Four Secrets toSearching the National Archives
By Phil Stewart
www.pwstewart.com


Do you remember the last scene in the 1981 movie Raiders of the LostArk, when the wooden crate containing the Ark of the Covenant was movedinto that huge limitless warehouse for storage?

After recently completing a short very informal survey, that scene fromthe movie is what a majority folks think of when they are asked todescribe the U.S. National Archives. Scary, isn't it. Properly called the National Archives and Records Administration(NARA), located in Washington, D.C., the National Archives is thenation's record keeper. The latest estimates, nobody is sure ofthe exact total, show that the NARA has in its custody approximately:


All of these materials arepreserved because they are important to the workings of the Government,have long-term research worth, or provide information of value to you -the U.S. citizen.

In an effort to allow enhanced access to many of these holdings, NARAdeveloped the online Archival Research Catalog (ARC). This is thelatest Web-based research tool that provides a portal to the contentand physical descriptions of all its archival holdings. Thestated goal is to have 95 percent of NARA's records input into ARC by2016. At this time, about two-thirds of the holdings have beenloaded into this digital super-catalog, but not all of these entrieshave comprehensive descriptions.

Obviously then, ARC is far from complete. It's dynamic, withcontent updates all the time. A subject that you researchone week may have no hits and then have hundreds the next time you do asearch. In addition, ARC is not as easy to use as your favoriteWeb browser, and it has been known to be rather obstinate. Itdoes not have as much "fuzzy logic" as I would think it should have,but maybe that will be part of the next software upgrade. The ARCmain webpage, www.archives.gov/research/arc,has much more detailed information for your review.

ARC Search Tips

Let's say you wanted to do some research on Charles Lindbergh, thefirst aviator to fly across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927. If youload that term in the ARC search box on the webpage noted above, you'llend of with a list of 126 items. Before you start the laborious processof scanning each one of the listings, I would suggest you try theselittle known search tips.


So, whatever you're looking for in the NARA, try using ARC to find it.If you use the four secrets mentioned above you'll have a better thanaverage chance of finding what you are looking for, if it exists in theracks and stacks of the National Archives.

Phil Stewart is aretired Air Force officer, specializing in the videoproduction. He then opened a video production company, worked asa television director, and currently manages a multimediafacility. Mr. Stewart volunteers as a motion picture filmresearcher for the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. He'sauthored four books and three articles on the motionpicture films held within the National Archives. Visit www.pwstewart.com for more information. Permissiongranted for use on DrLaura.com.

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Purchasing andPreparing Lamb:
The Basics You Need To Know
Provided by theAmerican Lamb Board
americanlamb.com

The family is coming over for a festive spring dinner but you don'twant to serve yet another casserole#133;How about Lamb? It seems soelegant, but it really is easy, especially if you are armed with thebasics.

What To Look For When Purchasing Lamb:

Lamb is widely available in grocery stores and gourmet food retailersacross the country. When shopping, look for American Lamb as ittypically yields more meat on the bone than imported lamb. Also, mostAmerican lamb is fed mixed grains and grasses giving the meat a milderflavor than its European counterparts. When shopping for a cut, lookfor meat that has a soft pink to red coloring with white marbling.

How to Store/Freeze Lamb:

Fresh lamb should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer immediatelyafter purchasing. Refrigerate fresh lamb at 40 degrees Fahrenheit orbelow. Ground lamb or stew meat should be used within 2 days. Lambchops and roasts should be used within 3 to 5 days. If you plan tofreeze lamb for long periods of time, be sure to wrap the originalpackaging with airtight freezer wrap or place in an airtight freezerbag to prevent freezer burn. To maintain optimum quality, frozen lambshould be used within 3 to 4 months.

How to Thaw Frozen Lamb:

• In the refrigerator - oncefrozen lamb has thawed in the refrigerator, lamb roasts and chopsshould be used within 3 to 5 days and ground lamb or stew meat shouldbe used within 1 to 2 days.
• In cold water - leave frozenlamb in its packaging, making sure it is air tight. If not, transfer itto a leak-proof bag. Keep the lamb submerged in cold water, changingthe water every 30 minutes to continue thawing. Cook lamb immediatelyafter thawing. It should not be re-frozen unless cooked first.
• In the microwave - As withthe cold water method, when frozen lamb is thawed in the microwave, itmust be cooked immediately. It should not be re-frozen unless cookedfirst.

