On March, 9^th 1999 while campaigning for the Democratic nomination for the presidency the rumors that Al Gore claimed to have invented the internet began.  Here is the exact text of his statement.

“During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet. I took the initiative in moving forward a whole range of initiatives that have proven to be important to our country’s economic growth and environmental protection, improvements in our educational system.”

Hoover Dam was erected on the border of Arizona and Nevada along the Colorado River.  The dam was originally named the Boulder Dam and it took five years to construct.  Upon it’s completion, the dam was the largest concrete structure as well as the largest hydroelectric generation station in the world.  Since then it has been surpassed in size and strength and is currently 38^th on the list.

Beer Bread Recipe: 3 cups of self rising flour, 3 tablespoons of sugar, 1 can of beer (the darker, the better)  Mix and pour into a loaf pan and bake at 350 for 50 minutes to 1 hour.  Slice and serve.  YUMMY. 

What do Al Gore, the Hoover Dam, and my favorite beer bread recipe have in common?  Not a damn thing… except, I learned them all from the internet.  Were we just all stupid before the creation of Google or what? 

My kids started playing on the computer when they were old enough to sit upright.  It has taught them a lot, but Google isn’t going to replace a good education and discipline at home.  There are just some things that the internet, television, and video games can’t teach our kids.  I know, because I saw a lot of those kids who are now legal-age adults in Las Vegas this weekend.  Some of them had clearly skipped the chapters in life on integrity, self-control, and self-respect.

While I don’t encourage allowing your kids to continually glaze over in front of the light of the computer screen, there are some great kid websites out there that promote learning, reading, and fine motor skills. 

http://www.pbskids.org/

http://www.yahooligans.com/

http://www.starfall.com/

http://www.tumblebooks.com/library/asp/home_tumblebooks.asp

www.coolmath4kids.com