Save time while still keeping up with the news

If you are short on time (and hey, who isn't?) you can combine reading blogs and getting news information. The News Blog at Congoo lets you create a news circle where you can build and share your own focused portal and includes over 480 topics to choose from.

Just pick your favorite categories from the list to get only the news within those categories. Get all the news you want, but none of what you don't! That will save you even more time.

Now I really can't catch up

The US Congress decided to extend Daylight Savings Time by one full month this year, so the time changed yesterday (three weeks early) and will change in the fall one week later than usual. Apparently it will save energy and some believe there will be fewer crime incidents and car accidents, since it will be still be light later in the day. Personally, I feel this is too early to change the time. I walk my daughter to the bus stop at 7:00 in the morning and now it is still very dark then. She had trouble getting ready for school today because it was so dark.

This isn't the first time Daylight Savings Time has been extended. In 1974 and 1975, the time was extended to address the energy crisis spurred by an oil embargo. Upon evaluation of the 1970s extension, it has been found that changing the time earlier in the spring might result in electricity savings of 1 percent in March and April, equivalent to roughly a hundred thousand barrels of oil daily over the two months.

Since the US population has increased since the 70s, I would be curious how much energy could be saved by making this change permanent. If it makes a big impact, I would be willing to live with a permanent change, although it will take some adjustment.

Happy ending

It is so refreshing when I hear a tale of a missing child that is found alive. I recently heard about a 12 year old kidnapping victim near St. Louis, Missouri who was found a week after he had gone missing. The real shocker of the story, was when they found him, they also discovered a 15 year old boy who has been missing for four years (since he was only 11), taken by the same man. Both boys appear to be in good spirits and physically unharmed, but I'm sure they will need serious psychological help for a long time.

So this proves that even if a child is missing for years, the parents should never give up hope that their child will one day be home again. My hearts go out to those families who are away from their little ones.