Do you like your Christmas presents?

Last week my family gathered at my brother's house for Christmas dinner. I'd guess there were maybe 20 of us in his home, talking, eating, catching up and enjoying the kids. As usual, it was non-stop with activity from the moment we hit the door around 2 p.m.

Even though the kids have already opened presents at home, their focus is on getting even MORE presents from the family. We make them wait until after dinner, of course

This year, we made them wait just a bit longer as we needed time to rest after all the hustle and bustle... and we wanted to let the food digest a bit... truthfully, it's fun torturing the kids just a bit .

Finally, my youngest niece, Alysha, had had enough. She came into the den where we were all sitting and announced it was time to open the presents.

She's six going on sixteen.

She flounced in and said, "People, listen up. I have something to tell you

Putting her hands on her hips, swiveling her head to make sure she made eye contact with everyone in the room as she spoke, she continued, "It's time to open presents NOW. I want you ALL to remember this first. Even if you don't like what you get, you HAVE to tell the person who got it for you 'Thank you, I like my present.' THEN you can open the next one

I caught the look on my brother-in-laws face --- it was great! Open mouth, eyes wide and then he put his forehead down on the back of the chair he was kneeling behind.

I looked at Alysha and asked her what we were supposed to say if we really did like it. She hesitated for a slit second and said, "Then you say you REALLY, REALLY, REALLY like my present

While we were all laughing, I heard Steve quietly tell her that his instructions to her on the drive over weren't meant for everyone, just for her.

Needless to say, we were all curious to see whether our gift to her was something she "really liked" or something she "really, really, really liked."

Photo: Alysha with her new moon-shoes, new Sponge-Bob pajamas and new bracelets.

Moms Get Techie in 2009 With New Media and Technology

/PRNewswire/ -- Today's time-starved, multi-tasking mothers are using more than band-aids and paper-based calendars to manage their hectic lifestyles and growing families. Mothers, now more than ever, are using technology such as video, blogs and wireless devices to multi-task through their busy days, using more than 5 separate technologies daily. 2009 stands to produce a record number of tech-savvy mothers bridging devices together to create everyday solutions.

According to research released by industry expert Maria Bailey in her new book, Mom 3.0: Marketing with Today's Mothers by Leveraging New Media & Technology, a mom's primary objective in using technology is to stay in touch with her busy family and manage their schedules effectively. In 2009, Moms will delve even deeper into the world of technology as they discover new functionalities of the tools they are already using.

Five technology trends to watch for in 2009 in the mom market cited by Bailey include:

1. The Emergence of Mom 3.0

They may be living in a 2.0 world but today's moms are creating their own systems of solutions to operate on a 3.0 level. According to research by Bailey's marketing to moms firm, BSM Media, www.bsmmedia.com, the majority of moms (65%) utilize 5 or more forms of technology every day. These moms are turning to devices such as computers, cell phones and mp3 players, as well as communication forums like blogs and instant messaging, to stay connected with their families, deliver useful content to their peers and manage their fast-paced worlds.

"Mom 3.0 is a powerful consumer who not only purchases products, but influences the decision making process of her peers through the use of new media, technology and content that is relevant and intuitive," said Bailey. "She is the living, breathing personification of what Internet trend analysts foresee in the emergence of Web 3.0."

2. Vlogs Become the New Blogs

Bailey predicts that Mom vloggers will outnumber Mommy bloggers by the end of 2009, as moms begin to see the ease of distributing and consuming information through video. Research conducted by BSM Media points to online video as the next preferred media among Moms. In fact, 82% of moms have watched 2 or more videos in the last week, versus 35% who have read blogs in the last week.

According to 64% of moms, video is an appealing format because it's adaptable to their lifestyles. Vlogs allow Moms to learn and share with other Moms -- all while stirring macaroni and cheese and answering homework questions. And the emergence of convenient, handheld camcorders, such as the Flip Video, makes shooting and uploading home videos easy and accessible. Currently Newbaby.com, www.newbaby.com , has built the largest network of Mommy Vloggers who review products and chronicle their journeys through parenthood.

