This month’s feature articles:

Regular monthly features:

Who should academically gifted children have as friends? Should they associate mostly with average children? Should they be encouraged to associate with other gifted children as much as possible? Answer: both, of course. In real life, they will have to work with all kinds of people. Setting them up for being comfortable in the company of many different kinds and ages of people is important from an early age on.

What is more important is how gifted children handle themselves when with friends and adults. Some come across as overbearing, outlandish know-it-alls. Others try to hide their giftedness and pretend to be as ordinary as possible. In both cases somebody loses.

Consider a balance. Have the child associate with children or adults who are comfortable with them and willing to help bring out their best.

It is important for parents and teachers to monitor interactions so that relationships build positively in quantity and quality. Ensure that there are a variety of friends suited to different needs. Establishing relationships with other gifted children and adults can be highly important for some children so they realize there are intellectual peers and they are not alone in their giftedness. Those who are even more intelligent than the gifted child, can produce a humbling effect which may be important in the child’s development.

Exceptionally gifted children may have a wealth of information, sophisticated and well-developed skills, great facility and ability in a particular subject or area of study. All children need to understand that they can benefit greatly from this and that they should not be intimidated.

Superior ability of any kind should always be praised when exhibited. It helps to appreciate, celebrate and value intelligence. It’s ok to be smart. Knowing smart people is a good thing.

Even adults should be considered as friends for a gifted child in some cases, especially through mentoring. Intellectual equality is important to meet specific needs e.g. gifted in writing. In some cases it is better that a boy/girlfriend be a few years older to try and equalize maturity and intelligence levels. In one case I know of, a 16-year-old highly gifted female dated a 22-year-old male.

Gifted children need to feel that they are special – not superior to others! Parents need to let them know that their gifts, talents, skills and abilities can be of great value to the world. They may have the privilege of doing something great in the future and need to appreciate the pleasure and value they could bring to many others. This is best done through association with the right people at the right time for the benefit of all.

Borat and the Real Kazakhstan
(from Associated Press article in Toronto Star)

The hit comedy "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" brought the country of Kazakhstan into the world spotlight. The spoof movie suggests the country and people are backward and primitive. Quite the contrary is true.
To begin, the movie was actually shot in Romania. The real Kazakhstan is a rising power with great wealth from oil. It has one of the fastest growing economies in the former Soviet Union. It is a commercial hub and has many wealthy people, upscale cars and clothing shops.
Millions of people are suddenly becoming aware of the country. It has become one of the world’s last unknown countries full of history, natural features such as mountains, flamingo habitat, great wilderness areas. In rural areas, however, horsemen tending herds of horses still drink fermented mare’s milk, not horse urine as suggested in the movie.

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(Wow!! Interactive novels - online paperback books that allow you to interact with characters, author, related resources)

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Dec 1 – U.N. World AIDS Day

Dec 2 – International Day for the Abolition of Slavery

Dec 3 – International Day of Disabled Persons

Dec 5 – Full Moon tonight

Dec 5 – International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development

Dec 7 – International Civil Aviation Day

Dec 10 – Human Rights Day

Dec 11 – International Mountain Day

Dec 16 – 23 – Jewish Hanukkah

Dec 18 – International Migrant’s Day

Dec 22 – First day of Winter

Dec 25 – Christian Xmas Day

Dec 26 - Kwansaa

Dec 29 – International Day for Biological Diversity

Dec 31 – Eid al-Adha (Islamic holiday)

December is also Stress-Free Family Holidays Month

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"Accent on Essential Life Skills" – a manual of 48 personal "how to" skills that enhance and enrich life and learning in a holistic way. The skills are for children and adults. Use the skills in personal, educational, and business settings. Teachers and business people will find it particularly valuable.

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• 57% of British couples argue while Christmas shopping.
• About 185 climbers have died on Mount Everest.
• International law dictates that an occupying force is responsible for the well-being of the people of that country.
• The rule of thumb is that an engagement ring should cost about 2 months salary.
• More frisbee discs are sold each year than baseballs, basketballs and footballs combined.
• The nursery rhyme "Sing a Song of Sixpence" was originally a coded message to notify potential crew recruits that a pirate ship was about to sail.
• The height of the Eiffel Tower changes by as much as six inches depending on the temperature outside.
• WD-40 stands for "Water Displacement – 40^th Attempt". The name was taken right out of the inventor’s lab book in 1953.

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This expert has perfected the art of making something look as if it were in motion. Perspective, shadows, shifting folds, body parts movements are considered. The work is important in cartoons and animated movies. It is a growing field because the techniques are used in imaging in medical and sports research to show actions and bodies in clearer and crisper 3-dimensions.

