplessness, and even digestive disorders.

Clearly sleepless nights won’t pay off your debt. But how can you get back in the black? You’re in debt precisely because you don’t have money to spare, even to pay off your creditors. Still, no matter how bleak your financial picture, Weston says, if you commit to the following steps, you can get out of debt – fast.
Step 1: Sort Out the Good, the Bad, the Ugly
Write down each and every debt. Include the debtor’s name, the amount of the debt, the interest rate, and the minimum payment. At the bottom of the list, write down the “good” debts, such as your mortgage and student loans. Put “bad” debts, such as unpaid high-interest credit card balances and payday loans – cash loans against a future paycheck or infusion of money – at the top of your debt-elimination list. (See related article: 10 Ways to Be Debt-Defying)
Step 2: Figure Out How Much You Earn… And Spend
“Most people don’t have a clear idea of their monthly income,” Weston says. “And they don’t know how much they’re spending.” That’s a big no-no, especially if you allow balances to carry over month-to-month on your credit cards.

Knowing how much you earn, spend and overspend each month is key to stopping the financial bloodletting. Begin by reviewing several months of bank statements (including ATM cash withdrawals) and all bills. Then review the income you received during that period.
S tep 3: Lose the Flab
Here’s where the process gets a bit tougher. “You need to ask, ‘What can I trim?’” Weston says. Consider how much you spend on mortgage, rent, car payment, insurance, groceries, utilities, gasoline – everything. If you’re consistently spending more than you earn, consider taking in a roommate or even moving to a less expensive house or apartment. “These are radical solutions, but nothing should be off limits,” Weston says.

Even the seemingly inconsequential stuff can make a big difference. Try these five fast fixes:

1. Does your utility company charge you higher rates during peak hours? If so, wash your clothes and run the dishwasher at night or early in the morning to save on your utility bill.
2. Do you have multiple phone lines with all the bells and whistles? Trim back the service and consolidate your lines for more savings.
3. Shop around for better insurance rates.
4. Buy groceries in bulk.
5. Carpool when possible and incorporate errands into your work commute to cut down on gas costs.
S tep 4: Boost Your Bucks
What can you sell? “Some people are lucky to have stock or a mutual fund that’s not in their retirement, or an extra car hanging around costing them insurance,” Weston says. If so, now may be the time to sell. And don’t stop there. Empty the garage and cabinet clutter, then stage an old-fashioned yard sale. Or go online and sell to the highest bidder on eBay or Craigslist.com, an online city-by-city bonanza of classified ads.

Consider asking for a raise at work. “Work a second job or start a side business that will actually make money from Day One, like house-sitting, errand running, pet sitting – something that doesn’t require a big up-front chunk of change,” Weston advises. The goal is to generate money that you can set aside for faster debt repayment. (See related article: 10 Money Mistakes Women Make)

Step 5: Prioritize Your Payments
Once you’ve got your spending in line with your income and you’ve generated some extra cash, return to your debt list and attack your most expensive debts first.
Carnivorous Credit Cards
If you shell out only the minimum payment, it will take years before your card is paid off. And while your balance is unpaid, the credit card company may charge double-digit interest on every new purchase. The solution? “Put the credit cards away and stop using them,” says Daryl Wilson, a partner at Romberger, Wilson & Beeson (rwbcpa.com), an accounting firm in Glendale, California. “If you’re not disciplined enough to put them away, cut them up.”

Weston, who also authored Your Credit Score: How to Fix, Improve, and Protect the 3-Digit Number that Controls Your Financial Future (Pearson Education, 2007), agrees: “That’s a crucial step, and one that people tend to skip.” If you continue to use the charge cards, the compound interest charges – interest on both the principal and previously accumulated interest – will gobble up your progress and keep you in debt. If you must, keep one card for emergencies only, Wilson says.
Next, check your credit rating for a nominal fee at MyFico.com. If your FICO score, or credit rating, is above 700, an excellent rating, contact your credit card companies and ask for a lower interest rate. If you meet resistance, let the agent know that without a lower rate you’ll transfer your balance to another credit card. A good FICO puts you in the driver’s seat. And lower rates will accelerate your payoff efforts.

Just Say No to Payday Loans
Payday loans are as financially dangerous as they are prolific. “There are more of them than McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s combined,” Weston says. “They’ve just exploded in the past 10 years.” If you’re desperate for money, street-front loan shops will trade immediate cash for a post-dated check from you – in other words, an advance on your next paycheck. What’s the catch? A whopping fee tantamount to triple-digit interest. “You write a check [to them] for $300, and you get $250 or $225 cash back,” Weston says. And it gets worse: “When payday comes around, many people can’t pay off the loans.” That results in further penalties that can vault you into quadruple-digit interest rates. If you’re caught in this cycle, pay these loans off first – even before credit cards – and never use them again.
When All Else Fails…
If, despite your efforts, you can’t dig out from credit card debt within three to five years, you may be a candidate for the more desirable Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which erases debt from credit cards, medical bills, and some other loans. But do nothing before contacting a non-profit credit counselor at the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC.org), Weston advises. If you do file for bankruptcy, it will stay on your credit record for 10 years, which means you may be turned down for future loans. “But if you get your act together and handle your (finances) responsibly,” Weston says, “you can restore your credit scores to close to 700 in a few years.”

