August 11, 2003

From the Inside Out
SCENTED MEMORIES

As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children an untruth. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. However, that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard. Mrs.Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he did not play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. In addition, Teddy could be unpleasant.

It got to the point where Mrs.Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big "F" at the top of his papers. At the school where Mrs.Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.

Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners. He is a joy to be around." His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle!" His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best, but his father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken." Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in class."

By now, Mrs.Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag. Mrs.Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one-quarter full of perfume. But she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, " Mrs.Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to." After the children left, she cried for at least an hour.

On that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children. Mrs.Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her "teacher's pets."

Six years later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs.Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he had ever had in his whole life. Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer, the letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.

The story does not end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he had met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs.Thompson might agree to sit at the wedding in the place that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. Moreover, she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together.

They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear, "Thank you Mrs.Thompson for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference." Mrs.Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, "Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you."

~ Contributed by Sherry in Miami, Florida

Yes You Can!
KNOW RENTERS' RIGHTS

Before you move in, tour the premises with your landlord, and note (or better yet, photograph) any existing damage. When you move out, if your landlord withholds part of your damage deposit, ask for an itemized list of charges and the reason for the charges. If there's a discrepancy between this list and the one you made before moving in, let the landlord know immediately. Keep copies of all correspondence with your landlord, as well as dated records of phone and in-person conversations. Although renters' rights vary by region, many are pretty predictable. Here's a sample of rights likely to be addressed in your state's landlord-tenant law:

1. The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to deny housing to a tenant on the
grounds of race, color, sex, religion, disability, family status, or national origin.

2. Residential rental units should be habitable and in compliance with housing and health codes — meaning they should be structurally safe, sanitary, weatherproofed, and include adequate water, electricity, and heat.

3. Many states limit the amount landlords can charge for security deposits.
(See http://www.nolo.com/encyclopedia/articles/lt/lt1.html to find out if yours is one of them.)

4. A landlord should make necessary repairs and perform maintenance tasks in a timely fashion, or include a provision in the lease stating that tenants can order repairs and deduct the cost from rent.

5. A landlord must give prior notice (typically 24 hours) before entering your premises and can normally only do so to make repairs or in case of an
emergency.

6. Illegal provisions in a rental agreement (provisions counter to state law)
are usually not enforceable in court. If a landlord has violated important terms related to health, safety, or necessary repairs, you might have a legal right to break your lease.

7. If you have to break a long-term lease, in most states landlords are required to search for a new tenant as soon as possible rather than charging the tenant for the full duration of the lease.

8. Damage or security deposits are not deductible for "normal wear and tear." Some states require that a landlord give an itemized report of any deductions. Most states require landlords to return refundable portions of a security deposit within 14 to 30 days after the tenant has vacated the premises, even in the case of eviction.

9. Landlords usually can't legally seize a tenant's property for nonpayment of rent or any other reason, except in the case of abandonment as defined by law.

10. Landlords are legally prohibited from evicting tenants as retaliation for action a tenant takes related to a perceived landlord violation.

11. A landlord cannot legally change the locks, shut off (or cause to have shut off) your utilities, or evict you without notice; eviction requires a court order. If a landlord makes life so miserable for you that it forces you to move, it may be considered "constructive eviction," which is usually grounds for legal action.

12. In many states, it's illegal for a lease to stipulate that the tenant is
responsible for the landlord's attorney fees in case of a court dispute.

Internet Resources:

1. Visit the online resource for residential tenants at: http://www.tenant.net/
2. Do a browser search using the keywords "landlord tenant [your state]" or "attorney general [your state]."
3. Look up your state Web site and follow links for Landlord-Tenant, Consumer Protection, or Attorney General.
4. Order information on landlord-tenant issues from nolo.com at http://www.nolo.com/

~Sally Anderson, House&Home.MSN.com

Photo: VirtualTourist.com

Two interesting geothermal areas in Rotorua, New Zealand, are Waimangu Volcanic Valley and Lake Rotomahana, created on June 10 1886 by the Tarawera Volcanic Eruption. The walk from the hot water beach leads around the southern end of the lake to the jetty on the eastern shore. Hike through the valley of hot springs, craters, and lakes, and take a scenic boat ride on Lake Rotomahana to see awesome steaming cliffs, rift craters, geysers and the former site of the world-famous Pink and White Terraces, now sanctuary to a variety of wildfowl.