3. The Return of Podcasts

In 2009, a decade after the buzzword was coined, podcasts will make a comeback. Back in 1999, when podcasts first emerged on the technology landscape, only 20% of moms owned some form of mp3 player. However, today, over 80% of moms have a means to listen to a podcast, whether through computer downloads or popular mp3 players like the iPod and Zune. Whatever listening device Moms choose, podcasts are a perfect fit for an on-the-go lifestyle. Moms can download specialized talk radio, shows and music and take entertainment and relevant content with them throughout their day, whether they are driving carpool in a minivan or jogging behind a double stroller.

With 80% of the market having the right tools in hand, it's time for this medium to experience the growth it deserves.

4. Twitter, Micro blogging, Instant Messaging Expands In Functionality For Moms

Moms have contributed to the growth of the social media phenomenon because interacting virtually with their peers allows them to nurture relationships in a simpler way. Joining social networking sites allows Moms to share product recommendations and parenting advice with like-minded Moms across the country. Recent statistics show that more than 40% of American mothers have Facebook profiles.

And now that these multi-tasking Moms have grown comfortable using these platforms to share with their peers, they are starting to use them to fulfill another core motivator -- staying in touch with their families. Just as many mothers have found texting to be an effective form of communication with their kids in 2008, in 2009 Moms will be tweeting, instant messaging and creating profiles on sites such as Facebook and MySpace to keep up with their adolescents and tweens.

5. Digital Photography and Video Sharing Leaves the Laptop

With the popularity of the Nintendo Wii among moms, Bailey hypothesizes that they will soon discover the functionalities of sharing photos over the game system and move their memory sharing from online to their living room. By inserting her camera's memory card into her Wii, a mom can create an interactive photo slideshow that can be shown in her home, as the perfect backdrop to a party, or shared virtually with other moms or family members that have access to the game system.

Since many moms will be resolving to actually get their photos off of their cameras this New Year, digital photo frames will grow in popularity. Most of these widely available and easy-to-use devices allow Moms to store and display over 4,000 images in an attractive setting that fits in with any decor.

The above research was conducted by BSM Media in conjunction with the release of Mom 3.0. Over 3,000 Moms across the United States were surveyed in June 2008 and these statistics are just a small sample of the plethora of Mom Market research that can be found in Mom 3.0. Filled with ideas, insights and creative programs to help you update your current strategies, as well as input from real-world Moms, Mom 3.0 will help prepare any brand for the future of Mom Marketing. To learn more or to purchase a copy of Mom 3.0, visit www.marketingtomoms.com .

Maria T. Bailey is the foremost authority on marketing to moms. Her company, BSM Media, specializes solely in marketing to mothers. In addition to Mom 3.0, she is the author of "Marketing to Moms: Getting Your Share of the Trillion Dollar Market" and "Trillion Dollar Moms: Marketing to a New Generation of Mothers."

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Mars Rovers Near Five Years of Science and Discovery

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA rovers Spirit and Opportunity may still have big achievements ahead as they approach the fifth anniversaries of their memorable landings on Mars.

Of the hundreds of engineers and scientists who cheered at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 3, 2004, when Spirit landed safely, and 21 days later when Opportunity followed suit, none predicted the team would still be operating both rovers in 2009.

"The American taxpayer was told three months for each rover was the prime mission plan," said Ed Weiler, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "The twins have worked almost 20 times that long. That's an extraordinary return of investment in these challenging budgetary times."

The rovers have made important discoveries about wet and violent environments on ancient Mars. They also have returned a quarter-million images, driven more than 13 miles, climbed a mountain, descended into craters, struggled with sand traps and aging hardware, survived dust storms, and relayed more than 36 gigabytes of data via NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter. To date, the rovers remain operational for new campaigns the team has planned for them.