CookingLamb:

• For those that don't have alot of experience cooking with lamb, determining when it is done is thebiggest challenge. An overcooked rack of lamb is an expensive mistakeand carving into an undercooked roast can be an embarrassment at adinner party. Don't rely on guesswork - a good meat thermometer willprovide reliable results. DO NOT cut into a roast or chop to checkdoneness. Use an instant read thermometer to give you a quick, accuratereading.
• Lamb, like any cut of meat,always benefits from rest before serving - the rest allows the meat'sjuices to settle. Give thin cuts like chops five minutes before servingand allow 20 minutes before carving roasts. Keep in mind, as the meatrests, its internal temperature typically rises 5 to 10 degrees. Removelamb from cooking heat when the thermometer reads 5 to 10 degrees lessthan your desired temperature.
• To ensure lamb remains safethroughout cooking, the USDA makes recommendations for safe cookingtemperatures.

For recipes and approximatecooking times for use in meal planning, visit americanlamb.com. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com

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GrandparentsMake A Big Difference in
Today's Challenging World
By Nancy Carlsson-Paige
www.nancycarlssonpaige.org

Our adult children don't alwayswant to hear parenting advice from us, their own parents. Theywant to do it their own way, which makes a lot of sense to me. Ithink where we grandparents make a difference is in the relationshipswe have with our grandchildren. How we interact with them, whatwe do together, and the activities we encourage them to do can make acritical difference in their lives, especially today.

Our grandkids are growing up in a world vastly different from the oneour own kids grew up in. These days, a host of social forces and trendsis putting tremendous pressure on children: Here are just a few.

1. Entertainment media are too often replacing active, child-centeredplay and social time with peers and family. Constant depictions ofviolence, aggression, and disrespect towards others are immersing kidsin a world where "might makes right."

2. Aggressive marketing campaigns aimed at kids are pushing a host ofproducts, toys and values on children, teaching them to value "having"over "being" from an early age and to grow up too fast.

3. Economic and time pressures on parents are leading them to quick-fixapproaches to discipline and to rely on "electronic babysitters" likeTV's, Game Boys, and X-Boxes.

4. An overemphasis on standardized tests in our schools is robbingchildren of genuine learning opportunities and resulting in the loss ofunstructured play, arts activities, and social time, all of which areessential to their well being.

Childhood is eroding out from under our grandkids, but we grandparentscan do a lot to get it back. When we have time with our grandchildren,we can offer them activities and relationships that will help restorethe healthy aspects of childhood they are losing out on. We canbring out things to do that will encourage their creativity and healthyplay: open-ended materials like building toys, paper and markers,playdough, collage materials and found objects.

We can scrap the toys linked to media, the Bratz dolls, the coloringbooks--all of the activities that encourage our grandkids to imitatethe scripts they've seen in the media that limit their imaginations andinhibit the telling of their own stories.

We can be mindful too, of the nature of our relationships with ourgrandchildren. We can be a presence in their lives, a person whoaccepts them deeply, without judgment or expectations, someone wholistens completely with an open mind and compassion.

We can take time to ask our grandkids questions that encourage them totalk and to show us more deeply who they are. When we need themto do certain things, we can approach these tasks like players on thesame team: "We have to get the playdough off the table now. How can we do that?" In this way, we can engage our grandkids insolving problems with us,showing them an alternative to the coercive approaches they see allaround them, inviting them to experience with us a more mutual way ofbeing in relationships.

NancyCarlsson-Paige's most recent book is TakingBack Childhood: Helping Your Kids Thrive in a Fast-Paced,Media-Saturated, Violence-Filled World. For more informationvisit www.nancycarlssonpaige.org. Permission granted for use onDrLaura.com

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SOUND CHANGES#8482;
Six Sound Strategies to Stress Less
By Ellen Simon, M.S., M. Ed., LPC
www.imadulation.com

Stress happens in your body but starts in your mind. In addition to the perception of danger or life threatening events, there are two thinking habits that activate the stress response in the body.

The first is negative attention, or focusing on what you don't want/like, rather than what is good, right or challenging in a growth producing way. The Law of Attraction will bring into your life that which you focus on and play on the movie screen of your mind.

The second common habit to induce stress is an insistence and needing that things be a certain way, rather than preferring the same. Insistence on things being a certain way implies an attachment to a particular outcome, and thus sets you up for disappointment. If instead you prefer an outcome, you still identify your wishes and desires, yet this attitude contains energy of letting go. Preferring carries an element of trust in the unfolding of life and the confidence that whatever happens, you have the resources and ability to handle life.