Want to learn more? Get your own copies of Deal with Your Debt and Your Credit Score.

Do You Have the Credit Score Smarts?
A low credit score could not only cost you thousands of dollars a year, but could also deny you access to credit cards, insurance and even a place to live. Find out whether your credit IQ will help you land the plum rates or if you're a lender's nightmare with this credit score quiz.



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How to Keep Your Knees Healthy

By Linda Melone, CSCS, Special to Lifescript
Published April 23, 2011
Reviewed By Edward C. Geehr, M.D.
Healthy knees are important to your well-being, but painful injuries like “runner’s knee,” ACL tears and tendonitis are all too common. In fact, women are more likely than men to suffer serious knee trouble. Read how the knee works, what can go wrong and how to prevent getting hurt. Plus, learn how to strengthen leg muscles and reduce pain with a knee workout...

Although they’re the largest joints in the body, your knees are also among the most vulnerable to injury. And women face a higher risk, especially if they’re active.
But if you take precautions, you can reduce the likelihood of painful or even debilitating damage.

“Knee injuries generally fall into two categories: macro traumas and overuse injuries,” says John Hurley, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at Summit Medical Group in Morristown, N.J.

Macro trauma includes tearing of a tendon or cartilage, usually the result of turning and twisting during running or sports. A tear can also occur when you stop short with feet planted in one direction and the knee forced into a different direction.

An overuse injury, on the other hand, often occurs from asking too much of your knees without enough rest.

And while they’re not completely preventable, both kinds of injury can usually be avoided with proper care.

Anatomy of a Knee
To understand how these problems happen, it’s helpful to know what makes your knees work.

Ligaments are stabilizers that hold your knee together. Two on each side prevent it from moving side to side. One on the inside and outside prevent it from collapsing in either direction.

A wrong step or sideways collision can easily result in a strain or tear. Women are two to eight times more likely to experience a tear of the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament – one of the knee’s stabilizing ligaments) than men. Read More..

How to Teach a Child to Read and Write

Overview

Reading and writing are the most important skills that a child learns in his early years of school. Once a child can read, he can learn about anything. Many parents decide to teach their children to read before they are officially school-aged. Other parents need to teach their own children because they do not learn to read at school for one reason or another. If you would like to teach your child to read and write, remember to keep it fun and interesting, to move along at your child's pace and to cut the lessons short if your child does not seem ready or if he is getting very frustrated. Keep a calm and patient demeanor to most effectively tutor your child.
Step 1

Show your child that reading and writing are fun by reading yourself. Read your child a variety of materials, from picture books to nonfiction books. Let her see you reading everything from newspapers and magazines to hardcover fiction books to do-it-yourself guides. Let her also see you write out grocery lists, letters, postcards and appointments on the calendar.
Step 2

Play games with your child to teach him phonemic awareness. Ask him if he can think of "-at" words to go in the "-at" family. Start him off with a few examples, such as cat and rat. Try to make up silly rhymes with your child. When reading nursery rhymes, leave off the last word and see if your child can fill it in.
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Step 3

Teach your child the lowercase letters and what sounds they make. Teach a few consonants and one or two vowels so that he will be able to read some short words. Continue to add in letters gradually. Work on the short vowel sounds, then the long vowel sounds. Consider using a phonics workbook or a reading curriculum, such as Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons.
Step 4

Show your child how to write the letters as you teach him the sounds. Use lined paper to make large lowercase letters. Have him trace several of your examples, then try it on his own. Praise any efforts that he makes. If he is not ready to use a pencil to make letters, allow him to use a marker, chalk on a chalkboard or even his finger to write the letters in a tray of sand, salt or dry rice.
Step 5

Teach your child some common sight words that do not follow the basic rules of phonics. Examples of these words are the, is, of, to and said.
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Tips and Warnings

* Take your child to the library to choose new reading material. The children's librarian will be able to help you find books that are not too easy or too hard, and that will help hold his interest. While many children are able to learn to read between the ages of four and six, remember that your child may need extra time to mature before being taught to read. If you are worried that your child is learning too slowly, speak to his teacher or pediatrician about your concern.


http://www.livestrong.com/
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A father's day wish: Dads, wake the hell up!