"These rovers are incredibly resilient considering the extreme environment the hardware experiences every day," said John Callas, JPL project manager for Spirit and Opportunity. "We realize that a major rover component on either vehicle could fail at any time and end a mission with no advance notice, but on the other hand, we could accomplish the equivalent duration of four more prime missions on each rover in the year ahead."

Occasional cleaning of dust from the rovers' solar panels by Martian wind has provided unanticipated aid to the vehicles' longevity. However, it is unreliable aid. Spirit has not had a good cleaning for more than 18 months. Dust-coated solar panels barely provided enough power for Spirit to survive its third southern-hemisphere winter, which ended in December.

"This last winter was a squeaker for Spirit," Callas said. "We just made it through."

With Spirit's energy rising for spring and summer, the team plans to drive the rover to a pair of destinations about 200 yards south of the site where Spirit spent most of 2008. One is a mound that might yield support for an interpretation that a plateau Spirit has studied since 2006, called Home Plate, is a remnant of a once more-extensive sheet of explosive volcanic material. The other destination is a house-size pit called Goddard.

"Goddard doesn't look like an impact crater," said Steve Squyres of Cornell University, in Ithaca, N.Y. Squyres is principal investigator for the rover science instruments. "We suspect it might be a volcanic explosion crater, and that's something we haven't seen before."

A light-toned ring around the inside of the pit might add information about a nearby patch of bright, silica-rich soil that Squyres counts as Spirit's most important discovery so far. Spirit churned up the silica in mid-2007 with an immobile wheel that the rover has dragged like an anchor since it quit working in 2006. The silica was likely produced in an environment of hot springs or steam vents.

For Opportunity, the next major destination is Endeavour Crater. It is approximately 14 miles in diameter, more than 20 times larger than another impact crater, Victoria, where Opportunity spent most of the past two years. Although Endeavour is 7 miles from Victoria, it is considerably farther as the rover drives on a route evading major obstacles.

Since climbing out of Victoria four months ago, Opportunity has driven more than a mile of its route toward Endeavour and stopped to inspect the first of several loose rocks the team plans to examine along the way. High-resolution images from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which reached Mars in 2006, are helping the team plot routes around potential sand traps that were not previously discernable from orbit.

"The journeys have been motivated by science, but have led to something else important," said Squyres. "This has turned into humanity's first overland expedition on another planet. When people look back on this period of Mars exploration decades from now, Spirit and Opportunity may be considered most significant not for the science they accomplished, but for the first time we truly went exploring across the surface of Mars."

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Iraqi Forces Discover Priceless Smuggled Treasure

At the Fayette Front Page and Georgia Front Page we receive a lot of really good stories that we'd love to include but just can't find the right place. The following story is one that I thought was really interesting but it doesn't quite "fit" anywhere on the main sites. I wish we could include every good story that comes our way, especially those about our military. Despite all the lip service about loving our troops, the press sure doesn't like to include any stories that paint them in a good light... It drives me nuts to hear the words coming out of SOME people's mouths about supporting out troops. Words have absolutely no meaning unless they're backed up by action. OK, before I get too far afield and really start going down the trash-the-media-path, I'll just post the story and let you read.

Iraqi Security Forces recently uncovered hundreds of historical artifacts during two raids in northern Basra.

The 228 ancient artifacts included Sumerian and Babylonian sculpture, gold jewelry and other items from ancient Mesopotamia.

"This is my favorite item," said Iraqi Col. Ali Sabah, commander of the Basra Emergency Battalion that led the operation, holding a piece of gold jewelry. "It's gold from the Babylon ages and about 6,000 years old. It doesn't have a price."

"I'm very happy because this is my civilization's heritage," he said.

The Basra Emergency Battalion led raid operated from tips that smugglers intended to remove the treasure from the country.

"We got information that there were important Iraqi monuments that were going to be smuggled outside of Iraq," Sabah said.

After verifying a tip, the operation kicked off with a house raid that recovered 160 pieces of Iraqi monuments that were found in the yard. "We arrested five of the guys and they admitted to the crime," he said.

These arrests led to a second raid on in al-Ayaqub in northern Basra.