It's better to have what you need than to need what you want.

The 6 strategies to stress less and enjoy life more follow:

1. Thinking healthy - focus on what you do want rather than what you don't want, let go of insisting or clinging to a particular outcome. Where are your thoughts? Are you focusing on what is wrong? Or is your awareness on the solution or even on the blessing that if often revealed down the road? Are you turning your wants into needs? When you NEED what you WANT then you create unnecessary stress. Try shifting your needs into preferences, relaxing, breathing and looking at the big picture.
   
   
2. Breathing - breathe in fully and completely let go of your breath. Breathing is a metaphor for life. Take it in fully and let go of what you do not need.
   
   
3. Moving - stretch your body and keep it flexible and resilient like your mind.
   
   
4. Awareness - maintain a consciousness of your habitual patterns. If something is not working, cease the pattern and make another choice.
   
   
5. Communication - be assertive, state your truth with harmless intention and allow another to have a truth that may differ from yours. Respect your needs and celebrate diversity in your loved ones.
   
   
6. Sound Sleep - crucial to managing stress and feelings of well-being. If needed, create a routine for yourself that includes a soothing and calming ritual before bed. If there is something on your mind, talk to a friend or journal - get those feelings out of your body and onto some paper or into a friend's ear! Meditation prior to bedtime can create a nice transition to sleep. A spray of lavender or nutritional supplements may be considered to support a healthy sleep.

Keep in mind these six strategies as you remember that you are the choice maker. One of the few things you can choose is what thoughts you entertain and how you respond to life!!

copy; 2009 by Ellen Simon www.imadulation.com. Permission to reprint if left intact.

Ellen Simon is a nationally recognized expert in the field of mind body health. Ellen's unique brand of audio programs is in use in hospitals and health care facilities across the country. Author of over 25 titles this article is adapted from Food for Thought(r) a 6 audio CD set. For more information visit www.imadulation.com. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com.

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Protect Your MedicalInformation
By John Sileo
www.Sileo.com

Medical records are one-stop shopping for identity thieves. There is noneed to slowly gather bits and pieces of someone's personal information- it's all packaged together: Social Security number, name, address,phone number, even payment accounts.

Crooks have received everything from medication to a liver transplantusing a stolen identity. And that's only the tip of the iceberg! Morethan just medical treatment is at stake. Once a thief's medicalinformation is entered into your records, it's extremely difficult toget rid of that information. It's conceivable, for example, that at alater date, you'll need a Type A blood transfusion but be given thethief's Type B with dire consequences.

Identity theft of medical records has more than doubled since 2008, asstated in Javelin's 2010 Identity Fraud Survey Report. It's notdifficult to imagine the misery that a million Americans have sufferedduring the past two years when their identities were stolen. And the Poneman Institute, in their NationalStudy on Medical Identity Theft, states that another half millionpeople loaned their insurance cards to uninsured family members andfriends. The unsavvy lenders have incurred huge medical bills in this'friendly fraud.

Larry Ponemon says that, on average, it costs $20,000 to resolve amedical identity theft case. Unlike credit card companies, where thebanks incur the losses, the victims often have to pay for thefraudulent care and sometimes lose their health insurance or have topay higher premiums to restore their accounts. Even though there areHIPAA laws to protect your privacy, not all health care organizationshave strict safeguards in place.

The risk goes even further: if someone is treated using your identity,your medical records will more than likely be altered and couldcompromise your treatment and ability to get service. Accordingto Larry Ponemon, "stolen medical records offer a complete dossier toget a passport in a victim's name that could be used for terrorism."

Ways to Protect Yourself:

• When you receive anExplanation of Benefits from insurers, read it carefully and save -don't throw it away even when it says "this is not a bill"! If atreatment date or doctor's name is not familiar to you, call theinsurer and the billing physician to resolve.
• If your wallet is stolen,contact your insurance company just as you would your credit cardcompany. Don't carry your Medicare card in your wallet. Carry aphotocopy and black out the last four digits of the SS#.
• Urge your health careproviders to ask patients for photo ID's.
• Ask your doctors for copiesof everything in your medical files, even if you have to pay for them.
• Monitor your credit report.If you see medical billing errors, contact your insurer and the threecredit bureaus, TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax.
• Avoid Internet andstorefront offers of free treatment and supplies.
• Ask for a list of benefitspaid in your name and an "accounting of disclosures" which shows whogot your records.