Editor's note: Jeff Pearlman is a columnist for SI.com. He blogs at jeffpearlman.com.

(CNN) -- The woman started crying.

I didn't expect this, because, well, why would I? We were two adults, standing in a preschool auditorium, waiting for the year-end musical gala to begin, talking summer plans and Twitter and junk fiction and all things mindless parents talk at mindless events. Then -- tears.

"My husband," she said, "doesn't care."

"Uh, about what?" I asked.

The floodgates now open, she told me her husband works from home. But he never drops their daughter off at preschool. He never picks their daughter up at preschool. He never wakes up with their daughter, never puts her to bed, never takes her to a movie or a carnival or a ball game; never comes up with fun daddy-daughter activities. "All he worries about is golf," the mother said. "Sometimes he'll take her to the driving range for an hour. But that's it. ..."

Two days later, by mere coincidence, a different mother cornered me. I was sitting in a pizzeria with my son, Emmett, and daughter, Casey, gnawing on a calzone. The woman, another preschool regular who always seems to be dragging around her kids with the worn look of a chain gang inmate, glanced my way and muttered, "My husband would never do that."
"Do what?" I asked.

"Be out alone with both of the kids at once," she said. "Never."

In case you are wondering, I am that dad. The one who works out of the house. The one who drives his kids to school, packs lunches and pushes swings and arranges play dates and attends teacher conferences and -- generally speaking -- frequently finds himself alone in brightly colored rooms filled with women and tykes.
President Obama talks about fatherhood
CNN Comedy: Father's Day
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* Father's Day
* Parenting

Along with my wife (who, until recently, also worked from home), I wipe snot, clean poop, order time outs and say no -- Really, no! I'm being serious, no! -- to the damned ice cream man and his Satanic siren call. I know all of my kids' friends, and most of their tendencies (Ashley and Emily love dolls, Lucas only wants to talk about Derek Jeter, Tyler digs applesauce).

Hence, I have been sent here today, on behalf of the stay-at-home mothers of the world, to convey to my fellow pops a message of love and hope in this lead-up to Father's Day: Wake the hell up.

Really, wake the hell up. Now. I understand that most of you have 9-to-5 jobs, that you leave tired and come home tired and just wanna chill in front of SportsCenter with a bowl of chips. But, seriously, you have no remote idea: Being a stay-at-home parent is exhausting. At the office, you can hide. You can take lunch. You can pretend you're working while scrolling the Internet for Yankees-Blue Jays and, ahem, Lindsay Lohan news. You have genuine social interactions with folks over the age of, oh, 12. People ask questions about your day -- and listen to the answers.

I envy you, but I sort of pity you. Kids grow. Age 1 turns to age 3, which turns to age 7, which turns to 15 and 18 and 21, all in the blink of an eye. If you're there, as I am, it flies. If you're not there -- if you're almost never there -- it barely exists at all. Which is why I just can't stomach those millions of dads who view their days at home as recovery from work, who'd rather rest than engage, who have no problem with passing the tykes off for more alone time with mom and who, literally, moan to their wives, "You have no idea how hard I work."

For you, I offer these 10 commandments of righteous fatherhood. Pay close attention, because, behind your back, people are pitying your wife:

1. No golf on weekends: Seriously, it's ludicrous. Your spouse is home with the kids all the time, and you think it's OK to take five hours on a weekend day to pursue your own pastime? Selfishness, thy name is Father.

2. Wake up: Literally, wake up. With your kids. On at least one of the two weekend days -- and perhaps both. I know: you wake up early for work. Not even remotely the same thing. Rising alongside the kiddies is hard. And crazy. And (gasp!) sorta fun, if you'd just stop moping.

3. Change diapers: If you have little kids, and you don't know how to change diapers (or, even worse, refuse to change diapers), you're pathetic. That's no exaggeration -- p-a-t-h-e-t-i-c. It's not all that hard, and though the poop sometimes winds up on the fingers, well, uh, yeah. It just does. Wash your hands.

4. Play with dolls and paint your toenails: How many fathers do I know who refuse to get girlish with their girls? Dozens. Dude, put aside the machismo, break out Barbie and slather on some pink polish. You'll make a friend for life -- and nobody else is watching.

5. Do things you don't want to do: It's easy to take the kids to the driving range -- because you want to be there. Now try spending the day having a tea party at American Girl. Or crawling through one of those wormholes at the nearby kiddie gym. Fun? Often, no. But this isn't about you.

6. Order the wife to bug off: I recently met a mother who told me her husband hadn't been alone with their 9-year-old daughter for more than two hours ... ever. Inexcusable. Let your wife do her own thing: relax, take a run, whatever. Entertain your children solo. They don't bite (Note: CNN.com is not liable if your children do, in fact, bite).