The monuments were found in a box in a corner of the yard covered with blocks. "We knew what we were looking for because we had pictures," Sabah said

"We will send it back to Baghdad via the Ministry of Defense to action moving it to the Iraqi Museum," he said.

Sabah said he hopes Iraqi authorities will get more information of this kind. "The soldiers are very, very proud to conduct this operation," he said. "I can't describe how happy we were when the soldiers found it.

"Each of the soldiers will be very proud when they visit the museum with their families and their wives and they can say 'I brought it back'."

(Special to American Forces Press Service - Multi-National Division South East PAO)
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Resolve to Invest Wisely in 2009

/PRNewswire/ -- As the struggling economy heads into the New Year, investors continue to be unsure of what their financial future may hold. Despite the stock market's tumultuous rise and fall, there remain basic investment truths for making sound investment resolutions no matter what 2009 has in store.

New Year's Investment Resolutions

1. Make sure your investment advisor does not have disbursement authority or other access to your funds beyond trading or fee deduction.

2. Find out exactly how your investment professional is paid; insist on a percent-of-assets fee or a flat fee arrangement only.

3. Don't look at your statements or holdings more than once a month; investing is a long-term game. Find a professional and a long-term strategy you're comfortable with and let time work its magic.

4. Ensure your investment professional holds the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) designation -- the worldwide gold-standard for investment analysis and investment portfolio management.

5. Review your portfolio for high-load funds or other expensive investment products; there is usually very little reason to hold high-load investment products. They are almost never in your best interest.

6. Insist on annualized performance results prepared in accordance with GIPS (Global Investment Performance Standards). If your investment professional can't provide annualized percent returns for your portfolio(s), net of fees, you won't know how you're doing.

7. Don't allow the negative psychology of the current market to trick you into selling your stocks at exactly the wrong time. Current valuations may represent the greatest buying opportunity in a long time, although risks clearly remain.

8. Have faith in the U.S. economy. The world is not ending and the country is not going to collapse. We will recover.

9. Recall that you must outpace inflation in the long-run. Stocks are the single best investment vehicle for potentially beating inflation over long periods of time.

10. Assess your spending and saving habits. Eliminate and trim spending where feasible. Spend less on unnecessary items. And always ask yourself if the purchase you are about to make is necessary or impulse.

Eads & Heald Investment Counsel has a 21-year history of managing customized investment portfolios through periods of economic euphoria and despair. See http://www.eadsheald.com/ .

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58% of Americans Not Cutting Back on Holiday Spending This Year, New Survey Reveals

/PRNewswire/ -- While most Americans have been directly affected by the sharp decline in the nation's economy, a majority still feel a sense of obligation, both to their family and the country, to maintain holiday gift giving and celebrations, according to a survey of 1,762 adults.

More than 54% of survey respondents know someone who has become unemployed in the past 6 months. However, 58% report they expect to spend the same amount this year on the holidays as they did last year, according to the survey, which was sponsored by Dollar Savvy, a new magazine and website (www.getdollarsavvy.com) dedicated to providing Americans with effective money-saving ideas.

Respondents are aware of the connection between their holiday shopping plans and the economy:

-- Over half (51%) say they have a responsibility to keep shopping to
help the economy.
-- 57% of respondents say regardless of the nation's economic reality,
they have an obligation to provide their families with a wonderful
holiday season.
-- 20% of respondents acknowledged they are dipping into savings to pay
for holiday celebrations.

Survey respondents expressed a sense of optimism about the future, and noted that the economic downturn is helping readjust priorities in a positive way. Among the findings:

-- 61% say the holidays will be more joyful this year.
-- 78% said hard economic times remind them of what is really important.
-- 73% said America will be stronger once we solve our economic problems.
-- 90% percent say the holidays are about family and faith, not gifts and
meals.

When it comes to gift-giving, Americans will continue to give store-bought gifts, but 20% said they plan on giving more homemade gifts this year. In keeping with their perspective on the economy, 53% said they expect the number of gifts they receive this year to be less than last year; 41% said they expect it to be about the same.