About the author: To furtherbulletproof yourself and your business, visit John's blog at www.Sileo.com. To book John at your next event,visit www.ThinkLikeaSpy.com.John Sileo became America's leading Identity Theft Speaker amp;Expert after he lost his business and more than $300,000 toidentity theft and data breach. His clients include the Department ofDefense, Pfizer and the FDIC.Permissiongranted for use onDrLaura.com.

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Preventing IdentityTheft of a Loved One Who Has Passed
By John Sileo
www.Sileo.com

Here are 5 steps to take after a loved-one has passed away to make surethat their identity rests in peace:

1. Short Obituaries. Make surethat you don't include too much identifying information when you writethe obituary. Identity thieves use this information (mother's maidenname, address, ancestry, occupation, birth date, death date) to set upnew accounts, licenses, etc. in the deceased person's name. It isimportant to honor the person, just don't give away all of theirpersonal information.
   
   
2. Protect Death Certificates.Guard the death certificate like you would a birth certificate or otherpiece of identity. You will need to fax this document to certainorganizations in order to prove that your family member is deceased,but only send it to trusted institutions who absolutely won't take thename off of the account without it. When you are done with the deathcertificate, store the original and all copies in your safewhere you keep other identity documents. Be forewarned that forsecurities sake, many organizations are requiring an original copy ofthe death certificate as proof, so ask for 10-12 originals copies whenyou request the death certificate.
   
   
3. Notify Credit Bureaus.Immediately notify the three credit reporting bureaus that your familymember has passed away. Request that the credit report is flagged withthe note: Deceased, Do Not Issue Credit. Request a copy of thedecedent's credit report so that you will have a list of all of theaccounts you need to modify/close (see Step 4). The procedure varies bycredit burea, so the numbers to contact them are asfollows: Experian - 888-397-3742; Equifax - 888-766-0008;TransUnion - 800-680-7289. Don't wait for the Social SecurityAdministration to notify the credit bureaus - it takes them too long!And make sure to log all correspondence and conversations and senddocuments via certified mail so that you have proof of delivery, shouldyou ever need to dispute a claim of non-receipt.
   
   
4. Notify FinancialInstitutions. Notify all banks, insurance companies, credit cardcompanies, stock brokers, mortgage companies, loan/lien holders,etc. about the death of your family member (if it was a jointaccount OR an account under their name). The executor or survivingspouse will need to resolve all outstanding debts and how they will bedealt with before the account can be closed or the deceased person'sname is removed from the account. Also notify the Social SecurityAdministration, Veteran's Administration, Department of Motor Vehicles,professional license associations (Bar Association), membershipprograms (Costco, Sam's, Blockbuster, etc.) and any creditors orcollection agencies with which the deceased had an account ormembership. This is a difficult time to put in all of the work toprotect an identity that should be left alone; but the current realityis that the identities of deceased individuals are easier to steal andabuse than those of the living.
   
   
5. Share Wiselywith Family Members. Unfortunately, many cases of deceasedidentity theft are committed by a member of the deceased's family. Itmight be a relative who is in financial trouble, a friend whohas a costly addiction or a child that they were wronged inthe will or estate planning. For that reason, the identifyinginformation of a deceased family member should be kept to as small acircle as possible. It seems to work best when one family member is thepoint-person for collection of documents, closing of accounts, checkingof credit, etc. Generally this is someone other than the personwho organizes all of the other events that surround the death of aloved one.

About the author: To furtherbulletproof yourself and your business, visit John's blog at www.Sileo.com. To book John at your next event,visit www.ThinkLikeaSpy.com.John Sileo became America's leading Identity Theft Speaker amp;Expert after he lost his business and more than $300,000 toidentity theft and data breach. His clients include the Department ofDefense, Pfizer and the FDIC.Permissiongranted for use onDrLaura.com.

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A recent caller was concerned about being depressed or disinterested in her life/marriage. She had three young children and was tired all the time. More >>

Recently, you finished a call with a mother of 3 who didn't feel motivated. You responded to her about farmers having to go out in the rain and that they didn't have the luxury to feel "motivated" to take care of their farms and children.I laughed because I have 16 goats and 2 dogs. They are all my beloved pets more than "workers". When the weather is bad their only source of food is me... More >>

I had to step back when I heard the caller whose wife was feeling overwhelmed staying at home with their two children. I am a proud Navy wife who lives overseas and just gave birth to my fourth kiddo while my husband was deployed. More >>

I want to thank you for all you do to encourage moms to stay at home with their children. More >>