You will be analyzing handwriting to identify authors in historical works. Famous written works may have to be identified accurately. Speeches and historical notes may be linked to their true authors. Threats and terrorist letters may be identified by place of origin and their potentially misleading or diversion tactics. In some cases, offenders or other threatening people have concealed or encoded the own names and/or addresses in notes and on envelopes.

You may be a consultant with the FBI or other law enforcement agencies, high-end antiques and art dealers, insurance companies.

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(from an article by Doug Archer, The Catholic Register)

Many people share this celebration all over the world. How much do most people know about it though?

The actual date of Christ’s birth is unknown. The Bible states that he was born in the time of King Herod so that would range from about 6-7 BC to AD 7. Most scholars tend to think about 4-5 BC. Why the controversy?

The AD system was introduced by abbot Dionysius Exiguus about 1500 years ago. His calculations for Pope John I set the dates for Easter for the next 100 years. The Easter tables were labeled "Anni Domini nostri Jesu Christi" (the years of our Lord Jesus Christ -AD). This dating system was adopted world-wide.

The founding of Rome and Jesus’ birth were now interlinked and the calculation was that Christ was born 531 years earlier. There was no year "0" as zero did not appear in Europe until the 11^th century. That was used as the starting time of the calendar.

The belief is that the abbot got it wrong. Experts believe that the system is out about 5 years.

Why December 25^th? Theories suggest that Christ’s death coincided with his birth supposedly around March 25^th. The Roman feast of Sol Invictus marked the birth of the sun around the winter solstice.

Conversion of pagan tribes left a celebratory void at this time of year so the solstice day of the invincible sun was chosen for feasting. The Gregorian calendar has this date as December 21 but in the Julian calendar it is December 25. The Egyptian calendar had the solstice on Jan 6^th and is still recognized by Greek orthodox and other Christians.

Christmas spread rapidly and in the 1500’s it was made a public holiday by the Roman emperor Justinian.

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(from an article in the Toronto Star by Joseph Hall, Health Reporter)

Washing away your sins is usually done by a higher power. Cleansing a guilty conscious can sometimes be done by people with soap and water.

A University of Toronto study in Science Journal shows that washing your hands or having a shower after impure thoughts or deeds can subconsciously clean the mind of guilt. The "upsetting consequences of unethical behaviour" can be cleansed to maintain self-image. Daily washing is in some cases an antidote to threatened morality. This is called the "Macbeth Effect" and named after Lady Macbeth who tried to scrub away a "damned spot" after killing the Scottish king.

Washing may be more than literary symbolism. Immoral acts and physical impurity can be linked. Shakespeare was very perceptive.

Subjects in the experiments chose cleaning-related words when thinking about impure deeds. Also those who had a chance to wash hands were less likely to do a good deed than those with dirty hands. When morally challenged, there is a greater need for cleansing.

There are many instances of washings to cleanse away impurities. Pontius Pilate washed his hands of Jesus. Murderers and rape victims often have a cleansing shower. In Graham Greene’s novel "The Honorary Consul" Dr. Plarr washes his hands and thinks of himself as Pilate. Pharisees in the Bible had ablutions (Matthew 23:25). Mark 7:1-5 also refers to ablutions.

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(by O.S.)

It is the end of the year and time to go on another inner journey. How was this past year and what do I want to do with myself in this next year?

Here are some suggested questions to ask:

• Who am I?
• What am I doing to still be worthy of my life?
• How am I loved and show love in return?
• How do I show gratitude for all I have?
• How do I show respect for the rights and dignity of others and for all life?
• When do I show awe and wonder for the great powers in the universe?
• Do I have the humility to realize that I am not a god?
• How am I dependent on others in the world? How do I reciprocate?
• How do I show a zest, zeal and passion for living a good life?
• How do I show charity toward others and love them as I love myself?
• How do I help, volunteer, show mercy, reach out to show that I am a participant and not a spectator in life?

A stroke of the brush does not guarantee art from the bristles.

When the avalanche has started, it is too late for the pebbles to vote.

The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the
easiest person to fool. - Richard P. Feynman

Those who fear life are already three parts dead. – Bertrand Russell

Fear breeds fear. – Byron Janis

When you don’t know what you’re talking about, it’s hard to know when you’re finished. – Tommy Smothers

Sulking about your mistakes only leads to future ones. – Bill Rancic

"The holidays are a great time to be with family. Of course, your family won't be with you, since I'm leaving, taking the kids and moving in with my sister!"

"Money is tight, times are hard, here's your @#$/& Christmas present!!!"

"This year I bought your present maybe a little too early. The smell shouldn’t last in the house too long."

"If you hadn’t picked up all those extra pounds, it would have fit you. Don’t worry, I bought it about two weeks ago so a refund shouldn’t be a problem."

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