Additional holiday spending results:

Amount Spent
-- 9% plan on spending more
-- 46% plan to spend the same amount on gifts as last year
-- 43% plan on spending less
-- The average amount expect to spend is $553

Gifts to Children
-- 56% plan on giving the same number of gifts to children as they have
in the past.
-- 22% plan to give less
-- 13% plan to give more
-- 8% don't know

Gifts to Spouse
-- 52% plan on giving the same number of gifts to their spouse
-- 27% plan on giving less
-- 7% plan on giving more
-- 14% don't know

Gifts to Friends
-- 51% plan on giving the same number of gifts to friends
-- 37% plan on giving less
-- 3% plan on giving more
-- 8% don't know

"Despite economic hard times, Americans continue to have a deep, heartfelt connection with the holiday season," said Neil Wertheimer, Editor in Chief of Dollar Savvy and getdollarsavvy.com. "While they believe that the gifts will be fewer this year, and the meals a little less extravagant, the joys of the holidays will be every bit as great, if not greater, than in years past."

Other survey results included:

-- 61% of respondents said they will be sending store-bought holiday
greeting cards this year; 31% are planning to send e-mail cards; and
12% are sending homemade cards. 13% of respondents say they will be
including a family-update letter.
-- 42% said they will spend less this year on decorating their home for
the holidays; only 6% said they will spend more than last year.
-- 25% said they will spend less on holiday food this year; 15% said they
will spend more.
-- 27% said they will give less money to charity this year; 11% said they
will give more.
-- 48% say that ham will be the main course at their holiday dinner,
followed by turkey (43%), and beef (16%). Only 6% said they will be
serving seafood, and 1% said they will be serving lamb.
-- 38% said they will be dining at restaurants less during the holiday
season.
-- 11% said they would be dining out more.
-- 41% said they will be traveling less during the holiday season.
-- 14% said they would be traveling more.

About the survey

The survey was conducted on December 9 and 10 by Socratic Technologies, a full-service marketing research agency that regularly conducts global Web-based surveys. The respondents were a cross section of women and men who subscribe to one of five broad-interest consumer magazines operated by the Home & Garden Group of the Reader's Digest Association Inc. Survey respondents had a median age of 52 and median household income of $75,400. The survey had a 2.3 percent margin of error.

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Michael Jackson Needs Lung Transplant

RJ Note: Pop star Michael Jackson is reported to need a lung transplant. Thought you'd want to see the news video.

Check out the video.

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10 Tips To Get Your Book Published

RJ Note: Ever thought about writing a book? Here are some tips in case you're writing and are now thinking of the next phase- publishing.

(StatePoint) Over 412,000 books were published in the past 12 months. That means over 1,100 books are flooding the marketplace daily - or almost one a minute.

So how can you break through the clutter to get your book published, promoted, and sold?

"The good news is there's no better time in the history of publishing for individuals seeking access to the marketplace," says publishing veteran Brian Feinblum. "You're no longer at the mercy of big publishing houses. You can get a book published on your own with minimal financial investment - and reap a greater percentage of the profits."

Feinblum, a former book editor and publicist, is the chief marketing officer of Planned Television Arts (PTA), the nation's largest and oldest book promotions firm. He often helps self-published or first time authors.

PTA (www.plannedtvarts.com) has helped many authors become best-sellers, nurturing thousands of unknowns to become household names. Their clients include: Wiley & Sons, Simon & Schuster, Harper Collins, Random House, Penguin Putnam and McGraw-Hill.

Here are 10 tips from Feinblum on how to get published:

* If you want a traditional publisher to publish your book you usually need a literary agent. An agent will take 15 percent of the money the book generates. Once a literary agent agrees to represent you and finds a publisher, it can take another 12-18 months to publish the book. To locate an agent, consult the "Literary Market Place," a directory available at most libraries.