7. Surprise! Just once, on a random day without meaning or purpose, show up early at your kid's school/camp/wherever, say "Get in the car!" and take him/her somewhere special. Just the two of you, alone. A movie. A park. A hike. The memory lasts -- I promise.

8. Dishes Don't Clean Themselves (Nor Do Toys): It's amazing how this one works. You pick up a dish, run it under hot water with some soap, rub it down with a towel and place it back on the shelf. Then repeat.

9. Wake up your kid: Not often. But if you want to score big points and create a killer memory moment, walk in Junior's room at, oh, midnight, wake him/her up and go outside for 10 minutes to watch the stars.

10. For God's sake, tell your kids you love them: They never see you, and they'd probably like to know.

Bud, as you read this your wife is expecting little -- and your kids are expecting even less. Pull one out of the blue. Make Father's Day less about you, and all about them.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jeff Pearlman. Read More..

As Arizona fires rage, 7 states face extreme fire risk Sunday

(CNN) -- Firefighters across the southwestern United States on Sunday could face some of the worst weather conditions of the season for battling blazes currently raging across the region.

The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for most of Arizona, all of New Mexico, much of north Texas and portions of Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas and Utah for Sunday. A red flag warning means weather conditions -- mainly high heat, low humidity and strong winds -- pose an extreme fire risk.

"The winds certainly will be very gusty and strong," said Ken Daniel, NWS meteorologist in Flagstaff, Arizona. "Any new fire starts would have the potential to have explosive growth."

The forecast calls for winds of 30 mph or more in some areas, with gusts of up to 50 mph, Daniel said.

There are currently dozens of active wildfires burning in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, according to InciWeb, an online interagency database that tracks fires, floods and other disasters.

Nationwide, wildfires have burned almost as many acres in the first half of 2011 than were recorded by the National Fire Interagency Center for all of 2010. The agency reports on its website that 3.1 million acres in the United States had been ignited by wildfires as of May 31, compared to 3.2 million burned acres cited in the organization's year-end report in November 2010.

One Arizona blaze that started May 29 has mushroomed into a massive wildfire that's scorched more than a half-million acres. A smaller but fast-moving blaze is raging in the southeastern corner of the state.
The latter of the two has emerged as "the number one priority" for firefighters nationwide, according to the chief of the U.S. Forest Service.

"The conditions that we're dealing with here are as bad as we can get," said Tom Tidwell, head of the U.S. Forest Service, of the combination of high temperatures, low humidity, ample "fuel" and strong winds. "It just can't get any worse."

Gordon Van Vleet, a spokesman for the Joint Information Center, said that no cause has been determined for the so-called Monument Fire, which has spread across the Huachuca Mountains and burned 20,956 acres as of Saturday afternoon. He said authorities likely won't state a cause until the blaze is more under control.

"We know where it started and when it started, but (the specific cause) is under investigation," Tidwell said. "When we do have that information, we will share it."

At a press conference, U.S. Sen. John McCain blamed illegal immigrants for starting unspecified fires in the area. The Arizona Republican, however, did not provide evidence to back up the accusation, which prompted rebukes from Latino civil rights leaders.

While a fire at the U.S. Army's Fort Huachuca is 100% contained, according to Van Vleet, the Monument fire was 27% contained as of Saturday afternoon -- an improvement over the 15% figure in the morning, but certainly dangerous given the inordinately dry and windy conditions.

"This has been the number one priority in the country for a couple of days," Tidwell said. "That means this will receive resources before anyone else."

The Monument Fire, just south of Sierra Vista, Arizona, has torched at least 40 homes.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has issued emergency declarations for the Monument Fire and another blaze, Horseshoe II, making Cochise County eligible for $100,000 toward response and recovery expenses.

Meanwhile, residents of the eastern Arizona community of Alpine were able to return home, according to fire spokesman John Helmich. The community has a population of about 300, but many more seasonal visitors were forced to leave earlier this month because of the historically large Wallow fire.

The Wallow fire, which burned 500,409 acres, was 38% contained Saturday.

Tidwell said earlier Saturday that he was "very optimistic" that damage from future wildfires could be minimized by thinning forests and clearing out biomass -- which did occur, to some extent, in parts of eastern Arizona. He noted that 3.2 million acres were "treated" nationwide last year.

Sen. John Kyl, R-Arizona, noted that the estimated $64.1 million price for the Wallow fire would more than double after the costs of mitigation efforts to prevent mudslides from the summer monsoons.

"Just think that what we could have done using those funds to treat those forests in advance," Kyl said.

But government budget strains have limited the amount of money going to such efforts. "The only way we are going to get these (forests) thinned is through greater participation of private enterprise," McCain said, adding that the government should try to facilitate such initiatives, including by allowing limited logging in national parks.

"There is simply not enough tax dollars to get the job done without them," McCain said of private companies. Read More..