LINKS
THAT SHINE

"Ergonomics"

Following ergonomic principles helps reduce
stress and eliminate many potential injuries and disorders associated with the overuse of muscles, bad posture, and repeated tasks. This is accomplished by designing tasks, work spaces, controls, displays, tools, lighting, and equipment
to fit physical capabilities and limitations..
www.CDC.gov/Ergonomics

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Fascinating Facts
WHY DOGS LOVE THEIR BACH

Dogs become sweet-tempered and relaxed when they listen to classical music but put up a howl when they listen to heavy metal, according to researchers.

Animal behaviouralists led by Deborah Wells of Queen's University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, exposed 50 canines in a dog shelter to four different types of noise. The pooches were given either a middle-of-the-road pop compilation that included Britney Spears and Robbie Williams; a "best of classical" CD; a radio program which only had human conversation; or an album by heavy-metal rockers Metallica.

The dogs became agitated and barked a lot when listening to Metallica but became quiet and lay down more when they listened to the classics. Pop music and the human voice seemed to make little difference to how they behaved. The study is reported in a specialist British quarterly, Animal Welfare.

The chief executive of the National Canine Defense League Clarissa Baldwin discussed the implications of this work: "It is very important to us that the dogs have as pleasant a time as possible while they are in our care. Some of our dogs have had a rough start in life and may be stressed out by being in kennels, so we need to ensure they are as calm as possible. We always have the radio on in our re-homing centers and we will be tuning into classical stations from now on."

Previous studies have already suggested that classical music boosts egg production in factory hens and milk production in cows but this is believed to be the first to apply to dogs. Wells added that the findings supported the use of soothing music in human environments too. "We know that classical music results in decreased stress, decreased agitation, improved mood, improved performance in certain things as well," she said."So there is certainly scope for using classic music in potentially stressful environments, such as dentists' waiting rooms, hospital waiting areas, airports and so on."

She added: "It is well established that music can influence our moods. Dogs may be as discerning as humans when it comes to musical preference."

~Discovery.com

Why doesn't the North Star ever appear to move in the sky as other stars do?

Click for Answer

Laughing It Off
SOME DAY-STARTERS ...

A young man was sitting in class when the professor asked him if he knew what the 'Roe vs. Wade' decision was. He sat quietly, pondering this very profound question. Finally, after giving it a lot of thought, he sighed and said, "I think this was the decision George Washington made prior to crossing the Delaware."

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A husband read an article to his wife about how many words women use a day — 30,000 to a man's 15,000. The wife replied, "The reason has to be because a woman has to say everything twice. The husband then turned to his wife and asked, "What?"

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You know, it's really frustrating when you know all the answers, but nobody bothers to ask you the questions.

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While attending a marriage seminar on communication, David and his wife listened to the instructor declare, "It is essential that husbands and wives know the things that are important to each other." He addressed the man, "Can you describe your wife's favorite flower?" David leaned over, touched his wife's arm gently and whispered, "Pillsbury All-Purpose, isn't it?"

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Why not fool other drivers into thinking you have an expensive car phone by holding an old TV or video remote control up to your ear and occasionally swerving across the road and running up on the curb.

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Prisoner Juan Lopez escaped from a Mexican jail January, 1996, after using acidic salsa sauce saved from six years of jailhouse dinners to dissolve the bars on his cell window.

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"We apologize for the error in last week's paper in which we stated that Mr. Arnold Dogbody was a defective in the police force. We meant, of course,
that Mr. Dogbody is a detective in the police farce."

~Contributed by Geri in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Untangling the Web

WHAT A SITE!

Web-Wise Sage...
"Vidya Ishaya created cyberspace magic for me.
I am extremely pleased with his efficiency, fast
responses, and careful attention to detail. And
his rates are more than reasonable. If you would
like a sensitive and spiritual like-minded soul
to help you with a site, contact Vidya."
~Donna Wolfe Gatti of Angel Academy
www.WebWiseSage.com

COMPUTER-EASE

A couple of shortcuts...
To display a list of the Internet addresses you have typed in the Address bar, just press F4.
To go to a new location,
press CTRL+O..
.

Photo: Associated Press

Jumbo jellyfish...
A Tiburonia granrojo, or "big red," illuminated by a remotely operated submarine, swims deep below the surface of the Pacific off the Farallon Islands near San Francisco, California. Marine biologists from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute found 23 members of the species in Monterey Bay, the Sea of Cortez and off Hawaii, Japan and the Farallons. Institute scientists had seen big reds, which are up to a meter across and live at depths of 2,000 to 4,800 feet, as far back as 1993, but they were not recognized as a new species until years later. ~MSNBC