* Self-publish. This means you invest money to print your books. You get to keep all profits and retain control of the editing, cover, and content. It's best to find a distributor who can sell your book to bookstores and libraries, and generate sales to corporations and associations. A distributor typically takes about 25 to 30 percent of the proceeds.

* If you want to get published quickly, keep most of your profits, and lay-out little money, consider using print-on-demand publishers such as iUnivese.com, Trafford, or Blurb.com. Instead of printing thousands of books in advance, they print a book when a consumer orders it.

* Publish an e-book. No printing is involved. People order your book online and it's downloaded or emailed to them.

* To convince a literary agent to represent you or a publisher to publish you, create a book proposal. You must identify what your book is about, why you're qualified to write it, how big the marketplace is, what your competing titles are, and how you plan to promote and market the book. It's not enough to have a good idea or a well-written book.

* Publishers are looking for authors with a platform or following. Create a Web site, blog regularly, build an e-zine mailing list, podcast, speak at local groups, and network at LinkedIn.com and other sites.

* Check if the media is featuring the topic your book covers. If it's fiction, find similar novels. You want to follow a trend and tie into it. However, uniqueness counts. If yours is the only book of its kind, you may have found an underserved niche, ready to be exploited.

* Attend Book Expo America (www.bookexpoamerica.com), the annual publishing event featuring publishers, literary agents, editors and booksellers.

* Read about the publishing industry. "Publishers Weekly" is the magazine covering book publishing. They also have a free daily e-zine. Consult www.publishersweekly.com.

* Tell everyone you know you're trying to get published. Send sample chapters to friends, co-workers, family, etc. You may get lucky and get discovered. At the very least, you'll get useful feedback.

For additional tips on getting your book published or promoted, email feinblumb@plannedtvarts.com. To learn more about book publicity, visit www.plannedtvarts.com.

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Did Mice Kill the Cats in a Deadly Fire?

RJ Note: While any fire that takes lives is a horrendous event, this story title caught my eye. Out of respect to the victims, I will refrain from making any catty remarks or injecting my warped sense of humor.

Mice Suspected in Deadly Cat Fire

Mice may be responsible for a blaze that killed nearly 100 cats at an animal shelter near the Canadian city of Toronto, officials say.......

Read the story.

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Give the Gift of Good Manners

/PRNewswire/ -- The holidays this year are all about getting back to basics: Appreciating quality time with friends and family, enjoying home-cooked holiday meals, and pampering ourselves in small ways when the going gets tough.

With the extra stress of the economy affecting just about everyone, etiquette guru Peggy Post of the Emily Post Institute suggests we add one more "basic" to our holiday to-do lists: Treat those around you with courtesy and respect-from your closest friends and relatives to the check-out clerk at the grocery store.

"Many of us can be a little on edge during the holidays, and this is going to be especially true this year," says Post. "Giving the gift of respect has a lasting and positive effect on both the giver and the receiver, and that's something that can't be underestimated at a time of year when we can all use a little extra courtesy."

Whether you are visiting someone else's home or inviting others into yours, remember the following holiday etiquette tips in the coming weeks:

For hosts:

-- Decorate-even in the bathroom! A recent study by the maker of Quilted Northern Bath Tissue found that most of us love to decorate our homes for the holidays-including 40% of us who deck out the bathroom!(1) "Decorative towels or scented candles can add the holiday spirit to the occasion, even in the bathroom. And don't forget the quality premium bath tissue, which communicates that you care about the comfort of your guests."

-- Extend the invitation at least a month in advance, longer for those who might be traveling. "If you're inviting out-of-town guests, set a beginning and an end for the visit. Three days is usually the optimum."

-- If a guest asks to bring along a friend, try to make it work. "The more the merrier! Extend the invitation to as many as can you can fit around the table or in your home."

-- Assign tasks, including greeters, hors d'ouevres passers, 'bar tenders', 'circulators and introducers,' servers. "Even though most guests may be family members, give them the red carpet treatment!"

-- Turn off the TV during the meal or party. Focus your attention where it belongs -- on the lovingly prepared food, your family and your friends. "When the dishes are done, everyone can enjoy the games or holiday specials on television(or the chat in the other room!)"

For guests:

-- Let your host know right away if you can come or not. "Don't wait until the day before to RSVP, and avoid showing up with uninvited guests. There is usually room for one more at the table, but discuss it with your host ahead of time."

-- Offer to contribute to the meal, especially in these economic times. Your best bet is to make your offer open-ended and follow your host's direction. "If you or someone in your party has special dietary needs, it is very gracious to offer to bring a dish that meets those needs."

-- All hosts love a surprise gift-including your mother and aunts. "It can be as simple as a bottle of wine or a scented candle; just don't show up empty handed."

-- Family or non-family, this is one day where it is a great idea to pitch in, even if it's just loading the dishwasher or packing up the leftovers. "If you make the offer to help and the host firmly declines, back off -- some people really don't want guests in their kitchen."

-- Say thank you. "A phone call or, better yet, a hand-written note of thanks to your hosts shows your appreciation for all their hard work."

For a chance to win a little plush for your friends and family, visit www.quiltednorthern.com .

(1) "Why Women Need Push" study conducted on behalf of Georgia-Pacific, maker of Quilted Northern

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New Survey: Nation's Food Banks Report Dramatic Increase in Demand for Emergency Food Assistance as Unemployment Rises and Economy Worsens

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Food banks across America are reporting a 30 percent increase in requests for emergency food assistance, according to a new survey conducted by Feeding America, the nation's largest hunger relief organization. At the same time, a new public opinion poll released today by the organization finds that many Americans are unable to provide adequate amounts of nutritious food to their families, due to the current economic crisis.

Feeding America urges Congress to pass economic recovery legislation that will offer desperately needed relief to both low-income Americans and the nation's food banks, as the recent surge in unemployment has pushed millions to the brink of hunger. Additional support for emergency feeding through food banks and longer term assistance through food stamps will also generate economic activity that will stimulate local economies as well as relieve the hunger caused by the recession.

Feeding America received responses from 160 of their 205 food bank members for the "local impact survey." It gauged increases in requests for emergency food assistance and how the nation's food banks are coping with the dramatic spike in current demands. The national poll was commissioned by Feeding America to assess the impact of the economic downturn on low-income households.

"The economy is affecting all Americans, but it is low-income Americans who are suffering the most," said Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of Feeding America. "Skyrocketing unemployment rates, increasing food costs and high fuel prices for the majority of this year have put an unprecedented level of need on our food banks. Unemployment projections indicate that the situation is likely to get worse in the near future. Low-income Americans need increases in food stamps and our network needs more food from the federal government to ensure that we can keep feeding the millions of people turning to us for help."

More than 90 percent of food banks respondents cited increases in food prices and unemployment as the primary factors contributing to the increase in requests for emergency food assistance. More than 60 percent cited fuel, and 52 percent cited the inadequacy of food stamp benefits.

Seventy-two percent of food banks reported that they are not able to adequately meet the needs of their communities without adjusting the amount of food distributed - offering smaller amounts of food and groceries to those in need - or their operations.

"We are in a national crisis," said Escarra. "We have some food banks reporting as high as a 65 percent increase in need. There are record numbers of new men, women and children, who never thought they would need food assistance. Some of those seeking help are so unfamiliar with available emergency food assistance that they are having difficulties navigating how to access food."

Many low-income Americans, who are living just above the income eligibility threshold for the Supplemental Food Assistance Program (formerly named the Food Stamp Program), are experiencing food insecurity for the first time. In the public opinion poll, 63 percent of respondents reported that in the past year, their food didn't last and they could not afford to buy more. Forty percent ate less than they felt they should, and 36 percent cut the size of meals or skipped meals because there wasn't enough money for food. Forty percent reported that they have had to choose between paying for food and utilities in the past year. One in three food stamp recipients reported that their benefits only lasted for two weeks or less.

Additionally, the financial crisis is compromising low-income Americans' ability to access nutritious food at grocery stores. Nearly 70 percent of low-income respondents reported that they are cutting back on food spending and 62 percent reported having to make more shopping trips for food because they didn't have enough money to buy everything at one time.

"Winter is here, and we know that millions of families struggle between heating their homes and eating. This is not a choice that anyone in the United States of America should have to make, and too many more families are going to be faced with these decisions in the coming weeks. I urge the Congress to pass economic recovery legislation as soon as they return to Washington that brings hope to the 25 million Americans we feed each year," said Escarra.

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Survey: College Students Say Illicit Use of ADHD Drugs Helps Their Ability To Study

Undergraduates who illegally use ADHD medication without a prescription say it’s worth the risk for one key benefit: enhancing their ability to study.

In a new study led by researchers from Duke University’s Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, more than 5 percent of students surveyed reported using ADHD medication without a prescription during the past six months. Nine percent reported doing this since beginning college.

The Web-based survey of 3,407 students was taken in spring 2007 at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and at Duke. Ninety percent of respondents who reported using the medication without a prescription during the past six months said enhancing the ability to study was the reason they most often took stimulant drugs such as Ritalin, Adderall and Concerta for nonmedical purposes. And nearly 90 percent of these students felt it was effective in helping them study.

Nonacademic motives, such as “to get high,” were far less common.

Using ADHD medication without a prescription was more common among students
who reported more frequent use of alcohol and other substances during the past six months. However, it was also more likely to occur among students who felt that concentration and attention was a problem for them. In fact, many of the students reporting illicit use had attention difficulties similar to students who reported a current diagnosis of ADHD.

“Students without prescriptions use ADHD medication primarily to enhance academic performance and may do so to ameliorate attention problems that they experience as undermining their academic success,” according to the study, which appears in the online edition of the Journal of Attention Disorders. “Students perceived non-medical use to be beneficial despite frequent reports of adverse reactions.”

Side effects reported by students included 23.9 percent of respondents saying illicit ADHD medication “always” reduced their appetite, while 15.6 percent said the drugs “always” made it difficult to sleep. More than 7 percent reported that the drugs “always” made them irritable.

Despite the side effects, more than 70 percent of students believed that using ADHD medication without a prescription had been positive for them. More than 70 percent said they “never” worried about becoming addicted to the medication.

The research was led by David Rabiner, associate research professor and director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Duke. Other researchers on the project were from Duke, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the University of Michigan.

The researchers noted that several past studies have shown more than 30 percent of students who illegally used ADHD medication did so to “get high,” but only 2.2 percent of respondents in this survey said they frequently used illicit ADHD medication for that purpose.

“Learning about the benefits that students perceive from nonmedical ADHD medication use may inform efforts to prevent this behavior,” Rabiner said.

This study and others like it have shown that the practice was more common at colleges and universities with tougher admission standards. These studies also revealed that most students using illicit ADHD medication tended to be white, belong to a fraternity or sorority, have lower GPAs and engage in substance use and other risky behaviors.

The authors of this study -- “Motives and Perceived Consequences of Nonmedical ADHD Medication Use by College Students: Are Students Treating Themselves for Attention Problems?” -- said the findings point to a need for further study of the academic, social and biomedical consequences of illicit ADHD medication use among college students.

“A limitation of this study is that we only learned how students believe using ADHD medication affects them,” said Rick Hoyle, a psychology professor at Duke. “How students are actually affected -- whether it truly helps them do better academically or whether it contributes to the use of other substances -- cannot be determined from our results. This would require following students across college and learning whether nonmedical ADHD medication predicts any of these other outcomes.”

The other authors of the study were E. Jane Costello, professor of medical psychology in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University Medical Center; H. Scott Swartzwelder, clinical professor of psychiatry and psychology/neuroscience at Duke; Arthur Anastopoulos, a psychology professor and director of the ADHD clinic at UNC-Greensboro; and Sean Esteban McCabe, research associate professor at the Substance Abuse Research Center and Institute for Research on Women and Gender at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

The study was funded by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

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